Album Review: Lady Gaga's "Born This Way"

Gaga's second album "Born This Way"
has arrived. Is it worth the hype?
Find out!

The buildup to Lady Gaga's sophomore album has been tremendous, but was the hype all worth it after
all?

Yes.

Born This Way is the pop equivalent of a rocket. It soars beyond the standard limits of mainstream music in its effort to blend dance beats with stadium rock style. There are some cracks, with some of the songs suffering from overproduction, weak lyrical structure, or both. Ultimately, the album works as an amazing set of forward thinking, provocative dance-pop that, if promoted correctly, could rework the conventions of mainstream music.

Here is my track-by-track review after the jump (note: I am reviewing the standard edition, the deluxe edition will come later):



Marry The Night - The song starts off slow before exploding in a dancefloor blaze. It's definitely a club banger, but there's also a very subtle edge built into the synth-driven production. The ending part of the song is one of the album's highlights, where that edge comes out in full force. It's an excellent album opener, and potential single. 8/10


Born This Way - The album's first single sounds a lot better in the context of the album, but it is still one of the weaker tracks she's released. It is also one that suffers from overproduction; the spacey, swishing synths are unnecessary and drown out Gaga's vocals. Still, Gaga should be credited for fearlessly demanding equality for all. 7/10


Government Hooker - Dark, twisted, and a bit smutty, this is one of my favorite songs from the album. Everything works in this song: the sparseness of the beats, the epic wailing, the scary-sounding man in the verses, and classic Gaga lyrics that you have to think about to understand. 9/10


Judas - The under-performance of "Judas" as the second single truly puzzles me, considering it's the most commercial single on the record. Sure, the lyrics might be baiting the religious a bit, but it has a very strong hook, a catchy chorus, and it's produced by RedOne! I guess it will have to go down as an unappreciated gem. 9/10


Americano - It took me awhile to get used to this song, but it is definitely one of the more unique album tracks. Over a fusion of trance and flamenco, Gaga sings about love against the odds of immigration. It is the first of her forays into other languages, the least successful one. It's pretty busy production-wise, but it has it's charm. 7/10


Hair - Gaga said that she was inspired by Bruce Springsteen for this album, and this is the first track that shows it. Featuring the first of two appearances by E Street Band saxophonist Clarence Clemons, "Hair" is a powerful dance-rock anthem about individuality and freedom, using hair as a freedom. Lyrically, it's sounds a bit young, but the stadium-size production makes it all in good fun. 8/10


Scheiße - I reviewed this song earlier, but I don't mind praising it again. It's absolute brilliance wrapped in four minutes. With it's Eastern European dark techno beats, faux-German gibberish, and powerhouse chorus (aided by an amazing vocal from Gaga), this is the album's true highlight. 10/10



Bloody Mary - Gaga slows the tempo down for "Bloody Mary", sung from the (assumed) perspective of Mary Magdelene, who she portrayed in the video for "Judas". It has the cleanest production of any song on the album, which really helps the song's melancholic feel. It's quite the risk, but it pays off. Anyone looking for something new from the Gaga, you'll find it here. 8.5/10


Bad Kids - This is the weakest track on the album for me. The pure pop of the chorus just doesn't gel with the rock feel of the verses, and the lyrics are, quite frankly, annoying. This one of the songs that, while pretty good, could have been easily left on the recording studio floor, or replaced with one of the deluxe tracks (like "Fashion of His Love"). 5/10


Highway Unicorn (Road 2 Love) - It sounds ridiculous on paper, but this one of the songs that snuck up on me after a few listens. It is one of the more successful attempts at power pop on the album, especially with the chorus. It sounds like it was born from the love child of Poison and Cyndi Lauper, which is pretty awesome when you think about it. 7.5/10


Heavy Metal Lover - When I first heard it, I hated it. 10 listens later, I love it. Like "Bloody Mary", it is one of the least club-ready tracks on the album. Yet, with its slow, fuzzy, dark synths and the irresistible "oohs" of the chorus, I found myself bumping to it anyway. There isn't that much to it lyrically, so its more of a triumph in it's production. 8.5/10


Electric Chapel - With it's electric guitar opening, "Electric Chapel" is the clearcut rock cut of this album. I like the contrast of the softness of the chorus and the edginess of the verses. Speaking of soft, Gaga sounds surprisingly serene on this song, which may or may not be a conscious choice. Regardless, it is a really good, authentic album track. 7/10


You and I - She's been performing this song since forever, but hearing it in its studio version is a totally different experience. Produced by Robert "Mutt" Lange, this a faithful, true blue rock track, and for those who think she can't pull it off, prepare to be surprised. Gaga sounds her best on this song, as she sings a rather touching tribute to her "Nebraska guy". 9/10


The Edge of Glory - The album's closer is about the closing of life, which in Gaga's eyes, is a massive celebration. This is the most joyous, euphoric song on the album, which is pretty poignant considering the song was inspired by her dying grandfather. The sax solo by Clemons is absolutely killer, as is Gaga's climatic vocals. "The Edge of Glory" is a sensational way to end this album, and any one for that matter. 9/10


Final Thoughts - Born This Way will undoubtedly be one of the biggest albums of the year, for many positive and negative reasons. Some critics will surely crucify it for the slightly overbearing overall message, while others will praise it for the different risks that she takes. When the dust settles (and Gaga hopefully takes a break after the album finishes up), this album will simply stand as a cobblestone towards Gaga's ultimate canonization as a pop icon. 8/10