Provocation commodified into product partnerships signals pop’s creative collapse

Evidence

Her defining anthem, “Born This Way,” framed as a rallying cry for individuality and queer rights, was widely derided as a blatant rip-off of Madonna’s 1989 hit “Express Yourself.” This misstep invited unflattering comparisons with the former Queen of Pop, whose boundary-pushing career had unfolded at higher stakes and with greater finesse. Where Madonna sparked national scandals with her book Sex, Gaga partnered with Oreo on a limited-edition flavor. — W. David Marx, Blank Space, 253