10 years ago, on the 18th November 2009, we heard Lady Gaga’s album The Fame Monster for the first time. Or, as some prefer to remember it, the invention of pop music. This album is a reissue of her debut album The Fame, which brought her breakthrough critical acclaim in the music industry. The first installment brought us timeless hits like ‘Just Dance, ‘Paparazzi’ and ‘Poker Face’, while the bonus tracks saw the pop sensation experiment with her early sound.
Inspiration comes from all corners on The Fame Monster, from disco and synthpop from the 70s and 80s to darker, more gothic industrial beats, all culminating in one of the greatest pop albums of all time.
What so many people love about these additional songs are the fact that they show the darker side of fame, with devastatingly emotional performances in ‘Speechless’, ‘Dance in the Dark’ and ‘So Happy I Could Die’. Gaga manages to create pieces of music which can sound like bubblegum pop on the surface, but that upon closer inspection give way to show layers of emotional and inspiration.
There is no doubt that without this album, the world of mainstream pop would look very different today. She paved the way for later work from Katy Perry, Kesha and Nicki Minaj, even though they had their beginnings in the same era. The lasting impact of The Fame Monster is one which we will be hearing for many years to come.
Lady Gaga’s The Fame Monster is available via Interscope.
