I literally just need to talk about Lovedrug
Lovedrug IS the best song Gaga has ever written (my opinion obvi) and I will take that to the bottom of my grave. First off, structurally, I’m sorry but it can’t get better. The enduring strumming as a way to ground the production in something that feels persistent - as if to say “one way or another I will find myself on the other side of this…” The way the primary guitar lick and synth riff in the chorus and verses scale down while the primary motif in the vocal melody climb up… that tension are you kidding??? It’s as if the production symbolizes the thing attempting to hold her back while her voice represents the utter refusal to allow that happen. Not to mention, the ending of the first chorus coming back down to the dominant key as if to nearly give up… then we reach the end of the final chorus and we are blessed with the release of that tallest note - triumph. The feeling having made it. And I think the 80’s synth rock of it all gives it a wince of nostalgia that gives us just enough permission to relate and cry along with her. It’s not an impenetrable production that adheres to typical gaga form.
And the songwriting… as a fan of hers since 2008, I just want to say (scream) that I’ve been WAITING for this woman to do this. Don’t get me wrong, I love my rah rah bitch and will always be moved by a classic Gaga anthem. Always. But this song is different because not only is it raw (perhaps like shallow?) but it’s decisive (unlike shallow). It’s a song with a pov. The way she wails “feel” and “cry” at the top of the chorus but stands in it with “dance until I feel alright” as if to say I’m in pain but I’m on my feet. That kind of dynamism in writing and decision making hasn’t always been present in Gaga’s music. This is a grown up now. And I LOVE that it’s short. It says what it needs to and it goes. It moves on. The same thing she’s trying so desperately to do in the writing. And I think that’s so powerful. That’s such amazing art direction.
The last thing (because literally who cares - I know) is that I think this is one of if not her most moving songs all together. It feels the most like life, even if it’s about heartbreak. It’s not weepy, it’s not a victim, it’s a song written for people who want to break apart but need to stay together. It feels like a song about true loss. And to be able to dance and feel lifted by a song that touches such a heavy experience is truly a gift in our modern world. To me this is nearly a protest song. Because even if it’s not explicit, it is implicitly asking you keep your head on, and your eyes straight, even when there’s tears falling from them. I love this song so much. I love this song SO much. Beyond mayhem, beyond pop music, beyond even Gaga tbh, this song is a rare gem that I believe deserves more eyes and ears. Ok thanks for coming to my talkkkk