I am starting this with all intents and purposes to keep it brief. Also, it is rare that I would ever write an analysis of a live performance, but here goes…

When I woke up this morning to last night’s noise and ad hoc social media posts featuring dodgy YouTube links to Gaga’s much anticipated (we’ll get to why it was much anticipated) performance on Fallon I watched it immediately and also immediately understood why she chose to perform ARTPOP and the significance behind it.

It is fair to say that that campaign for ARTPOP isn’t where it was projected to be at today. Things changed, videos didn’t come out, managers/management teams were fired, promo was pulled, artists were featured on remixes that were unplanned, organic decisions and the album/single cycle was set into a bit of a spin. The darkest thing to come from all of this is the way in which the media is treating Gaga. There are now countless “this is why she flopped” articles from credible publications, blogs and even national newspapers. Why the press deems it socially acceptable to literally bully an artist to the point of obliteration is beyond me. If this sounds like my very own “leave Britney alone moment” then so be it, but I am certainly not the only person that feels this way. I cannot escape my Facebook timeline including some vested hatred towards this woman. This woman who has tirelessly built her own career and deserves every inch of success due to sheer talent, skill and love for her art (note her image post on Little Monsters after the show). When talent deserves praise, society feels it is acceptable to knock her down. Why? Because she has thick skin and can take it? Because she’s a business woman? Because they find some mild semblance of amusement in the fact that she wears her creative heart on her sleeve?

The manner in which the global media scathes this woman is comparable to homophobia, racism and sexism. It is unfair and has to stop…but back to the performance.

After almost two months of hiding away, Gaga returned to perform the title track to her album. Of every song on ARTPOP, this one surely means the most lyrically. From a depth standpoint, it is a song about her art, the misunderstanding of her art and the simple essence of wanting to create in a way that her fans and the world can appreciate. This is why a live performance of this track was so poignant. Fallon wasn’t just a promo opportunity, it was a chance to make the world understand why Gaga exists as an artist, and in my opinion it came through.

The lyrics. “A hybrid can withstand these things / my heart can beat with bricks and strings / my ARTPOP can mean anything.” The vision. A clean slate, white Balenciaga outfit with no frill, no fancy, no shoes. The talent. Perfect vocals, piano skills that prove to the masses that she is not just a recording artist, but so much more. The set design and platform. Coming down to earth, a prophecy and vision.

She will stand up for her art and passion, no matter how much she is knocked down. That’s all. Re-watch it now with this perspective in mind. Peace.

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If I haven’t said it publicly enough, I am completely in love with ARTPOP and the more hate and negativity that Gaga receives, just makes me admire her (and stan for her) more.

We knew that video content was shot by Inez & Vinoodh during the campaign photography stages of artwork for the album, but to be honest – after countless brilliant live performances, SNL, radio interviews and magazine covers – I had kinda forgotten that this would ever come out.

I’d have expected it to be slightly more slick and graded – but the rawness and sketchy lighting is what actually makes the film – the tears, the smudged make-up, the passion in her eyes, the pain – and set to the most iconic (title) track from the album. Here is “An ARTPOP Film starring Lady Gaga” by Inez & Vinoodh. It features all of the “iconic” looks and wigs from the campaign including the moss dress (GARDEN PANTY) and the cyber tech chair/throne. Now all we need is the Terry Richardson documentary.

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Directed by Inez & Vinoodh, the video for APPLAUSE goes back to (and outdoes) the high concept world of The Fame Monster (Bad Romance, Alejandro) and to a certain extent the commercial for The Fame (fragrance). Every shot as enigmatic as the last, with her facial expressions and choreography throughout, the clip contains bountiful references to her official body of work (reaching five years this week) and unofficial body of work (with one look referencing Stefani Germanotta of Electric Kiss and Captivated fame). The iconography of the burnt our Fame Monster yellow wig look to the reincarnation of Shiva on the catwalk to the Daphne Guinness style green jacket and colour painted black swan Meret Oppenheim-esque rebirth (my favourite) are all incredibly telling visions demonstrating once more that Gaga is the most self-aware popstar in the history of time.

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So it appears that the reaction is split (shocker) on the early release of Lady Gaga’s ARTPOP debut single APPLAUSE. Originally intended for next Monday, following an eleven second leak last night, I heard the HQ version in full this morning. As someone who has always appreciated the art, but not always the product (to me, Born This Way (the track) was and is still weak, equality messaging aside), I was nervous about my reaction to APPLAUSE, particularly as the LQ eleven second snippet did it no justice.

The track is strong, it’s passed the test of a gym workout on repeat. That’s over fifty consecutive plays. The production quality is immense, anthemic and everything a “comeback” single should be. Lyrically it’s introspective and a commentary on media and society’s perception of her. It’s a “fuck you haters” track without actually saying the words (Lotus reference), instead inverting it and hero-ing self gratification. It sounds even better with headphones.

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Without further ado, here’s the official announcement, dates and first promotional image by Inez & Vinoodh. Simple, clean and how we all wanted this era to be. In translation, the first single lands in FIVE weeks.

Built by TechHAUS, the technological branch of HAUS OF GAGA, the app itself is a musical and visual engineering system that combines music, art, fashion, and technology with a new interactive worldwide community — “the auras”. Altering the human experience with social media, we bring ARTculture into POP in a reverse Warholian expedition.

In turn, the album ARTPOP musically mirrors Gaga’s creative process as she passes through the mediums of each artist she collaborates with, scoring a blueprint of her journey. The result, a “rage” of electronic passion and fury, defining each artistic process from beginning to end, ARTPOP could mean anything. But for her, this is a celebration of obsession. And on November 10, she will host an evening of artRave exhibiting Haus of Gaga’s projects as well as collaborations with Inez & Vinoodh, Robert Wilson, Marina Abramovic, Jeff Koons.

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