When it comes to ultra-popular performers like Lady Gaga, who seems to be able to capture lightning a bottle with chart-topping mainstream success, it’s hard to tell through the aura of mystique how much of the music they contribute to.
Lady Gaga writes all of her own music. She is a prolific singer and songwriter that has not only written music for herself but other artists as well, generating considerable successes in the charts.
In the case of Gaga, she most certainly writes her own songs. Not just a talented performer, Gaga has both foundations of a strong musical education and clear love and understanding of the fundamentals of songwriting.
Gaga’s Songwriting Personality
One of the core aspects that Gaga was once most well-known for, and is still associated with her, is her extreme sense of individualism. Never one to be put into a box or forced to dance to the beat of someone else’s drum, Gaga has always had a unique and sometimes polarizing style.
When you’ve put yourself into the position of being such a peculiar and rare dynamo of creativity, it seems only natural that you will find yourself in an arrangement where you are composing your own music. Writing your own music is the only way that your personality will be able to truly shine through in your work.
The way that Gaga speaks about her songwriting, even in interviews early in her career, is evidence enough that she has a true excitement for the activity, valuing her own songwriting and lyrics enough to be irritated by purposefully dismissive interpretations of them.
With some of her earlier music, critics leveled accusations of shallowness towards Gaga. They had no tangible effect on the musician, as she continued to write and grow musically, staying true to her own unique style.
Development and Evolution
As is true of her public image and at times outlandish taste in clothing and fashion choices, her music and writing are also prone to change. Sometimes change can be perceived negatively, especially by fans, but in Gaga’s case, the change was a welcome evolution.
Evolving both musically and lyrically, Gaga has composed music in a wonderful array of musical styles. Ranging from happy-go-lucky upbeat synth tracks to jazzy soulful performances.
She has even shown glimpses of a more somber and at times almost depressive style of songwriting, showing that her writing and performances are possessive of far more than the shallowness that they were once accused of. All in all, you get to see a colorful palette of Gaga’s inner character, a palette that she readily and happily paints within the writing of her music.
Her variety and range are one of the reasons that Gaga has stayed so relevant over the years, fostering a rabidly loyal fanbase with songwriting and performances that almost always deliver a ‘from the heart’ quality. It’s a quality that is almost a requirement when you’ve managed to musically stay at the top for more than a decade.
Songwriting Collaborations
Gaga’s songwriting has stretched far beyond her music, working with other huge names like Britney Spears, Beyonce, and Arianna Grande. Perhaps one of her most significant collaborations, however, and the one that demonstrates the flexibility and range of her writing, was the song that was written for the movie A Star Is Born.
Gaga performs the song together with Bradley Cooper, in a duet that is miles away from the kind of music that fans of her early works would associate with her. Not only did it demonstrate the boundless scope of Gaga’s writing, but also her ability to tap in to and harness the spirit of a different character through her songwriting.
The song hit the right note with audiences and critics alike, earning her an Oscar.
Awards for her Songwriting
Not purely limited to mainstream success and adoration from her fans, Gaga’s and her songwriting have been recognized by the Songwriters Hall of Fame, becoming the first artist to have the honor of receiving their inaugural Contemporary Icon Award.
On the official page for the award, the Songwriters Hall of Fame talks at length about the multiple accomplishments and achievements of Gaga, from the astonishing number of album and record sales, to the depth of her musical works.