Cover Wars: Perfect Illusion by Lady Gaga

Although (as anyone who follows me knows) I don’t listen to Top 40 pop music as a general rule, it’s a rule I gladly break for Lady Gaga. As someone who’s musical and personal journey has been a search for identity and foundation, Lady Gaga’s first song from her fifth album, Joanne, “Perfect Illusion” is dance rock at its finest. It was released digitally in September 2016, and though was met with somewhat mixed reviews (nothing new for Gaga), the song clocked in at number 15 on Billboard’s Hot 100.

The song is a tribute to love gone wrong, or possibly what our media influenced version of love leads to. Gaga is quoted as saying it lyrically describes her “highest of highs and lowest of lows” in a relationship and packs some wicked commentary on social media. The music video was directed by Ruth Hogben and Andrea Gelardin and made it’s debut during a second season episode of Fox’s hit, “Scream Queens.”

Gaga co-wrote and co-produced “Perfect Illusion” with Kevin Parker of Tame Impala and Mark Ronson with additional production by BloodPop aka Michael Tucker. The song was recorded in May 2016 in Malibu, California. Gaga was heavily involved in the production of the record. “She loves just sitting at a piano and barking orders at a drummer, and she has an incredible voice,” Mark Ronson says, and then went on to clarify that “they would begin with the songs first and then go with the other aspects of the composition.”

Although it has only been a couple of months since its release, the song has already had multiple covers. You decide who does it best!

GORENC: