[Jake.]

Chromatica Review

Gaga’s musical career has been a bit rocky since Born This Way, to say the least. Artpop was a mismanaged, disjointed mess with none of the ideas really “sticking”. The jazz collaboration with Tony Bennett was great for appealing to the over sixties crowd yet alienated her core fan base even further. 2016’s Joanne stripped things back and, whilst received well enough, still left most yearning for a return to her pop routes. Fast forward four years and Chromatica has landed.

The first impression one gets is that Gaga’s latest offering is vastly different to what she’s released previously. The first interlude merges into album opener Alice beautifully and the tone for the next 40 minutes or so is set; Gaga’s striking vocals intertwined with polished, pumping house beats. Dare I say, Alice might just be one of her best tracks yet. It’s so unlike anything she’s released up to this point, yet you’d never have guessed so; she sounds as focused as she ever has done. It’s really quite something and a world away from second track and lead single Stupid Love. That’s not to say the latter isn’t good - Its 80’s inspired hook is still as catchy as it was from when it was first released and it was a perfect choice for the lead. However, compared to Alice and indeed, the rest of the album, it can’t help but feel a tad out of place.

Rain on Me steers things back to the more dance-orientated route and this continues with obligatory empowerment themed Free Woman; The former in particular is a summer track dripping with replay-ability, helped by its “earworm” nature.

Further into the album, Enigma showcases once again Gaga’s strong vocals over an even stronger hook. Things only improve with Replay - producers BURNS and Benjamin Rice work their magic and the end result is a spectacularly twangy piece of pop.

Not everything is perfect, however. Fun Tonight feels a bit lost after such a strong opening. 911, whilst catchy, harkens back to her days of “The Fame” with amped up auto tune and a simplistic beat. Plastic Doll finds itself on the filler side of things with a fine enough chorus and some not-so-good verses. Sour Candy is something of a missed opportunity - The best parts of the track are those featuring just Gaga, but at only 2:38 minutes long and a strong presence of featured Kpop group BLACKPINK, those moments are few and far between.

Things close off with the third interlude, followed by Sine From Above. A soft EDM inspired track, it’s easy to see the influence Ryan Tedder and Axwell have had as songwriter and producer, respectively. It’s all a bit of a cringe from start to finish, with Elton John’s unexpected (and unnecessary) feature and the random last 40 or so seconds of drum and bass, for whatever reason. Camp but strong Europop-inspired 1000 Doves puts things right again before we hit the last of the album with Babylon. It’s cliché to say that “the best was saved ‘till last”, but Babylon is a fantastic 80’s styled throwback to Madonna’s Vogue/Bowie’s Fame. The instrumental is as euphoric as they come and Gaga once again feels right at home with yet another style at her feet.

As a package, Chromatica is Gaga’s most cohesive vision to date. It’s not perfect, but for the first time in years, her vision and concept has come together.

Average/Mixed: Sine From Above, Sour Candy
Good: Free Woman, Fun Tonight, 911, Plastic Doll
Great: Stupid Love, Rain On Me, Enigma, 1000 Doves
Amazing: Alice, Replay, Babylon

Album Rating: 9/10