FMG: Let's have some fun (this beat is sick!!!!)

+ the two books currently on my Kindle

Happy Friday!!

I still can’t believe I’m saying this (and it’s taken me a full eight days to be able to write about it), but I saw Lady Gaga last week! The Mayhem Ball came through Chicago for three magical shows, and my dearly beloved friend Kelly is, blessedly, chill enough to be the kind of girl who agrees to last-minute Wednesday night tickets in the nosebleeds. I have a lot to say about Lady Gaga, so please bear with me.

Lady Gaga’s Born This Way album was released on January 1, 2011 — and upon listening to it at age 16, I received my first informal lesson in musical media literacy. “Judas” was one of the album’s singles (and it’s still, by far, the most-listened-to song on the album), and I remember, at the angsty age of 16, listening to the lyrics (atop the absolute CATCHIEST beat), and wondering if it was sacrilegious of me to enjoy a song about Judas Iscariot.

I so viscerally remember looking up the lyrics, finding articles about their meaning, and attempting to dissect them (and my feelings about them) by myself. As I look back on that earnest 16-year-old, I want to hug her — and I’m proud of the ways the song kicked off my education in lyrical symbolism, musical storytelling, and the nuance that can come with each. “Judas,” to me, is not a love letter to humanity’s great betrayer — but, rather, an observation of the ways we tend to go back and forgive someone who’s hurt us (But to you, it might represent something different! And that’s okay!). Lady Gaga sings of the “Judas” in her own life, a man who’s betrayed her many times but that she just can’t quit (given that she is human and not a deity, and her forgiveness is born less out of holiness and more due to weakness). Similar religious imagery and symbolism is seen on “Bloody Mary” (a song about choosing love and joy over evil, told loosely through the hypothetical words of Mary Magdalene after watching Jesus’s death) — and Lada Gaga (who was raised Roman Catholic and has publicly self-identified as a Christian in her adult life) more outwardly mentions her faith in other songs on the album, such as “You And I” (which is my favorite song of all time and has been since I was 17).

I do genuinely believe that (in terms of vocal and dance talent), Lady Gaga is one of the absolute greatest pop stars of all time — but she’s also such an insanely talented lyricist and storyteller, and I’ve processed so much of what I believe and how it can be expressed thanks to her. I so often see people of faith renouncing art that speaks of religion (or that uses religion symbolically) and marking it as sacrilegious or blasphemous. I respect that opinion (and I truly believe that all art is meant to be analyzed, dissected, and discussed), but I will personally never see more blasphemous harm in a pop song than in someone using religion (or the Bible, or Jesus) as justification for spreading hateful, divisive words or actions. You may feel differently (and that is your right), but I do want to challenge you to view other people’s faith/belief journeys, and the ways they express them, with an open mind — I genuinely believe it’s what we’re called to do.

Thank you for reading! Now finish this newsletter, then listen to Mayhem in its entirety (I love it SO much!!!!).

• Books: I’m so excited! One of my favorite minds, that of Jen Hatmaker, released a new book (Awake) this week, and it’s sitting patiently on my Kindle waiting to be read. Speaking of approaching faith with nuance, Jen writes (and shares social media content) on the ways her life has changed since discovering that her husband of 25+ years was having an affair. The betrayal rocked her faith, her family, her belief system, and her entire life, and I’m so glad she wrote about all that she processed and learned. I can’t WAIT to read this book.

  • In the meantime, I’m finishing Last Seen by J.T. Ellison, which is a thriller about a woman who learns that her sister murdered their mom back when they were kids. I haven’t been reaching for thrillers lately, but this one is SO good, and I can’t wait to see how it ends (I have a guess… but I hope I’m wrong).

• TV Shows: How good is this season of Dancing With the Stars!? As of now, my frontrunners are Robert/Witney and Whitney/Mark, but I’m also loving Jordan/Ezra and Dylan/Daniella. The Golden Bachelor also started this week, and I’m finding Mel more endearing than I expected.

It’s the last Friday you’ll ever have without The Life of a Showgirl — so regardless of that, let’s make it a great one. Thanks for reading, and please spread some love today.

XOXO,

Gail

The news is heavy, and it’s important to protect your peace — but it’s also important to read/watch/listen to journalism from trusted, verified sources. Factual, unbiased journalism is one of our best weapons in the fight against misinformation and oppression, and I promise that it’s cool to care.

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