Lady Gaga and controversy seem to go hand in hand and her latest single is no exception. “Born This Way” premiered this week and already landed the #3 spot on the UK Singles Chart and is looking to be headed straight to the top of the Billboard Hot 100. Written and co-produced by Lady Gaga and produced by Fernando Garibay, DJ White Shadow the single has been causing quite a commotion lately, drawing comparisons with Madonna‘s (the original QUEEN OF POP) 1989 hit single “Express Yourself.” While I’m NOT saying that these comparisons are unfounded, I think we need to evaluate the single on it’s own as a Lady Gaga single. Is it a GOOD Lady Gaga single? In my opinion, it’s just average.
My first reaction upon listening to “Born This Way” last Friday was – IS THIS ALL SHE’S GOT?! Let’s get one thing straight, the single is going to be a success for Gaga, most likely her 3rd #1 but is it a worthy follow up to quality singles like “Poker Face,” “Paparazzi,” and “Bad Romance?” Gaga’s message is a powerful and meaningful one. Preaching the importance of LOVE without boundaries. Love is truly color blind, and indiscriminate when it comes to sex, sexual orientation, religion and everything in between. This is a GREAT message. I’m not saying it’s not. What I’m saying is that as a song, it doesn’t impress. It’s not boring per say… but compared to what Gaga’s dazzled us with previously? It’s a little boring. Don’t listen to the lyrics and listen to the music and production for a minute. Is this the most amazing pop song ever written? No. There was just a lot of hype leading up to this release and part of me feels like Lady Gaga‘s failed to live up to it.
As is the case with many first impressions, this one likely won’t last. I have a strong feeling that “Born This Way” will be a grower for me – the more I listen the more I learn to love it. First off – there was last night’s Grammy performance of the song. Very hot. Loved the choreography. Then, throw in the forthcoming Jonas Åkerlund-directed video and the inevitable club remixes and I’ll be changing my tune for sure. This is an honest review based on my first impression of the song. I just hope that the rest of Gaga’s Born This Way album is more impressive than this debut, but then again, the first single is usually the best, right? Crossing my fingers! Listen to the song below and download it on iTunes HERE.