Review

“She's just an American riding dream/ And she's got a rainbow syrup in her heart that she bleeds/ She don't care if your papers or love is a law/ She's a free soul burning roads with a flag in her bra,” sings Lady Gaga in her song “Highway Unicorn (Road To Love)” on her new album “Born This Way.” The tenth track on the album, “Highway Unicorn (Road To Love)” describes Lady Gaga and her journey, and, in fact, the entire album seems to embody a little less of Lady Gaga and a little more of Stefani Germanotta, or maybe, the two are just becoming one.

When “Born This Way” was released on May 23, Little Monsters everywhere rejoiced as they immersed themselves in the soul-bearing and honest lyrics and the artistic and imaginative music of their mother monster. The CD begins with “Marry The Night,” a party track that professes Lady Gaga’s love for her hometown of New York City. Each song on the CD is in someway very personal to Lady Gaga; through every song, listeners discover the magnitude of Lady Gaga’s faith, the way she feels about her road to success and how passionate Lady Gaga really is about feminism, equality and reforming the social structure. For example, the seventh track on the album, “Scheiße,” is all about women having the power within themselves to not have to ask for permission to act the way that they want to. “The Queen,” the 15^th track on the special edition of the album, and “The Edge of Glory,” the 14^th track on the album, also express Lady Gaga’s messages of conquering fears and “being unafraid to be great.” Almost every song on the album speak about Lady Gaga’s religion, but Lady Gaga’s songs “Judas” and “Black Jesus † Amen Fashion” specifically mention her Christian faith and love for JESUS. In “Judas,” Lady Gaga sings, “Jesus is my virtue,” and in “Black Jesus † Amen Fashion,” Lady Gaga sings, “JESUS is the new black,” and then proceeds to sing about wearing and professing her love and willingness to serve GOD everyday. Lady Gaga also makes another bold profession about her religion in the 13^th track, “Yoü and I.”

“There's only three men that Ima serve my whole life/ It's my daddy and Nebraska and Jesus Christ.”

Lady Gaga often tells of her father and her love for him in her lyrics. She also mentions both her parents in the sixth track, “Hair.”

“Whenever I'm dressed cool, my parents put up a fight.

(Uh huh, uh huh)

And if I'm hot shot, mom will cut my hair at night.

(Uh huh, uh huh)

In the morning, I'm short of my identity.

(Uh huh, uh huh)

I scream mom and dad why can't I be who I wanna be?”

“Hair” delivers the message of being unafraid to be oneself, along with the second track, “Born This Way,” which, in addition, calls for equality for all.

Lady Gaga’s “Born This Album” also displays a new musicality and elevated artistry in Lady Gaga’s music. Lady Gaga explores a new futuristic sound in songs like “Judas,” “Bloody Mary” and “Government Hooker,” then contrasts that sound by including songs with a 1980s sound, like “The Edge of Glory” and “Hair.” Lady Gaga also collaborated with Brian May, the writer of “We Will Rock You” by Queen, on the music for “Yoü and I.”

With this personal CD and Lady Gaga’s improved artistry and talent, Lady Gaga can expect a few Grammy’s and more this upcoming awards season; however, no awards could ever match the supports from her little monsters.