Artpop

Lady Gaga's fourth studio album, Artpop (stylized in all caps), dropped on November 6, 2013, through Streamline and Interscope Records. Gaga began mapping out the project in 2011, right after Born This Way, and kept at it while crisscrossing the globe on the Born This Way Ball tour and recovering from hip surgery. She called Artpop "a celebration and a poetic musical journey," leaning into a deliberate "lack of maturity and responsibility" compared to the darker, anthemic feel of its predecessor.

Musically, Artpop is a synth-pop and EDM record that pulls in R&B, techno, industrial, and dubstep. Its lyrics tackle fame, sex, and self-empowerment, often nodding to Greek and Roman mythology. Gaga worked with a broad set of producers: DJ White Shadow, Zedd, Madeon, Rick Rubin (on "Dope"), Infected Mushroom (who contributed a sample on "Aura"), will.i.am, and David Guetta on "Fashion!" The album features guest verses from T.I., Too Short, and Twista on "Jewels N' Drugs," and R. Kelly on "Do What U Want", a track Gaga later removed from streaming and new pressings in 2019 after the Surviving R. Kelly documentary. "Venus" marked a milestone: the first song Gaga ever self-produced entirely on her own.

Gaga launched the album with a two-day event called ArtRave. Critical reception was mixed at release, with some praising its ambition and dance-pop energy, others finding it inconsistent. Over time, many critics have reappraised it as ahead of its time. Artpop debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 with 258,000 first-week copies, topping charts in Austria, Croatia, Japan, Mexico, Scotland, and the UK. The IFPI ranked it the ninth best-selling album globally in 2013, moving 2.3 million copies. Lead single "Applause" peaked at number four on the Hot 100, while "Do What U Want" reached number 13. Promotional singles "Venus" and "Dope" preceded the album, and "G.U.Y." served as the final single. Gaga promoted the record with TV appearances, a Thanksgiving special, a short residency at Roseland Ballroom, and the ArtRave: The Artpop Ball tour. [edit]