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Hair (Lady Gaga song)

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"Hair"
Song

"Hair" is a song by American recording artist Lady Gaga, from her second studio album Born This Way (2011). Written and produced by Gaga and RedOne, "Hair" was released worldwide digitally on May 16, 2011, as the only promotional single from the album, as part of the iTunes Store's "Countdown to Born This Way" release.[2] This was after the previous promotional release, "The Edge of Glory", was made the third single from the album. Nevertheless, Gaga explained that "Hair" was not planned to be a single, but may be released as one if it sells well at the iTunes Store, like "The Edge of Glory".

According to Gaga, the melody of "Hair" resembles the work of metal bands KISS and Iron Maiden. It is also influenced by Bruce Springsteen and is an uptempo club record inspired by Gaga's experience as a teenager, when her parents forced her to dress in a certain way. Gaga found that the only way to express herself was through her hair, and she described it as a song about liberation and her ability to change her ways. The lyrics talk about embracing one's hairstyle as their ultimate expression of freedom. "Hair" was recorded while Gaga was on tour through Europe. The song features a saxophone solo performed by saxophonist Clarence Clemons, a prominent member of The E Street Band. She personally wanted Clemons to play saxophone on the song, which he did by recording his part at a Manhattan studio at midnight, after flying there from his home in Florida.

"Hair" has been critically appreciated for its message of self-liberation, individualism and empowerment, though some of them felt that the usage of the term hair to express these messages was not particularly new. "Hair" charted in most major musical markets, reaching the top-ten in New Zealand and Scotland, while in other nations, it charted within the top-twenty including the Billboard Hot 100 of the United States.

Background and release

The name of the song was revealed through an interview with Vogue magazine in February 2011.[3] "Hair" was written and produced Gaga and RedOne.[4] Fernando Garibay, who co-produced Born This Way felt that both of them have a great work chemistry between them, so he chose not to talk about the song, adding: "I would love it if they would express what the song is about and what it represents."[5] On The Graham Norton Show, Gaga explained the origin of the song, which involves the analogy of her hair with freedom, and how that is the only part of her body she can change without anyone judging her.[6] According to a press listening in February, "Hair" draws inspiration from Pat Benatar's '80s classic "We Belong", while thematically it focuses on empowering lyrics similar to those of "Born This Way".[7] Gaga elaborated on the song's inspiration further with a video posted on her Twitter account. "I love this song so, so much," she stated in the video message. "When I was a kid, I used to always come down the stairs of my parents' house, and they would say, 'Go back upstairs and brush your hair, change your clothes, you can't go out wearing that', and I felt like it was stifling my identity." She added: "My hair was my glory. It was the only thing that I could change about myself."[8]

Initially "Hair" was supposed to be released as the second promotional single from Born This Way, following "The Edge of Glory", on May 16, 2011.[9][10] However, after its release to the digital stores, "The Edge of Glory" started selling considerable amount of digital downloads, prompting Gaga to make it the third single from Born This Way.[11] Hence "Hair" became the first promotional release from the album.[9] Gaga noted that although "Hair" was not planned to be an official single, it could be released as such, if it sells well at the iTunes Store like "The Edge of Glory".[8] Gaga also revealed her artwork for "Hair" on May 13, 2011, on her Twitter account. The black and white cover features a pink-haired Gaga lying upside down on the floor in a sharp-edged leather outfit, which comes complete with protruding nipple spikes, and it was photographed by her long time collaborator Nick Knight.[8][12] Both Gaga's hair and the word "Hair" are colored pink.[4] Later on, Gaga tweeted the words "Radio 1 show was killer! The Born This Way Itunes Countdown will release my song HAIR 2moro 1pm PST."[13] She also tweeted the line "I'll dye living just as free as my Hair!", then adding that the correct word in the line should be "die", instead of "dye".[4]

Recording and composition

During an interview with Ryan Seacrest on his radio program On Air With Ryan Seacrest, Gaga described "Hair" as an up-tempo club record, which also has Bruce Springsteen overtones to it. She also revealed the involvement of Clarence Clemons playing sax on the record.[14][15] Other influences included KISS and Iron Maiden on the melody. She revealed some of the lines of the song on Seacrest's show, "This is my prayer, that I'll die living just as free as my hair", adding that the composition of "Hair" was interesting since it was juxtaposing saxophone with a dance record. In an interview with radio station Z-100 she added, "Some of those themes are explored more on this album. To put my money where my mouth is."[7] Gaga's references for the saxophone solo was E Street Band and Bruce Springsteen and for her it represented "the isolation in the music dichotomy, [representing] the whole spectrum of music."[16] She ultimately decided to ask Clarence Clemons from E Street Band to play the instrument.[17]

"Hair"
A 28-second sample of "Hair", where Gaga sings the chorus and ends with declaring "I'm free as my hair".
Problems playing this file? See media help.

With Rolling Stone, Clemons described how he recorded the saxophone solo with Gaga. In January 2011, Clemons was putting together an exercise machine in his Florida house when his wife told him that Gaga's people were on the phone, and they wanted him to play on her upcoming album.[17] Since the call was on a Friday, Clemons replied that he can record it on the coming Monday or Tuesday, but Gaga was adamant to have him at the New York recording studio on that day itself. So Clemons flew from Florida to New York, and reached the recording studio in Manhattan in midnight.[17] Gaga wanted him to play saxophone on multiple tracks, one of them being "Hair". Before Clemons started work on the song, she explained the lyrics to him. "It made so much sense," he says. "It's a story about growing up." She gave him very few instructions about how to play on the song, saying "'We'll put the tape on and you just play. Play from your heart. Play what you feel.'". The recording was finished by 3:00 am, after a few takes. Clemons added that he was surprised for "getting paid for this. I would have done it for free. I can never believe something that feels so good earns me money."[17]

"Hair" was recorded mostly while Gaga was on tour in Europe, but the mixing was done at Oasis Mastering in Burbank, California, by Gene Grimaldi.[18] Jocelyn Vena from MTV described the track as a "fist-pumping, defiant disco track all about having a good time"[4] The song begins with Gaga singing the line "Whenever I dress cool, my parents put up a fight/ And if I'm a hot shot, Mom will cut my hair at night/ And in the morning I'm short of my identity/ I scream, 'Mom and Dad, why can't I be who I want to be?" As the music grows louder, Gaga sings the sing along chorus of the song, gradually moving towards the breakdown—which is inspired by retro music—talking about the different hairstyles she has had.[19][4] Matthew Perpetua from Rolling Stone called it a mixture of yearning romantic melodrama of "We Belong" with the hard industrial metal edge of Broken-era Nine Inch Nails. The lyrics of "Hair" talk about embracing one's hairstyle as the ultimate expression of their identity, hence it ends with Gaga triumphantly declaring "I am my hair!" at the end of the final chorus.[20]

Critical reception

An hour before starting the final leg of The Monster Ball Tour, Gaga sent four tracks to Rolling Stone, including "Scheiße", "Yoü and I", and "The Edge of Glory", for an advance preview. Matthew Perpetua wrote a positive review of "Hair", describing it as another inspirational song in the mold of "Born This Way", but felt that it was a bit weirder. Perpetua concluded the review by jokingly adding that the song will become "[a]n anthem for salons everywhere."[20] Jody Rosen from the same publication felt that although Gaga is not the first singer to create a connection between self-esteem and liberation to free-flowing coiffure, she seems to be the most committed to the idea.[21] Dan Martin from NME classified "Hair" as an empowerment anthem, using the "simple image of the wind blowing through a person’s hair to illuminate the album’s Love-Yourself-And-Let-It-All-Hang-Out message way more effectively than the title track. It trumps it once again by being quite the gayest thing you will ever hear for a long time."[22] Tim Jonze from The Guardian felt that the message of "Hair" was not particularly a new one, since the 60's musical Hair also preached the same message. Although he described some of the lyrics as "trite", Jonze opined that "these weaknesses can also be strengths, and there's something admirable about the way the [track] address confused teenagers in search of their identity."[23] Writing for The Vancouver Sun, Leah Collins described the song as "a pumping anthem designed to pump up your follicles with pride." She added that the overall feel of the song was that of retro dance music.[24]

Natalie Finn from E! Online was disappointed with the track, feeling that although the releases from Born This Way were not that "catchy", all of them were about the same subject of " the importance of being ourselves. Oh well, maybe we're just waiting for the next 'Bad Romance' to sweep us off our feet. Or the next 'Speechless' to make us cry. Or even the next 'Just Dance' to really make us want to dance."[25] Jason Lipshultz from Billboard felt that the track was another anthem for individualism, with Gaga's hair used as a metaphor for her wild personality.[26] Sal Cinquemani from Slant Magazine gave a positive review saying that the song is a "perfectly serviceable club track about highlights that's turned into a dumping ground for every bad idea Gaga's had in the last 12 months: schmaltzy piano-woman melodies, overwrought choruses, inexplicable sax solos."[27] Rick Fulton, while writing in the Daily Record, called "Hair" a great tune and an Europop high-energy epic, while giving it four out of five points.[28] Ian Hope from BBC Online described "Hair" as an "empowering freeway rocker about self expression."[29] The Independent writer Andy Gill compared the song to those by guitarist David Crosby, and described it as a statement of rebellious individuality.[30]

Chart performance

In the United Kingdom, "Hair" debuted at number 13 on the UK Singles Chart. Along with the song, Gaga's other singles—"The Edge of Glory", "Judas" and "Born This Way"—were all within the top twenty on the chart, making Gaga the first female artist since Ruby Murray in 1955, to have four songs simultaneously within the top twenty.[31] In Australia, "Hair" debuted at number 20 on the ARIA Singles Chart.[32] In the Netherlands, "Hair" debuted at number 15 on the Single Top 100 chart.[33] In Ireland it debuted at number 14 on the Irish Singles Chart.[34] In the United States, "Hair" debuted at number five on the Hot Digital Songs chart with first-week sales of 147,000 copies.[35] Consequently it debuted at number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming the highest debuting single of the week.[36] In Canada, the song sold 15,000 digital downloads, and entered the Canadian Hot 100 at number 11, as the highest debut of the week.[37] In Finland, "Hair" has charted only on the Official Download Chart at number 21.[38]

Live Performance

On May 27th 2011, Gaga played the song for the first time on Good Morning America as a part of their 'Summer Concert Series'. [39]. She did an acoustic version of the song.


Track listing

  • Digital download[40]
  1. "Hair" – 5:08

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from the album's liner notes.[18]

Charts

Chart (2011) Peak
position
Australian Singles Chart[32] 20
Belgian Singles Chart (Flanders)[33] 19
Belgian Singles Chart (Wallonia)[33] 11
Canadian Hot 100[37] 11
French Singles Chart[41] 16
Irish Singles Chart[34] 14
Italian Singles Chart[42] 5
Netherlands Single Top 100[33] 15
New Zealand Singles Chart[33] 9
Scottish Singles Chart[43] 10
UK Singles Chart[31] 13
US Billboard Hot 100[36] 12

References

  1. ^ "Hair (Legal Title) – BMI Work #12871275". Broadcast Music Incorporated. House of Gaga Publishing. Songs of RedOne. Sony/ATV Songs LLC. 2011. Retrieved 2011-05-21.
  2. ^ "iTunes Countdown to Lady Gaga's Born This Way Album Kicks Off Today With New Single "The Edge of Glory"" (Press release). Interscope Records. 2011-05-12. Retrieved 2011-05-15.
  3. ^ Van Meter, Jonathan (2011-02-04). "Lady Gaga: Our Lady of Pop". Vogue. Condé Nast Publications. Retrieved 2011-05-15.
  4. ^ a b c d e Vena, Jocelyn (2011-05-17). "Lady Gaga's 'Hair' Embraces Style Freedom". MTV (MTV Networks). Retrieved 2011-05-17.
  5. ^ Vena, Jocelyn (2011-05-15). "Lady Gaga And RedOne Have 'Great Chemistry' On 'Hair'". MTV (MTV Networks). Retrieved 2011-05-17.
  6. ^ Lady Gaga (2011-05-13). "Lady Gaga – Graham Norton 5†13†11" (HD). (Transcription). Event occurs at 15:12. BBC Online. {{cite episode}}: |chapter-format= requires |chapter-url= (help); Missing or empty |series= (help); More than one of |credits= and |people= specified (help); Unknown parameter |city= ignored (|location= suggested) (help)
  7. ^ a b Vena, Jocelyn (2011-05-15). "Lady Gaga To Release New Born This Way Single 'Hair'". MTV (MTV Networks). Retrieved 2011-05-17.
  8. ^ a b c Sperling, Daniel (2011-05-14). "Lady GaGa reveals 'Hair' cover art". Digital Spy. Retrieved 2011-05-15.
  9. ^ a b Lipshutz, Jason (2011-05-09). "Lady Gaga's 'Edge of Glory' Single Premieres, 'Hair' Coming Next Week". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 2011-05-15.
  10. ^ Wete, Brad (2011-05-10). "Lady Gaga to release fourth single, 'Hair,' a week before Born This Way's release: Still anxious for the full album?". Entertainment Weekly. Time Inc. Retrieved 2011-05-17.
  11. ^ Corner, Nick (2011-05-11). "Lady Gaga Makes Edge Of Glory Official Single?". Digital Spy. Retrieved 2011-05-11.
  12. ^ TJ (14 May 2011). "Lady Gaga Highlights "Hair" Release With Single Cover". Neon Limelight. Retrieved 15 May 2011.
  13. ^ "MSN: Lady Gaga Twitter". MSN. 2011-05-15. Retrieved 2011-05-17.
  14. ^ Turner, Sadao (2011-02-15). "Lady Gaga: Whitney Houston Was My Vocal Idol Growing Up". On Air with Ryan Seacrest. KIIS-FM. Retrieved 2011-05-15.
  15. ^ Vena, Jocelyn (2011-05-08). "Lady Gaga's Born This Way: What We Know So Far". MTV (MTV Networks). Retrieved 2011-05-15.
  16. ^ Vena, Jocelyn (2011-05-13). "Lady Gaga's 'Edge Of Glory' Is A 'Bold Move,' Co-Producer Says". MTV (MTV Networks). Retrieved 2011-05-14.
  17. ^ a b c d Greene, Andy (2011-02-18). "Exclusive: How E Street Band Saxophonist Clarence Clemons Ended Up on Lady Gaga's New Album". Rolling Stone. Jann Wenner. Retrieved 2011-05-13.
  18. ^ a b Germanotta, Stefanie (2011). Born This Way (Media notes). Manhattan, Newyork: Interscope Records. p. 4. {{cite AV media notes}}: |format= requires |url= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help); Unknown parameter |albumlink= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |artist= ignored (|others= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |publisherid= ignored (help)
  19. ^ Ruan, Jim; Hickley, Catherine (2011-05-18). "Lady Gaga's Disco-Crazy 'Born This Way' Debuts Online: Review". San Francisco Chronicle. Hearst Corporation. Archived from the original on 2011-05-18. Retrieved 2011-05-18.
  20. ^ a b Perpetua, Matthew (2011-02-18). "An Early Report on Six Songs From Lady Gaga's 'Born This Way'". Rolling Stone. Jann Wenner. Retrieved 2011-05-15.
  21. ^ Rosen, Jody (2011-05-18). "Lady Gaga's 'Born This Way': A Track-by-Track Breakdown". Rolling Stone. Jann Wenner. Retrieved 2011-05-19.
  22. ^ Martin, Dan (2011-05-17). "Album Review: Lady Gaga, 'Born This Way'". NME. IPC Media. Archived from the original on 2011-05-18. Retrieved 2011-05-17.
  23. ^ Jonze, Tim (2011-05-18). "Lady Gaga: Born This Way – review". The Guardian. Guardian News and Media. Retrieved 2011-05-18.
  24. ^ Collins, Leah (2011-05-17). "Lady Gaga puts latest singles online". The Vancouver Sun. Postmedia Network Inc. Archived from the original on 2011-05-18. Retrieved 2011-05-17.
  25. ^ Finn, Natalie (2011-05-16). "Listen Now: Lady Gaga Lets Her "Hair" Down". E! Online. Retrieved 2011-05-18.
  26. ^ Lipshultz, Jason (2011-05-17). "Lady Gaga's 'Hair' Hits iTunes: Listen". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 2011-05-18.
  27. ^ Cinquemani, Sal (2011-05-18). "Album Review: Lady Gaga Born This Way". Slant Magazine. Retrieved 2011-05-19.
  28. ^ Fulton, Rick (2011-05-19). "World reacts to new Lady Gaga Album: Here's our review". Daily Record. Trinity Mirror. Retrieved 2011-05-19.
  29. ^ Hope, Ian (2011-05-19). "Cut away the hype, image and psychobabble and there's still a great pop album here". BBC (BBC Online). Retrieved 2011-05-21.
  30. ^ Gill, Andy (2011-05-20). "Album: Lady Gaga, Born This Way (Polydor)". The Independent. Retrieved 2011-05-21.
  31. ^ a b Press Release (2011-05-22). "Lady Gaga & Pitbull dominate Official Singles Chart". The Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2011-05-23.
  32. ^ a b "ARIA Singles Top 50". Australian Recording Industry Association. Hung Medien. 2011-05-23. Retrieved 2011-05-23.
  33. ^ a b c d e "Ultratop.be – Lady Gaga – Hair" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Hung Medien. Retrieved 2011-05-21.
  34. ^ a b "Top 50 Singles, Week Ending 19 May 2011". Irish Recorded Music Association. GFK Chart-track. 2011-05-19. Retrieved 2011-05-21.
  35. ^ Caulfield, Keith (2011-05-25). "Seether Scores Top Billboard 200 Debut, Adele Still No. 1". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 2011-05-25.
  36. ^ a b Trust, Gary (2011-05-25). "Adele Remains Atop Hot 100, Lady Gaga Makes 'Hair'-Raising Bow". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 2011-05-25.
  37. ^ a b Tuch, Paul (2011-05-27). "Pitbull Makes Big Gains At Digital & Radio". Nielsen SoundScan. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-05-26. Retrieved 2011-05-26.
  38. ^ http://latauslista.fi/artistit/lady+gaga
  39. ^ http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/lady-gaga-makes-zipline-arrival-good-morning-america/story?id=13694695&page=2
  40. ^ "Lady Gaga – Hair – Single". iTunes. Retrieved 2011-05-18.
  41. ^ "Classement officiel des ventes de singles & titres en France – du 16 mai au 22 mai 2011" (in French). chartsinfrance.net, Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved 2011-05-27.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  42. ^ "Classifica dei singoli in Italia dal 16/5 22/5 2011" (in Italian). www.fimi.it, FIMI. Retrieved 2011-05-27.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  43. ^ "Scottish Singles Chart – Archive 28th May 2011". The Official Charts Company. 2011-05-22. Retrieved 2011-05-23.
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