“Alejandro”
Writers: Stefani Germanotta, Nadir Khayat
Original Release Date: April 20, 2010
Once upon a time, Lady Gaga was all over the radio, releasing single after single. While some of her well known hits like “Poker Face” and “Bad Romance” were played incessantly, one of her more underrated (but still well known) songs was the sexy “Alejandro”.
Heavily influenced by bands like ABBA and Ace of Base, “Alejandro”, for all its serious content (saying farewell to former flames), is fun. The eighties-inspired synths are simple yet addictive, providing a solid base on which Gaga plaintively belts out her chorus. The only weird thing is the way she affects a Spanish accent, but since Madonna has been faking an English accent for years, pretending to be “exotic” is nothing new in the pop world.
I’ve never been much of a Gaga fan, but for some reason, All Time Low’s cover constantly gets stuck in my head, no matter how long it’s been since the last time I listened to it. Gone are the beats and vocal tricks that made Gaga’s original stand out; here, we’re treated to a stripped down acoustic version that gives Alex Gaskarth a chance to let his vocals really shine. A steady tambourine and background vocals (probably from Zack Merrick) are the only accessories and they give the song a much more mellow vibe, turning it into something closer to a ballad.