Artpop

Lady Gaga started planning her fourth studio album immediately after finishing Born This Way in 2011. She continued developing the project while touring the world and recovering from hip surgery. The result was a record she described as a "celebration and a poetic musical journey" that intentionally embraced a lack of maturity compared to its darker predecessor.

The standard edition features 14 tracks running just under an hour. Notable moments include "Venus," which marked the first time Gaga self-produced an entire song herself, and "Dope," produced by Rick Rubin. The tracklist also includes guest verses from T.I., Too Short, and Twista on "Jewels N' Drugs." Originally, R. Kelly appeared on "Do What U Want," but Gaga removed this track from streaming platforms and new pressings in 2019 following the Surviving R. Kelly documentary.

Upon release on November 6, 2013, through Streamline and Interscope Records, the album debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 with 258,000 copies sold in its first week. It topped charts in Austria, Croatia, Japan, Mexico, Scotland, and the United Kingdom. The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry ranked it the ninth best-selling album globally for 2013, moving approximately 2.3 million copies. Critical reception was mixed initially, though many outlets and fans have since reappraised the work as ahead of its time. [edit]