Video Review: Judas by Lady Gaga

I've never written a video review before, but I thought I might try it this once and see how it goes. I am a fan of Lady Gaga and have loved her ever since her performance of the medley version of Bad Romance and Speechless at the AMAs in 2009. She broke glass over a flaming piano, but still it was her passion and performance that really wowed me that night. She won me over, and I really enjoyed almost every song on her first CD. I know she's odd, to say the least, but for the most part I think her first album was fantastic and well balanced. However, with the sensationalism of the first, it will be hard for her to top it with the second.

Lady Gaga: Judas Video


The thing that Gaga is known for is being original, however, the first single "Born This Way" was criticized for sounding horribly similar to "Express Yourself" by Madonna. I personally didn't mind. Even though I didn't think the song was the best I'd ever heard, it was catchy and fun to sing loud in the car. However, I'd have to say with this new video for her song "Judas," again, Gaga is suffering from unoriginality. I feel like she already did this with the "Alejandro" video with all that Christian symbolism. Also, that's basically the go-to thing to do if you want to shock people been there done that so it's not shocking at all. In fact, it was totally predictable. Also, sidebar: with all this backlash about how she "copied" Madonna, maybe the biblical symbolism ISN'T the way to go since (not only did she, herself, just do this but...) Madonna did that 22 years ago with "Like a Prayer." Not to mention, some awesome costumes and dance moves are wasted between some super LAME moves. I wish they had saved some of them for a better video, to be honest.

As for the lyrics, "I'd wash his feet with my hair even if he betrayed me 3 times,"what other purpose except shock do those lyrics serve? They aren't deep and it's a poorly constructed metaphor, if you can count it as one at all. That, unfortunately, makes the song seem shallow and contrived. I want her to return to flirting with the line instead of demolishing it, because honestly, if there is nothing left to the imagination, then what fun is it? Plus, if Gaga calmed it down just one little bit, made just ONE little song that was slightly innocuous instead of trying so hard to garner the title "controversial," and made a video using no religious symbols, I think she could easily gain some on-the-fencers who now dislike her back.    


Also, the hook of this song ("JudAH, Judah-AH-AH! JudAH, Judah-AH-AH!") is SO much better than the rest of entire song. Just saying. I also kind of wish she had saved that for a better song, too.

I know that Gaga isn't about doing what others want. She's about being who she wants to be, who she is. However, I don't feel that lately she has been who she is. I think once some of these celebrities get so huge, they don't know how to top themselves and so it becomes a matter of "How do I keep the spotlight?" I don't think that should be the goal anymore. She seems to be doing everything she can to be what she thinks will shock and confuse us to keep the attention. In that way is she not succumbing to the same thing that she preaches to all of us to shrug off and ignore? If it starts becoming "gimmicky" in order to keep the eyes of the press, then it is no longer original or sincere. I am afraid Gaga is headed that direction, and the only reason I point it out isn't because I am a hater, but because I adore what she has been and I don't want her to lose sight of that.

Lady Gaga's 2009 AMA performance.