Madonna vs. Lady Gaga (Two peas in a pod, yet…)

What do pop icons from different generations have to argue about? They should have been on each other’s side. Madonna vs. Lady Gaga – they both know how it feels like to be rich and famous pop stars whose songs are loved by millions. They have both faced controversy with their over-the-top productions and stage gimmicks. And they’ve both worn atypical lingerie in public and didn’t just get away with it – they even became famous for it. But, there was an argument. And it’s about a couple of songs. Let’s not forget they are also both true artists and foremost to them is their craft. After all, no one gets famous for tricks alone.

People were quick to comment that Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way” sounded like Madonna’s “Express Yourself,” one of the biggest hits in Madonna’s album “Like a Prayer” (1989). Madonna was rather vocal about the similarities between the songs, and on separate occasions called it, “interesting,” “familiar,” and “reductive.” In her retort, Lady Gaga pointed out that the similarity between the two songs was only the chord progression.

The Material Girl

Madonna was born on August 16, 1958 in Bay City, Michigan. Her real name is Madonna Louise Ciccone. She stands 5’4” on her fish-net stockinged feet. After “Like a Virgin” was released in 1984 she was steadily propelled to the top of the music industry with one hit song and platinum album after another. They say that the great ones are those who people call by their first names – Michelangelo, Leonardo, Evita. Madonna’s reach went global and most of those who enjoyed singing and dancing to her songs in the two decades that she dominated the charts didn’t even know her surname. Madonna is the best-selling female rock artist of the 20th century and has seven Grammy trophies with her name on it. She was also successful in film, starring in critically-acclaimed movies that include “Desperately Seeking Susan” (1985), “Dick Tracy” (1990), “A League of Their Own” (1992), “Body of Evidence” (1993), the unforgettable, “Evita” (1996). Madonna’s current net worth is said to be $650 million.

Mother Monster

Lady Gaga was born in on March 28, 1986 in New York City, New York. Her real name is Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta. She stands 5’1” if she wears nothing else on her head or her feet. After “Poker Face” was released in 2009, she has unleashed one monster hit after another. And beyond music, her powerful influence redefined fashion and social networking in the 21st century. Who would forget the meat dress? or the bubble dress? Lady Gaga dabbled in acting, but we have yet to see if her performance in “Machete Kills” which will debut this year is as compelling as the now familiar antics she is known to pull off onstage. Lady Gaga has one more title attached to her name – Queen of Twitter. She currently has 28 million followers and gaining more by the minute.

Madonna vs. Lady Gaga: “Born This Way” vs. “Express Yourself”

But the Material Girl was not through bashing Mother Monster. In one concert she said that “imitation is the highest form of flattery,” referring to the Lady Gaga track. At a recent concert in Los Angeles, she performed a mash-up of her old hit “Express Yourself” with the “Born This Way” chorus. And then she said, “I don’t give a sh*t.” Lady Gaga has a rebuttal to this one, too: “It’s more important to me to keep writing music. Because that’s really all I care about, is the music.” Well then, it looks like a closure is forthcoming.