Here we go, getting into the top 6 Lady GaGa songs from the good to her best!
6.) “Beautiful Dirty Rich”
(from the album The Fame)
From the early days of GaGa, this is one of her signature songs. It’s infectious, it’s catchy, and it’s got all of the classic elements of a true GaGa creation: money, fame, party, and lots of repetitive syllables.
5.) “Judas”
(from the album Born This Way)
This one may not be as popular as it should be, but there’s no denying the wonderful controversy surrounding it. It’s a metaphor about being in love with the wrong kind of guy (something like a Judas-type). Yes it’s sac religious most of the time, yes it’s sounds very similar to “Bad Romance”, but it’s GaGa once again pushing the boundaries with the lyric content as well as the video. I mean come on, Jesus in a bike gang with the 12 apostles? Where does she come up with this?!!!
4.) “Lovegame”
(from the album The Fame)
It’s a deliciously, dirty guilty pleasure, one that is not shy about being upfront with the game of love. It’s a sick beat straying away from the up-tempo numbers she’s released, and that’s why it stands on it’s own.
3.) “Born This Way”
(from the album Born This Way)
Let’s just get rid of the Madonna references right now: yes, we can deem this “Express Yourself” for this generation today. But unlike Madonna’s hit, GaGa lets it all out, calling out for peace between gays, straights, bisexuals, lesbians, transsexuals, blacks, whites, beiges, cholas, and orients. Yes, she names every single one and isn’t afraid to even stick up for all the things that make us different. It’s a life anthem for all of her little monsters.
2.) “Poker Face”
(from the album The Fame)
From “Just Dance” to this single, GaGa got a bit dark on us. It’s an infectious single, one that no one can deny about being catchy. The lyrics are genius when you really get into what it’s all about (SIDENOTE: she’s playing her poker face on a guy she’s about to sleep with, confusing him about her own sexuality… “bluffin’ with my muffin”).
1.) “Bad Romance”
(from the album The Fame Monster)
The big hit from GaGa, that one that has truly solidified her mark in pop music. With the chants, the big chorus, and French, and the GaGa shout-outs, this is one amazing contribution from her! Not to mention that the video is beyond brilliant and visually stunning to say the least.
It’s hard to think about the fact that Lady GaGa is just barely releasing her second studio album. It seems like she’s been around for so long! But being one of her very own little monsters, I have to pay tribute to her and prepare for this wonderful second album in just a few days. So here is the first half of her singles countdown from the good, to her best!
12.) “Video Phone” (featuring Beyoncé)
(from the album I Am…Sasha Fierce)
It had all the makings of a great collaboration, but Lady GaGa didn’t really add too much to either the song itself or the video. While it was great to see Geyoncé (totally different from Lady GaGa’s personality), it just didn’t seem right. What did go well however was Beyoncé entering GaGa’s world in the #7 single…
11.) “Alejandro”
(from the album The Fame Monster)
This one certainly was visually stunning and bizarre all at once where the music video is concerned, but it’s not one of the most memorable GaGa signatures. Not to mention that it sounds way too much like Ace of Base…
10.) “Paparazzi”
(from the album The Fame)
Once again, GaGa shows off her artistic side with a visually stunning music video. Her vocals are beautiful when it gets to the chorus, and it’s a solid song throughout.
9.) “Eh Eh (Nothing Else I Can Say)”
(from the album The Fame)
This is one of her forgotten gems from the beginning. It’s a lot different from what she’s known for now, but it’s a sweet pop tune that gets stuck in your head. Eh…! Eh…!
8.) “Just Dance” (featuring Colby O’Donnis)
(from the album The Fame)
Who can forget the song that started it all?! She sings about this binge-drinking culture, but what’s ironic is that everyone who loves this song and dances to it at parties is actually living out what she sings about. But more than that, it’s infectious and pure pop at its best. It started a new evolution of music which is continuing to grow as GaGa’s signature sound. And bee-tee-dubs, does ANYONE remember Colby O’Donnis at all? That’s what I thought. She certainly didn’t need him to make a name for herself, but it didn’t hurt her in the least bit.
7.) “Telephone” (featuring Beyoncé)
(from the album The Fame Monster)
Finally, we get to the genius collaboration that surpasses their first get-together. It’s Beyoncé entering into GaGa’s world, and she is more than welcome to stay as long as she wants. It’s a pretty simple pop song with a genius and groundbreaking mini-movie music video. Not to mention that the inspiration from Quentin Tarantino certainly gives it a darker edge and wonderful visuals!
Glee is a memorable show, best known for its quirky moments and offbeat humor, mixed in with a bunch of misfits trying to make something of themselves. Although the best parts of the show are the insults and the hilarious one-liners, Glee has its precious moments of heartfelt character depth. Last night’s episode was a heartfelt, beautiful spotlight on one of the most touching relationships the show has given us: Coach Sue and her sister Jean. From the first season in “Wheels”, I was amazed at what this show could accomplish, proving that even the toughest, most evil characters can feel and love like all of us do. The relationship Sue has with her sister Jean is pure and real, offering up some of the most beautiful moments in Sue’s depth of character.
The Good
It’s hard to call this the best part of the episode since Jean’s death is so sad, but what I love the most is how heartfelt Sue was throughout. What fellow Gleeks have to understand (as confusing as it may be) is that getting past her wild antics and evil schemes to get rid of Will Schuester and New Directions, Sue is a human being at the core who feels, loves, and hurts just like everyone else. Jane Lynch did a beautiful job portraying a loving sister, one who hurts and misses her sister terribly.
“Pure Imagination” was absolutely the best song of the night. It was touching heartfelt, and lovely to listen to. It was nice to hear the underdogs get more moments to shine. Chris Colfer (Kurt) has a beautiful voice when the song is right. I love hearing Kevin McHale (Artie) sing! And Jenna Ushkowitz (Tina) is such a natural. The whole tie-in to Willy Wonka being Jean’s favorite movie, that whole sequence was just beautiful. The way they decorated around the casket, the music playing in the background as Sue entered, everything about this scene was just perfect.
One of the most amazing things that Glee has done is shed light on the amazing talent that comes from kids who have mental and physical handicaps. But I love thinking about them as people with amazing capabilities instead! They’re special and truly one-of-a-kind, and the fact that a primetime show like Glee is showcasing real down-syndrome actors like Lauren Potter (Becky Jackson), it’s great to give them the love and attention that they deserve. It was a shock to hear that she was let go from the Cheerios, but of course everything turns out better in the end.
The final best part of the night is getting to listen to Naya Rivera (Santana) sing her ass off once again! It wasn’t the loudest or strongest song of the night, but the simplicity and power in her voice is what I loved the most. Amy Winehouse has a signature voice and a signature sound, but Naya did one hell of a job standing on her own and giving us another showstopper!
What to Look Forward To
Hell-OOOOOOO! Nationals are next week…IN NEW YORK! There are so many amazing things to say about that, but we’ll just say that hopefully they continue this good streak of strong episodes and end this confusing second season the right way.
The drama unfolded like never before in this intense episode. We’re getting closer and closer to the Season 2 Finale, and last night’s episode certainly delivered all the juicy storylines, bringing us closer and closer to the edge of ultimate high school drama.
The Good
Oh my Jesse St. James!
It was great to see your beautiful face back to tie up loose ends with your jagged storyline last season. It left me wanting more (and definitely an explanation of your cruel, wicked ways), so it was great to find out just what the hell went wrong with him and Rachel. And while the chemistry is still there between them, it certainly was not as strong as it was between Rachel and Finn (did you see the push-and-shove fight?!)
Who knew that Rebecca Black’s annoying-as-hell “Friday” song actually sounds better when Glee covers it?! Just sayin’…
And can I also just say how much I love Kevin McHale’s voice? That small cover of Stevie Wonder’s “Isn’t She Lovely” was pure and sweet!
Mercedes melted my heart with her desire to be asked to Prom. What was even sweeter was her going with Sam. And did anyone else notice “the look” they gave each other when he asked her to dance?
And now for the best part of the whole episode: KURT AND BLAINE!
First up, the fact that they’re going to Prom just made me smile! The fact that we’re seeing this on national television in primetime still makes me loud and proud to support! They are just too damn cute!
Second, Karofsky’s apology to Kurt was so sincere and beautiful. It was another step towards his redemption. He has a heart, and he does care. There’s so much pain underneath the surface, and we’re starting to see it more and more.
Third, the moment when Kurt was announced as Prom Queen was so intense, but I knew in the back of my mind that running away wasn’t a “Kurt” thing to do (as hurtful as it may have been). And he went on ahead and accepted the crown, “Eat your heart out Kate Middleton!”
And last but not least, the song choice for King Karofsky and Queen Kurt’s first dance: ABBA’s “Dancing Queen”! All the gays united in glee and sung all of the words, I know I did!
The Bad
STOP COVERING ADELE!
It was a decent attempt the first time with Gwyneth’s “Turning Tables”, but last night’s “Rolling in the Deep” was a desperate attempt, and a very sad one at that. I love Jesse St. James, but his growling voice was way too much for this. It was a little too much over-singing. Rachel’s voice was way too overpowering for the harmony in the chorus, and the background A Capella group didn’t fit at all. Thank God I got to see Adele perform later that night on Dancing With The Stars. Even though she was sick, she still sounded better than the pitiful Glee cover. Just take my word (and from every other Adele superfan), STOP COVERING ADELE!
And finally while I do love Kurt, there was a lot of wrong he was doing with Karofsky.
It’s my personal belief that no one should pressure anyone else to “come out”. It is their choice, and it’s their moment to make it happen for themselves. It’s a monumental step that shouldn’t be taken from someone else egging you on to make a statement with your sexuality. While they were walking down the steps for the first dance, Kurt’s side comments telling Karofsky that this was his moment was not fair, and certainly not the right thing to do to someone who clearly is not ready to “come out”. No wonder Karofsky ran away so fast. That sort of pressure only makes him more nervous and scared to make that big announcement. It puts Karofsky in an awkward and possibly dangerous vulnerability that could have bad end results.
What to Look Forward To
Like I said before, there are only two more episodes left of this season.
Preparing for Nationals is going to be a big deal, and New York is coming up so soon!
Jesse St. James is back for at least one more episode next week, and the drama is bound to get even more complicated.
The episode next week is titled “Funeral”, and from what everyone in the cast has said, someone is going to die. Whether it’s a metaphor for something else or a dramatic twist of fate, I can’t wait any longer!
After this whole week of going back through Jennifer’s collection, we’ve finally come to what I’ve been waiting for almost 4 years now! From little snippets of leaked songs, to viral videos, to the trials and tribulations with her record labels, and the big comeback with American Idol, this album has been a long time coming. She’s gone from Latin soul, to Hip-Hop, to R&B, the Spanish, to randomness, but Jennifer certainly doesn’t disappoint this time around, bringing out more fun, upbeat dance songs and playing to her strengths.
Enjoy this little intro video, showing some behind the scenes footage from the album photoshoot!
The Play-by-Play:
“On The Floor” featuring Pitbull kicks the album off with its Latin flavor that has us all moving on the floor! Its “Waiting for Tonight” for the new decade, and it starts this new evolution of Jennifer, bumping in the clubs and getting us to dance! And God bless Pitbull and all of his Latin swagger! “Good Hit” follows, and this is another J.Lo song people are either going to find annoying or really going to love (like “Get Right”). It was the only other official viral video she put out as a teaser, and it does get stuck in your head. Sure it’s all auto-tune, and yes it sound like it’s a better fit for Britney Spears, but Jennifer holds her own, showing off this crazy, fun, and playful side of her. Up next is the second single “I’m Into You” featuring Lil’ Wayne. It’s a sweet summer love song with a brilliant hook you can’t help but sing. It has excellent production from hit-makers Stargate, and is arguably one of the highlights of the album (but that’s saying something since I found a lot of highlights with this effort). “(What Is) Love?” is up next. This is one of the songs I may or may not have downloaded from somewhere 2 years ago, and it’s one I can say I know very well now. It also was released last year during the end credits of The Back-Up Plan. It gives an honest look into the many questions we all have about love in general. It’s hard not to find a personal connection with this song, especially when thinking about Jennifer’s relationships in the past. “Run the World” slows the album down for a little bit, offering up a nice little relaxer. It’s a bumping jam with production courtesy of hit-makers Tricky Stewart and The-Dream. As this song ends, it wastes no time picking up into “Papi”, another big highlight from the album. It’s a tribal club anthem, mixing in a lot of high energy with lots of booming sounds. It’s a club jam that goes even harder than where “On The Floor” takes us all. “Until It Beats No More” follows, offering more personal trials and tribulations in her love life. When this song was first performed, she sang it live on SNL last year, and man was it awful! She never had a strong voice to begin with, but she was allllll over the place that night, never finding the notes within. And while this recorded version doesn’t change much from the live version, it is catchy and I can’t help but sing along. “One Love” is a personal recollection from Ms. Lopez herself, breaking down every relationship from her past (surprisingly she doesn’t mention her first marriage). It’s a hip-hop groove that rides along swiftly, offering up a little more substance than “Run The World”. “Invading My Mind” is the third contribution from producer RedOne, offering up the same kind of formula for his hits. While he may not be the most imaginative producer now (since all of this songs could probably be mashed up into a super song), you still can't help but move when his songs come on. “Villain” gets a little dark side of Jennifer to come out more. She sings about a previous love she just wants to forget about. “Starting Over” helps to begin to close out the album, with its tribal-drumming in the background (or maybe like a Stepping Crew, or marching band). It offers great production quality from producer Danja, and unlike “Until It Beats No More”, this album version is a big change from the live version sung on SNL. “Hypnotico” is another RedOne production, but this time co-written by the one and only Lady GaGa. It’s fairly reminiscent of “Papi”, but it offers more of a feel good feeling of going out and dancing. With the deluxe edition of the album, we’re given 4 more bonus songs. The first is “Everybody’s Girl”, a somewhat forgettable addition to the album that originally was rumored to be the follow-up single once “Louboutins” failed. “Charge Me Up” gets lost within its own production, starting to get drowned out by the better-quality RedOne productions on the album. “Take Care” is a quick little number by Tricky Stewart and The-Dream again, most likely a leftover from Rihanna, but nonetheless it’s a fun little number. The whole album is officially complete after “On The Floor (Ven A Bailar)”.
The Point:
Jennifer is back and better than when we last heard from her in Brave! No matter her age, she can still get things moving on popping, holding her own next to artists like Britney Spears, Lady GaGa, and Ke$ha. It’s a fun, up-tempo album that keeps things going from start to finish. Long live my love, Jennifer Lopez! Forget the haters, J.Lo did the damn thang!
The Essentials:
I can’t really pick one favorite (since I’m partial to loving the whole album). So here are 5:
First up is my favorite on the album “Good Hit”. The first video is a wonderful little snippet that was remixed, followed by the actual viral video with the actual song.
Next is “Papi”, the high-energy song that gets me moving no matter what!
From there we have the electric first single “On the Floor”,
followed by the perfect second single “I’m Into You”. My goodness, she does not look like she has aged a bit (or had twins for that matter). Bless her, and bless the beautiful William Levy (look down below!)
Which leaves us with “(What Is) Love?”, the beautiful title track that attempts to answer the question: just what is love?
For those who don't know William Levy, he's a Cuban telenovela actor, but maybe you'd prefer to just look for yourselves:
From pop, to Latin, to R&B, to dance, Jennifer has covered a wide range of music genres in her albums. While she’s had several #1 hit singles, dance tracks that invaded the clubs, or pop hits that got stuck in our heads, her 4th album is the most memorable, the most underrated, and the most spectacular production quality from any of her albums.
The Play-by-Play
For once, we’re not treated to the first single as the opening track. Instead, we’re given “Still”. It was an honest confession about the mistakes she had made in the past with previous relationships, still feeling love for them all, wishing them nothing but the best. “Loving You” comes next, playing back to a little old school from B.I.G. (although technically, the sample is from Mtume’s “Juicy Fruit”). It’s a sweet little reminder of the pop perfection in Jennifer’s voice, as well as the catchy hook. “I’m Glad” comes afterwards, and turns out to be the least interesting as far as the lyrics as concerned. I get that she was head over heels in love with Ben Affleck at the time, but these lyrics sound like a 3rd grader wrote them for her. Regardless, it gets back to the R&B throwback (and GOOD quality lyrics) with a great sample of The Stylistics’ “You Are Everything” in “The One”. It’s the beginning of a very honest look into her relationship; very open and very out there! It’s a very big risk taking on a classic like “You Are Everything”, but with the songwriting from Jennifer and production from Cory Rooney, the end result is magical. “Dear Ben” is next up, with the most honest look into her relationship with Ben Affleck (after all, his name is in the title). It’s a beautiful ballad, very poetic, very loving, and very memorable. “All I Have” featuring LL Cool J comes out strong, bringing out the vulnerable side of Jennifer. It’s a bittersweet duet, with all of its catchiness and beauty, it’s easy to see why it shot up to #1. And who can hate on a verse from LL himself? Next up is the first single “Jenny From The Block” featuring Styles and Jadakiss. It’s a bit of stretch, trying too hard at times to prove how simple J.Lo still is with all of her rocks and money, but still keeping it real. It still does manage to get stuck in my head, becoming one of her signature songs. Things get back to very personal for Jennifer with “Again”, telling the world how lucky and blessed she has that she has found love again. Then comes a great re-make of Carly Simon’s “You Belong To Me”. It’s a fun little number that adds more to that 70’s sound the whole album has been embracing. “I’ve Been Thinkin’” is another winner on the album, taking us into her playful side, crushing on her new man, not wanting to get him off of her mind. The album closes on a high note, followed by an unnecessary one. First up is “Baby I Love U!”, the most underrated single in her collection. If only it hadn’t been used first to promote Gigli, then it might have had a little bit more success. It’s a pitch perfect song, confessing even more love for her man, but in a fun, upbeat way. Then comes “The One” (Version 2). It’s unnecessary because of the fact that they switch out the original chorus with the chorus from the sample itself “You Are Everything”. It’s one thing to sample it where the music concerned, but it doesn’t fit in my mind when it comes to this song, especially since the first version is so perfect by itself.
The Point
Yes, the whole Bennifer coverage was out of control. Yes, Gigli and Jersey Girl totally flopped, but like I said, this is the most underrated album in Jennifer’s repertoire. It was emotional, honest, very personal, and a great change from her typical dance, pop, Latin style. She embraced more R&B, all while encompassing a throwback to 1970’s music (after all, almost every song on this album contains a sample of another song). Let’s not call it an unoriginal album, but rather the most groundbreaking, real album in Jennifer’s career.
The Essentials
My all-time favorite of hers was never released as a single, “Still”.
But for a single of hers, “All I Have” is one of the best!
But who can forget the underrated one of the bunch, “Baby I Love U!”?
She captured my attention with her small role in “Mi Familia”, but she stole my heart when she appeared as Latin superstar Selena. From there, it only made sense for her to release an album, only to progress her superstar status. And boy oh boy, she certainly did NOT disappoint!
The Play-by-Play
Things get going extremely well with the first single (and the big music debut from Ms. Lopez) “If You Had My Love”. It had all the makings of a perfect Pop song during that summer, so it’s no surprise that it went to #1 on the Hot 100 charts! Things slow down drastically going into “Should’ve Never”, but it’s a bittersweet, seductive tale of having to choose between two men. And who can resist that whispering Spanish she utters to close out the song? She comes right back, tapping into her R&B side on “Too Late”, showcasing the genius musical relationship she has with producer/songwriter Cory Rooney. This was the beginning of her signature Latin soul style. “Feelin’ So Good” starts up right after switching gears into more of a Hip-Hop/R&B track, all about having a good time with this fun throwback. It’s on “Let’s Get Loud” that Jennifer really has all the fun, throwing in her fun, explosive attitude in this high-energy track. “Could This Be Love” is a forgettable track, trying to show more range in her slow-song voice. It doesn’t add much, but it’s nice break before things pick up again. Next up comes “No Me Ames” (Tropical Remix) featuring Marc Anthony. It’s the better version of the two that appears on this album. And it’s so ironic that they were both married to other people at this time. Who would’ve thought that in almost 10 years, THEY would be married to each other with twins?!!! It’s a beautiful duet, showing off her full-on Latin side, filled with rhythmic sounds and beautiful lyrics. “Waiting For Tonight” comes next as the song of the millennium. It’s an upbeat pop, dance song that brought out the club-thumping side in Ms. Lopez. Up next is the sexiest track of them all, “Open Off My Love”. It gets a little too repetitive towards the end, but the rest of is a satisfying treat of her whisper-like quality in her voice that exudes sex appeal at its best. “Promise Me You’ll Try” is a pretty weak offering as a ballad, but I certainly is more interesting than “Could This Be Love”. “It’s Not That Serious” comes next as a slick, attitude-filled number brushing off a love that certainly meant nothing. It has the perfect balance of Latin, pop, and R&B. “Talk About Us” reminds me a lot of the same kind of bubblegum Pop slow jams that Britney and Christina were coming out with at the time, but it’s an interesting take coming from Jennifer. “No Me Ames” comes around again, but this time in the single ballad version. It’s a bit more beautiful and romantic, but not as fun and uplifting as the tropical version. “Una Noche Mas” closes out the album, taking “Waiting For Tonight” on a more tropical journey that certainly doesn’t take away from the original.
The Point
This CD in my collection is completely worn out, I listened to it day and night all that summer. I think it’s safe to say that I am completely in love with her, and this is the album that helped make my obsession complete!
The Essentials
Who can deny the power behind the #1 first single “If You Had My Love”?
And who can forget her upbeat dance flavor with “Let’s Get Loud”?
But the true greatness in this album is her ability to go from R&B with songs like “Too Late”,
switching back and forth with her Latin side on songs like “It’s Not That Serious”.
