So Happy I Could Die
"So Happy I Could Die" | |
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Song by Lady Gaga | |
from the EP The Fame Monster | |
Written | July 2009 |
Released | November 18, 2009 |
Recorded | 2009 |
Studio | Record Plant (Los Angeles) |
Genre | Europop |
Length | 3:55 |
Label |
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Songwriter(s) | |
Producer(s) |
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Audio video | |
"So Happy I Could Die" on YouTube |
"So Happy I Could Die" is a song from American singer Lady Gaga, taken from her second major release and her third EP, The Fame Monster (2009). It was written by herself, Nadir "RedOne" Khayat, and Nicolas "Space Cowboy" Dresti, with production helmed by RedOne. Inspired by Gaga's fear of what she described as the "Alcohol Monster", the song is about the influences of alcoholism, and also explores several sexual themes in its lyrics as well as liberalism.
Musically, it is a Europop song with Auto-Tune effects. "So Happy I Could Die" received mostly positive reviews, with critics complimenting its sexual nature. The song charted in Hungary, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. Performances for the song transpired during The Monster Ball Tour (2009–2011), during which Gaga wore a mechanically controlled moving dress while singing the song.
Background and recording
Lady Gaga collaborated with
Music and lyrical interpretation
"So Happy I Could Die" is a mid-tempo
Academic Richard J. Gray found parallels between the song and the fairy tale "Little Red Riding Hood". He noted that through the song's lyrics, Gaga embodied both the young girl as well as the "ravenous" wolf.[11] Gaga acts as the viewer, the drinker as well as the sexual aggressor. In the book, The Performance Identities of Lady Gaga, Gray expanded on his analysis of the lyrics:
In the wilderness of the dance floor, Gaga recognizes the wolf-woman she has become and refuses to misrepresent herself any longer. She notes that in the quiet of the night, despite falsehoods and tears, she can feel satisfaction by touching herself. By stroking herself and perhaps her metaphorical wolf-pelt, Gaga is engaging in a moment of self-acceptance and self-soothing. Lady Gaga realizes that it will be difficult to maintain her dualistic nature, and alludes to upcoming death when she tells audiences that she is so content that she would welcome death. These words appear to foreshadow the end of [The Fame Monster], as the singer alludes to a calm acceptance of her spiritual/ghostly side.[11]
Comparisons between the song and
Critical response
Describing it as a "pop fluff" song, Simon Price of The Independent wrote that "there's always a suggestion of something interesting going on behind those glitter-encrusted eyes".[15] NME's Ben Patashnik applauded the song's suggestive nature; "'So Happy I Could Die' perfectly evokes the feeling of being alone in a crowded room with its icy beats, suggesting Gaga takes refuge in masturbation as the only way to retain control."[16] "So Happy I Could Die" was declared as the twenty-seventh best Lady Gaga song by Rolling Stone, who concluded: "Gaga exults in the pleasures of club-hopping, drinking and bi-curiosity."[17] Under the Radar columnist Nick Hyman avouched that "So Happy I Could Die" was an uninspiring track,[18] while Evan Sawdey of PopMatters felt that Gaga's vocals were the worst out of any of her songs. "It's a bit of a disappointment, too, because for someone who is so painfully deliberate in crafting their unique visual image, it’s a let down to see that some of that quality control couldn’t be applied to the song selection that will ultimately define their legacy."[19]
Bradley Stern of MuuMuse felt that the song was a continuation to Gaga's own "Starstruck" from
Chart performance
Upon release of the album, "So Happy I Could Die" garnered minor commercial success. It attained its highest position in Hungary, where it peaked at number ten on the
Live performances
"So Happy I Could Die" was part of the setlist of Gaga's second headlining concert tour,
Credits and personnel
Credits adapted from the liner notes of The Fame Monster.[1]
- Lady Gaga – vocals, songwriter, producer, keyboards, background vocals, arrangement
- Nadir "RedOne" Khayat – songwriter, producer, programming, keyboards, arrangement, audio engineering
- Nicolas "Space Cowboy" Dresti – songwriter, producer, programming, keyboards
- Johny Severin – vocal editing, audio engineering
- Dave Russell – audio engineering
- Mike Orton – audio mixing
Charts
Chart (2009) | Peak position |
---|---|
Hungary (Single Top 40)[23] | 10 |
Scotland (OCC)[33] | 72 |
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[24] | 53 |
84 | |
US | 35 |
References
- ^ a b The Fame Monster (Liner notes). Lady Gaga. Interscope Records. 2009. 2726601.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ a b What Is The Monster In 'So Happy I Could Die'? (Audio commentary dialogue). MTV News. May 26, 2012.
- ^ "Lady Gaga". Elle. October 2009. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
- ^ "Lady Gaga reveals Lily Allen inspiration". NME. August 24, 2012. Archived from the original on August 27, 2012. Retrieved August 4, 2014.
- ^ McAlphine, Fraser (November 20, 2017). "10 British chart-toppers that no one talks about anymore". BBC. Archived from the original on April 10, 2019. Retrieved April 3, 2019.
- ^ a b c "Lady Gaga's 'Fame Monster' – it's a proper album (and a very good one at that)". Popjustice. October 26, 2009. Archived from the original on November 17, 2015. Retrieved August 4, 2014.
- ^ a b Lester, Paul (November 20, 2009). "The Fame Monster Review". BBC News. Archived from the original on November 26, 2009. Retrieved April 30, 2012.
- ^ Sony/ATV Music Publishing. September 3, 2010. Retrieved April 30, 2012.
- ^ Weiss, Dan (February 16, 2011). "A Quick Guide to Lady Gaga's (Possible) Plagiarisms, From 'Telephone' to 'Born This Way'". SF Weekly. Archived from the original on April 14, 2013. Retrieved May 26, 2012.
- ^ a b Cinquemani, Sal (November 18, 2009). "The Fame Monster". Slant Magazine. Archived from the original on September 27, 2013. Retrieved April 30, 2012.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-786-49252-7. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
- ^ a b c Stern, Bradley (November 2009). "Lady Gaga: The Fame Monster (Album Review)". MuuMuse. Archived from the original on November 17, 2015. Retrieved August 2, 2014.
- ^ a b Newman, Melinda (November 17, 2009). "Review: Lady GaGa's 'The Fame Monster'". HitFix. Archived from the original on August 8, 2014. Retrieved August 3, 2014.
- ^ Consequence of Sound. Archivedfrom the original on November 17, 2015. Retrieved August 4, 2014.
- ^ Price, Simon (November 22, 2009). "Album: Lady Gaga, The Fame Monster (Polydor)". The Independent. Archived from the original on November 24, 2009. Retrieved April 30, 2012.
- ^ Patashnik, Ben (December 3, 2009). "Album review: Lady Gaga – 'The Fame Monster' (Polydor)". NME. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved April 30, 2012.
- ^ Rosen, Jody (May 25, 2011). "The Ultimate Ranking of Lady Gaga Catalog". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on May 1, 2012. Retrieved May 26, 2012.
- ^ Hyman, Nick (January 13, 2010). "The Fame Monster". Under the Radar. Archived from the original on November 17, 2015. Retrieved April 30, 2012.
- ^ Sawdey, Evan (November 23, 2009). "Lady Gaga: The Fame Monster". PopMatters. Archived from the original on June 7, 2012. Retrieved May 30, 2012.
- ^ Levine, Nick (November 21, 2009). "Lady GaGa: 'The Fame Monster' – Music Review". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on October 10, 2014. Retrieved August 2, 2014.
- ^ "Track-By-Track: Lady Gaga – The Fame Monster". MusicOMH. November 23, 2009. Archived from the original on October 4, 2015. Retrieved August 4, 2014.
- Beats per Minute. Archivedfrom the original on August 10, 2014. Retrieved August 4, 2014.
- ^ a b "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Single (track) Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved June 2, 2012.
- ^ a b "Lady Gaga – So Happy I Could Die". Singles Top 100. Retrieved June 2, 2012.
- ^ a b "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 2, 2012.
- ^ a b "Dance/Electronic Digital Songs: April 3, 2010". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 9, 2015. Retrieved April 3, 2010.
- ^ Stevenson, Jane (November 29, 2009). "Lady Gaga puts on a Monster show". Toronto Sun. Archived from the original on July 5, 2017. Retrieved June 2, 2012.
- ^ White, Ryan (August 20, 2010). "Concert review: Lady Gaga invites us all to the Rose Garden for the Monster Ball". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on March 2, 2019. Retrieved March 1, 2019.
- The Vancouver Sun. Archivedfrom the original on March 2, 2019. Retrieved March 1, 2019.
- ^ Hubbard, Michael (February 26, 2010). "Lady Gaga @ O2 Arena, London". MusicOMH. Archived from the original on March 2, 2019. Retrieved March 1, 2019.
- Daily News. New York. Archivedfrom the original on May 15, 2012. Retrieved June 2, 2012.
- ^ Dandon, Eric (September 16, 2010). "Review: Lady Gaga At XL Center". Hartford Courant. Archived from the original on January 11, 2015. Retrieved July 2, 2014.
- ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 1, 2018.