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"Sexxx Dreams" (censored as "X Dreams") is a song by Lady Gaga from her fourth studio album, ARTPOP (2013). The song inspired by Gaga's erotic fantasies and dreams was written by Gaga, DJ White Shadow, Martin Bresso, and DJ Snake, and produced by Blair, Gaga, Nick Monson, and Dino Zisis. She revealed the song title and some of the lyrics via Twitter on February 6, 2013: We could be caught, we[']re both convicted criminals of thought. -Sex Dreams #ARTPOP

Writing

Gaga explained the song's meaning in the track-by-track ARTPOP commentary on Sirius XM saying that it's literally about sex dreams. Its lyrics propose a sexual encounter with a lover whose boyfriend is gone for the weekend. In a nutshell, the song is about having a dirty fantasy about someone in your mind. And wish to be with the person your having the fantasy about instead of being with the person you are already with. And seeing them after your fantasy and having that awkward moment.

Gaga talked about creating of the song in the track-by-track ARTPOP commentary on Sirius XM:

When I was working on it, started out as this mamba groove and we all just kind of spent a lot of time in the room together really, like, letting the groove, hypnotize us; and I started writing, and everyone will tell you when I wrote it, they just, didn’t really know where I was going with it for like three hours, they just, were just, not understanding. And then, once I hit the chorus, they were like: “Oh, yeah! I get it I get it I get it — it all makes sense...” Anytime we’ve tried to remove or replace different parts of the song, it just, never quite flowed the same way, and the chorus never hit as hard; so it’s a really special tune, it’s really a journey.

Lady Gaga on Sirius XM

Chef Nate

Chef Nate with Gaga, backstage at The Born This Way Ball in the summer of 2012.

On September 2, 2013, Gaga shared via Twitter that the inspiration for the song came from her private chef, Nate Romo who worked during The Born This Way Ball in 2012 to 2013: "Haus Chef Nate is gay but had sex dreams about me on tour+would tell me every morning when he made breakfast, made me laugh!"

Gaga explained that the dialogue exchange in the lyrics alternate between singing to one person, and speaking to another:

I’m alternating between speaking and singing. And when I’m speaking, I’m talking to one person, and when I’m singing, I’m talking to the other, and then it reverses for the second verse. So, I’m talking to my boyfriend, who’s in the bed with me, or my girlfriend, whoever, and the other person that I’m talking to, is the person that’s in the sex dream.

Lady Gaga on Sirius XM

She added that "having these fantasies" seems slightly "criminal" to her which is also referenced in a verse of the song as "We're both convicted criminals of thoughts".

So, it kind of takes you through this journey through my mind, and then, at the end, it sort of gets you into that headspace of, thinking when I have a sex dream about somebody, then the next day I run into them: it’s going to be really awkward. So, it says, [lyrics from "Sexxx Dreams" “Watch me act a fool, tomorrow when I run into you, tomorrow when I run into you.” So, at the end of the song, kind of like, everything comes together; whether it’s the guy I’m talking to, or the lover, in my mind, the sex dream lover, in the end I’m thinking about how foolish I’m gonna be, whether or not I run into either of them.

Lady Gaga on Sirius XM

She also explained via Twitter on September 2, 2013 that the "chorus is that moment when you wake up sweaty from that dream and laugh because you know you got away with something naughty!"

Also on September 2, Gaga explained that "the song became [a]bout the kind o[f] sex dreams that get [yo]u [i]n trouble." She elaborated with Sirius XM that "this song is about the type of sex dreams that I have also. Which are maybe not what other people's sex dreams are, like mine are really freaky and out-there and crazy."

In my mind when I picture sex dreams, it's so bizarre!.. It's me standing there with some massive couture creation, staring at a blow-up doll or something. That's what my sex dreams are like. My sex dreams are weird... Haven't you ever been laying in bed with someone and fantasised about someone else?... In the song I'm explaining my infidelity to the person I'm with, and then I'm having a conversation with myself to the person that I'm fantasising about.

Lady Gaga on Kiss FM

In November 2013, during a special iHeartRadio Album Release Party broadcast, Gaga revealed to Ryan Seacrest that "sexy sculptures" appear in her "crazy" and "really bizarre" dreams.

Composition and Recording

The song was initially produced by DJ White Shadow with Gaga. Tchami and DJ Snake were brought as producers during the recording of the album by DJ White Shadow. On the album notes, Nick Monson and Dino Zisis are also listed for additional production. She and her team spent a lot of time creating the groovy rhythm ("mambo groove") of the song. She said that people involved in it weren't sure at first what she meant to say with the song when she first started writing it. The song went through a lot of changes while being produced but the chorus always remained the same because Gaga liked it and didn't want to alter it.

At some point, Robin Thicke was discussed to be featured on the song or a remix version. However, Thicke never recorded a version of the song.

On April 30, 2021 during "no skips” ARTPOP party at the Scarlet Bar in Chicago DJ White Shadow revealed that he and Lady Gaga started recording this song at 4 in the morning and continued to work on it until 4pm the next day.

Following the iTunes Festival performance on September 1, 2013, a revised version of the song was made which have a little bit faster instrumentals with a shortened chorus and the last bridge was removed:

We were in the swimming pool
I was naked so were you
And we wrote this song while we made love
Dangerous poetry
Rhymed with our bodies’ sound of the times
To the cry of a thousand doves

Promotion

The track was originally meant to serve as the lead single from ARTPOP, but was replaced with “Applause.” Gaga expanded on the decision during the final episode of her August 2020 podcast Gaga Radio, adding:

The first single from ARTPOP was supposed to be “Sexxx Dreams,” but then I wrote “Applause” and I was like, “No, this one has to be the single!”

Gaga Radio EP.4: Guest Tchami (2020)

Lady_Gaga_-_iTunes_Festival_Rehearsal_SEX_DREAMS_Live

Lady Gaga - iTunes Festival Rehearsal SEX DREAMS Live

In August 2013, Gaga released a preview of "Sexxx Dreams" prior to her performance of September 1, 2013 at the iTunes Festival in London. In the video, she sings "When I lay in bed I touch myself and I think of you". The video then shows Gaga rehearsing for the festival and displays in pink font, "We wanna give you #sexdreams'". Gaga also promoted the song on social media by posting song lyrics ("Last night damn, you were in my #SexDreams doing really nasty things"), and encouraging use of a hashtag containing lyrics (#whenilayinbeditouchmyselfandthinkofyou).

On September 3, 2013, after debuting several tracks from ARTPOP at the festival, Gaga polled her fans about how to promote the album, asking: "OK MONSTERS! Now that you've seen some of ARTPOP Live, what would be YOUR pick for 2nd Single?" Fans could choose between "Aura", "Manicure" and "Sexxx Dreams". At one point, the latter was in the lead by nearly 10,000 votes. However, the song was never selected as an official single.

Later that month, Rihanna tweeted: "Just left the studio... Recorded a #monster hook for one of my favorite artists! And that's all I can give you... #NavyShit", then posted a separate message, "Lastnight.... YOU were in my sex dreams!!" Her tease, followed by Gaga's response, "@rihanna doing really NASTY THINGS *dancing gaga*", lead to rumors that Rihanna would be collaborating on the version that would appear on Artpop. However, Rihanna's vocals do not appear on the album.

Performances

Dates Location City Globe-green

Tour Dates Performances

Lyrics

(Last night) our lovers quarrel (I was thinkin’ about you)
Hurts more than I can say (and it was kinda dirty)
All night (and the way that you looked at me)
Help me here (it was kinda nasty ah), help me here

It was kinda trashy,
'Cause I can't help my mind from going there

Heard your boyfriend was away this weekend
Wanna meet at my place?
Heard that we both got nothin’ to do
When I lay in bed I touch myself and thinka you

Last night, damn, you were in my sex dreams (you were in my)
Doin’ really nasty things (you were in my dreams)
Damn, you were in my sex dreams (you were in my)
Makin’ love in my sex dreams

We could (I) be caught (just want this to be perfect)
We're both convicted criminals of thought ('cause I'm broken)
Let's white (by the one before) glove the bed (he was kinda nasty ah)
Help me here (and I feel so trashy)

'Cause we can't hide the evidence in our heads

Heard your boyfriend was away this weekend
Wanna meet at my place?
Heard that we both got nothin’ to do
When I lay in bed I touch myself and thinka you

Last night, damn, you were in my sex dreams (you were in my)
Doin’ really nasty things (you were in my dreams)
Damn, you were in my sex dreams (you were in my)
Makin’ love in my sex dreams

(Don't stop the party) makin’ love in my sex dreams
(Let's keep it naughty yeah) makin’ love in my sex dreams
(Watch me act a fool) makin’ love in my sex dreams
Tomorrow when I run into you, tomorrow when I run into you

You could turn to stone or the color of
Man petrified by a woman
In love as I am when I lay with you
I thinka him, I thinka him

I can't believe I'm telling you this
But I've had a couple of drinks and "oh my God"

Last night, damn, you were in my sex dreams (you were in my)
Doin’ really nasty things (you were in my dreams)
Damn, you were in my sex dreams (you were in my)

Last night (don't stop the party), damn, you were in my sex dreams
(Let's keep it naughty yeah) doin’ really nasty things
(Watch me act a fool) damn, you were in my sex dreams
(Tomorrow when I run into you) makin’ love in my sex dreams

Credits

Writers Lady Gaga, DJ White Shadow, Martin Bresso, William Grigahcine
Producers Lady Gaga and DJ White Shadow
Co-producers Nick Monson and Dino Zisis
Recording Dave Russell, Bill Malina and Benjamin Rice
at Record Plant, Hollywood, CA Us and CRC Studios, Chicago, IL Us
Assistant recording Benjamin Rice, Daniel Zaidenstadt, Andrew Robertson and Austin Thomas
Additional recording Ghazi Hourani at Record Plant, Hollywood, CA Us
Guitars Tim Stewart for Haus of Gaga
Guitars arrangement Lady Gaga and Nick Monson
Bass guitar Donnie Lyle
Additional programming Rick Pearl
Union contract administration Ivy Skoff
Mixing Dave Russell at Record Plant, Hollywood, CA Us
and Heard IT! Studios, North Hollywood, CA Us
Additional mixing Dino Zisis and Bill Malina at Record Plant, Hollywood, CA Us
Assistant mixers Benjamin Rice and Ghazi Hourani
Mastering Gene Grimaldi at Oasis Mastering, Burbank, CA Us
Publishers
  • Sony/ATV Songs LLC / House of Gaga Publishing LLC (BMI)
  • Maxwell and Carter Publishing, LLC (ASCAP), administered by Universal Music Publishing Group
  • Etrange Fruit (SACEM)
  • Fuzion (SACEM), administered by Get Familiar Music (ASCAP)

References

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