Matt Trzcinski | Showbiz Cheat Sheet Writer

Eminem and Rihanna Did a Sequel to ‘Love the Way You Lie’

Matthew Trzcinski — Thu, 18 Jul 2024 03:53:32 +0000

Eminem and Rihanna‘s “Love the Way You Lie” is one of the most important songs of Slim Shady’s career and RihRih’s. Like many blockbusters, it inspired a sequel, but that sequel got little attention. Here’s a look at one of the most underrated songs in both artist’s catalogs and why it languishes in obscurity.

The sequel to Eminem and Rihanna’s ‘Love the Way You Lie’ fixes the original

“Love the Way You Lie” is a song about domestic violence. The tune heavily favors a male perspective, with Eminem getting many more lines than Rihanna, who merely sings the chorus. Discussing a subject like this while putting women in the background is a questionable choice at best.

“Love the Way You Lie (Part II)” fixes that problem. While the first song was an Eminem song with Rihanna as a guest vocalist, the sequel is a Rihanna song with an Eminem verse. The second track is much slower, sadder, and more personal. While “Love the Way You Lie” is a song for the radio, “Love the Way You Lie (Part II)” is a perfect song to listen to if you like having a good cry once in a while.

Rihanna recorded the song with and without Eminem

According to the Toronto Sun, Rihanna told MTV News in 2010 that she was opposed to recording a sequel. “When I first heard the idea about doing a part two, I was just completely against it,” the “Don’t Stop the Music” singer recalled. “I just felt like you couldn’t beat the original. There’s no way you can outdo that, so why compete with it?”

Rihanna embraced the song, recording both a version with Eminem and a solo piano version. “We heard a broken-down version that was stripped down, just piano … I fell in love with it,” the “Rude Boy” star added. “We recorded it, then we did another version to the stripped-down version with drums, then we did another version with drums and Eminem. And then that was the one that just felt really good. I love both: I love the broken-down version, as well as the new one with Eminem.”

How ‘Love the Way You Lie’ and its sequel performed

The original version topped the Billboard Hot 100 for a whopping seven weeks, staying on the chart for 29 weeks in total. “Love the Way You Lie” appeared on Eminem’s album Recovery. That album peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 for seven weeks, lasting on the chart for 322 weeks in total. Recovery remains one of Eminem’s most popular records, possibly because it has some pop crossover appeal.

“Love the Way You Lie (Part II)” did not chart on the Billboard Hot 100. The tune appeared on Rihanna’s album Loud. Frankly, it’s odd that the two songs aren’t on the same album. Loud reached No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and spent 78 weeks on the chart. While Loud produced several hits, including “What’s My Name?,” “Only Girl (In the World),” “S&M,” and “Cheers (Drink to That),” it’s generally not considered Rihanna’s best album because its lyrics are all over the place. “Love the Way You Lie (Part II),” “What’s My Name?,” and “Cheers (Drink to That)” are all good songs, but they don’t have anything to do with each other, either musically or thematically.

While “Love the Way You Lie” has been widely praised, “Love the Way You Lie (Part II)” remains one of the most underrated sequels in music history.

Madonna’s ‘Justify My Love’ Is Based on a Poem

Matthew Trzcinski — Wed, 17 Jul 2024 03:49:51 +0000

Madonna‘s songs are great, but they usually aren’t considered poetic. Despite this, Madonna’s “Justify My Love” was based on a poem that the Material Girl did not write. The poem’s author revealed what she thought of the whole ordeal. Regardless of her feelings, “Justify My Love” still played a major role in the Queen of Pop’s career.

Madonna’s ‘Justify My Love’ has connections to Lenny Kravitz and Prince

“Justify My Love” was co-written by three people: Madonna, rock star Lenny Kravitz, and poet Ingrid Chavez. During a 2019 interview with The Current, Chavez said the started originated from a poem she wrote for Prince. She turned the poem into a song with the help of a producer. Madonna then copied her song without her knowledge.

“No one told me that this was going to be for anybody but me,” she said. “This was my song. So a little while I heard that Madonna was going to do it, and that they didn’t want anybody to know that I had written it. I kind of got talked into being a ghostwriter on it, but as soon as it came out Prince called me up immediately and said, ‘Ingrid, what’s up with that Madonna song, ‘Justify My Love?’ That’s you. I know it’s you.”

Madonna’s actions made Prince upset

Chavez later explained the situation to Prince. “And that was the first time I told anybody — anybody — about it,” she remembered. “He was upset.” Notably, Prince repeatedly protested music industry practices that he felt were unfair, which is why he’s considered one of the all-time great pop musicians.

“He was like ‘Your record is about to come out and people are going to think you’re copying Madonna,'” she added. “And so the very next day I got lawyers and made sure that did not happen, that Madonna didn’t get the [sole] credit for writing that, that it was my song.” For better or worse, “Justify My Love” remains more famous than any of the other songs Chavez wrote.

‘Justify My Love’ sent an important message

In 1990, Madonna released two singles that topped the Billboard Hot 100: “Vogue” and “Justify My Love.” Both songs inspired black-and-white music videos that proved that Madonna knew how to be sexual, classy, and retro at the same time. The songs sent out the message that the Queen of Pop would be here to stay for another glorious decade of hits. “Justify My Love” was No. 1 in the United States for two weeks, staying on the chart for 16 weeks in total.

“Justify My Love” appeared on Madonna’s greatest hits album, The Immaculate Collection. The Immaculate Collection encapsulates the first decade of Madonna’s career in chronological order. That record reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200, staying on the chart for 148 weeks. Aside from Madonna’s self-titled debut album, The Immaculate Collection spent more time on the Billboard 200 than any of the Queen of Pop’s other albums. The record included two new songs: “Justify My Love” and “Rescue Me.” They are some of the best and most underrated songs of Madonna’s career.

The backstory of “Justify My Love” is ethically questionable but it’s such a good tune and a classic video.

A Future Pop Star Wrote Eminem’s ‘The Monster’

Matthew Trzcinski — Wed, 17 Jul 2024 02:33:00 +0000

Eminem is one of the most iconic rappers who ever lived but he has repeatedly worked with pop artists. Interestingly, a future pop star co-wrote Eminem’s “The Monster.” The pop singer said she initially regretted giving the track away. She also said she had the opportunity to give it to a different rapper.

Eminem’s ‘The Monster’ was written by a pop star who worked with many rappers

Bebe Rexha is a pop singer who has repeatedly found success with other artists. Her hits include a Florida Georgia Line duet (“Meant to Be”), a David Guetta production (“I’m Good (Blue)”), and a Nicki Minaj dance track (“Hey Mama”). She’s also written songs for other artists, such as Iggy Azalea, Selena Gomez, and Shinee.

During a 2024 interview with Out, Rexha was asked if she wished she kept one of the songs she gave away. “It was the first record I wrote called ‘The Monster,’ which is now Rihanna and Eminem’s record,” she recalled. “I remember playing it for a big CEO at this record label at the time that I won’t name and I remember playing the song for him. He said ‘There’s something special here,’ but keep working and doing my thing. I was discouraged because I knew there was something special there with my songs.”

Why Bebe Rexha gave the song to Eminem

Rexha said she could have given “The Monster” to one of two rappers. “There was an opportunity where I could’ve given the record to Eminem, who loved it, or another rapper at the time who I won’t name,” she recalled. “The other rapper wanted to be on it but I told him ‘I’m going to give it to Eminem as I think that would be such a big moment and he’ll make it sound great.’ In the beginning, I was upset because I was younger, but later, it ended up earning me the respect I now have in the music industry and it opened many doors for me.”

In the final version of the song, Eminem rapped on the verses while Rihanna sang the track’s memorable hook. Together, Eminem and Rihanna went on a tour entitled The Monster Tour, which capitalized on the success of the song. By writing “The Monster,” Rexha had a huge impact on two of the biggest names in music. “The Monster” also opened the door for Eminem to ruminate on his own fame in many of his subsequent songs.

Listeners couldn’t get enough of ‘The Monster’

“The Monster” became one of the biggest hits of Eminem’s career. The track topped the Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks, staying on the chart for 29 weeks. Only one Eminem tune charted longer on the Billboard Hot 100: “Smack That.”

Eminem included “The Monster” on his album The Marshall Mathers LP 2, the sequel to the classic The Marshall Mathers LP. The Marshall Mathers LP 2 peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 for two weeks, charting for 189 weeks in total. The Marshall Mathers LP 2 spent more weeks on the Billboard 200 than its predecessor.

“The Monster” is one of Eminem’s most famous songs and it helped Rexha find her pace in the music industry.

1 Song Let RuPaul Fulfill His Dream of Being a Pop Star

Matthew Trzcinski — Tue, 16 Jul 2024 02:14:53 +0000

Today, RuPaul is mostly known for hosting RuPaul’s Drag Race, but many fans were introduced to him through one of his songs. The track in question helped define a certain era of dance music and helped the drag icon fulfill a dream he had since childhood.

1 RuPaul song stood out from almost all the other songs in the same genre

During a 1992 interview with Out, the iconic drag queen revealed that he didn’t always want to be a drag queen. “Well, very early, up until I was 10 years old, I wanted to become a race car driver,” he said. “Drag racing, right? [laughter] I swear, but then at 10, I decided I wanted to be a pop star.

“I’ve always wanted to be a pop star, I really have,” he continued. “And actually, you know, at 10, I realized I was a pop star, it’s just that no one knew it. So, I had to go and tell the world that I was. Show them. I’ve always been a pop star.”

RuPaul got his wish with the tune “Supermodel (You Better Work).” Aside from Madonna’s “Vogue” and Robin S.’s “Show Me Love,” RuPaul’s “Supermodel (You Better Work)” might be the most beloved house song from the genre’s peak era.

It’s one of those upbeat pop tracks that can make anyone feel famous and glamorous if they listen to it in the right mood. It’s been referenced on RuPaul’s Drag Race numerous times, and it sounds like it might’ve been an inspiration for Britney Spears’ “Work Bitch.”

What made ‘Supermodel (You Better Work)’ different from his other songs

“Supermodel (You Better Work)” reached No. 45 on the Billboard Hot 100, staying on the chart for 20 weeks. The track was RuPaul’s sole song to reach the top 50, making him a one-hit wonder. Of course, he’s a lot more famous than most one-hit wonders, as he’s found success on television and appeared in a few cult films like To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar and But I’m a Cheerleader. On a musical level, RuPaul is best understood as someone like Jennifer Lawrence or Bruce Willis, who had a little success as a musician but is primarily known for working in other media.

Two other RuPaul singles charted in the United States: “Snapshot” and a remake of “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” featuring Elton John himself. Neither of those songs charted higher than No. 95, but at least RuPaul can say he performed a duet with a classic rock icon.

RuPaul said other pop stars were drag queens

RuPaul might seem like a different sort of pop singer, especially compared to his 1990s contemporaries. However, he told Out that wasn’t the case. “Really every pop star who’s ever walked the face of the Earth is a drag queen,” he said. “And now, this is one of the most honest, up-front signings to ever happen because I am an unabashed drag queen. Everybody is.

“You’re going to tell me Madonna is not a drag queen?” the TV star added. “Bryan Adams, he’s in drag, doing the jeans look. And Barbara Bush, she’s a drag queen.”

We’re all born naked and the rest is drag.

Why RuPaul Called Madonna ‘a Drag Queen’

Matthew Trzcinski — Tue, 16 Jul 2024 02:08:07 +0000

RuPaul knows a thing or two about drag queens and he said Madonna is one. He said the same thing about two other 1980s/1990s celebrities. Here’s a look at why fans might agree with his assessment of the Queen of Pop.

RuPaul said Madonna and 1 First Lady were drag queens

During a 1992 interview with Out, RuPaul discussed the idea of becoming a pop star as a drag queen. “In fact, I think it’s really time,” he said. “Everybody who hears about the whole thing ultimately says, you know what, it’s about time. Because really every pop star who’s ever walked the face of the Earth is a drag queen. And now, this is one of the most honest, up-front signings to ever happen because I am an unabashed drag queen. Everybody is.

“You’re going to tell me Madonna is not a drag queen?” he added. “Bryan Adams, he’s in drag, doing the jeans look. And Barbara Bush, she’s a drag queen. [laughter]. It’s true. Everybody I talk to says it’s about time. And I think it is.”

RuPaul expected to have a warm reception as a pop star. “People at work will be like, ‘Honey, last night on MTV, did you see that, that, it was six feet — and the hair — oh, no, the legs, the legs, and oh, she opened her mouth–funny!'” he added. “‘Funny, funny, funny! Oh, and can sing! And the dancing! Are you gagging on the dancing? Did you see huh? She was too fierce!'”

Is the Material Girl a drag queen?

Whether Madonna is a drag queen or not is a matter of opinion. It’s an easy argument for RuPaul to make, as he has spent decades saying “We’re all born naked and the rest is drag.” Regardless of how you classify the Quee of Pop, she definitely has a lot in common with drag queens.

Drag is an eclectic art form, but it often focuses on two things: glamour and comedy. Madonna might be one of the most glamorous women who ever graced the radio. She’s given the world numerous iconic looks, including her pink dress from the “Material Girl” music video, her cone bra from “Vogue,” and the “Boy Toy” belt buckle/wedding dress combo from the cover of Like a Virgin.

In the same vein, Madonna knows how to be funny. She’s no “Weird Al” Yankovic, but she’s worked humor into her art. She took on a cutesy golddigger persona for “Material Girl” and “Santa Baby,” made David Lettermen blush with her extremely sexual comments during an interview, and even put out a single with Nicki Minaj called “B**** I’m Madonna.” For these reasons, it’s common for drag queens to take inspiration from the “Like a Prayer” singer.

Madonna received a prestigious award for her LGBTQ advocacy

We don’t know what Madonna would think about RuPaul’s take on her, but we do know what she thinks about the LBGTQ community. She famously championed their rights in her classic documentary film Madonna: Truth or Dare (also known as In Bed With Madonna). In 2019, she was honored with the Advocate for Change Award at the 30th Annual GLAAD Media Awards for her activism on behalf of LGBTQ causes.

Drag queen or not, Madonna remains an influential LGBTQ icon.

Why ‘Fly Me to the Moon’ Fails So Hard

Matthew Trzcinski — Mon, 15 Jul 2024 03:28:49 +0000

Some movies don’t know what they’re trying to accomplish. Fly Me to the Moon has a wacky comedy premise that should have made for a fun trip to the theater. However, nothing archives liftoff except for one of the performances. Sadly, a decent premise is ruined by a completely awful approach to the story.

‘Fly Me to the Moon’ fails as a comedy

One can imagine how Fly Me to the Moon was pitched. Someone told an executive that they were going to make a comedy centering around the conspiracy theory that the moon landing was staged. The executive was hoping for something hilarious. Instead, the script felt like a rejected Julia Roberts rom-com. If the executive had any taste, that would have been the end of that.

Fly Me to the Moon is the fictional story of an advertising expert (played by Scarlett Johansson) who is hired to make NASA look cool. She responds the only way how: by using their image to sell products. If the idea of an astronaut-themed advertisement for underwear is your idea of humor, this is the flick for you.

‘Fly Me to the Moon’ should have been tasteless

Halfway through the story, she’s asked to film a fake moon landing because NASA is worried that they can’t film the real deal. She gets a second-rate director to do it for her. He’s the rival of Stanley Kubrick, the visionary who wingnuts will tell you filmed the moon landing on a soundstage. A reference like that tells me that the folks behind Fly Me to the Moon know something about films, but little about filmmaking.

The material here begs to be made into a cartoonish farce that rivals Airplane! and The Naked Gun. Meanwhile, Fly Me to the Moon is merely cute. It wants to be charming, retro, and tasteful, much like the Frank Sinatra song that lent the movie its title. Really, the film should have been as odd and tasteless as Sinatra’s forgotten cover of “Old MacDonald,” which reimagines the “chick” from the original song from a bird into a sexy babe having a hot night on the town.

The themes of the movie are botched

Trying to be trendy and retro, Fly Me to the Moon also touches on misinformation and why it’s bad. I won’t spoil anything, but there are elementary school children who could see the ending of this picture coming from a mile away. But predictability isn’t the real problem here.

The jokes don’t land, even though Johansson does her best to infuse them with some warmth. Furthermore, the whole film starts to feel hypocritical after a certain point. Fly Me to the Moon is about the immorality of misinformation, but it goes out of its way to create a plausible enough but false narrative of the Apollo 11 mission. What are the filmmakers trying to do here?

Perhaps someone who understood irony a bit would have been able to create a film that threaded this line between truth and falsehood. However, this film is just conventional fluff. Maybe this movie will work for a couple that loves both conspiracy theories and Old Hollywood romance. In that case, you should just stick with any Marilyn Monroe movie.

Britney Spears’ 5 Worst Cover Songs

Matthew Trzcinski — Mon, 15 Jul 2024 03:12:35 +0000

Britney Spears has given us some of the most memorable dance songs of the past 25 years. She’s also really bad at doing covers. She’s managed to ruin tracks from many different genres, including 1960s psychedelia, hard rock, and an a capella classic.

5. ‘The Beat Goes On’

In many ways, Spears is the heir to Cher. It only made sense for her to record “The Beat Goes On,” one of Cher’s most beloved hits from her days with Sonny Bono. However, the production on Spears’ version is horrid and the tune sounds out-of-place on one of the records that defined 1999.

At least Spears was staying in her lane with this one. She was a pop diva taking on the work of another pop dive. Many of her later covers were more awkward because she went out of her comfort zone.

4. ‘I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll’

Joan Jett’s version of “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll” was already a cover, so it’s hard to say that the original song should have stayed off-limits. Despite this, Jett’s rendition of the track was one of the covers that ended all covers. Spears could have only done this song well if she recorded it as a piece of post-essentialist art with no rock elements whatsoever.

Instead, she went the worst route possible and made it just pop enough to be blasphemous and just rock enough to sound ridiculous coming from her. Some pop stars, like Olivia Rodrigo and Kelly Clarkson, can pull off rock. Spears is forever stuck in the club.

3. ‘(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction’

Y’know who liked this one? Mick Jagger. During a 2007 BBC interview, he was asked to name his favorite Stones covers. “I think Otis Redding’s ‘Satisfaction’ has got to be in there,” he said. “Aretha Franklin did a quite good version of ‘Satisfaction’ as I recall as well. Erm, and then. after that I can’t remember. Britney Spears did a good version of ‘Satisfaction.’”

This sort of rock ‘n’ roll sacrilege pleased no one. The rockists hated it and the pop fans probably don’t care about The Rolling Stones. Maybe Jagger was trolling us.

2. ‘Tom’s Diner’

“Tom’s Diner” by Suzanne Vega had a renaissance when Fall Out Boy sampled it in their hit “Centuries.” Spears jumped on the bandwagon with a slick dance cover of “Tom’s Diner.” The production is fine but why is this a dance track? The original was a melancholy slice-of-life. It doesn’t make for good twerking music.

Spears’ redux was produced by disco legend Giorgio Moroder. What a waste of a song. What a waste of talent.

1. ‘Hold Me Closer’

“Hold Me Closer” is a quickie cash-in mashup of three Elton John hits: “Tiny Dancer,” “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart,” and “The One.” Nobody ever heard those songs and felt they should have been given to Spears. “Hold Me Closer” was an obvious attempt by John to recapture the success of “Cold Heart,” a mashup of his old hits he recorded with Dua Lipa.

Recycling is good, except when it comes to art. Spears’ collaboration with John could’ve been a triumphant comeback. Instead, it’s an unnecessary curio.

Lady Gaga’s Producer Didn’t Want to Make Any Music After ‘Artpop’

Matthew Trzcinski — Mon, 15 Jul 2024 02:58:15 +0000

Lady Gaga’s Artpop is, in a word, over-the-top. Its music is a lot more experimental and bizarre than the “Poker Face” singer‘s other work, much less the average pop album. One of the producers of Artpop said that crafting the record drained him, partly because he had to spend so much time in the studio to finish it. The producer said that he had no desire to make other records after working on Artpop.

Lady Gaga’s ‘Artpop’ made a record producer look like he was 150 years old

DJ White Shadow isn’t a household name, but millions of people have downloaded his songs. He worked with Gaga on hits like “The Edge of Glory,” “Applause,” and “Do What U Want.” During a 2021 interview with Entertainment Weekly, DJ White Shadow said he was burnt out after serving as one of the producers of Gaga’s Artpop.

“I never wanted to make another record for the rest of my life once that was done,” he recalled. “It was so bad. I was finished. I have a picture of me walking out of [recording studio] Record Plant after it was over, and I look so f****** terrible. I look like I’m 150 years old. I slept in Record Plant for a month.”

DJ White Shadow did work with Lady Gaga again

While working with the “Perfect Illusion” singer caused DJ White Shadow to get sick of making music, he ended up working with Gaga again. He revealed what made him get back into music. “I did some good stuff [with other artists] and when A Star Is Born got started, she called,” he recalled.

“I watched Joanne happen,” the DJ continued. “Mark Ronson is a friend of mine [but] I was happy to sit it out. We talked all the time. I went to watch stuff in the studio, I listened to the record, my brain wasn’t into making stuff at that point. For A Star Is Born, I knew everything was more stable and a better foundation to build the house on.”

Several ‘Artpop’ songs charted but only 1 was a hit

Artpop became a modest hit for a major star like Gaga. The record topped the Billboard 200 for a single week, lasting on the chart for 29 weeks. That might sound like a big hit, but it wasn’t a huge deal compared to other Gaga records. The singer’s previous album, Born This Way, was No. 1 for two weeks and lasted on the chart for 61 weeks in total.

Several songs from Artpop charted. The most prominent was “Applause,” which climbed to No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and stayed on the chart for 23 weeks. “G.U.Y.,” “Do What U Want,” “Dope,” and “Venus” each charted but none of them managed to reach the top 5. In fact, Artpop became the singer’s first LP that didn’t produce a No. 1 single. A casual Gaga fan probably won’t be able to name any of the songs from Artpop besides “Applause.”

Regardless, some listeners love Artpop. They feel it’s a bold, brave album for eschewing the typical sounds of pop music for something more avant-garde. In their opinion, Artpop more than lives up to its title.

DJ White Shadow had a hard time working on Artpop but he eventually came back to Mother Monster.

Lady Gaga Might’ve Made a Music Video for an ‘Artpop’ Song and Scrapped It

Matthew Trzcinski — Mon, 15 Jul 2024 02:51:32 +0000

Lady Gaga‘s Artpop might not be her best album but it added a lot of interesting anecdotes to her public persona. The “Poker Face” singer supposedly created a music video for one of the album’s songs but never released it. One of the musicians who worked on Artpop revealed everything he knew about the situation.

Lady Gaga’s ‘Artpop’ saw the star get mythological

DJ White Shadow served as one of the many producers on Gaga’s most divisive album, Artpop. The record includes a tune called “Venus” which is a tribute to both the Roman love goddess Venus and the planet of the same name. According to rumor, Gaga crafted a music video for the song that never saw the light of day.

During a 2021 interview with Entertainment Weekly, DJ White Shadow was asked if the video was real. “I don’t know that!” the DJ replied. “Because of the nature of the way of what I’m supposed to do on the chain, my part on the assembly line, I have nothing to do with the video thing.

“When they shot that video for ‘G.U.Y.’ and everybody from the Real Housewives was on it, I didn’t find out about that until weeks after it was done,” he added. “There’s a super possibility that it did, but I have no idea. I do know that song is one of the songs that, when it’s time to get pumped up, she’s jamming it out.”

Lady Gaga seemed to dismiss the album

DJ White Shadow was asked about the time Gaga said she didn’t “remember Artpop.” “Everybody gets analytical about every syllable!” he replied. “You’re waiting on bated breath for stuff, I get it. Take everything with a grain of salt.

“People are filled with love and talent over here,” he continued. “She’s smart and awesome about what she does, and cares deeply about everybody that cares about her!”

‘Venus’ flopped and ‘Artpop’ could have performed a lot better

“Venus” was barely a hit. It reached No. 32 on the Billboard Hot 100, charting for a single week. It’s a big deal when an indie band reaches the top 40. In contrast, Gaga had released many songs that performed so much better than this. Four other songs from Artpop charted — “Dope,” “Do What U Want,” “G.U.Y.,” and “Applause” — but only the latter made much of a dent in popular culture.

Artpop performed a lot better than “Venus.” The record reached No. 1 for a single week and stayed on the chart for 29 weeks in total. So far, Artpop is Gaga’s least popular pop album in the United States. Even her album of standards, Cheek to Cheek, was a little more prominent than Artpop.

However, Artpop has many defenders. While it didn’t become a pop juggernaut like The Fame or Born This Way, some fans feel that Artpop presaged the rise of hyper-pop music with its avant-garde sounds and campy lyrics. It’s fascinating that an artist as mainstream as Gaga managed to have a huge impact on a niche genre like hyper-pop.

We might never see the music video for “Venus” (if it even exists), but fans will be dancing the night away to the song for years to come.

Lady Gaga Made a Huge Mistake With ‘Applause’

Matthew Trzcinski — Sun, 14 Jul 2024 03:46:52 +0000

Lady Gaga‘s “Applause” is one of her most memorable songs and it speaks to the theater kid in all of us. Despite that, the “Shallow” singer made a grave mistake when she put out “Applause.” One of the song’s writers said the tune underperformed expectations.

Lady Gaga’s ‘Applause’ should have been an album-starter

Album sequencing is its own art form. Songs on the best albums appear in a cohesive order. For example, The Beatles’ Abbey Road wouldn’t have worked as well if it started with “The End.” Most of Gaga’s records are sequenced just fine, but she made a big mistake with her third studio album, which is pretentiously titled Artpop.

“Applause” is the final track on that album. A song about a love of performing should have started the record and pumped the audience up. Instead, Gaga proclaims her love of performing right before the record stops. It’s such a huge anticlimax that one can only wonder why she thought it was a good idea.

Lady Gaga’s ‘Artpop’ feels half-baked

In addition, the album has a Greek mythology theme. One of the songs is called “Venus,” another starts with an invocation to Eros, and the album cover includes images from Sandro Botticelli’s The Birth of Venus. The record should have concluded with a mythological song to solidify the theme. Instead, Gaga drops the mythological references, making them feel like a cop-out.

Gaga’s previous album, Born This Way, contains many references to Catholicism. One song is about Judas Iscariot, another includes the line “I don’t need your Jesus Christo,” and another centers on Mary Magdalene. In that record, Gaga seemed to reject her Catholic upbringing for something more bohemian and libertine. In contrast, the mythological underpinnings of Artpop feel half-baked.

The producer of ‘Applause’ was upset by the song’s performance

DJ White Shadow co-produced “Applause.” During a 2021 interview with Entertainment Weekly, DJ White Shadow explained the background of Artpop. “After Born This Way was finished and turned in, I remember laying on the couch at my house, and I picked up the phone and it was [Gaga],” he recalled. “She was like, ‘I got the name for the next record. It’s Artpop!'”

DJ White Shadow said making Artpop was difficult. “Everything was in a state of turmoil at the time,” he said. “Everybody was making guesses about how to get stuff out. It was a moving target. When ‘Applause’ came out, it didn’t go to No. 1 right away; ‘Born This Way’ went to No. 1 right off the jump. I know it wasn’t like an, ‘Oh s***, Macy’s Day Parade’ moment. We were all kind of freaked out.”

DJ White Shadow said creating Artpop gave him trauma. “I never wanted to make another record for the rest of my life once that was done,” he explained. “It was so bad. I was finished. I have a picture of me walking out of [recording studio] Record Plant after it was over, and I look so f****** terrible.” DJ White Shadow said he slept in the studio for a month to complete Artpop and the experience made him look 150 years old.

“Applause” is a great song, even if its placement doesn’t do Artpop any favors.