Beautiful, Dirty, Rich
Encyclopedia
"Beautiful, Dirty, Rich" is a song performed by American recording artist Lady Gaga
from her debut studio album The Fame
. It was released as a promotional single from the album on September 16, 2008. It is an uptempo dance-pop song that makes heavy use of synthesizers, and is lyrically about Gaga's experiences as a struggling artist in the Lower East Side
. She wrote the song while she was, as she says, "doing a lot of drugs" and "trying to figure things out."
The song was met with critical praise, with reviewers complimenting the lyrics and the fun nature of the song. It also achieved minor commercial success, peaking at number eighty-three on the UK Singles Chart
. Two versions were released of the song's accompanying music video - one was intercut with clips of the ABC
television series, Dirty Sexy Money
serving as a promotion for the show, and the other was the full-length video. Both versions feature Gaga and company dancing around in various locations of a mansion, and burning money
.
Gaga has performed the song live several times, including on her first headlining The Fame Ball Tour
, where she performed the song while wearing a futuristic bustier with silver triangular panels. The performance was praised by critics for Gaga's "strong" vocals and her energy, and also for giving the show a strong beginning.
. The line "Daddy, I'm so sorry, I'm so s-s-sorry, yeah," according to Gaga, was inspired by "rich kids" in the area who she would hear calling their parents for money to buy drugs with. She added that "ultimately what I want people to take from it is 'Bang-bang.' No matter who you are and where you come from, you can feel beautiful and dirty rich."
, the song has a moderate electro-dance-pop groove and it is composed in the key of B minor
with a tempo
of 120 beats per minute. The song is set in common time
, and Gaga's vocal range spans from A3 to D5. It has a basic sequence of Bm–D5–A–Bm–D5–A as its chord progression
. During recording of the song, Gaga was reluctant to add any dance-oriented beats to the song, and insisted on keeping its original rock version. However, music producer Rob Fusari
convinced her that a drum machine
would not hurt her integrity, telling her that Queen
, who was one of Gaga's musical inspirations, used it in their music. Fusari commented, "I think that's what finally got her to give it a shot, [...] We finished ‘Beautiful, Dirty, Rich' that day. It's one of the songs on her debut album."
" as examples of how The Fames lyrics "salt and pepper the album with a nasty, club-friendly feeling of fun and feistiness that an excellent, well-produced dance album should have." Genevieve Koski of The A.V. Club
called "LoveGame
" and this song "propulsive club anthems" that "chug along on wave after wave of synths and programmed drums, resulting in a dizzying sonic trip that approximates the high point of a chemically enhanced night of club-hopping." Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine
said that Gaga "successfully [tosses] out dirties" on the song.
at number eighty-nine due to strong digital downloads, on the issue dated February 21, 2009. On its second week, it rose to the eighty-third position which is where it peaked, and the next week it dropped to number eighty-seven, which was its final appearance on the chart. According to Nielsen Soundscan
, the song has sold 275,000 digital downloads in the United States.
. There are two versions of the video - one intercut with clips from the ABC
series Dirty Sexy Money
and created to promote the show, and another which is the official video. The video is set in a mansion, and starts with Gaga making her way down a hallway with several people who are either walking behind her, holding an umbrella over her, dancing in front of her, or tossing dollar bills around her. Gaga and company are then featured in many repeatedly-changing shots at various locations in the mansion. She is seen lying seductively on a table covered with money, crawling along a black grand piano and striking the keys with her leg several times, dancing around and later making out with a statue, and dancing in an elevator solo. There are also several close-up shots of her burning money
and later stuffing it into her mouth. Over the course of the video, she undergoes numerous costume changes. Singer-songwriter Space Cowboy
is also shown, most notably in scenes where he climbs a wall.
," "Paparazzi
," and "LoveGame
." She also performed it at the MTV UK Live Sessions, also singing "Just Dance," "LoveGame," and "Poker Face." She most notably performed the song on her first headlining The Fame Ball Tour
. On the tour, it was preceded by the song "Paparazzi," which ended with clicking cameras and a brief medley of "Starstruck" and "LoveGame." The performance of "Beautiful, Dirty, Rich" followed, with Gaga frolicking with her dancers and wearing an "austere" blonde bob wig and a "sculptural bustier with futuristic triangular silver panels, and exaggerated peplum," which was one of her six costumes over the course of the show. The song was the end of the first of four parts of the show, and was followed by a video clip, "The Brain," which featured Gaga as her alter ego, Candy Warhol, brushing her hair.
The performance of the song, along with the rest of the first quarter of the show, was praised by Jim Harrington of Mercury News for giving the show a strong beginning, and Gaga's vocal performance was also complimented. Mikael Wood of Rolling Stone
was rather critical of the performance; Wood claimed that it grew tiresome quickly but praised Gaga for her energy. Whitney Pastorek of Entertainment Weekly
praised Gaga's "strong" singing voice, adding, "The girl can, and does, sing."
Credits adapted from The Fame album liner notes.
Lady GaGa
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta , better known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, she primarily studied at the Convent of the Sacred Heart and briefly attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts before withdrawing to...
from her debut studio album The Fame
The Fame
The Fame is the debut studio album by American recording artist Lady Gaga. It was released on August 19, 2008 through Interscope Records. After joining Kon Live Distribution and Cherrytree Records in 2008, Gaga began working on the album with different producers, primarily RedOne, Martin...
. It was released as a promotional single from the album on September 16, 2008. It is an uptempo dance-pop song that makes heavy use of synthesizers, and is lyrically about Gaga's experiences as a struggling artist in the Lower East Side
Lower East Side
The Lower East Side, LES, is a neighborhood in the southeastern part of the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is roughly bounded by Allen Street, East Houston Street, Essex Street, Canal Street, Eldridge Street, East Broadway, and Grand Street....
. She wrote the song while she was, as she says, "doing a lot of drugs" and "trying to figure things out."
The song was met with critical praise, with reviewers complimenting the lyrics and the fun nature of the song. It also achieved minor commercial success, peaking at number eighty-three on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. Two versions were released of the song's accompanying music video - one was intercut with clips of the ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
television series, Dirty Sexy Money
Dirty Sexy Money
Dirty Sexy Money is an American prime time drama series created by Craig Wright, which ran on the ABC from September 26, 2007 to August 8, 2009. The series was produced by ABC Studios, Bad Hat Harry Productions, Berlanti Television and Gross Entertainment...
serving as a promotion for the show, and the other was the full-length video. Both versions feature Gaga and company dancing around in various locations of a mansion, and burning money
Burning money
Money burning or burning money is the purposeful act of destroying money. In the prototypical example, banknotes are destroyed by literally setting them on fire. Burning money decreases the wealth of the owner without directly enriching any particular party...
.
Gaga has performed the song live several times, including on her first headlining The Fame Ball Tour
The Fame Ball Tour
The Fame Ball Tour was the debut concert tour by American recording artist Lady Gaga, in support of her debut studio album, The Fame . North American shows began in March, followed by dates in Oceania and a solo trek through Europe. Dates in Asia soon followed, as well as two performances at...
, where she performed the song while wearing a futuristic bustier with silver triangular panels. The performance was praised by critics for Gaga's "strong" vocals and her energy, and also for giving the show a strong beginning.
Background
Gaga said the song "was just me trying to figure things out," and she later stated that she "was doing a lot of drugs" when she wrote the song. She claims it is about how "whoever you are or where[ver] you live – you can self-proclaim this inner fame based on your personal style, and your opinions about art and the world, despite being conscious of it," and also about her experiences as a struggling artist working in the Lower East SideLower East Side
The Lower East Side, LES, is a neighborhood in the southeastern part of the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is roughly bounded by Allen Street, East Houston Street, Essex Street, Canal Street, Eldridge Street, East Broadway, and Grand Street....
. The line "Daddy, I'm so sorry, I'm so s-s-sorry, yeah," according to Gaga, was inspired by "rich kids" in the area who she would hear calling their parents for money to buy drugs with. She added that "ultimately what I want people to take from it is 'Bang-bang.' No matter who you are and where you come from, you can feel beautiful and dirty rich."
Composition
"Beautiful, Dirty, Rich" is an uptempo dance-pop song which is more synth-heavy compared to the mostly electronic songs on The Fame. According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by Sony/ATV Music PublishingSony/ATV Music Publishing
Sony/ATV Music Publishing is a music publishing company co-owned by The Michael Jackson Family Trust and Sony. The organisation was originally founded as Associated TeleVision in 1955 by Lew Grade. In 1957, ATV acquired Pye Records as a wholly owned subsidiary...
, the song has a moderate electro-dance-pop groove and it is composed in the key of B minor
B minor
B minor is a minor scale based on B, consisting of the pitches B, C, D, E, F, G, and A. The harmonic minor raises the A to A. Its key signature has two sharps .Its relative major is D major, and its parallel major is B major....
with a tempo
Tempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
of 120 beats per minute. The song is set in common time
Common Time
"Common Time" is a science fiction short story written by James Blish. It first appeared in the August 1953 issue of Science Fiction Quarterly and has been reprinted several times: in the 1959 short-story collection Galactic Cluster; in The Testament of Andros ; in The Penguin Science Fiction...
, and Gaga's vocal range spans from A3 to D5. It has a basic sequence of Bm–D5–A–Bm–D5–A as its chord progression
Chord progression
A chord progression is a series of musical chords, or chord changes that "aims for a definite goal" of establishing a tonality founded on a key, root or tonic chord. In other words, the succession of root relationships...
. During recording of the song, Gaga was reluctant to add any dance-oriented beats to the song, and insisted on keeping its original rock version. However, music producer Rob Fusari
Rob Fusari
Rob Fusari is a record producer and songwriter, possibly best known for his work with American recording artist Lady Gaga.-Early life:Born and raised in Livingston, New Jersey, Fusari began studying classical piano at age eight, and became so skilled as a pianist, that he started performing in...
convinced her that a drum machine
Drum machine
A drum machine is an electronic musical instrument designed to imitate the sound of drums or other percussion instruments. They are used in a variety of musical genres, not just purely electronic music...
would not hurt her integrity, telling her that Queen
Queen (band)
Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
, who was one of Gaga's musical inspirations, used it in their music. Fusari commented, "I think that's what finally got her to give it a shot, [...] We finished ‘Beautiful, Dirty, Rich' that day. It's one of the songs on her debut album."
Critical reception
"Beautiful, Dirty, Rich" received positive reviews from critics. Matthew Chisling of Allmusic used the song and "PaparazziPaparazzi (Lady Gaga song)
"Paparazzi" is a song by American recording artist Lady Gaga. It was released as the final single from her debut album The Fame . Written by Rob Fusari and Gaga, the song portrays Gaga's struggles in her quest for fame, as well as balancing success and love...
" as examples of how The Fames lyrics "salt and pepper the album with a nasty, club-friendly feeling of fun and feistiness that an excellent, well-produced dance album should have." Genevieve Koski of The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
called "LoveGame
LoveGame
"LoveGame" is an electropop song by American recording artist Lady Gaga from her debut album, The Fame . Produced by RedOne, the track was released as the album's third single in North America and Europe and the fourth single in Australia, New Zealand and Sweden after "Eh, Eh "...
" and this song "propulsive club anthems" that "chug along on wave after wave of synths and programmed drums, resulting in a dizzying sonic trip that approximates the high point of a chemically enhanced night of club-hopping." Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine is an online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York Film Festival.- History :...
said that Gaga "successfully [tosses] out dirties" on the song.
Chart performance
The song debuted on the UK Singles ChartUK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
at number eighty-nine due to strong digital downloads, on the issue dated February 21, 2009. On its second week, it rose to the eighty-third position which is where it peaked, and the next week it dropped to number eighty-seven, which was its final appearance on the chart. According to Nielsen Soundscan
Nielsen SoundScan
Nielsen SoundScan is an information and sales tracking system created by Mike Fine and Mike Shalett. Soundscan is the official method of tracking sales of music and music video products throughout the United States and Canada...
, the song has sold 275,000 digital downloads in the United States.
Music video
A music video was filmed for the song and directed by Melina MatsoukasMelina Matsoukas
Melina Matsoukas is an American music video director.-Life and career:Matsoukas is of Greek, Jewish, Jamaican and Cuban descent. Both her name and surname are Greek: Μελίνα Ματσούκα. She is a graduate of the American Film Institute and New York University...
. There are two versions of the video - one intercut with clips from the ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
series Dirty Sexy Money
Dirty Sexy Money
Dirty Sexy Money is an American prime time drama series created by Craig Wright, which ran on the ABC from September 26, 2007 to August 8, 2009. The series was produced by ABC Studios, Bad Hat Harry Productions, Berlanti Television and Gross Entertainment...
and created to promote the show, and another which is the official video. The video is set in a mansion, and starts with Gaga making her way down a hallway with several people who are either walking behind her, holding an umbrella over her, dancing in front of her, or tossing dollar bills around her. Gaga and company are then featured in many repeatedly-changing shots at various locations in the mansion. She is seen lying seductively on a table covered with money, crawling along a black grand piano and striking the keys with her leg several times, dancing around and later making out with a statue, and dancing in an elevator solo. There are also several close-up shots of her burning money
Burning money
Money burning or burning money is the purposeful act of destroying money. In the prototypical example, banknotes are destroyed by literally setting them on fire. Burning money decreases the wealth of the owner without directly enriching any particular party...
and later stuffing it into her mouth. Over the course of the video, she undergoes numerous costume changes. Singer-songwriter Space Cowboy
Space Cowboy (musician)
Nick Dresti , better known by his stage name Space Cowboy, is a DJ and twice Grammy Award nominated producer, who was born in Paris and raised in England.-Biography:...
is also shown, most notably in scenes where he climbs a wall.
Live performances
Gaga has performed "Beautiful, Dirty, Rich" live at the AOL Sessions, where she also performed "Just Dance," an acoustic version of "Poker FacePoker Face (Lady Gaga song)
"Poker Face" is a song by American recording artist Lady Gaga from her debut album, The Fame. Produced by RedOne, it was released as the album's second single in late 2008 for some markets and in early 2009 for the rest of the world...
," "Paparazzi
Paparazzi (Lady Gaga song)
"Paparazzi" is a song by American recording artist Lady Gaga. It was released as the final single from her debut album The Fame . Written by Rob Fusari and Gaga, the song portrays Gaga's struggles in her quest for fame, as well as balancing success and love...
," and "LoveGame
LoveGame
"LoveGame" is an electropop song by American recording artist Lady Gaga from her debut album, The Fame . Produced by RedOne, the track was released as the album's third single in North America and Europe and the fourth single in Australia, New Zealand and Sweden after "Eh, Eh "...
." She also performed it at the MTV UK Live Sessions, also singing "Just Dance," "LoveGame," and "Poker Face." She most notably performed the song on her first headlining The Fame Ball Tour
The Fame Ball Tour
The Fame Ball Tour was the debut concert tour by American recording artist Lady Gaga, in support of her debut studio album, The Fame . North American shows began in March, followed by dates in Oceania and a solo trek through Europe. Dates in Asia soon followed, as well as two performances at...
. On the tour, it was preceded by the song "Paparazzi," which ended with clicking cameras and a brief medley of "Starstruck" and "LoveGame." The performance of "Beautiful, Dirty, Rich" followed, with Gaga frolicking with her dancers and wearing an "austere" blonde bob wig and a "sculptural bustier with futuristic triangular silver panels, and exaggerated peplum," which was one of her six costumes over the course of the show. The song was the end of the first of four parts of the show, and was followed by a video clip, "The Brain," which featured Gaga as her alter ego, Candy Warhol, brushing her hair.
The performance of the song, along with the rest of the first quarter of the show, was praised by Jim Harrington of Mercury News for giving the show a strong beginning, and Gaga's vocal performance was also complimented. Mikael Wood of Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
was rather critical of the performance; Wood claimed that it grew tiresome quickly but praised Gaga for her energy. Whitney Pastorek of Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
praised Gaga's "strong" singing voice, adding, "The girl can, and does, sing."
Credits and personnel
- Lady GagaLady GaGaStefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta , better known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, she primarily studied at the Convent of the Sacred Heart and briefly attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts before withdrawing to...
– vocals, songwriting, pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, synthesizerSynthesizerA synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones... - Rob FusariRob FusariRob Fusari is a record producer and songwriter, possibly best known for his work with American recording artist Lady Gaga.-Early life:Born and raised in Livingston, New Jersey, Fusari began studying classical piano at age eight, and became so skilled as a pianist, that he started performing in...
– songwriting, productionRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music... - Tom Kafafian – guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
- Calvin "Sci-Fidelty" Gaines – bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, programmingProgramming (music)Programming is a form of music production and performance using electronic devices, often sequencers or computer programs, to generate music. Programming is used in nearly all forms of electronic music and in most hip hop music since the 1990s. It is also frequently used in modern pop and rock... - Dave Murga – drums
- Robert Orton – audio mixingAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
- Gene Grimaldi – audio masteringAudio masteringMastering, a form of audio post-production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device ; the source from which all copies will be produced...
at Oasis Mastering, Burbank, CaliforniaBurbank, CaliforniaBurbank is a city in Los Angeles County in Southern California, United States, north of downtown Los Angeles. The estimated population in 2010 was 103,340.... - Recorded at 150 Studios, Parsippany-Troy Hills, New JerseyParsippany-Troy Hills, New JerseyParsippany-Troy Hills Township, commonly called Parsippany, is a township in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2000 United States Census, the township population was 50,649. The name Parsippany comes from the Lenape Native American word parsipanong, which means "the place where...
Credits adapted from The Fame album liner notes.
External links
- Lady Gaga : Lyrics : Beautiful, Dirty, Rich Interscope RecordsInterscope RecordsInterscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that currently operates as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-History:...
- Lady Gaga : Video : Beautiful, Dirty, Rich Interscope RecordsInterscope RecordsInterscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that currently operates as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-History:...