When I first heard Firework I thought it was good but it wore off on my oh so fast.

Born This Way... man what a disappointment. I mean I was just starting to like some of Gaga's stuff not all but some and then she records this bland song.

Now you are right that these songs have good intentions but I personally can't stand these kind of songs. I don't know why maybe because they just seem to spoon feed emotions.

There is one song that I count as "inspirational" and that is The Weary Kind by Ryan Bingham can't really say why but I do find it inspiring.

Great review as always Todd

I kinda like the song "ET" but that is it, wasn't a huge fan of "Fireworks".

What the fuck is up with the intro to Born This Way. That scared the ever-loving crap out of me. What the fuck does it mean?
Also, porn is not an art form Lady Gaga. I'm getting sick of this shit. I'm singing in lingerie, I can sing. (I know she can sing okay). I don't need sexual eye-candy to like a music video or song. If anything it makes me like the song and the artist less because it shows the only way the producers think they can sell an album or song is getting a girl almost entirely naked.
(pan to recording studio office) (man 1) "Okay, we have an excellent singer that will make us money with her voice and songs." (man 2) "That's not enough, let's show her ass. Everyone likes sluts in the music entertainment industry. A whore will make twice as much money, fuck modesty. Fuck singers that can actually be used as decent role models. All women are whores anyway." (man 1 stares) "Frank Miller? Help!!! Help!!!." (gun shot).

But it's an art form if she's got crazy make up and she's all weird and there's vague symbols for something in there but you can't tell what and if it makes some people uneasy.

That's what art is. Weird sht that is in favor of or against something.

She's the lovechild of Cher & Madonna, only techno.

Though I assume the slut wardrobe is due to her past comparisons to Hedwig & the Angry Inch & Pete Burns from Dead or Alive.

we all know that Gaga is losing her shtick and that she's trying so hard to keep her look. Basically, Born This Way is just her trying to out-Alejandro the hell out of Alejandro.

Born this Way is just poker Face rewritten as a shallow motivational song for people with low self-esteem. That's basically it. Just because it's single album cover is Gaga's head on a bike doesn't make it interesting.

Whereas i' kinda okay with Fireworks. It's mediocre, but bearable and for some reason it manages to be enjoyable in it's own merit. Props to Katy Perry and the producers of that song for that.

Kinda like Gaga's newest single, Judas, is basically a rewritten Bad Romance? Seriously, when I first heard Judas, the only thing I could think was "This sounds EXACTLY like Bad Romance."

Perhaps we've overestimated Gaga's value as a talented pop artist since she's basically just changing lyrics to already existing songs and trying to market them as brand spanking new.

Just curious, but how is Born this Way at all like Poker Face? Born This Way is just a huge gay anthem (that sounds ridiculously more like Express Yourself than any of her own songs), and while I know very few people who love Gaga as much as I do I fucking hate that song. Poker Face is just a song about how she used to think about sex with girls whenever she was fucking this one boyfriend she had. Bad Romance is far more reminiscent of Poker Face, and off of the Born This Way album Judas is the closest to those to.

The song where she tries to out Alejandro Alejandro would probably be Americano.

At any rate, the new album is great despite there being a couple of songs I can't stand on it. Probably my favourite of hers so far, most of the songs are the kind of music I think of when I try to explain to people what I love so much about Gaga. Lots of songs that sound like this is where Dance in the Dark, Monster and So Happy I Could Die would fit in better. Bloody Mary is a great, great song.

Kind of random that plenty of the songs on the album are sung from the perspective of Mary Magdalene, though I find myself really enjoying that. Even if Judas basically is Bad Romance from her POV.

both of these singers hurt me physically.

I find both of these songs irritating, as it seems they are just pandering to their audience but not actually making anything real. Musicians write about what they know, and actually feel the music they write, both of these songs feel ...stupid. And hey Todd, Weird Al already made a parody, google it. Lady Gaga shot him down, finding his creation undermining of her original message. I like his version better.

Actually, the story behind Gaga rejecting Weird Al's parody is a bit longer. Apparently, it was just her manager that put Al through the ringer, and never forwarded his song to Gaga herself. Once the minor uproar happened, she finally heard and approved the parody of her song, and it'll be on Al's album that's coming out soon.

Heh. Check out CR's videos for word of a similar incident.

Weird Al parodied "Born This Way". Todd was parodying "Firework". Pay attention!

Anyway, another great review!

Great review as always, Todd.

Yeah, I loathe how the same industry that perpetuates having a bad self image then tries to get all mushy about said images they perpetuate. If Katy Perry were really sincere, she would talk about having a muffin top or something; instead, she just speaks in generalities and talks about other people.

Lady Gaga is just...strange. Can't she find someone better to rip off than Madonna? Seriously.

Also: GROCERYBAG

I was waiting the whole review for Todd to use the "Grocery bag" line. Would have made it absolutely perfect. But it was a good, funny review none-the-less.

I know that sounds like a pretty generic thing to say, but everything that can be said about Todd's reviews has already been said hundreds of times.

Though I do agree with him on one thing, I SHOULD dislike like Katy Perry songs more than I do.

The grocery bag thing will never EVER stop being funny.

Ever.

Great Review Todd, Hilarious! Also great point about the GagaMadonna comparison. Although its been made before, actually hearing it really brings it to light. As a hetero, I really haven't listened to much of the Gag, but I respect her as an artist. At the same time, I'm not going to pretend this type of pop star hasn't existed before and I'm glad your there to point it out. As sad as it sounds, I hope to do what you do one day (except not in the dark, its scary). Thanks again Todd and I look forward to your next review :)

The Gaga video is repulsive - it's time to start filming Gaga in the shadows(and hope it doesn't scare Todd into the light).

Very nice review as always, was quite suprised to see you review these 2 songs tho because they both faded into obscurity pretty quickly it seems like.

Does this mean you're not going to review Judas?

Can't wait to see what's next.

Keep up the good work! :)

Reviewing these together was a brilliant idea.

And thanks for discussing the production. One of the things I like most about your reviews is that you give about as much attention to the music as to the lyrics.

In case anyone is dumb enough to read the comments section before watching the video, don't read the next paragraph. It reveals jokes.

-----

I laughed out loud at "Boring This Way". And at "Furries." Which, since I'm watching this with headphones in the presence of other people, led to questions.

-----

In case anyone is dumb enough to read the comments section before watching the video, don't read the previous paragraph. It reveals jokes.

My biggest problem with "Firework" was definitely the fact that it came from Katy Perry of all people. I'm sorry, but unless Perry has had more plastic surgery than Joan Rivers, I do not buy for a second that she was somehow considered "ugly" at any point in her life.

"Born This Way"'s biggest detriment was obviously just how underwhelming it was. Gaga claims this is going to be the "album of the decade" and yet she releases THAT as her first single?

Brian fuckin' May is playing guitar on it. Or so I'm told.

For you uninformed, Brian May is the guitarist from Queen who's an astrophysicist. Nice career choice.

I can't say I agree with Todd on everything he says about Born this Way. I quite frankly like the song a lot and don't see it as an overproduced mess. The extra sounds don't bother me at all, in fact it sounds to me like they're supposed to be there. Without the sounds, yes, there would be emptiness, and it would sound awkward with the emptiness. I guess as a compromise, perhaps the sounds could have been toned down in volume and intensity. As for her songs sounding like Madonna, I think that's worth pointing out, but I don't think it's objective to immediately accuse her of plagiarism as many have based solely on that. I always think one should gather many types of evidence before making such an overwhelming claim.

Now as for the video... I do agree with him to some extent on that. I thought it was downright weird in some parts, even for Lady GaGa. The kaleidoscope-effects look a little crude and the stationary scenes of her dancing as a zombie next to the bored-looking guy seemed like she was lacking slightly in ideas when she was thinking about content for the video. But as usual I like her choreography and her articulate expression (even if it does look a little silly at first glance.)

Yeah, I agree about the plagiarism thing. Pop songs tend to often sound similar in any case so it might just as well be a coincidence. Or whatever. Anyway, I probably wouldn't have even noticed any similarity if it wasn't pointed out to me. xD But then again, I have no ear for these things.

He's not really accusing her of plagiarism, I don't think, just unoriginality.

I thought it was a tad suspicious that Gaga released Born This Way AFTER Firework came out, but it's STILL better than Firework. At least it sounds more interesting than Firework and has a nice energy to it.

And I say this as a Gaga fan. And I too am sick of people accusing her of plagiarism simply because her songs sound like those of another artist. Like no other artist besides Gaga has EVER copied another artist's song. Wait until My Chemical Romance finds out they "ripped off" Queen! It's called being influenced by an artist, I fail to see why Gaga doing it is a problem when it's not a problem for *every other artist in existence*. Come on, I know she brings it on herself with her weirdness, but... come on. That's a dumb reason to hate an artist and you guys know it.

Great review Todd
one thing i was kinda disappointed on though is when you started tearing apart the line about the plastic bag i really wanted you to do a little clip from "bedrock" with the line about the grocery bag

but other than that GOOD SHIT!!!!

I'll admit, Born this way is kinda decent in my book. Fireworks would be too if it weren't for Katy Perry's awful singing voice, not to mention the song is hypocritical because lets be honest, it's very easy for someone as good looking (albeit plastic) as Katy Perry to go around saying "be yourself" or "never feel bad about your looks", you get my point. That's this sub-genre of "feel good about yourself" music fails.

Unless the song goes along the lines of, "Feel good about yourself, no matter how many plastic surgeries it takes!"

I heard the chorus of Firework several times and couldn't work out what the hell she was supposed to be singing. It sounded more like a sea lion than actual words. I prefer the Born this way chorus by merit of I can hear the lyrics.

Yeah I thought it was just lazy rhyming. The words themselves don't rhyme unless you stretch those syllables out. Well, okay, generously speaking, I guess "ah" and "awe" could rhyme if you pronounced "ah" with a soft enough "a" sound, but "sky"?

Firework struck me as being pretty much a basic simple blandish-but-pleasant- enough pop song. And then I saw the video and now I crack up at the thought of rocket boobs. (Though I will say that as weird as ET is compared to most of Katy Perry's stuff, I actually really like the Kanye-less version of it.)

Born This Way... eh. Even as a member of the community that's supposedly being so wonderfully supported, I don't really feel anything about the song. Even some of the Gaga stuff in the past that I didn't like (as well as what I did) has stuck with me and I remember it; I have a feeling I'll forget about Born This Way in a matter of months.

GROCERY BAG!

Born this way is nothing more than a cash in song. It's playing on every commercial and movie trailer ALREADY.

It really is how mind blowingly fast Gaga went from eccentric to CHURN ONE OUT EVERY MONTH.

I don't know how anyone could ever defend that song, It frustrates me to watch Gaga's song quality decline, because in a decade of bland generic shit year after year, gaga came from nowhere and had actual musical talent, she can actually SING.

Yet shitty writing, stupid Madonna-esque attention grabs and now this obvious cash-grabbing has already corrupted her.

Rosie odonald is a mistake

You mean O'Donnell?

{/irony}

Somebody doesn't know what "irony" means...

I most certainly do. The irony here is that, while he says that Rosie O'Donnell is a mistake, it is actually his own post that is the mistake. That's irony. Granted, it's a bit more subtle form of it than, say, calling JesuOtaku fat.

Ah, I see the irony now. Sorry, I thought you were one of those random people that confuses irony with juxtaposition and/or coincidence.

I laughed so hard at the JesuOtaku cameo. One of the funniest jokes I've seen from any reviewer on this site, ever. On the other hand, I re-watch Spoony's Phantasmagoria 2 LP every Halloween, and I still laugh at "I heard that, Curtis," so maybe I'm not the best comedic yardstick out there.

Which is kinda sad, since I don't find many yardsticks very funny.

And the whole "making fun of stuff shooting out of Katy Perry's boobs" thing might eventually get old, but it sure hasn't yet, IMO.

I think this is your funniest review yet. I was pretty much laughing out loud within the first few minutes.

You know, I really miss Wierd Al. Lonely Island's okay, but Al was ballsier when it came to parodies, know what I mean? I just wish he'd make some kind of triumphant return to show all these popstar wannabes who's the real king.

Also, the fireworks boobs reminds me of Spoony's review of FFVIII, where fem-bot Quistis does the exact same thing. Meanwhile, Gaga's fairy form looks like that really freaky "pickle surprise" commercial. If you haven't seen it, youtube it. You'll shit bricks.

Weird Al is actually coming out with a new album, so I guess your wish is granted! He is an awesome guy, it's really great to see him still doing those things that he does.

Todd, I just wanted to say that ever since I started watching your show, I have been woken up for work about three times a week with a song you've reviewed. Nothing wakes me up faster than rolling out of bed and hearing "Grocery bag" or "Black-n-yellow, black-n-yellow, black-n-yellow".

Thanks.

Oh, and as someone who's never seen the Firework video before... Katy, what is WITH your fetish for strapping weird shit to your tits? Please, explain this to us!

"Katy, what is WITH your fetish for strapping weird shit to your tits? Please, explain this to us!"

Well I'd say it was because of Lady Gaga wearing a fireworks bra in the Bad Romance video and now Katy's trying to work off of her shtick (seriously, I can't be the only person who thinks Katy dresses more and more like a Gaga ripoff every video), but I don't want to sound like an obsessive Gaga fan. Some of us Gaga fans have standards, after all.

I'll probably forget Fireworks in a couple of weeks, and Born This Way... I can't even remember it right now, and I just finished watching the review...

My gay/bi friends hate both of these songs. .-.

That's hilarious. I keep waiting for the GLBT community to finally say, "You know, this Gaga person is just trying to use us to make money. Maybe we should stop paying attention to her." But even if they do, the media won't.

The problem is, shallow pandering bullcrap gets eternal airplay in the alternative lifestyle clubs. I do mean eternal. I go to such places less than I would but I can only take so much Madonna or Cher. I'm sad to say it that asleep-at-the-wheel piece of junk will probably be on permanent rotation until 2033. Unlike Katy Perry, who is despised for her complete failure to comprehend.

Ordinarily, by the way, I find Lady Gaga's music totally listenable in spite of myself. Heck, I like new wave and that seems to be what she's going for. Not this time, though.

Incidentally, maybe I just can't take a joke, but Todd, gay people are God's mistakes? I'm not sure how to take that, given that such things get said often enough in all seriousness.

Todd never said that gay people are mistakes, he said that G-d makes mistakes and used a photo of one person as evidence.

Saying that you can't use "G-d doesn't make mistakes" as a defense doesn't mean you disagree with the original position, just that you can't use it to defend that position.

He didn't say gay people are mistakes, he said ONE GUY was a mistake. Do YOU know who that guy in the picture was? Can YOU tell for sure if he's gay or not, just from that picture? Granted, that ONE GUY was supposed to represent a group, but I think the group being represented was supposed to be less San Francisco and more Jersey Shore.

If the response to the defense of gay people being "born this way" is "but God can make mistakes", there's an implication that I seem to be the only one picking up. Listening to it again I do suspect he's just pointing out a counterargument.

It's a pretty unusual counterargument, actually. Most people who abhor deviations from the norm would never blame God for those deviations, but fall firmly on the "nurture" side of nature vs. nurture arguments.

And there's one of God's mistakes: The Jersey Shore.

Sorry, Todd. I have to disagree about God making mistakes. He doesn't make mistakes. Humans do. We aren't born weird or whatever; that's something we develop as we get older. We choose to be a certain way.
That means I also have to disagree with Lady Gaga. I've seen a video of her playing a piano and singing as normally and as beautifully as I've ever heard her. And she dressed like a normal human being! I really think her weirdness is just for attention and not because it's who she is.

But, that's just my Christian opinion.

Also, credits song was an awesome touch.

I'm not sure I agree with the whole idea that we choose to be a certain way. I mean, stupid people don't choose to be stupid, even if they choose to do stupid things. And yet, oddly enough, we hold stupid people accountable for their stupidity (I am speaking generally, people, and am not engaging in any backhanded ad hominem). My point is, we are all screwed up in one way or another, and we're also completely incapable of fixing ourselves.

But the world is a completely screwed up place, and we human beings are the ones who made it this way. The fact that we have created a totally lust-driven society demonstrates that.

Stupid people don't choose to be stupid? Really? They were FORCED to not pay attention in school? Somebody held a gun to their head every night to keep them from studying? I agree that everyone's screwed up in some way, shape, or form, but I also think we should own up to our faults, rather than write them off.

You're confusing ignorance with stupidity.

1) Pretty sure that was a joke.

2) Maybe she was being "normal" for the attention and that's the part that's an act. Besides, does anyone always dress the same way 24/7? Is it an 'act' every time I wear a suit just because I usually dress casually?

3) What does being a Christian have to do with whether or not you think the way she dresses is just for attention? Honest question; that part really does confuse me.

Methinks "weird" might be a euphemism. That would explain the being a Christian thing.

You do bring up a good point about the being "normal" for the attention thing. She could just "normally" be an attention whore.

Congratulations! You've started a Nature vs. Nurture debate.

There are portions of the brain that develop differently between males and females. Scientists have found that in gay males, that portion of the brain developed similarly to females and vice verse for lesbian females. People cannot choose how their brain develops. Their brain develops and they just have to deal with it. It is more of a mutation than a choice. And I like to believe that GLBT people are more akin to mutants.

My gay and lesbian friends actually like this explanation because according to them, "it makes [them] closer to joining the X-Men than [I] ever could" >_>

While not true of all GLBT people, it is a scientific trend.

For some it is a choice.
Some girls are straight, but choose girls because they have been wronged by guys in the past.
Some guys become gay because they're bored.

As a straight guy I cannot speak on behalf of the GLBT community, but I just wanted it out there that there and give Lady Gaga some credit to her song that is scientific evidence that points to "alternative lifestyle" people being "born that way"

[quote]
There are portions of the brain that develop differently between males and females. Scientists have found that in gay males, that portion of the brain developed similarly to females and vice verse for lesbian females. People cannot choose how their brain develops. Their brain develops and they just have to deal with it. It is more of a mutation than a choice. And I like to believe that GLBT people are more akin to mutants.[/quote]

Well that's total bullcrap.
Afaik that was a theory once but it was disproven.

I know it's at least a hypothesis, but I'm pretty sure it doesn't have nearly enough evidence for it to be considered a theory as of yet.

Scientific theories are different from regular theories:

SCIENTIFIC THEORIES are GREATLY SUPPORTED -- and therefore GENERALLY ACCEPTED -- explanations for scientific observations. They can be either modified OR rejected upon discovery of contradictory evidence. They are generally considered to be FACTUAL UNTIL DISPROVED. Thus, it takes a LOT for anything to be considered a scientific theory, but it takes only ONE fault to disprove or rewrite a theory. There can be multiple theories explaining a single observation, but when this happens, scientists will usually pick the one they think fits best, and will then base all of their future related research off of that one theory.

REGULAR THEORIES (the kind you find in liberal arts, or the kind rednecks think of when they call evolution "just a theory") are possibilities of questionable probabilities. They are generally considered to be JUST ONE OPTION OUT OF MANY. In this sense, theories are largely subjective.

I have to disagree about people not being born weird. Google "birth defects," "chromosomal disorders," and "mental retardation." Circumstances beyond our control can affect our bodies and our intelligence, why not our preferences?

For a simple test as to whether or not homosexuality is a choice, think about when you chose to be heterosexual. When did you decide, "You know what? I'm only going to be sexually attracted to X."

P.S.
Sooooooo, there's no winner, then? Makes sense.

Winner? WTF are you talking about?

I think Wacky means that neither Kate nor Gaga won.

As usual you say what I think and more Todd. Neither song work for me for the exact reasons you said. Maybe because I'm not in the demographic GaGa is talking to, but Born This Way just doesn't do anything for me. If someone else likes it, awesome. It's not a horrible song. It's just kind of...meh to me. Firework also didn't do anything for me. I kind of forget it even exists. But anything else I said would be repeating what you said. Bravo for covering these songs. I'm glad someone gave them their time to analyze over.

And I, too, was waiting for the GROCERY BAG line. But that's okay haha.

I rather like Judas though. As offensive as it might be, Jesus with leather and on a motorcycle is awesome. And it's about time she actually looked pretty in one of her videos. ET is horribly catchy. And I would like it, but I just don't get how comparing your lover with an alien is a compliment. Someday I might submit to the catchyness of the song, I'm afraid...

Her lover is Doctor Who.

Not to be a really picky or obsessive nerd, but... the "who" portion's not actually part of his name, it's just "The Doctor". The "who portion is the response people give when the Doctor introduces himself as such. As in, "Hello, I'm the Doctor." "Doctor? Doctor who?"

... That immediately makes that song about a million times better though.

1:30 "This isn't a real gun."

Can't stand Gaga, never really been able to since she came out, but listen to what you wanna listen to. But boy oh boy did I freak when I heard this song. Every time I hear it, all I hear is Madonna. I understand she is trying to be this generations Madonna, but dude that's just a straight rip off.

...I thought they aspired to appear in overblown overrated Oscar-winning movies starring Kevin Spacey, so Wes Bentley can admire their beauty WAY too much.

I rather like Born This Way, myself. Yes, musically it's simple and fairly unremarkable, but I think that it conveys its message very effectively. I can really see this song being an anthem that gives people strength when they're plagued with self-doubt.

The song is for everyone, too. Not just gay people, or Black-White-Chola- Oriental-Indian people, or robots from outer space. This is a song about everyone, about every facet of individuality, including personality and interests and the color of your hair. I believe that its clarity and wide reach are exactly what make it a potentially very powerful song!

I really like Katy Perry.

With that out of the way, 'Firework' is not one of my favourite songs from her. 'E.T.' on the other hand (minus Kanye West's bits) is pretty bloody good.

Overall, I'd say Katy > Gaga, I've grown so tiresome of Lady Gaga's need to be "outrageous" that someone who writes innocent, bubble-gum pop like Katy Perry is far more appealing to me.

Either way, these two are the only pop superstars actually pumping out decent pop tunes. Kesha et al. is fucking horrid.

Do you like Katy Perry herself, or Katy Perry's music? There's a HUGE difference.

See, now I'm the opposite. I can't stand the bubble-gummy pop that Perry puts out and much prefer the more techno-pop style Gaga has. Most of Gaga's stuff I actually like, so the opposite applies to me: Gaga > Katy, but only because most of Katy's more recent hits were fairly lackluster to me (see Teenage Dream, California Girls). I do legitimately think that Gaga's songs get better with each album in terms of sound as she improves herself as an artist, and if she has to borrow from someone else's style to influence her music, I haven't got a problem with that. Other bands get influence for albums and their sound from other bands all the time. It happens and it's to be expected when an artist likes the sound of another artist. It's not copying, it's not ripping others off, it just is.

Now, I'm probably coming off as a Gaga freak, so let me explain. I do agree both are decent artists, though both have had their bad hits. Just Dance wasn't a strong one for Gaga, and California Girls wasn't a strong one for Katy. Judas and Bad Romance were good ones for Gaga, and ET and I Kissed A Girl were mostly good ones for Katy (except for the overplaying of Kissed A Girl and that god-awful rap part in ET). I feel like, with her current string of outfits in the videos, Katy's trying to play off of Gaga's weirdness, and it just doesn't suit her. Gaga, on the other hand, is overdosing us with weirdness; it's almost like she doesn't think she has as much talent as she does and she needs to draw more attention, like she's insecure. That's the vibe I'm getting from her at some points - insecure, and that's not how I want to see her, because I do admire that she's at least trying to do something different in pop right now.

This is the main reason I don't watch music videos much anymore - if a song can't hold up for me without a flashy video, it's not worth my time. For me, most of Gaga's songs are better without the videos, and most of Katy's are just okay in general even with the videos. It has nothing to do with their relative "weirdness" or not, it has to do with my taste in music - techno-y dance songs over bubblegum pop. Hell, Gaga could dress entirely normally and I'd still like her music. Katy could dress like a freak and have done so for the whole of her career and it wouldn't make her songs sound any better to me. In fact, I think Gaga needs to tone it down a bit - not necessarily dress differently or anything, but she needs to be less surreal and more abstract. It's becoming an overdose, as you point out, and the more singles Gaga releases *without* a video, the better they'll go over I think.

And I agree with you on Ke$ha. Just awful. Now all we need is for her to hit the real bottom of the barrel and do a duet with Justin Beiber. That, my friends, will be the song that marks the beginning of the downfall of good music.