One of the problems with looking at Lady Gaga as a music writer or cultural critic is that there’s usually too much stuff going on. This is decidedly a "me" problem and not a "Gaga" problem.
Born This Way, Lady Gaga, Pop, Reeëvaluations | on September 27, 2011 The problem with Gaga’s privileging the natural authority of birth and rebirth is that it removes all choice and reason from moral thinking. A hatemonger can say just as easily as anyone else that he’s just “born this way.”
Born This Way, Gay Rights, Lady Gaga | on May 24, 2011 Pop music presents itself as an epochal eruption, capable by definition of reaching a critical mass of consumers. So it's easy (perhaps) to overstate Lady Gaga's significance, but "Judas" puts her in the unenviable position of being a point of comparison to the likes of Sinead O'Connor, Grace Jones, Depeche Mode and especially Madonna, the holy ghost haunting Lady Gaga's work since day one.
The point is the lyrics of “Born This Way” are simultaneously empowering and pretty wacky. But you’d expect that from a song written in 10 minutes. Philosophically, it’s interesting that Lady Gaga—of all people—champions a naturalistic interpretation of being. Since she’s known primarily for her wit and artifice, it’s an interesting stance of her’s that we’re all perfectly fine just the way we’re born.
"Born This Way", Gay Rights, Lady Gaga | on February 15, 2011 It would seem that Gaga, despite announcing a new album, overshadows her day job as musician with this side gig of being a 24/7 public performance.
Activism, Gay Rights, Lady Gaga | on September 28, 2010 “Who needs misogynistic music crit when it seems like women musicians are content to tear each other down.” That was the first thing I thought when I saw that NME apparently had published a brief interview with the English-by-way-of-Sri-Lanka singer.