by A Star is Born‘s central song “Shallow” was originally meant to be a completely different Lady Gaga song. The 2018 movie, which is the fourth adaptation of the story with that title, follows fading musician Jackson Maine (Bradley Cooper, who also directed and co-wrote the movie) as he discovers and mentors the talented singer Ally (Lady Gaga), whose rise to fame coincides with his fall from grace. The song “Shallow,” which eventually won the Best Original Song Oscar, is central to the story considering its position as the first live duet the romantic couple performs together, launching Ally into super stardom.
NME recently sat down with songwriter and producer Mark Ronson to discuss his participation in the Barbie soundtrack. During the interview, the conversation turned to A Star is Born, and Ronson (who co-wrote “Shallow”) revealed that Bradley Cooper originally wanted Gaga’s future album title track “Joanne” for A Star is Born. Ronson refused because “I kind of needed it for Gaga’s record,” but agreed to help them create a new song that eventually became “Shallow.” Read Ronson’s full quote below:
“We were working on Gaga’s album Joanne and Bradley Cooper stopped by the studio one afternoon. I like his films. He showed up looking like a movie star. So we hung out. He was really sweet, talking about this new script that they were both doing. I played him the song called “Joanne” and he’s like, ‘That’s great, can I have it?’ I know he’s a big star and everything, but I really liked that song. And I kind of needed it for Gaga’s record.
“[I agreed to take some time to work on a new song.] We were working in this incredible studio in Malibu, [Los Angeles] – Rick Rubin’s studio, Shangri La – and it had this really long echoey hallway. I have this very distinct memory of Gaga’s voice coming from 30 feet away, sounding so excited about something as she came in. She sat down at the piano and started singing ‘I’m off the deep end…'”
Why “Shallow” Is A Much Better Choice For A Star Is Born Than “Joanne”
“Joanne” eventually came out two years before the release of A Star is Born, on Lady Gaga’s 2016 album Joanne. There are quite a few reasons the choice to write “Shallow” for the movie ended up serving A Star is Born much better, but one key factor is how personal the lyrics of “Joanne” are. The song is a tender lament about Lady Gaga’s late aunt that doesn’t fit the storyline of the movie, whereas “Shallow” was designed to perfectly capture the push and pull between Jackson and Ally, both lyrically and musically.
“Shallow” is also a much more bombastic song than “Joanne,” showing off Lady Gaga’s vocal prowess to a fuller extent. This is important considering its pride of place in the A Star is Born soundtrack. Because it lacks a vocal powerhouse moment, “Joanne” might not have underscored Ally’s rise to fame quite so powerfully.
