Lady Gaga's 'Abracadabra'

I liked the dancing more than the music. It's a step in the right direction though.

Love it. Mother Monster is back in a big way!

Fun video.

Looks like the same old, same old to me. Like it's from 2011.

The delicate operatic bridge really is quite lovely, especially when immediately juxtaposed with that music-free primal-sounding choir.

I've always wondered, what happens to all these professional dancers past a certain age? What sort of careers do they usually transition into? Do they go into teaching at dance schools?

Better than the Steve Miller Band song.

I dig her return to horror drag.

I didn't hate it, but I wouldn't play it on repeat. Feels a bit like she's trying too hard. But that's how I feel about most of her output after the first album.

I don't get the story but she's given a lot of dancers work.

Love it!!

Pretty shitty.

Much better version of Abracadbra by a far more interesting and genuine band...

It’s fun but relentless. My brain hurt by the end of the song.

Sounds like the same old same old

Sounds like a mash-up of all her popular hits

It also rips off Spellbound by Siouxsie and the Banshees

The video is smashing

Is this the best single? Yikes. It’s not good.

r6 I was thinking the opposite!

Same old bombast. The guttural chorus passage sinks it. Art Flop, again. She's so pretentious. That said, I like her last album, the COVID one.

That video has me pulling out the one pair of white pants I have from the deepest darkest recesses of my closet.

Oh, to be young and flexible again.

[quote] It also rips off Spellbound by Siouxsie and the Banshees

They are credited, hon.

Her album is reportedly industrial spanning multiple genres.

I will take Gaga over Crappell Groan and Taylor Swift any day.

[quote] The guttural chorus passage sinks it.

Yeah, totally. I like certain aspects of the song, and I love her voice. But I can't stomach the "Oooh naa naa abra oooh gaa gaa" shit.

That's your fucking chorus??

And anyway, didn't we already do the "Ooh naa naa goo goo gaa gaa" absurdist baby talk on Bad Romance? That was plenty.

Omg R11 I love you so much, lol. Bad ass.

Did she just update the Bad Romance video? Song is ok, not horrible but not great. That Joker misstep is going to take a lot more than a retread of early works.

No one can say she didn’t try hard. But trying hard seems the vibe here. What made Paparazzi and Alejandro and Poker Face work so well 14 long years ago was the combo of hooky, danceable, melodic and not this assaultive — for those brief two years she seemed to be able to nail it and entertain us without Trying So Hard.

In 2020 Gaga pulled off a Top 5 single with Stupid Love and a #1 single with Rain On Me. I could be wrong but I think this “everybody duck, she’s throwing the kitchen sink” effort won’t land that high.

She can't really win because when she tries different things like with 'Joanne' she gets criticised for deviating too much from what made her popular.

But then when she essentially goes back to what made her popular she gets criticised for being same old same old.

I think it's a good track - catchy from the first listen.

Meh. Overproduced. Overwrought. She grinds every bit of fun out of anything she does because she just has to make the audience admire just how great she is at so many things. Look! I'm a dancer! I'm a musician! An actress! A singer! An artiste!

It is good....it sounds like a GaGa song so if you like her stuff you should like it. Rain on me took a while to grow on me. This feels more instant; but it's also generic. A step in the right direction.

The lyrics make no sense

Such a fucking arh-TEEST

I do like it when she gets freaky and artsy. I love the weird dancing and the theatrics. I just feel like I can see the agenda peeking through the track. "Let's give the masses what they want, we're aiming for 'Bad Romance 2.0,' people. Everyone will be so happy, and we will regain all of our lost credibility as a cool, edgy artist after the Joanne thing, the Tony Bennet stuff and the Joker 2 fail. Ok, now start writing. Don't stop until you have come up with a Monster-era hook."

I didn't like it. Very generic beats and so over-produced. There's nothing in the song that got me hooked. It fell flat real fast.

A million times better than Disease and no surprise - that flopped. This one is shaping up to be a huge hit. I wonder why they didn't release this first.

It's already huge on TikTok and getting a TON of streams. It's also gets better and better with each listen and the video has crazy replay value. I think it's her best pop single since Applause.

It was released on a Sunday, so it won't chart high upon debut. But it seems people are loving the song. I think this song could be a big hit for her if it continues to grow like it has in its first few days.

(And in a shocking twist never seen before, the song is hated here on DL! Gaga could put out the best single of all time and she'd get lambasted here.)

Hi Gags Me PR shill!

TikTok ain't real life, kid.

Yes it is, r37. That is a major factor when it comes to music charts. Labels make millions off it every time it’s used.

I have to agree with R35, the track gets better and better with each listen. I didn't love it the first time but by the third listen I had cracked the code and it's very danceable.

She took individual professional photos with all 70 dancers.

That bridge is something else.

God no. Try hard mess.

The video is ridiculous. Is it 2013? Snore.

But she'll get a minor hit because music sucks and no one is hitting right now. No one really cares about her. She's old and ugly.

R37 sorry buddy. TikTok is how songs become hits these days.

We all might hate it, but THAT is actually reality.

She needs to go back to the guy who did The Fame and The Fame Monster. She's never topped that era and those hits

I think it's decent. I like the edge to it. The previous single 'Disease' was a better song but this one is bigger clearly. Tons of people filming themselves dancing to it, etc.

OMG totally R36. R35 did you lift that from the most recent press release/ media alert ?

This has increased in streams every day since it's been released. Yesterday it gained 7m unfiltered streams on Spotify and the video is smashing. Sorry boys but Mother Monster has a hit on her hands

An exercise in mediocrity.

I tried to start a thread about Lola Young twice. That's who I want to talk about. #1 song in the UK. I don't know if she has other songs but there's a vid on TikTok of her covering the Cure's "Close to Me". She could work on her breath control a little bit but she's young and the effect is wait, this is the next Amy Winehouse or Adele. She has Amy Winehouse's manager. She went to the same arts high school as Amy Winehouse and Adele. Looks like she's teed up! She's funny too.

You're right R47. I'm sure it's completely organic and Interscope/ UMG had nothing to do with it or the new deal they just made w/ Spotify. Nothing gets past you!

She's all over the internet but hasn't been mentioned on Datalounge. She's already been on Kimmel too. I'm not talking up a big secret or anything.

Better than the later Kylie, not as good as Jessie Ware's "Free Yourself".

It's very Gaga.

R50 = geriatric grandpa gay who thinks anything that isn't a vinyl record sale is "fake"

R53 Obviously works in the music industry and his finger on the pulse LOL. NOT.

Christ, her schtick is so tiresome.

Hmmm…. Coincidence?

It feels….reductive

Nope, R46.

I just follow pop music trends, charts, etc., as a fun, stupid hobby in my down time.

I'm on a few fan sites and from there I get all the stats, info, etc.

Not a shill. But I do have a soft spot for Gaga and legitimately love this song.

The video is the dance version of Squid Game.

That's what i thought R59. A fan.

Oh no, R61! You know my deep dark secret! I like pop music!

Whatever will I do now???

Atrocious. Her and her label are desperate for a hit. She's in life support career wise, so they'll push this relentlessly to make it a hit. They're flooding social media with bots and paid influencers to push this embarrassing dreck. She's so boring.

Anyone who calls someone a grandpa because they don't like the 40 year old Lady Fuckface song is 😂.

I love pop music, with strong hooks and ear candy production.

Like most of Gaga’s work, this is grating, try-hard, and not anywhere near as clever and “artistic” as she wants us to believe.

I'm sure you'll keep spouting fan theories without knowing what you're talking about R62

Retarded theater kids ruin everything they get their hands on, including dance music.

[quote] Her and her label are desperate for a hit. She's in life support career wise

Nonsense. She literally already has a hit! "Die with a Smile" was just number 1 for 4 weeks. Fun fact: "The single also made Lady Gaga the first 21st century-debuting act, the second ever female artist after Janet Jackson, and third ever artist overall after Michael Jackson, to achieve multiple U.S. Billboard Hot 100 #1 songs in 3 different decades."-Wikipedia. "Abracadabra" might go no.1 too.

For what it's worth, her fans are going nuts over the song and the video. They are calling it "Old Testament Gaga" and losing their minds. They've been waiting for this return to form. She's not hurting anyone and she is making a lot of people very happy. Swipe left if you don't like it.

R68 be careful!

Certain DLers will think you're a shill who knows nothing about pop music just because....you *gasp* like a Gaga song or you know what the kids are saying.

R54 If it was so easy to fake streams why didn't she do it for her last single that flopped into oblivion? Dumbass.

R67 Billboard really needs to make distinctions between the pre-streaming and streaming eras when declaring things like this

In the streaming era, an artist can release an album, and an artist can debut in every slot in the Top 10 if enough people listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music. The charts can be more easily manipulated.

Pre-streaming, artists only generally released one single at a time, and chart positions were based on radio airplay (the actual radio, where listeners don’t get to choose what they want to hear, and playlists are curated based on the general audience response) and actual, physical sales. This makes chart success in their era more meaningful because someone had to actually go to a store and PAY for a single if they heard it and liked it on the radio.

For example, I think I read somewhere that Drake has more top 10 hits than the Beatles. But what average person knows more hits by Drake than the Beatles?

R67 Die With a Smile is also the fastest song ever to reach one billion streams, has the record for most days over 10 million daily streams, and is three days away from taking the number one spot with most total days atop the global daily Spotify chart at 120 days. It's currently at number two.

It's already one of the biggest hits ever on Spotify by those metrics alone.

She at least credits Siouxsie & Co in the songwriting credits, as opposed to her other melodic appropriations, which is progress.

It's a good to very good single, with a great video, but I'm almost 60, liked Disease, and my taste isn't hip anymore.

R72, so it MUST be good!

I liked Die With a Smile. It sounds like songs I used to enjoy in the 80s or 90s just going about my day - like in a store, or a bar, or in the car.

She CANNOT get a hit without featuring. Bruno and Ariana got her hits. She doesn't get shit without them. Are we supposed to be impressed she got #1s in 3 decades? She has so few for being around almost 20 years. I wouldn't highlight that. Comparing her to Janet Jackson. 😂

This has extra $ behind it because it's from an album. No one cares cared to invest in her other non album song.

She's always trying sooooooooo hard it's exhausting. Maybe her label will buy her her first solo #1 in over a decade. Finally.

Her “dancing” always gives me Jojo Sewa / toddler in tiara vibes. The caveman rap chorus ruins this track.

Rain on Me and Die w/a Smile on both on Lady Gaga records at least. They're not guest appearances. Die with a Smile sounds like a song looking for a James Bond film

She's so fucking ugly. She's frantic to get a hit because Joker bombed so bad. She really thought this was her year.

Buy those streams, or she'll have a complete nervous breakdown. She's GOT to be in the spotlight constantly.

Abracadabra, amor, ooh-na-na

Abracadabra, morta, ooh-ga-ga

Abracadabra, abra, ooh-na-na

R76 "Disease" is the lead single from her upcoming album. Why would the label not have invested in that song instead of this one which premiered in the middle of the week with no hype or press beforehand?

R78 Are you kidding? You think she'd have hit with those without the much more popular and talented Ariana and Bruno? 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[quote] it doesn't suck outright

no offense but I dissent

Ok, well, R82 is looking to spar. We'll reconvene next Tuesday.

She must feel like Madonna did when Gaga, Katy, Rihanna etc came around, although Madonna had a MUCH longer run than Gaga.

This new song just sounds tired tired, next to the likes of Chappell, Sabrina, etc (whether you like those ladies or not). Gaga is essentially a legacy act before she turned 40. The reason her fans like this new song is because it’s a mish mash of her SOLO hits from 15 years ago. It’s in no way pushing her sound forward or proving her continued relevance with a new sound that people relate to. It’s calculated to sound not out of place with the Fame Monster era material

so many vadgebots and janbots in here who don't understand how the music industry works post-1985

What music industry? The industry that Madonna and Janet thrived in was an actual thriving industry

BTW Abracadabra only has 15 million views since Sunday on YouTube. That’s not good by any stretch in the “industry” in 2025.

R86 Hun, plenty of non Madge/ Jan fans think Lady Tryhard is a joke. But if you must tell yourself that to believe her songs are relevant outside who she features with, okay! 😃

R89 LMAO just accept that for some reason this song is connecting with the general public. Y'all legitimately sound like Trumpies with the "bought streams" and conspiracy theories.

R90 We know how the industry works. She's not the only one getting streams bought.

Look at how few SOLO #1s she has (she has few #1s period) for how long she's been around. Then look at the amount her peers have. That tells you everything you need to know about how "popular" she is.

The monsters are mentally fragile like mother, so maybe we should just let them have their lil moment.

R80 Yes it is. YouTube is a completely dead platform for music videos unless you're a K-Pop act. She's currently #4 on Spotify US with almost 2m streams yesterday, what's your excuse for that?

R91 I would love to see some kind of proof for these payola claims. Feel free to post them here.

Case in point- "A Bar Song" is the longest-running BBH100 hit of all-time, yet it has less than 200m streams on YouTube. 10 years ago, that would've easily hit at least 1-2 billion views. So Gaga garnering almost 20m in three days is pretty decent.

Nope. Not at all R74. You can hate the song all you want. That's your right. It's not my favorite at all, for the record.

But it's a huge hit. By every metric. That's all I said.

One day after the video. Those Weho Drag Queens are ON IT.

Lady Gaga is truly the Madonna of our time because due to all the cigarette smoking (and weed probably) her voice became so low, boring and granny-like. Who wants to listen to that when the songs aren't even that interesting anymore and only "ok"? Madonna got a grandma voice too in the 90s but she at least managed to make cool sounds like "frozen", "music" and "die another day" during those days. Not bad Lady Gaga but you ruined your career back in the day when you refused to work with the same song writers for artpop that made you the fame album. You were too full or yourself and now you are just a bar singer. Sad.

Sure it’s a “hit”. Let’s see how long this song stays around.

Those lyrics! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Definitely payola going on.

What R27 said. I like it. It’s reminiscent of early Gaga, which I think is what she wants.

Her early sound is nothing to write home about. She can’t grow as an artist at all. She’s in her 40s now. Her time has passed. Meanwhile, everyone else grows. Look at Taylor and Beyonce! Beyonce credibly went country without the try hard factor. She went avant guard without the try hard factor. Taylor looks at this thing trying to write songs and all she can come up with is word salad and nanannrararagagaaga? Oh my sides.

[QUOTE]Beyonce credibly went country without the try hard factor

R99 I don't agree with this. It was a calculated move on her or her team's part to appeal to the Grammy circle. If anything, Beyonce's past albums imcluding Cowboy Carter, all, have had the try hard factor to win the coveted Album of the Year. That country album came and went without any noise and she did no promotion either. It was just another attempt of her for the AOTY. She had to rely on Dolly's Jolene for attention to the album and still, she managed to masterfully butcher that classic.

R99 - Taylor sucks. You can’t distinguish one of her songs from the other.

I like Lady Gaga. I think I need to listen to the song without the video. I found the video intriguing but a distraction from the song.

I thought this was good and fresh for a mid career 32 year old pop star. And not try hard.

Charlie XCX is several years younger than Gaga. BRAT is her Fame Monster moment. She's just getting started, really, at this level of exposure. She's just breaking out. Let's see how she sustains and what she continues to come up with over the next 15 years. (I love Charlie XCX, I just don't think the comparison holds water).

R104 Charlie is eons better.

Cutie brothers Twinsauce dance to the song

R106 payola

Wrong R104. Charlie XCX has been in the biz over 10 years. She is 33 and, in her genre, is mid career. In my opinion. Yes she is getting bigger now. In some ways. But her 500 million view video is 10 years ago, my dear.

Gaga is a bit past "mid career" as a pop star. And Gaga is very very very try hard. That's kind of her brand.

I was just pointing out, how to evolve and be cool, and not so fucking try hard and over produced. That is all.

Not the incest twins!

Yeah I hear you, R108. Also Charlie XCX is British and as such has a fantastic sense of humor and does not take herself so goddamn, goddamn seriously! Which is part of what makes her so, so likable and HOT. I love Charlie and for sure was not trying to debate her merits. Charlie isn't pretentious, she's sassy, cool witty and confident. It's really attractive.

R110 Please tell me you’re lez.

Are Little Monsters still an identity? Are they still in arrested development at age 17?

[quote] That Joker misstep is going to take a lot more than a retread of early works.

"The Joker 2" was not her misfire. She is already back with a No. 1 pop hit with Bruno Mars that won a Grammy.

R113 Yes it was. She was ALL OVER THE POSTER AND MARKETING, DEAR. Bruno got her to #1. “That won a Grammy” ahahaha that’s all you fragile monsters care about. Just like mommy- awards are validation without them you’d all crumble. Winning a Grammy now is not the own you think it is. She’s past her sale by date.

Brat might be Charli's Fame Monster, it's actually better, but Charli's been in the game for years already. Iggy Azalea Fancy was 2014.

There's one poster here who's really invested in her hatred of Gaga lol.

There’s a poster here who is 43, but still acts like they’re 12 and still a little monster rah rahing in the mirror with her bottle of Lexapro visible off to the left.

This "Abracadabra" is a better pop song with a more intelligible chorus (it's in Korean).

Plastique Tiara! Gorgeous, ok.

Oogly googly Nicaragua-gua whatever.

She has a decent voice but acting isn't her thing. I was really hoping for more with House of Gucci.

Yasss, kween mawma ayte, rah rah goo goo ga ga!

Thanks R118! I'll copy them next!

I am obsessed. Can’t stop listening/watching this epic video. All 40 dancers are dressed completely different but in white. Gaga’s vocals are better than ever and she’s in great shape. It’s going to be a big hit.

You forgot to put an ! at the end of each hyperbolic sentence, R124!

r124 Yeah, I wasn't feeling it at first, but the more days that pass from its release, the more I think it has a classic quality that will stand the test of time. It's already getting blasted on all the gay pleasure cruises, I'm sure.

If they took out the brutish second half of the bridge, it would make for a perfect radio song.

Abracadabra is the most streamed song in the US and second most streamed song in the world behind...another Gaga song.

Pretty shocking for a has-been, try-hard pop star who was always over rated.

This is genuinely the first song of hers I like.

I believe the word order is "the first song of hers that I genuinely like."

No, both are correct, although one is more conversational. This is a message board, after all.

#1 on US Spotify today!

I guess you could call it....reductive.

First week is payola.

And that other song is a Bruno song.

I want her to keep making movies I can avoid seeing rather than making blah music I might accidentally hear. (Okay, I dug that one with Ariana Grande, but...)

Mediabase has it's daily CHR impressions already Top 40, but most of her stuff opens big. Let's see two weeks from now where this is.

It’s catchy and you can dance to it

[quote] although Madonna had a MUCH longer run than Gaga.

Gaga's been around for almost twenty years and just had a number one, grammy award winning hit. Madonna had her last number one 17 years into her career back in 2001.

Gaga also has an oscar and another nomination for best actress, as well as four Emmy nominations for her work.

But because she's not doing bathroom selfies on Instagram and greatest hits tours, her career is in the toilet.

Lady Gaga is 17 years into her career. When Madonna was 17 years into her career, she came back massively with Ray of Light and then released Music. Die Another Day was the best selling single in America in 2003. Hung Up and 4 Minutes were massive global hits. Madonna didn't need to attach herself to other artists to maintain her popularity when she was 17 years into her carer. Let's see if Abracadabra maintains it's hit status. It would be the first time Gaga has done that by herself since A Star is Born.

[quote] She can't really win because when she tries different things like with 'Joanne' she gets criticised for deviating too much from what made her popular.

That’s because Joanne wasn’t that good.

She can’t “win” because she has zero authenticity

I'll take away A Million Reason and then agree with you R139.

Why didn't they use "payola" for her last single then, R133 ?

Just watched it. It certainly captures the zeitgeist

I wanna reach out and grab ya

Madonnas Bond song was the best selling DANCE single of the year, not the best selling song. It didn’t even chart on Billboards top 100 songs of the year list.

And no one remembers that shitty Timberlake duet.

I thought this song was a rip-off of Ray of Light! Glad to see I'm not the only one.

Ray of Light was a cover as well.

[quote] And no one remembers that shitty Timberlake duet.

It has 440 million streams on Spotify. It is remembered. I say that as someone who hated it originally.

I didn't hear the Ray of Life similarity. That song was in a radiant G major, built around a diatonic walk-up from the tonic to the submediant (G-Am-Bm-C), whereas Abracadabra is painted with darker colors--it's grounded in F Dorian, with the central refrain being the classic 80s synthpop/new wave device of ascending fifths and minor thirds (Fm-Cm7-Eb-Bb). If anything the Gaga song has more in common with Mad World by Tears for Fears.

Right, i hear no similarity either. Nice harmonic analysis

Can someone explain this to me: Why can't someone who hates Gaga just admit it when she has a hit? It does NOT mean you have to like her or the song! But if a song is doing well objectively? Just admit it. Quit trying to move goal posts or compare it to some other song from some other era or whatever.

It's truly bizarre to me the way people will twist into a pretzel to make it seem like the pop star they hate is doing worse than she is.

For instance, I don't care for Katy Perry at all. I HATE that Roar song. But it was a huge hit. One of the biggest ever. And good for her! (See! I didn't turn to dust. I didn't suddenly become a "Katycat" or whatever! It cost me nothing to say what's objectively accurate.)

I guess I don't get the "stan wars" mentality for pop stars - and I love pop music. It makes people totally ignore the obvious and easy-to-prove (or disprove) just so they can "own" the pop star they dislike for whatever reason.

Again, truly bizarre.

R151 I agree. It's one thing to have a borderline deranged sense of loyalty to a pop star when you're in your teens and lash out at others who threaten your fave's supremacy, but to persist in that behavior into your 20s and beyond is both a sign of mental illness and/or a life without sexual gratification. The unhinged Madonna vs. Janet Jackson discussions that frequently happen on this site prove my point.

R146, that comparison just goes to prove how dissimilar the two songs are

Madonna also had a top 10 hit in 2012 and a billion streaming song in 2023. But WHO CARES about the comparison.

This song is mediocre at best. It’s payola. They didn’t payola the first song because they wanted to see if it would hit on its own, then payola the second single to have two “hits” back to back. It’s standard industry practice.

I like Gaga but not that song. And she was fine in Joker 2: it just wasn't what the puerile fanboys wanted.

Boys want to fuck Harley Quinn not see her looking fucking ugly. What a miscast.

Yeah, a hot crazy chick is basically an iteration of the manic pixie dream girl. An unattractive mentally ill woman is just... disturbing to watch. For the boys, I mean.

Having said that, I did enjoy the movie. Still haven't seen the first one, though.

Who took more cocaine? Madonna or Gaga?

Madonna didn't do drugs until the post Guy Ritchie period. Gaga bragged about doing cocaine in interviews during the early part of her career. So, Gaga.

R159 Not true. Madonna talked about taking molly and dancing with some guy in New York who signed her for a recording company in her Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Speech.

R160, she probably did them sparingly before the True Blue time period (when she started dieting and working out all the time). But she never did them obsessively or in huge quantities. If she did, you would be hearing tons of stories about her and there aren't any. I think coming from a family of addicts shaped her attitudes. She rarely drank until she got with Guy Ritchie. That marriage really messed her up.

[quote] This song is mediocre at best. It’s payola.

No, grandpa.

Poor guy. Madonna is such a sexist.

Just to correct my post at R149, Abracadabra's chorus is actually Fm-Cm7-Bb-Ab (I-v7-IV-III). Still unusual and just as modal in character, it's like a Dorian mode variant on this common major mode progression:

Girls, GIRLS! Sometimes "Diva feud" arguments on a gay forum are not heartfelt, they are campy cosplay. Sure, there may well be very pathetic and passionate devoted stans, grown up and even ancient gay men, going to bat for their beloved DIVA and taking down the hated inglorious non deserving other DIVA. But, there are just as likely to be snarky old queens like myself how really have no skin in the game rather enjoy, for shits and giggles, to COSPLAY as a pathetic DIVA stan.

Renata! What did i do 17 years into my career?

Oh yeah, collecting an Oscar, 3 Golden Globes, 2 Grammys, a People´s choice Award,4 Billboard Magazine #1 Awards, a Georgie award, 2 Photoplay “Gold Medal” Awards,a Telegatto Award (from Italy) and was voted Top Female Box Office Star by the Quigley Poll.

And releasing a Top Ten double platinum Album.

Well, Abracadabra has landed with a thud on the Billboard Hot 100 at #29

Even worse than Disease which was #27

So much for this assured, MASSIVE hit her fans were promising on this thread.

Meh... She's no Grace Jones...

R149, you are not impressing anyone with your presentational discourse on music theory or whatever the fuck it you are talking about. "I didn't hear the Ray of Life similarity" is all you needed to say. The rest is just making everyone else cringe with secondhand embarrassment about your deep insecurity.

Ok, R167. Shortened week because it debuted on a Sunday. And Die with a Smile is back to No#1. Gaga and Bruno Mars are number one! And Abracadabra is no#1 on the dance chart. I was surprised by the lowish top 100 debut but give it a week or two. There's a lot of enthusing about it. And a new milestone: her first album since ArtPop to generate 3 top 40 singles.

R167 the song was released on a Sunday evening. It only had four days of tracking. It's incredible it debuted op 30 with only four days.

Expected to go top 10 next week. Maybe top 5 if it can withstand Kendrick's Superbowl bump.

Also, today it increased on Spotify more than any non Kendrick track in the global top 10. Which means it's still very much growing on the platform.

[quote]Meh... She's no Grace Jones...

I would have loved to hear Jones sing this song!

There are some odd rumors about Gaga.. smell, greed and... I can't even say it!

I really REALLY want Honey Dijon to remix this. It's the perfect Gaga song for her, what with its references to ball culture and the classic Chicago influence. She'd take it to the next level.

*classic Chicago house influence

It flopped 2nd week. It's over. She can't hit by herself even with the MASSIVE promo this got.

Hold your tongue, R6.

[quote] It flopped 2nd week. It's over. She can't hit by herself even with the MASSIVE promo this got.

Excuse me!??? It is number one!!! In Latvia and Luthania :-))))))

#sad It's time for her to bring back her fibromyalgia to drum up some sympathy for her latest flop

R179, she will go back to her little monsters schtick and then do anti-bullying ads. It seems she just circles the drain with ideas she's already used.

[quote] It flopped 2nd week. It's over. She can't hit by herself even with the MASSIVE promo this got.

So they haven't released the 2nd week charts yet, prob. something to do with the holiday. Where are you seeing this?

It's projected to land at number 12 on US Billboard 100 (missed out on top ten because of Kendrick's Super Bowl bump).

It's number 5 on weekly Global Billboard 200.

It's number 3 on UK Billboard 100.

It's number 7 on Global Spotify Weekly Chart.

So it's a top ten worldwide song. Idk, I'd call that a hit. Maybe not a smash hit. But definitely a hit.

R182 Yep. And it will most likely go top 10 on album release week. It's a hit.

Is there anything Gaga can’t do at this point?

authenticity, R184.

[quote] Is there anything Gaga can’t do at this point?

Release a number one song by herself, post ASAIB.

This is NOT a hit. It’s weakly chugging up the charts even after receiving a boatload of promotion. It’s still getting payola. It’s still being placed atop streaming platforms. That will dry up after this week. It just isn’t organically catching on. Her music career is tepid and she hasn’t had a genuine hit on her own in 7 years, and 7 years before that.

The tune and beat churns along nicely but the video is exhausting.

R187 It is a hit. It's the third week now and currently top 5 on Global 200 and in the UK.

[quote]Excuse me!??? It is number one!!! In Latvia ...

Who knew Victor Von Doom was a little monster?!?

R189 Based on payola. What don’t you understand it is being pushed to the top of the streaming platforms right now? Once that goes away, watch it drop like a rock. It’s being promoted relentlessly, yet it’s not catching on like a true hit does. It’s artificial right now.

In 14 years, she’s had one genuine hit, and it was huge, by herself, but there’s an asterisk next to it- it was a huge hit due to a movie. I don’t think it hits like it did without the movie. And it was with Bradley.

R191 where is your proof of this?

R193 It’s no secret it’s being pushed to the top of streaming platforms. That is standard payola practice like back in the late. 00s/early 10s when they’d pay for “special promotion” on radio to get it played every hour. So, many of its streams are it being listened to by being shuffled into ears. You can tell they are desperate for this to hit or the album is done and she has a flop movie and flop album. Her new super rich fiance is no doubt a part of this. $$$$$$$$$

3 recent Kendrick Singles grab the top 3 following the Super Bowl. Abracadabra hits no.13.

R195, number 13? Oof. That's not really a big hit.

It would've been top 10 without all the Super Bowl songs above it. But still a disappointment.

Barely a top 10 with insane promotion. Oof indeed.

I just watched the whole video. It's annoying. Everything about it. It's like she just put the Alejandro and Born this Way videos in a blender. Madonna used the word "reductive" incorrectly and she was specifically referring to Born This Way. But Gaga really hasn't done herself any favors with her inability to maintain a consistent identity and her obsession with recycling herself. I don't understand why she keeps going back to old ideas. She is proof that all the talent in the world doesn't make one's music interesting. And it's proof that it doesn't make HER interesting. And what's the point of a pop star if they aren't interesting?

R199 Her talent is overrated. Her singing is annoying, and her acting is nothing special. Critics wanted more of her in Joker because the rest of the movie was so bad and one note she was different, not necessarily good. Her songwriting is atrocious.

R200, this is exactly why I laughed at this stupid clip from an interview. Lady Gaga trashes Madonna and then basically claims she herself is so amazing and creative. Really? You're going to bash Madonna? At least people can name some of Madonna's classic songs decades after she debuted. Will the same be said about Gaga? It's hard to say when your peak lasted only 3 years (2009-2011 plus ASAIB).

It’s really embarrassing that a bunch of 70 year old fags are getting into teenage stan wars.

I'm guessing ASAIB is Asaib Ahl al-Haq? The major Iraqi armed group that identifies as part of Iran's axis of resistance but stubbornly maintains a degree of independence, forming numerous cells to conduct kinetic, media, and social operations, some bankrolled by the Iraqi state?

[quote] I'm guessing ASAIB is Asaib Ahl al-Haq?

Where have you been? Gaga is an Arab hermaphrodite!

[quote] At least people can name some of Madonna's classic songs decades after she debuted. Will the same be said about Gaga?

I like them both. I think both are important but people under 30 are not thinking about Madonna at all.

Gags Me is like a slightly more talented JLo.

I heard it in a supermarket in Yverdon-les-bains this afternoon.

R205 Nor 40 year old LadyFuckface. What an odd comment, though, as if only under 30 people count.

Chartwise the song jumped from #29 to #13 (US Hot 100) in its second week, which is a great start. Especially for someone older than just about everyone else on the list.

I’m not a big fan of the song but objectively, so far, it’s done well.

It’s a flop by all measures. After massive massive massive promotion,and being forced onto streaming playlists, which means its listeners aren’t seeking it out, it should be top5 or even #1. It’s a flop.

I thought she had moved past this type of music. I actually liked her Tony Bennett era (I realize he's dead and that's not happening again.) And, of course, Shallow was good regardless of what one thought of the movie. I guess her branching out into different areas didn't bring in the big bucks, so it's back to oo oo ga ga la la land.

Checking on AppleMusic, their Top 100 streams/listens, the top 20 of the chart is dominated by Kendrick Lamar and Drake. Gaga's song with Bruno Mars, Die With a Smile, is at #22. Abracadabra is further down at #63.

I wonder why Pink Pony Club (the Chappell Roan song from last summer) is getting new life. It leaped back up onto the Blllboard Top 10 and it's high on Apple Music as well.

[quote] Abracadabra is further down at #63.

Oof.

[quote] What an odd comment, though, as if only under 30 people count.

I seem to have ruffled many feathers with the possibility Madonna's catalog isn't immaculately canonical. I also never suggested only people under 30 count, dumb dumb.

All of the billboard hits are pushed way down. You need to be any Kendrick song or that terrible new Drake album to be up top.

Predicted to fall to #33 this week. Huge flop. Told ya when payola stopped the song would drop like a stone.

R216, it really does sound like something recorded in 2011 or 2012. And that's not a compliment in any way.

Two flops in a row and a huge flop movie. She’s having a very bad time.

It’s a huge flop no doubt. The charts are a joke. The top 20 is essentially recycled hits from the past year just changing positions. Music is in dire straits. All of that makes her new music flopping all the worse. Listeners should be hungry for new music. They’ve made a hard pass on her offerings. In 17 years, she’s hardly had any relevant solo hits since 2011.

I really like the song. Great video too. I also like disease. Do charts matter as much when obviously the end game is a well attended tour, which based on the reaction from fans (generally positive) will ensure its success? I’ve never seen her live but I think I’ll go this time around.

R220 Literally EVERYONE is having successful tours. Touring is huge now. Look at who is having huge tours. People who NEVER had them before. She flopped hard.

R221 literally everyone? Ok.

Oh dear. Abracadabra tumbles to #33 on this week's chart.

Not even Garrett Clayton with the Williams Family could save it. Maybe if they'd done the Gaga choreography....

The video is like Alejandro and Born this Way meet the Suspiria remake. Just weird and dull at the same time.

Jesus! You cannot say there wasn't payola now. As was pointed out, this song was not organically liked. It was massively promoted and pushed atop streaming platforms, not independently listened to by people.

She can't hit on her own. She's not popular like that.

Poor Lady Flop Flop. She should imitate more Madonna songs. Then she might actually have a hit.

It's #9 on the Global 200 this week. Still a hit, the US just won't go for a song this gay.

[quote] Still a hit, the US just won't go for a song this gay.

Katy Perry had countless number one hits not THAT long ago so I don't think that's it.

R229 Katy Perry appeals (or appealed) to mostly straight white teen girls, not the gays. Her peak was a smaller-scale version of Taylor-Mania. Not the same thing.

R228 My sides! A hit? The payola effect is still there, but winding down fast.

There's no polishing this turd. This was supposed to be huge! Her comeback! Fishy goes floppity flop flop.

R230, that isn't true, I know loads of people that liked her who are gay (not me).

R231, she's tried to comeback a couple of times now. Remember this terrible song? The only truly successful time was the ASAIB but I even thought then that it would be a fluke.

R231 I have to ask, what is the purpose for you of being so preoccupied with describing it as a ‘flop’? What do you get out of it? I’ve never for the life of me understood this end of stan wars. Genuinely interested btw. Seems like such an odd thing to do. Also, tf is ‘payola’ in this context?

R231 You sound like an unhinged troll. Not sure why Lady Gaga having a top ten global hit bothers you so much but I would suggest you seek help.

Her preexisting hit Die With A Smile is riding strong though -- it's been Top 10 for months and it just moved up again to #3.

So it looks like Abracadabra is a flop, but categorically speaking, Gaga isn't.

Die with a Smile and Rain on Me were both hits because of the other artists attached to the songs.

R237 They know that and it kills them.

R238 Kinda like the Madonna fans in here know this song is a WW top ten hit and it's killing them. Hence all the excuses and "payola" conspiracy theories.

R239 Distract with your Stan wars all you want, but this shit isn’t a hit. It’s a gargantuan flop. Poor dear. I guess she has Wednesday to ruin next.

I didn't think The Cure was that bad. It's just a non-album single.

I wanted to love it and there are parts I like, but it feels like if you asked an AI to construct a Gaga song and Frankenstein together a music video out of American Horror Story and Drag Race.

R239 please stop comparing your idol Stefani to an actual musical icon Madonna, dear. We don’t care how much you hate Madonna but we don’t have time to count the reasons why and how Madonna’s impact on pop culture WORLDWIDE is something Stefani will never achieve. It’s funny how whenever someone points out that Gaga is a tryhard phony, your only defense is to bash Madonna.

It’s distraction. R243. As if Katy, Taylor, Beyoncé, and a dozen other fan bases don’t hate this try hard and her lil monsters, too.

R243 Ok gramps let's get you to bed

R245 Bitch, Stef is old. The bitch is 40 and looks 70. The reverse DL. When all her failures can’t be ignored, lil monster’s always resort to ageism as if any of her fans are young. Bitch, you’re 38 calling yourself a lil monster. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

If you didn’t know, Gaga’s duet with Mars was originally meant to be a standalone track. After three major commercial failures—the Joker 2 movie, her Harlequin album, and the Joker: Folie à Deux soundtrack with Joaquin Phoenix—she realized that her collaborations often perform better than her solo singles. As soon as the duet with Mars entered the top 5, the decision to make it the first official single from #Mayhem was a no-brainer.

And they were right! The follow-up single “Disease” flopped, and despite the massive promotion behind single #3, “Abracadabra,” it didn’t perform either.

Musically and sonically, the duet with Mars stands out—it sounds different from the other two tracks, highlighting the lack of cohesion in the album. I guess this is what her fans will get: an incoherent mishmash of sounds and genres in a desperate attempt to land another hit.

Now, here we are: her album drops next month, and of the three singles released so far, only the duet has been successful.

I hope she’s sent Bruno Mars a thank-you note.

R245 it must be difficult to be so ignorant

Abracadabra climbs three spots in this weeks UK charts to #4.

This song gets more annoying with time. All those people doing tik toks dancing to this song 😒

dancing or spazing?

R251, it's definitely a combo. There are so many shitty "interpretative" dances on facebook and tik tok for this stupid song.

Hot 100 trajectory so far: 29-13-33.

Gaga's career trajectory: 1-1-3-8-36-100-1500-1200000000

March 8 update: Hot 100 trajectory 29-13-33-31

Still not really catching fire, but not a flop either.

That certainly sounds like a flop considering how "huge" Gaga allegedly is and how heavily this song was promoted.

Second date added for Mexico City due to high demand, first show sold out before even getting to general sale.

The song's up ten slots to 19. Back in the top 20. Just sayin. Yes, it's not a smash no.1.

I should get off Tiktok but I noticed kids were already dancing to Zombieboy and picking it as a favorite. She made a cute clip for it. Michael Jackson Thriller choreo quotation. I've wondered if artists sometimes follow what songs people pick up on for singles. Feel like the crowd chose Apple as a single from Brat, Charli xcx.

I think she's tremendous.

[quote] With all the announced dates sold out so far, Lady Gaga has added 13 new nights to her anticipated Mayhem Ball world tour. The new stops will including second nights in Manchester and Stockholm, as well as third nights in Las Vegas, Seattle, Miami, Toronto, Chicago and Barcelona and fourth shows in both London and Paris.

Yes, we know Lady Gaga has a lot of fans who attend her tours, that's not news.

April 5 update: Hot 100 trajectory for Abracadabra 29-13-33-31-29-19-37-38

Die With A Smile (Gaga and Bruno Mars) is still a Top 3 smash hit, all this time.

[quote] April 5 update: Hot 100 trajectory for Abracadabra 29-13-33-31-29-19-37-38

They are still trying to promote the shit out of this song. It is EVERYWHERE. So many people trying to copy the dancing in the video.

R261 on why a sold out tour is bad news for GaGa.

[quote] on why a sold out tour is bad news for GaGa.

It's not "bad" news, it not news at all.

I love her song Garden of Eden on the new album. It's so damn fun. Wild, crazy, kinda stupid, with a catchy af chorus.

Feels like something she would have done on The Fame, but much better produced.

I just caught her Coachella performance. Damn. That was one of the best shows I've ever seen. Enthralling from beginning to end.

It’s sold out, and it’s goddamn expensive.

I tried multiple times to get tickets for MSG, and there was nothing. The same seats I had for Kylie Minogue were about three times as expensive.

It’s really a shame; I really like the album.

R266, as someone who thinks she's been boring since Born this Way, that is a very good song.

I think “How Bad Do U Want Me” might be my favorite track. It’s filthy in the best way.

R270 it's so catchy it's unbelievable. It's like a Taylor Song but with grit and actual great vocals.

It sounds like Only You by Yaz

"How Bad Do U Want Me" is one of the best songs on the album. If she makes it a single, I think it could be a hit.

When Lady Gaga sings, she already sounds 55. Sad what cigarettes, weed and cocaine do to your voice...

And yet, when I was out last night, and “Abracadabra” came around on the DJs set list, the gays all started singing along.

Hate if you must. This is communal for the rest of us.

My money's on Zombieboy. That's a crazy disco-y/80s banger.

R276 it's a super fun romp for sure. The bridge is fantastic.

I also think Perfect Celebrity is pretty great. That chorus almost feels like it could be a Nirvana or Nine Inch Nails song. Hits hard, but the melody is still so damn memorable.