For as obviously talented and accomplished as the pop star-turned-actor Lady Gaga is, she is often seen as a polarizing figure. She tends to be one of those mainstream artists that music listeners either love or stay away from completely.
Nevertheless, the 38-year-old, New York City-born artist is here to stay, thanks to her songwriting chops, bodacious vocals and her recent transition into the world of the silver screen. (Indeed, the actress, born Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, is set to star in the new sequel, Joker: Folie à deux.)
[RELATED: Behind the Album: Lady Gaga Breaks Down What Went Into ‘Chromatica’]
But for those who are not fond of Gaga or simply just don’t know enough about the musician, we wanted to compile this list here below. These are three terrific songs for people who say they don’t like Lady Gaga.
Released on the 2009 EP The Fame Monster, this song showcases the full Gaga experience. Part-party club artist, part-operatic performer, part-glamorous diva and part-camp superstar. Gaga checks all the boxes and does so with neon hair dye. But more than anything, this song is supremely catchy, beginning with its full-throated chorus and continuing through its diamond-studded music video. On the pulsing offering, which hit No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, Gaga sings,
I want your ugly, I want your disease
I want your everything as long as it’s free
I want your love
Love, love, love, I want your love (hey)
I want your drama, the touch of your hand (hey)
I want your leather-studded kiss in the sand
I want your love
Love, love, love, I want your love (love, love, love)
(I want your love)
One of Gaga’s most famous songs, this 2008 track from her album The Fame was quickly remixed by rap artist Kanye West in 2009 for the hit song “Make Her Say.” But more than sample fodder, this song just how sticky Gaga can be. As soon as you hear it, the track lives in your brain, rent-free. Again, she brings her opera-quality voice to the pop mainstream and she does so with epic aplomb. On the single, which hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, Gaga sings, using card game metaphors for coy flirtations,
I wanna hold ’em like they do in Texas, please
Fold ’em, let ’em hit me, raise it, baby, stay with me (I love it)
Love game intuition, play the cards with spades to start
And after he’s been hooked, I’ll play the one that’s on his heart
When the latest version of the movie A Star is Born came out in 2018, it was a cultural phenomenon. And at the center of that wave was the song “Shallow,” sung by the film’s two stars, Gaga and Bradley Cooper. Performed over an acoustic guitar, the song tugs at your heartstrings as you see Gaga’s character open up and believe in her own talent in front of an audience of thousands. On top of that, it’s just an excellent, emotive track. On the offering, which hit No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100, Gaga sings,
Tell me something, boy
Aren’t you tired trying to fill that void?
Or do you need more?
Ain’t it hard keeping it so hardcore?
I’m falling
In all the good times, I find myself longing for change
And in the bad times, I fear myself
I’m off the deep end, watch as I dive in
I’ll never meet the ground
Crash through the surface, where they can’t hurt us
We’re far from the shallow now
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