“Poker Face” is a song by American recording artist and songwriter 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. The song is an uptempo electropop and dance-pop song in the key of G# minor, following in the footsteps of her previous single “Just Dance” but with a darker musical tone. The main idea behind the song is bisexuality and was a tribute by Gaga to her rock n’ roll boyfriends. Lyrically, “Poker Face” is about a woman engaged in the practice of cockteasing. Poker Face” was well received by most critics, who praised the robotic hook and the chorus. The song attained worldwide success, topping the charts in twenty countries including the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and many European countries. “Poker Face” is also the most downloaded song in the British chart history. It is among the best-selling singles of all time, having sold over 12 million copies. The accompanying music video for the song portrays Gaga singing it in various costumes and playing strip poker in a getaway villa.
Gaga performed the song for the eighth season of the television show American Idol as well as the Fame Ball and Monster Ball tours. The live performances included an electronic version and an acoustic version, which she played on the piano. It was nominated for both Song of the Year and Record of the Year at the 52nd Grammy Awards, and won the Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording. [4] Rolling Stone ranked it number ninety-six on their list of 100 Best Songs of the 2000s decade. [5] In October 2011, NME placed it at number 103 on its list “150 Best Tracks of the Past 15 Years”. [6] Contents [hide] Background 2 Composition 3 Critical reception 4 Chart performance 5 Music video 6 Live performances 7 Cover versions and adaptations 8 Track listings 9 Credits and personnel 10 Charts and certifications 10. 1 Chart positions 10. 2 Year-end charts 10. 3 Decade-end charts 10. 4 Certifications 11 See also 12 Release history 13 References Background Gaga performing the piano version of “Poker Face” on The Monster Ball Tour, accompanied by Kid Cudi. The backdrops display videos submitted by her fans. “Poker Face” was written by Lady Gaga and RedOne, while the music has been produced by RedOne. 7] Gaga stated in an interview that “Poker Face” was written by her as a pop song and was a tribute to her “rock ‘n’ roll boyfriends. ” She also stated that the main idea behind the song was sex and gambling. [8] In an interview with UK’s Daily Star, Gaga noted of the song, “It’s about a lot of different things. I gamble but I’ve also dated a lot of guys who are really into sex and booze and gambling, so I wanted to write a record my boyfriends would like too. “[9] In an interview with Rolling Stone magazine, when asked about the meaning of the line “bluffin’ with my muffin”, Gaga explained that it really was a metaphor for her vulva. Obviously, it’s my pussy’s poker face! I took that line from another song I wrote but never released, called ‘Blueberry Kisses. ‘ It was about a girl singing to her boyfriend about how she wants him to go down on her, and I used the lyric. [Gaga sings] ‘Blueberry kisses, the muffin man misses them kisses’. “[10] During her Fame Ball Tour performance at Palm Springs, California, on April 11, 2009, Gaga explained to the crowd the true meaning behind the term “Poker Face” used in the song. She suggested that the song dealt with her personal experience with bisexuality.
The idea behind the song was to be with a man but fantasizing about a woman, hence the man in the song needs to read her “Poker Face” to understand what is going through her mind. [11] The idea was taken from AC/DC’s song “The Jack” off their High Voltage release. Composition “Poker Face” A 23 seconds sample from “Poker Face” which plays the chorus, where Gaga’s voice spans from F? 3 to B4, followed by the stuttering hook which samples Boney M. ‘s song “Ma Baker”. Problems listening to this file? See media help. Poker Face” is an uptempo electropop and dance-pop song, and follows the footsteps of the previous single “Just Dance”. Whereas “Just Dance” was predominately electropop, “Poker Face” carries a dark sound with clear vocals on the chorus and a pop hook[1] while combining the synths from “Just Dance” and the more dance-oriented beat of the next single “LoveGame”. [2] According to Kerri Mason of Billboard, the composition “carr[ies] the pleather-and-sequins vibe of the downtown New York scene out of the underground and onto the FM dial without losing its smut and sass. “[12]
