My 2012 In Music

Last year at this time I was lamenting the lack of new music (as in, new in 2011 or new to me) added to my iTunes library. I figured that 2012 would be better since I had gone back to work. Since May I've been out of work but at least I got some unemployment out of it. So, indeed, my 2012 acquisitions are up. (A note, which is mainly for my own reference: the figures below include a couple of CDs I got during 2012 but only got around to adding to my iTunes tonight, so I need to remember for next year's wrapup not to include them again.)

I added 567 tracks to my collection by my count (it's a complicated story but I may be off by one or two because of duplicates), compared to 271 last year. Christmas music comprised 26 of those 567 songs. There were a lot of downloads of individual songs, as well as the first song in my next project - converting my vinyl collection to mp3 format. I have maybe a few dozen 45s and many more 12-inch dance remixes, probably in the hundreds. I'm so excited about this.

Beyond that, I got some free downloaded samplers and mixtapes (which is such an odd term to use for mp3 downloads, but...):

Will Sheridan – G.I.A.N.T. Sampler
DJ ShyBoy presents the RuPaul Mixtape (RuPaul songs mashed up with other songs)
DJ Jazzy Jeff and Mick Boogie – Summertime 2: The Mixtape
DJ Jazzy Jeff and Mick Boogie – Summertime 3: The Mixtape
Dangerous Muse – Red
Slaves to the Rhythm – Pride 2011 Sampler

And then there were the albums that were released prior to 2012:

Kelly Clarkson – Stronger
Discovery – LP
Ricky Martin – Ricky Martin
David Guetta – Nothing But The Beat
Jody Watley – Midnight Lounge
Paul McCartney – All The Best
Donna Summer – She Works Hard For The Money
Elton John – Rocket Man - Number Ones
Steely Dan – The Definitive Collection
The Gap Band – The 12” Collection and More
Nona Hendryx – Nona (as I mentioned here, the first full-length album I transferred from vinyl to mp3)
Katy Perry – Teenage Dream-The Complete Confection (this is the re-released version with bonus tracks -- the original was out in 2010 so I don't feel right counting it as a 2012 album)

In 2011 I got only four albums that were actually

New Madonna...I Mean, Gaga Anthem

There's been so much hype for Lady Gaga's new song "Born This Way," which finally hit the airwaves today. Inevitably, what always follows hype is backlash. From what I've been reading on Twitter and Facebook, there's a fair amount of it. It's mostly about how the song seems to be a copy of another song. Twitter's trending topics for Philadelphia (at left) point out the problem. Neither Gaga nor her song are top trends, but look who's there...

Having listened to the song a couple of times now, "Born This Way" is fairly blatant in its resemblance to "Express Yourself." I do like it, though. (Probably helps that I love Madonna's song.) I could grow to love it. But here's what I see as the problem: Gaga is trying too hard.

Suddenly it seems to be in vogue (hey, another Madonna reference) to write a song and declare in advance that it's an "anthem," particularly for the gay community. Recently we've had Katy Perry's "Firework" and Ke$ha's "We R Who We R" and Pink's "Raise Your Glass" and now "Born This Way." Am I forgetting any? These are all fine songs (well, except the Ke$ha one) by artists who have at least some talent (well, except Ke$ha). However, I think the best anthems are organic. They come by their status naturally, not by design.

I liked Gaga almost from the time of her first hit song, and really began to love her when I saw her speak at the National Equality March in Washington, DC in 2009 (see video below, in case you've forgotten), especially when she screamed at President Obama, "Are you listening?" And since then she's been one of the most outspoken and strongest celebrity advocates for LGBT issues. So, naturally, I should love her new song. I probably will at some point. I don't see it as a failure by any  means.

I just hope the rest of her new album isn't full of "anthems."