Discovering new music has always been tricky for me. Mostly it’s because I’m picky; I have certain types of music I enjoy, and it’s tough to find a bunch of bands that play the exact shade of energetic pop punk or slightly old-school hip hop that scratches my sonic itch. Not only that, most of my Bozeman friends are into heavier music and don’t think much of the power pop thing; I certainly can appreciate new material from As I Lay Dying or A Day To Remember, but they’re not what makes up the bulk of my CD wallet. I try to gather my newest findings into my Testermix series of compilation albums (which I will probably have to write about at some point), but most of the roster is made up of material I discovered at least one month ago from today.
That said, this entry is about a song that I’ve heard before, but only really registered with me a few days ago.
Lady GaGa – “Yoü and I”
Back in late May, I was underwhelmed by the material released from Lady GaGa’s forthcoming album, Born This Way. “Born This Way” never showed in charms to me in a non-club setting, the melody for “Judas” is a bit out there for me (though the “Ju-DAS, Ju-DA-AH-AH!” is still relentlessly fascinating), and “Edge of Glory” only slightly recaptures the magic of “Alejandro,” “Telephone,” and “Monster.” I still had hopes, though, and decided to buy it before road tripping to Idaho for a friend’s wedding. The album had a few too many self-esteem-boosting tracks for my liking, and I wasn’t able to find any further bangers during my time with it.
Fast-forward four weeks. I got off of work to receive an unpleasant surprise: my bike had contracted a flat tire, and I needed to walk the three miles back home. On the way home, I decided to play Born This Way again, just to see if my opinion of it would improve. Perhaps it was because my house was in sight, or because it was so different from anything else GaGa has ever done, but I was absolutely taken by “Yoü and I” in a way that I do not remember from my initial listen nearly a month ago.
There are a few reasons why this song is digging me like a backhoe right now. I love the bluesy feel to this song, and the Southern rock-inspired guitar licks that give the song its edge. I also like the lyrical content of “Yoü and I”; it’s a straight-up, twangy, Southern rock song, about a woman who had a dysfunctional but working relationship with a guy she calls Nebraska, and how she’s come to get him back. Most of all, though, I love the soaring melody that comes during the bridge. GaGa stays pretty low key for most of the song, making her mid-song shot for the moon all the more satisfying.
“Yoü and I” is fairly atypical for Lady GaGa, and I would be rather surprised if it turned into a single (though it did chart at number 36 for one week in June due to digital downloads), but fans of blues, Southern rock, or songs with great melodic release should give it a chance.
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