Background

“Venus” was so cosmically brilliant that scientists decided to name a planet after the track. The song was released on October 2013, as the first promotional single from Lady Gaga’s third studio album, Artpop.

Lady Gaga is listed as the sole producer of “Venus”. French DJ and record producer Madeon, who also worked with Gaga in my other Artpop favourite “Gypsy”, is credited with writing and mixing. The recording includes a sample from Zombie Zombie’s cover of Sun Ra’s song “Rocket Number 9”. And upon learning this fact, I gave the inspiration a stream and I can confirm that they are galaxies apart.

The Single That Got Away

As with many musical legends, stans are often divided over which songs receive an official release. “Venus” was initially greenlit to be the second single after “Applause”. But at the time, the reception to her duet “Do What U Want” with R. Kelly received overwhelmingly positive feedback, that it relegated “Venus” to the status of a promotional single. I can’t help but think of what happened to Pluto!

History is and continues to be unkind to the snub. I belonged to the faction that advocated for “Venus”. The song feels more ground-breaking and experimental, and certainly less controversial than an R. Kelly collaboration (although hindsight is 20-20). The only saving grace with time is that streaming has blurred the lines between official singles and album tracks. Full bodies of work have been easier to access, and hopefully, more playlists, suggestions and auto play catch up to what Gaga was serving in 2013.

The release of the music video for “G.U.Y.”, the third official single from Artpop, gave us glimpses to what could have been. Although not centre stage, “Venus” gets some well deserved placement in the short film.

Rundown of the Planets

I can’t explain why. But enumerating the planets is so camp. The rundown almost feels like a fashion show where each of the celestial beings are strutting down the runway. Maybe I’m associating the planets with the anime Sailor Moon? Am I mistaking astrology for femininity? I don’t know.

But she will utilise the same trick in Artpop with “Gypsy”. Although that one deals with countries. Was that her concluding that most of her listeners also obsess over Miss Universe and would like to hear the different contestants participate?

Song Construction or Deconstruction

Most songs have the same construction – a verse, a chorus, another verse, a repeat of the chorus, the bridge, and one last go at the chorus. But all of these expectations go out the window (or should I say the solar system) with “Venus”. There are four different choruses. All of them have hooks and builds (or not) on top of the other!

The energy goes up and down. There is little predictability in how the song progresses. The sound generates excitement for both casual listeners and stans.

Was Lady Gaga ahead of her time? Or was I just living under a rock?

I’ve never heard of Uranus as a way of speaking about the human ass until a few years ago. Maybe I was innocent. I could see the case for me being ignorant. But I am a 35 year old man so I should have known better.

La petite mort, a French euphemism for orgasm, is referenced by Gaga in her dying just a little inside. But I only know of the expression from heavily consuming Emily in Paris.

And let’s not talk about Sandro Botticelli’s painting The Birth of Venus. I won’t because I don’t have the knowledge nor the passion to do so. But this is an inspiration for the art that is “Venus”.

Science Nerds and Superhero Fanatics Unite

No one ever said that pop divas can’t dabble in science or superhero fiction. Something about “Venus” felt like the union of Guardians of the Galaxy and Victoria’s Secret Angels. They were never incompatible. The fusion just never happened.

Representation matters. And it’s about time that a superstar like Lady Gaga made the improbable happen.

Conclusion

The song is out of this world, galaxy, space and time. I don’t wonder if this could be love. But I’m certain the track is heavenly and deserve its place amongst the gods.