Electric Chapel

Last updated

"Electric Chapel"
Song by Lady Gaga
from the album Born This Way
Writtenc. 2010 [note 1]
PublishedMay 18, 2011 (2011-05-18)
ReleasedMay 23, 2011 (2011-05-23)
Studio Officine Meccaniche (Milan)
Genre
Length4:12
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Lady Gaga
  • DJ White Shadow
Audio video
"Electric Chapel" on YouTube

"Electric Chapel" is a song recorded by American singer Lady Gaga for her second studio album, Born This Way (2011). Written and produced by Gaga and DJ White Shadow, the recording premiered on Facebook gaming app FarmVille , as did the album's fifth single, "Marry the Night". Gaga revealed on Twitter that "Electric Chapel" was written in Australia and finished on her tour bus in Europe. She recorded it channeling the vocals of bands like Duran Duran, and singers Cher and Billy Idol.

Contents

"Electric Chapel" is an electronic rock and pop metal song that incorporates elements of 80s pop music and heavy metal in its composition. Critics praised the track, with Dan Martin from NME comparing it to the work of Madonna; other reviewers noted the rock and sci-fi musical elements associated in it. "Electric Chapel" reached number 23 on Billboard 's Dance/Electronic Digital Songs chart and number 144 on the South Korean International Download Chart. It was performed on Gaga's Born This Way Ball tour (2012–2013), where she sang it while standing inside a set piece that had the song's name written on top.

Background and composition

"Electric Chapel" was first previewed when a one-minute portion of its instrumental was used for Gaga's Transmission Gagavision 44 video. With the title's track being displayed on a paper during the end of the clip, it additionally made an appearance in the music video for "Judas" (2011). [2] [3] Subsequently, Gaga revealed on Twitter that the song was written in Australia and finished on her tour bus in Europe. Describing the recording's lyrical themes as delving on "needing to feel safe to find love", it was theorized by a writer from Take 40 Australia to be inspired by the singer's 2009 live performance on Australia's The Chapel arena. [1] Like the opening track of Born This Way—"Marry the Night"—the song made its debut on a special edition of social network game FarmVille , called GagaVille and released on May 18, 2011. [2] [4]

Gaga channeled the vocals of bands like Duran Duran (pictured) on "Electric Chapel". EXIT 2012 Duran Duran (1).jpg
Gaga channeled the vocals of bands like Duran Duran (pictured) on "Electric Chapel".

"Electric Chapel" has been compared to the work of Madonna, with NME 's Dan Martin saying that "if you'd ever wondered what that Madonna doing the soundtrack to Blade Runner might have sounded like... then wonder no more." [5] [6] Genre-wise, Brian Hiatt of Rolling Stone referred "Electric Chapel" to as an electro rock recording, [7] while Robbie Daw of Idolator dubbed the song as being of the pop metal genre, attesting that unlike fellow song from Born This Way, "Heavy Metal Lover", "Electric Chapel" possesses an actual metal-edge. [2] Gaga recorded the chorus a number of times, channeling the vocals of bands like Duran Duran, and singers Cher and Billy Idol. Inspired by 1980s music, the track incorporates a spoken word section, which Gaga wanted to sound like The B-52's song "Rock Lobster" (1978). She explained to Brian Hiatt of Rolling Stone that when she "say[s] 'electric chapel,' something needs to occur... It needs to be more fantasy. You should see the empress of the Vatican unicorn planet appear and soar across the nightclub." [7]

Writing for music website Beats Per Minute, Brent Koepp described the song as "Iron Maiden meets 80s pop". [8] According to the sheet music published by Musicnotes.com, "Electric Chapel" has a time signature of common time, and a pop-rock tempo of 128 beats per minute. The song is composed in the key of A minor with Gaga's vocals ranging from E3 to C5. It also has a basic sequence of Am–Dm–Am–Dm–F serving as its chord progression. [9] "Electric Chapel" was later remixed by Irish indie rock band Two Door Cinema Club; this version was included on the singer's second remix album titled Born This Way: The Remix (2011). Gaga unveiled the remix during a cover shoot for Elle magazine. [10] A reviewer from BBC Music complimented the remix, saying that "Two Door Cinema Club almost make 'Electric Chapel' sound like a collaboration between Gaga and Hot Chip". [11]

Reception

Gaga performing "Electric Chapel" on her Born This Way Ball tour in Manchester, September 2012 Lady Gaga Electric Chapel Manchester.jpg
Gaga performing "Electric Chapel" on her Born This Way Ball tour in Manchester, September 2012

Overall, "Electric Chapel" received positive reviews from music critics. Robbie Daw from Idolator felt that "Electric Chapel" surpassed the released singles from Born This Way in craftsmanship and praised the "hard rock ominous guitar riffs", calling them a tease. Vocally, he found Gaga was channeling Lita Ford and dubbed the track as one of the album's strongest compositions. [2] Caryn Ganz of Spin wrote that "Electric Chapel" "pairs divine diva thump with a Van Halen guitar solo." [12] NME writer Dan Martin published a review on the song, confessing that "perhaps ['Electric Chapel'] nails the record's blood-and-chrome aesthetics most effectively of all." [13] In another review, Martin compared its opening riffs to Opus III's 1983 song "It's a Fine Day", with him further likening the recording to science fiction music. [5] Kerri Mason from Billboard described the track as a "technicolor wedding" with a "fat guitar riff". [14] Bradley Stern from MuuMuse praised the cut, feeling that "Gaga takes Born This Way to new levels of pop-dom on cuts like the jagged 'Electric Chapel' and 'Heavy Metal Lover'". [15]

Ann Powers from NPR noticed the influence of Duran Duran in the track, while believing Gaga to imagine "Electric Chapel" as an output from "an electric guitar-wielding girl group". [16] Jody Rosen from Rolling Stone did reviewed Born This Way track-wise, observing that in "Electric Chapel" Gaga wrote about hoping for a monogamous relationship, with heavy guitar riffs and metal solo being characteristics of the record. [17] In an article in GQ about 10 detrimental things on Born This Way, a writer from the magazine listed the track's lyrics as "reek[ing] of a lack of ideas, not a distortion of form. Sing words. It's easy". [18]

"Electric Chapel" debuted and peaked at number 23 on Billboard 's Dance/Electronic Digital Songs chart on the issue dated June 11, 2011, spending one week on the chart. [19] It also made an appearance at number 144 on the South Korean International Download Chart. [20]

Live performances

Gaga performed "Electric Chapel" on her Born This Way Ball tour (2012–2013). [21] The track was included during the tour's third segment, where Gaga performed "The Queen" and "You and I", before transcending into "Electric Chapel" and "Americano" from Born This Way. The singer was present inside a glass set piece onstage, referred by her as an electric chapel. [22] Sean Sennett from The Australian complimented the performance of the song, saying that "by the time 'Electric Chapel' has rolled around the band are shredding like a glorious 80s LA metal act". [23] Kwaak Je-yup from The Korea Times gave positive feedback to Gaga for singing live during the tour, but found her voice cracked during "Electric Chapel". [24]

Credits and personnel

Recording and management

Personnel

Charts

Weekly chart performance for "Electric Chapel"
Chart (2011)Peak
position
South Korea International (GAON) [20] 144
US Dance/Electronic Digital Songs ( Billboard ) [19] 23

Notes

  1. In May 2011, Lady Gaga tweeted that she started writing "Electric Chapel" in Australia, and finished it in her tourbus in Europe. Most likely she referred to her 2010 The Monster Ball Tour legs in aforementioned continents, meaning that the song was written from March 2010, and was finilized some time before June 2010. However, Take 40 Australia writer suggested that the song might have been inspired by Lady Gaga's live performance on Australia's The Chapel arena, an event that took place in June 2009. [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Just Dance (song)</span> 2008 single by Lady Gaga

"Just Dance" is the debut single by American singer Lady Gaga. She co-wrote the song with Akon and his producer RedOne. It also features vocals from Colby O'Donis and was released on April 8, 2008, as the lead single from Gaga's debut studio album, The Fame. The song was written by Gaga in 10 minutes as "a happy record". "Just Dance" lyrically speaks about being intoxicated at a club.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lady Gaga discography</span>

American singer Lady Gaga has released five solo studio albums, two collaborative studio albums, two film soundtracks, three remix albums, two compilation albums, four EPs, two live albums, 40 singles, and 14 promotional singles. Gaga made her debut in August 2008 with the studio album The Fame, which peaked at number two in the United States, where it was subsequently certified triple Platinum, while topping the charts in Austria, Canada, Germany, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Its first two singles, "Just Dance" and "Poker Face", reached number one in Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States, and for the latter, becoming the world's biggest single of the 2009 calendar year. The album spawned three more singles: "Eh, Eh ", "LoveGame" and "Paparazzi". The latter reached the top ten in many countries worldwide, and number one in Germany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eh, Eh (Nothing Else I Can Say)</span> 2009 single by Lady Gaga

"Eh, Eh " is a song by American singer Lady Gaga, from her debut album, The Fame (2008). It was released as the third single from the album in Australia, New Zealand and selected European countries, and the fourth single in France. The song is a calypso-styled, mid-tempo ballad, and is about breaking up with one's old partner and finding someone new. The song peaked at number fifteen on the Australian ARIA Charts and at number nine on the RIANZ charts of New Zealand. It proved to be even more successful in Sweden, where it managed to peak at number two on the Sverigetopplistan chart, as well as in the Czech Republic, France, and Hungary, where it reached the top-ten of their respective charts. "Eh, Eh " received Gold certifications for its sales in Australia, Denmark, New Zealand, and the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LoveGame</span> 2009 single by Lady Gaga

"LoveGame" is a song released by American singer Lady Gaga from her debut studio album, The Fame (2008). Produced by RedOne, the track was released as the album's third single in North America and Europe and the fourth single in Australia, New Zealand, and Sweden after "Eh, Eh ". "LoveGame" was also released as the fourth single in the United Kingdom, after "Paparazzi".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paparazzi (Lady Gaga song)</span> 2009 single by Lady Gaga

"Paparazzi" is a song by American singer Lady Gaga from her debut studio album, The Fame (2008). It was released as the album's fifth and final single by Interscope Records. Gaga wrote and produced the song with Rob Fusari. The song portrays Gaga's struggles in her quest for fame, as well as balancing success and love. Musically, it is an uptempo techno-pop and dance-pop ballad whose lyrics describe a stalker following somebody to grab attention and fame.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Telephone (song)</span> 2010 single by Lady Gaga featuring Beyoncé

"Telephone" is a song by American singer Lady Gaga from her third extended play (EP), The Fame Monster (2009)—the reissue of her debut studio album, The Fame (2008). Featuring American singer Beyoncé, it was released as the EP's second single on January 26, 2010. Gaga and Rodney Jerkins wrote and produced "Telephone", with additional songwriting by LaShawn Daniels, Lazonate Franklin and Beyoncé. Gaga originally wrote the song for Britney Spears, who recorded a demo. "Telephone" conveys Gaga's fear of not finding time for fun given the increasing pressure for her to work harder as an artist. Musically, the song consists of an expanded bridge, verse-rap and a sampled voice of an operator announcing that the phone line is unreachable. Beyoncé appears in the middle of the song, singing the verses in a "rapid-fire" way, accompanied by double beats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dance in the Dark</span> 2010 single by Lady Gaga

"Dance in the Dark" is a song by American singer Lady Gaga from her third extended play (EP), The Fame Monster (2009)—the reissue of her debut studio album, The Fame (2008). It is about a woman who prefers to have sex in the dark as she is insecure in her body. Having met such women while working on the MAC AIDS Fund, Gaga said that the song is not about freedom, but rather the assurance that she understood their feelings. A Europop track, it contains retro and new wave music influences, and begins with a stuttering introduction. It includes a spoken interlude, where Gaga lists famous dead people.

<i>Born This Way</i> (album) 2011 studio album by Lady Gaga

Born This Way is the second studio album by American singer Lady Gaga, released by Interscope Records on May 23, 2011. It was co-written and co-produced by Gaga with other producers, including Fernando Garibay and RedOne, who had previously worked with her. She also worked with artists such as E Street Band saxophonist Clarence Clemons and Queen guitarist Brian May. Gaga and Garibay are the album's musical directors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Born This Way (song)</span> 2011 single by Lady Gaga

"Born This Way" is a song by American singer Lady Gaga, and the lead single from her second studio album of the same name. Written by Gaga and Jeppe Laursen, who produced it along with Fernando Garibay and DJ White Shadow, the track was developed while Gaga was on the road with the Monster Ball Tour. Inspired by 1990s music which empowered women, minorities, and the LGBT community, Gaga explained that "Born This Way" was her freedom song. It was also inspired by Carl Bean and his song "I Was Born This Way", released in 1977. She sang part of the chorus at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards and announced it as the lead single from the album, released on February 11, 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">You and I (Lady Gaga song)</span> 2011 single by Lady Gaga

"You and I" is a song written and recorded by American singer-songwriter Lady Gaga, taken from her second studio album, Born This Way (2011). She also co-produced it with Robert John "Mutt" Lange. The track samples Queen's "We Will Rock You" (1977) and features electric guitar by Queen's Brian May. Gaga debuted "You and I" in June 2010 during her performance at Elton John's White Tie and Tiara Ball. Footage of the performance appeared on the Internet, and positive response encouraged her to include the song on her setlist for The Monster Ball Tour. She later performed the song on Today to a record crowd in July 2010, and on The Oprah Winfrey Show in May 2011. On August 23, 2011, Interscope Records released the song as the fourth single from the album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marry the Night</span> 2011 single by Lady Gaga

"Marry the Night" is a song recorded by American singer and songwriter Lady Gaga for her second studio album, Born This Way (2011). The track was initially released for promotion on FarmVille, six days before the release of Born This Way. It was released as the fifth and initially final single from the album before "Bloody Mary" in 2022 on November 11, 2011, by Interscope Records. The song was written and produced by Gaga and Fernando Garibay, and was recorded on the tour bus during The Monster Ball Tour. Revealed in February 2011, "Marry the Night" was inspired by the energy of Gaga's previous songs like "Dance in the Dark" and her love for her hometown, New York City.

"Government Hooker" is a song by American singer Lady Gaga from her second studio album, Born This Way (2011). Gaga co-wrote and co-produced the song with Fernando Garibay and DJ White Shadow, with additional production of DJ Snake. "Government Hooker" was a previously unused demo track Shadow had produced with DJ Snake. Recording sessions took place in 2010 at the Studio at the Palms in Las Vegas, Nevada.

"Americano" is a song recorded by American singer Lady Gaga, taken from her second studio album, Born This Way (2011). The song was written and produced by Gaga with DJ White Shadow, Fernando Garibay, and Brian Lee. "Americano" was influenced by the events surrounding the repeal of the controversial California Proposition 8—a ballot proposition that defined marriage as a union between opposite-sex couples, thereby prohibiting and invalidating same-sex marriage throughout the state—as well as the growing struggles of Mexican immigrants. It combines mariachi, house, and techno genres with elements from Latin music. Lyrically, the song talks about Lady Gaga's infatuation with a woman.

"Scheiße" is a song by American singer Lady Gaga from her second studio album, Born This Way (2011). The song was written and produced by Lady Gaga and Nadir "RedOne" Khayat, and was recorded in Europe on the tour bus during the Monster Ball Tour. "Scheiße" was first introduced as a remix during a Thierry Mugler fashion show held on January 19, 2011. A dance-pop song with heavy, pounding synths, it also has a fast techno beat with electroclash and Eurodisco influences. Gaga speaks the first verse and parts of the chorus of the song in faux-German, as the name of the song is German. The lyrics have a feminist tone, speaking of female empowerment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bloody Mary (song)</span> 2022 single by Lady Gaga

"Bloody Mary" is a song by American singer Lady Gaga recorded for her second studio album Born This Way (2011). Gaga, Fernando Garibay, and Paul "DJ White Shadow" Blair wrote and produced it; Clinton Sparks also received a producer credit. "Bloody Mary" is an electropop song with elements of synth-pop and trance, and features Gregorian chants. Although the song's title is an epithet mostly associated with the English queen Mary Tudor, Gaga assumes the role of biblical figure Mary Magdalene in its lyrics, whom she considered a "feminine force" she had worshiped since her childhood in a Catholic girls school. It is one of several tracks on the album with religious themes.

<i>Born This Way: The Remix</i> 2011 remix album by Lady Gaga

Born This Way: The Remix is the second remix album by American singer Lady Gaga, released on November 18, 2011, by Interscope. This album contains remixes of multiple songs from Gaga's second studio album, Born This Way. It was also released as part of the Born This Way: The Collection, a special edition release including the 17-track version of Gaga's second studio album and a DVD release of the HBO concert special Lady Gaga Presents the Monster Ball Tour: At Madison Square Garden. Most of the remixes had been available in the remix EPs released alongside each single from Born This Way. Musically, the album is an electronic and dance record; there are also influences of Europop, techno and dubstep within the composition.

<i>Chromatica</i> 2020 studio album by Lady Gaga

Chromatica is the sixth studio album by American singer Lady Gaga, released on May 29, 2020, by Interscope Records and subsidiary Streamline. Gaga supervised the production with longtime collaborator BloodPop and a variety of other producers to create a concept album returning to her dance-pop roots, eschewing the stripped-down style of its predecessors Joanne (2016) and A Star Is Born (2018). Chromatica draws inspiration from early 1990s house music, seeing Gaga adopt a cyberpunk-inspired persona.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stupid Love (Lady Gaga song)</span> 2020 single by Lady Gaga

"Stupid Love" is a song recorded by American singer Lady Gaga. The track was officially released on February 28, 2020, as the lead single from Gaga's sixth studio album, Chromatica (2020), after being leaked in January 2020. It was written by Gaga, Max Martin, Ely Rise, and the song's producers, Tchami and BloodPop. The lattermost stated this was what started his work on Chromatica with the singer. It is a house-infused dance-pop, electropop, and disco song that talks about gathering the courage to fall in love again after a heartbreak.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Free Woman</span> 2021 single by Lady Gaga

"Free Woman" is a song by American singer and songwriter Lady Gaga recorded for her sixth studio album Chromatica (2020). Gaga co-wrote it with the song's producers BloodPop, Axwell and Johannes Klahr. "Free Woman" was released as the album's fifth track, several weeks after a high-quality demo version of the song was leaked onto the Internet. It is a Eurohouse and Eurodance song that draws influences from the music of the 1990s. Gaga was inspired by her real life events; the song talks about her coping with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), from which she suffered after being sexually assaulted by a music producer. Gaga also wanted to celebrate her LGBT+ fans; she wrote the song especially with the trans community in mind. The song's lyrics talk about reclaiming one's identity and answer the question "what does it mean to be a free woman?".

"Sine from Above" is a song by American singer Lady Gaga and English musician Elton John from the former's sixth studio album, Chromatica (2020). It is included as the album's fourteenth track, and is preceded by a string arrangement, "Chromatica III", which leads right into the beginning of the song. It was produced by BloodPop, Burns, Axwell, Liohn and Johannes Klahr, and had a wide array of songwriters involved. It is an electronica-influenced electropop song with a drum n' bass breakdown, and lyrically it talks about the healing power of music.

References

  1. 1 2 "Lady Gaga Wrote New Song in Australia – Inspired By Live at the Chapel?". Take 40 Australia . May 23, 2011. Archived from the original on May 26, 2011. Retrieved June 18, 2012.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Daw, Robbie (May 18, 2011). "Lady Gaga Is Goin' To The 'Electric Chapel' On New Pop-Metal Track". Idolator. Archived from the original on June 30, 2012. Retrieved June 10, 2012.
  3. Montgomery, James (May 6, 2011). "Lady Gaga's 'Judas' Video: A Pop-Culture Cheat Sheet". MTV News. Archived from the original on May 9, 2011. Retrieved June 10, 2012.
  4. Shaul, Brandy (May 18, 2011). "FarmVille GagaVille Electric Chapel Goal: Everything you need to know". AOL. Archived from the original on July 9, 2016. Retrieved June 10, 2012.
  5. 1 2 Martin, Dan (May 18, 2011). "Lady Gaga, 'Born This Way' – Track-By-Track Album Review". NME . Archived from the original on October 2, 2013. Retrieved August 20, 2011.
  6. McCormick, Neil (May 19, 2011). "Lady Gaga's Born This Way: track-by-track review". The Daily Telegraph . Archived from the original on October 3, 2013. Retrieved August 4, 2011.
  7. 1 2 Hiatt, Brian (June 9, 2011). "Deep Inside the Unreal World of Lady Gaga". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on October 30, 2013. Retrieved November 26, 2013.
  8. Koepp, Brent (May 23, 2011). "Album review: Lady Gaga Born This Way". Beats Per Minute. Archived from the original on May 27, 2012. Retrieved June 14, 2012.
  9. "Lady Gaga 'Electric Chapel' Sheet Music". Musicnotes.com. September 26, 2011. Archived from the original on August 27, 2016. Retrieved June 10, 2016.
  10. Copsey, Robert (November 28, 2011). "Lady GaGa unveils 'Electric Chapel' remix on 'Elle' cover shoot". Digital spy . Archived from the original on September 11, 2016. Retrieved January 23, 2016.
  11. Levine, Nick (November 28, 2011). "Lady Gaga Born This Way: The Remix Review". BBC Music. Archived from the original on January 9, 2016. Retrieved January 23, 2016.
  12. Ganz, Caryn (May 23, 2012). "Lady Gaga, 'Born This Way'". Spin . Archived from the original on April 14, 2015. Retrieved June 14, 2012.
  13. Martin, Dan (May 17, 2011). "Album Review: Lady Gaga, 'Born This Way'". NME. Archived from the original on May 21, 2011. Retrieved June 14, 2012.
  14. Mason, Kerri (May 23, 2011). "Lady Gaga 'Born This Way': Track-By-Track Review". Billboard . Archived from the original on March 15, 2013. Retrieved June 14, 2016.
  15. Stern, Bradley (May 23, 2011). "Lady Gaga: Born This Way (Album Review)". MuuMuse. Archived from the original on April 21, 2016. Retrieved June 14, 2016.
  16. Powers, Ann (May 23, 2011). "First Take: Lady Gaga's 'Born This Way'". NPR. Archived from the original on August 22, 2016. Retrieved June 14, 2016.
  17. Rosen, Jody (May 17, 2011). "Lady Gaga's 'Born This Way': A Track-by-Track Breakdown". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on June 19, 2017. Retrieved June 14, 2012.
  18. Haider, Awra (May 23, 2011). "10 Things We Really Hate (And One We Love) About Lady Gaga's Born This Way". GQ . Archived from the original on September 20, 2016. Retrieved June 14, 2012.
  19. 1 2 "Lady Gaga – Chart history". Billboard Dance/Electronic Digital Songs for Lady Gaga. Archived from the original on July 22, 2017. Retrieved November 26, 2013.
  20. 1 2 "Gaon Digital Chart – 2011.05.22~2011.05.28" (in Korean). Gaon Music Chart. Archived from the original on August 16, 2016. Retrieved November 26, 2013.
  21. "Lady Gaga Delights Fans As She Begins 'Born This Way Ball' Tour in South Korea – Video". Capital FM. Global Radio. April 27, 2012. Archived from the original on May 7, 2012. Retrieved June 10, 2012.
  22. Dumaual, Miguel (May 23, 2011). "Review: Lady Gaga's 'Born This Way Ball'". ABS-CBN Corporation. Archived from the original on August 27, 2016. Retrieved June 9, 2012.
  23. Sennett, Sean (June 14, 2012). "Lady Gaga sets new benchmark with her Born This Way Ball". The Australian . Archived from the original on June 17, 2012. Retrieved August 11, 2016.
  24. Je-yup, Kwaak (April 29, 2012). "Gaga's tour playful but not shocking". The Korea Times . Archived from the original on May 3, 2012. Retrieved June 9, 2012.