Born This Way

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Lore & Background

The story of 'Born This Way' begins on the road during the Monster Ball Tour, where Gaga sought to create a record that shook up the industry with direct lyrics. She wrote the title track in New York City, describing it as a 'magical message' created in ten minutes alongside co-writers Jeppe Laursen, Fernando Garibay, and DJ White Shadow. The song was recorded globally using whatever equipment was available on tour. Inspired by the empowerment of early 90s groups like En Vogue and TLC, Gaga wanted to address women, minorities, and the LGBTQ community without poetic obfuscation. In May 2021, she confirmed the specific inspiration from Carl Bean, a gay black religious activist who preached about being born this way since 1977. The track features a bridge listing identities in a sung style, blending Glee-style music with machine-like beats before closing with an organ. The producers are Lady Gaga, Jeppe Laursen, Fernando Garibay, and DJ White Shadow.

In Their Own Story

The narrative arc culminates in the song's release and its accompanying visual mythology. On February 8, 2011, Gaga teased the single with 'Trois Jours' and a black-and-white cover shot by Nick Knight, depicting her topless with sharp edges protruding from her face. The music video, directed by Knight and inspired by surrealists like Salvador Dalí and Francis Bacon, features Gaga giving birth to a new race in a prologue, concluding with a city populated by this new species. Critics noted references to Madonna, Michael Jackson, Alexander McQueen, and Greek mythology. Musically, the song is an electropop and house track in F-sharp major at 124 beats per minute, featuring humming bass and rumbling synths. It debuted on radio worldwide on February 11, 2011, after Gaga sang parts of the chorus at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards.

Reader's Guide

To experience 'Born This Way', one must understand its specific musical and visual components. The song is written in common time with a moderate dance beat, following an F♯5–F♯–E–B–F♯ chord progression. It opens with the looped line, 'It doesn't matter if you love him or capital H-I-M', before moving to the chorus: 'I'm beautiful in my way, 'cause God makes no mistakes'. Fans should look for the handclaps accompanying the chant 'Don't be a drag, Just be a queen' and the rap interlude listing community names. Visually, the era is defined by Nick Knight's surrealist direction, featuring an incubating vessel performance at the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards. The song received positive critical reviews, with Rolling Stone naming it the Most Inspirational LGBTQ Song of All Time in 2023. It achieved diamond certification in Brazil and multi-platinum status in nations including Australia, Canada, and the United States.

Did You Know?

• Gaga wrote the song in just ten minutes while on tour, comparing the process to an Immaculate Conception.
• The track was recorded 'around the world, on the road' using whatever equipment was available at the time.
• In May 2021, Gaga revealed the song was inspired by Carl Bean's 1977 gospel song 'I Was Born This Way'.
• The music video features a prologue where Gaga gives birth to a new race of people.
• Rolling Stone named 'Born This Way' the Most Inspirational LGBTQ Song of All Time in 2023.