Lady Gaga - Born This Way (REVIEW)

Lady Gaga – Born This Way

4.5/5

In true Lady Gaga fashion this album is way out there. On first listen, you can't be blamed for thinking “WTF?”. But on second listen, it suddenly dawns on you, “Yeah. This is awesome”. Unlike her last offering, The Fame Monster, there is no skimping on quantity for quality. Born This Way  is packed full of both. It consists of 14 new songs that are incredibly addictive, definitely no filler material in sight. There are more than a few religious references in this album, forming a semantic field running beneath the songs and tying them together conceptually - either she's returning to her Catholic roots or trying to piss some people off!

The first single from the album, also called Born This Way, is an anthem for all Gaga's ridiculously loyal fans. It's so unbelievably catchy that after one listen I knew most of the words, which happen to send an inspiring message: to love who you are and never try to change. Unsurprisingly, the fabulous pop song is the fastest-selling single in iTunes history, selling a staggering one million copies in just five days.

The second controversial single, Judas, is also a hit in my opinion. Once you get past how crazy it all sounds, you realise you can't stop singing it. And I'm fairly sure that Judas is a metaphor for some sleaze-bag guy that she keeps getting back with despite him betraying her constantly, not another name for Jesus, as some confused American Christians have decided. Regardless, it is one heck of a tune.

Other stand out tracks on the album include: Scheiße, which mixes German, English and irresistible dance beats; Hair, a heartfelt song in the style of an 80's rock power ballad, about hair (of course); Bloody Mary, which kind of scares me, in the best way possible; and The Edge of Glory, another perfect anthemic pop song.

But who am I kidding, there pretty much isn't a track that doesn't stand out. They are all different and brilliantly unique. The album takes influence from so many sources, cultures and eras. The first track Marry The Night  sounds like a 90's dance tune, and is surely just as timeless, whilst other songs are obviously influenced by 80's pop and rock. In songs like Hair, Lady Gaga really shows off what she can do with her voice, proving she's not just a one trick pony by sounding like a member of Heart. Despite the likenesses you can draw to other music, it all sounds so new and exciting.

As an artist, Lady Gaga drips with talent and likability. The respect she has for her fans, and the respect she gains in return is admirable. Lady Gaga is all about the in your face excellence. There's no room for quiet brilliance here. I honestly can't wait to hear what she does next. I thought that she would struggle to top amazingly successful hits like Bad Romance  and Paparazzi  but i clearly underestimated her. There is nothing this woman can't do.