Mo' Music: Gaga's Back

Only yesterday a friend mentioned how glad he was that we were living in Gaga-less times. It gave me no pleasure to inform him that Lady Gaga was soon to return in full force. Today she is officially back with "Applause," the first single off her upcoming new album, ARTPOP. Let's see whether her new single is a unicorn's neigh or a donkey's bray.

Let me start by saying I am neither a Gaga hater nor a Gaga fan. I can appreciate three of her songs and the fact that she writes her own music and can totally belt.

I could not help but scowl at the corny synth that begins the track. Though she has a slightly more modern production this time out, Gaga's past cheesy stench still seeps through this basic pop song.

Lyrically not much is different, either. We learn nothing we didn't already know through her words: She's a fame whore, and in order to applaud you got to put your hands together. She starts off by poking fun at critics: "I stand here waiting for you to bang the gong, to crash the critic saying, "Is it right or is it wrong?"

It's not right, but it's okay and adding a gong might have been cool. I'd hoped there would be more to say about this, but after about five listens, it felt like I had heard all there was to the track. Ultimately we get the same thing Ms. Germanotta has always given us.

This song is passable and Gaga fans will be appeased, but I have to ask: Where exactly does the art come into ARTPOP?

What do you guys think? Please let me know in the comments below. And if you are so inclined, check out Lady Gaga when she performs this track for the first time at the MTV Video Music Awards, August 25.