Katy Perry’s new single “Roar” quickly shot to number one on iTunes, but it will have to share its occupancy in the pop music spotlight. Following leaks late last week, Lady Gaga quickly moved forward with the official release of her new single “Applause.”
Subtlety is never the name of Lady Gaga’s game, and with affected, accented, New Wave-inspired verses leading into a high-energy dance chorus, the synthy-“Applause” boasts an irrefutably-calculated and aggressive production effort.
By the same token, it also trims the theatrical excesses of the “Born This Way” track list, focusing instead on the rock, pop and dance simplicities more common to radio and club play.
To say there is no self-indulgence would be a lie, and to say this sounds like it could come from any contemporary artist but Gaga would be similarly foolish. But “Applause” is conscious that it exists in a broader world of pop and dance music, and it is careful not to mistake uniqueness for alienation.
Of course, by tempering the qualities that make a Lady Gaga song a Lady Gaga song, one would not be wrong for wondering whether “Applause” will ignite the expected enthusiasm from her “Little Monsters.”
Are you giving Lady Gaga “Applause” for her new effort? Check out the single, the first from upcoming album “ARTPOP,” below:
