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    ARTPOP Act II: What Could Have Been

    Watch the video version of this article here:

    Unkept promises are hardly a new trend in Lady Gaga's fanbase of Little Monsters. Between cancelled tours such as the co-headlining Fame Kills with Kanye West, scrapped documentaries such as the one promised for ARTPOP, failed collaborations with Britney Spears, Elton John, Cher and Kendrick Lamar, and a variety of random merchandises such as Polaroid photo printers, dog accessories and perfumes, fans have gotten quite used to taking everything Gaga says with a grain of salt and waiting for concrete release dates before they get excited.

    But it hasn't always been this way. Back in 2012, when Gaga's third studio album ARTPOP was first announced, she confirmed that the album would have two parts to it, with each having a staggered release. ARTPOP was released, but it's sequel, the long-awaited Act II, was nowhere to be found. And every time fans were prepared to give up on their dreams of a sequel, Gaga would string them along for another few months with the vague promise of "soon" in an obscure radio interview.

    So on the eve of what will surely be a career-defining Super Bowl performance, we've decided to look back at one of Gaga's biggest unkept promises, ARTPOP: Act II, and revel in the little concrete information we know about it.

    What was ARTPOP: Act II?

    When Gaga initially envisioned the concept for ARTPOP, it was always as a double album. Originally, side A was to be filled with the more commercial pop sounds she was known for, while side B was intended to feature the songs designated as "experimental". As time went on, however, this seemed less feasible as Gaga realised that separating the album into these two dichotomies was contradicting the very concept of the project which was meant to bring them together.

    Despite this, there was a huge amount of material that had been recorded during Gaga's fifth album sessions for the public to consume. Writing had started right after the release of Born This Way in May 2011, and by the time the Born This Way Ball tour had come to an unexpectedly early end due to a hip injury, up to fifty songs had been considered for inclusion. Even more songs were written during Gaga's six month recovery time, which meant that by the time ARTPOP was released in November 2013, over ninety tracks in various stages of development had been written for the album. Some of these were to be released on the ill-fated ARTPOP app that accompanied the projects release, but others were special enough to have their own place on a physical album.

    By the album release date, Gaga had teased that she had plans to release another volume of ARTPOP before its accompanying tour, saying "it could be nice to play both acts on the tour". And ARTPOP: Act II was still a possibility back in March of 2014, when Gaga discussed it in a post-show keynote at the SXSW Festival. "There's many volumes of work over a long period of time that have just not been released to the public because I've chosen to not put it into the system," she said. "Sometimes it's just fun to have records that me and my friends listen to. We love it. We don't care what everybody else thinks. Maybe one day I'll release them. And I have a whole second act of ARTPOP."

    In April of that year, Gaga stated "there's a strong possibility I will release another volume of ARTPOP".

    And then: nothing. Radio silence on the subject. Gaga has never spoken about ARTPOP: Act II publicly again.

    Why did ARTPOP: Act II go unreleased?

    While we don't know what officially dealt the final blow to ARTPOP: Act II, it's a strong possibility that a mixed reception to the albums predecessor and the perception of it as a "flop" brought an end to any plans Gaga or her label had for a follow up: especially with the low chart positions of the albums last single 'G.U.Y.', which despite a big budget music video hit only #76 on the Billboard Hot 100. Ironically, ARTPOP as an album did relatively well, hitting #1 and going on to become the ninth best-selling album of the year, despite only having two properly marketed singles. In August of 2014, Gaga confirmed that we would never receive any music through the ARTPOP app following months of waiting. Her statement that she had "moved" on from anything to do with her old management bore an ill omen for the album release, too. Gaga went on to reinvent her image with 2014's collaborative jazz album Cheek To Cheek with Tony Bennett, before becoming a country chanteuse with last years Joanne, and ARTPOP: Act II became just another project to add to the list of Gaga's unkept promises.

    T7itoel.jpg7511f49e02cc7e6dc6c17ab9573668b2.jpg114232802_700.png

    A selection of fan-made covers for the fabled ARTPOP: Act II.

    What songs could have made the ARTPOP: Act II tracklist?

    In an interview with KISS 92.5, Gaga stated that she had recorded around ninety songs for the original album, with only fifteen of them making the final cut. This leaves around seventy-five unreleased tracks that we haven't heard, out of which we have concrete titles for thirteen - a full albums worth. The tracks that were considered for Act II include:

    • 'Brooklyn Nights': Co-written by the team of DJ White Shadow, Nick Monson and Dino Zisis that made 'Applause' happen, 'Brooklyn Nights' is a nostalgic ode the love of Gaga's life, most likely Lüc Carl. 'Brooklyn Nights' was a contender for the original ARTPOP album until late in the game, with Gaga teasing it in September of 2013 via a Twitter post and rumours swirling that the track was competing with 'Mary Jane Holland' for a place on the album. Legal documents that leaked in 2020 show that the song was still scheduled to be on the album in early October. Later that month, when asked why the song didn't make the cut, Gaga replied, "I wanted to spend more time on it. It will come out [via] the app sometime during the album cycle". While we were eventually left high and dry with the app, which had no exclusive songs on it, the song was leaked in early 2014.
    • 'Maren': This is a title registered onto Gaga's BMI in November of 2012. It's produced by Gaga newcomers Dreamlab (famous for their work with Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato) and John Nation, and possibly references the picturesque coastal county north of San Francisco.
    • 'Nothin' On But The Radio': 'Nothin' On But The Radio' leaked in 2010, but there was doubt over whether it was really Gaga singing until she was spotted blasting the track out of her car in 2012. While fans were initially unsure which era the song belonged to, legal documents that leaked in 2020 show that the song was at one point in consideration for ARTPOP, further confirming the writers as Gaga, Billy Steinberg, Josh Alexander and Paul Blair.
    • 'Onion Girl': Gaga revealed this title in an interview with KISS 92.5 in November of 2013. Produced by Zedd, this song could possibly a reference to Charles De Lint's 2001 novel The Onion Girl, which is named so for the peeling back of layers that occurs to the main character over the course of the book.
    • 'PARTYNAUSEOUS': 'PARTYNAUSEOUS' was originally conceived as a song by Kendrick Lamar featuring Gaga back in 2012. It was planned to be released as a single from Lamar's album but was cut due to creative differences on which direction the song should take. This slow R&B version of the song leaked in 2015. Later, Gaga reworked the track as an EDM-styled interlude for the ARTPOP Ball tour. The song, from Gaga's perspective, details her efforts to make peace with the country of Indonesia, which banned her from performing during The Born This Way Ball Tour in 2012.
    • 'Princess Die': One of the earliest titles written for ARTPOP, 'Princess Die' was first performed on an Australian date of the Born This Way Ball tour in June of 2012, and later became a mainstay of the show. Writing in January of that year, Vanity Fair had described Gaga playing the song for them during their interview: "Gaga went to the piano to play us [...] a song about fame and celebrity death. Even in its rough stages, it has her trademark catchy chorus, and she sang the sad slightly bitter lyrics in full voice." Gaga later teased that the song would be released through the ARTPOP app, but this did not come to be.
    • 'Ratchet': This was a collaboration recorded with Azealia Banks, but was cut from the original record because Gaga found Banks to have a "bad attitude"; it's possible that it could have been rerecorded as a solo venture. We have a small snippet of Gaga performing it live and an official instrumental released by producer DJ White Shadow.
    • 'Red Flame': This was a collaboration recorded with Azealia Banks, but was cut from the original record because Gaga found Banks to have a "bad attitude"; it's possible that it could have been rerecorded as a solo venture. A watermarked version of this song leaked in 2016.
    • 'Sire': 'Sire' is a song written in 2012 and produced by DJ White Shadow. Gaga sang it backstage for fans at The Born This Way Ball Tour in February of 2013, and mentioned that it was inspired by Michael Jackson, who is possibly the revered "sire" spoken about in the title.
    • 'Tinnitus': Gaga revealed this title in an interview with KISS 92.5 in November of 2013. Produced by EDM producer Madeon, the songs title refers to a condition where one hears ringing in their airs, particularly after hearing loud noises on repeat.
    • 'TEA': Written in 2012, this song was initially confirmed for ARTPOP but failed to make the cut. Gaga teased some lyrics on Twitter which went, "It's been oolong/Since I've had a sip and/I get this feeling I need a green detox/The truth will be the winner tonight."
    • 'Temple': 'Temple' was announced in 2013 and was apparently about her love for then-boyfriend Taylor Kinney. "It's about feeling safe with someone so beautiful on the inside and out. The song is about him being able to love somebody who has a fast pace life, and is always on the road." The song was written solely by Gaga and Zedd, as legal documents that leaked in 2020 showed.
    • 'In Like With You': Gaga revealed this title in an interview with KISS 92.5 in November of 2013. The song was proudced by frequent Gaga collaborator DJ White Shadow, who also worked on songs such as ARTPOP single 'Do What U Want'.

    There are several other songs recorded during the ARTPOP section which most likely wouldn't make the cut. 'Bitch Don't Kill My Vibe' was another Kendrick Lamar collaboration which Gaga sang the chorus for. After their creative relationship ended, Kendrick released a solo version of the track on his album, while Gaga later leaked her contribution to the song online. 'Cake Like Lady Gaga' is a joking trap track which was produced by DJ White Shadow and released online for fans. 'I Wanna Be With You' was performed once at the iTunes Festival, and is an early version of the ARTPOP track 'Dope' with completely different lyrics. 'Posh Life' was a demo recorded for TLC and produced by Dallas Austin, written for a dancer named Posh! The Prince who played himself during the 2010 dates of Gaga's Monster Ball tour. 'Stache' is a remix of the Zedd instrumental of the same name which Gaga released for free for her fans online.

    Will we ever hear ARTPOP: Act II?

    Sadly, given that four years have passed since the release of the original ARTPOP, it's doubtful that we'll ever hear the album as it was initially intended. Thanks to ongoing leaks, we've had enough choice selections released to form a small EP of demos that might have made the cut; but most of the truly intriguing tracks like 'Onion Girl' and 'TEA' have gone unheard of for the most part.

    Early last year, Gaga mentioned in an interview that she had heard her fans opinions and considered releasing a compilation album of unreleased and rare tracks, but we've heard nothing more about any such project since. All we can hope is that Gaga's team is smart and prepared enough to release anniversary editions of each of her albums, and that we'll receive a special edition of ARTPOP for it's tenth anniversary in 2023. Until then, we'll have to listen to that live 'Ratchet' snippet on repeat and be content with wondering what could have been.

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    3 hours ago, Tweener said:

    I would love her to release this. Maybe Artpop would seem a better album if she ended up releasing it as it was her initial concept.

    I agree. :'( I think the trap/hip-hop/techno/trance sound she was going for in the earlier sessions was a lot more interesting than tracks like 'G.U.Y.' or 'Donatella', I wish we'd gotten to hear the full spectrum of sound.

    • YAAASSS 1
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    I listened to ARTPOP in the car the other day randomly and it never really dawned on me until quite how good the album actually is, I'd love to hear more of the scrapped demos even if they're just rough concept ones

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    20 hours ago, Woodcrest said:

    I listened to ARTPOP in the car the other day randomly and it never really dawned on me until quite how good the album actually is, I'd love to hear more of the scrapped demos even if they're just rough concept ones

    The sad thing is that I know there's better tracks out there than 'Jewels 'n' Drugs' but we just haven't been blessed enough to hear them. :'( 

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    4 hours ago, Countess said:

    The sad thing is that I know there's better tracks out there than 'Jewels 'n' Drugs' but we just haven't been blessed enough to hear them. :'( 

    The only other track I skip besides Sex Dreams :flush: 

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    I would've gladly taken a commercially pop album over Joanne any day. tbh, Joanne is an interesting career move, but not for her long-term fans. She should've just released both albums to satisfy both sides.

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    On 2/7/2017 at 7:45 AM, Woodcrest said:

    The only other track I skip besides Sex Dreams :flush: 

    'Sexxx Dreams' is a bop, how dare you? :'( 

    On 2/11/2017 at 10:46 AM, Alexanderrr said:

    Is it bad that I like J&D, but not ARTPOP, Aura or Venus?

    large.gif

    Yes. Seek professional help immediately. :disgusted: 

    On 2/13/2017 at 4:56 PM, Cypher said:

    I would've gladly taken a commercially pop album over Joanne any day. tbh, Joanne is an interesting career move, but not for her long-term fans. She should've just released both albums to satisfy both sides.

    Very true! Honestly, it's not like she's selling any of these songs to other artists and the production fees can't be too high given the unknowns she's working with, so I don't know why she doesn't release them on rarities albums. :'( 

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    On 10/02/2017 at 11:46 PM, Alexanderrr said:

    Is it bad that I like J&D, but not ARTPOP, Aura or Venus?

    Okay, turns out that I was wrong lol, I listened to Artpop, Aura and Venus again and I feel as if I do actually like them.

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    On 2/17/2017 at 0:13 AM, Woodcrest said:

    tumblr_inline_ol2rajcBG81qe4hxr_500.gif 

    Congratulations on being my first down vote, Hillary.

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    19 hours ago, Alexanderrr said:

    Okay, turns out that I was wrong lol, I listened to Artpop, Aura and Venus again and I feel as if I do actually like them.

    Yas! :hail: Honestly I've always found 'Venus' kinda tacky (although it could be great with better production) and 'ARTPOP' is good to me but 'Aura' is a work of genius imho. :yaskween: 

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    On 2/16/2017 at 5:30 PM, Alexanderrr said:

    Okay, turns out that I was wrong lol, I listened to Artpop, Aura and Venus again and I feel as if I do actually like them.

    This was me lmao (I felt the same way)

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    this reminds me a lot of things

    ORIGINAL DOLL

    NO STOPPING ME

    BANGERZ RELOADED

    HANNAH MONTANA 5TH ALBUM

    MILEY 2011 ALBUM

    MILEY 2012 ALBUM

    MILEY 2015 ALBUM

    BRITNEY 2015 ALBUM

     

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    On 2/26/2017 at 11:33 PM, AARmy said:

    this reminds me a lot of things

    ORIGINAL DOLL

    NO STOPPING ME

    BANGERZ RELOADED

    HANNAH MONTANA 5TH ALBUM

    MILEY 2011 ALBUM

    MILEY 2012 ALBUM

    MILEY 2015 ALBUM

    BRITNEY 2015 ALBUM

     

    What's the story behind 'No Stopping Me'? I've never heard of it before!

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    11 hours ago, Countess said:

    What's the story behind 'No Stopping Me'? I've never heard of it before!

    nothing so bigger, just a scrapped album, disney thought that the album was sounding so adult for a kid with 14 yo

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    On 3/4/2017 at 0:02 AM, AARmy said:

    nothing so bigger, just a scrapped album, disney thought that the album was sounding so adult for a kid with 14 yo

    Ooooh, this is named after the Hannah song, right? I guess she was always pretty mature. ;) 

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    Isnt there a Medusa Demo For ARTPOP Act. 2 Aswell?

    God were missing alot of songs appareantly around 90 recorded 15 On original ARTPOP And unknown how many that might of been on Act 2:'(

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    2 hours ago, Mother Monster said:

    Isnt there a Medusa Demo For ARTPOP Act. 2 Aswell?

    God were missing alot of songs appareantly around 90 recorded 15 On original ARTPOP And unknown how many that might of been on Act 2:'(

    It's entirely possible but that title was never confirmed by anyone from Gaga's team so I didn't include it. :/ 

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    27 minutes ago, Countess said:

    It's entirely possible but that title was never confirmed by anyone from Gaga's team so I didn't include it. :/ 

    Oh ok i got that idea from Gagapedia Which had a bunch of tracks Like:

    Temple

    Tea

    Onion Girl

    Medusa

    Cake Like Lady Gaga 

    I wanna be with you

    ETC

    So yeah lol

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    On 2017-4-10 at 6:23 PM, Countess said:

    It's entirely possible but that title was never confirmed by anyone from Gaga's team so I didn't include it. :/ 

    Some More Tracks

    Weather Man (Lyrics Unknown No Leaks)

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