Is That Alright?

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"Is That Alright?"
Song by Lady Gaga
from the album A Star Is Born
Studio
Length3:11
LabelInterscope
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Lady Gaga
  • Mark Nilan Jr.
  • Nick Monson
  • Paul "DJWS" Blair
Audio video
"Is That Alright?" on YouTube

"Is That Alright?" is a song from the 2018 film A Star Is Born and soundtrack of the same name, performed by American singer Lady Gaga. It was produced by Gaga, Mark Nilan Jr., Nick Monson, and Paul "DJ White Shadow" Blair; writing credits include all of them besides Lukas Nelson and Aaron Raitiere. The track is sung by Gaga's in-movie character, Ally, as a loving ode to Bradley Cooper's character, Jackson. It plays during the end credits of the original, theatrical cut of A Star Is Born, while appearing in the wedding scene in its extended, Encore edition. The song charted within the top 30 in Hungary, Scotland, and Slovakia. It received positive reviews, with critics complimenting Gaga's vocals.

Background and composition[edit]

"Is That Alright?"
A 28-second sample of "Is That Alright?", showcasing Gaga's singing style switching from belting to soft whispers.
Problems playing this file? See media help.

"Is That Alright?" first appeared as a snippet shared by Lady Gaga on September 25, 2018, in a teaser for her film, A Star Is Born, for which the song was written.[1] The video gave a minute-long preview of the track, along with various clips from the movie.[2] It later appeared as the twenty-fifth track of the standard version of the movie's soundtrack album, released on October 5, 2018.[3][4] "Is That Alright?" is a power ballad with piano instrumentation.[5][6] It is a "vulnerable" love song, composed in "the same vein" as the soundtrack's "Shallow" and 'I'll Never Love Again".[6]

The song's writers and producers were Gaga, Mark Nilan Jr., Nick Monson, and Paul "DJ White Shadow" Blair, with Lukas Nelson and Aaron Raitiere providing additional writing.[7] Talking about the writing process for the film, Blair said that "for every song that made it onto the album", they "wrote at least four others, in various iterations", which gave options when they had to decide which songs to keep for the story. He also added that "Is That Alright?" became his favorite song which ultimately ended up on the soundtrack.[8] The track is performed in the key of G major with a moderate tempo of 105 beats per minute in common time. It follows a chord progression of G–G/B–Em–C during the verses and G–Em–G/B-G during the chorus, and the vocals span from E3 to E5.[9] Gaga's singing style shifts from belting to soft whispers in the song.[6]

Use in film and lyrical content[edit]

"Is That Alright?" played during the end credits in the original, theatrical cut of A Star Is Born.[8] It is Ally's pledge to Jackson (the main characters of the movie, played by Gaga and Bradley Cooper), where she vows to love him until the end of her life.[10] USA Today wrote that the track is "painting an evocative picture of their whirlwind romance as Gaga alternates between tender storyteller and throaty power belter", declaring "I want you at the end of my life... Wanna see your face when I fall with grace at the moment I die."[11] Screen Rant thought the song "gives audiences another glimpse at what makes their relationship truly special", with Ally, "the up and coming singer ... put[ting] her heart into every verse."[12] A Vulture article argued that by placing "Is That Alright?" at the very end of the story, it can be interpreted as "a tragic ode to future dreams that'll go unfulfilled."[10] The same outlet pointed out the "lunatic level of adoration and tenderness" from Ally's character in the song, underscored by the "Nothing you say wouldn't interest me" line in the lyrics.[5]

A deleted scene from A Star Is Born, involving Ally's performance of "Is That Alright?", got featured between the DVD/Blu-ray extras of the film in February 2019.[13] After a one-week long limited release in cinemas the following March,[14] an extended cut of the movie was released to home media in June 2019, titled A Star Is Born: Special Encore Edition.[15] This version of the movie gives a longer scene of Jackson and Ally's wedding reception and reinstates "Is That Alright?" into the story.[16] Ally sits down at the band piano, grabbing the microphone, and says to Jackson: "When we gave our vows at the altar, I just didn't get to say everything I wanted to say. So I wrote it down, and I brought it here. I hope it's okay if I love you forever, Jack."[a] She then sings "Is That Alright?".[17] Slate's Heather Schwedel said the track originally was "a bit of a mistery", but the Encore edition "fills in why this song existed in the first place" with the "sweet" extra scene.[18]

Critical reception[edit]

Some outlets found the song to be reminiscent of the style of Adele.

"Is That Alright?" received positive reviews from journalists, who complimented Gaga's vocals and found the track emotional. A column by Vulture regarded the song "more reminiscent of Adele than Lady Gaga",[10] an opinion concurred by The Guardian, where it was analyzed as one of the tracks from the soundtrack which could have been "in the songbooks of Elton John or Adele for years".[19] Wren Graves of Consequence called it a "big Broadway ballad", evoking the Wicked's "Defying Gravity" (2003) and Evita's "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" (1976).[20] It reminded Bustle's Tatiana Tenreyro to Gaga's own ballads, "Speechless" (2009) and "Million Reasons" (2016), though she added, "this one has lyrics that feel even more vulnerable, showing how much Ally desires Jackson's love and sees him as The One."[7] In his review of the soundtrack, Chris DeVille of Stereogum felt that the "blustery piano ballad 'Is That Alright?' and 'Always Remember Us This Way' [...] would work as Joanne bonus tracks, and they're at least as good as "Million Reasons", that album's one true hit."[21]

According to Joey Morona from The Plain Dealer, "Is That Alright?" is a "moving" love song with Gaga's "signature emotion and power". He felt the song is on the same level as the album's "Shallow" and "I'll Never Love Again", envisioning a "three-song race" for an Academy Awards nomination in the Best Original Song category.[b][23] Vulture's Natalie Walker claimed it is the best track from the soundtrack, thinking "the vocal and energetic bipolarity of this song is what makes it so endlessly affecting". She further added: "High notes are impressive, midrange belting is powerful, light and airy falsetto moments are pretty; the tessitura in which the verses of 'Is That Alright' exist strips Gaga bare of any vocal pyrotechnics, and all we are left to focus on are the specifics of her yearning pleas for all-encompassing intimacy." Gaga's singing "at the bottom of her range" recalled Beyoncé's 2009 single, "Halo" for Walker.[5] Hunter Harris, from the same website, similarly praised "Is That Alright?", calling it "arguably A Star Is Born's greatest song", and noted how director Bradley Cooper "made amends" by including the track in the actual movie in its later Encore version.[17] Paris Close at iHeart believed "the number is every bit of warm and vulnerable and fearless as the singer-songwriter belts her heart out to her beloved."[24] Daniel Megarry of Gay Times felt the track was "tear-jerking",[25] while Mike Neid at Idolator highlighted Gaga's "soaring" voice "over an evocative production".[2]

Ben Beaumont-Thomas of The Guardian remarked the lyrics "on the page" are "almost ludicrous, but on record it grabs your ribcage". He further added that the song's "earnestness is [...] completely sold by Gaga", and suggested the song could become popular on wedding receptions.[19] At The Ringer, Alyssa Bereznak appreciated "the structural conceit of this song: a stream-of-consciousness outpouring of tender sentiment, followed by a forceful chorus full of demands for eye contact and eternal matrimony, capped off with a sweet, searching question".[26] Writing for The Daily Telegraph, Neil McCormick opined the song "may be a predictably constructed soapy piano ballad but in the plotline's context of a lovelorn woman grasping for joy in a doomed romance, it won't leave a dry eye in the house."[27] For The Washington Post's Bethonie Butler, "Is That Alright?" is a "sweet but cheesy ballad."[28] Adam White of The Independent deemed it one of the more forgettable tracks of the soundtrack, though he noted "Gaga belting her heart out against a piano melody as if her life depended on it".[29]

Chart performance[edit]

"Is That Alright?" is one of five tracks[c] from the soundtrack which managed to enter the Billboard Hot 100, appearing on the chart at number 63,[30][31] while also charting at number 85 on the Canadian Hot 100.[32] In the United Kingdom, it peaked at number 23 on the UK Singles Downloads Chart and was certified Silver by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) for selling over 200,000 track-equivalent units in the country.[33][34] In Australia, the song debuted at number 97 on the ARIA Singles Chart, and improved one position the next week.[35] It peaked at number 40 on the New Zealand Hot Singles chart.[36] Additionally, the song reached number 19 on Billboard's Euro Digital Songs chart,[37] 22 on the Hungarian Single Top 40 chart,[38] 20 on the Scottish Singles Sales Chart,[39] 12 on the Slovakian Singles Digitál Top 100 chart,[40] and 33 on the Spanish Physical/Digital chart.[41] In 2021, "Is That Alright?" was awarded a gold certification from the Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry (ZPAV) for track-equivalent sales of 25,000 units in Poland.[42]

Credits and personnel[edit]

Credits adapted from the liner notes of the A Star Is Born soundtrack album.[4]

Management[edit]

  • Published by Sony/ATV Songs LLC / SG Songs LLC (BMI) / Happygowrucke / Creative Pulse Music/These Are Pulse Songs (BMI).
  • All rights administered by These Are Pulse Songs, BIRB Music (ASCAP) / BMG Rights Management (US) LLC
  • Warner Tamerlane Publishing Corp. / Super LCS Publishing / One Tooth Productions (BMI), Warner-Barham Music LLC (BMI)
  • Extra administration by Songs of Universal (BMI) / Warner-Olive Music LLC (ASCAP) admin. by Universal Music Corp. (ASCAP)
  • Recorded at Five Star Bar (Los Angeles). Additional recording at Shrine Auditorium, EastWest Studios, The Village West (Los Angeles).
  • Mixed at Electric Lady Studios (New York City)
  • Mastered at Sterling Sound Studios (New York City)

Personnel[edit]

  • Lady Gaga – songwriter, producer, primary vocals
  • Mark Nilan Jr. – songwriter, producer, piano
  • Nick Monson – songwriter, producer
  • Paul "DJWS" Blair – songwriter, producer
  • Lukas Nelson – songwriter
  • Aaron Raitiere – songwriter
  • Benjamin Rice – recording
  • Bo Bodnar – recording assistant
  • Tom Elmhirst – mixing
  • Brandon Bost – mixing engineer
  • Randy Merrill – audio mastering

Charts[edit]

Weekly chart performance for "Is That Alright?"
Chart (2018) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[35] 96
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[32] 85
Euro Digital Songs (Billboard)[37] 19
Hungary (Single Top 40)[38] 22
New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ)[36] 40
Scotland (OCC)[39] 20
Slovakia (Singles Digitál Top 100)[40] 12
Spain Physical/Digital (PROMUSICAE)[41] 33
UK Singles Downloads (OCC)[33] 23
US Billboard Hot 100[31] 63

Certifications and sales[edit]

Certifications and sales for "Is That Alright?"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[43] Gold 35,000‡
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[44] Platinum 40,000‡
Poland (ZPAV)[42] Gold 25,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[34] Silver 200,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ These words appeared on the standard version of the soundtrack for A Star Is Born in the dialogue track titled "Vows".[17]
  2. ^ "Shallow" ultimately ended up being the nominated song, and later the winner of the category at the 91st Academy Awards.[22]
  3. ^ The other four being: "Shallow", "I'll Never Love Again", "Always Remember Us This Way", and "Maybe It's Time".[30]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Zane, Zachary (September 25, 2018). "Lady Gaga Shares Emotional "Is That Alright" Ballad From A Star Is Born". Out. Archived from the original on February 15, 2023. Retrieved February 15, 2023.
  2. ^ a b Nied, Mike (September 25, 2018). "Lady Gaga Teases "Is That Alright?" Off 'A Star Is Born' Soundtrack". Idolator. Archived from the original on February 18, 2023. Retrieved February 18, 2023.
  3. ^ Beech, Mark (October 11, 2018). "Lady Gaga And Bradley Cooper's 'A Star Is Born' Soundtrack Is Set To Top The Charts". Forbes. Archived from the original on February 18, 2023. Retrieved February 18, 2023.
  4. ^ a b A Star Is Born (Credits from Liner notes). Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper. Interscope Records. 2018. B0028726-01. Archived from the original on October 11, 2018. Retrieved October 10, 2018.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  5. ^ a b c Walker, Natalie (October 12, 2018). "A Person Who Has Not Seen A Star Is Born Ranks Its Entire Soundtrack". Vulture. Archived from the original on August 17, 2022. Retrieved August 18, 2022.
  6. ^ a b c Weiss, Benjamin (June 1, 2022). "Top Gun Maverick: 10 Best Lady Gaga Original Songs For Movies". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on February 15, 2023. Retrieved February 15, 2023.
  7. ^ a b Tenreyro, Tatiana (October 5, 2018). "The 'A Star is Born' End Credits Song May Remind You Of Some Of Lady Gaga's Other Iconic Ballads". Bustle. Archived from the original on November 6, 2018. Retrieved November 6, 2018.
  8. ^ a b Butler, Bethonie (October 19, 2018). "Are we supposed to hate the pop songs in 'A Star Is Born'? One of the songwriters weighs in". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on February 15, 2023. Retrieved February 15, 2023.
  9. ^ Germanotta, Stefani (2018). "Lady Gaga 'Is That Alright?' Sheet Music in G Major". Musicnotes.com. Archived from the original on December 5, 2018. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
  10. ^ a b c S. Hé, Kristen. "Every Lady Gaga Song, Ranked A deep dive into a star who almost single-handedly raised the bar for pop music". Vulture. Archived from the original on March 10, 2024. Retrieved May 24, 2022.
  11. ^ Ryan, Patrick (October 5, 2018). "Lady Gaga, Bradley Cooper's stunning 'A Star Is Born' soundtrack proves 'Shallow' was no fluke". USA Today. Archived from the original on November 9, 2020. Retrieved October 21, 2018.
  12. ^ Austin, Michael (September 30, 2019). "10 Best Songs From A Star Is Born, Ranked". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on February 15, 2023. Retrieved February 15, 2023.
  13. ^ Chitwood, Adam (December 12, 2018). "'A Star Is Born' Blu-ray Will Include Never-Before-Seen Musical Performances". Collider. Archived from the original on December 12, 2018. Retrieved December 13, 2018.
  14. ^ Gleiberman, Owen (March 1, 2019). "The Encore Edition of 'A Star Is Born': More Isn't Less, but It's Not More Either". Variety. Archived from the original on February 18, 2023. Retrieved February 18, 2023.
  15. ^ "A Star Is Born Blu-ray: Special Encore Edition". Blu-ray.com. Archived from the original on June 26, 2019. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
  16. ^ Rothstein, Katie (February 27, 2019). "A Star Is Born Extended Cut Coming to Theaters So We Can All Take Another Look". Vulture. Archived from the original on February 15, 2023. Retrieved February 15, 2023.
  17. ^ a b c Harris, Hunter (March 1, 2019). "The Zipline Scene, "Is That Alright," And More: Everything in the Star Is Born Encore". Vulture. Archived from the original on February 17, 2023. Retrieved February 17, 2023.
  18. ^ Schwedel, Heather (March 6, 2019). "The Best and Worst New Scenes in A Star Is Born Encore". Slate. Archived from the original on February 17, 2023. Retrieved February 17, 2023.
  19. ^ a b Beaumont-Thomas, Ben (October 5, 2018). "A Star Is Born soundtrack review – instant classics full of Gaga's emotional might". The Guardian. Archived from the original on October 14, 2018. Retrieved October 5, 2018.
  20. ^ Graves, Wren (October 5, 2018). "Album of the Week: Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper Share Real Chemistry on A Star Is Born". Consequence. Archived from the original on October 21, 2018. Retrieved October 21, 2018.
  21. ^ Deville, Chris (October 4, 2018). "The A Star Is Born Soundtrack Could Stand To Go Off The Deep End More Often". Stereogum. Archived from the original on March 5, 2023. Retrieved March 5, 2023.
  22. ^ Macke, Johnni (February 24, 2019). "Oscars 2019 Winners: The Complete List". E! News. Archived from the original on February 25, 2019. Retrieved February 25, 2019.
  23. ^ Morona, Joey (October 5, 2018). "'A Star Is Born' soundtrack is more than an excuse to listen to 'Shallow' on repeat". The Plain Dealer. Archived from the original on October 13, 2018. Retrieved October 21, 2018.
  24. ^ Close, Paris (September 25, 2018). "Lady Gaga Teases New Song 'Is That Alright?' From 'A Star Is Born': Listen". iHeart. Archived from the original on February 15, 2023. Retrieved February 15, 2023.
  25. ^ Megarry, Daniel (September 25, 2018). "Listen to Lady Gaga's new song Is That Alright? from A Star Is Born". Gay Times. Archived from the original on February 15, 2023. Retrieved February 15, 2023.
  26. ^ Bereznak, Alyssa (December 5, 2018). "The Songs From 'A Star Is Born,' Ranked". The Ringer. Archived from the original on February 15, 2023. Retrieved February 15, 2023.
  27. ^ McCormick, Neil (October 5, 2018). "Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper: A Star Is Born soundtrack, review: an enjoyable but very peculiar album". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on February 17, 2023. Retrieved October 15, 2018.
  28. ^ Butler, Bethonie (October 12, 2018). "All the songs from 'A Star Is Born,' ranked". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on February 15, 2023. Retrieved February 15, 2023.
  29. ^ White, Adam (May 28, 2020). "Lady Gaga: Every song ranked, from Born This Way to Rain on Me". The Independent. Archived from the original on December 6, 2022. Retrieved December 6, 2022.
  30. ^ a b Zellner, Xander. "Five 'A Star Is Born' Songs Hit Hot 100, Led by Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper's 'Shallow'". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 18, 2023. Retrieved February 18, 2023.
  31. ^ a b "Lady Gaga Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved October 21, 2018.
  32. ^ a b "Lady Gaga Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved October 21, 2018.
  33. ^ a b "Official Singles Downloads Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 21, 2018.
  34. ^ a b "British single certifications – Lady Gaga – Is That Alright?". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved December 2, 2022.
  35. ^ a b "ARIA Charts: Issue 1497" ARIA Top 100 Singles. National Library of Australia. Retrieved November 18, 2018.
  36. ^ a b "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. October 15, 2018. Archived from the original on March 11, 2023. Retrieved October 21, 2018.
  37. ^ a b "Chart Search: Lady Gaga: Is That Alright?". Billboard. Retrieved October 21, 2018.
  38. ^ a b "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Single (track) Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved October 21, 2018.
  39. ^ a b "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 21, 2018.
  40. ^ a b "SK - SINGLES DIGITAL - TOP 100 Měsíc 10/2018" (in Slovak). International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. Archived from the original on March 11, 2023. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
  41. ^ a b "Physical/Digital Single Top 50". Hung Medien. Archived from the original on October 22, 2018. Retrieved October 22, 2018.
  42. ^ a b "Wyróżnienia – Złote płyty CD - Archiwum - Przyznane w 2021 roku" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
  43. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2024 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved March 8, 2024.
  44. ^ "Brazilian single certifications – Lady Gaga – Is That Alright?" (in Portuguese). Pro-Música Brasil. Retrieved April 18, 2024.
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