Fanfare (Dorian Electra album)
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| Fanfare | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | October 6, 2023 | |||
| Genre | Electropop, hyperpop | |||
| Length | 41:21 | |||
| Label | Self-released | |||
| Dorian Electra chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Fanfare | ||||
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Fanfare is the third studio album by American singer and songwriter Dorian Electra.
Songs
Fanfare has been described as hyperpop and electropop,[1][2] although it blends a wide range of genres and some critics have said it defies genre categorization.[3] It includes elements of rock, emo, jazz, classical music, electronic dance music, and musical theater.[1][4][5][6] Thematically, it focuses on fame and fandom, including the faith-like devotion of fans and the ability of capitalism to create and capitalize fandoms.[7][8][9] The album cover portrays Electra wearing bold colors and military garb, meant to evoke both a dictator and a popstar or rock star.[7]
Critics noted more elaborate instrumentation on Fanfare compared to Electra's previous two albums, beginning in the very first song "Symphony",[4][10] which contains lyrics expressing the loneliness of pop stardom and Electra begging for fans.[2][9] "Idolize" is a "high-octane pop track"[6] about an obsessively devoted fan,[2] which Ringtone described as having "masochistic underpinnings".[9]
"Freak Mode" features sexualized lyrics celebrating uniqueness and difference, with heavy guitar riffs and "frenetic rhythms".[11][12][9] Billboard described the song as "shock-rock-meets-hyperpop".[13] For "Sodom & Gomorrah", Electra described wanting to reclaim the concept of sodomy, which has been used to oppress queer people, in a "bratty, slutty, sexy song".[14][15] Based on the biblical story of Sodom and Gomorrah, it celebrates anal sex[9][16] with a 2000s pop style similar to Britney Spears.[3][17]
The opening to the song "Puppet" quotes "Für Elise" by Beethoven, before shifting towards a more contemporary hyperpop sound.[18][19][9] DIY called the song a "sexually frustrated fisting anthem",[19] with critics identifying control, dependency and fan entitlement as themes.[20][21][9] "Manmade Horrors" references an internet meme and apocryphal quote by Nikola Tesla about "manmade horrors beyond ... comprehension"[9] to describe the shameless commoditization of novelty products under capitalism.[2][7] "Yes Man" was influenced by rock opera and depicts a tragic Napoleonic figure who has pushed themselves to utter loneliness by surrounding themself with "yes men".[5][7] The Line of Best Fit described it as a "five and a half minute epic" that "descends into a bouncing echo chamber of sinister laughter".[3]
"Anon" explores the mob rule of internet anonymity,[7] using a repetitive chorus and Lady Gaga-esque electropop beat.[4] "Phonies" juxtaposes whispered lyrics with a silly "D-d-doot-doot-doot" trumpet vocal to satirize "self-righteous gatekeepers".[19][9] "Touch Grass" uses the generation Z slang "touch grass" as a pretext to inhabit the persona of someone who is "terminally online".[3][7][9] Critics highlighted the humorous pretentiousness of a bridge about disposing of used coffee grounds on "Lifetime",[3][7] a song about mortality and living in the moment.[9] "Warning Signs" is a ballad with building drums and trumpets similar to classic emo pop.[3][7][9] The album ends with "Wanna Be a Star", in which Electra portrays stardom as unfulfilling and self-reflectively asks "Why do I wanna be a star?"[7][9]