THE VERDICT - Lady Gaga "Applause "

Hype , fanfare , polarizing opinions , controversy and the rabid devotion of Little Monsters. These are just some of the certainties that come when Lady Gaga releases a brand new single.
Born This Way is now but a distant memory and the ARTPOP era is upon us. And like everything that is Gaga , an interesting , brilliantly bizarre pop odyssey awaits. For love or loathe her , everybody talks about Gaga. As loved as she is derided. And shes taken quite the pummelling this week.

So to Applause , the rush released single thats been out a few days now and has again split pop fans right down the middle. It's no Bad Romance. But then was it ever going to be ?
Instead , we get a narcissistic , frenetic , glampop stomper that is thrilling but takes a few listens to hook you in.
The panto villain vocals on the verse are underwhelming. The bridge of " I live for the applause , applause , applause " with its hand claps is glorious. the indecipherable chorus is fast and frantic , and utterly catchy.

It's a brash , confident return from the best popstar in the world. Yes I said it. But , lets be honest , Applause does lack something. There does feel like there is something missing. And no way is it one of her strongest singles.
But when you've produced some bona fide classic pop songs such as Poker Face , Bad Romance , Edge Of Glory , Paparazzi and Marry the Night , what do you expect.

Gaga has exceeded expectations as much as she has failed to match them in her short but blistering pop career. She doesn't help herself either with her overhyping and narcissism towards every new project. It irritates and alienates people.
In her defence though , I would rather a popstar like Gaga. Her over the top fashion , epic award show performances and try hard but still entertaining eccentricity.

Michael Jackson has passed away. Madonna is in the twilight of her career. We need popstars like Gaga. We need artists like Gaga. She IS the greatest thing to happen to pop music in the 21st century, whether you like her or not. The backlash against her was inevitable. The fanwars is tedious and pointless.


Applause is not a solid start to the ARTPOP era. But nor is it the failure her detractors are positively baying for. Until November when ARTPOP is finally unleashed , will we judge whether there is something rotten in the Haus of Gaga.
Love her. Hate her. Ignore her. But write her off at your peril.


Applause is available now on iTunes.

Watch the lyric video for Lady Gaga's " Applause " below