Who knew skatting, a weird, trippy accompanying music video, a flair of Cirque de soleli, a touch of Harlequin romance, a peck of Hitchcockian horror, a fair share of voodoo mysticism, all over a heartthumping power pop-crunch of a single could be so much fun?
In Bad Romance, Lady Gaga’s newest single fresh off her bonus cd The Fame Monster, this weird mixture comes together in potent, thrilling ways in a sleekly addicting, sheered-in-the-brain, impossible-to-not-dance-to pop song that is as strange as it is exhilarating.
This song is what Britney Spears’ Three wanted to be but lacked the juice, creativity, and even the talent to be pulled off: a hit-the-clubs dance number, a touch of strangeness, all with a winking sexual innuendo coated throughout. But comparing this song to Three is selling this song, and Gaga, way too short.
So, what is this song about exactly? It’s a song about a woman who wants to take it all the way with her crush, regardless of her moral, physical, or mental health. It’s a kiss of a Gypsy woman chanting a curse, it’s Cirque de Solelei, it’s a Harlequin romance, as insidiously nuanced as Rihanna’s Disturbia, a kaleidoscopic rave trip; all those together after you’ve inhaled a lot of coke and are taking a wild, fantastic trip. Trust me, in here, it’s good thing.
This song makes great use of Gaga’s collaborator RedOne with the thumping, hysterical beats. But it’s Gaga who ups her own game. Never before has Gaga pulled off such a showstopper such as this one. Never before has she been ready and willing to take a dance number this far with a flair for strange costumes, Silent Hill-like carcitures (see below) and pulled it off as delirously wonderful as here. Never before has she crafting a cruncher that infects your brain and refuses to leave once it settles in.
Gaga is one of the smartest pop singers of late. Not content to be a guilty pleasure, she laces her songs with smart, cloying, and intriguing lyrics that wrap you around its spell. Her talent is geniune and Bad Romance proves she’s here to stay. I just hope I don’t burn my ears out with Bad Romance before I can get to her next single.
In order to capture the thrilling but insane energy of the song and the video, here’s the link below:
