Perfection in pop music requires a certian blend of things. Strong hooks, strong musicality, great beats and instrumentation, a unique sound and look must be combined with heart and soul.
Lady Gaga burst onto the scene with a somewhat silly pop song called "Just Dance" that blended many of those things. It doesn't look like much on the surface, but when you dig deeper into that song and rest of Gaga's output you find some of the strongest pop songwriting of the decade. No better place to start than her single "Bad Romance" from her most recent disc, The Fame Monster.
"Bad Romance" has more hooks than I hardly know what to do with. A rebel cry opens the track, and then a nonsense phrase beats it's way into your brain. You try to resist, but she wants your "love, love, love/I want your love" and then it's onto a pre-chorus, a chorus, the "ra ra ah ah ah gaga oh lalas" another verse stuffed with Hithcock references and then sweeping into the chorus again. The first half of the bridge sneaks into the full bridge/chorus that sinks it's teeth into your tender ear with a well place swoop (and French!)
Who cares what the lyrics are, who cares what anybody is saying. Your brain is under the control of "rah rah ah ah ah roma ro mama gaga oh la la" and you like it. WANT YOUR BAD ROMANCE!
The amazing part is that this is a story behind this song. It's about being in love with your best friend, and it's brings a level of heartache to this brilliant composition. It's a blend of heart and machine, and that's what makes it possibly perfect.
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