Lady Gaga has premiered the music video for “Born This Way” as the song celebrates a second week atop the Billboard Hot 100. The 1000th #1 single in the chart’s history saw a 14% increase in digital downloads following the Grammys, and I imagine that the arrival of clip might very well make it three weeks in a row for “Born This Way.”
Then again, maybe not. The 7+ minute video for “Born This Way,” directed by Nick Knight — which Gaga calls “the manifesto of Mother Monster” — is an ooey-gooey mess. Literally. I could have done with less placenta and far fewer visual representations of vaginas. Maybe more clothing. (Yes. Absolutely more clothing.) And Gaga gets close with Tattooed-Skull Zombie Guy, making a return appearance.
Most surprisingly, the only outright gay references in the “Born This Way” video serve as bookends. A neon pink triangle frames a unicorn at the start of the clip, and at the end, a rainbow with Gaga now riding the mythical creature.
Though “Born This Way” shares sonic similarities with Madonna’s “Express Yourself,” Christina Aguilera already aped David Fincher’s classic video for last year’s “Not Myself Tonight,” so Gaga couldn’t very well complete the homage visually, could she? (Fincher was robbed at last night’s Oscars, by the way.)
This is actually just the first of two videos Gaga’s got planned for “Born This Way.” The second wil be a stripped-down version that will be released on iTunes at a later date, with proceeds targeting anti-bullying charities.
Purchase Lady Gaga – “Born This Way” via iTunes, Amazon MP3. Target has dibs on a deluxe edition with three bonus songs and five remixes available for pre-order.