Download of the Day 4/05: "Alejandro" by Lady Gaga

To refer to Lady Gaga's past fifteen months as "banner" would be the understatement of, well, the past fifteen months. In that span of time, the pop star has completely turned the music world upside down with her cutting-edge style and smash hit singles. She's the first artist since Mariah Carey to see their first six singles top the Pop 100, and she's scored 6 consecutive top 10 singles on the Hot 100 (including two #1s). On top of that, she has brought with her success the return of the "pop event" music videos, in the form of "Paparazzi", "Bad Romance", and "Telephone". Finally, who can ignore her show-stopping, water-cooler, "what was she thinking/wearing" performances (the VMAs and the Brits come to mind in particular)?

With all of that in mind, everyone is wondering what Gaga will do next.

Her next move is "Alejandro", the third single from The Fame Monster. Even with "Telephone" and "Bad Romance" still in heavy rotation, it is already in the Top 40 of mainstream radio. Gaga's airwave domination isn't a fluke; her singles tend to be pop perfection, and "Alejandro" is no exception. In fact, it's poised to help Gaga take Rihanna's "song of the summer" crown, which she held from '06 to '08. It's the perfect island jam; breezy, groovy, with a Latin flavor, while still keeping Gaga's distinctive techno edge. "Alejandro" is essentially the futuristic love child of Madonna's "La Isla Bonita" and any Ace of Base track (most likely "Don't Turn Around"), which is a pretty nifty conception. Lyrically, it's just as fun. Gaga sings about not belonging to a man, presumably of the "Latin lover" persuasion. While less intense than "Bad Romance" or "Poker Face", the hook is just as catchy and irrepressible. It's actually easier to stick in your head, considering how lax it is, which is probably what Gaga was going for.

If you thought that you had your fill of Gaga, then think again. You may not realize it now, and you might may hate yourself for it, but just at "stop calling, stop calling" or "ra, ra, ah, ah, ah" begins to fade, you'll be humming along to "don't call my name, don't call my name". As you do so, just think a bit about how empty your last fifteen months would've been without her.

Brandon says: 9/10 (go to iTunes right now and download it. You'll be listening to it a lot)