Born This Way

Lady Gaga Born This Way Video

           Lady Gaga is a relatively new breakout artist who has captured the world’s attention with her out-of-the-box fashion ensembles and chart topping music singles.  It is no surprise then that when her newest single ‘Born This Way’ was released early this year, it reached the No. 1 spot on Billboard’s Hot 100 within the first week as well as the No. 1 spot iTunes. I believe Gaga’s single has been so well received because it is relevant, it is on the cutting edge, with respect to sound and melody, and it has inspiring lyrics which relay an uplifting positive message. Through the words of her song, Gaga tries to create an inclusive atmosphere where everyone might feel as though they belong. Gaga demonstrates this point in an interview with Barbara Walters: “I want to free [my fans] of their fears and make them feel they can create their own place in the world.” Overall, ‘Born This Way’ does an exceptional job of embracing differences in sexuality and race as well as promoting societal change.

While on her rise to fame, Gaga made it no secret to her fans (which she calls her “little monsters”) how important the gay community was to her. Prior to ‘Born This Way’, she had no songs which explicitly stated her open acceptance, but nevertheless situated herself as a gay icon with a loyal fan base of thousands of LGBT followers who idolized her because of her eccentric personality. When the new single dropped, gay (and straight) fans went crazy for what the singer claimed would be the “new gay anthem”, knocking aside the popular Gloria Gaynor single ‘I Will Survive’.

It is interesting to note that ‘Born This Way’ and other gay anthems which resonate effectively with the gay community encompass three main elements: a talented diva and the themes of unashamed sexuality and making no apologies for who you are. Evidently, Lady Gaga is the definition of super diva. Unashamed sexuality can be seen within the line “A different lover is not a sin. Believe capital H-I-M.” Here, Gaga is expressing that if you love someone society claims is not normal, God does not think it is wrong. Arguably the most important line is that which expresses the theme of making no apologies: “I’m beautiful in my way/ cause God makes no mistakes/ I’m on the right track baby/ I was born this way.” The singer means to say that no one has control over their birth, and because God makes no mistakes, you must celebrate the person you are (and thus not apologize for it). These lines attracted a large gay following because Gaga is arguing that sexuality is a result of nature, not nurture, and thus homosexuals were simply born the way they were. The overarching idea of acceptance is also an important feature of the song and the reason it is meaningful to so many LGBT members who might be suffering from a lack of it in their everyday lives.

Not only does Lady Gaga’s hit single ‘Born This Way’ approach the subject of sexual orientation, but it addresses race as well: “No matter black, white or beige/ chola or orient-made/ I’m on the right track baby/ I was born to be brave.” Next to sexuality, race is a leading discriminatory factor so it was a bold choice for Gaga to bring it up in her song. Gaga’s choice of words is controversial because these lines are seen as politically incorrect statements to include in song that perpetuates acceptance. For example, “chola” was originally an ethnic slur for people of Hispanic descent and who might fall into the stereotype of a gangster. Also, the term “orient” is used to describe anything from the Eastern part of the world which one could argue is dehumanizing. Although these are not the most politically correct terms, I believe Gaga had good intentions when she chose to include them in ‘Born This Way’. I think her point was that it doesn’t matter what we call ourselves or what others label us as, we are all born the way we are and a label doesn’t change that. This uplifting encouragement is just another reason why this song will be remembered as an historical anthem of approval.

One theme that we have explored throughout discussions in class is the idea that in order to create effective change, it must start at the “top”. Lady Gaga is an excellent example of how the acceptance rate of different sexual and racial backgrounds, which in the past has been notoriously low, can grow as a result of chart-topping song sung by a global icon. That is, Gaga, a leader in the music industry, released a single that has infiltrated millions around the world promoting the need for change in the form of acceptance. Another way in which she has promoted acceptance, specifically of sexuality, is through her recent disaffiliation with Target. Gaga had an arrangement with the department chain to promote her latest album. Recently, however, Target has sponsored campaigns of political action groups which contribute funding to an anti-gay runner. When Lady Gaga heard about this, she immediately severed any ties she had with the store to make the statement that she would not work with any company who did not support gay initiatives.

I think the song has an underlying message which will be successful in creating a positive outlook of individuals who do not fit in society’s mold of normal such as homosexuals and minority races. The idea to be proud of who you are because God made you that way is a powerful statement that will echo through all of Gaga’s listeners. Gaga also made one last resounding declaration of her views on positive acceptance when her marketing team came up with the clever connection between her name and the song title and the acronym “LGBT”. That is, Lady Gaga Born This way.