Lady Gaga’s latest single Born This Way has been talked about ever since the notorious New Yorker leaked news of its release along with a raunchy promotional picture on the internet.

And in the nine days since its release, the song has continued to fan the flame of controversy while speeding to the upper ends of pop charts all over the world.

A mesh of processed guitars, synth layers and pulsating Eurodisco rhythms, the new single, produced by Fernando Garibay and DJ White Shadow, carries a strong message in favour of tolerance among different races, creeds and sexual orientation.

From a musical perspective it seems Lady Gaga has been exploring areas beyond the sound that fuelled her 2008 debut, The Fame.

However, not everyone has embraced Born This Way in a positive way, with some critics even suggesting Lady Gaga ‘borrowed’ the single’s cover art from Kylie Minogue’s 2007 2 Hearts Single.

Other reviewers commented that the song is a rip-off of Madonna’s Express Yourself, a sentiment also shared by Madonna’s brother Chris Ciccone (though why he is upset about this is still a mystery), who told Radar Online that the song “sounds just like Express Yourself – I can’t believe it, to tell you the truth”.

While there may be some musical similarity – they are after all, both dance songs – if one puts the song under the microscope, it’s more than likely that the ‘loving who you are’ message of self-esteem that both songs embrace and project triggered this debate.

Lady Gaga fans have retaliated to the attacks, suggesting that perhaps Madonna is trying to grab some of Lady Gaga’s limelight.

It’s also worth noting that Lady Gaga has never made any secret of her admiration for the ‘Material Girl’, and has often cited her as a big influence on her career.

So, is the song a rip-off or is it just a tribute? And what’s the fuss anyway; after all, wasn’t Madonna’s own Express Yourself inspired, extracted and moulded from The Staple Singers’ 1971 soul hit Respect Yourself?

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