Originally intended by her record company to be a re-release of the multi-platinum album "The Fame", once again the genius that is Gaga stepped in and decided it would also be released as a stand-alone, as the eight tracks could stand on their own 'two feet'. "The Fame Monster" was produced with Lady Gaga's dark-side in mind, as opposed to her attention-grabbing, and shout-out to fame that was her last album.
This album is eagerly awaited, and everyone is expecting big things from the "Just Dance" star. Does she live up to these expectations, or will it be just another 'poker-face'?- see what I did there. Here is my in-depth review...
Kicking of this re-release is the spanking, spectacular, super "Bad Romance". I have to admit that the demo didn't sound promising- she sounded pretty drunk, but sobering up I have fallen in love with this timeless classic. My favourite part has to be the "Ra, ra, ra"- quirky, fun and so Gaga. Best song on the album. Fact.
Attempting to follow one of the best pop tracks of the year is the authentic, emotional "Alejandro". Throwing in as many accents, and club-beats as possible Lady Gaga creates a partial success. As said before, the song is ever so slightly Eurovision- something I thought I would never speak of involving Gaga until now. The song dips in places, but is on-average pretty good. Not single material.
The metaphor-cramped "Monster" is both disturbing as it is deep. Gaga cries: "That boy is a Monster.... He ate my heart, and then he ate my brain."- lyrics that aren't usually popular in normal pop circumstances, but who can expect Gaga to stick to the rules. It's nothing special, but certainly listenable.
The very "Again, Again" sounding "Speechless" is supposedly the 'best song Lady Gaga has ever written'- yeah right! Not to say that it's rubbish, but "Speechless" is the closest the album gets to a filler, although it is far from one. I prefer this track to her other 'ballads', but she should stick to upbeat, eccentric songs. Nevertheless it's nice to have a change.
After already reviewing "Dance in the Dark" here, there isn't much else I can say. The song still sounds as fresh and vibrant as the first time I listened to it. If there's one word you won't use to describe this album, it's boring. One of the best tracks.
My second favourite track on the album- "Telephone"- is the only collaboration, but who better to collaborate with than Beyonce? I've also reviewed this track here, and it's safe to say this track is amazing, and is almost as good as "Bad Romance" with it's phone metaphors, and strong vocals.
"So Happy I Could Die" is the penultimate track, and it's probably my least favourite. There is no immediate Gaga hook, and even though the wacky vocals and lyrics: "I touch myself and it's alright" don't sound out of place, the track isn't really anything to rave about, and doesn't achieve anything new.
"Teeth" is the strangest track to pick for the finale, although everyone knows Gaga likes to go out with a bang! Continuous chants of "Show me your teeth" pulsate throughout, and add an extra layer to the song. It's pretty meaningless, but who cares! The drums are quite often over-powering, but Gaga shows them who's boss with her ever-improving vocal capability that didn't get shown off enough times in her debut.
Although no tracks could live up to the explosion that is "Bad Romance", this album is certainly far from a disappointment. The new Lady of Pop refuses to drop her energy throughout, and I believe the album will be a commercial success.
Energetic, new, experimental. B+
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