Lady GaGa
The Fame

THE REVIEW

Ok, I have to tell the truth, once I saw the success sparked by this curious character, Lady GaGa, stylish 22-year-old Italian-American, the top spots on Billboard, the airings on MTV, the collaboration with the ultra-commercial Akon, the 80's facade look complete with a wig, the dozens of forums created by teenage TRL fans mushrooming all over the web, the questionable press photos, and so on, I thought: "here we have yet another tailored hottie who will do anything to produce another bad record and appear on that garbage channel called MTV."

Besides the already mentioned points, there were indeed all the makings that confirmed my prediction: declaring herself bisexual (here we go again, like the dreadful colleague Katy Perry and other fleeting music biz figures whom I've honestly lost track of, curious this need to present oneself as alternative or nonconformist!), the choice of the curious name inspired by the famous Queen song (I immediately thought it was a smart commercial move), additionally there's a debut-single hit ("Just Dance") which is cute, well-crafted, but damn constructed, brazenly cloned from the current American trend, namely uptempo productions halfway between urban and soft dance, mimicking Rihanna, Ne-Yo, and so on, not to mention the not so smart lyrics centering on "Just Dance" (a girl having fun in a club, drinking to the point of not remembering the club's name).

It doesn't stop here: let's add to the improbable list the record label releasing the album (InterscopeRecord), which after a glorious past, nowadays "boasts" artists like The Pussycat Dolls, NERD, Marilyn Manson, Gwen Stefani; furthermore, Lady GaGa started her career as a songwriter for the aforementioned PCD and, surprise surprise... Britney Spears. Honestly, I'm often and willingly skeptical about this type of highly commercial products, but you have to understand, with such premises, what was I supposed to expect?!

Instead, with "The Fame," I was proven wrong, I found a pleasant surprise! The album (produced by RedOne and Rob Fusari) is an exquisite amalgam of refined Pop, Dance, Urban, Disco, Electronica sounds with numerous Eighties' nuances.

The strengths of the platter are undoubtedly the very strong and highly radio-friendly choruses (at least 70% of the tracks are potential smash hits, the first two singles already uphold my impression), and the fresh youthful sexy and enticing voice of Stefania Gabriella Germanotta (that's Lady GaGa's real name), not to be confused with other peer stars who are vastly inferior (it's easy to think of circus acts like Hilary Duff and Miley Cyrus). To complete this picture, there's the production, alluring classy sounds that at times glance back to the 80's, to current R&B, to more danceable genres. Well-crafted and always foregrounded are the rhythmic parts, effective and captivating, never too overdriven as the dictates of today's perfect hit production (Timbaland, Neptunes, Will.I.Am to name a few of the most trending ones).

"The Fame" opens with this summer's hit "Just Dance", the debut single featuring Colby O'Donis and Akon with his backing vocals. It performed exceptionally in the USA and decently here as well, asserting itself from the outset as the standout track of this creation. The style is what you'll find throughout much of the album, a pleasing electro-pop-dance composed of electronic bass lines, 4/4 beats, synthesized arpeggios, plenty of backing vocals, excellent bridges leading into a danceable chorus (it's no surprise the track dominated clubs too), and not least an infectious chorus that's hard to get out of your head.

With "Lovegame" the BPMs drop, the rhythm becomes Nu-Hip-Hop" (allow me the term), the electronic sounds remain, but now introduce oriental percussion and bridges that seem to trend in current productions. "Paparazzi" is one of the album's greatest peaks, where electronica is present more than ever, the beat is solid, a true strength of the track, the chorus is delightful, indispensable electro bass lines and vintage-oriented pads, surely a single and potential hit of coming months.

Via 3000 Hz, Lady GaGa on the phone teases us with the chorus of the track "Beautiful, Dirty, Rich", an elegant upbeat with Funky tones. Fascinating. "Eh Eh" is a sunny, festive, carefree track that breaks the vintage mood found so far, largely Caribbean resulting in an interesting mix that combines classic exotic elements with modern avant-garde synthesized backdrops. Moving on, "Poker Face" is encountered, an exact replica of "Just Dance", chosen as the second single it stands out from its predecessor only for the more mischievous and provocative vocal line and a pulsating bass line making it another piece very suited for clubs. More or less in the same vein are the title track "The Fame" and "Money Honey", the former picks up the funky elements left with "Beautiful Dirty Rich" and immediately presents itself as the weakest piece on the record, the latter is the album's most dance track, leveraging yet another very effective chorus and ever more vintage atmospheres.

Yes, we're heading towards a completely different work than I've heard so far, abandoning the dance and electro influences here comes the cadenced "Again Again", seems to totally replicate the old popblues productions found in Christina Aguilera's "Stripped", but with the usual touch of class that distinguishes the entirety of this album. Piano and drums (for the first time real drums) blend perfectly with a production where refinement prevails, overall it sounds very 50's, Stefania also showcases decent vocal qualities, momentarily shedding the "I'm-stylish-and-retro" guise and offering a more mature and committed approach to the microphone.

The dancey "Boys Boys Boys" is the best track on the album, a refrain strongly 80's, delightful backing vocals and a fast-paced beat make it a worthwhile production that will likely soon be released as a single. "Brown Eyes" is the only ballad on the record, mediocre and absolutely anonymous, but it is compensated by the final track "Summerboy", another prominent track where you'll find all the base influences of "The Fame": electronic sounds, urban drums, funky guitar riffs, classy atmospheres, synthesized accompaniments, warm electronic bass, the catchy chorus, all alive in this closure, almost a summary of the album.

"The Fame," purchased with skepticism, I am listening to it continuously, and in its simplicity, I’m finding it to be one of the albums I’ve appreciated the most in 2008. It’s proof that also in the crowded mainstream American pop scene increasingly full of mediocre products for phone commercials, and one-hit wonders, one can find something interesting, and Lady GaGa is the proof, a girl who is about (and partly has already managed) to take the pop artist throne. There's much to discuss regarding the value of such a title, but - sticking to pop - considering it's a genre I often snub, I haven't honestly heard something so pleasant and noteworthy since the times of Oasis, Hooverphonic, Lighthouse Family.

In an era where in the current pop scene, Madonna recommends the useless Katy Perry, a thousand pseudo-indie pseudo-brit pop bands try (and promptly fail) to outperform the deeds of the Gallagher brothers, in an era where dozens of girls present themselves as retro, vintage, intellectuals (some names: Adele, Amy Winehouse, Lilly Allen) only to then appear ridiculous and all the same, in an era where they resort to pathetic reality shows to launch new unlikely singers (or should I say packaged products, like the overly produced and mediocre Leona Lewis, Giusy Ferreri) here finally emerges a fresh and new product. "The Fame" is compact and well laid out, smoothly flowing, the selection is flawless, despite there being two anonymous episodes (yet acceptable and digestible) this is an album where you will hardly find the usual filler tracks (that complete an album made of two major singles), here every piece is a potential hit. Certainly, it's not exactly a pop album, but a mix of various influences, a new way of presenting in pop, which although partly drawn from the mentioned productions initially, presents new elements that more commercial and constructed artists are not slow to adopt to ride the wave.

The final impression is that Lady GaGa as a character leaves much to be desired, that fashion-forward and brazen attitude I find hard to swallow, it seems to me a pure commercial gimmick that look, but musically I come across a good singer, with a warm and very refined voice, perhaps flawed by too banal and clichéd lyrics, but it doesn't change my opinion, this album deserves it, so does she. She certainly stands a fair chance at a decent career, we will continue to hear about her, as long as she doesn't sell out and that she stops focusing so blatantly on image.

Come on, maybe we can finally be rid of Madonna.