Album Anniversaries: 'The Fame Monster' Turns 10

Nov. 18 marks the tenth anniversary of one of the greatest contributions to modern pop music. Look back on the EP that gave Lady Gaga a diamond certification, three Grammys, and solid status as the pop icon of a generation.

In Album Anniversaries, writers honor their favorite aging albums and their subsequent legacies, revealing which projects have stood the test of time.

Written by Roberto Soto

A stark contrast from her debut, The Fame Monster is the 2009 EP add-on to Gaga’s bubbly electropop record The Fame. This album is much darker in tone and production, with tracks like the aptly titled “Monster” and “Teeth” having roots in the macabre displaying grisly body imagery of men consuming hearts and her “bad girl meat.” These ideas deeply contrast the “Just Dance” and “Summerboy” vibes of her earlier release, as she told MTV News in 2009: “It's yin and yang. It's 'this is how I feel. I feel divided. I feel a dichotomy within myself. I am ready for the future, but I mourn the past.'” The impact of The Fame Monster not only catapulted Lady Gaga into a new world of superstardom, but broke new ground for pop music that reverberates into the new decade.

The album opens with “Bad Romance,” the lead single released a mere three weeks before the album’s release. The track incorporates the lovelorn lyrics, synth-driven production and vocal serve that have become classic Gaga, while introducing a much darker, ominous look at love and fame, making it the perfect introduction to her new era of eerie dark-pop wonder. The now classic track is known especially for its catchy “ra-ra” opening, flashy and melancholic hook, and gorgeously orchestrated composition from producer RedOne and Gaga herself. The track would go on to become a signature for Gaga and a pop culture phenomenon, later earning diamond certification and a Grammy award for the fabulously terrifying music video.

In the video, Gaga presents the glamour and pain of writing a love story with a detrimental lover. Though the song is widely thought to be directed to a lover, the lyrics could also be about Gaga’s obsession and desire for fame, as it has the same repercussions of being in a toxic relationship. The repercussions of a romanticization of fame are indicated in the song’s lyrics and shown specifically in the video by the numerous men trying to buy the dancing star in a pure white room, ending in Gaga’s destruction of both herself and her lover after becoming too mechanical. Another interpretation, from Gaga herself, is how the entertainment industry can influence the commodification of the female. Many artistic interpretations can be applied to the song and its video, but simply put: “Bad Romance” is the perfect pop song.

With the album’s deep gothic influences intertwined with ‘80s-influenced synth-pop and commentaries on fame and the detriment of love, The Fame Monster, though short, is thoroughly meaty. Gaga has said that each song on the album is influenced by a fear of various monsters: Fear of Truth Monster (“Teeth”), Fear of Love Monster (“Bad Romance”), and in the case of “Alejandro,” the Fear of Sex Monster. “Alejandro” is one of Gaga’s most-controversial pieces of work due to its music video’s “blasphemous” nature, but the song itself is a tight mid-tempo track wishing farewell to past lovers, with ABBA and Ace of Base influences.

“Monster” is one of the more heartbreaking tracks about falling in love with… well… a monster. This crying-in-the-club tune is a simple warning about a man (the phrase “he ate my heart” echoes throughout the song) as the boy slowly consumes her affection and leads her to insanity. The bridge ultimate climaxes:

He ate my heart and then he ate my brain
That boy is a monster (mo-mo-mo-monster)

A standout on the EP, “Speechless,” was the only track solely penned by Gaga, where she pleads to her partner over a ‘70s glam-rock piano. Contrary to popular belief, Gaga wrote this breakup anthem in response to her father, who called her following a heart surgery, though the song can be opened up to an interpretation regarding a drunken lover. Gaga’s family is a major influence in her life and career, as showcased in the later release of Joanne, named after Gaga’s late aunt. The song is heartbreaking in any context.

“So Happy I Could Die” is classic Gaga having a fabulous time in the club, fearing what will happen when she is off the high of drugs and booze. “Teeth” is Gaga’s thumping, carnival-esque plea for the truth from her partner and also serves as the album’s closing track. The two songs are sexy and bouncy and showcase Gaga’s sheer versatility, with the bass gnawing as the lyrics ache for a good time.

“Dance in the Dark” expresses how one can only express themselves in secret, because “he” (be it a lover or, more likely, the media) will only ridicule you for being your truest self. Nodding once again to the macabre with lyrics like “her kiss is a vampire grin” and “the moon lights her way while she’s howling at it,” the song celebrates tragic women of the past, like Judy Garland, Sylvia Plath, and Marilyn Monroe, who were killed by insecurities brought on by their reputation. “Dance in the Dark” is most indicative of the direction Gaga was heading sonically with her 2011 follow-up Born This Way: it is a club banger with thumping house beats and heavy-metal rock influences, reminiscent of “Bad Kids” and “Bloody Mary.”

And let us not forget the collaboration with the Beyoncé Knowles on the multi-platinum hit, “Telephone.” The music video for this track is actually a short film inspired by Quentin Tarantino and Americana culture, while the lyrics turn away a suffocating lover in favor of the dancefloor. “Telephone” is a classic, certified banger (and we are still waiting for a sequel).

Any discussion of The Fame Monster is incomplete without acknowledgment of its epic impact on the industry. Above all, The Fame Monster was the dawn of a new era for Lady Gaga, from its grim, monochromatic album cover to its more direct approaches to life and fame. The album went on to go platinum in the US and win a Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Album, but more importantly, it shaped the pop landscape of today.

Lady Gaga single-handedly made electropop cool again. In the late 2010s, electronic music was reserved for outdated Daft Punk geeks, European club vibes and early niche internet memes, until Gaga spun the disc around and made them Hot 100 hits. Gaga’s influence can be felt in the work of artists like Billie Eilish, Miley Cyrus, Marina, Charli XCX, David Guetta, Banks, and so many more. The Fame Monster as a whole introduced the sheer power of Gaga as a songwriter, producer, and star.

With the album came a tour, and The Monster Ball did not disappoint. Influenced by Old Hollywood and musical theater, Gaga put on a worldwide tour of an electropop opera, complete with a sparkling fire bra, a giant angler fish, and the “Living Dress.” As one Boston Globe critic wrote: “Leaving, you couldn’t help but realize that, like the artist, ‘The Monster Ball Tour’ is not legendary yet, but you can bet it will be.” From her sound to her fashion, Gaga became a prominent figure for pop culture in the 2010s.

At age 23, the Manhattan native had created one of the most complete bodies of work the pop landscape had seen in years. Following The Fame Monster, Gaga managed to solidify herself as a major force in pop music. Since The Fame Monster, she has gone on to make yet another suspiciously perfect album, Born This Way, as well as the poorly received (yet underrated) ARTPOP. She has even tried her Judy Garland hand at jazz standards on Cheek to Cheek with Tony Bennett and stripped down (musically) on Joanne. Gaga also expanded her career to the screen, with an Emmy-winning role on “American Horror Story: Hotel” — and who could forget Gaga’s Oscar-nominated role in “A Star Is Born,” alongside Bradley Cooper? The film won Gaga an Oscar for Best Original Song and two Grammys for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance and Best Song Written for Visual Media.

Even today, Gaga discusses excitement and heartaches of fame, her deep love for fame and the monster it can be. In her Netflix Original documentary, “Gaga: Five Foot Two,” Gaga opens up about her personal life and the toll that her career and fame have taken on her and her health. Beyond the media, Gaga has become an advocate for LGBTQ community, to whom she paid homage with the “Alejandro” music video and her entire Born This Way era, starting the Born This Way Foundation on principles of youth empowerment. The Fame Monster came at the turn of a new decade, a reinvention of pop music itself, and new perspectives on the concepts of celebrity and fame. As we approach yet another decade, the 2020s hold so much in store for Miss Stefani Germanotta.

ANALYSISAfterglow ATXNovember 22, 2019