00:00♪ You, you, and I ♪
00:04Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're looking at legendary vocalist Lady Gaga's most challenging tracks to sing.
00:11♪ Wanna make a statement straight from me? ♪
00:18Number 10. Rain On Me.
00:20At the bottom of our list, we have Rain On Me,
00:23a collaboration between Gaga and the similarly talented Ariana Grande.
00:28♪ At least I'm alive, at least I'm alive ♪
00:31♪ Rain on me, rain, rain, rain on me ♪
00:35The pair are both legendary vocalists, and they don't hold back here.
00:39This makes it an exceptionally difficult tune to cover.
00:42♪ I didn't ask for a free ride ♪
00:46♪ I only asked you to show me a real good time ♪
00:50Even if you can nail one vocalist's performance, you'll need someone else to ace the other.
00:56It's nigh on impossible to solo, unless you're Gaga, of course.
01:00Behind the scenes, the pair became great friends after recording the track.
01:04It was considered one of 2020's biggest songs,
01:07and has since become a defining anthem of that year.
01:10♪ Hear the thunder coming down, won't you ride on back? ♪
01:14♪ Yeah, yeah, ride on, ride on ♪
01:18Number 9. Judas.
01:20It didn't take us long to get to her second major album,
01:23considered by many to be one of the greatest pop albums ever.
01:27♪ Judas, Judas, Judas, Judas, Judas, Judas, Judas, God, God! ♪
01:34When you hear the vocals on tracks like Judas, it's easy to see why.
01:38The difficulty comes from its fast-paced lyrics and huge belting vocals.
01:43It's additionally emotionally intense, meaning you have to give it your all to pull off.
01:48Fun fact, Gaga amusingly designed the single's art in Microsoft Word, then took a picture
02:00of it with her phone.
02:01If you look closely, you can even see her reflection in the background.
02:12Number 8.
02:13Dope.
02:14We're going back to 2013, when people started to grow tired of the EDM craze.
02:19This meant Artpop, which was Gaga's first venture into EDM, received a rather lukewarm
02:24reception.
02:32Years later, it's now adored by little monsters.
02:35Many believe the album to have been ahead of its time.
02:38One of its most iconic tracks is the emotional track Dope, a powerful ballad about Gaga's
02:43struggles with substance use disorder.
02:54It's carried almost entirely by her vocal performance alone, with minimal production.
02:59Like a lot of her songs, this one shines in live performances, when it's just her
03:03and the piano.
03:10Number 7.
03:11Marry the Night.
03:12It's yet another track from Born This Way, surprising no one familiar with Gaga's discography.
03:26Released as one of the album's final singles, its chorus has some incredibly powerful vocals.
03:31It demands strong and sustained belting to nail, culminating with an eclectic outro of
03:36constant, soaring notes.
03:45Like most of her work, it's magnificently emotionally charged.
03:49It's a phenomenal album opener, setting a high bar for the remainder of the album.
03:54In Gaga's own words, it was made to sound like, quote, if Bruce Springsteen had a baby
03:59with Whitney Houston.
04:07Number 6.
04:08Fashion.
04:09This song's lyrics are about Gaga's adoration for dressing well, which makes her feel on
04:13top of the world.
04:20It was written and produced with help from Will.i.am, a titan in his own right, and David
04:24Guetta.
04:25Gaga is constantly jumping between her chest voice and a bright falsetto, with frequent
04:30sustained high notes in the chorus.
04:34Also, the rhythm is deceptively complicated, with the verses taking on a bouncy syncopation.
04:42Its glamorous energy requires complete confidence and an enormous pair of pipes to deliver,
04:47making it a major test of endurance.
04:56Number 5.
04:57You & I.
04:58Lady Gaga's second album is a strong display of pop experimentation.
05:03The country rock vibes of You & I are a perfect example of its musical variety.
05:08The first few minutes have fairly standard vocals for Gaga, but about halfway through
05:12she starts amplifying things to the max.
05:21The chorus and bridge demand a monstrous pair of lungs to master, with constant belts and
05:26few pauses.
05:28At the time, Gaga was semi-controversial for her male alter ego Joe Calderone, seen in
05:33the You & I music video.
05:43She performed the tune as Joe at the VMAs, a caricature of toxic masculinity, and you
05:48can see the audience is completely taken aback.
05:51Even a young Justin Bieber looks entirely confused.
06:00Number 4.
06:01Diamond Heart.
06:02This album's opening track is an otherworldly display of singing talent.
06:13Songs like this are why some of us think Gaga sold her soul to a demon for singing powers.
06:18The opening lines are relatively relaxed, but about 40 seconds in she turns it up to
06:2311 and keeps it there for the next 3 minutes.
06:33The young, wild American portion gets repeated constantly and is sung with immense strength
06:38behind it.
06:39Although he was generally involved with the album, Diamond Heart is the only track on
06:43the album to credit Caius, guitarist and frontman of Queens of the Stone Age, Josh
06:48Homme, as a co-writer.
06:56Number 3.
06:57The Edge of Glory.
06:59Next we have yet another one of Born This Way's many legendary tracks.
07:03It was the album's third single, with lyrics discussing the moments before death, a rather
07:07morbid topic for a pop anthem.
07:17It was inspired by the recent passing of Gaga's grandfather, which accounts for the emotionally
07:22charged vocals.
07:23According to producer Fernando Garibay, it was recorded in just one take, a feat which
07:28only serves to make us that much more suspicious that Gaga's talent comes from supernatural
07:33forces.
07:42The saxophone solo was also performed by Clarence Clemens, acclaimed sax player for
07:47Bruce Springsteen.
07:48The solo was risky, but ultimately paid off, like many of Gaga's boldest musical decisions.
08:01Number 2.
08:02Shallow.
08:03Not only is she a stunning singer, but she's also a talented actress, as proven by her
08:08role in A Star Is Born.
08:18Shallow is the film's main song, and Gaga's vocals are mind-blowing.
08:23About halfway through, she begins belting in the iconic Gaga fashion.
08:28Not only are there some tough notes to master, but they're all delivered in such clean,
08:32beautiful fashion, making it one of the most intimidating songs to cover.
08:43It's as technically and emotionally demanding as music can be, with amazing harmonization
08:48between the two vocalists.
08:50The song was so loved, it won the Oscar for Best Original Song in 2018.
09:03Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
09:07Paparazzi.
09:08The high pitch is difficult for most vocalists to achieve.
09:19G.U.Y.
09:20This one requires next-level breath control.
09:30Stupid Love.
09:31Arguably the most vocally impressive solo Chromatica track.
09:43Born This Way.
09:44Lots of belting.
09:52Gypsy.
09:54She holds notes really impressively in this one, on top of all the emotion.
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10:21Number one, Perfect Illusion.
10:23Topping our list is Joanne's lead single and most powerful track.
10:28A fun fact is that it featured Australian rock giant Kevin Parker, also known as Team
10:33Impala.
10:41You can even see him freaking out on a drum kit in the video.
10:44Unbeknownst to many, descending riffs are usually harder than ascending riffs, hence
10:48why this track is a massive skill check.
10:58It includes some of Gaga's longest belts, with virtually no pause, making breath management
11:03essential.
11:05Maintaining such drive is physically demanding, especially while singing and dancing in front
11:09of a live audience.
11:14What do you think is her most challenging track to belt?
11:18Let us know in the comments.
11:27Do you agree with our picks?
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