Let’s get this out of the way immediately: I was not a fan of Lady Gaga‘s The Fame.  Yes, every single I heard was catchy – and she actually has some talent – but the rate at which “Poker Face”, “Just Dance”, “Lovegame” and “PaparazzI” entered my ear drums was abhorrent.  Still, a small part of me remained interested.  I tried the record a couple more times, but nothing clicked with me, besides it being catchy.  With the announcement of The Fame Monster, more of the same was expected.  However, unlike its predecessor, the first single, “Bad Romance”, was more than just catchy: it was good.

And as Monster‘s opening track, it does a good job of getting across a major message: this is not The Fame, even though it was originally intended to be a compliment to it.  It is evident in everything; the production is heavier, the lyrics darker, the compositional choices stranger.  This is pop music, and yet it doesn’t feel like it at all. It feels almost depressing, self-depreciating, lonely.  It is weird to hear a massive pop star in this state.

“Alejandro” picks up where “Bad Romance”‘s club beats left off and adds some synthy-driven flavour.  Next up is the title track.  “Monster” is about a boy that ate (who uses that term?) her heart, and yet is less pop than its content would have you believe.  A pop star sounding vulnerable?  Interesting.  ’80s drum-fills get the focus throughout.  “Speechless” gets further ’80s treatment, but in the style of a piano-driven rock ballad.  Gaga’s pipes get the best workout in this one, as she sounds more like her art-school self in this one, rather than a pro-tool’d pop diva.  “Dance in the Dark” returns the record to its pop sensibilites, and despite using a familiar chord progression, is one of the heaviest tracks on the album.  The most surprising track is “Telephone”, a number that could have been awful (it does feature Beyonce after all).  However, it ends up as runner-up for the best song, and Beyonce’s part is actually really well done.  Surprising.  “So Happy I Could Die” is a good song, but its placement in between the two best tracks makes it a bit more forgettable.  Closing track “Teeth” is the best pop song of the year, without question.  The production is bizarre and dark (aka awesome), the lyrics are eery (“show me your teeth” is the main line), and it is Monster‘s most weirdly infectious track.  A very interesting closer for a pop record.

It was unbeknownst to me that pop could be heavy, and shockingly, it was Lady Gaga (of all people) that proved it to me.  Monster is The Fame‘s more artistic, introvert brother: it might not be as initially appealing as its sibling, but it ends up having the better, more honest personality once you get to know it.

Jocks suck.

(8.5/10)