Modern Anthem - Lady Gaga | Pocketmags.com

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Modern Anthem - Lady Gaga

Back in 2011, Gaga was enjoying her pop prime. Her 2008 debut, The Fame, lead to chart domination across 2009 and 2010 with singles like ‘Just Dance’ and ‘Bad Romance’. It wasn’t just that the tunes were stellar, they were accompanied by lavish music videos, outrageous outfits and performances that showcased Gaga’s remarkable voice and ability to shock.

The 2010 MTV Video Music Awards was a victory lap of sorts for Gaga. She won eight trophies including Video of the Year and wore the now infamous meat dress. On the red carpet for the show Gaga posed with her guests for the evening: gay and lesbian ex-military who had been dismissed or resigned due to the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell policy, which at the time prevented LGBT+ people from being out in the US armed forces. Into this mix came a preview for Gaga’s next musical chapter, as she sang a brief acapella rendition of ‘Born This Way’, months before it was released.

Speaking to Billboard about the song before its debut she said: “I want to write my ‘this-is-who-the-fuck-I-am’ anthem, but don’t want it to be hidden in poetic wizardry and metaphors. want it to be an attack, an assault on the issue.” She described the vibe as “harkening back to the early ‘90s, when Madonna, En Vogue, Whitney Houston and TLC were making very empowering music for women and the gay community and all kind of disenfranchised communities.”

The song arrived on February 11, 2011 on a cavalcade of hype and was an immediate commercial success, selling 448,000 downloads in the US in 3 days and topping the charts worldwide.

The lyrics were as direct as Gaga had promised, with the affirming, bouncy hook saying: “No matter gay, straight, or bi, lesbian, transgendered life, I’m on the right track baby, was born to survive”. ‘Born This Way’ was both a pop floor filler and a statement of intent.

“I really wouldn’t be here without the gay community, what they have taught me about love, acceptance and bravery

As a message song aimed at a young audience, it’s hard not to see ‘Born This Way’ as a massive success. Madonna fans however were less than impressed and many felt it was a direct rip-off of Madge’s hit ‘Express Yourself’.

Gaga told NME: “The only similarities are the chord progression. It’s the same one that has been in disco music for the last 50 years. Just because I’m the first fucking artist in 25 years to think of putting it on Top 40 radio, it doesn’t mean I’m a plagiarist”.

Madonna seemed to be unimpressed with the song, referring to it as “reductive” while sipping a cup of tea in a 2012 interview.On her MDNA Tour, Madonna even performed ‘Express Yourself’ mashed up with the Gaga tune.

While the song seemed almost destined to become an LGBT+ anthem, some felt it was pandering. Daily Beast even published a piece entitled Lady Gaga’s New Single, ‘Born This Way’, Makes Gays Turn on Her, speaking to the DJs and queer fans who felt it was merely cashing in on a conversation around bullying and young LGBT+ fans.

The lyrics too feel somewhat clunky when listened to in 2018. The use of ‘’transgendered’’ instead of “transgender” or the use of terms like “chola” or “orient made” may be an attempt to welcome all walks of life but end up repeating terms that are often used as slurs.

While there are some issues, its appeal as a souped-up pop song is hard to deny, and its ability to put LGBT+ references into a song heard worldwide was somewhat revolutionary in 2011. For instance, in Malaysia, radio stations censored the references, with AMP Radio Networks telling Associated Press: “The particular lyrics may be considered as offensive when viewed against Malaysia’s social and religious observances”.

The pro-LGBT+ message of the song ties neatly into Gaga’s support and activism. As well as speaking out against Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, she pulled a deal with US retailer Target over their support of conservative and anti-gay groups and urged fans along stops of the ‘Born This Way’ tour to contact their Republican representatives about supporting marriage equality.

In 2013, Gaga acknowledged how her own bisexuality had been dismissed or misunderstood, telling fans in Berlin: “It’s not a lie that am bisexual and like women, and anyone that wants to twist this into ‘she says she’s bisexual for marketing,’ [that] is a fucking lie.”

During the press for A Star Is Born, stories emerged of how drag performers Shangela and Willam ended up in the movie. “I make a joke sometimes, behind every female icon is a gay man,”she said at the Toronto International Film Festival, adding “I really wouldn’t be here without the gay community, what they have taught me about love and acceptance and bravery.”

In a recent video for Vogue’s 73 Questions series, Gaga remarked- “I want to be remembered for the message behind ‘Born This Way.’ would like to be remembered for believing that people are equal”.

Controversial, somewhat clumsy and yet still an anthemic, sing-along pop record, ‘Born This’ Way feels like a memorable moment in a pop career stuffed with them.

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