Which Lady Gaga Songs She May Dislike From Her Own Discography
Lady Gaga is known worldwide as one of the most innovative and successful pop artists of all time. Over the course of her career, she has released six studio albums filled with empowering anthems and boundary-pushing hits.
However, as with any artist, there may be some songs from her own catalog that Gaga herself is not particularly fond of listening to. While we can only speculate without direct confirmation from Gaga, here are some educated guesses about songs she may dislike or feel less connected to based on context clues and common artist experiences.
Many artists, including Lady Gaga, started their careers crafting homemade demos in hopes of landing a record deal. These early recordings were works-in-progress, often featuring basic instrumentation and vocals recorded on low-quality equipment. They were made solely to demonstrate an artist’s raw talent and vision to industry professionals rather than being polished, finished works intended for mass consumption.
In addition to basic demos, Lady Gaga has also crafted many unreleased songs that never saw the light of day. Some were cut from her albums during the tracklisting process, while others simply failed to make the final albums for unknown reasons. These orphaned tracks represent ideas that didn’t fully come to fruition or gel with her visions for her projects at those points in her career.
Gaga is famously meticulous about every detail of her artistry and persona.
Songs that didn’t fit neatly into her albums’ overarching concepts may feel incomplete or unsatisfying to her now. She likely views her albums as cohesive creative statements, so tracks left on the cutting room floor could disrupt that artistic integrity if included. While fans always want to hear “lost” songs, Gaga herself may prefer not to revisit works that didn’t support her albums as she intended them.
As a prolific songwriter, Lady Gaga has lent her talents to penning tracks recorded by other musicians, both established stars and up-and-coming talents. However, hearing her compositions in someone else’s interpretation may take some getting used to. No matter how successful the songs are, they don’t represent her own authentic vision as an artist.
Listening to another act cover an unreleased Gaga song could highlight what she might have done differently with it. The experience might remind her of a lost creative opportunity rather than allowing her to simply enjoy the music at face value.
She may feel most connected to material that has her distinctive stamp on it as a performer rather than just a writer. While proud of her songwriting skills, Gaga likely prefers focusing on works that revolve around her own identity as an artist.
On several tracks across her albums, Lady Gaga shares lead vocals with a featured artist rather than taking the main role herself. Songs like “Beautiful, Dirty, Rich” with Christina Aguilera and “Teeth” with Kesha put her in more of a supporting position alongside another star. However, as the driving creative force and dominant personality behind her music, Gaga seems to shine brightest when she commands full control in the spotlight.
Hearing her voice blended with another’s could serve as a reminder that she’s not the sole focus of the track. It may disrupt the illusion of her albums revolving completely around her singular vision and talent.
For a perfectionist like Gaga, anything less than taking center stage on her own songs may feel like a compromise. She seems to favor maintaining full autonomy rather than sharing credit. While proud of pushing creative boundaries, Gaga likely connects most to material where she reins solo supreme.
When first introducing new music and eras, Lady Gaga often released some of her most commercial and radio-friendly songs as lead singles.
Tracks like “Just Dance,” “Poker Face,” and “Born This Way” aimed to draw in mainstream audiences with catchy, danceable hooks perfect for mass consumption. However, these promotional tracks may not have represented the most daring or personal aspects of her evolving artistry.
Years after their purpose of drawing initial attention, Gaga may feel these singles simplified her talent and vision for the sake of accessibility. They don’t push creative boundaries in the way she strives for. She seems to respect growth and risk-taking the most.
Revisiting early promotional efforts could be an uninspiring reminder of pandering to popularity rather than innovation. Gaga’s passion lies in constantly reinventing herself, so looking back may feel counterproductive to her forward momentum.
Released as the lead single from her 2013 ARTPOP album, “Applause” drew mixed reviews upon its debut. With lyrics directly addressing her fans and return to the stage, it came across as uncharacteristically self-indulgent for Gaga. The song’s heavy reliance on applause samples throughout came off as gimmicky to some critics and listeners as well. It didn’t seem to capture Gaga’s artistry at its most inspired.
While a commercial success, “Applause” may now represent a lesser artistic statement to Gaga in hindsight. It was more style over substance, lacking the depth and risk-taking of her best work. Hearing direct pleas for praise could clash with her evolution into a more nuanced, serious artist in recent years.
The track’s theatrics feel overly simplistic and on-the-nose compared to her later output as well. Gaga seems most proud of subversive works that mean something; “Applause” may now feel like a hollow promotional gesture.
“Jewels N’ Drugs”
This Featuring T.I. track appeared as a bonus cut on the Japanese deluxe version of ARTPOP. With its hip-hop influenced beats and lyrics celebrating decadence, “Jewels N’ Drugs” marked a more casual departure for Gaga into club banger territory. However, it didn’t seem to resonate as strongly as her most impactful singles. The song came off more like a one-off experiment than a fully-realized artistic statement.
Looking back, “Jewels N’ Drugs” was a fairly superficial diversion that didn’t advance Gaga’s artistry in a meaningful way. It may represent a time when she was grasping for new creative directions rather than staying true to her strengths. The song also features another artist rather than showcasing Gaga alone at her most compelling. She seems driven by constant evolution, so revisiting past styles that didn’t quite pan out may not interest her artistically. “Jewels N’ Drugs” was a minor artistic detour rather than a triumph.
“Fashion!”
This funky disco track appeared on Gaga’s 2008 EP “The Fame”. With its bubbly lyrics name-dropping high fashion brands, “Fashion!” came across as a light, fluffy piece of fluff compared to her later anthemic hits. It showed Gaga experimenting with a kitschy aesthetic before honing her sound and image.
However, “Fashion!” may now feel immature and inconsequential in Gaga’s catalog. Its shallow materialism doesn’t match her growth as an artist tackling deeper issues. The name-dropping comes across as silly and superficial rather than cool or aspirational too. It was an early style that didn’t fully gel or stick compared to her iconic looks and concepts that followed. “Fashion!” was a minor, forgettable track from Gaga’s nascent days rather than a standout work. Revisiting may only serve as an reminder of how far she’s come as an artist.
In conclusion, while we can only speculate without direct input from Lady Gaga, these songs represent some possibilities for tracks she may personally connect with less based on context clues. As all artists evolve, Gaga seems driven foremost by constant reinvention and pushing creative boundaries in impactful ways. Songs that don’t live up to her high standards of excellence, represent past styles she’s outgrown, or simply didn’t resonate may not be at the top of her playlist for personal enjoyment. However, her entire discography still demonstrates her unparalleled talent and influence on pop music. Gaga remains proud of her journey to become the boundary-breaking superstar she is today.
