The wait is finally over for new Lady Gaga music. After rumors and teases over the past couple of weeks, the singer dropped her new single, “Perfect Illusion,” which is the first song we’ve heard from her since the release of 2013’s ARTPOP.
Let’s get the obvious out of the way: Lady Gaga is not one to make a formulaic pop song. She’s never had songs that could have easily just been recorded by another artist, or ones that sound like they were written by whoever the hottest songwriter was at the moment. But, with that said, Gaga can have the tendency at times to do things differently and also play it safe – that’s ultimately what she does with “Perfect Illusion.”
“Perfect Illusion” is not bad at all, as it features a booming drum beat and soaring vocals. It’s catchy, it’s foot stomping, it’s a Lady Gaga single. It’s just not a Lady Gaga anthem. The song was produced by a team that includes Mark Ronson, Kevin Parker and BloodPop, and they’re just a few of the collaborators who are expected to be a part of her upcoming studio album.
“Perfect Illusion” is a serviceable lead single, and chances are, it’ll do quite well sales-wise and on the radio, too. However, when you think about her legacy, this song will probably not come close to the best ones of her career. That’s not to say Lady Gaga’s album doesn’t have the potential to live up to expectations, but “Perfect Illusion” isn’t reinventing the wheel like it could have.
