In A Star Is Born—which youve seen by now, right? Because if you somehow havent, that headline must look like gorgeous gobbledygook. Either way, you can stay if youd like.
Where were we? In A Star Is Born, its clear that Ally (played by Lady Gaga) is a deeply talented artist, one who can write and perform music in a slew of genres, from soaring Édith Piaf covers to booze-soaked country rock. Whats unclear is whether the movie itself wants us to believe that her first pop single, “Why Did You Do that?”, is good. Sure, its clear from hearing it that this is a catchy tune, one winning enough to land her both a performing slot on Saturday Night Live and a few Grammy nods. But as Jackson Maine angrily garble marbles, the song is also another in a long line of trashy pop numbers about asses and jeans, with a criminal earworm of a chorus. Meaning that, perhaps, were supposed to take its release as a sign that Ally has gone soulless and mainstream, another singer cooing about butts instead of penning real art like “Shallow.“
Maybe thats true in the world of the movie. But in this world, “Why Did You Do That?” has created a small philosophical conundrum: if we enjoy it, are we jamming to a song that was purposefully, cynically crafted to appeal to our tiny lizard brains, to our worst selves? Or are we jamming to a song with legitimate pop appeal?
In an interview with The New York Times, co-songwriter Diane Warren tried to shed some light on the intention behind the song, clarifying that (in her mind, at least) “Why Did You Do That?” was never supposed to be bad.
“I would never purposefully sit down to write a bad song, although I guess Ive done some without trying that turned out that way,” Warren said. “This was a fun song, and I love fun pop songs. Not everything has to be serious all the time.” She also explained that when she was tapped to create the song, “the directive was just to write a fun song, something that shows shes becoming this pop artist.”
So, debate settled! “Why Did You Do That?” is a certified banger, and we are welcome to belt out “whyd you come around me with an ass like that?” in peace. Though in the interview, Warren also revealed that she took a pause before putting that particular lyric in stone. “I remember when we were working on it, I said, Can we say that? And Gaga went, Yeah, why not?”
Warren also said that she had no idea ahead of time that the movie would feature a scene in which Jackson (played by A Star Is Born director Bradley Cooper) insults the song, spitting its lyrics back in Allys face and trying to shame her career trajectory. “It surprised me when I saw it!” Warren said. “I was sitting next to my friend and I jabbed her in the arm and went, Thats my line hes quoting! I love that her character defended her music. It doesnt have to be what he thinks music should be—music can be everything. It can be a serious song, it can be a pop song, it can be a song about an ass.”
Get Vanity Fairs HWD NewsletterSign up for essential industry and award news from Hollywood.Full ScreenPhotos:Even Lady Gagas Fashion Is Proving Shes a Movie Star
October 4, 2018
Gaga brought more modern glamour to late night T.V., wearing a strapless blue and black dress by her friend, Marc Jacobs, for her appearance on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert.Photo: From Gotham/GC Images.
September 28, 2018
Gaga took a break from promoting her film, but still maintained her ultra-chic style in a leather trench coat and a black turtleneck while out during Paris Fashion Week. The singer/actress sat front row at Hedi Slimanes first show for Celine.Photo: By Marc Piasecki/WireImage.
September 27, 2018
For the films London premiere, Gaga revisited the avant garde in an Elizabethan-era inspired gown by Alexander McQueen. During Gagas early career, she was a muse for the designer, often wearing his designs to award shows and for her music videos.Photo: By Dave Benett/WireImage.
September 26, 2018
While leaving her hotel in London, Gaga wore a black leather look by Gareth Pugh to sign photos and pose with fans.Photo: By Ricky Vigil M/GC Images.
August 31, 2018
The next time we saw her, she went for an understated look in vintage Alaïa, looking like a modern-day Marilyn Monroe with her bleached-blonde hair and bold eyebrows.Photo: By Filippo Monteforte/AFP/Getty Images.
August 30, 2018
Gaga made her Venice Film Festival arrival in style: sitting on the edge of a boat, wearing a black Jonathan Simkhai dress. Her pinup hair and makeup, along with the corset style of the dress, was a fair warning to all of us that she was prepared to show the world that not only could she play the role of a classic movie star, she could very well look the part, too.Photo: By Jacopo Raule/GC Images.
September 9, 2018
Gaga wore a Ralph & Russo gown for the films Toronto after-party. Many of the actresss press looks have been pulled from couture shows, which most celebrities will save for larger events like the Oscars. For Gaga, though, putting on a couture gown as her fourth look of the day for a post-screening red carpet is all part of the movie-star gig.Photo: By George Pimentel/Getty Images.PreviousNext
October 4, 2018
Gaga brought more modern glamour to late night T.V., wearing a strapless blue and black dress by her friend, Marc Jacobs, for her appearance on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert.From Gotham/GC Images.
September 28, 2018
Gaga took a break from promoting her film, but still maintained her ultra-chic style in a leather trench coat and a black turtleneck while out during Paris Fashion Week. The singer/actress sat front row at Hedi Slimanes first show for Celine.By Marc Piasecki/WireImage.
September 27, 2018
For the films London premiere, Gaga revisited the avant garde in an Elizabethan-era inspired gown by Alexander McQueen. During Gagas early career, she was a muse for the designer, often wearing his designs to award shows and for her music videos.By Dave Benett/WireImage.
September 26, 2018
While leaving her hotel in London, Gaga wore a black leather look by Gareth Pugh to sign photos and pose with fans.By Ricky Vigil M/GC Images.
September 24, 2018
It should have come as no surprise that Gaga would pull out all the stops for the films Los Angeles premiere. But still: what she wore raised the red carpet bar. She stunned in a custom silver Givenchy Haute Couture gown with matching cape, along with Bulgari jewels. To say it had an Old Hollywood vibe is, at this point, unnecessary.By Kevin Mazur/Getty Images.
September 9, 2018
At last, the day of the premiere, with a full day of press leading up to it. She wore a velvet dress by Ralph & Russo to a press conference earlier in the day. The one-shoulder look is a continuation of Gagas love for classic textures and silhouettes.By Kevin Mazur/Getty Images.
September 9, 2018
For the main red carpet premiere, Gaga went for a dramatic, black Armani Privé gown. The lace shawl also doubled as a veil for Gaga and her director-co-star Bradley Cooper to pull off a photo op that looked for all the world like a a faux wedding in the middle of the red carpet. The red carpets at TIFF typically arent the showstopping spectacles of their European counterparts, like Cannes and Venice. Gagas presence changed that entirely.By Kevin Mazur/Getty Images.
September 9, 2018
There was maybe an hour between her red carpet arrival and the beginning of the film screening, and during that time, Gaga made time for a costume change—a glittering, strappy dress, which, in this context, counted as more casual. She even nodded to her Old Hollywood-inspired style by keeping the sequined pillbox hat and pinned-back curls from her earlier look.By Eric Charbonneau/REX/Shutterstock.
September 8, 2018
A few days after Venice, Gaga arrived in Toronto for press obligations and the films premiere. At a Saturday night event hosted by Entertainment Weekly, she wore this slinky silver Armani Privé gown. Once again, no party or carpet is too small for Gagas closet of couture.By Michael Loccisano/Getty Images.
August 31, 2018
Gaga stunned at the films Venice premiere in a feather couture creation from Valentino. While Venice is no stranger to over-the-top fashion, Gaga created a new level of spectacle at the premiere of A Star Is Born. The gown, which stole the show when Kaia Gerber wore it on the runway in July, was elevated in its star-studded setting. And though it looks nothing like something Judy Garland would have worn, it was true to Gagas out-there fashion origins, proving that Lady Gaga, the actress, isnt such a different person, after all.By Maria Moratti/Contigo/Getty Images.
August 31, 2018
The next time we saw her, she went for an understated look in vintage Alaïa, looking like a modern-day Marilyn Monroe with her bleached-blonde hair and bold eyebrows.By Filippo Monteforte/AFP/Getty Images.
August 30, 2018
Gaga made her Venice Film Festival arrival in style: sitting on the edge of a boat, wearing a black Jonathan Simkhai dress. Her pinup hair and makeup, along with the corset style of the dress, was a fair warning to all of us that she was prepared to show the world that not only could she play the role of a classic movie star, she could very well look the part, too.By Jacopo Raule/GC Images.
September 9, 2018
Gaga wore a Ralph & Russo gown for the films Toronto after-party. Many of the actresss press looks have been pulled from couture shows, which most celebrities will save for larger events like the Oscars. For Gaga, though, putting on a couture gown as her fourth look of the day for a post-screening red carpet is all part of the movie-star gig.By George Pimentel/Getty Images.
Yohana DestaYohana Desta is a Hollywood writer for VanityFair.com.
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