Lady Gaga’s new single “Perfect Illusion” is one of her most polarizing songs to date. If Gaga is trying to portray the rebellious rock star this time around, some fans think the mixed response could be a good thing. If she is going for another big hit, Mother Monster has a long road ahead of her. Perhaps she really doesn’t care.
The worst review came from widely respected writer Rich Juzwiak of Jezebel, who asks why Lady Gaga’s single is so unpleasant.
“They say that hurt people hurt people, and so it follows that Lady Gaga’s tortured new single, ‘Perfect Illusion,’ is torturous. Compressed within an inch of its life a la the brick waveforms of Born This Way, this lead single from her as-yet-untitled fifth album is a wall of shrill sounds.”
Many of the commenters after the article appear to agree.
“I may be the only person alive who loved Artpop and thought it was far and away her best album, but yeah, this song is trash,” claims KrookedKerouac.
Papa don’t reach? Many have noticed similarities between “Perfect Illusion” and Madonna’s 1986 classic “Papa Don’t Preach.” [Photo by AP Images]
“It’s disappointing. You get Tame Impala to make music with you and this is it? Another Madonna rip off. Unintentional or not,” says No-Mi Skye, who, according to a Twitter search of “Papa Don’t Preach,” isn’t the only one to feel this way.
The Guardian‘s Richard S. He thinks “Perfect Illusion” is an underwhelming comeback.
“The first thing you notice about Perfect Illusion, the disco-rock lead single from her upcoming album, is that there’s zero pitch correction on her vocal. Gaga’s taken a page from Sia’s book, and amidst pop radio’s artificial perfection it’s a bold move. Gaga wants you to hear the blue notes, the cracks in her voice,” the critic says, before adding that, unfortunately, the cracks are all you hear.
However, some of the commenters after the article disagree with the review of “Perfect Illusion.”
“I just feel you’re trying to fit this song in a box and because it doesn’t fit your box it’s somehow a failure. I think it’s supposed to feel raw. It’s 2016; time to step outside the boxes,” says Mcnaugha.
“You know what. It’s not that bad. Sounds like 90% of all contemporary pop music. Given the radio airplay you’ll all be humming along,” says Honeytree.
These people aren’t alone in thinking that “Perfect Illusion” isn’t as bad as some are making it out to be. Alice Vincent of the Telegraph thinks Gaga’s latest is very pleasing.
“It delights me to write that this is a return to Just Dance-era Gaga: a simple, infectiously catchy slice of floor-filling, stadium-cheering pop.”
No need to cry: Some people like “Perfect Illusion” a lot. [Photo by David McNew/Getty Images]
The review adds that Gaga is really showing off her voice on the new song. It seems as if her fans are showing off their voices as well and really want “Perfect Illusion” to be a hit. According to The Guardian, Gaga’s fans disguised themselves as soccer moms in order to drum up hype for “Perfect Illusion.”
“Gaga’s Little Monsters decided to create fake ‘soccer mom’ accounts to tweet radio stations to show a high demand for the song. ‘You will be helping radio DJ’s all over the world think that the GP is actually living for the song, therefore playing it more often,’ read a private post on GagaDaily, a fan site for the musician.”
These type of request campaigns usually backfire on the artist, even though they may not be responsible for it. “Perfect Illusion” will play a lot at first, especially since it is a new single from a major artist. However, after that, radio stations will rely on audience research to decide if they will keep playing the song. Do you think “Perfect Illusion” has a chance of being a radio hit? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section.
[Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images]
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