Music Review: Lady Gaga's "The Fame"

The record was put out last October. Why did it take me that long to get into her, you asked? Because I'm a major league skeptic. Yes, I've been to gay bars listening to her, song after song, and they are all catchy enough to be amongst other beat-popping generic dance songs. Her with her straight long blonde wig looks a little too gimmicky and that gave me pause. As dance pop would have it, it's not the singing skills of the performer that counts. It's mostly how catchy the beats, the tune and the lyrics are. I'm happy to say that Lady Gaga had managed to put out a near-perfect album full of such examples.

No, the lyrics don't make much sense but they are catchy, and my fellow homosexuals are already quoting them on their profiles. It's the standard Dance, Beat, Music mixed with other standard unrequited love and I know what I'm worth so you better have it if you want to get with me. But don't get me wrong, I don't hate it.

Catchy songs have a place in my world, no matter how formulated they are. Sometimes I just need my heart to skip a beat or go faster, something to cheer me up and get me energized. The style of the album has a 80s groove to it, some of the tracks like Disco Heaven sounds very skating ring, something my uncle might enjoy. Lady Gaga herself sounds very much like Gwen Stefani with a Christina Aguilera tone and at time a bit Cyndi Lauper-ish, you can say she is designed for dance pop.

It's smart for the producer to choose Just Dance to start the album with, it is basically the theme of the album, a little reminiscing of Michael Jackson, I can see myself dancing to it at a club even though I'm too shy and awkward for a dancer. Love Game is another upbeat dance song that makes your hips move, heavy 80s feel with the synthesizer. Paparazzi is a groovy love song that screams the word Stalker, she sounds especially Gwen-like in this and Summerboy, it's almost uncanny. Poker Face is one of the songs that invades my head for days, but I decided not to post it individually because the lyrics are just too dumb. I Like It Rough and Starstruck are all adequate enough to get to be A tracks. Paper Gangsta is a great pseudo-piano-ballad that needs to go out as the next single, the hook is quite catchy. There are quite a bit of fillers but any album with more than 4~5 likable songs nowadays is considered a great success and this one fits the bill.

Long gone are the days where I look up to movie and music stars, the girl is only 23. For a debut album, you can't ask for any more than this. It's stylish and unapologetic, it's safe to say that we can expect much more from her and if she is indeed the next Madonna like many of my friends think, maybe the real one can finally retire from the media. Although for a dance album so targeted to the gay population, is it really necessary to name a song Brown Eyes? B+

Favorite Tracks: Paper Gangsta, Just Dance, Poker Face, Love Game



Poker Face

Mum mum mum mah x5

I wanna hold em' like they do in Texas please
Fold em', let em', hit me, raise it, baby stay with me (I love it)
Love game intuition play the cards with Spades to start
And after he's been hooked I'll play the one that's on his heart

[Pre-Chorus]
Oh, oh, oh, oh, ohhhh, ohh-oh-e-ohh-oh-oh
I'll get him hot, show him what I've got
Oh, oh, oh, oh, ohhhh, ohh-oh-e-ohh-oh-oh,
I'll get him hot, show him what I've got

[Chorus]
Can't read my, Can't read my,
No, he can't read my poker face
(she's got me like nobody)
Can't read my, Can't read my,
No, he can't read my poker face
(she's got me like nobody)

P-p-p-poker face, p-p-poker face
(Mum mum mum mah)
P-p-p-poker face, p-p-poker face
(Mum mum mum mah)

I wanna roll with him, a hard pair we will be
A little gambling is fun when you're with me (I love it)
Russian Roulette is not the same without a gun
And baby when it's love, if it's not rough it isn't fun, fun

[Pre-Chorus]

[Chorus]

P-p-p-poker face, p-p-poker face
(Mum mum mum mah)
P-p-p-poker face, p-p-poker face
(Mum mum mum mah)

I won't tell you that I love you, kiss or hug you
Cause I'm bluffin' with my muffin
I'm not lying, I'm just stunnin' with my love-glue-gunning
Just like a chick in the casino
Take your bank before I pay you out
I promise this, promise this
Check this hand cause I'm marvelous

[Chorus x 3]

P-p-p-poker face, p-p-poker face
P-p-p-poker face, p-p-poker face
(she's got me like nobody)
P-p-p-poker face, p-p-poker face
(Mum mum mum mah)
P-p-p-poker face, p-p-poker face
(Mum mum mum mah)
P-p-p-poker face, p-p-poker face
(Mum mum mum mah)
P-p-p-poker face, p-p-poker face
(Mum mum mum mah)