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Lady Gaga is a pop superstar who puts on glamorous live performances and confidently jams on her guitar like no other. It's easy to call her a pop star because that's what she is on the surface, but when you break down her music, messages, and style, Gaga is defiant, loud, powerful and sexy- Gaga IS today's rock n' roll, you just need to peel off a couple layers to plainly see it. Here are seven songs Gaga gave us that prove she is keeping rock alive by tricking us into believing they're pop.
7. Paparazzi
Gaga's first album is booming with heavy synthesizers and electronic sounds, but when you strip it down it's clear that without the heavy production it could have easily been a rock album, "Paparazzi" being its leading argument. The lyrics are about being a rock star and loving a rock star. Beyond the lyrics, if you play the song acoustically (the way it was probably written), you’ll hear it as a rock ballad and not as an overplayed radio pop song.
6. Born This Way
An obvious dance track and anthem of acceptance, "Born This Way" will always be an iconic Gaga song. When it first came out many people felt as if they had already been listening to it for years; it was just that catchy (and extremely similar to Madonna’s “Express Yourself” which caused a bit of a lady rock feude.) Lady Gaga has always expressed her love of and influence from Madonna- another rock star that was refused by the genre for many years, and was instead labeled pop. “Born This Way” carries the who-gives-a-f*ck rock n’ roll mentality, and was clearly a child of the rock genre.
5. Joanne
I could have easily written this whole piece based on Gaga’s 2016 album “Joanne” alone. The album is one undercover rock song after another. The Track “Joanne,” is soft but mighty. Think Fleetwood Mac. If the public would only pick up on it, this song could live on forever.
4. Edge of Glory
“Edge of Glory” carries an intense beat, melodic harmonies, and a screaming chorus, causing Billboard to label the song as “a vigorous Springsteen arrangement.” Billboard said, “Speaking of Springsteen, the Clarence Clemons sax solo swoops in at the perfect moment to push “Glory” over the edge into greatness.”
3. You & I
Featuring Queen’s Brian May on guitar, “You & I” is an arena-rock song and one of the best in Gaga’s career. She pays tribute to rock n’ roll in this track by melody, lyric, and instrumentation. This song is untouchable by the pop genre.
2. Shallow
Written to be a soft rock song, this was really the first time Gaga hit her audience over the head with her vocals, as if to say I am rock, hear me roar. And everyone finally got it.
1. Come To Mama
Part show tune, part rock ballad, part pop hit, this song is Gaga at her best, and most versatile. The melody could have been put together by Queen, the chord changes by The Beatles, and the piano riffs by Elton John- why are we pretending this is a pop song!?
No matter what category society decides to place Gaga in, there’s no doubt in where her passion is formed from. Rock n’ roll is the heart of Gaga- don’t ever forget it!