Madonna Breaks Silence On Lady Gaga Copying

Since leaping to fame in 2008, Lady Gaga has frequently been compared to Madonna. But the comparisons hit new heights last year when her No.1 single Born This Way was accused by some critics of emulating Madonna's 1989 hit Express Yourself. And after keeping quiet over the comparisons for nearly a year, Madonna has finally broken her silence.

Speaking on ABC show 20/20, the 53-year-old admitted she thought Born This Way sounded 'familiar' when she first heard it. When presenter Cynthia McFadden asked whether Madonna thought Gaga was 'copying' her, she initially praised the 25-year-old. She said: 'She's a very talented artist.  'I certainly think she references me a lot in her work. And sometimes I think it’s amusing and flattering and well done.'

Describing Gaga's work, she added: '(Her songs seem to be a) statement about taking something that was in the Zeitgeist, you know, 20 years ago and turning it inside out and reinterpreting it... 'There’s a lot of ways to look at it. I can’t really be annoyed by it... because, obviously, I’ve influenced her.'

Addressing Born This Way, which was released last February, Madonna elaborated: 'When I heard it on the radio …I said that sounds very familiar.' When McFadden asked if it was 'annoying', Madonna replied: 'It felt reductive.' Attempting to get Madonna to explain the word reductive - which means 'minimal' or 'crude', McFadden asked whether that was 'a good or bad thing', the singer replied: 'Look it up,' before smirking.

In an interview last year, Gaga was opened about Madonna's influence on her Born This Way album. She said: 'I genuinely love her so much. I think she is so amazing. She could never be replicated and, yes, I’m Italian, I’m from New York, and not for nothing, it’s not my fault that I kind of look like her, right? 'So, look, if anything, it’s more annoying to me that people would insinuate that I don’t like to be compared to her… She’s wonderful and inspiring and liberating, and she’s certainly inspired my album, as did David Bowie, as did Prince, as did Michael Jackson, as did Grace Jones, and I would never take that away.'

Despite any ill-feeling Madonna may have for her younger contemporary, the women have been pictured together several times.