Despite my brain’s insistence that Mamma Mia! The Movie, Wall-E and Twilight are three-or-four years old, it’s been more than a hot minute since 2008 came and went. Today’s healthy reminder that the sands of time continue to erode away at our world as we know it has arrived with the tenth year anniversary of ‘Just Dance’, Lady Gaga’s first single.
For reference, I just re-listened to the song (though I regularly do this) and can confirm it holds up.
The song lacks that certain ‘je ne sais Gaga’ of her more bombastic pop-tracks, but I’m totally into the basic image of the song of Gaga being absolutely trashed at a club and saying “yassss, I love this song but also I lost my keys and my phone but omg, this song bangs!!”.
Gaga noted the anniversary with a very sweet message to fans, taking to Twitter to say she’s “so grateful to little monsters [ed: her fanbase’s namesake, duh] for sticking by me all these years.” She also posted a time-warp of a video, compiling some of her first TV appearances on Ellen, The View and American breakfast shows.
I can’t believe it’s been ten years since the release of Just Dance. It’s very emotional and I am so grateful to little monsters for sticking by me all these years. Cheers to many more, filled with love & bravery to be yourself. I love you so so much 💕 pic.twitter.com/gV9CZZ2ZJi
— Lady Gaga (@ladygaga) April 8, 2018
The anniversary makes me, someone whose Year 12 jacket was emblazoned with ‘Lady JaJa’, feel very old. For further proof that the world has shifted, when Gaga first toured Oz in 2009, she supported The Pussycat Dolls and played a sideshow at Sydney’s Oxford Art Factory, a 500 person capacity venue.
Gaga also posted some throwback looks on Insta:
Of course, the lil’ monsters and Twitter stans are going down an absolute nostalgia rabbit-hole with the anniversary. Beyond jokes that Lady Gaga ended a despotic outlawing of dancing with the song, a la Footloose, many LGBTIQA+ fans have taken to twitter to note how important Gaga’s music has been in their life.
“Oh my god, I’m listening to just dance for its anniversary and I’m immediately transported to my first moments of living queer”, said user @Giraffelimbs. “Like those moments that are before you know anything, your identity or sexuality but you’re practicing that kind of freedom and expression.”
like those moments that are before you know anything your identity or sexuality but youre practicing that kind of freedom and expression
— mayor of barbieland (@Giraffelimbs) April 8, 2018
https://twitter.com/BhadDhad/status/983079676171182080
With this platform, I would like to offer my own take. In a 2018 context, the song’s wild-abandon has a lovely nihilistic note: the world is ending. Let’s Dance. Can’t believe Gaga predicted our current geopolitical climate!
Read some more takes here:
https://twitter.com/smeerkat_/status/983082873392717824
https://twitter.com/auntnolan/status/982997359822082048
https://twitter.com/bryanasalaz/status/983114872652115970
“JUST DANCE, gonna be okay, da da doo doot-n” – ancient proverb (2008)
— jack (@fkajack) April 8, 2018
For the record, rapper Colby O’Dennis, who features on the track, has not yet commented on the anniversary. Revisit the incredibly low-res music video below:
Image credit: Lady Gaga/Just Dance
