First things first: the OTF Pop Divas Tournament!
Things are really getting down to the wire now. Only one #1 seed remains…it’s truly anyone’s tournament! Support your favorite pop divas by voting on the Elite Eight today. Click the button below to do so!
Stefani. Fucking. Germanotta.
Need I say more?! There are many pop divas in our tournament that I adore (like Britney Spears, Madonna, Amy Winehouse, and Fergie, to name a few), but only one name is uttered when someone asks me who my favorite contemporary(ish) artist is: Lady Gaga. I was a bit of a Lady Gaga skeptic when she first came on the scene—I’ve never been a huge fan of her breakout single “Just Dance”—but I quickly became enamored when hits like “Poker Face” and “LoveGame” flooded the radio. Her unique sense of style and personality only made me appreciate her more, even if I didn’t quite understand some of her choices (looking at you, meat dress). Years later, my fandom was forever solidified with the release of her (flawless) album Joanne. I’ve never seen her perform live (although my parents got to see her live at the Super Bowl…still jealous), but one of my few goals in life is to do so. Her powerful voice has transcended genres and carried her through the various stages of her career. In honor of that magical voice, I’d like to share my personal top 10 Lady Gaga songs with the readers of OTF.
I’m worried that bigger fans are going to think my top 10 list is disrespectful. There’s nothing from Chromatica or ARTPOP on here—truth be told, I’ve never really given either one a solid listen. But you know what? Gatekeeping isn’t cool! What is cool is how much we all love Lady Gaga…even if we love her in different ways and have different favorite songs. Feel free to let me know if there are any lesser-known songs I should listen to, though!
Aimée’s Top 10 Lady Gaga Songs
10. “John Wayne”
There are probably a few songs that could’ve been #10, but I definitely enjoy listening to “John Wayne.” It’s also featured on the game Just Dance, so when I hear it, I break out in that dance (sometimes literally, sometimes just mentally). There are lots of lines on the Joanne album that make me laugh out loud, including the spoken part at the beginning of “John Wayne.” Gaga is wild, and I’m so here for it.
9. “Always Remember Us This Way”
Truthfully, I’m not a huge “Shallow” fan. Maybe it was just overplayed, or maybe it’s just not for me. But this song definitely gets me in my feels. Ever since I first heard it in a trailer for A Star is Born I knew I loved it. When I hear it now, it makes me think of the movie, of loves and friends lost, of my current love and friends, and—of course—how beautiful and pure Lady Gaga’s voice is. Dang, I need to watch A Star is Born again. Anybody got tissues handy?
8. “Joanne”
Speaking of tissues…the title track off the Joanne album definitely gave me chills the first time I heard it. It probably doesn’t help that my grandmother’s name is Jo-Anne and that I think of her every time this song plays. The story behind the song is very sweet and sad (even if it leads to a somewhat awkward moment in Lady Gaga’s Netflix documentary…see below). It’s the kind of thing I would do—write a song or poem about a lost relative who I never really got to know. Comparing oneself to Lady Gaga in any way, shape, or form is probably an incredibly vain thing to do, but I do feel connected to her when I hear “Joanne.”
7. “The Edge of Glory”
This is just such a feel good song. How can you not dance around your room when “The Edge of Glory” is playing? It takes me right back to high school: to innocence, to fun, to Lady Gaga constantly playing on 104.1 and 95.7. Yes, believe it or not, a song that’s probably about climaxing and/or committing suicide brings back feelings of innocence for me. That’s the magic of good pop music!
6. “Sinner’s Prayer”
There’s something so…quiet?…about this song that I just love. I like having this chance to see more of a storytelling songwriting approach from Gaga. It’s honest and pessimistic, but somehow sweet at the same time. It’s a very easy listen.
5. “Paparazzi”
One word: iconic. This may have been the very first Lady Gaga song I truly fell in love with. I still to this day struggle with understanding some of the lyrics (she doesn’t enunciate all that well in it, to be fair), but you better believe I scream-sing that chorus. I had a big thing about liking “creepy songs” when I was in middle and high school, and “Paparazzi” is definitely one of the ultimate creepy songs. Still slaps, though.
4. “A-YO”
See, this is why I think people will hate this list. “A-YO” probably does not belong in the top five, but I just find it so contagious. The lyrics may not have much substance, but damn, is it catchy. The first time I ever listened to the Joanne album, this was the song that let me know I was in for a real treat. I could listen to it every day!
3. “Alejandro”
“I know that we are young, and I know that you may love me…but I just can’t BEEEE with you like this…anymore…Alejandro…” *starts dancing* Yes, that was the first thing that came to mind when I thought of this song. One does not simply avoid singing along to “Alejandro!” Like pretty much of all Gaga’s songs, it’s…a bit weird, but such a bop. In my opinion, it will never get old.
2. “Born This Way”
“Don’t be a drag; just be a queen!” Words to live by. “Born This Way” is probably one of the best and most poppiest pop songs ever recorded. According to the legendary film Music and Lyrics, one benchmark of a great pop song is whether or not it brings a smile to your face. I’m not sure how you could listen to “Born This Way” and not smile, much less not dance and sing along. It also obviously has a deeply important message behind it. “God makes no mistakes,” and some people need to learn to accept that. Thank you, Gaga, for reminding us.
1. “Yoü and I”
Literally, if anyone tries to utter A WORD against this song, my feelings will be hurt. Not only is it my all-time favorite Lady Gaga song; it’s one of my all-time favorite songs, period. I can’t really explain it. I think it just came to me at exactly the right time in my life. Well, for instance, take the lyrics, “Sit back down on the couch where we / Made love the first time and you said to me.” This song came into my life either shortly before or after I lost my virginity on a couch, so the song became sort of an inside joke/coping mechanism for me. That was a traumatic experience and time for me, even though I did everything I could to convince myself it wasn’t. Maybe it sounds melodramatic, but it does really feel like Lady Gaga was there holding my hand through that time. Every time I blasted “Yoü and I” in my car and nearly cried as I sang along to the unusual yet powerful lyrics, I was healing a small part of myself. And every time I hear it now, I feel that power all over again. There’s just nothing else like it.
Even though Lady Gaga was eliminated from the Pop Divas Tournament yesterday in a very fair match with Britney Spears, I think it’s clear how much of an impact she’s had on pop music as a whole. I truly am thankful she has shared her voice, words, and larger than life personality with us for over a decade now.
Shit We’re Loving: WATCH
Aimée’s Pick: Gaga: Five Foot Two on Netflix
Mike and I watched this documentary when it came out a few years ago and found it very interesting. Lady Gaga was quiet for a while, I believe because of personal issues she had with the music industry as a whole. I can’t say I blame her! Getting to see this insider look at her life and comeback made me feel closer to her, as well as more confused by her (in a good way). Like, the Haus of Gaga? What even is that? Am I just uninformed? Oh well. I did also find the scene where she first played “Joanne” for her grandmother to be kind of cringe, but still cute in a way. A Star is Born may have been the obvious choice for this SWL, or maybe even American Horror Story: Hotel, but I think Five Foot Two is definitely worth watching. I like seeing Gaga as a “real person,” albeit a very famous and talented real person.
Show Your Support: Native Land Digital
We are on stolen land. You and I, right here, right now, are on land that was never ours to take. Yet, many don’t know this. Even less care. But learning—and acknowledging—is half the battle and Native Land Digital aims to have everyone take that first step. Native Land Digital is a free, online tool to learn of the original Indigenous territories in a specific area. The project, which started in 2015 as Native-Land.ca, strives to “create and foster conversations about the history of colonialism, Indigenous ways of knowing, and settler-Indigenous relations, through educational resources” like their comprehensive and interactive map and the Territory Acknowledgement Guide.
Land is sacred and, as Native Land Digital stresses, it is not easy to draw lines that divide land into chunks that delineate who “owns” a different part of it. In reality, land is “not something to be exploited and ‘owned,’ but something to be honored and treasured.” To honor the sacredness of the spaces we’ve built our lives on, the spaces we often take for granted, we acknowledge and extend our hearts to the land’s original owners and to Mother Earth herself, for bearing the weight of humanity.
Shelby and Lizzy acknowledge the Kaskaskia, Myaamia, and Hopewell land they live on. Shelby also acknowledges the Shawandasse Tula people and their land.
Sydney acknowledges the Munseen Lenape and Wappinger land she lives on.
Aimée acknowledges the Merrick land she lives on.
Kayla acknowledges the Kiikaapoi, Jumanos, Wichita, and Tawakoni land she lives on.
Blaze acknowledges the Ramaytush, Ohlone, and Muwekma land she lives on.
Daily Intention:
Today I will…
Have some fun—this beat is sick!
Here’s some nifty buttons for you to press, enjoy: