Lady Gaga & Christianity

Lady Gaga is a popstar that has become iconic for her unapologetic approach to music. She has donned outrageous costumes, introduced new concepts in music, and pushed the boundaries of art in today’s society. She has written many chart-topping pop songs, and even contributed to a film soundtrack. Gaga is known for being outspoken and as an advocate for marginalized and disenfranchized communities. Focusing on three songs, “Alejandro,” Judas,” and “Born This Way,” this account analyzes references to Christianity through her lyrics, dancing, or costumes and other props. This Tumblr page was created to provide insight into how these three videos produced by Gaga rework and reimagine Biblical references and themes. This Tumblr functions as an exhibition piece for SMC305: Christianity & Pop Culture for Group B: Abby Chase, Amelia Ostrander, Savaughn Hamilton, and Katherine Montgomery. This Tumblr functions as an exhibition piece for SMC305: Christianity & Pop Culture for Group B: Abby Chase, Amelia Ostrander, Savaughn Hamilton, and Katherine Montgomery.

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Lady Gaga is an expert performer, sure to shock the crowd every time she takes the stage. She uses costumes, props, and choreography in conjunction with her lyrics to produce meaningful, expressive content. This goal of this project was to investigate distinctive references to Christianity in Gaga’s music. By analyzing her songs “Alejandro,” “Born This Way,” and “Judas,” we found many allusions to God and Jesus, as well as several other known Biblical figures and symbols. Gaga’s approach to integrating religious references into her songs is refreshing and appeals mainly to a younger crowd. “Alejandro” has a corresponding nine-minute long music video that incorporates militaristic themes with allusions to historical Christian moments. At one point in the video, Gaga wears a white and red nun outfit and features a rosary. “Born This Way” was released in 2011 and quickly rose to be an iconic anthem of independence and self-confidence. The music video focuses on the battle of good and evil with references to Mother Mary and God. Lastly, “Judas” is arguably the most religious-based song of hers, based on the story of Jesus’s betrayal by Judas. In this video, Gaga bears a striking resemblance to Mary Magdalene with Jesus and the 12 apostles by her side. These examples of symbolism of Christianity in Lady Gaga’s music further reinforce her fearlessness in expressing herself and her views, as well as redesigning religious themes that have been present for centuries. Interpretation and creativity make the exploration of theology interesting, and Gaga reminds us that religious beliefs and views cannot be put in a box.

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(Source: https://www.amazon.com/Alejandro-Lady-Gaga/dp/B003LAPIW6)

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Alejandro music video, linked here. 

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The first line of the video and the song “Alejandro,” with Lady Gaga dressed in an intricate Alexander McQueen outfit and surrounded by military men. 

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Alejandro, held up by puppet strings and holding a gold gun to symbolize connection to military, next to Lady Gaga in her red nun outfit. 

(Source: https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&source=images&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwi18ZuR2obmAhWPy4UKHT1yA2EQjhx6BAgBEAI&url=https%3A%2F%2Fstarcasm.net%2Fwatch-the-new-lagy-gaga-alejandro-video%2F&psig=AOvVaw1RptRb0UZqfXeg1CnOMMmc&ust=1574790340106814)

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Two looks from “Alejandro” are shown here. Top left, middle right, and bottom left show one of Lady Gaga’s opening looks, wearing a type of glasses that she opens up to participate in the action. The other images take place during one of her first interactions with the men in a choreographed dance for control. 

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Men after they wake up in video and begin a choreographic sequence of fighting and working out with war imagery playing in the background. 

(Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=niqrrmev4mA)

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Lady Gaga in sexualized interaction between her and the men she is singing about, shown through a battle for control in objects like the rope. 

(Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=niqrrmev4mA)

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Various scenes from “Alejandro” to show the variation of costumes, dancing, and video shots. 

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Lady Gaga ingesting rosary beads, a Catholic symbol, and internalizing her faith. 

(Source: http://www.littlemonstersofficial.com/2011/01/lady-gaga-premieres-alejandro-music.html)

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Lady Gaga singing in front of cross in Alejandro, a clear Christian symbol. 

(Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=niqrrmev4mA)

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The machine gun bra worn in a choreographic sequence near the end of the video, alluding Madonna’s use of Christian imagery as well. 

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Lady Gaga in white outfit with red crosses with blurred flames in the background. 

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Different instances of Christian imagery used in “Alejandro,” including the sacred heart (top left), Lady Gaga ingesting rosary beads (bottom left), and Lady Gaga wearing the cross and priest/nun-like outfits. 

(Source: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2010/jun/09/lady-gaga-alejandro)

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Lady Gaga as the red-rubber nun, puppet strings slightly visible behind shoulder. 

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        The nine minute music video for “Alejandro” was released in June 2010, combining eclectic outfits and choreography famous to Lady Gaga’s videos at the time alongside unmistakably Christian images (Kreps). The song was a two-time platinum top 10 hit from Lady Gaga’s album The Fame Monster, which covered the various monsters in her life; Alejandro focused on the men and Gaga’s conflicted rejection of three ex-lovers (Campbell). In fact, the three men named in the song, Alejandro, Fernando, and Roberto, correspond to three men Lady Gaga dated prior to this song’s release: Alexander McQueen, Fernando Garibay, and Rob Fusari (Lamb). However, the video includes more meaning and symbolism that the song’s lyrics itself, giving a new layer to a song about former lovers.

        Militaristic themes make up a large part of the video, with soldiers, weaponry, and images of war highlighted repeatedly. A grey, almost black & white tone composes much of the video, with muted oppressive military images contrasting with bright red religious imagery such as Gaga’s rubber nun outfit and the rosary beads, painting a bleak scene influenced by 1920s Weimar Germany (Montgomery, “Lady Gaga's 'Alejandro' Video”). The muted space recalls Madonna’s “Vogue” video, as well as her conical bra inspiring Lady Gaga’s machine gun one later in the video (Kreps). Carefully constructed close-ups of Lady Gaga and the men surrounding her create an atmosphere of artistic oppression that dictates much of the style of the video. Some suggest that these militaristic images alongside homoerotic moments in the choreography and film shots demonstrate a critique of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, the military’s policy on gay members due to the fact that Gaga has spoken against it publicly (Adams). More generally however, the video is seen to be a tribute to gay communities and Lady Gaga’s role as an important symbol for the group through her music. However, she also holds an outsider perspective, as she is not a member of the community, which is shown in the video for “Alejandro” as she stands apart from the group, looks over them, and wears dramatically different outfits. 

        While the lyrics of “Alejandro” are not explicitly Christian, Lady Gaga adds Christian meaning through the images she uses throughout the video. Christian imagery is used throughout the videos, often highlighted in bright red colors, including the sacred heart from early in the video that Lady Gaga displays on a pillow and the dark rosary beads that she swallows while dressed in a red-rubber nun outfit. She wears a costume resembling a crusader, an important figure in Catholic history, with flames in the background and is lifted in a similar outfit above the men in a position of worship, both presenting her as a possible leading force in Christianity and differentiating her from the men. Another interpretation of the “Alejandro” video focuses on Lady Gaga as a modernizing force in Christianity. Lady Gaga illustrates her struggle with her Catholic faith and its traditional discrimination against homosexuality in “Alejandro,” internalizing her religious beliefs, possibly symbolized when she swallows the rosary beads. 

        However, the blend of Christian symbols with sex was controversial with many Catholics and Gaga has been accused of manipulating religious images to draw attention (Lamb). Even fellow music artist Katy Perry called out the video as blasphemous on Twitter (Montgomery, “Lady Gaga's 'Alejandro' Video”). The director defended the video’s use of religious imagery, saying that it “represents the character's battle between the dark forces of this world and the spiritual salvation of the Soul” (Montgomery, “Lady Gaga's 'Alejandro' Director”). Despite the variety of potential meaning and controversy surrounding the “Alejandro” video, Lady Gaga weaves in Christian images and symbols throughout the video, starting an interesting discussion about modern religion and use of its symbols in art. Her work may be outrageous, confusing, and scandalizing, but it does bring Christian images to a younger generation and challenges viewers to interpret the many layers of her content, working with these symbols and messages in a completely new way. 

Works Cited:

Adams, Richard. “Lady Gaga Joins Maine Rally for Repeal of 'Don't Ask Don't Tell.'” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 20 Sept. 2010, https://www.theguardian.com/world/richard-adams-blog/2010/sep/20/lady-gaga-rally-maine-dont-ask-dont-tell-gay-rights.

Anderson, Kyle. “Lady Gaga's 'Alejandro' Video: A Guide To Its Madonna References.” MTV News, 8 June 2010, http://www.mtv.com/news/1641089/lady-gagas-alejandro-video-a-guide-to-its-madonna-references/.

Campbell, Kyle. “Lady Gaga: Her Top 10 Songs, Ranked.” NME, 2 Oct. 2018, https://www.nme.com/blogs/nme-blogs/lady-gaga-top-10-songs-ranked-2385667.

Lady Gaga. “Alejandro.” YouTube, 8 June 2010, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=niqrrmev4mA. 

Lamb, Bill. "What Is the Meaning of Lady Gaga's Song 'Alejandro'?" ThoughtCo, Aug. 31, 2018, thoughtco.com/meaning-of-lady-gagas-alejandro-3245417.

“Deconstructing Lady Gaga's 'Alejandro.'” The Week, 9 June 2010, https://theweek.com/articles/493704/deconstructing-lady-gagas-alejandro.

Kreps, Daniel. “‘Alejandro' Director Breaks Down Lady Gaga's Racy Video.” Rolling Stone, 8 June 2010, https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/alejandro-director-breaks-down-lady-gagas-racy-video-96840/.

Montgomery, James. “Lady Gaga's 'Alejandro' Director Defends Video's Religious Symbolism.” MTV News, 9 June 2010, http://www.mtv.com/news/1641149/lady-gagas-alejandro-director-defends-videos-religious-symbolism/.

Montgomery, James. “Lady Gaga's 'Alejandro' Video: German Expressionism With A Beat!” MTV News, 8 June 2010, http://www.mtv.com/news/1641026/lady-gagas-alejandro-video-german-expressionism-with-a-beat/.

Pickard, Anna. “Who's Most Offended by Lady Gaga's Alejandro?” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 9 June 2010, https://www.theguardian.com/music/2010/jun/09/lady-gaga-alejandro.

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