Religion And Sexuality In Lady Gaga's Born This Way

In the modern world, music provides more than just entertainment; it has become a way to spread political messages. Pop musicians, some with millions of fans around the world, have been more willing to challenge established conventions, knowing that their songs can potentially possess a profound and life-changing effect. One of the most avant-garde artist since the advent of 21st century is Lady Gaga, who actively challenges the society through her music. (Istanders). Inspired by other similarly outspoken pop icons, including David Bowie, Mick Jagger, and Andy Warhol, the “Bad Romance” singer has been praised by many for embracing and celebrating different identities. (Istanders). In her arguably most political number “Born This Way”, Lady
Years later, the rap duo Macklemore & Lewis, most known for their Billboard #1 hit “Thrift Shop”, continued the conversation about sexuality with the song “Same Love”. Written in the aftermath of the Defense of Marriage Act in California, which allowed states to refuse Same-Sex Marriage, “Same Love” was an even more pointed protest of homophobia in the society. (Normalizing) Ladened with explicit lyrics condemning the discrimination towards the LGBT community, “Same Love” demonstrated the rap duo’s intolerance of marginalizing minorities. Though it was never as mainstream as “Born This Way”, the tune proves how musicians are using the music as a medium for speaking up. (Normalizing) Apart from sexuality, feminism and female empowerment have become more visible due to the tireless efforts of many pop singers. Beyonce’s eponymous 2013 album, for example, directly criticized unnatural ideals of beauty present in pop culture today. (Alter) Lauded by Nigerian feminist author Chimamanda Adichie as “flawless”, Beyonce’s album was not an “accidental feminist” creation but result of conspicuous efforts to cultivate empowerment as part of her
Teenagers today are listening to music more than ever before, making pop music seminal to their identity and character growth. For every hour of pop music they listen to, there are “about 35 references to substance abuse”, all of which could unconsciously influence an adolescent’s “personal identity, memory, and mood” (Parker-Pope) The effects of bombarding mainstream music with these messages have not been well-studied; however, similar exposure through television, film, and magazines have been linked to a hike in misdemeanor amongst teenagers. (Parker-Pope) Consequently, many parents are more cognizant of the influence music in teenagers’ life, fearing pop music would have similar effects as visual media did. Additionally, unbeknownst to most people, pop music has also fostered special religious cults that try to disseminate their ideas to average Americans. The rise of heavy rock in the 80s, simultaneous with Reagan’s presidency, led many to accuse it of being subversive and diabolical due to their dark messages and harsh sound. (Wright) In reality, little proof suggests rock listeners would be more prone to violence or crime, and most of the stigmas associated with this genre are simply the prevalent belief of the conservative public at the time. (Wright) These beliefs waned gradually in the late 80 but were rehashed by the growing