Album Review: Lady Gaga Fights For Her Dance Floor On “Chromatica”

It’s a triumphant return to form.

Lady Gaga, for her sixth studio album, has moved to Chromatica, the fictional planet of her invention where ballads are cancelled and only intergalactic kindness punks are welcome.

The relocation may not come as a surprise to those who remember how she burst onto the pop scene in 2008 with The Fame single "Just Dance". At the time, her outlandish persona and provocative lyrics quickly catapulted her into the spotlight. Sporting giant shades, wacky outfits and frighteningly high heels, the singer inspired audiences with her anthems of self-acceptance.

In fact, between wearing a meat dress to the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards and arriving at the 2011 Grammy Awards in a giant egg, it seemed like Gaga had already achieved total world domination. But alas, nothing in life lasts forever.

Despite Born This Way proving a smash hit, Gaga failed to maintain commercial momentum. Her experimental fourth album Artpop 'flopped'—with its most significant cultural mark being its meme status—and reactions to the overly sentimental Joanne were lukewarm. While her role as Ally in A Star Is Born reaffirmed her undeniable talent, and cast her back into the public eye, the songs really belonged to her character in the film, rather than Gaga herself.

By this point, her fans were craving what Gaga does best: electro-pop bangers. Well, fortunately for Little Monsters, only floorboard-thumping dance bops are allowed on planet Chromatica.

We first got a taste of the hotly anticipated album with lead single "Stupid Love", which made it apparent that Gaga would return to the vivacious dance-pop she initially broke into the charts with. And while she had reservations about releasing Chromatica during a global pandemic, we needed her euphoric pop bops now more than ever.

It is evident that Gaga needed it too. In an Apple Music interview with Zane Lowe, she said, "I’m making a dance record again and this dance floor, it’s mine and I earned it." Recording Chromatica was undoubtedly a way for Gaga to heal from her personal pain (she suffers from fibromyalgia and has openly discussed her past sexual assault), and to encourage others to do the same.

Her resilience pervades Chromatica. The album’s first real track, "Alice", is an ode to Gaga’s determination to find peace within herself. "My name isn’t Alice, but I’ll keep looking, I'll keep looking for Wonderland," she sings over grinding synth beats. Her disco hit with Ariana Grande, "Rain On Me", is three minutes of electric melodrama, where the two women power through their emotional trauma. However, the highlight of the record is the Daft Punk-inspired "911", which is a tribute to the antipsychotic medication she takes. "My biggest enemy is me, pop a 911," she confesses through robotic vocals.

This is not the first time that Gaga has used her music as emotional therapy. When Joanne was released, it was labelled her most personal album to date. Except, while Joanne dealt with her family's intergenerational trauma, Chromatica grapples with her more personal and immediate trauma. Instead of filling this record with sullen ballads, Gaga celebrates the hardships she's faced by dancing the pain away.

In saying that, not every song brings pure elation. The production of "Fun Tonight" lacks vitality, with the lyrics "I’m not having fun tonight" feeling too simplistic. Plus, the penultimate track "1000 Doves" falls flat after so many energetic tunes. The three musical interludes that break up the record may appear unnecessary to some, while others will welcome them as theatrical moments of emotional transition.

The most surprising parts of Chromatica come from Gaga's collaborations. She teams up with K-pop group BLACKPINK for the sassy "Sour Candy", a delightfully light-hearted anthem about owning your quirks, and her duet with Elton John, "Sine From Above", is bizarre in the best way. Fusing Eurodisco with funky synths, their voices complement each other perfectly.

Even if Chromatica is not Gaga's greatest album, it’s certainly her most fun and insightful since Born This Way. For years, people have wanted to know who the pop powerhouse really is behind the gimmicks. After all, even Gaga herself has seemed uncertain at times. Chromatica is Gaga at her most self-assured and confident, boasting optimistic lyrics that remind people everywhere: it is okay to struggle, as long as you keep fighting for your dance floor.

4/5

Chromatica is now available to stream.