Lady Gaga: “Bored This Way?”

At what point does a newly minted music icon turn from simply catering to her audience to shamelessly, recklessly pandering to them? We may find out with the recent web release of Lady Gaga’s new single “Born This Way.” The tune is very overtly an LGBT pride anthem, although Gaga leaves plenty of room for other listeners to celebrate their identities as proud outsiders. Or something like that. It’s not the greatest dance song ever, but it’s catchy enough to kill time with on the stairmaster.

If you check the blogosphere, though, there seems to be a backlash growing among listeners who feel like Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta is somehow forcing herself on the LGBT community, or at least presuming that everything she releases will be an instant gay classic. Personally, my gay icons run more in the Joanna Newsom-Neko Case direction, but different strokes…

I think Gaga is talented. But she’s overexposed at this point. Sorta like the Super Bowl.