51�Թ�

Released on Friday, it's packed full of off-kilter lyrics and squiggly synth lines that burrow into your brain.

Originally conceived as the soundtrack for a now-forgotten B movie about the shady record industry, “That’s the Way of the World” laid crucial groundwork for the rise of Afrocentrism in R&B and for the establishment of the quiet storm radio format; its delicate string and horn arrangements look toward neo-soul while its blippy synth textures anticipate a generation of bedroom tinkerers.

The thrumming score too is decidedly influenced by the pulsating synth themes of Carpenter, with some of Angelo Badalamenti’s melodic melancholia thrown in for good measure.

Abracadabra is the distilled essence of Gaga, crammed with nonsense words and speaker-rattling synth bass.

On the title track, Black sings “I don’t need you to save me / I already saved myself” over a dreamy synth soundscape, while on “Do You Even Think About Me?” she details the aftermath of a heartbreak as a choppy, electronic drop takes center stage.