ARTPOP is Lady Gaga’s third studio album, released on November 6, 2013, via Interscope Records. It is her first major project in two years since its predecessor, Born This Way, which was released in May of 2011. Conceptually, the album involves the embracing of sexuality, (“Aura”, “MANiCURE”, “Sexxx Dreams”), and ignoring the superficial elements for life for the sake of who you love (“Applause”, the title cut or “Dope”, etc.). Both strands intersect with the “be yourself” theme prevalent in Born This Way. This album’s genre is essentially electro-pop, but melds rock with EDM beat breaks, along with pinches of hip-hop and ballads. Structurally, this ain’t no paint-by-the-number record; the colors bleeds. According to Billboard, as of February 10, 2019, ARTPOP has sold a total of 781,000 copies in the United States.