[March 28] Lady Gaga’s Birthday: Introducing “Shallow”! The Courage to Dive into the Deep End and a Soul-Stirring Love Anthem

Today is Lady Gaga’s Birthday

On March 28, 1986, a genius was born in Manhattan, New York, USA.

Her real name is Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta. She is none other than Lady Gaga, the superstar who would later take the world by storm.

Blossoming with piano talent from a young age, she studied at the prestigious New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. She then crawled her way up through the fierce club scene on her own two feet, making her global debut in 2008.

The Overwhelming Impact Right After Debut

With avant-garde fashion such as a dress made of raw meat and arriving in a giant eggshell, coupled with catchy dance-pop sounds typified by songs like “Poker Face,” she instantly climbed to the pinnacle of pop culture.

However, her appeal lies not only in her superficial eccentricity.

• Overwhelming Vocal Ability: Authentic jazz vocals showcased in her collaboration with Tony Bennett.
• Talent as a Comprehensive Artist: Meticulous songwriting skills and compelling acting on screen.
• Contribution to Society: Mental health advocacy based on her own experiences and support activities for social issues.

She is now truly an icon of the modern era.

First, please take a look at the official YouTube video.

Credit
Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper — "Shallow" (from A Star Is Born)
Official Music Video (Lady Gaga Official Channel)
Brief Commentary
This song "Shallow" is the theme song for the movie "A Star Is Born," and this official MV shows the scene where the two characters played by Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper duet on stage. Within the film, protagonists Ally and Jackson show a deep emotional connection through this song, making it an important piece that symbolizes the work.

When I First Heard This Song

My Age	Elementary	Middle	High	College	20s	30s	40s	50s	60s~
Release Year									2018
When I Heard It									●

I first heard this song quite recently (about 2 to 3 years ago). Since it was released about 8 years ago, it is a relatively recent song anyway.

Of course, I knew of her existence. To me, she was “someone from a different world who wears eccentric outfits and sings songs I don’t quite understand,” but I did recognize her as a woman who earnestly addresses social issues.

However, since my interest was only at that level, I never took the proactive step to listen to her music. Then, one day, I had the chance to watch the MV for “Shallow” on YouTube.

My impression completely changed right then. It was my first time seeing her without much makeup, yet she was incredibly attractive. Above all, her overwhelming vocal power was amazing. Perhaps partly because she is around the same age as my daughters, it made me realize, “I had been looking at her through biased lenses until now.” It’s truly embarrassing.

Although I haven’t delved much deeper into her other songs since then, I believe this song is a masterpiece well worth introducing, which is why I am featuring it today. If I were to categorize this song, I would call it a “power ballad.”

Raw Emotions Demanded by the Times and the Birth of “Shallow”

The Paradigm Shift of the Late 2010s and a Return to Roots

This masterpiece, “Shallow,” was released to the world on September 27, 2018.

Released as the lead single for the movie “A Star Is Born,” it swept music charts worldwide. It dominated prestigious awards, including the Academy Award for Best Original Song and Grammy Awards.

Closely tied to the background of this massive hit is the musical and social atmosphere of that time.

The Backlash Against the Golden Age of EDM

In the early 2010s, the American mainstream was dominated by EDM, characterized by intense electronic sounds. People were crazed over the inorganic, perfect beats meticulously constructed by computers.

However, heading into the late 2010s, people gradually grew exhausted by such artificial sounds.

What they sought instead was music that felt more human, with the warmth of flesh and blood. There was a resurgence of singer-songwriters playing acoustic guitars and a re-evaluation of roots music.

Lady Gaga’s Own Evolution She herself keenly sensed this shift. In her 2016 album “Joanne,” she shed her flashy electro sounds and eccentric outfits, returning to her roots in classic rock and country music.

Her image, singing with a pink western hat and holding a guitar, directly expressed the strength and fragility of a “raw human being” stripped of all ornamentation. “Shallow” can be said to be the perfected form of that approach.

The Light and Shadow Depicted in “A Star Is Born”

The movie “A Star Is Born” is a universal story that has been remade multiple times in Hollywood.

Ally is an unknown waitress chasing her dreams. She is discovered by national rock star Jackson (Bradley Cooper) and climbs the ladder to stardom. Meanwhile, Jackson himself spirals down a path of ruin due to his depleting talent and severe alcohol addiction, painting a brutally stark contrast between light and shadow.

Within this narrative, “Shallow” is sung in the most crucial scene where their destinies decisively intersect. It is the first cry of an unknown girl transforming into a star, and simultaneously, the soul-stirring scream of a veteran rock star.

From Stillness to Motion: A Meticulously Calculated Dynamism

This track possesses a highly calculated and beautiful dynamism. The first half progresses with the two questioning each other over a simple acoustic guitar arpeggio.

• Jackson (Bradley Cooper): Singing an octave lower, he squeezes out the voice of a genuine rock star—scorched by alcohol and tobacco—muttering word by word.
• Ally (Lady Gaga): In response, she lets her clear voice resonate while gradually amplifying the waves of her emotions.

Their voices do not easily harmonize. A tingling tension and deep intimacy continue, as if they are blindly tracing each other’s outlines in the dark.

Then, the mid-section. As the melody of the pedal steel guitar enters and the drums begin to carve out a powerful beat, the song rushes instantly toward its critical energy point.

At the moment it explodes into the chorus, Ally breaks out of her shell, belting out an overwhelming vocal reminiscent of a massive wave crest. This dramatic progression from extreme “stillness” to “motion” is the decisive reason why it grips the listener’s heart and never lets go.

Escaping Modern Emptiness and the Overwhelming Heat Radiating from the Visuals

A Sharp Questioning of Lonely Modern Individuals Embedded in the Lyrics

Let’s delve even deeper into the lyrical world at the core of the song. At the beginning, Jackson asks Ally:

Tell me something, girl
Are you happy in this modern world?

This goes beyond a mere question to the woman standing before him. It is a sharp inquiry piercing the core of modern people who, despite being flooded with information and connected via social media, harbor an indelible sense of loneliness and emptiness deep in their hearts.

He continues:

Or do you need more?
Is there something else you’re searchin’ for?

This expresses a spiritual thirst that can never be quenched, even when one appears to be materially fulfilled.

In response, Ally fires back poignantly:

Tell me something, boy
Aren’t you tired trying to fill that void?
Ain’t it hard keeping it so hardcore?

She completely sees through Jackson’s pain as he desperately tries to fill the gaping hole in his heart with alcohol, despite having attained fame and wealth.

A Decisive Leap from the “Shallow” to the “Deep End”

And then comes the highlight: Ally’s explosive chorus.

I’m off the deep end, watch as I dive in
I’ll never meet the ground
Crash through the surface, where they can’t hurt us
We’re far from the shallow now

The titular “shallow” metaphorically represents the safety zone where one stays out of fear of getting hurt, superficial human relationships, and a world of vanity.

To break free from that and dive into the bottomless, unseen “deep end.” This signifies the courage to expose one’s true self to the world and plunge into genuine artistry. At the same time, it implies a dive into an irreversible love for a man heading toward destruction.

Becoming a Witness to the Trembling Soul, Conveyed Only Through Video

What amplifies the emotion of this song manifold is the existence of the official music video. Although it is a clip of the most important live scene in the film, its immersive feel and intensity are, in a word, breathtaking.

On the massive stage of a stadium. Jackson starts singing while playing his guitar, and forcefully beckons Ally, who is watching anxiously from the wings, to the microphone.

At first, Ally is bewildered by extreme tension and covers her face. However, pushed forward by Jackson’s straight, powerful gaze, she solidifies her resolve.

The moment she stands before the microphone stand, closes her eyes, and sings the first phrase, the atmosphere in the stadium completely transforms. The way the immense talent dormant within her is suddenly unleashed like a volcanic eruption is so dramatic it gives you goosebumps no matter how many times you watch it.

The Overwhelming Expressiveness of the Climax

Especially the expression on Lady Gaga’s face during the scene where she belts out “In the sha-ha, sha-ha-llow” as if screaming. Her figure, vibrating her throat with all her heart and soul, transcends the boundaries of mere acting; it is the very impulse welling up from the depths of an artist’s soul.

Bradley Cooper’s gentle gaze, filled with surprise and joy as he watches her. In the moment their eyes meet, there certainly exists an undeniable “love” and “deep trust.”

Amidst the echoing cheers of the enthusiastic massive crowd, we witness the exact moment she fully begins her ascent up the staircase as a “star.”

In this song “Shallow,” the rare artist known as Lady Gaga engulfed the world in a vortex of deep emotion, armed solely with the most primal weapons of her raw voice and feelings. This track serves as a fight song for all those struggling in modern society, and it will surely continue to shine as an eternal anthem that grants the courage to take a step forward into the unknown deep end.