"Judas" hits the web

Posted by Sean Stangland on Fri, 04/15/2011 - 15:23

The second single from Lady Gaga's third album has appeared online. It's more interesting sonically -- if not lyrically -- than "Born This Way," but it falls a little short. Perhaps it's silly to expect Miss Germanotta's new material to be as immediately iconic as "Poker Face" or "Bad Romance," but I'd say it's a fair expectation given the size and volume of her persona.

But at least "Judas" won't prompt us to accuse Gaga of ripping off anyone but herself. The commendable self-empowering lyrics of "Born This Way," perfectly in tune with the message Gaga sends to her rather diverse fanbase, were of course overshadowed by the song's unmistakable similarity to Madonna's "Express Yourself."

If you believe Rolling Stone, the rest of Gaga's new album -- which drops May 23 -- contains tracks inspired by glam metal and '90s house music. I'm not sure why she feels the need to play it safe with these first two singles; I think a fanbase that has seen Gaga emerge from an alien egg on the Grammys stage is ready for some stylistic curveballs.

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