Today marks the 10th anniversary of Lady Gaga’s monumental second studio album Born This Way.
The album debuted at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 chart, and as reported by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), the album went on to become the third global best-selling album of 2011.
Several singles off of this album debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 charts, including "The Edge Of Glory," "Marry The Night," and, of course, "Born This Way," which became a major LGBTQ+ anthem at a time when gay marriage was still illegal in many US states.
To celebrate the album's anniversary, fans have been sharing on Twitter how Born This Way - and, more specifically, its lead single of the same name - impacted their lives and made them fully embrace their sexual identity:
Gaga started writing the song "Born This Way" while she was on her second world tour, The Monster Ball. She described the song as a "magical message” to listeners.
In a 2011 interview with Billboard, the Grammy-Award-winning artist explained the inspiration behind the powerful anthem.
“I want to write my this-is-who-the-f*ck-I-am anthem, but I don't want it to be hidden in poetic wizardry and metaphors,” she told the outlet. “I want it to be an attack, an assault on the issue, because I think, especially in today's music, everything gets kind of washy sometimes and the message gets hidden in the lyrical play.”
Gaga went on to say that she was inspired by music made by Madonna, En Vogue, Whitney Houston, and TLC in the early '90s. She noted that these artists made empowering music for disenfranchised communities, and she wanted to make a record like that.
“The lyrics and the melodies were very poignant and very gospel and very spiritual, and I said, 'That's the kind of record I need to make. That's the record that's going to shake up the industry.'"
During the interview, she noted that she always felt like “Born This Way” was about something much bigger than herself.
“It's not about the track. It's not about the production,” she added. “It's about the song. Anyone could sing 'Born This Way.' It could've been anyone.”
Gaga's album Born This Way deserves all the praise it's getting for having such a cultural impact on a whole generation. If you want to relive the unforgettable moments from that iconic era, Born This Way is available to stream on Spotify.