The music of Born This Way stems from the synthpop and dance-pop-oriented styles of her previous albums, yet it incorporates different forms of instrumentation which have not been used on her previous releases. It also incorporates a broader range of several musical genres like opera, heavy metal, disco, and rock and roll while its lyrical topics include sexuality, religion, freedom, feminism, and individualism. Despite being scrutinized by some religious and conservative commentators, the album was well-received by music critics; points of acclaim went to the varying musical styles in the album and Gaga's vocals. On November 30, 2011, Gaga received her third consecutive Grammy nomination for Album of the Year.[2]
Internationally successful, Born This Way debuted in the top five spots in every major market, including the Billboard 200. In the United States, Born This Way sold 1.108 million copies in its first week – the largest first week album sales in five years – while the album's four singles – "Born This Way", "Judas", "The Edge of Glory", and "You and I" – went on to chart in the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100. "Born This Way" became the fastest-selling single in iTunes history[3] and the promotional track "Hair" charted in sixteen countries. Gaga has performed songs from the album on different occasions, including at prominent award ceremonies including the 53rd Grammy Awards and the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards, as well as in other events and television appearances. As of October 2011, worldwide sales of the album have exceeded 8 million copies.
Contents |
Background and recording
In March 2010, Lady Gaga disclosed that she was working on a new album, saying that she had written most of the songs for the proposed album.[4] Meanwhile, her manager, Troy Carter, and RedOne commented on the album's music; the latter described it as Gaga's "freedom album" during an interview with MTV,[5] while Carter, during an interview with Billboard, felt her public image would begin to change after the release of Born This Way.[5] A few months after the announcement, Gaga exclaimed that she has finished writing songs for the album. Upon being interviewed by Rolling Stone, she expressed that "it came so quickly." She resumed: "I've been working on it for months, and I feel very strongly that it's finished right now. Some artists take years. I don't. I write music every day."[6] In another interview with the magazine, Gaga exclaimed that the album will be "the anthem of [this] generation." She continued: "It includes the greatest music I've ever written. I've already written the first single for the new album and I promise you, that this album is the greatest of my career.[6][7]Besides sessions on tour buses, recording sessions and mixing for the album took place at Abbey Road Studios in London, England, Studios 301 in Sydney, Australia, Sing Sing Studios in Melbourne, Australia, Gang Studios in Paris, France, Livingroom Studios in Oslo, Norway, Allerton Hill in the United Kingdom, Warehouse Productions Studio in Omaha, Nebraska, Studio at the Palms in Las Vegas, Nevada, Officine Meccaniche in Milan, Italy, Miami Beach Recording Studio in Miami Beach, Florida, and Germano Studios in New York City.[8] Brian May, a guitarist of Queen, and Clarence Clemons, a former member of the E Street Band, worked with Gaga in the album.[9][10]
On September 12, 2010, Lady Gaga made an appearance on the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards. During the acceptance speech for her Video of the Year award, Gaga announced the title of the album and sang the chorus of the its title track.[11] In December 2010, Gaga announced via Twitter the release dates of the album and its lead single at the stroke of midnight on January 1, 2011,[12] described by Gaga as "a Christmas gift for my fans."[13] Supplementing the announcement was a black-and-white photograph in which Gaga is "nude from the waist down, with her hair blowing about, and sporting a jacket with the name of the album emblazoned in what looks like bedazzled jewels."[12]
Composition
Themes and influences
In songs such as "Marry the Night" and "Fashion of His Love" Gaga seeks influence from Whitney Houston.
Bruce Springsteen has prominent influences on the album, notably in songs such as "Hair" and "The Edge of Glory".
Influences stemming from Madonna can be heard throughout the album, including in songs such as "Born This Way" and "Scheiße".
The album contains mainly moderate-tempo dance songs, described as "anthemic style melodies with really sledge-hammering dance beats."[31] In the months prior to the release of Born This Way, Gaga characterized her new music as "something so much deeper than a wig or lipstick or a fucking meat dress" and upon hearing it, Akon remarked that she will take music to the "next level."[32] The album includes references to several religious figures of Christianity, notably Judas Iscariot, Mary Magdalene, and Jesus of Nazereth.[33] Several songs on the album give reference to multiple social topics, including the Arizona immigration law.[20] Messages of sexuality and feminism are among the most distinguishable components of Born This Way.[15][18][20] Other themes referenced in the album include individualism, equality, and freedom.[34]
Music and lyrical content
"It's like Whitney, but imagine if Bruce Springsteen had a baby with Whitney Houston — that's what it is", she said. "And that was it! We made a baby. Finally. After all that fornication, miserably long and tedious, Fernando and I finally conceived."
—Lady Gaga, on "Marry the Night"[28]
The fourth song and second single is "Judas", which Gaga confirmed to be influenced by the Biblical Judas Iscariot. The song's lyrics are about being betrayed as well as "honoring your darkness in order to bring yourself into the light," according to Gaga.[44] The song is also essentially a dance-pop and electropop track, with influences of industrial and disco music,[45][46][47][48] a 1980s-inspired pop chorus,[49] as well as a breakdown containing elements of dubstep and techno music.[14] In parts of the song, Gaga sing-raps with a Caribbean Patois accent.[49]
The album's fifth track is "Americano", a mariachi[23] song with techno, house and disco influences.[24] Written in Spanish and English, "Americano" was composed by Gaga as a response to the Arizona immigration law Arizona SB 1070. Critics have noted vaudevillian elements within the song,[50] and it has been compared it to the work of Judy Garland,[51] with Gaga herself claiming that she sees the French chanson singer Édith Piaf when she sings "Americano".[52] The sixth track, and also a promotional single, "Hair" is a song about expressing freedom through one's hair. The song has a dance-pop melody, yet it has influences from rock/heavy metal music artists and bands such as Bruce Springsteen, Iron Maiden and Kiss, and also contains The E Street Band member Clarence Clemons playing the saxophone.[16] It has also been noted to incorporate disco[47] and Europop music.[53] The seventh track, "Scheiße" contains German lyrics and has a message of feminism,[18] accompanied by a heavy synths, techno beats, as well as Eurodisco influences.[15][24] The song's melody has drawn comparisons to Madonna and electroclash artist Miss Kittin.[54] After "Scheiße" is Born This Way's eighth track, "Bloody Mary", which is a relatively slow-tempo[24] song containing "plucked strings" and "filthy beats",[54] as well as numerous religious references, and a trance-influenced melody.[15] "Bad Kids" contains 1980s synthpop influences and electric guitars.[23] Described as having an "old-school" style,[19] its disco beat has been compared to that of Donna Summer,[23] and influences of heavy metal music have been found within is composition.[46]
"Highway Unicorn (Road to Love)" is Born This Way's tenth track. A dance-pop song with elements of industrial[55] and post-disco[19] music, it has been noted to have Bruce Springsteen influences, as well as powerful drums and synths.[24] "Heavy Metal Lover", the eleventh track, is song of electropop and techno tendencies,[18][56] which has been noted to contain elements of house music,[57] electro-industrial beats,[58] and has been compared to the power pop of the 1990s.[53] Synthesizers are used as a focal point for the song.[24] Following "Heavy Metal Lover" is "Electric Chapel", a heavy metal-influenced pop song noted to contain elements of Europop[53] that has been compared to Madonna.[18][23] The album's thirteenth track and fourth single, "You and I", is a rock and roll ballad which contains elements of country rock music.[59] The song contains a moderato-tempo,[17] and Queen guitarist Brian May is also featured on the track.[9] The track, furthermore, samples Queen's 1977 single "We Will Rock You".[9]
The fourteenth track and third single is "The Edge of Glory", which refers to the death of Gaga's grandfather.[60] It is an upbeat song of dance-pop, electronic rock and synthpop tendencies; it also contains a saxophone solo by Clarence Clemons which has drawn comparisons to blues music.[61] One of the bonus tracks is "Black Jesus † Amen Fashion", a pop song which draws influences from 1980s and 90s electronic and club music, and has been noted to contain elements of techno and New Wave music;[62] it has also been compared to Madonna and Justice.[62] The track's lyrics have numerous references relating to fashion and New York City,[63][64] including Broadway. "Fashion of His Love", the second bonus track, is a 1980s-influenced dance-pop song that contains references to the late fashion designer Alexander McQueen.[65] The final bonus track is "The Queen", which is a disco-influenced pop song about bravery and a slight element of feminism.[19]
Release and promotion
At the November 26, 2010, show of The Monster Ball Tour in Gdansk, Poland, Gaga announced that the album could have up to twenty tracks.[66] She also added that production for the album was coming to a close.[67] In an interview with Vogue in February 2011, Lady Gaga confirmed that there would be a total of seventeen tracks on the album, of which fourteen would make the final cut to the standard edition.[68] The other three songs were initially to be released on an exclusive deluxe edition of the album at Target; however, Gaga later ended her partnership with Target in response to the company's donation of US$150,000 to the conservative political group Minnesota Forward.[69]
On April 17, 2011, Gaga tweeted her selection for the cover art of Born This Way, which featured Gaga fused into a motorcycle. Gaga's name does not appear on the album cover – the only text is the chrome writing across the top reading the album's name.[70] The cover received a negative response from some critics and fans. Sean Michaels of The Guardian expressed that the cover "[looked] more like a cheap Photoshop job than the most anticipated album of the year." He then commented: "Gone are the futurist sunglasses, the asymmetrical haircuts, even Gaga's newly touted magic horns; instead, a mutant motorbike with Gaga's arms and head, plus a cheesy chrome typeface." He also referenced several messages from fans on Lady Gaga's official forum expressing their dislike for the cover.[71] Andrew Martin of Prefix referred to it as "a reject from the last Terminator film".[72] The special edition cover was released on the same day. It featured just Gaga's head from the standard edition cover. The words "Lady Gaga" and "Born This Way" appear in the top left corner of the cover. They are typed in Impact font with "Born This Way" being highlighted in white with black letters. Neither of the words special nor deluxe appear anywhere on the album, as Gaga dislikes the words.[73]
Prior to the release of Born This Way, the contents of the album were leaked online on May 18, 2011.[74] Due to a violation of copyright law, it was later removed.[74] The album was formally released worldwide on May 23, 2011, in two separate editions.[12][75] The special edition included three bonus tracks not included on the standard edition of the album.[63] Several non-singles songs were previewed as part of promoting Born This Way. Remixes of "Scheiße" and "Government Hooker" were previewed at fashion shows presented by Thierry Mugler in January and March 2011, respectively.[76][77] Several songs were released on FarmVille during the next few days prior to the album's release, including "Marry the Night",[40] "Americano",[78] and "Electric Chapel".[79]
Live performances
Lady Gaga embarked on promotional tours and live performances for Born This Way and its accompanying singles in Europe, Asia and North America. Promotion began with a live performance of the album's lead single on February 13, 2011, at the 53rd Grammy Awards in Los Angeles.[80][81][82][83] Six days later at the show as part of The Monster Ball Tour in Atlantic City, Gaga performed "Born This Way" as a second encore, using the same general attire and choreography as the Grammy performance. However, the incubation vessel was not present and slight alterations were made in the outfits of her dancers.[84] The song was then added to the set-list of the concert tour. Two months later "Judas" was performed by Gaga in at Kennedy Lounge in Tampa, Florida, after finishing her show at the adjacent St. Pete Times Forum as part of The Monster Ball Tour.[85] "Judas" was performed on national television for the first time on Ellen (April 28), and again at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival (May 12).[86][87]
Throughout the month of May, Gaga performed "Born This Way" on Oprah (May 6), The Graham Norton Show (May 13), and the season finale of Saturday Night Live (May 21), during which the singer wore a metallic dress and a side ponytail.[88][89][90] It also included acoustic performances of "Judas" and "The Edge of Glory".[90] At the Radio 1's Big Weekend in Carlisle, Cumbria, Gaga performed the first three singles of the album, as well as a live performance of "Bad Romance" (2009) and a cover of "Orange Colored Sky" as sung by Nat King Cole.[91] On May 25, Lady Gaga showcased the final version of "The Edge of Glory" at the final show of the tenth season of American Idol, where she was joined by Clemons in person.[92] Following her concert on American Idol, Gaga appeared on Good Morning America as part of the "Summer Concert Series", which took place at Central Park in New York.[93] While there, she opened up the show with a performance of "Bad Romance", and performed all the songs from the album.[93] Proceeding the event was an appearance on the season finale of Germany's Next Topmodel: Gaga previewed her song "Scheiße" and played an acoustic rendition of "Born This Way" on the piano, while performing "The Edge of Glory" to close off the show.[94][95]
Lady Gaga attended the EuroPride 2011 in Rome, Italy, where she sang several songs from the album and denounced discrimination against the LGBT community.[96] Performances on the Paul O'Grady Show and X Factor followed suit; in the latter appearance, she started the show by playing a keytar for "The Edge of Glory", and transitioned into "Judas".[97][98][99] At the 2011 MuchMusic Video Awards, Gaga opened up with "The Edge of Glory" and concludes the show by performing the eponymous lead single.[100] Both songs were performed again at the 2011 MTV Video Music Aid Japan, in which Gaga opens up the show once more by singing the album's third single, while performing an acoustic rendition of "Born This Way".[101] At French television show Taratata, "Hair" was performed by Gaga.[102][103] The recorded performance was released to her YouTube channel by Gaga.[104] It was again performed during a short promotional tour in Taiwan, alongside "Judas" and "Telephone".[105] In May 2011, Gaga told Australian radio show The Kyle & Jackie O Show that she would be coming to Sydney to perform a one-off concert in July 2011, to promote Born This Way, which occurred at Sydney Town Hall on July 13.[106][107] Over the course of a few months, Gaga performed "The Edge of Glory", "Hair" and "You and I" on various occasions, notably on The Howard Stern Show (July 18), Jimmy Kimmel Live! (July 28), The View (August 3), and the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards (August 28).[108][109][110]
Singles
Thus far, five singles have been released from the album. "Born This Way" was released as the album's lead single on February 11, 2011.[111][112] Described as a "magical message", the song was written by Lady Gaga and Jeppe Laursen, and produced by Gaga, Laursen, Fernando Garibay and DJ White Shadow.[113] The song was met with mostly positive reception from critics, who noted the similarities to songs such as Madonna's "Express Yourself".[114][115][116][117] "Born This Way" experienced widespread commercial success, topping the charts in over nineteen countries. The song became Gaga's third No. 1 hit in the United States, where it spent six weeks on the top of the Billboard Hot 100[118][119] The song sold over a million copies worldwide, becoming the fastest selling song in iTunes history.[120]"Judas" became the second single,[121] having been released on April 15, 2011. Critics reacted positively to "Judas", complimenting the song's breakdown,[122] yet noted similarities in its composition with that of "Bad Romance".[123][124] For the issue dated April 30, 2011, it debuted at No. 4 on Hot Digital Songs chart with the sale of 162,000 copies.[125] The song peaked at No. 10 in the United States,[126] and charted in the top ten of twenty countries while reaching No. 1 on the South Korean charts.[127]
"The Edge of Glory" was originally released on May 9, 2011, as a promotional single but, due to the huge commercial success of the song, it was shortly re-released as the third single for the album on May 11.[128] The song has been met with critical acclaim from many critics, who deemed it as an album highlight. Points of positive reception include the saxophone solo, the underlying message and Gaga's vocals, which were described as a "throaty, soulful voice."[129] "The Edge of Glory" has been met with high commercial success, charting on the top ten in nineteen countries. It became Gaga's tenth consecutive top-ten single in the United States, debuting at No. 3 on the Hot 100.[118]
"You and I" is the album's fourth single. Critics reacted positively to "You and I", complimenting the musical composition of the song.[130][131] It impacted American mainstream radio stations on August 23, 2011. The song became Gaga's eleventh consecutive top ten single in the United States, peaking at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100.[132]
"Marry the Night" serves as the fifth single from the album.[133] Critical reception towards the song was positive, with reviewers calling it a strong dance-pop number.[134][135] The song has already charted in five different countries including the United States, where it peaked at number seventy-nine on the Billboard Hot 100.[126] Interscope Records confirmed to Billboard that the song is to be released as the fifth single internationally but were initially undecided on whether or not it will receive a U.S. release. The label later decided to release it in the U.S. as well; it would impact Top 40/Mainstream and Rhythmic radio on November 15, 2011.[136] "Marry The Night" officially impacted Australian radio on October 17, 2011,[137] and the song will be released in the UK on December 11, 2011.[138]
Reception
Critical response
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Aggregate scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | (71/100)[1] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |    [139] |
| Robert Christgau | A−[140] |
| Entertainment Weekly | (B+)[141] |
| The Guardian | [142] |
| The Independent | [143] |
| Los Angeles Times | (unfavorable)[42] |
| Rolling Stone | [41] |
| Slant Magazine | [144] |
| Spin | (8/10)[37] |
| The Village Voice | (mixed)[145] |
However, Greg Kot of the Chicago Tribune felt that the album was rushed, describing it as "hyperventilating".[148] Kot expressed that it felt like the sound "of a major artist sprinting to please everyone all the time."[148] Randall Roberts of the Los Angeles Times opined that Gaga was lacking in innovation, stating that "musical adventure is not one of her strong points."[42] He continued: "She's unsubtle in her message, unsubtle in her dress, and, most important, unsubtle aesthetically[...]. If Gaga had only spent as much time on pushing musical boundaries as she has social ones, Born This Way would have been a lot more successful."[42] Chris Richards of The Washington Post found it "boring", writing, "Yes, Born This Way is a dark, dense and surprisingly aggressive listen... [but] at its worst, it sounds like reheated leftovers from some '80s movie soundtrack."[149] The Boston Globe called the album "the most deflated moment in pop music this year," saying the album lacks cohesion and the songwriting "feels thin."[150] The Independent gave Born This Way three out of five stars. While complimenting her vocal range, criticized the diversity within the album and stated "the broader she spreads her net musically, the less distinctive her art becomes."[143] Evan Sawdey of PopMatters gave the album a five-out-of-10 rating and dubbed it "her weakest album to date," commenting that it "fus[es] some daring songwriting with some remarkably repetitive themes and beats."[151] Rich Juzwiak of The Village Voice commented that Gaga's "we-shall-overcome sentiment" is expressed more effectively through the album's "egalitarian use of house beats" than through her "sloganeering", which he found "trite" and "[un]insightful."[145] In his consumer guide for MSN Music, critic Robert Christgau viewed the album as not on-par with The Fame or The Fame Monster, but added that "both of those keep growing, and with its mad momentum and nutty thematics, this one could too."[140]
Criticism from religious commentators
"I find Gaga to be increasingly irrelevant. She thinks she is going to be groundbreaking. She is trying to ripoff Christian idolatry to shore up her talentless, mundane and boring performances. Another ex-Catholic whose head is turned around. This is a stunt. People have real talent, and then there is Lady Gaga. Is this the only way to jet up her performance? This isn’t random, we are getting closer to Holy Week and Easter."
—William A. Donohue, on the music video of "Judas"[152]
The music video of "Judas" was criticized by William A. Donohue, the president of the Catholic League, notably for Gaga's portrayal of Mary Magdalene. In an interview with HollywoodLife.com, Donahue expressed discontent towards Gaga's focus on Judas and Mary Magdalene, calling her "increasingly irrelevant" compared to people with "real talent", and attacked her for seemingly purposefully debuting the song and video close to Holy Week and Easter.[152] Shortly after its release, "Judas" was banned in Lebanon.[157] In Malaysia, where homosexuality is considered a criminal offense, the government criticized the album for its stance on sexuality and feminism.[158] Shortly after the release of the title track "Born This Way", radio stations across the country edited out several lyrics of the song as ordered by the Malaysian government.[159] Rosnah Ismail, the vice-chancellor of Universiti Malaysia Sabah, condemned the song, opining: "Islam forbids this. We have to abide by the country's laws."[160]
However, not all religious groups reacted negatively to the album. Helen Lee of Busted Halo felt that Gaga was "spreading the [good] news of Jesus Christ, whether intentionally or not."[161] She resumed: "Her views on celibacy, personal strength and individuality are certainly laudable [...] and far more compelling is what she has to say about human nature and human suffering."[161]
Commercial performance
The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 after having sold 1,108,000 copies during the first week, making it the seventeenth album to sell over a million copies in one week. Born This Way was Gaga's first number-one album and the highest first-week total since 50 Cent's The Massacre (2005) sold 1,141,000 in its first week. Gaga is the fifth woman to sell one million copies in a week, after Whitney Houston (The Bodyguard Soundtrack, 1992), Britney Spears (Oops!...I Did It Again, 2000), Norah Jones (Feels Like Home, 2004), and Taylor Swift (Speak Now, 2010). Amazon sold an estimated 440,000 copies in its first two days at a price of 99 cents[162] (at a loss of over $3 million[163]) which contributed to its 662,000 digital sales, the largest in SoundScan history. The digital downloads accounted for 60 percent of Born This Way's first week total.[164][165] The album also became the eighth best-selling digital album in United States history after its first week of sales.[166] Before debuting on the Billboard 200, Born This Way debuted at No. 10 on the Dance/Electronic Albums chart.[167] The next week, it jumped to No. 1, displacing The Fame.[168] In its second week, the album remained at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, despite an 84% sales decrease with a sales of 174,000 copies.[169] Digitally, the album had a 94% drop, selling 38,000 copies.[170] In its third week the album fell to No. 2 being displaced by Adele's 21 with 42% sales decrease after having sold 100,000 copies.[171] In its fourth week the album fell to No. 4 with 33% sales decrease, selling 68,000 copies.[171] As of December 2011, Born This Way is the second best selling album of the year in the United States, with sales of 1,973,000 copies.[172]The album debuted at No. 1 in Ireland,[173] and Sweden,[174] while debuting at No. 2 in Finland where it was the fifth-best-selling album of 2011.[175][176][177] The album debuted at No. 1 in Australia, becoming her second number-one album there after The Fame Monster. Born This Way was certified platinum in Australia in its first week, by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) for shipment of 70,000 copies.[178] In the United Kingdom, the album debuted at No. 1 on the UK Albums Chart dated May 29, 2011, selling 215,639 units, which is the highest first-week sales of the year.[179] That week, the album outsold more than the rest of the top 10 combined[179] and has the best first-week tally of any album by an American female solo artist since Madonna's Confessions on a Dance Floor with sales of 217,610 copies in 2005.[180] According to The Official Charts Company, the album has sold a total of 689,000 copies as of December 2011.[181] Born This Way debuted at No. 1 on the New Zealand Albums Chart, becoming her second album to chart there, also after The Fame Monster. The album was certified platinum in its first week of sales.[182] Born This Way sold 184,000 copies in its first week in Japan, and debuted atop the Oricon.[183] It has been certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) for shipment of 500,000 copies.[184] As of November 17, 2011, it has sold 646,000 copies in Japan.[185] The album sold 2.5 million copies worldwide on its first week of release.[186] As of October 2011, worldwide sales of Born This Way exceed 8 million copies.[187]
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