Top 10 Hardest Lady Gaga Songs to Sing

“Chromatica” (2020) At the bottom of our list, we have “Rain On Me”, a collaboration between Gaga and the similarly talented Ariana Grande. The pair are both legendary vocalists, and they don’t hold back here. This makes it an exceptionally difficult tune to cover. Even if you can nail one vocalist’s performance, you’ll need someone else to ace the other. It’s nigh on impossible to solo, unless you’re Gaga of course. Behind the scenes, the pair became great friends after recording the track. It was considered one of 2020’s biggest songs, and has since become a defining anthem of that year.

“Born This Way” (2011) It didn’t take us long to get to her second major album, considered by many to be one of the greatest pop albums ever. When you hear the vocals on tracks like “Judas”, it’s easy to see why. The difficulty comes from its fast-paced lyrics and huge belting vocals. It’s additionally emotionally intense, meaning you have to give it your all to pull off. Fun fact: Gaga amusingly designed the single’s art in Microsoft Word, then took a picture of it with her phone. If you look closely, you can even see her reflection in the background.

“ARTPOP” (2013) Next, we’re going back to 2013, when people started to grow tired of the EDM craze. This meant “ARTPOP”, which was Gaga’s first venture into EDM, received a rather lukewarm reception. Years later, it’s now adored by Little Monsters. Many believe the album to have been ahead of its time. One of its most iconic tracks is the emotional track “Dope”, a powerful ballad about Gaga’s struggles with substance use disorder. It’s carried almost entirely by her vocal performance alone, with minimal production. Like a lot of her songs, this one shines in live performances, when it’s just her and the piano.

“Born This Way” (2011) It’s yet another track from “Born This Way”, surprising no one familiar with Gaga’s discography. Released as one of the album’s final singles, its chorus has some incredibly powerful vocals. It demands strong and sustained belting to nail, culminating with an eclectic outro of constant, soaring notes. Like most of her work, it’s magnificently emotionally charged. It’s a phenomenal album opener, setting a high bar for the remainder of the album. In Gaga’s own words, it was made to sound like “if Bruce Springsteen had a baby with Whitney Houston”.

“ARTPOP” (2013) This song’s lyrics are about Gaga’s adoration for dressing well, which makes her feel “on top of the world”. It was written and produced with help from will.i.am, a titan in his own right, and David Guetta. Gaga is constantly jumping between her chest voice and a bright falsetto, with frequent sustained high notes in the chorus. Also, the rhythm is deceptively complicated, with the verses taking on a bouncy syncopation. Its glamorous energy requires complete confidence and an enormous pair of pipes to deliver, making it a major test of endurance.

“Born This Way” (2011) Lady Gaga’s second album is a strong display of pop experimentation. The country rock vibes of “You and I” are a perfect example of its musical variety. The first few minutes have fairly standard vocals for Gaga, but about halfway through she starts amplifying things to the max. The chorus and bridge demand a monstrous pair of lungs to master, with constant belts and few pauses. At the time, Gaga was semi-controversial for her male alter ego Jo Calderone, seen in the “You and I” music video. She performed the tune as Jo at the VMAs, a caricature of toxic masculinity, and you can see the audience is completely taken aback. Even a young Justin Bieber looks entirely confused.

“Joanne” (2016) This album’s opening track is an otherworldly display of singing talents. Songs like this are why some of us think Gaga sold her soul to a demon for singing powers. The opening lines are relatively relaxed, but about 40 seconds in she turns it up to 11, and keeps it there for the next 3 minutes. The “young, wild, American” portion gets repeated constantly, and is sung with immense strength behind it. Although he was generally involved with the album, “Diamond Heart” is the only track on the album to credit “Kyuss” guitarist and frontman of “Queens of the Stone Age” Josh Homme as a co-writer.

“Born This Way” (2011) Next, we have yet another one of “Born This Way’s” many legendary tracks. It was the album’s third single, with lyrics discussing the moments before death, a rather morbid topic for a pop anthem. It was inspired by the recent passing of Gaga’s grandfather, which accounts for the emotionally-charged vocals. According to producer Fernando Garibay, it was recorded in just one take, a feat which only serves to make us that much more suspicious that Gaga’s talent comes from supernatural forces. The saxophone solo was also performed by Clarence Clemons, acclaimed sax player for Bruce Springsteen. The solo was risky, but ultimately paid off, like many of Gaga’s boldest musical decisions.

“A Star Is Born” (2018) Not only is she a stunning singer, but she’s also a talented actress, as proven by her role in “A Star Is Born”. “Shallow” is the film’s main song, and Gaga’s vocals are mind-blowing. About halfway through, she begins belting in the iconic Gaga fashion. Not only are there some tough notes to master, but they’re all delivered in such clean, beautiful fashion, making it one of the most intimidating songs to cover. It’s as technically and emotionally demanding as music can be, with amazing harmonization between the two vocalists. The song was so loved, it won the Oscar for Best Original Song in 2018. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

The High Pitch Is Difficult for Most Vocalists to Achieve

This One Requires Next Level Breath Control

Arguably the Most Vocally Impressive Solo Chromatica Track

Lots of Belting!

She Holds Notes Really Impressively in This One – on Top of All the Emotion

“Joanne” (2016) Topping our list, is “Joanne’s” lead single and most powerful track. A fun fact is that it featured Australian rock giant Kevin Parker, also known as “Tame Impala”. You can even see him freaking out on a drum kit in the video. Unbeknownst to many, descending riffs are usually harder than ascending riffs, hence why this track is a massive skill check. It includes some of Gaga’s longest belts, with virtually no pause, making breath management essential. Maintaining such drive is physically demanding, especially while singing and dancing in front of a live audience. What do you think is her most challenging track to belt? Let us know in the comments!