Lady Gaga
Born This Way - Special Edition
released 5/23/11
Interscope
Author: Penny Lane
(Note: originally posted 7/13/11 on In My Ears, In My Eyes - Penny Lane's music blog, which is no longer live)
When The Fame came out in 2008 I was Anti-Gaga. I thought she was just another vapid Brittany or Katy and I wasn’t interested. I’d shit talk her to anyone that tried to advocate her music to me and I did so with gusto. She was weird. She wore wacky fucking clothes and I adamantly hated the ‘P,P,P, Poker Face’ part of the track by the same name. And then something changed me...
MTV has long since lost me as an avid fan, but I try to tune in every year for the VMAs. If only to see what everyone is wearing and to see the performances (and if anything crazy happens of course). It was Lady Gaga’s performance of “Paparazzi,” September 2009, that changed my tune, literally. Single handedly, turned me from a hater, to a Monster. The next day, I bought The Fame. Two months after the VMA performance, The Fame Monster was released and I bought that too. As of today, my iPod brags a combined total of 83 plays between both albums (43 and 50 respectively). And counting.
There was, to say the least, an incredible amount of hype surrounding the release of her third album, Born This Way. Partly because she’s Gaga and partly because people just want to see how much further she can push the envelope. She got blasted after “Born This Way,” the first single from the album, for the similarities between her track and the 1989 release of “Express Yourself” by Madonna. The second single, “Judas,” was released two months later and could not be compared to anything. The third, and final, single released was “Edge of Glory.” Less than two weeks later, Born This Way would be released to critical acclaim, garnering four (out of five) stars from Rolling Stone Magazine as well as many other music publications.
In a nutshell, it is solid. It is danceable. And it is the best of Gaga to date.
The deconstruction of Born This Way...(side note: the special edition contains 17 tracks + bonus remixes, please forgive me that I decided to select a few tracks to deconstruct instead of the whole kitten-caboodle for the sake of space)
Track 1: Marry The Night - An unlikely choice for the first track. Has a slow start. But a definite dance beat once the hook comes in. I don’t hate it, but I don’t love it.
Track 2: Born This Way - I actually don’t have much to say about this track. I don’t care for it even if people hadn’t compared it to “Express Yourself.” I am not sure what it is about the track that doesn’t appeal to me, but it does not. A sentiment not expressed often throughout this album...
Track 4: Judas - I saw the video the day it was released, which my first taste of this track. It didn’t speak to me in the moment and I believe I even posted on my FB that I wasn’t sure if I liked it but was sure to change my opinion eventually. Well, eventually, came sooner than I thought. The pounding beat to this track mesmerized me. Aggressive. Masculine. Industrial. Dominating. I couldn’t get enough of it.
*Track 7: Scheiße - It took me at least a good week to realize Gaga wasn’t kidding, “I don’t speak German...” no she does not. I’m pretty sure some of the words are in real German but the rest are either made up or nonsensical. Does it matter? Not even in the slightest. I am not sure what it is about this song that I love so much but I do. Wait. I do know what it is about this song I love so much. The song is about being a strong woman. It’s about not needing permission to be strong. To be able to stand on your own two feet without the help of anyone. Easily in my top three favorites.
*Track 11: Fashion of His Love - This is by far my favorite track on the album. It took me a minute to figure out what, specifically, about the song made me so happy. But I figured it out. Syncopation. This really brings attention to my music nerd-dom but the syncopation in the chorus is what made me smile and swoon and gush over this song. I quite literally dance in my seat every time this song plays. And then I read an article and found out who the song was written about, Alexander McQueen, and it made me love the song even more.
*Track 16: Yoü and I - Gaga does country-pop-ish? When I heard it the first time I had the most uncomfortable feeling come over me. I loved it but it was so far beyond what she has ever done I just didn’t know how to categorize it. Turns out, awesome. That was how I categorized it. A few more listens and it just fit. It made sense. I checked the liner notes and then it really all made sense. A sample of “We Will Rock You,” plus electric guitars courtesy of Brian May from Queen and I was in awe of Gaga. She really can do anything.
