“It doesn’t matter if you love him / or capital H-i-m.” And thus Lady Gaga launches into her first new sounds since “The Fame Monster.”
“Born This Way” bowed this morning (and, I will admit, rather loudly) at 6 a.m. EST on the singer’s website, and is streaming for free, on loop. Considering the amount of traffic her page is receiving, expect the internet to break a couple times before you get a full rotation in today.
And “Bad Romance,” this is not. There isn’t a scrap of ominous, lurching minor notes or monsterous rhythms; instead, this is an out-and-out upbeat, ’90s-styled dancefloor anthem, in praise of “loving who you are” and societal equal-footing, whether your “black, white, beige” or “Orient” (“Orient?”).
An inevitable Madonna comparison comes to mind, with the speak-singing verses and quick turns of phrase, like “Don’t be a drag, just be a queen” (a “queen on a throne,” perhaps?) and the thorough embrace of each, sweet syllable: “I was born this way-hay.” I’ll be damned if it doesn’t nod at TLC’s “Waterfalls, “too, not just in the verse melody but also on themes of “mama said” and survival.
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Gaga clearly doesn’t shy away from hitting the a spiritual hot-button either, shrugging off “religion of the insecure” and “rejoicing in truth,” especially for the gays and the racially oppressed.
No doubt, this song is as catchy as anything Lady Gaga has made, and surprisingly sunny; the solstice certainly came early this year — see you this summer, Stace.
“Born This Way” is the first song and first single from Lady Gaga’s forthcoming album of the same name, due May 23. The song can be bought starting today via the usual digital retailers. She’s likely to perform the track live at the Grammy Awards on Sunday.
As previously reported, fans who order the album via Target will receive eight bonus tracks and an early download — as in, starting today — of the single.
What do you think of the track? Are your paws up?