Better Song: Born This Way vs Shadow of A Man

[NUTELLA 18,497]

27 minutes ago, Ladle Ghoulash said:

Again, we can’t be making the copycat argument *against* BTW while *defending* SOAM . Not to mention that, with Gaga having a massive LGBTQ+ fanbase, there’s absolutely no way that a pride anthem like BTW goes the way of the dodo. 
 

Also if we’re talking about lyrical content: there’s a very real argument to be made about SOAM being incredibly scattershot. “Hard to be the truth or you’ll become a lie, piercing like your skin from a thorn.” I get what she’s getting at, but diva is borderline speaking gibberish here. Also, while I understand the concept of “dancing in the shadow of a man,” it also feels awfully convoluted to write a feminist anthem that could also be (mis)construed as reveling in a position of disempowerment. If we’re talking about success in clearly conveying its message, BTW mops SOAM. 

Oh don’t get me wrong, SOAM is someone else’s “nachos” too. I just think it’s a better song in every single way possible.

We’ve both previously conceded the two songs are doppelgangers- but imo, BTW is a copycat while SOAM is an homage. Why she went so far as to deny the similarities between BTW & EY is beyond me lol. Like… girl 👯‍♀️

I don’t even HATE Born This Way. A dated & subpar song, but I think it was a nice centerpiece for what she was trying to accomplish in 2011. To me, its continued appeal lies more with nostalgia than with conviction about it being a great song. Alas, it will now be carted around with her forever (like a taxidermy dodo) 🦤

 

& I personally like the conflicting/confusing messages of SOAM; I see it less as her “reveling in disempowerment” & more like “wrestling” with it. I think it hints at some of the emotions she might be feeling as a woman who wants to be powerful & be seen… without compromising some of the more “traditional” values she keeps for herself

But at the end of the day a lot of that is guesswork, because even her most eloquent songs are a little bit convoluted (she can never seem to help herself in that way for better or worse lol ✍🏻)

For me, the dance-factor of a song is much more important than lyrical content, anyway.

The chorus of SOAM is so high-octane it almost makes you lose your breath just listening to it (without being obnoxious or loud for loudness’ sake- something that BTW’s chorus suffers from imo)

I’m convinced it is her most dance-able chorus ever

SOAM moonwalks on BTW's corpse

[TAIPEI 3,010]

i love shadow of a man but born this way holds a special place in my heart since 2011 so