On Feb. 11, Stefani Germanotta, known within the music industry as Lady Gaga, released the first single from her upcoming album, Born This Way. The titular single is a fast-tempo anthem, which Gaga reportedly wrote in response to increased instances of bully-induced teen suicide. According to Gaga, the song “Born This Way” will/can/could change the world.
The song debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and marked the 1,000th number one single in the chart’s history.
The song’s popularity is largely due to the amount of hype it received; in the days leading up to its release, Twitter and other social media sites were abuzz with anticipation for the song’s release date, with “BornThisWayFriday” and other Gaga-related phrases trending. “Born This Way” saw the fastest rise to number one in iTunes history.
When “Born This Way” was released, responses were shockingly mixed. Accusations of unoriginality surfaced almost immediately, citing striking similarities to Madonna’s 1989 song “Express Yourself” in both musical style and substance.
A singer whose image largely consists of pushing boundaries and being original, Gaga responded to these accusations by merely stating that she greatly admires Madonna.
However, the song’s shortcomings are not limited to mere unoriginality. The lyrics are astoundingly banal, surprising particularly because they stem from the same woman who wrote “I want your Psycho, your vertical stick / Want you in my rear window, baby you’re sick.”
The lyrics of “Born This Way” are straightforward to a degree near absurdity: the singer chants, “I’m beautiful in my way / Cause God makes no mistakes / I’m on the right track, baby / I was born this way.” Aside from rhyming “way” with “way,” she leaves no room for subtlety throughout the piece. The lyrics are straightforward and clichéd: be yourself.
If the musicality of the piece were spectacular to the degree of “Bad Romance or “Paparazzi”, then perhaps the simple lyrics could be forgiven. However, the “Express Yourself”-esque melodies merely inspire nostalgia for horrible 80’s pop. Gaga’s vocals suffer at points from exaggerated dramatics, bordering on histrionics, particularly during the slower singing in the verses.
Reactions to the song from loyal Lady Gaga fans have been mixed. When it was debuted on PerezHilton.com, posters commented “I really really don’t like this song. It sucks!!!!,” “I’m a huge Gaga fan, and this is actually not that great L!,” and “My first impression is it’s not amazing. I will probably grow to love the song but it’s not the best she’s ever written.”
It’s hard not to be disappointed with “Born This Way.” In the wake of its release, dissatisfied Gaga fans tensely await the full cd release of Born This Way on May 23.