Venus is weird. Honestly, that’s the first thing you notice when the synths kick in. It’s a song that feels like it’s vibrating on a frequency most pop music is too scared to touch. When Lady Gaga released "Venus" back in 2013, the world was in a very different place. EDM was king, and pop stars were playing it relatively safe. Then came this track—a chaotic, self-produced space odyssey that basically threw every rulebook out the window.
You’ve probably heard the story of ARTPOP. It was an era defined by a sort of beautiful, messy ambition. At the center of that mess was "Venus," a song that was supposed to be the second official single before a last-minute pivot changed everything. Gaga herself produced the track, which is a big deal. It was her first time taking the lead production credit so heavily, and it shows. The song doesn't sound like it was made by a committee; it sounds like it was born in a psychedelic fever dream.
The Chaos Behind the Venus Song Lady Gaga Scrapped
The history of this track is kinda legendary among Little Monsters. Originally, "Venus" was the chosen one. It was slated to follow "Applause" and define the ARTPOP era. Gaga had even started conceptualizing a massive music video with director Ruth Hogben. But then "Do What U Want" happened. After a killer performance on The X Factor UK and a massive surge on iTunes, the label got cold feet. They saw the "radio-friendly" potential of the R. Kelly collaboration and bumped "Venus" to promotional single status.
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It’s one of those "what if" moments in pop history. If the venus song lady gaga fans love had received the full single treatment, would the album have been received differently? Probably. Instead of a polished radio hit, we would have had a song that references the solar system in a deadpan rap and samples an obscure French cover of a 1960s jazz artist.
The sample in question is "Rocket Number 9" by Zombie Zombie, which itself was a cover of the avant-garde jazz legend Sun Ra. That’s the level of nerdiness Gaga was operating on. She wasn't just making a dance track; she was stitching together decades of fringe art into a four-minute pop explosion.
A Journey Through the Solar System
Lyrically, the song is a trip. Literally.
It starts with a chant—"Rocket number nine take off to the planet"—and then spirals into a mythological exploration of love. Gaga weaves together the Roman goddess of love with the physical planet, creating this "futuristic disco" vibe.
- The "Deadpan Rap": She lists the planets with a bizarre, rhythmic intensity.
- The Hook: "When you touch me I die just a little inside." It’s classic Gaga—dramatic, vulnerable, and incredibly catchy.
- The Bridge: This is where it gets truly campy. Shouting "Uranus! Don't you know my ass is famous?" is a level of confidence only she could pull off.
Why the Production Was a Turning Point
Gaga worked closely with Madeon on this one. He was a teenager at the time, a prodigy in the French electronic scene. He’s gone on record saying how "obsessed" Gaga was with the tiny details of the production. She spent hours perfecting the bassline, wanting it to feel "gooey" and deep.
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There’s a reason people still talk about the venus song lady gaga produced over a decade later. It wasn't just a song; it was a mission statement. It proved she could handle the boards herself. It bridged the gap between the "high art" she was obsessed with (like Botticelli's The Birth of Venus) and the "lowbrow" pop beats her fans craved.
Look at the visuals Steven Klein shot for it. We got Gaga with a scorpion on her face. We got her naked with a clam shell. It was unsettling and beautiful all at once. Even though the standalone music video was scrapped, the song eventually found its visual home in the "G.U.Y. – An ARTPOP Film," where she arrives at Hearst Castle like a fallen deity.
The Lasting Legacy of a Promo Single
Is it her biggest hit? No. It didn't top the Billboard Hot 100 or dominate the radio for months. But that’s almost why it’s more special now. In 2026, we’ve seen pop music get weirder and more experimental (thanks to the hyperpop movement). "Venus" was a precursor to that. It was brave when people wanted her to be safe.
If you go back and listen to it today, it doesn't sound dated. It sounds like a capsule of a time when a global superstar decided to stop caring about "charts" for a second and just be an artist. It’s a song about faith—finding it in the "beyond" when the world on Earth feels a bit too heavy.
How to Experience Venus Like a True Fan
To really get what she was doing, you can't just play it on a shitty phone speaker. You've gotta lean into the atmosphere.
- Listen to the Sun Ra original: Check out "Rocket Number 9 Take Off for the Planet Venus" from 1966. It puts Gaga’s vision into context.
- Watch the X Factor performance: It’s the one where she starts at a piano with a giant blonde wig and ends up dancing in a shell bikini. It’s pure theatre.
- Analyze the artwork: Look up the Steven Klein photoshoots. They’re heavily influenced by Marina Abramović and classical sculpture.
The venus song lady gaga gave us is a reminder that pop music can be intellectual, stupid, campy, and profound all at the same time. It’s a journey to another planet, and honestly, the view from there is much better than it is down here.
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For anyone wanting to dive deeper into the ARTPOP lore, tracking down the unreleased demos and stems for "Venus" is the move. You can hear how the layers of synths were built from the ground up, revealing the technical skill of a woman who was—and still is—at the top of her game. Focus on the bridge transitions; that's where the real magic is hidden.