Not the music videos. MTN is her BEST music video, honestly!
I don't blame the single choices since the album didn't really have any single-worthy songs. The album underperformed mostly due to her image and some of the worst music of her career.
That's good if her objective was to sell individual tracks. But that's precisely why her album sales were relatively lackluster. In the age of iTunes you can't afford to put out an album with 5 good songs and 9 peices of sheisse.
Based on the successes of TFM era Gaga was perceived as to being above her rivals, becoming a cultural phenomenon and supposedly achieving "megestar" status. She bought into her own hype and became much too self-assured. Gaga's fanbase is as fragile as the next girl's, and it was shaken to its core this era. Everything about the era was horrible except for the music, which was the sad part. She produced a cohesive record but it got lost in the abomination she's become.
1. The horns.
2. Stans hyping Judas to the limit thru the wall then we all heard the song and saw the video. Disastuh!
3. TEOG video.
4. Express Yourself controversy.
5. Marry The Night's long ass video.
Lack of good cohesive tracks. Cheap artwork, controversial videos, boring choreography.... Maybe if she would of recorded this album after the monster Ball then maybe she would put more into this era. But yet this wasnt a flop neither did it under perform it actually did pretty well
I think she's currently at a point of diminishing returns. No matter how much effort she puts into a song project or a performance, the reception becomes weaker and weaker.
No matter how many inventive performances she made for "Marry The NIght," and despite the song being awesome, it just would not catch. That must have been extremely frustrating for her.
She set the bar so high and now even when she gives her all, it's not as appreciated as it would have been a couple years ago. I'm not sure what kind of recommendation to give her. Should she tone it down? Go for a more simplistic route?
Her image with the structured bones on her face, messy single choices, messy videos... She just came off as desperate and a complete try hard. Never have I seen someone try it as much as she did. Turned me away for good
Her image was fine for the most part. She's usually kept to looking similar to her how she does in her videos so that's not the problem.
The music was fantastic minus a few songs that weren't even singles.
All of her singles were flawless.
The videos (minus TEOG) were mostly quality.
Which just leaves promotion.
I've not yet seen one person complain that Marry The Night, especially towards the end, didn't give them an eargasm.
But there was no hype around this song. One of her absolute best songs on the album totally flopping for what seems to be no reason.