“‘Born This Way’, which is the title song, will completely get rid of Gloria Gaynor’s ‘I Will Survive’. This is the new ‘I Will Survive’. That was the gay anthem. This is the new gay anthem. Actually, it’s not a gay anthem – it can apply to anybody.” – Elton John

There was a lot of hype surrounding Lady Gaga’s single “Born This Way.” We’ve been hearing about it for months. I really dislike when people talk about songs before they’re available. It sets up an unrealistic expectation and people only do it to name drop. Okay Perez, we get it, you’re friends with Lady Gaga. Now go bedazzle an alpaca or something, just as long as I don’t have to watch.

I think if Elton John hadn’t come out and said as much, people would be responding differently, so let’s forget he ever talked about Born This Way, forget about all the hype leading up to its release, and get down to it.

Born This Way IS an anthem.

The lyrics, literal and cheesy, are meant to be so. Who here has ever been to a protest? You don’t mince your words, you get right to the point. This isn’t a song about lust or angst, it’s a song about being proud of who you are. Born This Way intentionally escapes the mold to make a point, hiding behind poetic tricks would have detracted from the message.

Of course there are those who say it’s a copy. A copy of Express Yourself, a copy of God Is A DJ; to be honest, I heard a lot of other songs too. Pop imitates pop. Every song sounds like some song before it. What separates a clone from something great is whether it does something new; whether it’s current (or ahead of it’s time), and relevant. Madonna and Pink are well established pop artists with a history of releasing empowering songs about individuality. Gaga channeled the vibes of her contemporaries to add to the story.

There’s one thing we can all agree upon- this song is divisive. For every person who falls in love with it and carries it with them there are going to be ten people who hate it. Gaga may be amongst the biggest stars in the world right now, but she still has a very young career. It takes cahones to release something like this. Leave any doubts that Gaga truly believes and cares about equality behind, this girl is more than a pop star, she’s an activist.