Lady Gaga takes us on a wild musical rollercoaster ride unified by explorations of personal freedom, the difficulties of communication, the power of love, and a never ending quest for artistry. By the end we are left standing at the edge, not alone, but with another in a moment poignant and powerful enough you might shed a tear or two. Individually, some songs here may seem a bit messy or unusual in lyrical content, but in context it all makes sense as Lady Gaga encourages us all to, "Marry the Night."
Audacity and Openness Reign Making 'Born This Way' a Master Stroke
Born This Way would be nothing without Lady Gaga's sheer audacity and openness on record. We are pulled into the murky world of personal religious conflict on tracks like "Judas" and "Bloody Mary" in a way that completely dismisses any concern about blasphemy. With the release of the title single Lady Gaga proudly proclaimed the value of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered people in a way that dared pop radio to play it and now has kept it there in the top 20 for the last three months. She brazenly welds disco to metal guitars embracing all of her musical influences in a mad clash of styles that works more often than not. Born This Way is not an album for those who don't like to feel an artist in their face. Here she enlists a team of producers but most prominently Fernando Garibay and RedOne in bringing her musical visions to life. Lady Gaga will happily challenge all of your assumptions about what pop music can be.
Energy That Obliterates Missteps
On its own the song "Hair" seems rather silly and overdone in its focus on using one's hair as a metaphor for personal freedom. However, sandwiched between the charming "Americano" and full throttle half-German dance attack of "Scheisse," we are carried along by the energy that bursts out of all of the songs here. This is an album that will leave you feeling you need to catch your breath by the time the end rolls around after 14 songs, none of which amount to filler. It is difficult to imagine Born This Way missing any of these songs.
Top Tracks On 'Born This Way'
- "Marry The Night"
- "Born This Way"
- "Bloody Mary"
- "Heavy Metal Lover"
- "The Edge Of Glory"
Born This Way Is a Powerful, Muscular Pop Music Journey Not To Be Missed
Born This Way begins and ends with near perfection. The album opens with the song "Marry the Night," Lady Gaga's grand invitation to embrace the darkness both within and without. She knows that we will all enjoy and understand her musical presentation better if we first open our hearts and minds to our own selves. It is no surprise she then segues into "Born This Way," the ultimate celebration of individuality. For the rest of the album we are shuttled among songs that seek a wide variety of words, metaphors, and expressions to explain the importance of personal freedom. Lady Gaga shows us the power of connection in raw, physical terms. The carnal power of "Heavy Metal Lover" is impressive to behold. Finally, the whole album is wrapped up with "The Edge Of Glory" which absolutely glows as the conclusion to this masterwork of an album. It blends pop, rock, and dance music in a statement simple and profound, "I'm on the edge of glory, and I'm hanging on a moment of truth. Out on the edge of glory, and I'm hanging on a moment with you."
