Even Lady Gaga's first (and a half) albums weren't jaw droppingly amazing. Just above average dance music. I find Katy Perry's stuff to be more catchy. But I liked Gaga's personality more. Honestly, Katy is a bit dumb, while Lady Gaga is a bit overly dramatic with her stylings, that's part of her performance, and I never had a problem with it.
It just seems the spark is gone in the new album. Almost like it was produced by a committee, rather than a single person's vision. With each subsequent person removing things they didn't like, and trying to add their own touch. So each track is a disjointed amalgam of bland segues. The worst thing anyone can say about a dance album: it didn't make me feel like dancing.
Scoff if you will, but generally there's one producer who works with the group or artist to develop a track (different tracks of the album may be produced by different people in some cases).
I get the impression that because her previous release was such a huge hit the record company said, "here you have access to our entire fleet of producers, go wild." Actually, I just looked at the PDF that was included with the album. I'm right, for example "Born this Way" has four producers, each of whom are also credited with some part of the arrangement, and on top of that it was recorded in two different studios.
It doesn't matter if it's jazz, classical, or pop. Music needs cohesion, some unifying vision, or it just ends up a mess. That's the impression this album leaves me with.
I have a violently-negative emotional reaction to her. Her music and personality just rub me the wrong way, and I think she's more of a "celebrity" than an "artist".
