Arts & Entertainment
More ‘POP’ than ‘ART’
New Gaga effort catchy but hardly groundbreaking
(Image courtesy Interscope)
Lady Gaga’s new album, “ARTPOP,” dropped in the U.S. this week. Her LGBT following is substantial enough that any new release from her is noteworthy, but if you’re looking for something fresh and unexpected, look elsewhere.
Taken merely as a series of instant dance hits, “ARTPOP” is perfect. The album sounds like a compilation of songs that almost made it onto her previous albums. Not surprisingly, it explores themes of fame and vanity, as her music has done countless times. Despite the lack of originality, as Gaga says herself in “Mary Jane Holland,” “It’s all right, because I am rich as piss.” Why change a working system?
Many songs from “ARTPOP” can and will be heavily featured on the radio, and there’s no shortage of new material for DJs to play. “MANiCURE” is one of these tracks, and, as the title suggests, it’s about how getting dolled up for a MAN can CURE insecurity. When the song comes on, finish your drink, hit the dance floor and ignore the lyrics. It’s one of several toe-tappers.
Most tracks use synthesizers and auto-tune liberally, making the album sound too robotic and over-produced, notably in the second single “Do What U Want” and in the title cut. “ARTPOP” is one of a few tracks that reference the album title, an effort to take as many opportunities as possible to remind listeners that pop music is art, a narrative Gaga has been pushing for years.
The first track, “Aura,” is a techno song with a flamenco-inspired guitar riff. Lyrically, the song compares Gaga to women who wear burqas, though she claims to wears one as a fashion statement, the first of many references to fashion on the album.
Another example is the track “Fashion!,” the second song in her discography by that name. In defense of “Fashion!,” it’s one of the few songs from “ARTPOP” where Gaga is singing rather than yelling into the microphone, albeit with a healthy amount of auto-tune. “Donatella” is simultaneously a critique of and an ode to the haughty lifestyle of models and Donatella Versace herself.
“Venus,” the first promotional single, is a dance track that alludes to the eponymous Roman goddess of love and sex. The cheeky bridge lists the planets and includes the line “Uranus, don’t you know my ass is famous?” It’s one of the more memorable moments from the album and is sure to incite giggles. For its music and lyrical themes, “G.U.Y.” may as well be called “Venus Part II,” as they’re almost indistinguishable to the casual listener. Together, they carry a Madonna-esque message of sexual empowerment.
Because the previous two tracks about sex were apparently too subtle, “Sexxx Dreams” is sure to be banned from all high school proms and be a club staple for the next year.
“Jewels N’ Drugs” features T.I., Too Short and Twista, and is a surprisingly catchy hip-hop track and a more refreshing part of the album. However, the hook’s lyrics are reminiscent of Ke$ha’s “Your Love Is My Drug,” while Gaga’s verse is yet another chance to emphasize her obsession with fame.
First single “Applause” may be the album’s worst offender. It’s the epitome of Gaga’s aforementioned fame obsession, even more so than “The Fame” from her debut album of the same name. The song actually features sounds of a cheering crowd. The pop-dance track hit No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100, but fails to do anything more than beg her fans to keep loving her.
The album’s concepts may be tired, but it’s not without some great moments. A true gem is “Dope.” It’s very similar to her 2009 song “Speechless,” but for the best reasons. It focuses on Gaga’s vocal performance and piano skills and reminds fans of the talent underneath the spectacle.
If “Dope” is a callback to “Speechless,” “Gypsy” will remind fans of “The Edge of Glory,” as they’re both dance numbers with some of Gaga’s better vocal performances.
“Swine” is a change of pace for Gaga. It’s electronica without being a dance hit, but what’s most stunning is the intimate subject matter about a dark part of Gaga’s past. It’s angry almost to the point of being un-Gaga, but it’s a well-executed standout piece.
Ultimately, this new album fails to introduce fresh sounds the way Gaga’s first two full-length albums (“The Fame” and “Born This Way”) did. Revisiting the fame concept five years later feels tired and the new music does little to distinguish itself from previous efforts.
Does Gaga have enough good ideas to sustain a decades-long career or will she end up a late ‘00s/early ‘10s trivia question in the years to come? The jury’s still out on that, but revisiting concepts and musical styles this early in the game doesn’t bode particularly well.
Theater
‘Octet’ explores the depths of digital addiction
Habits not easily shaken in Studio Theatre chamber musical
‘Octet’
Through Feb. 26
Studio Theatre
1501 14th Street, N.W.
Tickets start at $55
Studiotheatre.org
David Malloy’s “Octet” delves deep into the depths of digital addiction.
Featuring a person ensemble, this extraordinary a capella chamber musical explores the lives of recovering internet addicts whose lives have been devastated by digital dependency; sharing what’s happened and how things have changed.
Dressed in casual street clothes, the “Friends of Saul” trickle into a church all-purpose room, check their cell phones in a basket, put away the bingo tables, and arrange folding chairs into a circle. Some may stop by a side table offering cookies, tea, and coffee before taking a seat.
The show opens with “The Forest,” a haunting hymn harking back to the good old days of an analog existence before glowing screens, incessant pings and texts.
“The forest was beautiful/ My head was clean and clear/Alone without fear/ The forest was safe/ I danced like a beautiful fool / One time some time.”
Mimicking an actual step meeting, there’s a preamble. And then the honest sharing begins, complete with accounts of sober time and slips.
Eager to share, Jessica (Chelsea Williams) painfully recalls being cancelled after the video of her public meltdown went viral. Henry (Angelo Harrington II) is a gay gamer with a Candy Crush problem. Toby (Adrian Joyce) a nihilist who needs to stay off the internet sings “So anyway/ I’m doing good/ Mostly/ Limiting my time/ Mostly.”
The group’s unseen founder Saul is absent, per usual.
In his stead Paula, a welcoming woman played with quiet compassion by Tracy Lynn Olivera, leads. She and her husband no longer connect. They bring screens to bed. In a love-lost ballad, she explains: “We don’t sleep well/ My husband I/ Our circadian rhythms corrupted/ By the sallow blue glow of a screen/ Sucking souls and melatonin/ All of my dreams have been stolen.”
After too much time spent arguing with strangers on the internet, Marvin, a brainy young father played by David Toshiro Crane, encounters the voice of a God.
Ed (Jimmy Kieffer) deals with a porn addiction. Karly (Ana Marcu) avoids dating apps, a compulsion compared to her mother’s addiction to slot machines.
Malloy, who not only wrote the music but also the smart lyrics, book, and inventive vocal arrangements, brilliantly joins isolation with live harmony. It’s really something.
And helmed by David Muse, “Octet” is a precisely, quietly, yet powerfully staged production, featuring a topnotch cast who (when not taking their moment in the spotlight) use their voices to make sounds and act as a sort of Greek chorus. Mostly on stage throughout all of the 100-minute one act, they demonstrate impressive stamina and concentration.
An immersive production, “Octet” invites audience members to feel a part of the meeting. Studio’s Shargai Theatre is configured, for the first, in the round. And like the characters, patrons must also unplug. Everyone is required to have their phones locked in a small pouch (that only ushers are able to open and close), so be prepared for a wee bit of separation anxiety.
At the end of the meeting, the group surrenders somnambulantly. They know they are powerless against internet addiction. But group newbie Velma (Amelia Aguilar) isn’t entirely convinced. She remembers the good tech times.
In a bittersweet moment, she shares of an online friendship with “a girl in Sainte Marie / Just like me.”
Habits aren’t easily shaken.
Sports
Blade, Pride House LA announce 2028 Olympics partnership
Media sponsorship to amplify stories of LGBTQ athletes
The Los Angeles Blade and Washington Blade on Friday announced a media partnership with the Out Athlete Fund, which will produce Pride House LA for the 2028 Summer Olympics.
Pride House is the home for LGBTQ fans and athletes that will become a destination during the L.A. Summer Games in West Hollywood in partnership with the City of WeHo. This 17-day celebration for LGBTQ athletes and fans will include medal ceremonies for out athletes, interactive installations, speakers, concerts, and more.
The Los Angeles Blade will serve as the exclusive L.A.-area queer media sponsor for Pride House LA and the Washington Blade will support the efforts and amplify coverage of the 2028 Games.
The Blade will provide exclusive coverage of Pride House plans, including interviews with queer athletes and more. The parties will share content and social media posts raising awareness of the Blade and Out Athlete Fund. The Blade will have media credentials and VIP access for related events.
“We are excited to partner with the Washington Blade, the oldest LGBTQ newspaper in the United States and the Los Angeles Blade, already a strong supporter of Out Athlete Fund and Pride House LA/West Hollywood,” said Michael Ferrera, CEO of Pride House LA. “Our mission is about increasing the visibility of LGBTQ+ athletes and fans to challenge the historical hostility toward our community in the sports world. Visibility is what publications like the Washington and Los Angeles publications are all about. We know they will play a key part in our success.”
“LGBTQ visibility has never been more important and we are thrilled to work with Out Athlete Fund and Pride House LA to tell the stories of queer athletes and ensure the 2028 Summer Games are inclusive and affirming for everyone,” said Blade Editor Kevin Naff.
Out Athlete Fund is a 501(c)3 designed to raise money to offset the training cost of out LGBTQ athletes in need of funding for training. The Washington Blade is the nation’s oldest LGBTQ news outlet; the Los Angeles Blade is its sister publication founded nine years ago.
In honor of Black History Month, the DC LGBTQ+ Community Center will host a series of events uplifting the histories, artistry, and resilience of Black LGBTQ+ communities through dialogue, film, and intentional gathering.
The series begins with “Ballroom Culture: Rhythms of Resilience,” a panel discussion on Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026 at 7 p.m. Artists, activists, and leaders from the ballroom community will explore ballroom’s historical, cultural, and political significance as a site of resistance, kinship, creative expression, and social justice within Black, Latinx, and LGBTQ+ communities.
On Friday, Feb. 13 at 12:30 p.m., the Center will host a screening of the groundbreaking documentary “Paris is Burning,” which chronicles New York City’s ballroom scene and house culture while examining themes of race, class, identity, and survival through the voices of legendary performers including Willi Ninja, Pepper LaBeija, and Dorian Corey.
The month will conclude with “Soul Centered: A Black LGBTQ+ Gathering” on Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026 at 3:30 p.m. This free, RSVP-required event invites Black LGBTQ+ community members into a space of rest, connection, and reflection centered on love in all its forms. The gathering will feature a panel conversation with Black LGBTQ+ creatives, healers, and community members, followed by intentional speed connections and a closing social mixer.
For more details and to RSVP, visit the Center’s website.
‘Octet’ explores the depths of digital addiction
Why trans suffering is more palatable than trans ambition
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