base talk Why did "Disease" by Lady Gaga underperform?

[Dark Miracles]

Production is unpleasant, vocals are unpleasant, melody is Woman's World'd

[BGKC]

The cure/disease narrative is a common theme for her it seems. It felt like a cliché rehash of what was once clever and fresh. Someone who doesn't follow Gaga/new releases closely would probably just assume it's some old song of hers that was overshadowed by her bigger hits. There was nothing eventful about it. 

[Titanbaddie]

The GP simply doesn't care for Lady Gaga solo music

Edited January 10 by Titanbaddie

[Mariano]

The way I knew who made the thread before I clicked on it   
 

[ScorpiosGroove]

the song's bad and the gp hasn't cared about her non-AC stuff in a decade 

Edited January 10 by ScorpiosGroove

[Mr. Stratus]

It's a good song but a basic dated PopGa bop. She re invented herself with ballads and this is what has stuck - it seems her teaming up with a man is not a fluke unlike OPs fave Xtina.
 

Spotify yday - 2022 hits
HMH - 149k

BMS - 112k

 

GP get their disposable pop bops from the likes of Tate and Sabrina. They'll be better songs in the album and I'm sure she'll get a cute solo hit at some point

[HRHCOLLECTION]

to be honest the song is too loud and i've had it with her screaming on songs

[MattieB]

I actually liked it lol, the video took 5 points from it but whatever

[bluemoonstar]

Peaked at 7 in the U.K so was a moderate hit over here

[Maneater]

It's a good song and I enjoy it, but it was obvious from the first listen it was never going to set the charts on fire

 

[Slap]

I'd like to see your fave chart at #27 with a buzz/promo single/future bonus track. 
 

[Slap]

I'd like to see your fave chart at #27 with a buzz/promo single/future bonus track. 
 

[Jay07]

Industrial dance pop is not a popular sound now and Gaga's celebrity is not huge enough to carry it. It's still a great song though.

[Shelter]

"Underperform" is very generous

 

[Erreur2 La Nature]

Disease sounds like something that would have been popular when she debuted. It's chaotic, loud, all over the place and the lyrics are a mess. To me it sounds like a standard Lady Gaga song based on my expectations. It's the type of music that made her big but we're in 2025 now and those who stream music mostly listen to some very basic and generic music, very safe. The fact that it's a solo single also isn't helping.

[Phaunzie]

:3 Maybe GP was on Christmas break.

[Mke1979]

Disease featuring Bruno Mars incoming ! lol 

[Yes, AND]

18 hours ago, ImpressMeMuch said:

because just as atrl is tired of this same thread being posted again and again

 

the public isn't going to support multiple hit, record breaking singles from stefani at the same time 

This is such a lame excuse. Why did she release so much in close succession then. 

[Yes, AND]

17 hours ago, MissedTheTrain said:

I think Harlequin kinda took away a lot of momentum, and then Gaga didn't do anything to push it further.  Oh well, I'm at least glad it's a song I love

She released multiple versions. 

[ericcartman]

The song is ugly. The lyrics, the title, the vocals... All ugly for the GP. I like the production though.

[Xtina23]

Song was not good. Hope she delivers more "Alejandro" type of "dark pop" IF she still has it in her tbh...

[JoeAg]

I honestly think it's mostly just DwaS eclipsing it

 

Disease is great, and I actually heard it on the radio for the first time as I was in a lyft headed home from BWI to my parents' house on December 26th, and it sounded perfect on the radio. I think it's a great showcase of Gaga's versatility to have both singles out at the same time, but it doesn't always work in the way it may have worked with something like, say, Party Monster and I Feel It Coming or BUwYG,IB and 7 Rings (for My Hoes Who Wear Them on Our Toes). sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn't  I think they're probably doing a lot of work to pick the next single VERY wisely so that it naturally follows the groundwork Die with a Smile has laid. and that doesn't necessarily mean it'll be another gorgeous soft rock ballad, but it DOES mean that it'll be more of an instantly indelible hit than Disease turned out to be. the main thing that held Disease back imo, was the fact that it's drastically darker sounding than Die with a Smile, and I think it could've used a TV performance or two to really let it sink in to the public consciousness 

[Saint James]

18 hours ago, Shelter said:

"Underperform" is very generous

 

it didn't bomb. it charted for 8 weeks and will get certified eventually. her next single tho...

[Youngbae]

An amazing year with the Joker movie, you say? Is this a troll thread? 

[Giorgoc]

On 1/10/2025 at 9:14 AM, BGKC said:

The cure/disease narrative is a common theme for her it seems. It felt like a cliché rehash of what was once clever and fresh. Someone who doesn't follow Gaga/new releases closely would probably just assume it's some old song of hers that was overshadowed by her bigger hits. There was nothing eventful about it. 

Besides The Cure, is there any other song that shares the same theme? I can't think of any besides Heal Me? Which was for the movie and way different.

 

On 1/10/2025 at 11:33 AM, HRHCOLLECTION said:

to be honest the song is too loud and i've had it with her screaming on songs

I can honestly understand that. People like chill music nowadays. Nobody's screaming on songs anymore besides Gaga, Christina and Demi.

 

On 1/10/2025 at 4:33 PM, Erreur2 La Nature said:

Disease sounds like something that would have been popular when she debuted. It's chaotic, loud, all over the place and the lyrics are a mess. To me it sounds like a standard Lady Gaga song based on my expectations. It's the type of music that made her big but we're in 2025 now and those who stream music mostly listen to some very basic and generic music, very safe. The fact that it's a solo single also isn't helping.

How does Disease sound like something that would have been popular in the late 2000s? That era was full of Black Eyed Peas, Rihanna, Beyonce etc. Nothing of that era sounds like Disease. It's also not classic Gaga considering that debut-Gaga was never screaming on songs, she had a pleasant cute tone that sounds like a completely different artist. If anything this sounds like BTW-ARTPOP Gaga.

Edited January 12 by Giorgoc