| "Electric Chapel" | |
|---|---|
 Vinyl box set picture disc cover | |
| Song byLady Gaga | |
| from the albumBorn This Way | |
| Written | c. 2010[note 1] |
| Published | May 18, 2011 (2011-05-18) |
| Released | May 23, 2011 (2011-05-23) |
| Studio | Officine Meccaniche (Milan) |
| Genre | |
| Length | 4:12 |
| Label |
|
| Songwriters | |
| Producers |
|
| Audio video | |
| "Electric Chapel" onYouTube | |
"Electric Chapel" is a song recorded by American singerLady Gaga for her second studio album,Born This Way (2011). Written and produced by Gaga andDJ White Shadow, the recording premiered onFacebook gaming appFarmVille, as did the album's fifth single, "Marry the Night". Gaga revealed on Twitter that "Electric Chapel" was written in Australia and finished on her tour bus in Europe. She recorded it channeling the vocals of bands likeDuran Duran, and singersCher andBilly Idol.
"Electric Chapel" is anelectronic rock andpop metal song that incorporates elements of 80s pop music andheavy metal in its composition.Critics praised the track, with Dan Martin fromNME comparing it to the work ofMadonna; other reviewers noted the rock andsci-fi musical elements associated in it. "Electric Chapel" reached number 23 onBillboard'sDance/Electronic Digital Songs chart and number 144 on theSouth Korean International Download Chart. It was performed on Gaga'sBorn This Way Ball tour (2012–2013), where she sang it while standing inside a set piece that had the song's name written on top.
"Electric Chapel" was first previewed when a one-minute portion of its instrumental was used for Gaga's Transmission Gagavision 44 video. With the title's track being displayed on a paper during the end of the clip, it additionally made an appearance in the music video for "Judas" (2011).[2][3] Subsequently, Gaga revealed on Twitter that the song was written in Australia and finished on her tour bus in Europe. Describing the recording's lyrical themes as delving on "needing to feel safe to find love", it was theorized by a writer fromTake 40 Australia to be inspired by the singer's 2009 live performance on Australia's The Chapel arena.[1] Like the opening track ofBorn This Way—"Marry the Night"—the song made its debut on a special edition of social network gameFarmVille, called GagaVille and released on May 18, 2011.[2][4]
.jpg)
"Electric Chapel" has been compared to the work ofMadonna, withNME's Dan Martin saying that "if you'd ever wondered what that Madonna doing thesoundtrack to Blade Runner might have sounded like... then wonder no more."[5][6]Genre-wise, Brian Hiatt ofRolling Stone referred "Electric Chapel" to as anelectro rock recording,[7] while Robbie Daw ofIdolator dubbed the song as being of thepop metal genre, attesting that unlike fellow song fromBorn This Way, "Heavy Metal Lover", "Electric Chapel" possesses an actualmetal-edge.[2] Gaga recorded the chorus a number of times, channeling the vocals of bands likeDuran Duran, and singersCher andBilly Idol. Inspired by 1980s music, the track incorporates a spoken word section, which Gaga wanted to sound likeThe B-52's song "Rock Lobster" (1978). She explained to Brian Hiatt ofRolling Stone that when she "say[s] 'electric chapel,' something needs to occur... It needs to be more fantasy. You should see the empress of the Vatican unicorn planet appear and soar across the nightclub."[7]
Writing for music websiteBeats Per Minute, Brent Koepp described the song as "Iron Maiden meets80s pop".[8] According to the sheet music published by Musicnotes.com, "Electric Chapel" has atime signature of common time, and a pop-rock tempo of 128beats per minute. The song is composed in thekey ofA minor with Gaga's vocals ranging from E3 to C5. It also has a basic sequence of Am–Dm–Am–Dm–F serving as itschord progression.[9] "Electric Chapel" was later remixed by Irishindie rock bandTwo Door Cinema Club; this version was included on the singer's secondremix album titledBorn This Way: The Remix (2011). Gaga unveiled the remix during a cover shoot forElle magazine.[10] A reviewer fromBBC Music complimented the remix, saying that "Two Door Cinema Club almost make 'Electric Chapel' sound like a collaboration between Gaga andHot Chip".[11]
Overall, "Electric Chapel" received positive reviews frommusic critics. Robbie Daw from Idolator felt that "Electric Chapel" surpassed the releasedsingles fromBorn This Way in craftsmanship and praised the "hard rock ominous guitarriffs", calling them a tease. Vocally, he found Gaga was channelingLita Ford and dubbed the track as one of the album's strongest compositions.[2] Caryn Ganz ofSpin wrote that "Electric Chapel" "pairs divine diva thump with aVan Halenguitar solo."[12]NME writer Dan Martin published a review on the song, confessing that "perhaps ['Electric Chapel'] nails the record's blood-and-chrome aesthetics most effectively of all."[13] In another review, Martin compared its opening riffs toOpus III's 1983 song "It's a Fine Day", with him further likening the recording to science fiction music.[5] Kerri Mason fromBillboard described the track as a "technicolor wedding" with a "fat guitar riff".[14] Bradley Stern fromMuuMuse praised the cut, feeling that "Gaga takesBorn This Way to new levels of pop-dom on cuts like the jagged 'Electric Chapel' and 'Heavy Metal Lover'".[15]
Ann Powers fromNPR noticed the influence of Duran Duran in the track, while believing Gaga to imagine "Electric Chapel" as an output from "an electric guitar-wielding girl group".[16] Kristen S. Hé ofVulture described the track as one that "throbs like neon synthwave with a heavy-metal edge". Comparing the opening riff toJudas Priest, he added that "if you're still confused about the album's infamous bionic-motorbike cover, 'Electric Chapel' should make you a believer."[17] While reviewing every track fromBorn This Way,Rolling Stone's Jody Rosen observed that in "Electric Chapel" Gaga wrote about hoping for a monogamous relationship, with heavy guitar riffs and metal solo being characteristics of the record.[18] In an article inGQ about 10 detrimental things onBorn This Way, a writer from the magazine listed the track's lyrics as "reek[ing] of a lack of ideas, not a distortion of form. Sing words. It's easy".[19]
"Electric Chapel" debuted and peaked at number 23 onBillboard'sDance/Electronic Digital Songs chart on the issue dated June 11, 2011, spending one week on the chart.[20] It also made an appearance at number 144 on theSouth Korean International Download Chart.[21]
Gaga performed "Electric Chapel" on herBorn This Way Ball tour (2012–2013).[22] The track was included during the tour's third segment, where Gaga performed "The Queen" and "You and I", before transcending into "Electric Chapel" and "Americano" fromBorn This Way. The singer was present inside a glass set piece onstage, referred by her as an electric chapel.[23] Sean Sennett fromThe Australian complimented the performance of the song, saying that "by the time 'Electric Chapel' has rolled around the band are shredding like a glorious 80s LA metal act".[24] Kwaak Je-yup fromThe Korea Times gave positive feedback to Gaga for singing live during the tour, but found her voice cracked during "Electric Chapel".[25]
| Chart (2011) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| South Korea International (GAON)[21] | 144 |
| USDance/Electronic Digital Songs (Billboard)[20] | 23 |
| The Fame | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| The Fame Monster | |||
| Born This Way | |||
| Artpop |
| ||
| Joanne | |||
| Chromatica | |||
| Mayhem | |||
| Songs written for film |
| ||
| Covers | |||
| Other songs recorded | |||
| As featured artist |
| ||
| Songs for other artists | |||
