Originally slated to be the 2nd single from ARTPOP, Venus dropped in full today. In essence, it is everything we would've thought ARTPOP would sound like.
It's sparse in its lyrical content (and thought), but it is chuck full of gritty synths, drums, and the electro-pop magic that we all dreamt of when we thought "ARTPOP." That being said, thank god this song was scrapped in favor of Do What U Want as the 2nd single. It lacks a hook, along with many other pop characteristics, instead opting for electronic flavors. Lady Gaga did a strong job with the production (the build up in the latter part of the song proves that point), and it does capture an out of this world sound. That is not Venus's problem: the problem is its choppy verses and chorus. Venus hops along with its strange lyricism, being left to stand on one leg, AKA the production.
Eventually, Venus will have its single release, but don't expect for Venus to be topping Radio Songs anytime soon. It suffers from Work Bitch syndrome, it's a year or two ahead of what pop radio is ready to put on rotation. Venus is good, but it is definitely strange, even for Lady Gaga.
Vocals: B
Lyrics: C-
Production: A
Overall: B