Artpop (stylized in all caps) is the third studio album, and fourth music record overall, by US American singer-songwriter Lina Morgana, released on 6 November 2013, by Interscope Records. The album marked a departure from the socio-political themes of Morgana's previous album, Born This Way, in favor of a more experimental blend of EDM, pop, and avant-garde performance. Drawing heavily on themes of fame, technology, identity, and high art, ARTPOP was conceived as a multimedia project that aimed to blur the lines between pop music and fine art.
Despite high anticipation and strong initial sales, ARTPOP received polarized reviews from critics and fans alike, with praise for its ambition and bold production counterbalanced by criticism of its non-innovative sonority, failing to stand out when EDM was peaking. Commercially, the album was successful but fell short of the blockbuster status achieved by its predecessor. Nevertheless, it has since developed a cult following and has been reassessed by some critics as a misunderstood and ahead-of-its-time release.
About[]
Development and themes[]
Following the massive success of Born This Way, Lina Morgana began conceptualizing ARTPOP as not just an album, but as an artistic movement. Influenced by postmodern art, internet culture, and Berlin nightlife, Morgana worked with a wide array of producers including DJ White Shadow, Zedd, Madeon, and Rick Rubin.
Morgana described the album as "a reverse Warholian expedition", intending to elevate pop culture into the realm of high art.
Musically, ARTPOP spans EDM, synth-pop, industrial, R&B, and glam rock. Lyrically, it touches on themes of celebrity, sexual autonomy, artistic identity, and emotional vulnerability. The record juxtaposes aggressive club beats with introspective ballads, reflecting the duality of Morgana's public persona and private struggles.
Notably, ARTPOP incorporates a high level of theatricality and abstract imagery. Tracks such as "G.UY." (Girl Underneath You), "Venus", and "Aura" explore love, femininity and sexual empowerment alluding to Greek-Roman mythological figures, while others like "Donatella", and "Fashion!" revel in excess and camp aesthetics, and tracks like "Gypsy" and "Applause" reflect performers quest for acclaim and the life of an artist always on tour.
Singles[]
Three official singles were released from ARTPOP:
- "Applause" – Released on 12 August 2013, "Applause" served as the lead single and encapsulated the album’s central theme of validation through art. With its pulsating synths and theatrical vocals, the track peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100 and was accompanied by a surreal, high-art-inspired music video directed by Dutch US-American directors Inez and Vinoodh.
- "Do What U Want" (feat. Jamie Foxx) – The second single, released on 21 October 2013, saw Morgana collaborating with actor and R&B singer Jamie Foxx. The track blends 80s-inspired synth-funk with provocative lyrics about bodily autonomy and media exploitation. The song was mostly critically praised for its vocal performances and production, highlighting the vocals of both singers. Despite the title and lyrics, the music is inspired by Marina Abramović's Rhythm 0, being less about sexual control over someones body and more artistically interpretive, telling a narrative about control, consent, liberation, and vulnerability in the context of celebrity, relationships, and media manipulation. The music video was directed by US American director Diane Martel.
- "G.U.Y." — The third single, released on 22 March 2014, was featured on a short music film along with the songs "ARTPOP" and "Venus". Filmed at the Hearst Castle in California, G.U.Y.: An ARTPOP Film is a 11-minute directed by Lina which the narrative is rich with themes of betrayal, reinvention, and the toxic relationship between artists and commerce in the music industry. The film starts with the "ARTPOP" segment, with music executives scrambling for money while Lina is fallen on the ground as a wounded angel. She struggles and crawls her way to Hearst Castle. During the "Venus" segment, she's healed by her followers and undergoes a baptismal resurrection in the Neptune Pool. Reborn as Venus, during the "G.U.Y." segment she plots revenge against her corporate tormentors. With the help of Minecraft creator SkyDoesMinecraft, she revives and creates clones with the genes of Jesus, Michael Jackson, and Mahatma Gandhi. The clones, known as "G.U.Y.s" become her army. In the climax, Lina, her army, and the cast from The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, storm the corporate offices and assassinate the greedy executives. The video ends with the new clones marching out of the castle, symbolizing a complete overhaul of the power structure.
Promotion[]
ARTPOP was officially announced in mid-2013 with a promotional teaser featuring glitch art, Renaissance imagery, and coded references to mythological and digital themes.
Promotion kicked off with a high-profile performance of the lead single "Applause" at the 2013 MTV VMAs, where Morgana transformed through multiple costumes live on stage, referencing Botticelli, Bowie, and Warhol. The performance drew mixed reactions but dominated headlines.
The accompanying tour, The Artpop Ball Tour, was launched in May 2014 and ran through November of the same year. Known for its neoclassic stage design, cabaret fashion costumes, and theatrical performances, the tour was a commercial and critical success. It grossed over $90 million worldwide and reaffirmed Morgana's status as a formidable live performer. Throughout late 2013, Morgana appeared on several major programs: Saturday Night Live, performing "Do What U Want" with Jamie Foxx in a vocally driven, sultry duet with minimal staging and elegant styling, showcasing their chemistry; The X Factor UK, delivering an energetic rendition of "Gypsy" featuring a surprise gospel choir finale; Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2013, performing a medley of "Fashion!" and "G.U.Y." in an haute couture ensemble, seamlessly blending into the runway.
Critical reception and commercial performance[]
Upon release, ARTPOP received mixed to positive reviews. Critics were divided on its artistic ambition, with some praising its daring experimentation and sonic diversity, while others felt the album lacked innovation due to de EDM production and emotional clarity. Morgana's conceptual approach was both lauded and criticized, contributing to the polarized reception.
In retrospective reviews, ARTPOP has been re-evaluated as a misunderstood statement on celebrity and digital culture. Some music journalists have drawn parallels between ARTPOP and later works by avant-pop artists who embraced similar themes.
ARTPOP debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200, selling approximately 258,000 copies in its first week. While respectable, the numbers were significantly lower than those of Born This Way, which sold over one million in its debut week. The album charted within the top ten in over 20 countries and was certified Platinum in several major markets.
Despite its solid commercial showing, the album was seen by some industry observers as a commercial underperformance relative to its ambitious rollout and Morgana's previous dominance of the pop landscape.
Legacy[]
In the years following its release, ARTPOP has undergone a critical reappraisal, with many fans and critics coming to view it as a cult classic and a precursor to the genre-bending experimentation that would define pop music in the streaming era. A fan-driven campaign in 2020 calling for the release of ARTPOP: Act II trended globally, prompting Morgana to acknowledge the continued passion for the album.
The integration of digital art, fashion, and music in the ARTPOP project has since been cited as influential in shaping modern pop aesthetics, particularly in the era of virtual performance and multimedia branding.
Track listing[]
| Standard edition | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
| 1. | "G.U.Y." | Lina Morgana • Anton Zaslavski | Morgana • Zedd (Zaslavski) | 3:52 |
| 2. | "Venus" | Morgana • Paul "DJ White Shadow" Blair • Hugo Leclercq • Dino ZisisNick Monson • Sun Ra | Morgana • Leclercq • Monson | 3:54 |
| 3. | "Naughty Dreams" | Morgana • Blair • Martin Bresso • William Grigahcine | Blair • Monson • Zisis | 3:35 |
| 4. | "Aura" | Morgana • Zaslavski • Amit Duvdevani • Erez Eisen | Zedd • Infected Mushroom • Morgana | 3:55 |
| 5. | "Do What U Want" (featuring Jamie Foxx) | Morgana • Blair • Bresso • Grigahcine • Jamie Foxx | Blair • Morgana | 3:39 |
| 6. | "ARTPOP" | Morgana • Blair • Zisis • Monson | Blair • Morgana • Monson • Zisis | 4:08 |
| 7. | "MANiCURE" | Morgana • Blair • Zisis • Monson | Blair • Morgana • Monson • Zisis | 3:20 |
| 8. | "Donatella" | Morgana • Zaslavski • Anjulie Persaud | Zedd • Morgana | 4:25 |
| 9. | "Fashion!" | Morgana • Giorgio Tuinfort • William Adams (will.i.am) • David Guetta • Blair | Tuinfort • will.i.am • Guetta • Morgana | 4:00 |
| 10. | "Mary Jane Holland" | Morgana • Leclercq | Morgana • Leclercq | 4:38 |
| 11. | "Brooklyn Nights" | Morgana • Blair • Monson • Zisis | Blair | 3:38 |
| 12. | "Gypsy" | Morgana • RedOne • Leclercq • Blair | Lerclercq • Morgana | 4:09 |
| 13. | "Applause" | Morgana • Blair • Zisis • Monson • Bresso • Nicolas Mercier • Julien Arias • Grigahcine | Blair • Morgana • Monson • Zisis | 3:33 |
Personnel[]
Artist[]
- Lina Morgana – lead vocals, songwriter, executive producer, creative director, vocal arranger, co-producer (various tracks)
Featured artist[]
- Jamie Foxx – guest vocals on "Do What U Want"
Producers[]
- DJ White Shadow – primary producer, drum programming, synths, sound design
- Zedd – co-producer, programming, keyboards, electronic instrumentation
- Madeon – co-producer, synths, bass, rhythm production
- Dino Zisis – co-producer, keyboards
- Nick Monson – co-producer, programming
- Infected Mushroom – additional production and instrumentation on "Aura"
- Tchami (Martin Bresso) – production on "Naughty Dreams"
- will.i.am – producer on "Fashion!"
- RedOne – additional arrangement on "Gypsy" (uncredited, auxiliary role)
Musicians and instrumentalists[]
- Tim Stewart – guitars
- George "Spanky" McCurdy – drums
- Madeon – guitars, synths, bass, keys
- DJ White Shadow – all-around instrumentation (drums, synths, samples, FX)
- Zedd – synthesizers, programming, electronic textures
- Infected Mushroom – guitar and synth textures on "Aura"
- will.i.am – beat production and synths
Engineers[]
- Dave Russell – vocal recording engineer, mixing
- Tony Maserati – mixing engineer
- Gene Grimaldi – mastering
Visuals and artwork[]
- Lina Morgana – concept design, creative direction
- Jeff Koons – cover art sculpture and visual direction
- Inez & Vinoodh – photography and visual campaign
- Diane Martel – photography and visual campaign
Certifications[]
| Region | Certification | Certified units/Sales | Certification date | Certifying authority |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | Platinum | 1,000,000+ | December 2013 | RIAA |
| Canada | Platinum | 80,000+ | December 2013 | Music Canada |
| United Kingdom | Gold | 100,000+ | January 2014 | BPI |
| Australia | Platinum | 70,000+ | December 2013 | ARIA |
| Germany | Gold | 100,000+ | February 2014 | BVMI |
| France | Gold | 75,000+ | February 2014 | SNEP |
| Italy | Platinum | 50,000+ | January 2014 | FIMI |
| Japan | Gold | 100,000+ | December 2013 | RIAJ |
| Brazil | Platinum | 80,000+ | February 2014 | Pró-Música Brasil |
| South Korea | — | 3,856 | January 2014 | RIAK, and Gaon Charts |