On Friday, April 15, Lady Gaga rush-released "Judas," the second single from her upcomingBorn This Way, after bits of the song released. Since then an audio-only version of the track has been viewed nearly five million times on YouTube, and the song is the top-selling single in iTunes stores in a slew of countries, including the US, Canada, and France.
According to fan site GagaDaily.com, the track topped the iTunes charts in 12 countries and reached the top ten in every country on iTunes in less than 24 hours since its release.
Mother Monster promised her new dance track would be controversial, and some Catholic church groups are reportedly dismayed over her playing the role of Mary Magdalene in the upcoming "Judas" video.
"The RedOne-produced track finds Gaga in familiar territory, singing about a lover she knows might not be right for her, but whom she just can't resist," writes MTV US of the single, adding, "The battle cry is reminiscent of the one in 'Bad Romance.'"
"There's no denying the primal energy of 'Judas,'" reviews US-based music magazineSpin, "and the awesomely dark, bass-heavy breakdown (where Gaga shrieks like some sort [of] horny futuristic droid) is one of the weirdest moments to hit the pop landscape this year."
The day before the track's release, Gaga tweeted: "#PawsUpForJudas! I've learned love is like a brick, you can build a house or sink a dead body."
The song follows the phenomenal success of "Born This Way," the fastest-selling single in iTunes history, selling one million copies in five days. The album hits stores on May 23, and the video for "Judas," directed by Gaga herself and her creative director Laurieann Gibson, is expected to release in the coming weeks, but no exact date is set yet.
Listen to the track now: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAWpkZSCMXU
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