Posted by Katherine St Asaph on 05/16/2011 at 11:10 AM News

The Popdust Files: cover art, hair, lady gaga

UPDATE: It’s up– check out our review!

The road to Lady Gaga‘s new promo single “Hair,” which drops later today, is naturally paved with mini-milestones. The latest? Cover art. First, some background: yesterday, Her Gaganess tweeted to her 10-million-and-counting followers to trend the hashtag #HairSingleCover (after first try #I’mAsFreeAsMyHair was thwarted by an apostrophe, we guess). Once the fans monstered about Twitter to her liking, Gaga rewarded them with a nearly thirteen-minute missive.

It’s eleven minutes before Gaga talks “Hair.” First, a bit of explanation: she’d go down the stairs with unbrushed hair, a style her parents often tried to cramp. But her hair was the only thing she could change about herself because her school required uniforms. (No colorful shoelaces? Kids’ books have taught us all wrong!) The moral of the story: Freedom is the ability to change your wigs as much as Lady Gaga does. Oh yeah, and there’s also an album cover:

The influences are clear: the Born This Way cover via Marie Antoinette, the movie, with a little bit of The Wizard of Oz black-and-white suddenly spouting color through — what else — her newly pink hair.

Which is a big revelation! Because we know from the lyrics that Lady Gaga is her hair. The only remarkable trait of her hair is that it’s pink. This can mean one of two things: either Lady Gaga is P!nk (wait a second… anyone seen them within ten feet of each other lately?) or she embodies the essence of the color pink. What essence, you ask? Why, just ask would-be color psychologists!

Pink is a very feminine energy. Compassionate, warm and nurturing it is more than just a tint of red. Pink combines the passion and warmth of red with the purity and softness of white. It is romantic, intimate and represents procreation, kindness and empathy. It’s soft tones are reassuring, nurturing and intuitive. It also represents hope and optimism.

There you have it: the answer to the eternal Lady Gaga riddle. She’s beautiful in her way and more than just a tint of red, because baby, she was born this way. Now let’s hear the single in a few hours.

For lots more pics, videos and up-to-the-second dish on Gaga, be sure to check out her Popdust Artist Page.