Last night (Aug. 5), Twitter and the Internet were sent in to a tizzy when a Lady Gaga single, "Aura" (or "Burqa," as fans referred to the song) from the new album 2013 "Artpop" leaked on to the web. Though there's no word on whether or not the track is an official Lady Gaga song, and the leaked product is most certainly an unpolished demo, "Aura" sets the stage for "Artpop." And, boy, it's going to be weird.
Opening with a Spanish-style guitar, muzzled, dark vocals about a dark, seedy, murderous Hollywood weave in and out of dramatic music. Think: Lana Del Rey's music, if it's gone bizarrely experimental. Then, out of some sort of bad-trip inspired horror film, the guitar plucks back into the picture and Gaga forces out a round of "Ha ha ha's."
With a heavy EDM-influence, Gaga belts out "Aura" and the track builds into a heavily dance influenced pop song, though it maintains the dark vocal effects. Wubs and electronic drum thumps keep the beat until the 1:46 mark, when the scariness drops out and Gaga begins to sing in her normal, powerful voice.
Here, the song takes a significant turn for the better. Yes, it's loud. Yes, it's still got those dubstep beats. But, eventually, "Aura" turns in to a normal Gaga song, which of course includes speak-singing and talk of fashion, art and music (like many songs from "Born This Way" and "The Fame Monster").
The electronic vocal effects float in and out, but the best part of "Aura" is when all that drops off and Gaga's real voice shines through. Those are the moments of pure pop, and perhaps Gaga is not a pure pop artists anymore, but that is what she simply does best.
Listen to "Aura" below.
Of course, despite the mixed early reviews and the incredible inconsistency of the song, Lady Gaga's Little Monsters are sticking by their Mother Monster. The rumored song title "#BURQA" trending worldwide on Twitter last night, with fans tweeting lyrics and rave reviews.
Lady Gaga herself has yet to speak on whether or not "Aura" is, in fact, an authentic Lady Gaga song or whether or not it will appear on "Artpop" as a finished product.
Either way, if this Lady Gaga song is for real, hold onto your seatbelts, kids. "Artpop" is going to be a bumpy, experimental, bizarre ride. The album will be released on Nov. 11.
