One of the most anticipated albums of 2011, Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way” hit stores last week.
All around the world, little monsters ― an endearing nickname that Gaga created to refer to her massive fan base ― waited for this day since as far back as the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards, when Gaga announced the name of the album and sang an a capella verse of the title track while clutching her award for “video of the year.” Along with the shock of her infamous meat dress, her heartfelt words, “I’m beautiful in my way, ’cause God makes no mistakes, I’m on the right track baby I was born this way” sparked excitement in fans everywhere.
In the following couple of months, the 25-year-old songstress and performance artist slowly introduced several of her songs one by one.
“Born This Way” was the first single off the album to reach the public ear. Released at midnight on February 10, 2011 on radio stations across the country, this electro pop “self-acceptance anthem” immediately drew criticism for resembling the early work of fellow blonde bombshell, Madonna; particularly her 1989 single “Express Yourself.” Once the public rumblings that Gaga “copied” the song subsided, the single gained the number one spot on the Billboard Hits Top 100 chart, becoming Gaga’s third song to do so.
“Scheibe,” another track distributed in the months leading to the album’s debut, was cleverly remixed and released in the Fall/Winter 2011 menswear runway show for fashion company “Mugler.” The chorus of the hard-hitting bass ballad was strategically omitted, leaving only snippets of the track present to tease Gaga fans with just enough to crave more.
“Judas” was the third song to be released prior to the album’s debut, and immediately caused controversy with its subject matter of choosing biblical figure “Judas” over Jesus, reflecting a tendency of humans to go for the “bad boy” types instead of the safer choice in partners. Gaga laments this struggle, crying “I’m just a holy fool, oh baby, you’re so cruel, but I’m still in love with Judas baby.”
After leaking a week prior to its official May 23 release date, “Born This Way” was fully available to the public with an impressive array of both very original and some clearly “inspired-by” songs.
Highlights include the hard-hitting and dark “Bloody Mary” that trudges along scornfully like a zombie stumbling toward its victim, and “Bad Kids,” which serves as a call for social misfits and misunderstood rebels to embrace their true self. Gaga assures, “Don’t be insecure if your heart is pure, you’re still good to me if you’re a bad kid, baby.”
“Government Hooker” uses tick tock electronic notes with electric guitar while vocalizing Gaga’s yearning to be an infamous mistress of men in power, even going so far as to monologue in the track’s breakdown “put your hands on me, John F. Kennedy, I’ll make you squeal baby, as long as you pay me.”
Some more classic Gaga hits, featuring weird themes and indulgently wacky melodies are “Highway Unicorn,” “Heavy Metal Lover” and the clear future-hit “Americano,” which features a yodel-esque chant and plenty of lyrics in Spanish, for good measure.
Recurring elements throughout this musical journey include quirky rhythms reminiscent of the 1980s, as well as continual references to biblical characters or themes. These aside, the entire album is Gaga through and through. As always with America’s most talked about New York girl, there will certainly be confusion and some backlash to the content of the songs. True little monsters, of course, would have it no other way.
