Remember when Lady Gaga released 'Born This Way' and Madonna fans gleefully hammered away at their computer keyboards to tell the world that she'd ripped off Madge's 'Express Yourself'? Well, brace yourselves, I think we could be in for the sequel.
Gaga declared a 'pop emergency' as she finally unveiled her new single 'Applause' to her Little Monsters last night - a whole week early after a flood of low quality leaks appeared online. But whilst I absolutely love the new song, there is definitely a whiff of familiarity about it.
The cover art for Lady Gaga 'Applause'
Yep, it sounds like Lady Gaga has been listening to her Madonna collection again. And I'm not talking about 'classic' Madonna either, it's Madge's number 73 errrm, smash, 'Girl Gone Wild' from 2012.
Let's contrast and compare...
Hmmm, we're pretty sure Madonna would see this all as rather 'reductive'.
But whatever the similarities, let's just celebrate the fact that Gaga is well and truly back and to her poptastic best. After 14 plays in the last hour or so, the HuffPost Entertainment team still haven't OD'd on the addictive, pulsating beats and soaring chorus of 'Applause'.
And I must admit that there was a collective sigh of relief too that she's delivered a bona fide, straight up pop/dance single after her recent attempts at highbrow following her dalliance with Serbian artist Marina Abramovic.
'Applause' might not be groundbreaking but it's pop at its best: instant, euphoric, joyful and impossible to get out of your head, which has made us all the more excited about the forthcoming album, 'Artpop'.
Job done.
