Madonna performs Lady Gaga’s Born This Way

In the grand pecking order of the pop music scene, Madonna would be somewhere near the top. One would imagine. And all the usurpers and imitators and wannabes and never-gonna-bes were way, way, way down the pop food chain. Well, that’s the theory.

You’d think it was the second coming of Christ the day Born Thus Way was released.  Lady Gaga had just come off the back of an incredible album (The Fame Monster) and a world tour that showed she was a pop force to be reckoned with.

The thing about the Born This Way single though, was that everyone was saying how much it sounded like Madge’s 1989 smash, Express Yourself. On the day of the former’s release, Express Yourself was trending on Twitter.

Earlier this year, in the middle of her W.E promotional blitz, Madge was asked on Nightline what her thoughts were regarding Born this Way.

“It’s reductive,” Madonna said. When asked to elaborate, she told the TV host to look it up. She’s back, she’s back! the gays exclaimed. The bitch is back!

But then this happened. 

A video has surfaced taken by someone present at the Queen of Pop’s rehearsals on the eve of her Cash Cow Tour With No Name.

It begins with Madge miming to Express Yourself. A tacky ‘70s-style backing track plays, but apart from that, so far so good. Express Yourself is one of her biggest hits. Hasn’t performed it on tour since 2004’s Reinvention Tour.

However, her setlist then takes a turn and I’m not sure if it’s for the better or worse.

Madge performs a mash-up of Express Yourself. And Born This Way.

I have envisioned and hoped and prayed Gaga would perform a mash-up of the two on her world tour (which she is currently in the middle of). How epic would that be?

I had never imagined Madge would pick at old fights and force the Madge vs. Gaga fights to the surface all over again, let alone sing a cover of a pop starlet’s hit.

I’m not sure what to make of this. I thought Madge had said what she needed to say and wouldn’t go there again.

Ever since Madge’s rise in the ‘80s, every single female singer near the vicinity of pop has had to answer questions comparing them to Madonna. Britney, Christina, Pink, Kylie, God even Paris Hilton. The difference between Britney et al and Gaga is that Britney stayed in her lane and Madge stayed in hers. Gaga comes along, pretty much creating a carbon copy of Madge’s career, rips off her music, and Madge then dignifies it with a response.

It is the biggest headfuck of all time. What does it all mean?

The answer may lay in the last few moment of the video. Another track has been tacked on to the medley. And this time it’s one of Madonna’s own songs. It’s a non-single from her 2008 album, Hard Candy, called She’s Not Me.