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Telephone (song)

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"Telephone"
Song

"Telephone" is a song by American recording artist Lady Gaga. It was confirmed as the second single from her second studio album, The Fame Monster (2009).[2] The song features American R&B singer Beyoncé Knowles. Initially offered to singer Britney Spears, the inspiration behind the song was Gaga's fear of suffocation and the fact that she seldom found time to have fun. The lyrics portray the singer as preferring the dance floor rather than answer her lover's phone calls. Gaga explained that the telephone addressed in the lyrics of the song, is in reality a person telling her to continue working harder.

Musically the song consists of an expanded bridge, verse-rap and an epilogue where the caller gets through to her voicemail. Knowles appears in the middle of the song with the verses being sung in a rapid-fire way, accompanied by double beats. The song was critically appreciated by contemporary critics who frequently noted it as a stand-out track from The Fame Monster. The song charted in a number of countries in late 2009 due to strong digital sales following the album's release.

Background

Gaga originally wrote "Telephone" for Britney Spears to be put in her 2008 studio album Circus. However, after recording the track, Spears' label rejected the song, and Gaga rerecorded the song later as a collaboration with Knowles for The Fame Monster.[3] Gaga said, "I wrote it for her a long time ago and she just didn't use it for her album. It's fine because I love the song and I get to perform it now."[4] Additionally, the guest vocalist was originally going to be Spears, but when Spears wanted to put the song on her own greatest hits album, Gaga made alternative arrangements and made Knowles the featured vocalist instead.[5][6] The main inspiration behind the song was Gaga's fear of suffocation as she felt that she seldom found time to just letting it go loose and have fun. She further clarified,

"Fear of suffocation — something that I have or fear is never being able to enjoy myself, [...] 'Cause I love my work so much, I find it really hard to go out and have a good time. [...] "I don't go to nightclubs, [...] You don't see pictures of me falling out of a club drunk. I don't go — and that's because I usually go and then, you know, a whiskey and a half into it, I got to get back to work."[7]

Composition

"Telephone" is written by Lady Gaga, Rodney Jerkins, LaShawn Daniels, Lazonate Franklin and Beyoncé.[1] Although constructed as a duet, the song features Knowles first appearing in the middle verse and rapping her lyrics through a brief interlude, and backs the chorus during the rest of the song. Essentially, Gaga's in a club and her boyfriend keeps ringing, but she can't talk right now because she's drinking and dancing to her favourite song. The chorus runs thusly: "Stop calling, stop calling, I don't want to talk anymore." The song consists of an expanded bridge, verse-rap and an epilogue where the caller gets through to her voicemail.[8]

The lyrics of "Telephone" talks about the singer preferring the dance floor rather than answer her lover's call. The verses are sung in a rapid-fire way, accompanied by double beats.[9] According to Gaga, the phone addressed in the lyrics of the song is not a physical phone but a person in her head telling her to keep working harder and harder. Gaga explained, "That's my fear — that the phone's ringing and my head's ringing, [...] Whether it's a telephone or it's just the thoughts in your head, that's another fear."[7]

Music video

A video for the song will be shot in Los Angeles with both Lady GaGa and Beyoncé on January 28, 2010.[citation needed] The choreography will be provided by Laurieann Gibson.[citation needed]

Critical reception

Paul Lester from BBC commented that the song sounds less stellar than the collaboration name suggests.[10] Michael Hubbard from MusicOMH said that the song was "probably the best thing here [on The Fame Monster]." He also complimented the "brilliant bridge" and the ending of the song where the caller gets through to her voicemail.[8] Popjustice gave the song a positive review: "It's a little bit like Gwen's 'What You Waiting For?' meets Timbaland's 'The Way I Are' meets about fifty other things....The structure's quite exciting [...] there is something tumultuously brilliant about Beyonce's contribution that makes everything seem fine and as if it was the plan all along."[5] Evan Sawdey from PopMatters said that "The much talked-about Beyoncé collaboration 'Telephone', which—with its double-time beat and rapid-fire verses—proves to be one of the most adrenaline-pumped songs that Gaga has yet crafted, the whole thing feeling like it's about to veer of the tracks at any moment simply due to the giddy excitement shared between the two divas, easily turning it into the unquestioned highlight of The Fame Monster"[11]

Bill Lamb from About.com listed it among the top tracks on the album and said: "The Beyonce assisted 'Telephone' is a club stomper that will draw in R&B and Hip Hop fans as well on the radio."[12] Mikael Woods from Los Angeles Times felt that "Telephone" is " a carefully considered meditation on how annoying it is when a dude keeps calling you while you're throwing down at the club."[13] Nicki Escuerdo from Phoenix New Times listed "Telephone" as a stand-out track from the album.[14] Sarah Hajhbagheri from The Times was not impressed with the song and said "The appearance of Beyoncé’s vocal alongside ringtones on Telephone adds to the sense of utter chaos."[15]

Chart performance

In November 2009 due to strong digital sales, the song charted in Ireland, Australia, and the UK, debuting at numbers twenty-six, twenty-nine, and thirty respectively.[16] The song became the top debut on the Billboard Hot 100 issue dated December 12, 2009. It debuted at number thirty due to strong digital sales.[17] It also debuted at fourteen on the Canadian Hot 100.[16]

On the Australian ARIA chart, the song has so far peaked at number 19, becoming her 7th consecutive top 20 hit of the country. It debuted at number 31 on the New Zealand RIANZ chart.

Chart (2009) Peak
position
Australian Singles Chart[16] 19
Australian Dance Chart[18] 5
Canadian Hot 100[16] 14
Irish Singles Chart[16] 26
New Zealand Singles Chart[19] 31
Swedish Singles Chart[16] 33
UK Singles Chart[16] 30
U.S. Billboard Hot 100[17] 30

References

  1. ^ a b The Fame Monster (Liner Notes) Interscope Records (2009)
  2. ^ "Chartifacts - Week Commencing: 30 November 2009". ARIA Charts. Retrieved 2009-12-02.
  3. ^ Greenblatt, Leah (2009-11-16). "New Lady Gaga, 'Telephone': Stream It HEre". Entertainment Weekly. Time Inc. Retrieved 2009-12-01.
  4. ^ India, Press Trust (2009-11-26). "Pop princess Britney Spears snubbed Lady Gaga". Zee News. Zee Entertainment Enterprises. Retrieved 2009-12-01. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  5. ^ a b Reporter, Staff (2009-10-26). "Lady Gaga's 'Fame Monster' - it's a proper album (and a very good one at that)". Popjustice. Retrieved 2009-11-30.
  6. ^ Reporter, Press (2009-11-25). "Lady GaGa happy to be snubbed by Britney Spears". MSN. Retrieved 2009-12-14.
  7. ^ a b Vena, Jocelyn; Calloway, Sway (2009-11-25). "Lady Gaga Explains Inspiration Behind Beyonce Collabo, 'Telephone'". MTV. MTV Networks. Retrieved 2009-12-01. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  8. ^ a b Hubbard, Michael (2009-11-23). "Lady Gaga: The Fame Monster, track-by-track". MusicOMH. Retrieved 2009-11-24.
  9. ^ Cinquemani, Sal (2009-11-18). "Lady Gaga: The Fame Monster". Slant Magazine. Retrieved 19 November 2009.
  10. ^ Lester, Paul (2009-11-20). "Lady Gaga The Fame Monster Review". BBC. BBC Online. Retrieved 2009-11-23. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  11. ^ Sawdey, Evan (2009-11-23). "Lady Gaga: The Fame Monster < Reviews". PopMatters. Retrieved 2009-11-23.
  12. ^ Lamb, Bill (2009-11-23). "A Real Work of Pop Art - Not a Stopgap Release". About.com. The New York Times Company. Retrieved 2009-11-23. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  13. ^ Wood, Mikael (2009-11-23). "Album review: Lady Gaga's 'The Fame Monster'". Los Angeles Times. Tribune Company. Retrieved 2009-11-24.
  14. ^ Escuerdo, Nicki (2009-11-30). "Lady Gaga Sexy, Vulnerable on 'The Fame Monster'". Phoenix New Times. Village Voice Media. Retrieved 2009-12-01.
  15. ^ Hajibagheri, Sarah (2009-11-21). "Lady GaGa: The Fame Monster". The Times. News Corporation. Retrieved 2009-11-23.
  16. ^ a b c d e f g "Lady Gaga and Beyoncé – Telephone – Music Charts". αCharts.us. Retrieved 2009-12-27.
  17. ^ a b Pietrolungo, Silvio (2009-12-03). "Jay-Z And Alicia Keys' 'Empire' Stays Put On Hot 100". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Retrieved 2009-12-04.
  18. ^ "ARIA Dance Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. ARIA Charts. 2009-12-28. Retrieved 2009-12-30. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  19. ^ "Chart# 1701 - Top 40 Singles Chart". Recording Industry Association of New Zealand. RIANZ.org.nz. 2009-12-27. Retrieved 2009-12-30. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
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