Lady Gaga’s Long-Awaited New Track: Child of the Madonna

Little Monsters everywhere woke up today with stars in their eyes in anticipation of Lady Gaga‘s new single “Born This Way,” for which more hype has been generated over the last six months than we knew was possible. What they found, of course, is a really good Madonna single. The track, produced by Fernando Garibay (the mastermind who, for better or worse, brought us Ashlee Simpson’s “La La”) is no “Bad Romance,” but don’t get us wrong: “Born This Way” is as anthemic and catchy as the Elton John promised it would be back in the fall. And yet Madonna’s influence here is undeniable; Gaga’s new track is the aural lovechild of Madonna’s “Express Yourself” and “Vogue.” To the Lady’s credit, there are some moments of lyrical genius, including the refrain “don’t be a drag/just be a queen,” which will surely, in the true spirit of the Internet, spawn an endless series of memes involving cats. For now, we have what will undoubtedly become a smash hit at gay clubs the world over and cover art on which a half-naked Gaga stares out from behind wild hair and horned temples, ready to ride another wave of zeitgeist-setting pop music relevance.