Lady Gaga’s “The Edge Of Glory” music video — the third visual from her million-selling Born This Way LP — arrived last night with not the usual epic Gaga-esque bang, but rather a subtle, quiet thump. Who knew the decidedly retro-’80s clip, which features now-ailing E Street Band sax whiz Clarence Clemons, would wind up being so divisive — and not for any overtly sexual or religious imagery? Head below to see what the Internet at large made of Mother Monster’s surprisingly scaled-back video.
:: Entertainment Weekly‘s Music Mix found the video to be refreshing: “This is a return to the stripped-down mean streets fantasy of her ‘LoveGame’ video—no elaborate CGI or Godardian color palette, just Gaga working the camera with old-fashion moxie. Especially after her more literal-minded take on ‘Judas,’ ‘The Edge of Glory’ is also a refreshing retreat to her trademark style of making a video that has absolutely nothing to do with the song.”
:: PopCrush also enjoyed the clip’s simplistic approach: “Gaga dances her way up and down the steps of the fire escape; it feels like an homage to her days as a struggling artist on the Lower East Side when she literally was on the edge of glory and on the precipice of The Fame.”
:: The Atlantic asked why the video is “so boring,” but ultimately concluded: “‘Edge of Glory’ is arguably the most bombastic, heart-swelling song on her new album Born This Way; with its video, for once, Gaga may have opted to let the music stand on its own.”
:: Vulture praised Gaga for scaling things back for the visual accompanying her third single off Born This Way: “With the gloriously uncomplicated ‘Edge of Glory’ as the soundtrack, we finally get to catch our breath for a moment.”
:: Pop Dust wondered, “Perhaps after spending way too much money on videos that will never possibly make her anywhere near as much in return, Gaga was advised to scale back and rest on the popularity of the song and her persona alone. But after a series of mind-blowing videos, haven’t we been conditioned to expect much, much more?”
:: Meanwhile, PopJustice got right to the point: “Lady Gaga’s video for ‘The Edge Of Glory’ is no good… We just need to accept that Gaga has released an awful video.”
:: We Are Pop Slags noted the rumored on-set drama between Gaga and the videos onetime director Joseph Kahn: “We don’t really know what happened but it sounds like both of them threw their toys out of the pram and now look rather silly. But was the video worth all the fuss?”
:: Meanwhile, Us Weekly turned the power over to the people with a poll asking readers if they love or hate the video. So far, the “hates” have it, with 63%.
Have your say on Lady Gaga’s latest vid by voting in our Pop Or Flop poll to the right and commenting below!
The song was made about her grandfather dying! Of course it won’t be an upbeat dance video. I enjoyed the toned down mood for once. I LOVE LADY GAGA
I’ll review it. It’s garbage.
The video for Edge Of Glory is horrbile, I’m so disappointed. People have to stop making lame excuses for her like: “She wanted to let the music stand on its own”, she released & made a horible video. I feel very let down. I love Gaga 100% but this video is HORRID. Never make a video like this again, Gaga.
- Sad little monster
This one is the point:
“With the gloriously uncomplicated ‘Edge of Glory’ as the soundtrack, we finally get to catch our breath for a moment.”
It’s simply beautiful video, colours and song.
Not everything she does has to be so over-the-top. It’s an 80s inspired song with an obviously 80s inspired video. I mean, come on, hot pink smoke and a saxophone solo – what doesn’t everybody get? I think it’s brilliant, it’s like we just unearthed some previously unreleased song/video from 1985.
Thanks for the insightful, in-depth analysis.
I tired of people thinking that this stupid whore is brilliant and talented. Her voice is so auto tuned on her album it’s ridiculous! We she sings live she sounds like complete crap. Her HBO special showed how much of a freak she really is. She needs to be heavily medicated and locked up in the mental ward for a while.
This video BLOWS! Does she think she looks hot running around in that vintage Versace’? SO NOT HOT, MISS ROBOT! What is that sound I hear? Oh yes, it is the tick tick tick of her 15 minute clock winding down. THANK GOD!
LMAO! ICYNDICEY, I said the same thing after I listened to the “Born This Way” album. Her 15 minutes of fame are almost over.
She is not talented…she’s mediocre at best. She has tricked people into thinking she’s more talented than she really is, however. 12 year olds are easy to trick.
crappp video
You think dressing like a whore in vintage Versace and sexually bopping around on fire escapes whilst neon pink lights glow through smoke up your cooch is an acceptable way to pay tribute to your dying grandfather and you think this is toned down?
What family did you grow up in…The Addams Family?
I guess you don’t know anything about talent if you think her voice is auto-tuned. She sings LIVE and she sounds great. Suck it up and give credit where credit is due even if you are a jealous no life prick.
Her HBO special blew my mind. I cannot believe how crazy she acted. I can’t tell if she is doped up and just crazy. If I had a 12 year old daughter, I would not let her go to a Lady Gaga concert. All she did was hump everything and everyone on stage and scream at the top of her lungs. When I was younger, I was a huge Marilyn Manson fan and occasionally I still listen to his music. I remember how crazy he acted on stage when I saw him in West Palm beach. I thought Manson was off his rocker, but Lady Gaga makes him look sane.
Diamond, I think you need to listen a little closer. Go put on some headphones and crank up “Born This Way”. Every song on the album is auto tuned . She did not sound the same during her HBO special
This is not the way to pay tribute to your dying grandfather. I bet after he watches this video he will have a heart attack and die.
Great video, easy and relaxing ..it just feels right with the song. Agree with most of the reviews out there.
What a huge lump of dog crap! To hell with Lady Gaga. I thought she was something special when I listened to the Fame Monster. Her new album “Born This Way” is an over auto tuned nightmare. She acted like she had Tourette syndrome on her HBO special. What a piece of garbage! She is an oversexed, untalented, douche bag that still complains about how she was bullied in high school. Why would you complain about being bullied in high school in front of thousands of screaming fans? I bet she can fit 30 tampons inside of her at one time!
He can’t watch the video because he passed away last year. The song is about his last moments alive.
Eh…she’s boring. Time for her to revert back to her popular cheerleading days.
lol she’s looks like a dog…no wonder she says “paws up”. didn’t she say that “monster” was the worst side of fame? now i think about her followers (the sheep) are the worst and they live up to the same this she-male dog gave them. lol “paws up” you little monsters..she just called you dogs..again.
oh..check out Howard Stern’s review on youtube…he gave the funniest review of her HBO special :)
LOL! That’s the same you said on Born This Way? And then you said it on Judas? And then you’re saying it on Edge Of Glory, and next you will say it on her next video? I guess your idea of 15 minutes is way different that what people consider it to be.
Dude “Jack Bauer” I found it so funny that you dislike so much everything Gaga does but you’re still here watching the video and still talking about her, ROFL! And by the way, her grandpa died and that’s why she wrote the song, although you knew this or not, you should be more careful on what you say, you don’t want people to think you’re crazy, right?
There is so much hate I’ve read about this topic. Why are people bashing her for this video? I don’t understand the endless hunger that “fans” demand their artist to fill. IT IS A MUSIC VIDEO. This video meant a lot to her and she did it for her own reasons. There are absolutely no boundaries on art. She directed this video herself. Can you say that about any other big wig in music right now? I think it is funny and pathetic that people are so negatively affected by this. Everyone is sippin on haterade and I guess I just wasn’t invited. Her new album f ing rocks and I congratulate her for all of her success.
I agree
She si not talented…she uses gay rights to PROMOTE SATANISM AND MIND CONTROL.go to vigilantcitizendotcom to read about this SATANIC BITCH.
I love it!! Dont get why people want her to be always over the top.
LOVE THE VIDEO!!!!!!!!! PPL WHO DONT GET IT HAVENT LEAVED ENOUGH: ITS BRILLIANT AND FITS THE SONG PERFECTLY!
*lived
i give lady gaga 100 wotes, because she is an artist, if you don’t like her wideo, just dont watch, simply
Wow. How many comments have you posted about her? Get a life. I’m not a huge fan of the video, but.. you’re obsessed.
no offense to the gaga stans but i think this is her most boring music video yet, the music videos before Edge of Glory were much better. This is just, idk, boring. Gaga better make sure that her next music video isn’t as boring as Edge of Glory.
@Luke
I’m not sure what kind of relationship Gaga had with her grandfather, but it seems strange that in the music video for the song supposedly written about him, she is dressed provocatively strutting and grinding on what looks like the Sesame Street set.
She looks disgusting in this video, not to mention it sucks.
If this was to pay tribute to her grandfather, her grandfather must’ve been a whore because she was dancing like one the whole time.
This is a terrible video and we expected more from Lady GaGa, but she’s slowly losing popularity.
The people who are loyal to GaGa will say anything to protect her, but the truth of the matter is that the video SUCKS.
People don’t understand revolutionary things on time.
The most critisized Madonna’s video are now the most epic.
Lady Gaga’s Judas is underrated at the moment, but will become EPIC, because it is with the music, colours, fashion and the story. IT”S SIMPLY DIVINE STORY, THE EPIC VIDEO, the best video in the decade.
Bad Romance set the bentchmark, but Judas will be the best video of decade. It’s pure estetic!
TEOG is also nice, it’s beautiful in its simpliness!
Why is it that so many of you can’t think of anything better to say than that Gaga is a whore, or some variation of that sentiment? Are you all 12? Honestly, if you haven’t got anything intelligent to say, don’t comment. If you’ve got a legitimate criticism to make, then say it. “Gaga’s a talentless whore” is not a legitimate criticism. It’s just you, spewing idiocy to try to boost your own self-esteem by being “cool” enough to bash a popular artist. I can’t say as I particularly liked the video, but I liked it more than Judas, which I thought was an all-around stupid video, for a stupid song. Edge of Glory was a lot more toned down, which I thought was a nice change.
Vigilantcitizen is a website for cracked-out paranoid conspiracy theorists. Anyone who takes that seriously is in desperate need of professional help.
@virtue r u for real about the judas video!! either ur 12 years old or as strung out as she is! pls dont say that in public coz ull make a fool of urself if uve not made one already with ur paws up LOL!!
she can sing and has talent but with all the gimmicks shes pulling people r getting bored, madonna was all about shocking people but she did it sparingly , knew when to say something and act up and knew better when to shut the f*** up , this chick needs to lay off the coke , take a month off and take a good hard look at the mess she is into!! she was in a good place in the fame/monster era! now this is just messy!!
too bad i was a fun , her new stuff is just bad! i feel silly that i purchased her BTW album for 14.99, even at .99 its overpriced ! its noisy and boring! the only song worth listening to is judas
I actually downloaded it to my iphone..but after watching it..i immediately DELETED it to my phone..it was done in BAD TASTE.. worst video i’ve ever saw
The was not the original concept …. She fought against the legendary director Joseph Kahn!! She then directed the garbage cheap video … She wasted the money spent for all the set Joseph Kahn made ….
GAGA IS AN ARROGANT B*TCH!
she wont last long with an atiitude like that ….
Really?? are you rich and famous?? didn’t think so..
none of you people are rich so why do you care she is cooler than all of you.
This is dumb…people pick on Gaga about how each video of hers are dumb, weird, crazy, and stupid. Now that she creates a simple, plain, and a clean video, they still pick on her?? I just don’t get it. What does Gaga have to do to impress these critics??
Hey Jack Bauer!
Why do you even bother listening to her album if you don’t like her, you clearly are a secret fan deep within your heart LOL…..
yah lady gaga isn’t that great, shes just copying madonna, pro gay, outrageous clothes, kissing girls, skanky dance moves, she even copies songs, born this way yah that sounds exactly like express yourself, even the title means the same thing, born this way (i am who i am, express yourself (i am who i am), lady gaga is just a less successful copy of madonna, shes nothing new, shes nothing creative. Her music has gone down hill, her original songs were better.
GAGA IS AN ARROGANT B*TCH! (by Tom)
Tom, Gaga is not an arrogant (???.) I seen gaga in paul o grady and other interviews and she seems like an easy going person. Whatever you say, just zip, think before you speak, tom and the gang.
GAGA RULES!! :D