Lady Gaga released her sixth studio album, Chromatica on May 29, and fans have been gushing about it ever since. Gaga’s return to dance pop after taking a step back with her previous release, Jolene, felt like she was coming home and figured out where she belonged.
Collaborations with artists like Ariana Grande (“Rain on Me”), BLACKPINK (“Sour Candy”), and Elton John (“Sine from Above”), diversify the audience. Each artist she works with enhances the song in itself by blending both distinct sounds into one.
Interludes tie the album together and make the release feel as though Chromatica is its own universe. The strings pull together a landscape and makes the release feel cinematic in a way. The production on this album itself is unreal with 13 uptempo tracks, each with their own story.
Starting off with “Alice,” listeners can get an immediate feel for the house-driven, wacky journey Gaga is about to take them through. Similarities can be found between the fantastical worlds of Wonderland and Chromatica in the way that they sound. By using and overlapping different sounds and beats, Chromatica sounds dreamlike, whisking listeners away from one part to the next.
For me, I was a big fan of the second half of the album, where Gaga unleashes her powerful voice. I found it really intriguing how Gaga can put such powerful lyrics and messages into her songs, and still have them become dance floor anthems at the same time. A lot of times, songs lose substance the more produced they get. Gaga manages to put out an introspective, honest release, full of hits.
Make sure to stream Chromatica here and let me know what you think!