Dawn of Chromatica
| Dawn of Chromatica | ||||
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| Remix album by | ||||
| Released | September 3, 2021 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 49:49 | |||
| Label |
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| Producer | BloodPop | |||
| Lady Gaga chronology | ||||
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Dawn of Chromatica is the third remix album by American singer Lady Gaga. It was released on September 3, 2021, by Streamline and Interscope Records. Consisting of remixes of songs from her sixth studio album, Chromatica (2020), the album embraces an underground, hyperpop production, and features collaborations with numerous pop and electronic musicians.
Gaga's goal with the record was to display her love and support towards younger and upcoming artists. The featured acts include Arca, Rina Sawayama, Pabllo Vittar, Charli XCX, Ashnikko, Shygirl, Dorian Electra, and Bree Runway, while retaining the contributions of Ariana Grande, Blackpink and Elton John from the original album. Dawn of Chromatica received generally favorable reviews from music critics, who underscored its experimental nature. Commercially, it arrived at number 66 on the US Billboard 200, while topping the Dance/Electronic Albums chart.
Background and recording[]
On March 2, 2020, American singer Lady Gaga announced that her sixth album, Chromatica, was to be released on April 10.[1] The album was later postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, though it was eventually released on May 29, 2020.[2][3]
On April 4, 2021, the album's executive producer, BloodPop,[4] teased the possibility of a Chromatica remix album, asking his Twitter followers to suggest which artists they would like to see on such a project if it were to exist. He later replied to his tweet and tagged Japanese-British musician Rina Sawayama, who replied to it with a smirking emoji. He also confirmed he was working with British musician Charli XCX on a remix of the album's third single "911", and that the remix album would include an early version of "Babylon" that soundtracked an advertisement for Gaga's cosmetics brand Haus Laboratories.[5] On May 8, BloodPop revealed on his Twitter that American musician Dorian Electra would be on the album.[6] During an interview at the 2021 Brit Awards, Sawayama talked about the project, stating that "The wish is on the internet, and I've done my bit, let's just say that. So, it's in the works."[7] She also hinted that the song she was featured on was "Free Woman".[8]
On May 12, 2021, Charli XCX announced that production for the "911" remix had begun.[9] Later that month, British musician Bree Runway revealed she was involved with the remix album during an interview on The Jonathan Ross Show,[10] while on August 10, announcing she would appear on a remix of "Babylon" by tweeting out its lyrics.[11] That same day, Gaga acknowledged the album for the first time, saying that it was "so f*cking fuego" in a tweet,[12] and American singer and rapper Ashnikko confirmed her involvement with the project.[11] A snippet of her "Plastic Doll" remix was teased by RuPaul's Drag Race winner Aquaria during a DJ set in the weeks leading up to the album's announcement.[13] During the same period of time, Brazilian singer and drag queen Pabllo Vittar hinted that she would be featured on a remix of the song "Fun Tonight", and American producer Lil Texas confirmed his involvement by posting a short snippet of his remix of "Sine from Above".[14][15] Other announced contributors include British musician Shygirl and Venezuelan producer Arca, who revealed to her Discord fan server that she had remixed Chromatica's second single "Rain on Me", which features American singer Ariana Grande.[8]
In July 2021, Canadian producer and singer Grimes announced on her Discord that she had produced remixes of the three interludes featured on Chromatica. She mentioned that she initially missed the deadline to submit them to the record label, but later speculated that due to the project's delay, there would be time.[16] However, after the album's official announcement on August 30, 2021, it was apparent that Grimes' contributions did not make the cut.[8] American producer Jackie Extreme also contributed a remix of "Sour Candy", but her version did not make the final cut; she shared a snippet of it on Twitter a day before the album release.[17] Although BloodPop previously teased potential release of Gaga's collaborations with late Scottish producer Sophie that were scrapped from the original album, none of the songs appear on the remix album.[13] Talking with The Wall Street Journal after the release of the album, Gaga said: "I love young artists and support them. All of them on the album have something to say, and they performed their hearts out."[18]
Composition[]
"Chromatica was released at the beginning of a global pandemic, a shred of light for many in a dark time. Dawn of Chromatica is the soundtrack to the sunrise after that long night, featuring the works of some of the most forward-thinking artists all over the world. Dawn of Chromatica is truly a collaboration between Lady Gaga, the featured artists, and the community, for the community."
Dawn of Chromatica contains mainly underground pop and hyperpop sound.[20][21][22] The album opens with "Alice" remixed by the Berlin-based Philadelphian rapper and producer Lsdxoxo, who described it as "'Promiscuous Girl' on 2CB" [sic] on Twitter.[23] The second song in the track list, "Stupid Love", is remixed by the French producer Coucou Chloe, who "strips away the lead single's bubblegum beats to reveal a macabre midnight romp".[24][25] Arca's remix of "Rain on Me" follows as the third track; she introduces synths in the song and samples the songs "Time" and "Mequetrefe" off her fourth studio album Kick I (2020), as well as the Changa tuki track "Mételo Sácalo" by DJ Yirvin.[26][8] Rina Sawayama and English producer Clarence Clarity's remix of "Free Woman" features influences of metal with wailing riffs and drum fills, which resembles Gaga's 2011 studio album Born This Way. Sawayama starts the songs saying "let's go Gaga".[27] Pabllo Vittar's reimagination of "Fun Tonight" consists of forró music.[28]
The Charli XCX and English producer A. G. Cook remix of "911" gives a "transcendental" sound to the original version, with an overly distorted chorus and a new verse with the lines "I look out to Venus and search for a place / And search for a place / And sometimes I hate myself / If it's all getting way harder / Turn it up, party to Gaga."[28][29] Ashnikko remixed "Plastic Doll" into a trap version, changing its mid-tempo composition."[13][28] "Sour Candy", featuring South Korean girl group Blackpink, receives a "booty-popping" club version by Shygirl and the Guernsey producer Mura Masa.[13][30] The remix, however, retains vocal contributions of Blackpink's Rosé and Lisa only, removing those of Jennie and Jisoo.[31] The album follows with an EDM remix of "Enigma" by American producer Doss, featuring "pulsating drops".[28][29] Dorian Electra's remix of "Replay" is influenced by metal and features "dramatic vocals" and "menacing growls".[26][30]
"Sine from Above", a duet with English musician Elton John, was remixed by American musician Chester Lockhart, Canadian musician Mood Killer, and Lil Texas. Their version features distorted bass, glitched trap, drum & bass, cartoonish sound samples, a sax solo and finishes with hardstyle music.[32][13][30] English musician Planningtorock's turns "1000 Doves" into a new wave track with house music influence.[32][27] The album closes with two versions of "Babylon": the "throbbing techno revamp" featuring Bree Runway and American producer Jimmy Edgar, alongside the "sledgehammering" Haus Labs version.[13][26][29]
Release[]
Dawn of Chromatica was officially announced on August 30, 2021, and released on September 3, on streaming and digital download formats.[33] Its CD was released on November 19, 2021,[34] while the vinyl is set to be released on March 25, 2022.[35]
Critical reception[]
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 74/100[36] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [30] |
| Clash | 8/10[25] |
| Pitchfork | 6.7/10[27] |
| Slant Magazine |  [26] |
According to Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, Dawn of Chromatica received a score of 74 based on four reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[36]
Neil Z. Yeung of AllMusic called the album "the daring and liberated sibling" to Chromatica, with "wild, sometimes noisy, and always thrilling reimaginings."[30] Dubbing it "brilliantly entertaining", Robin Murray from Clash stated that "this remix compilation is an excuse to adore Lady Gaga for her abilities as a cultural curator, one of this generation's few – only – true interstellar pop talents."[25] Sam Murphy of Junkee thought that the remix album "unlocks the thrilling potential of the original." He went on to draw a comparison with Sophie, acknowledging the "impact she has had on this futuristic brand of pop music. [...] The hyperpop movement [...] can largely be traced back to Sophie, and all the artists who appear here display some of Sophie's influence."[28] Wolfgang Ruth of Vulture claimed that, "filled with sliving remixes containing sliving features [...] this record is, no surprise, next level."[37]
According to Pitchfork's Jamieson Cox, Dawn of Chromatica is "less a wall-to-wall collection of club bangers than an expansion of the Chromatica cinematic universe," and feels "less like a celebration of a world-beating record and more like passing the torch."[27] Writing for Gigwise, Alex Rigotti called it "deliciously dramatic pop insanity".[29] Alexa Camp of Slant Magazine was more critical, opining that "the album is a mixed bag, swinging wildly between microgenres and quality from track to track. If the original album favored pop hooks over musical invention, many of the versions on Dawn of Chromatica are noisy or just plain tuneless."[26]
Commercial performance[]
In the United States, Dawn of Chromatica debuted at number 66 on the Billboard 200 chart with 11,000 album-equivalent units,[38] while topping the Dance/Electronic Albums chart. This made Gaga tie the record for the most cumulative number one dance albums and extend her record as the artist with the most cumulative weeks at number one (at 211 weeks). She also became the first artist in history to occupy the top four positions in a single week, with Dawn of Chromatica, Born This Way (2011), The Fame (2008), and Chromatica (2020), respectively.[39]
Track listing[]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Remixer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Alice" (Lsdxoxo remix) |
| Lsdxoxo | 2:40 |
| 2. | "Stupid Love" (Coucou Chloe remix) |
| Coucou Chloe | 2:36 |
| 3. | "Rain on Me" (Arca remix; with Ariana Grande) | Arca | 4:23 | |
| 4. | "Free Woman" (Rina Sawayama and Clarence Clarity remix) |
| Clarence Clarity | 3:53 |
| 5. | "Fun Tonight" (Pabllo Vittar remix) |
| Pabllo Vittar | 2:20 |
| 6. | "911" (Charli XCX and A. G. Cook remix) |
| A. G. Cook | 4:13 |
| 7. | "Plastic Doll" (Ashnikko remix) |
| Oscar Scheller | 2:29 |
| 8. | "Sour Candy" (Shygirl and Mura Masa remix; with Blackpink) |
| Mura Masa | 3:45 |
| 9. | "Enigma" (Doss remix) |
| Doss | 4:29 |
| 10. | "Replay" (Dorian Electra remix) |
|
| 3:49 |
| 11. | "Sine from Above" (Chester Lockhart, Mood Killer, and Lil Texas remix; with Elton John) |
|
| 4:10 |
| 12. | "1000 Doves" (Planningtorock remix) |
| Planningtorock | 5:05 |
| 13. | "Babylon" (Bree Runway and Jimmy Edgar remix) |
| Jimmy Edgar | 2:48 |
| 14. | "Babylon" (Haus Labs version) |
|
| 3:01 |
| Total length: | 49:41 | |||
Charts[]
| Chart (2021–2022) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA)[40] | 31 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[41] | 67 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[42] | 85 |
| Canadian Albums (Billboard)[43] | 89 |
| Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[44] | 97 |
| French Albums (SNEP)[45] | 108 |
| Hungarian Albums (MAHASZ)[46] | 38 |
| Irish Albums (OCC)[47] | 45 |
| Italian Albums (FIMI)[48] | 49 |
| Japanese Albums (Oricon)[49] | 279 |
| Lithuanian Albums (AGATA)[50] | 72 |
| New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[51] | 32 |
| Scottish Albums (OCC)[52] | 88 |
| Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[53] | 71 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[54] | 56 |
| US Billboard 200[38] | 66 |
| US Top Dance/Electronic Albums (Billboard)[55] | 1 |
Release history[]
| Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Various | September 3, 2021 |
|
Interscope | [33] |
| November 19, 2021 | CD | [34] | ||
| March 25, 2022 | Vinyl | [35] |
References[]
- ^ Retting, James (March 2, 2020). "Lady Gaga's New Album Chromatica Is Out 4/10". Stereogum. Archived from the original on March 2, 2020. Retrieved August 30, 2021.
- ^ Curto, Justin (May 29, 2020). "It's an Album! Lady Gaga Has Given Birth to Chromatica". Vulture. Archived from the original on June 3, 2020. Retrieved August 30, 2021.
- ^ Hughes, Hilary (March 24, 2020). "Lady Gaga Pushes Back Chromatica Album Due to 'All That Is Going On' With Global Pandemic". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 25, 2020. Retrieved August 30, 2021.
- ^ Strauss, Matthew (August 30, 2021). "Lady Gaga Announces New Chromatica Remix Album". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on August 30, 2021. Retrieved August 31, 2021.
- ^ Daw, Stephen (April 5, 2021). "Are Rina Sawayama & Lady Gaga Uniting for a Chromatica Remix?". Billboard. Archived from the original on April 17, 2021. Retrieved April 5, 2021.
- ^ Krol, Charlotte (May 11, 2021). "Bloodpop confirms Dorian Electra for Lady Gaga Chromatica remix album". NME. Archived from the original on May 12, 2021. Retrieved May 12, 2021.
- ^ Joey, Nolfi (May 12, 2021). "Rina Sawayama confirms Lady Gaga duet on Chromatica remix album is 'in the works'". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on May 14, 2021. Retrieved May 12, 2021.
- ^ a b c d Moen, Matt (August 30, 2021). "The Chromatica Remix Album Is Real and It's Glorious". Paper. Archived from the original on August 30, 2021. Retrieved August 30, 2021.
- ^ @charli_xcx (May 12, 2021). "the creation process has begun..." (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ Richards, Will (May 24, 2021). "Bree Runway is set to appear on Lady Gaga's Chromatica remix album". NME. Archived from the original on August 20, 2021. Retrieved August 20, 2021.
- ^ a b "Lady Gaga confirms existence of Chromatica remix album". Official Charts. August 11, 2021. Archived from the original on August 11, 2021. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
- ^ Lady Gaga [@ladygaga] (August 10, 2021). "The Chromatica remix album is so f*cking fuego