"Venus" is a song written by Lady Gaga with DJ White Shadow in 2012-13 for ARTPOP. She revealed the song title on September 20, 2013 via Twitter. According to Lady Gaga, "Venus" was produced by an "up and coming female producer"; that statement made fans think that the song was produced by Lady Gaga herself. "Venus" serves as the first promotional single from the album. The song was registered on Gaga's BMI on February 14, 2014.
Background
"studio time giving birth to *VENUS*" (September 19, 2013)"
"Venus" was the last song recorded for the album according to audio engineer, Dave Russell. The song was inspired by "The Birth of Venus" by Sandro Botticelli which is also included on the album cover for ARTPOP. On September 19, 2013, Gaga posted a picture of her inside the studio booth finishing up vocals for the song.
Samples
"Venus" samples "Rocket Number 9" released by French Indie-electro duo Zombie Zombie. Their voices can be heard while Gaga sings "take me to your planet / take me to your leader / take me to your Venus." However Zombie Zombie's song was additionally a sample, as they sampled the famous avant-garde jazz artist Sun Ra's "Rocket Number 9 Take Off to the Planet Venus" (originally released in 1966). The title is also part of the lyrics.
Commercial release
Gaga annpounced on October 10, 2013 that "Venus" was to be the second single from ARTPOP, with the original release date set for October 27, Gaga later stated that the release date had been pushed forward two days, to October 25. On October 22nd, Gaga confirmed via Twitter that the song's release for second single had been cancelled and would be replaced with "Do What U Want" as the second single due to the commercial success upon release, leaving "Venus" strictly as a promotional single.
ArtworkArtwork for the single was shot by Steven Klein, whom Gaga had worked with on the "Alejandro" video and the Fame fragrance campaign. Three different covers were released on October 24, 2013. The first cover features a nude profile of Gaga with blonde hair and a scorpion between her eyes, she has a deep cut in front of her shoulder. The second cover features a red and blue image of a dead bat with its wings spread out, and the third cover is a full body shot of Gaga naked in a bathroom sporting the same blonde wig as in the first cover. An open clam shell has been placed between her shoulder and nose, covering her mouth. Each cover features a black border around the image with a type-writer style font for the title, and Klein's signature on the bottom right corner. The scorpion between the eyes look was inspired by Marina Abramović.  Cover one  Cover two  Cover three |
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Performances
| Dates | Location | City | 
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| 2013 | |||
| Oct 26 | G-A-Y Heaven | London | 
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| Nov 10 | artRave | Brooklyn, NY | 
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| Dates | Location | Channel |
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| 2013 | |||
| Oct 27 | The X Factor | ITV |
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| Nov 8 | The Graham Norton Show | BBC One | |
| Nov 28 | Lady Gaga & the Muppets' Holiday Spectacular | ABC |
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| Nov 28 | SMAPxSMAP | Fuji TV | 
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| Tour | Dates | Performances |
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| artRAVE: The ARTPOP Ball | May 4 - November 24 | 76 |
| Total of performances | 76 shows |
"G.U.Y." Music Video
"Venus" is featured as the second song from the "G.U.Y." music video. After Gaga arrives at Hearst Castle, two male guards carry her to the neptune pool, where a flowery head scarf is rested over her body and she is lowered into the pool. It then switches to a scene of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills singing while wearing pink dresses and playing their instruments. The snippet used in the video lasts for only a minute and a half.
Music Video
On October 14, 2013, Gaga announced video twitter that the music video for "Venus" would be directed by Ruth Hogben, who also directed the backdrops at ArtRAVE: The ARTPOP Ball. It is unclear as to whether or not the video was eventually shot or not.
Lyrics
Rocket # 9 take off to the planet, to the planet, Venus
Aphrodite lady seashell bikini, garden panty, Venus
Let's blast off to a new dimension, in your bedroom, Venus
Aphrodite lady seashell bikini, get with me, Venus
I can't help the way I'm feelin'
Goddess of Love, please take me to your leader
I can't help, I keep on dancin'
Goddess of Love, Goddess of Love
Take me to your planet (to the planet)
Take me to your planet (to the planet)
Take me to your leader (to the planet)
Your leader, your leader (to the planet)
Take me to your planet (to the planet)
Take me to your planet (to the planet)
Take me to your Venus (to the planet)
Your Venus, your Venus (to the planet)
When you touch me, I die, just a little inside
I wonder if this could be love, this could be love
'Cuz you're out of this World, Galaxy, Space and time
I wonder if this could be love, Venus
Have and oyster baby, it's aphrod-i-sy
Act sleazy, Venus
Worship to the land, a girl from the planet
To the planet (to the planet)
I can't help the way I'm feelin'
Goddess of Love, please take me to your leader
I can't help, I keep on dancin'
Goddess of Love, Goddess of Love
Take me to your planet (to the planet)
Take me to your planet (to the planet)
Take me to your leader (to the planet)
Your leader, your leader (to the planet)
Take me to your planet (to the planet)
Take me to your planet (to the planet)
Take me to your Venus (to the planet)
Your Venus, your Venus (to the planet)
When you touch me, I die, just a little inside
I wonder if this could be love, this could be love
'Cuz you're out of this World, Galaxy, Space and time
I wonder if this could be love, this could be love
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh
Wonder if this could be love, this could be love
Go-oh-ddess-of-Love-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh
Wonder if this could be love, Venus
Neptune, go!
Now serve Pluto,
Saturn, Jupiter!
Mercury, Venus (uh, ha)
Uranus,
Don't you know my ass is famous?!
Mars,
Now serve for the gods, Earth serve for the stars
When you touch me, I die, just a little inside
I wonder if this could be love, this could be love
'Cuz you're out of this World, Galaxy, Space and time
I wonder if this could be love, this could be love
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh
Wonder if this could be love, this could be love
Go-oh-ddess-of-Love-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh
Wonder if this could be love, Venus
Credits
| Writers | Lady Gaga, DJ White Shadow, Madeon, Dino Zisis, Nick Monson and Sun Ra |
| Producer | Lady Gaga |
| Co-producer, arrangements | Madeon |
| Additional production | Nick Monson |
| Recording by | Dave Russell at Record Plant, Hollywood, CA
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| Additional recording | Bill Malina and Ghazi Hourani at Record Plant |
| Assistant recording | Benjamin 'Ben' Rice at Record Plant |
| Guitars | Tim Stewart |
| Bass arrangements | Lady Gaga and Nick Monson |
| Synth parts | Madeon and Nick Monson |
| Union contract Administrator | Ivy Skoff |
| Mixed by | Manny Marroquin at Larrabee North Studios Universal City, CA
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| Assistant mixers | Chris Galland and Delhert Bowers |
| Mastering | Gene Grimaldi at Oasis Mastering, Burbank, CA
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| Excutive Producer and A&R | Vincent Herbert for Streamline Records |
| Management | Troy Carter for Atom Factory |
| Published by |
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| Contains a publishing sample of "Rocket Number 9" written by Sun Ra, courtesy of Enterplanetary Koncepts (BMI), administered by Global Copyright Administration. Contains a sample of "Rocket no. 9" by Zombie Zombie courtesy of Versatile Records. | |
References
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