Can Born This Way just come out already?
It feels like we’ve already heard half the album, whether as fashion-show accompaniment, part of a Today show summer concert, or an iTunes promo.
Today the latest single off Born This Way, a fizzy novelty song called “Hair,” was released on iTunes and Vevo. Listen to it after the break:
At this point, it’s clear pastiche will be the operative word for Born This Way; each song seemingly riffs on the 80s’ canon of Madonna, Cyndi Lauper, Pet Benatar, and latter-day Springsteen.
On “Hair,” as on “The Edge of Glory,” the Boss in his late ’80s sheen seems particularly channeled, right down to Gaga partnering once again with E Street Band-er Clarence Clemons and his wailing sax.
Again, her message is one of empowerment, but expressed in such a loopy vernacular—lyrics about how highlights are metaphors for freedom!—that it’s hard to tell if she’s being ironic or that cluelessly serious.
Put another way, if Springsteen’s ambition was always to “sound like Phil Spector, write lyrics like Bob Dylan, and sing like Roy Orbison,” Gaga’s objective on “Hair” seems to be to sound like Tunnel of Love Springsteen, yet write follicle-based lyrics worthy of a Willow Smith song, and sing like Cher.
What think you, Music Mixers? Have serious doubts about Born This Way taken root yet?
The Music Mix on Twitter: @EWMusicMix
Read more from EW.com:
Lady Gaga saves journalism, becomes guest editor-in-chief of Metro for a day
Lady Gaga makes debut as V magazine columnist, quotes Picasso, endorses George Foreman grill
Lady Gaga will stream songs from ‘Born This Way’ on ‘FarmVille’
Lady Gaga to release fourth single, ‘Hair,’ a week before Born This Way’s release: Still anxious for the full album?
Lady Gaga releases new single ‘The Edge of Glory’: Listen here
Lady Gaga debuts ‘Judas’ video: Watch it here
I’veloved every song off Born This Way so far and I still have faith that it will be the album of the decade just wait and see!!
Lyrically, this song is clearly targeted to Gaga’s younger fans. It’s a great song though. I’ve really liked all four songs she’s released from the album so far. Some other people clearly haven’t. To each his/her own. Thankfully, my enjoyment of a song or artist isn’t dependent upon what EW or anyone else thinks.
Drayke you hit the nail on the head… I can’t help myself reading some of these comments, it’s too much. At least there is passion there. And that the funniest thing about the obsessive Gaga anti-fan, who feels compelled to put a negative comment on EVERY Gaga article, doesn’t realize that art… and certainly pop music, doesn’t need a vote. It just is. You like it, or you don’t. And if you like… you should totally get into it. Play that record over and over. And if you don’t… you just ignore it. Maybe if you think a song isn’t so great you mention something similar that you do like. It’s great to hear about something I might not know, that’s like something I DO like. The point is champion SOMETHING. It’s way more interested that hearing over and over that you’ve written someone off.
*** FLOP ALERT !!! ***
..looks like Lady Copycat is running out of ideas.
I WANT MY MONEY BACK
VERY BAD
BORN THIS WAYS IS SO MUCH BETTER WITH A REAL MELODY.
HAIR and MARRY THE NIGHT are so POOR.
SHE’S OVER.
another cheesy and tacky track. I’ll pass!
Lady Gaga is nothing but a second-rate, trying hard, copycat!
No matter how hard she tries to seem articulate and intelligent, she always ends up looking and sounding painfully desperate and insincere.
Marry The Night & Hair >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Any Other Gaga Single This Era !
I think I know why this song sucks. It is because for the 1st time ever she is being original.
Thats telling!
The funny thing about the anti-Gaga commenters is that they actually ensure more articles, coverage and popularity of Gaga-related news with each comment.
Both positive AND negative energy = passion and publicity! Or as one writer said, “Even if they’re talking crap about me…they’re still talking about me.”
American kids are illiterate, they will buy anything not to mention this sloppy, druggy, big nose bone, unoriginal, lame & mundane musician with the name sounds like CaCa.
1) Flawed that it is, stil—the song is FAR better than “Judas” and “Edge of Whatever, Whatever, Whatever.”
2) An actual melody that’s appealing! Imagine that. Too bad it’s WAAAY too busy and whoever produced her album needs to be slapped repeatedly. All sounds are placed FRONT FRONT FRONT and given equal weight, which means that she sounds like she’s shouting through the entire song. This is exactly the same problem that she had in the last two singles.
3) The saxophone does nothing for the song. So let’s not pretend like it does—Gaga fans, it’s great that you love your queen but she could retch or fart in the middle of the chorus and you’d proclaim it to be the work of a genius. All it does it make the track sound dated.
4) Gaga needs to have some of these songs stripped down and remixed—there’s too much going on. BTW was tolerable as an over-the-top anthem with its subject matter, but the crash-boom-boom constant noise is too much. There’s a thing called “subtlety” and whoever produced this doesn’t know what that means.
5) This should have been the second single—not “Judas.” She should have kept the “happy-happy-joy-joy” feeling going and this song would have hit #1, almost for sure.
Did I leave anything out?
Have got a good listen to the full album and let me say… everyone is going to be surprised. If you were waiting for the “Bad Romance”-type moment, there are four of them you haven’t heard from the album. This won’t sway those with a strong dislike for Gaga, but even as a fan whom liked the new singles… Born This Way the album has blown me away. Even the “terrible” cover makes sense now. The Little Monsters are going to explode.
Honey, if you’re expecting us to believe that there are 4 songs on the album that are of the cailber of “Bad Romance” and that the label chose not to release any of those songs as singles and instead released “Judas,” “Edge of Glory” and “Hair,” then you’re obviously quite ignorant about the way music is marketed. It would never happen.
@Well’s Mother. I’m not really expecting you to believe anything, I’m just saying how I feel after listening to the album. I have worked in music marketing for a large independent so I am not ignorant. And actually, now that I have listened to the whole record… find this rather revolutionary. Given the small costs to release digital singles, it is now possible to release lesser songs… and then the album proper seem even bigger. “Government Hooker,” “Heavy Metal Lover,” “Schiesse” and “Bloody Mary” could be huge. They are not like the released singles at all.
I really am bothered by the copycat comments (btw, not a very original critique). Creativity is taking something else and reworking it. Creativity is always born from something else. You can trace the origins of anything to something else or a pastiche of things. So, come up with a better critique if you don’t like it. Or just don’t listen, as some kind individual suggested.
I think it is clever and fun.
Hair reminds me of a better version of Glee’s My Headband. Or a song for ’80′s high school glam rockers.
You And I = The beat from Shania Twain’s “Honey I’m Home” slowed down and her backup singers from the same song/album.
no matter how hard she tries to seem articulate and intelligent, she always ends up looking and sounding painfully desperate, cheap and insincere.
She did this to herself by proclaiming BTW was going to be the album of the decade. The baddest b!tch doesn’t need to say she is, she just is. Gaga tries way too hard.
Here’s my take on Gaga: First, I cannot look at her. She’s very clownish looking therefore, it’s hard for me to a) listen to her music and b) take her as a serious musician. After her stint on AI, I couldn’t help but turn away, because she is hard on the eyes. And I like women who look like women, and not like clowns. If I wanted clowns I would go the circus.
Her music? It’s very throwback and not that revolutionary or different than the disco era. In her music I hear a lot of Elton John influence. And I think it’s time for her to write for Broadway and forget pop music, because she’s got a short life in pop music.
There are so many other female writers/singers who are so much better than she is and I pity her because she’s got to get in “costume” to get the public to recognize her.
conclusion: ‘Born This Way ……..is not ‘album of the decade’ for sure !!!!!!!!!
It’s 2011. Does this mean that every album in this decade that Gaga releases will be inferior to this album? That’s going to be a hard act to follow, the way this one is shaping up.
This song is amazing. I was born in the early 80′s and just adore Clemons. Gaga is on another level vocally. This song is a masterpiece. listen 3 times in earphones!
A masterpiece? Really? Exactly how low are your standards?
Hair @ something Kylie Minogue would release as a 3rd single!
+++Pathetic Song From a Pathetic Copycat+++
Gaga fans are so pressed.
This is so lame and SERIOUSLY she needs to find better song-writers out there. She can write songs, but her materials are just so boring lately.
Prepare for the 5th #1 from Katy Perry, Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F) is about to slay Top 10 next week!
Judas, Edgy of Glory & now hair. All worthless just like grown up hairy gay men pubic hair.
Yes-pathetic & you said it all !
Shi$ney SUCKZ, FLOPONCE’s music is overrated trash, and madonna is old newz.
the truth is she is trying to rip off Grace Jones and others image to shore up her talentless, mundane and boring performances.
Sad era for the music industry.
“I was born in the 80s and I adore Clemons.”
This has to be the most ridiculous comment I’ve seen on here in a long time. I mean, I love the compliment, but you’re an insincere DB.
Bow down.
23 million albums sold, 69 million singles, over 1 billion on youtube, 41 million facebook, first to reach 10 million youtube. All hail the queen!!
Born This Way will rock. This is the best song I’ve heard in a LONG time! I’m buying the album the first week!
Your icon is copying that 9 year old Whip My Hair kid. Nothing to be proud of. But you sound like one of the Gaga sheep. Someday you’ll be mature enough to realize that you can evaluate an artist’s work without loving all of it.
go back to wonderland (Alice) you silly girl. I guess at 27, I have yet to mature. LMAO
This song is just addictive! As a male I thought I wouldn’t like it..but I love it!
Haha this is actually a reply to Alice: how is she copying willow smith? hair is a metaphor, you twit. don’t jump down LG’s throat for just having an opinion. I’m only 17 and a little monster and i will give you specific details on why i love each of gaga’s songs except for that eh eh song – i hate that song.
Gosh, she really has the stupidiest sheeps as fans.
First to reach 10 million twitter LG. I laugh at people calling adults sheep. We love Gaga, you love whoever…get over it. Even Britney said she loves Gaga…she knows Gaga runs laps around her anyday of the week.
Lady Gaga hasn’t sold 23 million albums! Where are you sheep getting your numbers from? Graham Norton Show? Graham Norton pulled that number out of nowhere, and of course Gaga didn’t correct him. Lady Gaga and her delusions of grandeur!
Excuse me, but Fame Monster was the biggest selling album of 2010 beating both Eminem and Justin Bieber so I don’t know who you think YOU are fooling. Go play some stupid video game kid!
I’m a student at an Ivy League university AND an huge fan of everything Gaga does. Just about all of my friends are fans as well. You might want to check yourself before you make statements such as the one you just did.
Go listen to Ugly Gaga’s horrible album ugly monster!
@Lady rat..I would love to see your face…I bet it’s busted and disgusted! Hell, I know it IS!
@ Sue….well if Brittany says it, it must be true. Lamest comeback ever.
The Fame Monster was not the biggest selling album of 2010, Eminem’s relapse was, followed by Taylor Swift. Swift’s Fearless owned 2009, followed by Susan Boyle & Beyonce.
Sorry..Adele rules 2011
Lady Gaga is getting the backlash from the general public that she and her little monsters deserve! Album of The Decade? Oh puh-leeze! She is SCARY! lol
you ugly monkey face gap teeth idiot!
iTunes has all 4 songs in the top 20…you lose and bloated faces lose…and 7/10 games!
This album should be called the worst album of the decade.
ugly pale buck tooth short rat face!
Exactly. I remember the first time Madonna had a single that I hated. And I still do to this day: “Causing A Commotion.”
I thank god my face looks like it does, yours Roxanne Shantae!
Fame Monster has sold less than 2 million in the US, and Fame has sold 12 million worldwide. There’s no way that Fame Monster has sold 9 million elsewhere in the world.
The Fame Monster sold 5.8 million..in 2010. If you can’t understand how now in May 2011 plus the 2 launch months in 2009 that it’s at over 8 million sold then lord. Barbra is still RIAA queen though.
Lady Gaga 5.8 million
Eminem 5.7 million
Justin 5.6 million
Lady Antebellum 3.6 million
Taylor Swift 3.5 million
Susan Boyle 3.0 million
Your face looks like Lady Gaga when she cried in the mirror on that HBO special! RAT-TA-TAT-TAT
bow down….
Again, the Fame Monster has sold less than the number needed to make LG’s total worldwide sales 23 million. Fans love to inflate the numbers, but it ain’t happening. Eventually, yes. But not today.
I hate when dumb stupid bloggers think they know more than the record company.
Fans can tell themselves over and over that this music is ok..but really deep down all the little monsters are crying becasue this all sucks soooooooooo bad.
It’s so discoish….she’s not doing anything revolutionary or very interesting. As much as I don’t like Amy Winehouse, I like Amy Winehouse’s music…I like Adele’s lyrics….the British chicks make Gaga look like mush…but Gaga does all this stunt stuff to get attention. I have to turn her music off because it’s overproduced and dance floorish, something that everybody and their mama is doing.
Are you crazy? Deep down you guys know you LOVE GAGA! Why in the hell are you here commenting? I would never get caught dead commenting for a Britney or Madonna article. They suck to me.
LG hit the nail on the head. I don’t watch many movies so I don’t click on the movie page, I’m not interested in Survivor recaps so I don’t read (or much less comment on them). So either you haters have a secret crush on Lady Gaga, or you need to get a life.
@Danny A lot of us really enjoyed Lady Gaga’s early music and I, for one, am giving the new music a chance with each new single being released. That’s why we go on the Lady Gaga pages.
Rubbish, is all I can say. She looks desperate releasing a single every week.
I thought some of the first singles were absolutely BRILLIANT—both music and lyrics. She put this album out too soon, and in hindsight she’ll realize it.
I fail to get the logic that someone harshly criticizing Gaga secretly loves her. That sounds like a pipe dream conconcted by an idiot..oh look it was!
Ian = funny. I need a man like you in my life, Ian. Roxanne’s father brought me nothing but heartache.
You know how some musicians are complaining that iTunes is ruining music because people can buy single songs instead of an entire album thus ruining the album experiences. Wel I think Gaga is contributing to this by releasing her entire album in single format prior to it’s release.
Hair= mediocre at its best!
LGG’s songs are getting more and more pathetic week by week!
+1
Worthless smelly pubic hair.
“Sits down & turns of the radio”
another sick dimented evil b- itch promting her garbage to the young ones, imagine that heels in the shape of a p- enis, what morals, but she’s making the money, what a society we live in.
sad, sad ..sad!
We should be so GRATEFUL that she is here and teaching children love and acceptance, so unlike so many CHRISTIANS that calm to do that….please, you CHRISTIANS need to just live in your boxed bubble and stop promoting your false reality.
Lady Copycat is at it again! I knew that her verses in Edge of Glory sounded like a chorus! Lady Copycat’s Edge of Glory verses ripped off Alexz Johnson’s Unravelling. Google it, and the chorus should start at 0:44 seconds!
Lady Copycat is an idiot. The two songs aren’t even close—except they are in the same key.
they all sound alike!! tee-hee!
..Gaga songs still sounding like an early-90s Tampon advert.
I’m sure this is going to live up to all its hype. Just like Chinese Democracy. And Snakes On a Plane.
Yawn. We’re 4 songs in now and it feels underwhelming.
Very Very very underwhelming.
Agree…sorry Gaga
LOL is a hater…a ugly hater too!
Yeah because we have LOL’s pic..grow up loser!
Totally underwhelming — AGAIN. The masses will buy this album because that’s what sheep do. But it’s mediocre. In her rush to be an “icon” before actually producing work worthy of that title, she’s gotten sloppy. And she’s become incredibly arrogant and annoying whenever she speaks.
Again, Alice we will buy it if the music is amazing and she has given us tastes of the music on her gagavision episodes and she has tweeted lyrics so teens/gays/outcasts can relate to it.
Okay have your own opinion but I REALLY hate when people call fans of a movie, music or whatever “sheep.” I make my own opinions, if it happens to agree with popular opinion then so be it.
Woot – there it is!!!
Honestly, I never thought I’d say this, but….Gaga’s kinda leaving me lukewarm recently. I consider myself pretty close to a fanatic back in the Fame Monster days, but all her recent songs have just seemed rather “meh” to me.
Specifically, all her older songs were catchy and melodically interesting, with lyrics that surprised and intrigued. Every single from “Born This Way” has had mediocre composition at best (ymmv), and rather simple, lackluster lyrics. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that one of her new songs will change my mind, but I gotta admit, I’m starting to worry.
All she’s doing is recycling disco and dance floor….this is nothing revolutionary.
The end of Gaga era!
Me too, exactly, David
Her live performances are really why I’ll still consider myself a fan no matter how bad this album might be. But if she doesn’t pick it up by her next album, I’ll have to reconsider being a fan.
The sound of all of these songs is essentially the same. Her delivery in all of the songs is essentially the same. The production of all of these songs is essentially the same. Remember how Madonna did 2-3 songs that involved speaking: “Erotica,” “Justify My Love,” and “Rescue Me?” The first one was HOT. The second one was a bit after the first, so it was still okay—but it wasn’t as good of a song. By the third one, it was like: “okay, this trick is getting old.”
If I come back to this article in 30 minutes will you have written an essay about how now that you’ve listened to it a few times you realize its incredible and groundbreaking ?
The song is ok. Nothing special. Better than Born This Way and Judas tho.
LOL. No, if anything, repeat listens just makes it sound more average, at least to me.
Ha! Should I?
I love, love, love Gaga, but this album is going to flop big time. Seriously.
The song sounds like Celine Dion trying to be cool by singing outdated upbeat pop rock songs. Another loser in an increasingly underwhelming album, plus the build-up for this album is more played out than Oprah’s final season.
You are a deaf loser probably too old to have any fun anymore so you sit at your computer and write bullshi$.
AGREED, This song is amazing! AGREED! lol
You really need to stop commenting on everyone’s post that comments about their disdain for this song or Lady Gaga. If you’re entitled to your opinion, so are they. Your little comments aren’t going to change their minds.
Actually, that’s exactly what she sounds like. Gaga should leave the power diva costume at home and do more of the robotic/hypnotic/restrained music. It’s what she does best. She doesn’t have that great of a voice—and yes, she can sing WELL, but her voice isn’t that distinctive or pretty—like an Annie Lennox.
I’m not a huge Gaga fan, but I did enjoy her first album. Having heard about half of the new one already, these have all been very mediocre dance tracks. Even Ke$ha’s songs sound more original than this.
Agreed….sad.
did you say Kesha???? Lord have mercy on your opinions…lol.
I’m not saying Ke$ha is good; I’m saying this song is that bad.
Honestly, I have to agree. These new Gaga songs are not good at all. I’d rather listen to “Blow” or “We Are Who We Are.”
Another lame song. Her album is gonna suck.
i dont understand how come everone says she copies everone from the 80s its n like she does covers of maddonas songs etc shes writin her own songs and madonna inspires her is that such a big problem shes amazing and for true talent just to alwas get put down is really sad but some people wont like what they cant understand and need to label her as a copy of madonna
Ever heard of punctuation, or did you sleep through grade one??
Brad. Get. A. Life. Is. That. Enough. Punctuation. For. You? It is not called grade one; it is called first grade.
Diana, Go f*ck yourself. “It is not caled grade one” ?? Um, ya, dumbass, it actually is.
Google search on “grade one:” = 5+ million. “first grade:” = 11+ million. “1st grade:” = 22+ million. Sorry Brad, you lose this round.
Me-OW!
Not a huge fan of this song, but I still kind of like it. I partially appreciate Gaga branching out and trying “new” things. The other part of me really wants her to go back to her roots. The Fame was awesome and juicy. Still, based on the snippets she provided on her gagavisions, I still think this will be a solid album overall.
Great song! There are a lot of haters out there! I think we’ll see what’s what next Monday.
First time I heard it I was lukewarm, then by the bridge around 3:30 I was like…nice! Since then I’ve downloaded it from iTunes and have heard it about 5 times now. Great song….haters will hate cause their favorite bit$$ isn’t GAGA!
I didn’t like the beginning, but then it picked up a nice groove. But then she starting shouting again and it sounded like the other songs.
This song is a masterpiece!!! My favorite so far from the best album this year already!
You know NOTHING about music. You can call someone else deaf if you like, but we can all agree you have no taste.
Brad, you are telling me I know nothing about music? Bitc$ I was born in 1980 and own every classic album before and after that date. let me guess…you don’t buy POP…lol. You missed out on some great albums loser!
Listen up juniour tw#t, I was born in ’74 and have seen more concerts and heard more albums than you ever will. If you seriously think that the sh#t Gaga has churned out over the last three months makes BTW the best album of the year, then you’re the tone-deaf simple-minded f*ck. Pot and kettle, indeed.
Well I damn sure don’t think Adele has it! I think Adele has an amazing voice (still need to hear her live and performing a full concert) but her music is just ok. I tend to like artists who take risks than play it safe. Gaga fits the bill. Again, the fact you were born 6 years before me says nothing that you know music better than I do. I never said it was the best this year as I haven’t heard all of the album yet. But it IS the most exciting by far!
This fighting is getting me hot. Thanks for that, LG.
Adele’s music is TIMELESS. If it wasn’t LADY GAGA singing this, this would be tossed to the side and the album would be thrown with all the other mediocrity thrown out these days.
LG, you misspelled “bitc%.” Can’t we all just agree that of all of Lady Gaga’s songs about hair—this is the best one? Oh, and my mama is about to die of cancer. Do you think Jesus will let her into heaven with these tired-azz shoes she got on, or should I help a “”bitc%” out? (see LG, I did that JUST FOR YOU!)
The Gaga-haters are only capable of choosing from one of four insults: a) This song sounds like [insert female pop star who in her day was accused of sounding like a previous female pop star too], b) She’s a flash in the pan [famously said about every female artist with a decades-long career], c) She has no real talent [
That was only three. Are you making us wait with anticip….
No, I hit the submit button too soon. See the rest of the post directly below that was posted 6 minutes later.
The Gaga-haters are only capable of choosing from one of three insults: a) This song sounds like [insert female pop star who in her day was accused of sounding like a previous female pop star too], b) She’s a flash in the pan [famously said about every female artist with a decades-long career], or c) She has no real talent [not even worthy of a response]. Yes, Gaga is overexposed but that’s the entertainment media’s fault for writing a full-length story with commentary literally every day for every move she makes. So it’s time to stop pretending like she’s the first artist to ever draw inspiration from other artists. It’s called genre! Gaga-haters are just contrarians. If the new album flops (which there’s not a chance it will), they’ll be all about her next year and her “comeback.” People just hate who’s popular and trying to see the justifications for it is sad.
Certainly not a hater here. I loved The Fame and The Fame Monster. But she can do better. Why do 80s music if you’re not going to add anything to it? The 80s were great for a reason and it wasn’t just for great guitar riffs, saxophone melodies, and New Jack Swing beats behind a mediocre pop song. Gaga is great, don’t get me wrong. But she needs to go back to her roots and figure out her place in music. Because it’s not the 80s that’s for sure.
She has done so poorly on writing lyrics that I’m shocked after she claimed this was the album of the
decade. It’s shocking to me. I had higher hopes for her after the Fame era. Hair is a joke. I’m sure out of the 17 songs I can cobble enough together to have a decent album. But album needs to get off the coke and her delusions and her yes people and get back to basics, great songwriting and hooks and melody.
…pation?