Cupcakes – a Birthday Essential

So I almost decided to take the day off from blogging. Not like I think it’s a job, but because I was busy. Busy pondering how I’ll spend the $150 I got in gift card money for various bookstores, woo! Hey, it’s my birthday (or was my birthday, depending on when you read this), cut me some cake. Er, slack. I already had too much cake today… cupcakes, that is!

Look at that beautiful chocolate cupcake...

Wait, there's cheesecake inside it too? Yeah, my best friend is that skilled.

Yes, the cupcakes read "Ur Not Fat Smiley Face". Or "Ur Fat Not Smiley Face". Don't make fun of my problems... *sniff*

Other reasons why my birthday was fabulous this year:

Lady Gaga’s New Album “Born This Way” was released earlier this week, and I plan to write a full review of it or at least share my thoughts. I admit to dancing to “Schleisse” while running on my treadmill.

A food fight and a separate fight broke out during lunch today. This in itself didn’t really add to my birthday, but I felt like including it to this list. You know, so you guys know I’m safe. It would be terrible if I were to be injured on my birthday… right, guys? Right? Anyone? Anyway, this did make me question the maturity of my peers.

So You Think You Can Dance season 8 premiers tomorrow, May 26. I haven’t watched TV since high school started, 98 years ago, so I’ll have to get into the groove of things again. Not watching TV? Using the word “groove”? I sound 61, not 16…

There are a few others but it’s late and I need to read some Frankenstein before I go to bed. Have a good day tomorrow/today!

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Gaga is Back With “Judas”

This is much better than “Born This Way”. Much better.

Gaga released this song early – the original release date was April 19. I wasn’t even aware of this upcoming single. She’s almost done no promoting for it, as opposed to “Born This Way”. It’s truly spectacular though. The chorus is especially catchy and the lyrics are gruesomely great.

I’m not a religious person, so I admit to googling “Judas” when first hearing about this song. I don’t want to go too much into the religious aspect because even after scanning the Wikipedia page for the apostle and betrayer of Jesus, I might misinterpret something or say an offensive comment unintentionally. I would like to state, however, that one should not judge this song solely based on its religious connotations – she’s not a devil worshiper or anything. Jeez.

Now to post some of my favorite lyrics:

“When he comes to me, I am ready
I’ll wash his feet with my hair if he needs
Forgive him when his tongue lies through his brain
Even after three times, he betrays me”

Such unusual word choice – the image evoked by the second line (washing his feet with my hair) is raw and disturbing. Yet, it makes you think.

“I couldn’t love a man so purely
Even darkness forgave his crooked way
And I’ve learned our love is like a brick
Build a house or sink a dead body”

Love the simile about love – it can be beautiful and exquisite, or lead to utter destruction and, if taken to an extreme, death.

“In the most Biblical sense, I am beyond repentance
Fame hooker, prostitute wench, vomits her mind
But in the cultural sense I just speak in future tense
Judas kiss me if offenced, or wear an ear condom next time”

I wanna love you, but something’s pulling me away from you
Jesus is my virtue, Judas is the demon I cling to
I cling to”

This is brilliant. Dirty and disgusting, but dastardly genius. The exemplification of what I mean when I say: Gaga, the queen of pop, is back!

I would post the chorus, but then I’d just be blogging the entire song, something that I want to refrain from. It’s splendid – not only do the lyrics reveal a deeper meaning than the “I want to sleep with you” theme so prevalent in pop music these days, it’s catchy. Sounds like something you would hear in a rave. An African rave. Oh baby.

What do you think of “Judas” by Lady Gaga? Do you agree that it’s better than “Born This Way”? I’m eagerly anticipating the music video, are you?

PS: Today was such a great day for me. I went to a Writers’ Conference and now feel tremendously inspired to write, played tennis in magnificent weather, and heard this song on my way to buy a smoothie.

PPS: No, I don’t know the difference between an African rave and a regular rave. I’ve never been to a rave, to be honest…

A Fanboy’s Perspective of Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way”

“No matter gay, straight or bi
lesbian, transgendered life
I’m on the right track, baby
I was born to survive
No matter black, white or beige
chola or orient made
I’m on the right track, baby
I was born to be brave”

– Lady Gaga, “Born This Way”.

 

 

 

 

 

Those are my favorite lyrics from Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way” – now at six weeks as number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. This is Gaga’s longest-lasting single to this date, with over 24.4 million views on Youtube. I have to say that while I absolutely LOVE the message and how people are accepting the song as a whole, I feel that musically “Born This Way” is lacking compared to her previous singles.

I’m a huge Gaga fan, and I have evidence to substantiate it:
1) I sing “Just Dance” and “Poker Face” randomly and without warning.
2) I cannot discuss relationships without bringing in “Bad Romance”.
3) When someone mentions board games, card games, mind games, etc., it automatically calls for “LoveGame”.
4) I cited Gaga’s full name (Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta) in an article I wrote for my school newspaper.
5) I write Gaga related things everywhere: on school supplies, homework, my friends’ belongings, etc.
6) Here are where Lady Gaga’s songs stand on my IPod’s 25 Most Played List:
– “Poker Face” at #2
– “Just Dance” at #3
– “Paparazzi” at #7
– “Bad Romance” at #10
– “LoveGame” at #15
– “Telephone” at #16
– “Monster” at #25

So I can say without hesitation that I adore Gaga – if it wasn’t for those catchy K-Pop songs, “Poker Face” and “Just Dance” would be #1 and #2.

Yet, “Born This Way” doesn’t have the same addictive quality as her other songs. The song is fun to listen to, but it doesn’t make you listen to it, and by that I mean I could turn off the radio while the song is halfway through without bothering to stop for the other half. Don’t get me wrong, I REALLY LIKE the song, just not with the same intensity her past releases.

The video is also really really really really really a bit odd:

I think I get the concept, with the born this way and rebirth theme, but to me it’s truly impossible to understand the music video completely. I’ve at least liked her other music videos, but with this one, it’s more like a “I’ll just say that I like it and stick to the song itself” type of thing.

Final verdict: Love the message, like the song, accept the video. Hoping for several more hits once her album is released on May 23 (two days before my birthday!)

What do you guys think of “Born This Way”? I know a myriad of people who love everything about it, but others who abhor it.