Top 10 Hardest Lady Gaga Songs to Sing

MsMojo

Lady Gaga's vocal prowess is legendary, but some songs push even the most talented singers to their limits. Join us as we count down the most vocally challenging tracks in her incredible discography that will test even the most skilled vocalists!

Transcript

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.

10:05Before we continue, be sure to subscribe to our channel and ring the bell to get notified

10:09about our latest videos.

10:11You have the option to be notified for occasional videos or all of them.

10:15If you're on your phone, make sure you go into your settings and switch on notifications.

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?

11:28Check out this other recent clip from Ms. Mojo, and be sure to subscribe and ring the

11:32bell to be notified about our latest videos.

Category

Transcript

Recommended