Its that time of year for my annual series reviewing all of the album of the year nominees. This year I graded each track out of 100, and then of course averaged it out. On albums that feature interludes, or on certain tracks that are around a minute or shorter, those won't be judged toward the album.
"Mayhem" - Lady Gaga
(Interscope Records)
1) Disease:
Immediately brings you into the atmosphere of the upcoming album with a classic Gaga sound; "if you were a sinner I could make you believe".
2) Abracadabra:
Intensely catchy. The pre-chorus itself tells a story.
3) Garden Of Eden:
There are some of Gaga's classic cadences.
4) Perfect Celebrity:
This deals with the spotlight of fame and idolization; "I look so hungry, but I look so good....tap on my vein, suck on my diamond blood". The production is practically perfect.
5) Vanish Into You:
The intro starts off with a power ballad vibe.
6) Killah (ft/ Gesaffelstein):
There's certainly a funk (Prince) vibe that fits really well. The breakdown builds on itself.
7) Zombieboy:
There's sort of a Gwen Stefani (Hollabackgirl) inspired sound.
8) LoveDrug:
She wants to find a way to numb herself.
9) How Bad Do U Want Me:
Getting the obvious out of the way, this is very Taylor Swift coded, but with Gaga's own flair. And its not just the sound, but the structure of the chorus. Its fun seeing Lady Gaga with a pure pop song.
10) Don't Call Tonight:
Some notable lines; "We twist the knife too many times to say goodbye".
11) Shadow Of A Man:
Very Michael Jackson coded, she really delivers on the fast paced chorus. She doesn't want to be in the background.
12) The Beast:
There's a driving/building tempo. A classic rock vibe with some powerful vocals.
13) Blade Of Grass:
A James Bond-esque ballad. Not necessarily among the top tracks of the album, but its a vibe switch.
14) Die With A Smile (ft/ Bruno Mars):
Sonically this works following "Blade Of Grass", but overall when considering the album this feels like a throw-in to produce a hit.
Not that she needed a comeback, but this album sees Lady Gaga going back to some of her early work, but still with some added flair. Its fun seeing her take on some inspired sounds, like Prince, Taylor Swift and MJ for example. (86.5)
Lady Gaga "Mayhem" - 86.5
Bad Bunny "Debi Tirar Mas Fotos" - 84.5
Kendrick Lamar "GNX" - 84.1
Sabrina Carpenter "Man's Best Friend" - 82.4
Leon Thomas "Mutt" - 78.8
Tyler, The Creator "Chromakopia" - 78.4
Justin Bieber "Swag" - 69.6
No comments:
Post a Comment