Born This Way

Expectations for Lady Gaga's sophomore full-length release, "Born This Way," has without doubt escalated to fever pitch - not only has Gaga ramped her public exposure with a wildly successful "Monster Ball World Tour," capped with an HBO concert special, but she's also released three singles from the album and appeared on major magazine covers and talk shows with increasing regularity. This business acumen - and the talent it supports - arguably echoes the international success of Madonna in her post-"Like a Prayer" days. And Gaga's monsters have been a-twitter in recent weeks, anticipating additional new music.

Critics, based on the first single from this album, have forecasted "Born This Way" to be the "Thriller" of this generation, referring to Michael Jackson's epic single success in 1982. Gaga should be so fortunate; "Thriller" remains the best-selling album of all time, selling up to 100 million copies around the world. It also defined a new musical generation. That may be possible for Gaga; the single "Born This Way" certainly speaks to the disenfranchised, which in 2011 seems to be the darling audience of the music business. Gaga's extravagant outfits, unconventional messaging and whimsical performances certainly are meant to position her as the spokeswoman for the splintered; time will tell if the monster movement is a musical antecedent, or merely a fad.

In the meantime, Gaga's album is certain to hit the Billboard charts in no time at all. And musically, it deserves the instant recognition it's about to receive.

The album's opener is not its titular track; but "Marry The Night" is as wildly inspiring in its melodic indulgence as "Born This Way." It's a well-produced anthem that evokes a similarly 80's pop/rock feel: that high-kicking, guitar-licking, synthesizer-loving sound that inspired big hair and shoulder pads, albeit updated with a new millennium's tech. Check out the album cover: is that not a throwback to a simpler time, when big hair and studded leather defined sex appeal? Rock aficionados will find lots to love in the album's pre-released final track, "The Edge of Glory," as well. Listen for echoes of Pat Benatar, Heart and Lita Ford in Gaga's new tracks; she's betting on a re-emergence of pop-going glam, replete with punk outfits.

That's not to say that Gaga's core fan base (gay boys on the dance floors, take note: that's you) won't find their own music represented here. "Americano" exudes both ABBA rapture and gypsy flamenco before resolving into what feels like an homage to 70's disco. The techno beat of RedOne's "Schei�e" (Gaga fans have previously heard a remix courtesy of Paris runways) will almost certainly hit the floors this summer as well - the title's direct translation in no way refers to the quality of the track; it's great stuff. Moreover, "Government Hooker" is about as energetic and fun as we've heard Gaga, as she coos, "I'll be your everything; as long as I'm your hooker... I could be mom, unless you want to be dad." And Gaga also offers up an anthem to her "Bad Kids," the most pop-happy track on the album.

Lyrically, the album implies a progression from her proclaimed hatred of fame and money to more romantic and contemplative themes: listen to "Bloody Mary" or the respected "Judas," which has become a evident favorite of the conservative religious right. One might argue that Gaga is spiritually wandering, particularly given the "Electric Chapel" - "Just dance, dance, dance with your hands, hands, hands above your head like Jesus said." And the ballad "You and I" questions traditional love with the same hard-hitting lyrics as she pesters organized religion - on tour and on "Oprah" this song has been performed as a piano-oriented musical apogee, but here it's a "Mutt" lange-produced interlude.

It all adds up to an irreverent, provocative poke at the listener's identity, particularly that which is self-defined. Social and religious domestication, perhaps based on Gaga's ongoing fight against injustice within both spheres of influence, are now fully-fledged members of her own axis of evil - joining economic distress and the culture of fame-based worship as negative influencers on the true identities of her fans. This comes as no surprise (witness the number of artists pumping out derivative musical variations on the "It Gets Better" campaign), but what continues to set Gaga apart is her near-flawless ability to embed a tune in your head and heart - not to mention your toes - and coerce you to peck at it for days or weeks. She's the ultimate musician on a mission; and we're really thankful she was born that way.