Lady Gaga
The Fame Monster
Polydor
Rating: 4/5

At the age of 23, Stefani Germanotta has established herself as queen of state-of-the-art electronic dance-pop. The Fame Monster kicks off with current single 'Bad Romance', whose Boney M-ish refrain is the most fiendish earworm of the year. It sets the tone for an album whose dominant atmosphere and aesthetic is small-g gothic. A prime example is 'Dance in the Dark' which gives shout-outs to deceased females such as Monroe, Plath, Di and even JonBenét Ramsey. There are one or two pieces of pop fluff, but there's always a suggestion of something interesting going on behind those glitter-encrusted eyes.

Download: 'Teeth', 'So Happy I Could Die'