Pop a 911: Lady Gaga Serves her Sickening Sixth Album

Welcome to Chromatica. Lady Gaga’s sixth studio album has been cloaked in otherworldly mystery for the months leading up to the highly anticipated release. Gaga promised her fans two things: a return to her dance-pop roots and transportation to a new world of her own creation. From the cover art to the content, she delivered.

The album is presented in three distinct acts, each introduced with a cinematic string number. ‘Chromatica I’ is a melancholy, yet smooth opener onto the first banger of many in the first act, ‘Alice’. This initial dance offering is booming, showcasing Gaga’s ability to coat her mental health and power dynamic struggles in a synth-pop bop. ‘Alice’ will have the listener up on their feet and forgetting about this world for a bit. ‘Alice’ is followed by hits ‘Stupid Love’ and ‘Rain on Me’. The former is a familiar track and an easy enticement to keep dancing. The ladder is the main event, a smash elevated by the welcome vocals of Ariana Grande. ‘Rain on Me’ brings Gaga back to a position of power as she accepts the darkness of her past and says, “F*** it”.

While the album is best consumed as a whole, ‘Rain on Me’ is a clear standout that can hold up on its own. Following the choreographed marvels a la ‘Bad Romance’ is the anthem track all fans have come to expect from Lady Gaga. ‘Free Woman’ is an ear worm goldmine putting Gaga in full control of her own narrative once again. The mantra “I’m not nothing without a steady hand/I’m not nothing unless I know I can/ I’m still something if I don’t got a man, I’m a free woman” is enough to have some listeners (me) crying on the Club Q dance floor. The final track of the hit-heavy first act, ‘Fun Tonight’, is a club-pleasing break-up number that feels slightly disruptive to the narrative flow. TL;DR: Chromatica I is stacked.

‘Chromatica II’ is full of manic suspense, a perfect interlude into the beat-heavy second act. ‘911’ is a robotic and introspective offering. As one of the strongest tracks, and lowest points, of the whole album, ‘911’ serves up a modern approach for Gaga. The beat itself pairs harmoniously with the manic, drug-fueled messaging. ‘Plastic Doll’ and ‘Sour Candy’ feel complimentary, both easy dance tracks without much depth. The appearance of K-pop marvels BLACKPINK is a nice, if not forgettable addition to ‘Sour Candy’. Chromatica II gets its footing back quickly with ‘Enigma’. A shiny ode to rolling and one-night stands, ‘Enigma’ feels familiar and euphoric all at once. ‘Replay’ is the return to the undercurrent of darkness felt throughout Chromatica. This pumping tune is an intimate glance into the cyclical nature of the healing process, conveying the inability to forget the damage of the past and feeling too stuck to heal. ‘Replay’ is a thrilling climax that leaves the listener in a tense position as they exit the second act.

An exciting sense of finality fills ‘Chromatica III’, leading the listener straight into the loving arms of Elton John. ‘Sine From Above’ is an honest glimpse into the healing powers of music, accompanied by an indescribable drum outro. The collaboration is one that feels warm and familiar to fans, while still holding true to Chromatica’s central thesis of controlling the dance floor. Although ‘1000 Doves’ attempts to harness the authenticity of ‘Sine From Above’, it is Cromatica’s most forgettable offering. Chromatica III culminates in the “created in a lab for drag queens' ' hit, ‘Babylon’. When Lady Gaga comes to eclipse the era of Madonna’s eternal classic, ‘Vogue’, she “serves it ancient city style”. The glimmering finale is a tribute to Lady Gaga’s beloved gays. Blessed be, Mother Monster.

If you would like a glimpse into how Chromatica fares with another classic Lady Gaga anthem, check out this fantastic Slate piece.