Further Thoughts on Lady Gaga and ARTPOP That Are Too Long For Twitter said:
A handful of Gaga fans and others who seem to randomly enjoy theatrics have regularly misconstrued level, critical thinking as Gaga attacks. I will say, the thing I do regret is taking to Twitter once and chiding Gaga about tweeting a link that went to a playlist of her video on repeat in order to influence play counts and charts; at that moment I hadnt yet realized it was something a few other artists were doing/had done. Nor did I fully realize that YouTubes spam detection eliminated suspicious plays.
The truth is, Im a fan of Lady Gagas. I caught her show at Radio City back in the day, and I think two different tours at the Garden. She has a strong voice, a great persona for performance and at times has demonstrated a penchant for writing viciously catchy and fun pop songs. Ive listened to everything shes released and generally really respect her for having the will and resolve to follow her own muse. She makes pop interesting in a way that few other stars have the cajones (or desire) to think about. And lately it has been painful to watch media big and small hyperinflate every drama, real (the album isnt her strongest work, indecision around single choices, personnel changes in her camp) or imagined (that ridiculous, fabricated $25 million ArtPop marketing number; possibly the notion that her tour isnt selling as well).
But just because many in media are misrepresenting details or piling on doesnt mean I cant honestly think - and share my opinion - that this album doesnt represent her strongest work. You can say that she doesnt care about her songs charting and that her fans dont care either, and if thats true thats totally cool. Theres lots of different ways to have a career in music these days, and certainly, there are options besides being a globally successful pop star. But charting is just a scorecard of popularity, of commercial success. Her last two albums havent had hits the way her first two did. That doesnt mean she wont have albums again one day that galvanize mass audiences wherever they may be. But generally, if the hits dont keep coming, the audiences at the shows start to dwindle. The budgets shrink. The productions shrink with the budgets, and that would be a shame, because her productions are pretty stunning usually.
Again, none of this is a forgone conclusion. Gaga still has lots of fans. And I have to believe the songwriter with a knack for delivering number one hits is still in there, and will rise again. When I Tweeted, in response to a question, that I thought maybe she should take a break, its partly because Im tired of watching media pillorize her for taking the same risks that they used to cheer. And its partly because I dont think the songs on this album are going to connect in a big way. And the more she keeps releasing big expensive videos and songs that dont chart or dont chart well, the more the perception of failure grows (fair or not) and the deeper the hole is that shell need to dig from next time.
And of course there will be a next time. Acts like Weezer and Pink had been written off as over by media before returning to even greater heights. After she released 4 to middling sales and then was accused of taking too long to release another album, Beyoncé was all but pronounced as dead by a grumbling media - some just weeks before she rocked the pop universe with her surprise iTunes album. And lord knows, if Mariah could return from the Glitter era, weve learned anything is possible.
So yes, as I said on Twitter, if I was her manager, Id recommend she reconsider making additional substantial expenditure on the songs on Artpop. Maybe release a new song or two, or commission some remixes if you need to generate some new excitement around the tour. Focus on creating an amazing tour. And then let people miss you for a little while, while you go find your creative muse and create a new album of your best work. Thats not me hating. Thats me pulling for Gaga. The pop world is way better with her in it.