Chromatica: The Beat and Life of the Dance Floor
Chromatica, Interscope (2020)
By R. J. F.
Late May of 2020. The world was pretty much on lockdown because of COVID. Every day brought more and more dreadful news. There were millions of people dead from the virus, even more that were currently sick, politicians on both sides of the aisle constantly finger pointing and fighting, and racial tensions were at an all time high. To put it lightly, shit was bleak.
Personally, I was barely coming out of a deep depression that was brought on due to the isolation everyone was experiencing. I also had two of my best friends going through nasty and tumultuous divorces, and both of them chose me to heavily rely on. I was at a point where I needed to escape, but where to? Everything was pretty much shut down, and I couldn’t just walk away from everyone who needed me. Enter Lady Gaga’s Chromatica. I desperately needed this album. I needed to be able to blast it in my car while speeding down familiar streets, wind blowing through my hair, and Gaga bringing the party into my Honda Civic. This pop dance album saved me and uplifted my spirits, even though many of the lyrics in most of the songs are about heartache, at a time when very little brought me joy.
I knew that Gaga was going to come out with a new album because of her Instagram stories, and I was excited to listen to what she had in store. Her previous album, Joanne, was a big departure from her usual dance-heavy music, and fans were ready for Lady Gaga to get back to her pop roots. Chromatica did not disappoint. Track after track on the album brought the beat and life that you yearn for on a crowded dance floor.
The first single, “Rain on Me”, featuring Ariana Grande, was an immediate radio hit, and for good reason. Take two powerhouse vocalists and an up-tempo beat, throw in some catchy lyrics, and you’ve got the perfect recipe for a good time. The song itself is about making it through tough times, and living to see the other side. It was pretty fitting for those of us that were able to stay safe and alive in those early months of the global pandemic.
Once I gave Chromatica a thorough listen through, it was clear that the dance-driven album was reminiscent of 90s club hits. The song that comes to mind that truly brings this idea home is “Babylon”. I imagine that this song would’ve been popular in voguing competitions had it been released during the time when this activity was first created. Clearly, Gaga was heavily influenced by Madonna on this track. In my mind, I can picture competitors battling on the runway as Gaga sings in an almost monotone style:
Strut it out, walk a mile
Serve it, ancient city style
Talk it out, babble on
Battle for your life, Babylon
Another song from this album that I gravitated towards was “Plastic Doll”. The song is mainly about a woman that has been toyed with by various people in her life, who has spent a lot of time alone because of this, and begs, “Don’t play with me, it just hurts me”. The lyrics versus the catchy bop of the beat creates an interesting juxtaposition. Again, why couldn’t this album have been released during a time when clubs were open so people could dance and sing it out in the club?
When I think back to that summer and this album, I feel a mixture of things. I think about how strange it was that such a catchy set of songs with almost depressing lyrics captured the emotions that I was feeling. I was happy to be healthy and safe, and yet incredibly heavy-hearted from not only the pandemic, but what the people I love were going through. Gaga mixed an ideal dance party soundtrack with lyrics that almost cancel out the lightheartedness of the album. I think it’s an almost perfect representation of the smiling face we present to the world when we are crumbling on the inside. Even though some of the lyrics toy with dreary subject matter, when all is said and done, Chromatica brings you out onto the dance floor.
