Lady Gaga breaks down over plagiarism allegations

Lady Gaga defends against claims she has plagiarised Madonna's music saying it's a heartbreaking accusation as she believes she puts out music with messages unique to herself. Photo / Supplied

Lady Gaga broke down in tears as she spoke out for the first time to angrily deny claims she ripped off Madonna's iconic song Express Yourself for her track Born This Way.

Critics and fans alike were quick to compare the single to Madonna's 1989 classic when it was released in February.

Gaga admits the allegations she copied her hero were heartbreaking, and she wept as she was questioned by a British interviewer about the persistent rumours of plagiarism.

"I am not stupid enough to put out a record and be that moronic," she told NME magazine.

"I'm a songwriter. I've written loads of music.

"Why would I try to put out a (copied) song and think I'm getting one over on everybody? That's retarded.

"What a completely ridiculous thing to even question me about. I will look you in your eyes and tell you that I am not dumb enough or moronic enough to think that you are dumb enough or moronic enough not to see that I would have stolen a melody.

"If you put the songs next to each other, side by side, the only similarities are the chord progression. It's the same one that's been in disco music for the last 50 years. Just because I'm the first f****** artist in 25 years to think of putting it on Top 40 radio, it doesn't mean I'm a plagiarist, it means that I'm f***** smart.

"Nobody in this room at any point looked around and said, oh my God, it's Express Yourself. Not once...

"I was just f****** shell-shocked by it. It's so funny to hear you say, 'It must have been a homage', I'm like, no. When I homage, I f****** homage with a big sign saying I've done it. Why would I not do that now?"

The singer then wept as she added, "I feel like honestly that God sent me those lyrics and that melody.

"When you feel a message to give to the world and people are shooting arrows at it... there's no way for something that pure to be wrong."

-AAP