Swine (Lady Gaga song) explained

Swine
Artist:Lady Gaga
Album:Artpop
Released:November 6, 2013
Studio:Record Plant (Hollywood)
Genre:
Label:
  • Streamline
  • Interscope
Producer:
  • Lady Gaga
  • DJ White Shadow

"Swine" is a song by American singer Lady Gaga, recorded for her third studio album, Artpop (2013). It was written and produced by Gaga, Paul "DJ White Shadow" Blair, Dino Zisis, and Nick Monson. A dubstep and industrial track, "Swine" was inspired by the singer's sexual experiences and the rage she felt from being raped when she was 19 by an unidentified record producer. Throughout the song, Gaga screams out the lyrics, which talk about denouncing a suitor by comparing them to a pig.

"Swine" was critically appreciated for its harsh composition and craziness. It debuted at number 94 on the Gaon International Digital Chart in South Korea, selling 2,430 copies. In the United States, "Swine" reached a peak position of number 23 on the Billboard Dance/Electronic Songs chart. Gaga performed the song during her iTunes Festival show, the tour (2014) and at the South by Southwest (SXSW) music festival in Austin, Texas. The latter performance received criticism for promoting bulimia when artist Millie Brown vomited paint on Gaga onstage. "Swine" was featured in the 2015 documentary The Hunting Ground, along with Gaga's "Til It Happens to You" (2015), which focuses on rape at American universities.[1]

Background and writing

Development of Gaga's third studio album, Artpop, began shortly after the 2011 release of her second record, Born This Way. By the following year, the album's concepts were "beginning to flourish" as Gaga collaborated with producers Fernando Garibay and DJ White Shadow.[2] [3] [4] One of the songs on Artpop was "Swine", which the singer explained was personal, and dealt with challenging and troubling sexual experiences she had encountered in her life.

In December 2014, Gaga revealed on The Howard Stern Show that she was raped at age 19 by a producer twenty years older than her.[5] During her conversation with Stern, the singer recalled, "I went through some horrific things. I'm able to laugh now because I've gone through a lot of mental, physical and emotional therapy [...] I wasn't even willing to admit that anything had even happened [...] I saw him one time in a store, and I was paralyzed by fear." She confirmed that the incident further inspired "Swine", saying, "I wrote a song called 'Swine'; the song is about rape. The song is about demoralization. The song is about rage and fury and passion, and I had a lot of pain that I wanted to release."[6]

Recording and composition

Musically, "Swine" is a dubstep and industrial song.[7] Based on the "teaser" of Gaga rehearsing for the iTunes Festival, Entertainment Weeklys Nick Catucci described "Swine" as a "real shocker with Nine Inch Nails lyrics and bull-in-a-bong-shop Deep Purple groove."[8] Consequence of Sound noted the creation of the Twitter hashtag #swinefest, and called the song a "melancholy piano ballad that eventually erupts into a raging pop-rocker, backed by piercing guitar and synths."[9]

Gil Kaufman of MTV News described the track as a "rock-heavy" song.[10] Bradley Stern saw the music as "several hair-raising, teeth-gritting, heart-stopping acid techno-laced beat drops." According to Musicnotes.com, the song is set in the time signature of common time with a fast tempo of 120 beats per minute. It is composed in the key of G minor, with Gaga's harsh vocals ranging from G3 to D5. The song has a basic sequence of C/G–Gm–C/G–Gm as its chord progression.[11]

Lyrically, the recording denounces a suitor by comparing them to a pig.[12] Gaga wanted to lessen the harshness of the lyrics developed for the track by making it sound more lighthearted. However, she ended up "screaming and squealing throughout the track." The dance nature of the song vanishes when the chorus is reached, with Gaga belting the lyrics backed by the "chaotic" synths shouting, "You're just a pig inside a human body / Squealer, squealer, squealer, you're so disgusting / You're just a pig inside", finally uttering the word "Swine" continuously as the groove "thrashed".[13]

Critical reception

After the song was made available online, Idolator website contributor Carl Williott compared it to her iTunes Festival performance and said, "That rendition was particularly wild, and the studio version is even more schizophrenic and rave-ready." Furthermore, he wrote of the song, "It's a sonic onslaught of synth washes, a ground-churning bass line, jittery keyboards, hiccuping vocal samples and crescendos leading to drops in all the expected places. But amidst the EDM overload, Gaga manages to humanize things with one of her raspier, rawer vocal performances. And, for a dubstep song, it's got a remarkably huge 'Swiiine' refrain hidden in there."[14] Nicole James of Fuse deemed it "basically the polar opposite of 'Applause'."[15] Kitty Empire of The Guardian praised the song as the album's "wow-factor centrepiece, if not its greatest hit."[16] Mike Driver of Clash magazine found Gaga's vocal enunciations on the track comparable to those of singer Christina Aguilera.[17] Maura Johnston of Spin magazine listed "Swine" as one of Artpops highlights, describing Gaga's belting of the lyrics and the sounds from the keyboards being reminiscent of Trent Reznor's songs.[18]

Bradley Stern of MuuMuse called "Swine" the album's most "unhinged moment" where the singer "let her freak flag fly higher." He also theorized that "Swine" would do well in a live concert.[19] Jason Lipshutz of Billboard described the track as a "shrieking industrial number" in which Gaga sounds "physically disgusted." Lipshutz said the song was not as "accessible or cleverly penned" as other songs on Artpop, but "as far as detours go, this one's fascinating."[20] Chris Bosman of Consequence of Sound website criticized the length of the song, saying that "once the sound of the record has been thoroughly established, many of the songs tend to feel overly long [...] ['Swine'] could easily have chopped a verse and maintained the same effect, with the benefit of brevity."[21]

Live performances

In August 2013, Gaga released a one-minute teaser of the song, which showed her rehearsing for the iTunes Festival, along with an image of her performance.[22] [23] Gaga named her gig "SwineFest" after the track, which was a central piece of the show.[24] During the show, she removed her previously worn blonde wig to reveal her natural hair, just before performing the song.[25] She started playing "Swine" on the piano, initially wearing a glittery pig mask, before transitioning into the electronic version of the song.[26] For the second part of the performance, Gaga sat behind a drum kit.[27] During the performance, Gaga's dancers wore pig-like gasmasks and "white boiler suits", and sprayed paint into the crowd from bungee harnesses.[28] [29] Robert Copsey of Digital Spy rated her performance 3.5 on a scale of 5 and said that she "reached the peak of bonkersness".[30]

In March 2014, Gaga introduced "Swine" at the South by Southwest (SXSW) music festival in Austin, Texas as a song about "rape and rage",[31] which was followed by her inviting performance artist Millie Brown to accompany her on stage. During the duo's performance, Brown vomited green-colored liquid onto the stage and Gaga.[32] [33] They then climbed atop a large mechanical bull with a pig's head and a ball gag inserted in its mouth,[31] [34] riding it together and simulating sex acts.[32] Brown continued to vomit on Gaga and her white apron during their time atop the bull.[34] She even inserted her fingers inside Gaga's throat making her regurgitate the black paint all over. A writer for Rolling Stone noted that "[f]or the rest of the show, Gaga would have this black sheen, marking her as a metaphorical survivor of rape and an actual survivor of performance art".[31] [33] In the background was a neon sign with the text, "Lady Gaga's BBQ – Haus of Swine".[32] [34] "Swine" has been called an "anti-rape track" and similarly her SXSW performance was called an "anti-rape demonstration."[33]

Andrew Hampp felt that "for an album [and concert] inspired by performance art, it was the one moment where music and shock value merged indelibly and credibly."[35] The performance also received criticism for the vomiting act. Recovered bulimic Demi Lovato complained that the show "glamorized" eating disorders.[36] In response to the controversy, Brown told MTV News, "I can understand why people would make that association, but my performance is really not a statement about eating disorders themselves."[37] Gaga confessed on Today, "Millie and I know that not everybody's going to love that performance, but we both really believe in artistic expression and strong identities, and I support her and what she does. Artpop, my new album, is about bringing art and music together in the spirit of creative rebellion, and for us, that performance was art in its purest form."[38]

"Swine" was later added to the setlist for the whole duration of Gaga's tour,, where it was performed as the last song before the encore ("Gypsy"). For the performance, Gaga was dressed as a rave-girl, which was called "a spin on the anime schoolgirl trope".[39] She was wearing multicoloured dreadlocks and fluorescent furry boots.[39] On some occasions, Gaga invited audience members on stage to "rave alongside her".[40] James Duffield from MTV called the performance "a sensory overload – the confetti cannons are back, strobe lights and dancers with pig masks start spewing fake blood from their mouths".[41]

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Artpop.[42]

Management

Personnel

Notes and References

  1. Lady Gaga Contributes a Track to a Documentary About Campus Sexual Assaults and Other Music News From Sundance. Phil. Gallo. Billboard. February 2, 2015. July 27, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20161217143510/http://www.billboard.com/articles/events/sundance-2015/6458231/sundance-2015-music-news-lady-gaga. December 17, 2016.
  2. Shewey. Don. July 30, 2013. Lady Gaga's 'Artpop': What We Know So Far. Rolling Stone. February 21, 2014. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20131127124958/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/eight-things-we-know-about-lady-gagas-artpop-20130730. November 27, 2013.
  3. Web site: Lady Gaga 'Doing Prep' for Tour, Next Album. Vena. Jocelyn. November 28, 2011. January 17, 2012. MTV News. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20141211093036/http://www.mtv.com/news/1675019/lady-gaga-next-album-tour/. December 11, 2014.
  4. Web site: Lady Gaga Says Next Album Is 'Beginning to Flourish'. Vena. Jocelyn. December 6, 2011. January 17, 2012. MTV News. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20140507183044/http://www.mtv.com/news/1675458/lady-gaga-next-album/. May 7, 2014.
  5. News: Lady Gaga reveals she was raped as a teen: 'I was a shell of my former self at one point'. Dillon. Nancy. December 2, 2014. November 23, 2016. New York Daily News. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20161014023911/http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/gossip/lady-gaga-reveals-raped-teen-article-1.2030868. October 14, 2016.
  6. Payne. Chris. Lady Gaga Discusses Rape During Howard Stern Interview. Billboard. December 2, 2014. February 8, 2016. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20160205091709/http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop-shop/6334807/lady-gaga-rape-howard-stern-interview-swine. February 5, 2016.
  7. Web site: With Artpop, Lady Gaga has done the unthinkable: She's gotten a bit boring. Rebecca. Tucker. National Post. November 13, 2013. April 7, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20150524142543/http://news.nationalpost.com/arts/music/watching-the-watchers-with-artpop-erstwhile-weirdo-lady-gaga-has-gotten-gasp-a-bit-boring. May 24, 2015. live.
  8. Catucci. Nick. Mix Lady Gaga makes the right moves with 'Manicure,' 'Swine' — hear her new music now. August 30, 2013. Entertainment Weekly. April 3, 2014. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20151122145248/http://www.ew.com/article/2013/08/30/lady-gaga-manicure-swine-comeback. November 22, 2015.
  9. Web site: Watch Lady Gaga perform new Artpop song "Swine". Michelle. Geslani. April 3, 2014. August 29, 2013. Consequence of Sound. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20140407085226/http://consequenceofsound.net/2013/08/watch-lady-gaga-perform-new-artpop-song-swine/. April 7, 2014.
  10. News: Kaufman. Gil. Lady Gaga Teases Rock-Heavy 'Swine' in Artpop Rehearsal Video. May 7, 2014. MTV News. August 29, 2013. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20140511120912/http://www.mtv.com/news/1713270/lady-gaga-swine-itunes-festival-rehearsal/. May 11, 2014.
  11. Web site: Lady Gaga 'Swine' Sheet Music. June 16, 2014. Musicnotes.com. November 23, 2016. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20161129211417/http://www.musicnotes.com/sheetmusic/mtd.asp?ppn=MN0135859. November 29, 2016.
  12. Web site: Martin. Samantha. Lady Gaga "Swine" Lyrics Analysis: Pigs, Drugs, and General Confusion. Popdust. May 7, 2014. September 5, 2013. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20160920033626/http://www.popdust.com/lady-gaga-swine-lyrics-analysis-pigs-drugs-and-general-confusion-1889736772.html. September 20, 2016.
  13. Web site: Lady Gaga Explains 'Artpop' Track-by-Track: LISTEN. Shorey. Eric. December 12, 2013. November 23, 2016. Logo TV. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20131205111425/http://www.newnownext.com/lady-gaga-explains-artpop-track-by-track-listen/12/2013/. December 5, 2013.
  14. Web site: Lady Gaga's 'Swine' Hits the Web: Listen. Carl. Williott. Idolator. October 24, 2013. April 3, 2014. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20140407082339/http://www.idolator.com/7490285/lady-gaga-swine-stream. April 7, 2014.
  15. Web site: James. Nicole. Lady Gaga Teases Intense New 'Artpop' Track in Rehearsal Video. Fuse. May 7, 2014. August 29, 2013. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20140321200518/http://www.fuse.tv/2013/08/lady-gaga-artpop-swine-itunes-festival-rehearsal-video. March 21, 2014.
  16. News: Empire. Kitty. Lady Gaga: Artpop – review. May 7, 2014. The Guardian. November 9, 2013. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20131126043012/http://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/nov/10/lady-gaga-artpop-review. November 26, 2013.
  17. Web site: Driver. Mike. Lady Gaga 'Artpop'. Clash. May 7, 2014. November 23, 2016. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20170629133537/http://www.clashmusic.com/reviews/lady-gaga-artpop. June 29, 2017.
  18. Web site: Johnston. Maura. Maura Johnston . Lady Gaga's Half-Cocked, Half-Great 'Artpop' Is Never Less Than Lovable. Spin. November 11, 2013. November 23, 2016. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20150403074810/http://www.spin.com/2013/11/lady-gaga-artpop-review/. April 3, 2015.
  19. Web site: Stern. Bradley. Lady Gaga 'Artpop' (Album Review). MuuMuse. November 11, 2013. November 23, 2016. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20131112201624/http://www.muumuse.com/2013/11/lady-gaga-artpop-album-review.html/. November 12, 2013.
  20. Lady Gaga, 'Artpop': Track-by-Track Review. November 13, 2013. April 3, 2014. Jason. Lipshutz. Billboard. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20131117021029/http://www.billboard.com/articles/review/5778227/lady-gaga-artpop-track-by-track-review. November 17, 2013.
  21. Web site: Bosman. Chris. Lady Gaga 'Artpop'. Consequence of Sound. November 11, 2013. November 23, 2016. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20140218233142/http://consequenceofsound.net/2013/11/album-review-lady-gaga-artpop/. February 18, 2014.
  22. News: Lady Gaga sneak peek: Who's new track 'Swine' about?. April 3, 2014. August 29, 2013. The Week. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20140407084914/http://www.theweek.co.uk/music/54881/lady-gaga-sneak-peek-whos-new-track-swine-about. April 7, 2014.
  23. Chan. Stephanie. Lady Gaga Teases New Song 'Swine': Watch. Billboard. August 30, 2013. April 3, 2014. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20140219231758/http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/5679850/lady-gaga-teases-new-song-swine-watch. February 19, 2014.
  24. Web site: Lady Gaga – review. Alexis. Petridis. September 2, 2013. September 8, 2017. The Guardian. https://web.archive.org/web/20170908155153/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/sep/02/lady-gaga-review-london-roundhouse. September 8, 2017. live.
  25. News: Copsey. Robert. Lady Gaga makes live return at iTunes Festival - pictures. Digital Spy. September 9, 2017. September 1, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20170809144709/http://www.digitalspy.com/music/news/a511627/lady-gaga-makes-live-return-at-itunes-festival-pictures/. August 9, 2017. live.
  26. News: Paine. Andre. Lady Gaga, iTunes festival, Roundhouse - music review. Evening Standard. September 9, 2017. September 2, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20170909053406/https://www.standard.co.uk/goingout/music/lady-gaga-itunes-festival-roundhouse-music-review-8793890.html. September 9, 2017. live.
  27. Anderson. Kyle. Lady Gaga unveils more new 'ARTPOP' songs at iTunes Festival. Entertainment Weekly. September 9, 2017. September 3, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20170909094937/http://ew.com/article/2013/09/03/lady-gaga-new-songs-itunes-festival/. September 9, 2017. live.
  28. News: Empire. Kitty. iTunes festival: Lady Gaga; Rizzle Kicks – review. The Guardian. September 8, 2017. September 7, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20140305234418/http://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/sep/07/lady-gaga-rizzle-kicks-review. March 5, 2014. live.
  29. News: Keens. Oliver. Lady Gaga debuts 'Art Pop' at iTunes Festival. TimeOut. September 9, 2017. September 2, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20170827172613/https://www.timeout.com/london/music/lady-gaga-debuts-art-pop-at-itunes-festival. August 27, 2017. live.
  30. Web site: Lady Gaga at iTunes Festival: Track-by-track review. Robter. Copsey. September 2, 2013. April 3, 2014. Digital Spy. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20160307092058/http://www.digitalspy.com/music/live-reviews/news/a511912/lady-gaga-at-itunes-festival-track-by-track-review/. March 7, 2016.
  31. Lady Gaga Stages Dramatic Performance-Art Spectacle at SXSW. Gavin. Edwards. Rolling Stone. April 3, 2014. March 14, 2014. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20140317073205/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/lady-gaga-stages-dramatic-performance-art-spectacle-at-sxsw-20140314. March 17, 2014.
  32. Lady Gaga spitroasted and vomited on at SXSW event. April 2, 2014. March 14, 2014. NME. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20161225215245/http://www.nme.com/news/music/lady-gaga-101-1246231. December 25, 2016.
  33. Web site: Watch Lady Gaga Get Doused in Neon Vomit While Riding a Mechanical S&M Pig at SXSW, Brought to You by Doritos. Chris. DeVille. April 3, 2014. March 14, 2014. Stereogum. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20140317072547/http://www.stereogum.com/1669837/watch-lady-gaga-get-doused-in-neon-vomit-while-riding-a-mechnical-pig-at-sxsw-brought-to-you-by-doritos/video. March 17, 2014.
  34. Lady Gaga dedicates encore to SXSW accident victims, gets puked on. Kyle. Anderson. April 3, 2014. March 14, 2014. Entertainment Weekly. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20150322062911/http://www.ew.com/article/2014/03/14/lady-gaga-sxsw-vomit-tribute. March 22, 2015.
  35. Hampp. Andrew. SXSW: Lady Gaga Plays Offbeat Set, Tells Fans 'You Don't Need A F--king Record Label'. Billboard. September 9, 2017. March 13, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20161028012907/http://www.billboard.com/articles/events/sxsw/5937422/sxsw-lady-gaga-plays-offbeat-set-tells-fans-you-dont-need-a-f-king. October 28, 2016. live.
  36. News: Lady Gaga's new antics, gets vomited on during SXSW show. March 15, 2014. March 19, 2014. India Today. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20140316111521/http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/lady-gaga-vomit-sxsw-show-demi-lovato/1/349767.html. March 16, 2014.
  37. News: MTV News. March 18, 2014. March 19, 2014. Lady Gaga's Vomit Artist Responds To Demi Lovato's SXSW Slam. Ehrlich. Brenna. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20140606044047/http://www.mtv.com/news/1724325/millie-brown-performance-artist-lady-gaga-vomit-sxsw/. June 6, 2014.
  38. Lipshutz. Jason. Lady Gaga Previews 'G.U.Y.' Video, Explains SXSW Performance on 'Today' Show. Billboard. March 22, 2014. March 21, 2014. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20140324000217/http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop-shop/5944762/lady-gaga-previews-guy-video-explains-sxsw-performance-on-today. March 24, 2014.
  39. Carlson. Adam. Lady Gaga's artRAVE: The ARTPOP Ball Shape-Shifts Through Atlanta. Billboard. September 8, 2017. May 7, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20160416035815/http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop-shop/6077615/lady-gaga-artrave-artpop-ball-live-review-atlanta. April 16, 2016. live.
  40. News: Lady Gaga artRAVE Tour: Singer Wears Her Weirdest Outfits Yet... And Strips Naked Onstage As She Kicks Off Her New Tour (PICS). Welsh. Daniel. May 6, 2014. September 9, 2017. The Huffington Post. https://web.archive.org/web/20140521224844/http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/05/06/lady-gaga-artrave-tour-outfits-naked-pictures_n_5273203.html. May 21, 2014. live.
  41. Web site: Duffield. James. Review: lady gaga artrave: the artpop ball!. MTV News. September 8, 2017. September 1, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20170908155409/http://www.mtv.com.au/mtv-news/news/review-lady-gaga-artrave-the-artpop-ball. September 8, 2017. live.
  42. Artpop. Artpop. Lady Gaga. 2013. 'Swine' Digital booklet. Lady. Gaga. 5. Liner notes. Interscope Records. 687955814. Santa Monica, California.
  43. Web site: International Digital Chart – Week 47 of 2013. Gaon Music Chart. ko. https://web.archive.org/web/20201214214828/http://gaonchart.co.kr/main/section/chart/online.gaon?serviceGbn=ALL&termGbn=week&hitYear=2013&targetTime=47&nationGbn=E&year_time=. December 14, 2020. June 9, 2022.

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