This Day in Pop: Lady Gaga releases 'The Fame' (Aug 19, 2008)

[Adriannn]

A day like today, but 13 years ago, Lady Gaga released her debut studio album. The one that started her pop dominance. 

I personally love this record. I remember seeing some 'LaDy GaGa' featuring Akon in YouTube and thinking to myself: "so whoever she is thinks is gonna be successful with that name" 

Since it kept popping, I decided to give it a chance... the rest is history.

I want to run down the tracklist and give my opinion on each song. 

Just Dance (feat. Colby O'Donis & Akon): What a smash, I still get turnt up whenever I hear it. The bridge alone makes me quake.  What happened to Colby and Akon, btw?

LoveGame: probIably my favorite one in the record. I was desperate for it becoming a single. I think she could've done a better music video but I am not complaining.

Paparazzi: what a bop. Gaga referred to fame as if she were thirsty for it back in the day. It's really interesting to see how her perspective has changed. The music video is a masterpiece. 

Poker Face: and the real slayage began here. The beat, the vocals, the music video, the Great Danes in the music video, the looks, the mu-mu-mu-mah... everything was iconic. 

Eh, Eh (Nothing Else I Can Say): this song deserved a lot more, it's cute, catchy, and the music video is an aesthetic serve.

Beautiful, Dirty, Rich: I never could get into this one 

The Fame: another bop, guitars slap in this one... all we care about is ****ographic girls on filming body plastic 

Money Honey: back in the day, I really enjoyed this song. I don't come back to it as much now.

Starstruck (feat. Space Cowboy & Flo Rida): a bit dated, I mean, it featured Flo Rida. The song is a bop, though. Any Space Cowboy enthusiasts here? He was pretty cool.

Boys, Boys, Boys:  why in the world this wasn't a single?! It would have been a monster hit. Such a fun song... the line "let's go see The Killers and make out in the bleachers" makes me transcend 

Paper Gangsta: a bit of the odd one in the album in my opinion. It's a cool track, I liked how it had its little cameo in the Telephone music video.

Brown Eyes: I love this one. When I heard it I thought that it'd be great to see her in the future with this type of ballads. She delivered.

I Like it Rough: another of my early favorites. Just as with Money Honey, I don't go back to it as much.

Summerboy: just like Brown Eyes, she sounds more organic here, I loved the guitars and the melody. Pretty cool song.

Disco Heaven: 2020/2021 vibes anyone? 

 

How about you? Do you like this album? Which songs do you still visit?

 

 

[MrPieceOfMe]

Paparazzi and Paper Gangsta are my favourites  Tbh the album aged like milk and sounds so outdated, but I still love it so much (And it’s better than Artpop and Chromatica) 

[Adriannn]

1 minute ago, MrPieceOfMe said:

Paparazzi and Paper Gangsta are my favourites  Tbh the album aged like milk and sounds so outdated, but I still love it so much (And it’s better than Artpop and Chromatica) 

Chromatica fares horribly before The Fame 

[Leolileinstein]

Her best album did that

[Stefani]

Can you believe that it's topped the US Dance/Electronic Albums chart for 139 weeks in total and as recently as this week?  But it never topped the Billboard 200 for some reason. 

[Towelney]

I Like It Rough and Starstruck deserved to be singles 

[Jordan Miller]

[Adriannn]

2 hours ago, Stefani said:

Can you believe that it's topped the US Dance/Electronic Albums chart for 139 weeks in total and as recently as this week?  But it never topped the Billboard 200 for some reason. 

[Adriannn]

2 hours ago, Towelney said:

Starstruck deserved to be singles

With a glossy music video 

[Moscow]

This debut is as iconic as BOMT, come fight me but sadly GaGa is now running everywhere and hence flopping. 

[Adriannn]

1 hour ago, Prachi said:

This debut is as iconic as BOMT, come fight me but sadly GaGa is now running everywhere and hence flopping. 

sadly 

[hernameis]

A great debut album. 

At the very beginning I used to think she was too full of herself as if she already was a very successful and established act - which is exactly why she became a phenomenon: she truly believed in her vision. 

The record is cohesive both sonically and visually.  Although it was not so much avant-garde as most people would think, it definitely marked a shift in the whole pop music scene. 
 

13 years after that Gaga is nowhere to be found.  
 

I’ll never get why musicians start embarking in other ventures after their big breakthrough and don’t ever stick to the music only. 
It’s quite sad for music lovers. 

 

[Adriannn]

26 minutes ago, hernameis said:

It’s quite sad for music lovers.

I mean they are free to branch out, but this much is true.

[Alexanda]

On 8/19/2021 at 9:53 PM, Towelney said:

I Like It Rough and Starstruck deserved to be singles 

Starstruck wasn't even included in the first european release, same with Paper Gangsta. 

[Popcornie]

The singles are great but i never rly got into the rest of this album. 

[Adriannn]

42 minutes ago, Alexanda said:

Starstruck wasn't even included in the first european release, same with Paper Gangsta. 

Others like Again Again are not available to stream in my country 

[Adriannn]

29 minutes ago, Popcornie said:

The singles are great but i never rly got into the rest of this album. 

 

 

[Stefani]

32 minutes ago, Adriannn said:

Others like Again Again are not available to stream in my country 

And nothing of value was lost.

[stanLOONA]

I love this album  love the "sequel" The Fame Monster too  I was really a fan during those two eras ya'll

Then I started to kinda like her singles, and then nothing 

I love Chromatica tho (I listened a lot during the promo(?) she did)

[princessmimi]

What an amazing debut! Its definitely one of the best debut albums of the 2000s!

 I was 14-15 when it came out and I remember LOVING IT and playing it on my ipod OVER AND OVER again lol

I loved all of the songs but my fave was Boys Boys Boys.

That song should've been a single with a video!

Lady Gaga's debut album was probably the biggest debut album since Baby One More Time

cause I remember she blew up BIG with this album!

 

Oh the sweet memories of my teen years!