Since Lady Gaga debuted her new single “Born This Way” at the Grammy’s the comments and comparisons between her and Madonna’s “Express Yourself” not only have made it through the twittersphere but even publications such as Rolling Stone.
All these comparisons on two songs which really have little to nothing in common besides the ponytail Lady Gaga had styled on at the Grammy’s. “Express Yourself” is a song which is more about the ability to express your needs in a relationship. While the song even if read as a metaphor or symbol of free expression would seize simply with the opening words.
“Come on girls! Do you believe in love? ‘Cause I got something to say about it, and it goes something like this”"
Then the song continues, on the surface level, to talk about not allowing yourself to become influenced by material possessions but rather your heart and the ability to be happy with your significant other. Symbolically it can be about being able to negotiate your needs and wants. It can even be read far enough as to talking about sexual responsibility. Especially considering it was released in the post-AIDS era and could even be flirting with the downlow topic that songs such as “Let’s Talk About Sex” – from Salt-N-Pepa - expressed. Surface wise it’s about getting “him” to express his feelings for you and putting yourself and your standards above anything else.
“Born This Way” on the other hand is simple. You were born this way be it colored, gay, straight, transgendered etc — and that’s ok. I fail to see even sonically the comparisons between the two because they are nothing alike! If anything “Born this Way” is more like En Vogue’s “Free Your Mind” or Janet Jackson’s “Free Xone”. “Born this Way” is about knowing that at the end of the day you were born the way you were determined to be no matter how many people try to tell you that your mere existence is an abomination. At no point is there even be a flicker of what Madonna is singing about when she made one of the key feminist statements of the 90’s.
Musically and creatively we will always be trying to compare musicians, maybe out of comfort or even just because we’re making blanket water cooler statements. Maybe next time instead of just writing articles for clicks we should actually trace back music that is even similar, or at least understand the music we’re comparing but comparing “Born This Way” and Express Yourself” is like comparing “The Monster Mash” and “Thriller”.
This article is being entirely disingenous it’s not the tune or the theme which is same but the melody she sings which is pretty much exactly like express yourself.
As soon as I heard it Madonna came to mind immediately.
I literally found no reason Born This Way should be compared to Express Yourself more than any other song remotely close to this kind of genre should be. Is the drama really worth your time? Madonna is just using this as an opportunity to get her name on our minds again, which I would do too if I was her. But I see no reason to take it any further giiirl.
this author CLEARLY talked about how they don’t sound the same
son·ic (snk)
adj.
1. Of or relating to audible sound: a sonic wave.
“I fail to see even sonically the comparisons between the two because they are nothing alike! If anything “Born this Way” is more like En Vogue’s “Free Your Mind” or Janet Jackson’s “Free Xone”.”
I think the comparison is NOT the lyrics of both Madonna/Gaga but the sampling Gaga did of “Express Yourself”. If you listen carefully there are definitive undertones of “Express Yourself” throughout the Medley.
i think people are also speaking about how similar they SOUND. i’m surprised you didn’t mention this at all.
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by URB.COM/URB Magazine, thebutchcaucus, Corina Martinez, BOSS THIZZLE, Jorge Cruz and others. Jorge Cruz said: RT @URBmag: URB.COM: "Born This Way" is nothing like "Express Yourself" http://bit.ly/icxvSJ #URB [...]