Think back to MTV's 2010 Video Music Awards. Lady Gaga stole the show by sweeping the awards and donning her now famous meat dress, but she also started the five month wait for this single by singing the first line of the chorus. "I'm beautiful in my way, 'cause God makes no mistakes. I'm on the right track, baby. I was born this way." These lyrics appropriately summarize the theme of this single. Over the past year, Top 40 stations everywhere have seen a large amount of uplifting songs, but none of them were as straightforward and in-your-face as "Born This Way".
"Born This Way" is a pop track, in the same light as "Dance In The Dark" to the point of sharing Fernando Garibay's brilliant production. The lyrics could have easily taken the form of a piano ballad, which may happen during Sunday night's Grammy Awards, but instead Gaga kept her danceable style of music. This is the first time I've ever heard a mainstream pop song directly address racial prejudice. This is also the first time I've heard the words gay, straight, bi, lesbian, and transgender used in a mainstream pop song. Many writers labeled the song as a "gay anthem", but it's really an equality anthem. Every issue, from race, sexual orientation, disabilities, poverty, and bullying is included in the lyrics. Gaga has a massive platform, and she's using it correctly.
Many people claim to enjoy pop music because it's "catchy" and not for the lyrical content. "Born This Way" soars in both categories. It's uplifting, inspirational, and has a hypnotizing beat. In an age where degrading and meaningless songwriting is often seen at the foreground of the music industry,"Born This Way" is the pop song that people should sing along to as loud as they can.
Lovely reviw, Preston!
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