Lady Gaga
The Fame Monster

THE REVIEW

Lady Gaga had the idea, seemingly clever, to re-release her debut album The Fame, adding a juicy bonus disc. It is not a mere reissue, therefore, but a new stuffing of an already fairly valid debut work. Let's skip the description of the old album, just noting that the tracklist has been revised and slightly modified. As for the bonus tracks, aside from Disco Heaven, a delightful mix of 70s disco stereotypes, the bizarre Retro Dance Freak makes its appearance. It's a pity that Again and Again, a touching ballad included in the American edition, hasn't been included.

Moving on to the bonus CD, aptly named The Fame Monster, we note the presence of a whopping 8 tracks, almost a new album considering the creative lack of many contemporary artists. Here Lady Gaga proposes once again the formula that made her famous, namely pop heavily tinged with electronic, with a splash of R&B here and there, and lots of 70s/80s revival. The musical styles she masters are many and varied, as adaptable as her voice. The lyrics, too, are always deliberately frivolous but written with intelligence and wit.

The mini album opens with the launch single Bad Romance, promoted by an excellent video clip. A decidedly dance song, ideal for a club, and in its own way touching and melancholic, if we pay attention to the lyrics. The following song, Alejandro, seems to gather the most hackneyed stereotypes about the Mediterranean spirit, as if Lady Gaga had blended La Isla Bonita by Madonna, Dov'è l'Amore by Cher, and a bit of Ibiza club sound. The result is nevertheless enjoyable. After another dance track, particularly influenced by the 80s, Monster, whose intro recalls Madonna's Sorry, we encounter a pop/rock ballad, Speechless, in which Lady Gaga showcases a raw and rough voice, just to remind us that she is capable of doing without synthesizers when she wants to. 

Dance in the Dark, on the other hand, is a song that offers a blend of 80s dance and 90s house. An airy track supported by a less pounding beat compared to the rest of the album. It continues with Telephone, a duet with Beyoncé and the twin song of the more sterile and less successful Phone Call by the African-American singer. A true electronic frenzy accompanied by a very fast and syncopated melody. So Happy I Could Die, similar to the title track, recalls sounds typical of Madonna and her adventures in dance. The album finally concludes with Teeth, an intriguing R&B song enriched with arrangements that are not at all glossy like much contemporary R&B, but rather dirty and retro.

I would like to spend a few words on the packaging as well. The cover and back are completely in black and white, showing us an unprecedented image of Lady Gaga, perhaps more sober, but also more sophisticated. However, for those who preferred the original album cover, they can comfortably flip over the booklet. 

In conclusion, we can say that Lady Gaga has relied on the formula that led to her success, emphasizing once again her versatility in pop and beyond. It is, however, a formula that, while elaborate, remains nonetheless frivolous and artificial and in the long run could be tiring. Fortunately, this singer seems to have enough creativity and willingness to dare to change direction and evolve into something new.