Lady Gaga - Born This Way [Album]

Lady Gaga - Born This Way - Lady Gaga takes us on a wild musical rollercoaster ride unified by explorations of personal freedom, the difficulties of communication, the power of love, and a never ending quest for artistry. By the end we are left standing at the edge, not alone, but with another in a moment poignant and powerful enough you might shed a tear or two. Individually, some songs here may seem a bit messy or unusual in lyrical content, but in context it all makes sense as Lady Gaga encourages us all to, "Marry the Night."

Audacity and Openness Reign Making 'Born This Way' a Master Stroke

Born This Way would be nothing without Lady Gaga's sheer audacity and openness on record. We are pulled into the murky world of personal religious conflict on tracks like "Judas" and "Bloody Mary" in a way that completely dismisses any concern about blasphemy. With the release of the title single Lady Gaga proudly proclaimed the value of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered people in a way that dared pop radio to play it and now has kept it there in the top 20 for the last three months. She brazenly welds disco to metal guitars embracing all of her musical influences in a mad clash of styles that works more often than not. Born This Way is not an album for those who don't like to feel an artist in their face. Here she enlists a team of producers but most prominently Fernando Garibay and RedOne in bringing her musical visions to life. Lady Gaga will happily challenge all of your assumptions about what pop music can be.

Energy That Obliterates Missteps

On its own the song "Hair" seems rather silly and overdone in its focus on using one's hair as a metaphor for personal freedom. However, sandwiched between the charming "Americano" and full throttle half-German dance attack of "Scheisse," we are carried along by the energy that bursts out of all of the songs here. This is an album that will leave you feeling you need to catch your breath by the time the end rolls around after 14 songs, none of which amount to filler. It is difficult to imagine Born This Way missing any of these songs.

Top Tracks On 'Born This Way'

• "Marry The Night"
• "Born This Way"
• "Bloody Mary"
• "Heavy Metal Lover"
• "The Edge Of Glory"