172019520RD017_NYC_PRIDE_20
Photo: Rommel Demano/Getty Images
Some dates for you to consider: Katy Perry’s new album, Prism, is due on October 22; Lady Gaga’s ARTPOP is out November 11. Katy Perry’s first single, “Roar,†was supposed to drop today but leaked over the weekend; Lady Gaga’s first single, “Applause,†was supposed to be out August 19 but just debuted on iHeartRadio. Lady Gaga is selling the early release date as a response to piracy (low-quality snippets of the song leaked over the weekend), but you would be forgiven for suspecting that Gaga is up to some press cycle tricks. Anyway, here is “Applause,†which begins the great Gaga-Perry battle of fall 2013. It is perfectly generic, which is not something Gaga can get away with as easily. Round One to Katy Perry.