Inspired by the monster that is the music industry, “The Fame Monster” proves that Lady Gaga earned her cult following not just through outfits and antics, but also through sheer talent.
The album’s eight new songs show much more of her talent than her first album, “The Fame.” Lady Gaga’s vocals can be compared to Christina Aguilera’s in the ballad “Speechless,” and her incorporation of ’80s and ’90s pop is pretty genius. The album is also more diverse than “The Fame” ““ most of the songs can be envisioned playing at clubs, parties, the gym and even an evening in.
There are clear influences on most tracks. “Alejandro” is arguably the catchiest on the album and is highly reminiscent of Madonna’s “La Isla Bonita.”
“Dancing in the Dark” samples a familiar Eastern European pop melody and upbeat ’80s pop beats.
The overall theme for the album seems to be a lack of intimacy in both love and sex.
The lyrics of “Bad Romance” call for all your love and all your lovers’ revenge, but it’s unclear if Lady Gaga is speaking to a lover or the music industry. “Alejandro” is about a throng of Latin men and hiding through love. “Monster” is about a boy who ate Lady Gaga’s heart. “Telephone,” featuring Beyoncé (not to be confused with Beyoncé’s “Video Phone” featuring Lady Gaga), is literally about not calling her up when she’s meeting new people at the club.
Lady Gaga seemed to be inspired by her time in the music industry, touching on her “monsters” or fears of love, alcohol, sex, death and loneliness. Her observations are pretty poignant if you listen carefully. Tragic icons Marilyn Monroe, JonBenét Ramsey, Princess Diana and Liberace are mentioned in “Dancing in the Dark,” which invites everyone to find freedom in music apart from abusive relationships. “Speechless” is a throwback to the time Lady Gaga was still Stefani Germanotta and played the piano and sang “Captivated” at NYU, with her voice more appropriate for a smoky jazz club than a disco.
Lady Gaga can apparently belt, but it was a matter of time before she had a typical Auto-Tune vocal track ““ “Monster.” It’s hard to judge Gaga though ““ especially when the track is infectious.
The album is diverse, but not necessarily cohesive. The lone ballad “Speechless” is a shining example of Lady Gaga’s vocal talent amid a sea of recent mediocre pop divas, but it’s pretty random surrounded by apparent club hits. The songs leave a lot of room for lyrical interpretation, which could be hours of fun in itself.
Lady Gaga’s bad romance with the music industry materializes in “The Fame Monster,” and as long as she has more surprises like this to offer, she’ll continue to have her audience’s love.
““ Maryia Krivoruchko
E-mail Krivoruchko at mkrivoruchko@media.ucla.edu.