This is the pop album of the year. Eclectic, super-cool, vibrant, melodic, humorous, alive, catchy as hell...it feels like a Blondie or Cyndi Lauper record in that a huge variety of musical styles are explored. They are releasing this in Canada on Tuesday, where Just Dance has just hit #1.

Vocally, I can best describe her as a blend of Gwen Stefani, Cyndi Lauper and Esthero. I love it. Along with Robyn, she's something truly unique.

The most notable fact about her life is that she has made her way in the music industry the old-fashioned/grass roots. Lady Gaga began her musical endeavors at a very young age. She went on to write her first piano ballad at 13 and began performing at open mike nights by the age of 14.
She said, "I did this the way you are supposed to. I played every club in New York City and I bombed in every club and then killed it in every club and I found myself as an artist."

A brief track-by-track review:

Just Dance

A fantastic first single, and one of the finest pop singles of the year in my books. I'll also say this: You really haven't heard this until you've heard it in a club. This is now inescapable in Canada and fast becoming a big hit around the globe.

Love Games

"Let's have some fun / This beat is sick / I wanna take a ride on your disco stick."

Lady GaGa asks "Do you want love or you do you want fame? Are you in the game?" against a shimmering synth beat.

Nothing I Can Say (Eh Eh)

Sunny, percolating synths define this track. Sounds like Kylie Definitely the most pure pop track on the album.

Money Honey

Another fantastic beat drives this track about finding true success with love ("That's money honey").

Dirty Rich

A song about the evil of idle wealth.

Poker Face

A great song about a gold digger faking affection for profit.

"I wanna hold 'em like they do in Texas, please. Fold 'em / Let him hit me / Raise his baby / Stay with me (I love it) / Love game, intuition, play the cards, play the cards with spades to start / And after he's been hooked I'll play the one upon his heart....."

Starts out with cascading synths and a swagger-heavy beat that is truly immense. The chorus explodes ("Can't read my, can't read my, no you can't read my poker face"). Truly a highlight of the album.

The Fame

The effect of pop culture and the media on youth is the topic here. Great lyrics.

Papparazzi

"I'm your biggest fan, I'll follow you until you love me... Baby you'll be famous, chase you down until you love me."

The celebrity falls for the everyman in this track. VERY catchy chorus.

Boys Boys Boys

Lady Gaga describes this as "a combination of Motley Crue's 'Girls Girls Girls' channeled with ACDC's track 'TNT'" - that sounds about right, but add an electropop twist to it.

Brown Eyes

Lady GaGa slows it down for a piano-based ballad about lost love. Really gorgeous stuff. Reminds me of something Mazzy Starr might do.

Vanity

A girl group verse style ("T-t-t-ouch me baby, but don't mess up my hair") mixed with a touch of glam rock.

Summer Boys

Sounds like something from Blondie's Eat To The Beat. Love the handclaps and guitar in this.
[Edited 8/15/08 15:18pm]

Thanks. Damn! This reminds me that I missed her live at Marquee & DanceMusicSexRomance on Weds. [!]

Pop waste...

She's pathetic...a Gwen clone that even is trying the bisexual card à la Katy Perry (gaga came as bisexual). Worse...she's has connections with Akon.

An US plan to feed the pop cravings of gays strangled by america's shit-hop reign
[Edited 8/16/08 2:31am]

Matronik said:

Yeah i got a mixed vibe on her, seems like alot of gimmicks of others thrown together and packaged to the us market which is already clueless at this point. Im just waiting for the Girls Aloud new cd which hits in Late october early November.

lastdecember said:

I'm waiting for the Sugababes one...

Matronik said:

She doesn't remind me of Gwen at all. Reminds me more of Terri Nunn from Berlin. You guys may be too young to know her.

jthad1129 said:

Well Terri is the originator of all of it, she did it all before anyone did, even Madonna, and did it better, and still does it better.

Matronik said:

I was shocked that Girls Aloud cut another album this quick since they are still touring for the current album and their deal of 5 albums was up and everyone thought that was it, but this album did better (saleswise) than any of theirs, which is odd for a pop group to be "gaining" momentum at this point, but they went right back and cut their 6th album

lastdecember said:

Yes, it really seems intended for the U.S. market - that's why the CD is being released internationally months ahead of the U.S. release and they haven't even sent the song for adds at U.S. radio yet

VoicesCarry said:

well her cd is all over the net so "territory" releases are pretty meaningless. The push may be over seas and other markets, but people in the US were talking about this record 6 months ago at least.