Born This Way

Well, with ARTPOP less than a month away, I figure it's time to review Lady Gaga's third and, at the time of writing this, most recent album, Born This Way. I have a lot to say about this album before I do my usual run-down of each individual song, so I hope you'll pardon the wall-of-text. First of all, if any of you followed Gaga for quite some time now, you'd know that this album had an insane amount of hype built up for it. Gaga started talking about this album as early as March of '10. For those keeping score, that's before Alejandro even released as a single. From then on out, she teased songs from the album several times in the coming months. Because she wanted to finish her Monster Ball Tour before releasing the album itself, she ended up releasing three singles to further build up hype.When the album finally came out, it was during a somewhat low point in my life, and I hadn't listened to any Gaga in nearly a year, so hearing these new songs really cheered me up. I listened to the radio a lot back then, and my local pop station was playing tons of Gaga in celebration of this new album, which sort of re-kindled the crush I'd had on her years earlier. So, did it live up to all the hype? Let's take a look at each song and find out.Marry the Night: Though this was the first song on the album, it was actually the fifth and final single. It's a song about not letting life get you down, and instead seizing the day(or marrying the night?) and living life to its fullest. It sounds phenomenal and quickly became one of my favorite songs on the album. The music video isn't half-bad, either!Born This Way: This is the one that everyone has heard, regardless of whether they're a Gaga fan or not. It's the title track as well as the lead single, a first for Lady Gaga. You could argue that Katy Perry, Ke$ha, and Pink all sent a similar message with "Firework", "We R Who We R", and "Raise Your Glass" respectively, but I think Gaga pulled off the "self-respect anthem" the best. She's been a proud LGBT rights activist ever since The Fame, and this song served to solidify that even further. It's incredibly catchy, and I think even someone who doesn't care for Gaga might enjoy this track.Government Hooker: You know, I'm honestly not sure what message this song was trying to send, but it could perhaps be, well, how corrupt the government is? It's a generally fast song that goes back and forth from sounding happy and bouncy to dark and serious. The chorus is particularly driving and I consider it the best part. This isn't one of my favorites on the album, but I still like to listen to it.Judas: For all the praise I've given Lady Gaga up until now, this is where I must give criticism instead. You can say that I have no taste, you can say that I'm not a "true fan", or anything else you want to say, but this is my unbiased opinion. Judas is the worst song on this album. Not only that, it's Lady Gaga's worst song overall. Considering how solid the rest of this album is, I truly don't know what went wrong here. This song sounds and feels like something that was originally supposed to be given to Britney Spears or some other generic pop artist, but was passed off to Gaga at the last minute. It isn't very catchy, and the overload of religious references in the lyrics make it very uncomfortable to listen to. I generally don't like the way it sounds, and the music video is rather lackluster to boot. Why she chose this as her second single is beyond my comprehension. I seem to be alone in my opinion of this song, as I've heard many fans call it their favorite, or at least one of them(sometimes the same people who will shun songs such as Brown Eyes or I Like It Rough). Thankfully, this is where my negative thoughts toward this album end.Americano: Another one of the best songs on the album. Gaga really shows off her vocal range and prowess here, and the acoustics in the instrumental complement it well. It's another political commentary-ish song, but makes itself a lot more apparent than Government Hooker did.Hair: This promotional single is another fantastic one! Lyrically, It's undeniably happy and uplifting, and the instrumental is one of the best on the album. Many fans consider this a very relatable song.Scheisse: (I don't have German characters on my keyboard) I literally can't get enough of this song. It's my second-favorite from this album, and it's an upbeat, powerful feminist anthem that even a dude like me can appreciate. Parts of the song are sung in fake-German as an analogy to how many people hear feminists as speaking gibberish.Bloody Mary: I know I'll sound a bit contradicting when I say I love this song after I just ranted on Judas, but this one doesn't shove the religious reference in your face as much as that song did, and it sounds loads better! It's a bit slower paced than the other songs, but catchy nonetheless. It has a very creepy, ethereal vibe to it, and the scream after the chorus really catches you off-guard the first time.Bad Kids: A happier-sounding song than the last two, this one's sort of an anthem for all the would-be revolutionaries of this generation. I enjoyed this one quite a bit as well, as it stands out quite well from the rest of the album.Highway Unicorn (Road to Love): The first romantically-themed song on the album, and yet another one of my favorites. To me, this song always had some Cher vibes to it, which is never a bad thing. It has a very happy, positive feel to it that should be able to lift anyone up.Heavy Metal Lover: With prominent elements of techno and rock in the instrumental, this song kinda takes you by surprise. It's another love song with some interesting double entendres in the lyrics. Incredibly driving and danceable.Electric Chapel: This song sports some more evident electric guitar than the last song and features a very "pulsating" beat that goes well with the romantic lyrics. It seems like she put all the love songs on this album right next to each other, and it really adds nice pacing to the whole thing.You and I: By far, this is my favorite song on the album. Harkening back to "Brown Eyes", "Again, Again", "Speechless", and the feel of her older music in general, this lovely rock-piano ballad is not to be overlooked. It's a staple of hers to have at least one of these on every album, and I'm glad she finally decided to release one as a single(the fourth for this album, to be precise). It features a well-used sample of Queen's "We Will Rock You", and the song has a sweet, endearing feeling to it. This is something I'd suggest to anyone who tries to say Lady Gaga can't sing.The Edge of Glory: The last song on the album, as well as the second single. This one is about living out the last night of your life, with a nice, romantic touch to it. This was one of my favorite songs throughout most of 2011, and rightfully so. It has some deep meaning to it, yet still manages to be catchy and dance-worthy. The music video for this song is easily the best out of the five, and she looks positively beautiful in it. The saxophone in the instrumental sounds great as well!Born This Way (Jost & Naaf Remix): The sole bonus track on the standard edition. It's a very dance-oriented remix to the title track that somehow manages to be even catchier than the original. A nice extra addition!Final thoughts - This is the album that Lady Gaga wanted to be her best, and most, if not all of her fanbase generally agrees. While I don't think it quite outdid The Fame (Which is my favorite pop album overall), I still consider it a fantastic record. There was a lot of controversy over Amazon initially selling this record for 99 cents each, but I think it can be overlooked considering that it sold rather well even without those figures. I'll give this record five stars because I don't think one bad song is enough to bring it down, though it's still her only song so far that I outright disliked. I actually did see Lady Gaga live at the Born This Way ball at the start of this year, where I was treated to live versions of all these songs as well as her older songs, and it was an absolute music lover's dream! In summary, if you enjoyed Gaga's previous work, this is definitely something to pick up!

Call me an obsessed Little Monster. Revoke my indie kid card or my credibility as a reviewer. Call me a crazed teeny bopper who wouldn't know good music if it bit them in the butt. I know what I like, and I *love* this album. It is every bit as epic as I anticipated, exceeding all the expectations I had for the album and, in my opinion, leaving The Fame and The Fame Monster (Both incredible albums in their own right) in the dust.I've been in love with music for as long as I can remember. I got my first "Big kid" album at the tender age of 5 (it was Britney's debut album, and what can I say? I was born just in time for the pop music craze), and it all just escalated from there. It's been my obsession for a decade at least, very probably more. I've gotten a reputation for being both a bookworm and a music junkie, in addition to writer and, for some reason beyond me, singer. In any case, music is my life blood. I'm all about the music, which is why I love Lady Gaga (she also has an incredible passion for music, not just as a luxury, but as an art form), and why I love this album. Each song is a little gem, and they each have their own individual quirk and flavor, but they all have this big sound, and from beginning to end, this album is epic.1. Marry the Night- Gaga starts us off on the album with this song, and it's epic sound, with the sound of church bells in the background, and powerful lyrics, it's a love song to New York, and also an incredible dance song. It was definitely an instant favorite for me, from the first verse, to the addictive chorus, it's got an incredible, powerful, epic and haunting quality, I think. Gaga's vocals are incredibly solid, as they are on just about all the tracks off this album. More on this later. I love the sound and the feel of this track, and something about it is just special. 5/5.2. Born This Way- Okay, I admit, I've grown a little weary of this song due to it's extensive exposure through different media outlets, after initially falling in love with it the night it dropped. I still love it. It's message is empowering, especially for someone, like me, who has always felt out of place, who felt like a "freak" however you define it. It's catchy, danceable, has strong lyrics and vocals, and an incredible moral to it. It's only shortcoming, in my eyes, is that it has suffered from over exposure the way that all popular artist's singles eventually do. 5/5.3. Government Hooker- Not one of my personal favorites. I like it, but in comparison to the rest of the songs on the album, I'm not crazy about it. It's a good song, catchy, provocative, good for the dance floor. The vocals aren't lacking, but they aren't as strong as on other tracks. I think this song may be an acquired taste, because it has grown on me more as I've listened to it again and again. 4.5/54. Judas- As much buzz as this song created before it even premiered, I was expecting something incredibly controversial. But when I heard it, I barely even raised an eyebrow. I didn't find it offensive at all. What I did find it was catchy, another fun single from Lady Gaga. Vocals are reminiscent of "Boys, Boys, Boys" and "The Fame" mixed with "Alejandro". It's not my all-time favorite, but it's probably in the top 5. 5/5.5. Americano- I wish I could say otherwise, but I just don't like this song at all. There's nothing really wrong with it, it's just not my personal taste. It's very Spanish/Italian, it has an exotic, European feel to it, and it's catchy, easy to dance to. I think this one is a matter of taste, and, unfortunately, it just isn't quite to my liking. Still, there's nothing technically wrong with it, alright vocals, not as strong as the other songs, but still acceptable. 3/5.6. Hair- Personal all-time favorite. Catchy tune, relatable lyrics, and great vocals, it's a dance song, but it features some great, strong vocal moments from Gaga, especially toward the end. Gaga, of course, has her own sound, but when I heard it, something in the back of my mind went to Cher. I think there's definitely something in here reminiscent of a song like "Believe". Whether you agree or not, I love this song, and I'm so glad it's a single. 5/5.7. Scheibe- At first, I couldn't make heads or tales of this song. I like German, but I was iffy on the intro. The rest of the song is thoroughly enjoyable. I do like the song, but I feel like I'm more inclined to listen to it if I'm in a certain mood. Of course, another decent dance track, and the lyrics are good, vocals are nothing to sneeze at. Sort of middle of the road, for me. 4/5.8. Bloody Mary- This one takes a while to get going, but once it does, it is a very enjoyable song. Not my favorite, it's a bit repetitive, and the vocals aren't as impressive on this one as on other tracks, but it's a nice mid-tempo song, not as dancey as the others, but enjoyable in it's own right. 4/5.9. Bad Kids- Another relatable song. For anyone who's ever felt like a "bad kid", whatever you and those around you define that as, this song tells you that "you're still a good kid" to Gaga, even if you're a bad kid. The lyrics and tune remind me a bit of Madonna, to be honest, at least in the chorus. I am forever quoting this song, and it's definitely on my list of favorites. 5/5.10. Unicorn Highway (Road to Love)- One of the more epic songs on the album. All you have to do is listen to it to know what I mean. This is one of those songs that they play for Pay-Per-View commercials when they televise a commercial, complete with clips of screaming fans and grand entrances. If this doesn't become a single, I'll be a bit disappointed. It's also another very empowering song, encouraging you, and telling you that "we can be strong" on the road to love. Another one of my personal favorites. 5/5.11. Heavy Metal Lover- Another one I'm not so keen for. It's just a bit whispery for my liking, though it's nowhere near as off-putting as "Americano". It actually sounds more like a La Roux song than a Lady Gaga song. Definitely not a personal favorite. 3.5/512. Electric Chapel- I do like the electric guitar in the beginning. The sound on this one is big. It's a song that would be good for dance parties, and the vocals, though not weak, go from different levels of strength as the song goes on. Another middle-of-the-road track, in my mind. 4/5.13. You and I- This track is another great one. It has a great rock feel to it, and the vocals on this song are probably the strongest on the album. It's a love song, but it just has this real great rock sound. If you only listen to a few songs off the album, make this one of them. Definite favorite. 5/5.14. The Edge of Glory- Talk about ending the album with a bang! This is probably THE most epic song on the album, complete with strong vocals, a great dance beat, heartbeat songs, definitely a prom/wedding/NYE dance song. The lyrics are beautiful, they make me feel energetic and lighthearted, and, in my opinion, this is the perfect song to end the album with. 5/5.Cheesy, though it sounds, I give this album a 10/10 rating. It's everything I wanted and more. Lady Gaga delivered with this latest gift of music, and now I can't wait until some far-off day when I can finally afford to go to one of her concerts. If I was just a fan before, I'm a Little Monster for life, now, and there's no stopping me. I was born this way, baby!