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"Marry the Night" is a song recorded by American singer and songwriter
Lady Gaga Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta ( ; born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She is known for her image reinventions and musical versatility. Gaga began performing as a teenag ...
for her second studio album, '' Born This Way'' (2011). The track was initially released for promotion on ''
FarmVille ''FarmVille'' is a series of agriculture- simulation social network game developed and published by Zynga in 2009. It is similar to '' Happy Farm'' and ''Farm Town''. Its gameplay involves various aspects of farmland management, such as plowi ...
'', six days before the release of ''Born This Way''. It was released as the fifth and initially final single from the album before "
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" in 2022 on November 11, 2011, by
Interscope Records Interscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group through its Interscope Geffen A&M imprint. Founded in late 1990 by Jimmy Iovine and Ted Field as a $20 million joint venture with Atlantic Records of Warner Mus ...
. The song was written and produced by Gaga and Fernando Garibay, and was recorded on the tour bus during The Monster Ball Tour. Revealed in February 2011, "Marry the Night" was inspired by the energy of Gaga's previous songs like "
Dance in the Dark "Dance in the Dark" is a song by American singer Lady Gaga from her third extended play (EP), ''The Fame Monster'' (2009)—the reissue of her debut studio album, ''The Fame'' (2008). It is about a woman who prefers to have sex in the dark a ...
" and her love for her hometown,
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
. "Marry the Night" is a
dance-pop Dance-pop is a popular music subgenre that originated in the late 1970s to early 1980s. It is generally uptempo music intended for nightclubs with the intention of being danceable but also suitable for contemporary hit radio. Developing from a ...
and
synth-pop Synth-pop (short for synthesizer pop; also called techno-pop; ) is a subgenre of new wave music that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s a ...
song influenced by electro rock and
house music House is a music genre characterized by a repetitive four-on-the-floor beat and a typical tempo of 120 beats per minute. It was created by DJs and music producers from Chicago's underground club culture in the late 1970s, as DJs began alt ...
. The track features electronic church bells, a driving electro organ sound,
techno Techno is a Music genre, genre of electronic dance music (EDM) which is generally music production, produced for use in a continuous DJ set, with tempo often varying between 120 and 150 beats per minute (bpm). The central Drum beat, rhythm is typ ...
beats and a
funk rock Funk rock is a fusion genre that mixes elements of funk and rock. James Brown and others declared that Little Richard and his mid-1950s road band, The Upsetters, were the first to put the funk in the rock and roll beat, with a biographer stat ...
influenced breakdown. The lyrics are a tribute to Gaga's love of the nightlife and partying, while serving as a homage to her hometown. "Marry the Night" received mostly positive reviews from critics, who praised its grand and euphoric dance nature. They furthermore found influences of Italian disco music producer
Giorgio Moroder Giovanni Giorgio Moroder (, ; born 26 April 1940) is an Italian composer, songwriter, and record producer. Dubbed the " Father of Disco", Moroder is credited with pioneering euro disco and electronic dance music. His work with synthesizers had ...
and American rock musician
Bruce Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American singer and songwriter. He has released 21 studio albums, most of which feature his backing band, the E Street Band. Originally from the Jersey Shore, he is an originat ...
in the song. After the release of ''Born This Way'', "Marry the Night" charted in some nations due to digital sales from the parent album. Gaga directed the music video, which was filmed in
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
. It tells the story of when she was signed by her label
Interscope Records Interscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group through its Interscope Geffen A&M imprint. Founded in late 1990 by Jimmy Iovine and Ted Field as a $20 million joint venture with Atlantic Records of Warner Mus ...
after being dropped from her former record label,
Def Jam Recordings Def Jam Recordings (also simply known as Def Jam) is an American multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It is based in Manhattan, New York City, specializing predominantly in hip hop, contemporary R&B, soul and pop. The ...
, with scenes in a clinic, a dance studio, her own New York apartment and on a car's rooftop at a parking lot. She sports outfits by Calvin Klein Collection, Yves Saint Laurent and Stéphane Rolland. Prior to its release, the music video was teased with video stills and previews. Critics wrote positively on the clip, deeming it creative and ambitious, while lauding its narrative theme. Gaga has performed the song at the
2011 MTV Europe Music Awards The 2011 MTV EMAs (also known as the MTV Europe Music Awards) were held in Northern Ireland's capital Belfast, on Sunday, 6 November 2011, at the Odyssey Arena in the Titanic Quarter area of the city and was hosted by Selena Gomez. Additional ...
, ''
The X Factor ''The X Factor'' is a television music competition franchise created by British producer Simon Cowell and his company Syco Entertainment. It originated in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for '' Pop Idol'' (2001–20 ...
'', and as the final song of her Born This Way Ball tour (2012–2013). She also recorded an acoustic version for her
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special, '' A Very Gaga Thanksgiving''.


Writing and recording

"Marry the Night" was written by
Lady Gaga Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta ( ; born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She is known for her image reinventions and musical versatility. Gaga began performing as a teenag ...
and Fernando Garibay while on the road for The Monster Ball Tour, and was produced by both. It was first mentioned by Gaga as a track from her album, '' Born This Way'' on
Ryan Seacrest Ryan John Seacrest (born December 24, 1974) is an American media personality and producer. He is the co-host of '' Live with Kelly and Ryan'', as well as the host of multiple media shows including ''American Idol'', ''American Top 40'', and ' ...
's
radio show A radio program, radio programme, or radio show is a segment of content intended for broadcast on radio. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series. A single program in a series is called an episode. Radio networ ...
, where she described it as one of her favorite songs from the album. Gaga and Garibay had worked previously on the song "
Dance in the Dark "Dance in the Dark" is a song by American singer Lady Gaga from her third extended play (EP), ''The Fame Monster'' (2009)—the reissue of her debut studio album, ''The Fame'' (2008). It is about a woman who prefers to have sex in the dark a ...
" (2009), from Gaga's previous release, ''
The Fame Monster ''The Fame Monster'' is a reissue of American singer Lady Gaga's debut studio album, '' The Fame'' (2008), and was released on November 18, 2009, through Interscope Records. Initially planned solely as a deluxe edition reissue of ''The Fame'', ...
''. Before starting work on "Marry the Night", Gaga listened to "Dance in the Dark" and decided she wanted to top that song's energy with her new collaboration with Garibay. "I remember being backstage and hearing the concert start, so I go out there and hear 'Dance in the Dark' open up the whole concert, and I wanted to outdo that feeling. I wanted to outdo that moment that opens up the show. I'm just that way." Wanting to have a new style of music, Gaga made it clear she did not want her fans to like the song. She wanted to write a song that could define where she was with ''Born This Way'' and her life. In an interview with '' NME'', Gaga explained that the main inspiration behind the song was singer Whitney Houston and also added: "This song is about me going back to New York. I wrote this about the courage it took for me to say 'I hate Hollywood, I just wanna live in Brooklyn and make music'". As Gaga performed on The Monster Ball Tour, Garibay started working on the music of the song. After the show was over, Gaga came back to her studio bus and asked him about the progress. Garibay then explained that he had concocted a different kind of music for the song, and played the church-bell inspired music to Gaga. After first hearing it, the singer said that she started to cry, noticing the vastness of the music, and she started writing the lyrics for "Marry the Night". "Marry the Night" was originally recorded on the Bus Studio in 2010, but was later mixed at The Mix Room in
Burbank, California Burbank is a city in the southeastern end of the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Located northwest of downtown Los Angeles, Burbank has a population of 107,337. The city was named after David Burbank, wh ...
by Dave Russell, assisted by Paul Pavao. Gaga described the song as a "massive, gas-station, disco record", and she recorded it immediately after completing the lyrics. According to Garibay, Gaga meditated for a few minutes and then asked him to hand over a recording
microphone A microphone, colloquially called a mic or mike (), is a transducer that converts sound into an electrical signal. Microphones are used in many applications such as telephones, hearing aids, public address systems for concert halls and pub ...
to her, completing the process within an hour.


Composition

"Marry the Night" is a
dance-pop Dance-pop is a popular music subgenre that originated in the late 1970s to early 1980s. It is generally uptempo music intended for nightclubs with the intention of being danceable but also suitable for contemporary hit radio. Developing from a ...
and
synthpop Synth-pop (short for synthesizer pop; also called techno-pop; ) is a subgenre of new wave music that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s a ...
song with electro rock and
house A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condi ...
influences. The song starts out with electronic church bells and Gaga softly singing "I'm gonna marry the night/I won't give up on my life/I'm a warrior queen/Live passionately tonight." Soon the beat changes into a dance one, accompanied with
techno Techno is a Music genre, genre of electronic dance music (EDM) which is generally music production, produced for use in a continuous DJ set, with tempo often varying between 120 and 150 beats per minute (bpm). The central Drum beat, rhythm is typ ...
beats, handclaps and
funk music Funk is a music genre that originated in African American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African Americans in the mid ...
, and moves to the
chorus Chorus may refer to: Music * Chorus (song) or refrain, line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse * Chorus effect, the perception of similar sounds from multiple sources as a single, richer sound * Chorus form, song in which all vers ...
, where Gaga stutters the line "Ma-ma-ma-marry/Ma-ma-ma-marry/Ma-ma-ma-marry the night". It was compared by Tim Jonze from ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' to the
Eurodance Euro-Dance (sometimes referred to as Euro-NRG, Euro-electronica or Euro) is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in the late 1980s in Europe. It combines many elements of hip hop, techno, Hi-NRG, house music, and Euro-Disco. Thi ...
song, " It's My Life" by Dr Alban, while Nicola James from MTV compared the chorus with
Jennifer Lopez Jennifer Lynn Affleck (' Lopez; born July 24, 1969), also known as J.Lo, is an American singer, actress and dancer. In 1991, she began appearing as a Fly Girl dancer on the sketch comedy television series '' In Living Color'', where she re ...
's 1999 single " Waiting for Tonight. In a pre-release review of certain album tracks, Peter Robinson from the '' NME'' blog wrote that Gaga channels "Whitney Houston-esque pop euphoria" into the song, notably that from the singer's musical peak. The chorus is followed by a funk-rock influenced breakdown, where Gaga sings the line: "Nothing's too cool/To take me from you/New York is not just a tan that you'll never lose." According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by
Sony/ATV Music Publishing Sony Music Publishing (formerly Sony/ATV Music Publishing) is the largest music publisher in the world, with over five million songs owned or administered as of end March 2021. US-based, it is part of the Sony Music Group, which is itself owned ...
, "Marry the Night" was written in the
time signature The time signature (also known as meter signature, metre signature, or measure signature) is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats (pulses) are contained in each measure ( bar), and which note val ...
of common time, with a slow
tempo In musical terminology, tempo ( Italian, 'time'; plural ''tempos'', or ''tempi'' from the Italian plural) is the speed or pace of a given piece. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (often ...
of 64 beats per minute for the intro, followed by a driving pop beat of 132 beats per minute. It is composed in the key of
A minor A minor is a minor scale based on A, with the pitches A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. Its key signature has no flats and no sharps. Its relative major is C major and its parallel major is A major. The A natural minor scale is: : Changes ...
with Gaga's vocal range spanning from G3 to E5. It follows a basic sequence of Am–Dm/A–F/A–G as its
chord progression In a musical composition, a chord progression or harmonic progression (informally chord changes, used as a plural) is a succession of chords. Chord progressions are the foundation of harmony in Western musical tradition from the common practice ...
. The church bells in the song were meant to draw parallels between Gaga's fans and members of a religion or a cult. The lyrics are about partying and wreaking havoc during the night, and serves as a homage to the
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
downtown music scene. Evan Sawdey from ''
PopMatters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, ...
'' described the lyrics as a "'let's take the night' rallying cry."


Release

"Marry the Night" was planned to be the
lead single A lead single (also known as a debut single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date. Release s ...
from ''Born This Way'', but was cancelled in favor of the title track. "Marry the Night" was then supposed to be the third single, but was cancelled yet again, this time in favor of " The Edge of Glory". Gaga first premiered "Marry the Night" on the
HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is ba ...
Monster Ball Special, which aired on May 7, 2011. While backstage, she sang
a cappella ''A cappella'' (, also , ; ) music is a performance by a singer or a singing group without instrumental accompaniment, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. The term ''a cappella'' was originally intended to differentiate between Ren ...
: "I'm gonna marry the night/ I won't give up on my life/ I'm a warrior queen/ Live passionately tonight." During the promotional appearances for ''Born This Way'', Gaga released "Marry the Night" to the online game ''
FarmVille ''FarmVille'' is a series of agriculture- simulation social network game developed and published by Zynga in 2009. It is similar to '' Happy Farm'' and ''Farm Town''. Its gameplay involves various aspects of farmland management, such as plowi ...
'' on May 17, 2011. The song was released on Gagaville, a subdivision of Farmville that Gaga helped design with game promotion company
Zynga Zynga Inc. () is an American developer running social video game services. It was founded in April 2007, with headquarters in San Mateo, California. The company primarily focuses on mobile and social networking platforms. Zynga states its mission ...
. Four months since the release of ''Born This Way'', "Marry the Night" was confirmed as the fifth single from the album by Gaga herself. In September 2011, Interscope Records, Gaga's label, stated that while "Marry the Night" is sure to be released as the fifth single internationally, they were undecided which song would serve in its place in the US. Gaga confirmed the single's UK release for November 21, 2011, which included remixes. The date was pushed back to December 11, 2011, however. Gaga's label later decided to release "Marry the Night" in the United States as well; it was added to the playlists of rhythmic and
mainstream Mainstream may refer to: Film * ''Mainstream'' (film), a 2020 American film Literature * ''Mainstream'' (fanzine), a science fiction fanzine * Mainstream Publishing, a Scottish publisher * ''Mainstream'', a 1943 book by Hamilton Basso Mu ...
music radio on November 15, 2011. On October 17, 2011, Gaga revealed the official artwork for "Marry the Night" via TwitPic, citing the lyrics from the bridge of the song, "New York Is Not Just A Tan That You'll Never Lose". The artwork shows her sitting atop a rain-soaked car while another vehicle burns in the background. She is wearing a pair of over-the-knee leather boots, a sculpted top and shorts while shaking her blond hair.
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s Contessa Gayles described the artwork as a "mysterious night-crawler."


Critical reception

Since its release, "Marry the Night" has garnered generally positive reviews;
Stephen Thomas Erlewine Stephen Thomas Erlewine (; born June 18, 1973) is an American music critic and senior editor for the online music database AllMusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for AllMusic, as well as a freelance writer, oc ...
of
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...
gave the song a positive review, saying it "glistens with a neon pulse". Sal Cinquemani of ''
Slant Magazine ''Slant Magazine'' is an American online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New Yor ...
'' named "Marry the Night" a stand-out track on the album and called it "a worthy successor to 'Dance in the Dark'".
BBC Music BBC Music is responsible for the music played across the BBC. The current director of music is Bob Shennan, who is also the controller of BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 6 Music, and the BBC Asian Network. Officially it is a part of the BBC's Radio ...
's Mark Savage called "Marry the Night" as perfect as "a straightforward fist-pumping entry into a colossus can be." Christian Blauvelt of ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cult ...
'' compared the song with the work of Italian record producer
Giorgio Moroder Giovanni Giorgio Moroder (, ; born 26 April 1940) is an Italian composer, songwriter, and record producer. Dubbed the " Father of Disco", Moroder is credited with pioneering euro disco and electronic dance music. His work with synthesizers had ...
. Caryn Ganz of '' Spin'' was impressed with the track, calling it a "four-on-the-floor banger." Tim Jonze of ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' compared the chorus of the song "It's My Life" by Dr Alban and felt that it was easily forgotten compared to some of the bigger dance songs on the album. ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its cov ...
''s was impressed with the fact that "Marry the Night" just seemed to get "bigger, and bigger" to her, while listing pop and
glam metal Glam metal (also known as hair metal or pop metal) is a subgenre of heavy metal that features pop-influenced hooks and guitar riffs, upbeat rock anthems, and slow power ballads. It borrows heavily from the fashion and image of 1970s glam ...
and artists like
Pat Benatar Patricia Mae Giraldo (''née'' Andrzejewski, formerly Benatar; born January 10, 1953), known professionally as Pat Benatar, is an American rock singer and songwriter. In the United States, she has had two multi-platinum albums, five platinum alb ...
,
Bonnie Tyler Gaynor Sullivan (née Hopkins; born 8 June 1951), known professionally as Bonnie Tyler, is a Welsh singer who is known for her distinctive husky voice. Tyler came to prominence with the release of her 1977 album '' The World Starts Tonight'' a ...
and
Bon Jovi Bon Jovi is an American rock band formed in 1983 in Sayreville, New Jersey. It consists of singer Jon Bon Jovi, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, guitarist Phil X, and bassist Hugh McDonald. Original bassist Alec John such qu ...
as its influences. According to Kitty Empire of ''
The Observer ''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. It is a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' and '' The Guardian Weekly'', whose parent company Guardian Media Group Limited acquired it in 1993. First published in 1791, it is the ...
'', "'Marry the Night', is a blowsy carpe octemaffair which draws on
hi-NRG Hi-NRG (pronounced "high energy") is a genre of uptempo disco or electronic dance music (EDM) that originated in the United States during the late 1970s and early 1980s. As a music genre, typified by fast tempo, staccato hi-hat rhythms (and the ...
club-pop for its
modus operandi A ''modus operandi'' (often shortened to M.O.) is someone's habits of working, particularly in the context of business or criminal investigations, but also more generally. It is a Latin phrase, approximately translated as "mode (or manner) of o ...
." Evan Sawdey from
PopMatters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, ...
gave the song a negative review, saying "'Marry the Night' very much wants to be top-notch
Justice Justice, in its broadest sense, is the principle that people receive that which they deserve, with the interpretation of what then constitutes "deserving" being impacted upon by numerous fields, with many differing viewpoints and perspective ...
knockoff, but by adding a bridge of upbeat platitudes and an utterly pointless instrumental section after the 3:30 mark, she ultimately winds up weakening the power of her 'let’s take the night' rallying cry". Kerri Mason from ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'' found influences of
gothic rock Gothic rock (also called goth rock or simply goth) is a style of rock music that emerged from post-punk in the United Kingdom in the late 1970s. The first post-punk bands which shifted toward dark music with gothic overtones include Siouxsie an ...
in it, but went on to call it an "unapologetic disco-powered pop" that could have been a production number on Gaga's debut album, ''
The Fame ''The Fame'' is the debut studio album by American singer Lady Gaga. It was released on August 19, 2008, by Interscope Records. After joining Kon Live Distribution and Cherrytree Records in 2008, Gaga began working on the album with different p ...
'' (2008). Neil McCormick from ''
The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally. It was fo ...
'' gave an analogy with rock musician "
Meat Loaf Michael Lee Aday (born Marvin Lee Aday; September 27, 1947 – January 20, 2022), known professionally as Meat Loaf, was an American rock singer and actor. He was noted for his powerful, wide-ranging voice and theatrical live shows. He is on t ...
going to the disco", while describing the song. '' NME''s Dan Martin felt that the song, although impressive, was conservative as the opening song of ''Born This Way''. He further found similarities to the work of Moroder and influences of
Bruce Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American singer and songwriter. He has released 21 studio albums, most of which feature his backing band, the E Street Band. Originally from the Jersey Shore, he is an originat ...
's 1975 single, "
Born to Run ''Born to Run'' is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen, released on August 25, 1975, by Columbia Records. As his effort to break into the mainstream, the album was a commercial success, peaking at number three ...
". Robert Copsey of the website
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called the song an "electro-thumping number with euphoric synths and uplifting melody" which according to him further drew comparison to Gaga's own song "Born This Way". Copsey further stated that "This is no bad thing, as it's less in-yer-face, and it's 'M-m-m-marry the night' hook is equally as catchy." Awarding the song with four out of five stars Lewis Corner of the same website wrote: "'I'm gonna marry the night/ I won't give up on my life/ I'm a warrior queen, live passionately, tonight,' GaGa calls out over a suitably grand introduction of deistic bells and rumbling techno synths – the result not to dissimilar, we imagine, to
Paul Van Dyk Matthias Paul (; born 16 December 1971), known professionally as Paul van Dyk () is a German DJ, record producer and musician. One of the first true renowned DJs, van Dyk was the first artist to receive a Grammy Award nomination in the newly a ...
playing an organ at a wedding ceremony. Defiant and epic, the track feeds into Stef's cult-focused fan base like a prophet calling upon their disciples – and given it's the single they've been waiting for, we have no doubt they'll come in their droves." In 2019, ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'' ranked the song number four on their list of the 15 greatest Lady Gaga songs, and in 2020, ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' ranked the song number 11 on their list of the 30 greatest Lady Gaga songs. In 2021, an article from ''Billboard'' regarding the 100 best musical bridges of the 21st century featured "Marry the Night" at number 50, saying "the ''Born This Way'' leadoff is one of Gaga's most barnstorming singles, less of an album opener than a theatrical curtain-raiser, and the bridge makes sure that it doesn't spend so much time on the dancefloor it forgets its streetwise roots, giving it a little
Bon Jovi Bon Jovi is an American rock band formed in 1983 in Sayreville, New Jersey. It consists of singer Jon Bon Jovi, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, guitarist Phil X, and bassist Hugh McDonald. Original bassist Alec John such qu ...
muscle to match its
Donna Summer LaDonna Adrian Gaines (December 31, 1948May 17, 2012), known professionally as Donna Summer, was an American singer and songwriter. She gained prominence during the disco era of the 1970s and became known as the " Queen of Disco", while her musi ...
sheen."


Chart performance

Following the release of ''Born This Way'' on May 23, 2011, "Marry the Night" debuted at number 57 on the United States ''Billboard''
Hot Digital Songs The Digital Songs or Digital Song Sales chart (previously named Hot Digital Songs) ranks the best-selling digital songs in the United States, as compiled by Nielsen SoundScan and published by ''Billboard'' magazine. Although it originally starte ...
Chart with sales of 35,000 digital downloads, allowing it to enter the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 at number 79. On the issue dated December 3, 2011, "Marry the Night" re-entered the chart at number 97, and moved to number 59 the second week. For the fourth week on the chart, the song moved to number 32 on the Hot 100. It sold 20,000 digital downloads (up by 163%) and garnered 23 million audience impressions as per
Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems Broadcast Data Systems (also known as BDS or Luminate BDS), is a service that tracks radio, television and internet airplay of songs. The service, which is a unit of MRC Data, is a contributing factor to North American charts published by co-owne ...
. The song has peaked at number 29 on the chart, becoming Gaga's first radio-promoted single not to reach the top ten and ending her streak of eleven consecutive top ten hits. "Marry the Night" debuted at number 24 on the
Pop Songs Pop Airplay (also called Mainstream Top 40, Pop Songs, and Top 40/ CHR) is a 40-song music chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' Magazine that ranks the most popular songs of pop music being played on a panel of Top 40 radio stations in the U ...
, which is the third-highest debut on that chart in 2011, following Gaga's " Born This Way" (number 14) and
Britney Spears Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American singer. Often referred to as the " Princess of Pop", she is credited with influencing the revival of teen pop during the late 1990s and early 2000s. After appearing in stage productio ...
' " Hold It Against Me" (number 16). The following week, it jumped to number 18, becoming Gaga's twelfth consecutive top-twenty on the US pop chart; it has peaked at 14 on the chart. "Marry the Night" debuted at numbers 37 and 33 on the
Adult Pop Songs The Adult Pop Airplay (formerly known as Adult Pop Songs and Adult Top 40) chart is published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine and ranks "the most popular adult top 40 as based on radio airplay detections measured by Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems ...
and
Hot Dance Club Songs Dance Club Songs is a chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine in the United States. It is a national look over of club disc jockeys to determine the most popular songs being played in nightclubs across the country. It was launched as ...
chart, and has reached peaks of 27 and the top of the chart respectively. The number-one peak of "Marry the Night" on Hot Dance Club Songs was achieved in five weeks, and was tied with Gaga's previous single "
Telephone A telephone is a telecommunications device that permits two or more users to conduct a conversation when they are too far apart to be easily heard directly. A telephone converts sound, typically and most efficiently the human voice, into e ...
" as her second fastest ascent to the top of that chart. The song was Gaga's twelfth number-one single on Hot Dance Club Songs. In October 2017, "Marry the Night" was certified Platinum by the
Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and ...
(RIAA), and as of April 2015, it has sold 713,000 copies in the United States. In Canada, the song entered at number 91 on the
Canadian Hot 100 The Canadian Hot 100 is a music industry record chart in Canada for songs, published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine. The Canadian Hot 100 was launched on the issue dated March 31, 2007, and is currently the standard record chart in Canada; a ne ...
, while debuting on the Canadian Digital Songs chart at number 50. It has reached a peak of number 11 there. In South Korea, "Marry the Night" reached number eleven on the Gaon International Singles Chart. Its other chart positions included reaching number 38 on the
Ultratop 50 Ultratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium. Ultratop is a non-profit organization, created on the initiative of the Belgian Entertainment Association (BEA), the Belgian member organization of ...
chart of Belgium's Walloon region, and number 16 on the
UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top ...
. In the United Kingdom, "Marry the Night" had initially entered the chart during the release of ''Born This Way'' for one week, but later re-entered after its single release. In Ireland, "Marry the Night" debuted at number 34 on the
Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is the Republic of Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association (IRMA) and compiled on their behalf by the Official Charts Company. Chart rankings are b ...
on November 18, 2011, and has reached a peak of number 24. In Australia, "Marry the Night" debuted at number 88 on the
ARIA Singles Chart The ARIA Charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling songs and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA became the offici ...
and peaked at number 80. In Germany, the song debuted at number 44 on the
German Singles Chart The GfK Entertainment charts are the official music charts in Germany and are gathered and published by GfK Entertainment (formerly Media Control and Media Control GfK International), a subsidiary of GfK, on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindust ...
on November 23, 2011, and has reached a peak of number 17.


Music video


Background and development

Gaga filmed parts of the music video for "Marry the Night" in
Staten Island Staten Island ( ) is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Richmond County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located in the city's southwest portion, the borough is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull an ...
and
Harlem Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and Central Park North on the south. The greater Ha ...
,
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * ...
, from October 10 to 13, 2011. On October 17, Gaga posted on her Twitter account that she had finished filming and could not "wait to unfold all its secrets and share with you moments from my past I have yet to reveal". Talking about the filming of the video, Lynn Kelly, a CEO of the Snug Harbor Cultural Center, where the video was shot said,
We found both her and her crew to be easy to work with and low-key. I think we would have expected a lot of drama, and the truth is, she is probably the most down-to-earth person. It was endearing. She was friendly and kind. ... I think, for us, we're so excited to have someone of her talent, and to have somebody like that shoot here is a sheer honor. What her music does for music is so much more than entertainment. It's connecting to the arts on a much deeper level, and that's what I hope we can do here."
On October 11, 2011, several publications announced that Gaga was seen during the filming of the video in Snug Harbor Cultural Center. She was wearing a custom-made double zip lambskin jumpsuit by New York City designer, Asher Levine which was said to go along with the video's "grungy" and "bloody" theme and with the "nod to New York downtown refinement." Dancers and extras were spotted dressed in multiple looks: some as ballerinas and others in leopard print while Gaga's mother was also seen on stage. Later, other photos of the filming were published on several websites and they showed Gaga with blue lipstick and a leather romper with several male dancers, in a long-sleeve red dress with padded shoulders, a satellite dish and a big black hat. Footage of the video was posted online on October 14, 2011. Gaga is seen dancing on the roof of a car as she sings the bridge from the song. She then slides down the car and begins running around the hood as the chorus starts. She's dressed in black, with a blond bob wig and black heels while rain is visible in the background, but she appears unfazed by the weather. During an interview with
NDTV New Delhi Television Ltd is an Indian news media company focusing on broadcast and digital news publication. The company is considered to be a legacy brand that pioneered independent news broadcasting in India, and is credited for launching t ...
on October 31, Gaga revealed that she directed the video. She also worked with the director of photography Darius Khondji and art director Gideon Ponte.


Release

Gaga teased on
Twitter Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
that the video would be her longest and "the beginning of the story I never told you." On November 11, 2011, she posted a still from the video on Twitter that shows her as she is sent down a hallway on a
stretcher A stretcher, gurney, litter, or pram is an apparatus used for moving patients who require medical care. A basic type (cot or litter) must be carried by two or more people. A wheeled stretcher (known as a gurney, trolley, bed or cart) is often ...
by two nurses. The post was accompanied by the message "It's not that I've been dishonest, it's just that I loathe reality." James Montgomery of
MTV News MTV News is the news production division of MTV. The service is available in the US with localized versions on MTV's global network. In February 2016, MTV Networks confirmed it would refresh the MTV News brand in 2016, to compete with the likes ...
compared the scene—known as "The Prelude Pathétique"—to the 1975
drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super-gen ...
'' One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest'' and the 1980
horror film Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit fear or disgust in its audience for entertainment purposes. Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with transgressive topics or themes. Broad elements include monsters, ap ...
'' The Shining''. Gaga teased a two-minute opening sequence of the music video on November 17, 2011, after her performance at Children In Need Rocks Manchester. On November 20, Gaga went on '' Alan Carr: Chatty Man'' and explained the meaning behind the "Marry the Night" music video. "I know how rejection feels in the business. I got signed, I got dropped, I got signed again. That's actually what the 'Marry the Night' video is about. It's about one of the most horrible days of my life when I got dropped from my first record label and it's the story of what happened that day." A second preview of the music video, shot in a
dance studio A dance studio is a space in which dancers learn or rehearse. The term is typically used to describe a space that has either been built or equipped for the purpose. Overview A dance studio normally includes a smooth floor covering or, if used fo ...
, premiered on November 25, 2011. Gaga told '' Vanity Fair'' magazine that the video is "autobiographical" and illustrates "the worst day of my life." The entire video premiered on December 1, 2011 on
E! Online E! (an initialism for Entertainment Television) is an American basic cable channel which primarily focuses on pop culture, celebrity focused reality shows, and movies, owned by the NBCUniversal Television and Streaming division of NBCUnive ...
at 8.00 pm EST. However, the video appeared online several hours before its official release. Gaga took her Twitter to express dissatisfaction with the leak of the video, saying that it was "like an old tampon." The video for the song is 13 minutes long.


Synopsis

The autobiographical story begins as a brunette Gaga is taken through a clinic on a stretcher, while an inner monologue about her past memories is heard. The nurses wear Calvin Klein Collection uniforms and Giuseppe Zanotti shoes. A nurse awakens Gaga and checks her heart rate and blood pressure. The nurse then tells Gaga how beautiful she is and how she looked just like her mother when she delivered the former. Gaga then claims that her mother was a saint, before taking a cigarette out of her bag. The nurse, startled by this, quickly then takes the cigarette out of her mouth and puts it on a table. Gaga cries and tells the nurse that she will become a star. She asks the nurse to play music and the camera zooms out to show viewers several female patients treated and wandering off. A new scene shows Gaga practicing ballet dancing to piano music, and a following one shows her taken back from the hospital to her New York apartment by her best friend Bo.
Ludwig van Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. Beethoven remains one of the most admired composers in the history of Western music; his works rank amongst the most performed of the classical ...
's " Piano Sonata No. 8" plays. Gaga is undressed from an outfit designed by Stéphane Rolland and taken to bed, but is interrupted by a phone call that notifies her of being dropped from her record label. Frustrated, she makes a mess in her apartment, pours breakfast cereal on herself, and jumps in the bath with her heels on. The piano music ends and Gaga is seen bleaching her hair, bathing in a tub, and humming "Marry the Night". The monologue continues as Gaga says, "But I still had my bedazzler and I had a lot of patches, shiny ones from M&J Trimmings, so I wreaked havoc on some old denim. And I did what any girl would do—I did it all over again." According to Jocelyn Vena of MTV News, Gaga resembles pop artist
Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...
in the film ''
Desperately Seeking Susan ''Desperately Seeking Susan'' is a 1985 American comedy-drama film directed by Susan Seidelman and starring Rosanna Arquette, Aidan Quinn and Madonna. Set in New York City, the plot involves the interaction between two women – a bored housew ...
''. Gaga's dancers look down at her from a
mezzanine A mezzanine (; or in Italian, a ''mezzanino'') is an intermediate floor in a building which is partly open to the double-height ceilinged floor below, or which does not extend over the whole floorspace of the building, a loft with non-sloped ...
as the clock chimes. The video later shifts to a night scene on a building rooftop, where half of Gaga's body is inside a
Pontiac Firebird The Pontiac Firebird is an American automobile that was built and produced by Pontiac from the 1967 to 2002 model years. Designed as a pony car to compete with the Ford Mustang, it was introduced on February 23, 1967, five months after GM's Ch ...
, while her legs protrude from the window and onto the roof of the car. She has blonde hair and wears a black plastic leather outfit. She gets her full body into the car, kissing a "Marry the Night" tape and inserting it into the audio player. The song begins playing as Gaga smokes on the driver's seat. As the chorus begins, vehicles in the background explode aflame and Gaga exits the car and dances. In a new dance studio setting as the second verse begins, Gaga enters with her dancers, and warms up to do an intricate choreography during the chorus with her team. During the bridge, she and her dance team take a break and warm up to perform another choreography. The rooftop car parking scene and a bath scene intersperse. Gaga and her dancers repeat the choreography during the final chorus, as one dancer falls and is helped up by Gaga. During the breakdown, Gaga and her team dance on a street while interspersing scenes show her causing chaos, including falling down the stairs, attempting to get into a car with a ridiculously oversized hat and pouring water over herself with a marble plant pot in the bath. She enters a car and reveals "Interscope Records; Hollywood, CA; 4 p.m." written on her palm. The last scene shows Gaga in couture and surrounded by flames. The video ends with Gaga suddenly vanishing.


Reception and analysis

Jason Lipshutz of ''Billboard'' commented that the video "features the pop star at her most gloriously provocative, with extended dance sequences, explosions, nudity, and a violent attack on a box of Honey Nut Cheerios." Gin Sepre of E! Online compared the video with the book '' Girl, Interrupted'' noting that "with equal parts autobiography and pure spectacle, it truly has something for everyone." Sepre also praised the fact that the video is "certainly not hurting for a lack of creativity" with the scenes being shown in a "slightly more straightforward, ndless metaphorical way". Jocelyn Vena from
MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a d ...
opined that "with references to everything from '' Fame'' and ''
Black Swan The black swan (''Cygnus atratus'') is a large waterbird, a species of swan which breeds mainly in the southeast and southwest regions of Australia. Within Australia, the black swan is nomadic, with erratic migration patterns dependent upon cl ...
'' to ''
The Bell Jar ''The Bell Jar'' is the only novel written by the American writer and poet Sylvia Plath. Originally published under the pseudonym "Victoria Lucas" in 1963, the novel is semi-autobiographical with the names of places and people changed. The book ...
'', the video is a sweeping look into Gaga's psyche. ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cult ...
''s Tanner Stransky described the video as "quite the trip to Total Crazyville, population: 1, Lady Gaga... Leave it to Lady Gaga to unspool a mini-movie video that’s half the length of a sitcom episode." Gilly Ferguson of ''
Daily Mirror The ''Daily Mirror'' is a British national daily tabloid. Founded in 1903, it is owned by parent company Reach plc. From 1985 to 1987, and from 1997 to 2002, the title on its masthead was simply ''The Mirror''. It had an average daily print ...
'' noted that the video "still has the shock factor – she's naked for starters." Sarah Anne Hughes of ''
The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
'' commented that the video "is slightly NSFW because of one word and some censored skin." Oscar Moralde of Slant Magazine wrote that the video, "is one of her biggest epics not merely by length (a weighty 14 minutes), but by the breadth of its modes of expression." Michael Cragg of ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' gave a positive review for the video and wrote: "Superstars are at their best when they're simultaneously aware and unaware of their own ridiculousness and that's what Marry the Night delivers for Lady Gaga." '' Daily News'' Kathryn Kattalia compared Gaga with
Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...
in several scenes in the video. Kattalia further praised the dancing during the video, describing it as "her best". However, she criticized the scenes of nudity noting: "The rest of the video is pretty tame by Gaga standards." ''Spin''s Marc Hogan wrote that "it's hard to tell where Gaga is winking at us and where she's simply fallen into a foxhole of unrestrained ego." Camille Mann of
CBS News CBS News is the news division of the American television and radio service CBS. CBS News television programs include the ''CBS Evening News'', '' CBS Mornings'', news magazine programs '' CBS News Sunday Morning'', '' 60 Minutes'', and '' 48 ...
described the video as an "avant-garde short film" and noted that Gaga was "pushing erboundaries." Leah Collins of '' Dose'' compared Gaga's outfits with Christian Louboutin's designs. She further compared the set in the video to the cover artwork of ''Born This Way'' and called it a "very fashionable recreation of ''Girl, Interrupted''." A writer of CNN commented, "Lady Gaga is known for creating evocative mini-movies to provide the visuals for her singles, and 'Marry the Night' is no different." Describing the video as "rough" and "enigmatic", Liz Raftery of ''
People A person ( : people) is a being that has certain capacities or attributes such as reason, morality, consciousness or self-consciousness, and being a part of a culturally established form of social relations such as kinship, ownership of pro ...
'' further commened that it "will certainly leave fans talking, if not scratching their heads." An editor of
ABC News ABC News is the journalism, news division of the American broadcast network American Broadcasting Company, ABC. Its flagship program is the daily evening newscast ''ABC World News Tonight, ABC World News Tonight with David Muir''; other progra ...
praised Gaga's "interesting perspective in the video." ''NME''s Priya Elan wrote that Gaga sounds like "a lobotomized Carrie Bradshaw" during the introduction. He also commented, "It's definitely an improvement on 'Judas', but could it maybe have been snipped a bit to make it shorter?"


Live performances

On October 31, 2011, Gaga performed a
Bollywood Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, refers to the film industry based in Mumbai, engaged in production of motion pictures in Hindi language. The popular term Bollywood, is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (f ...
version of "Marry the Night" in India during a
Formula One Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship, ...
after party in
Greater Noida Greater Noida is a planned city located in Gautam Buddha Nagar district of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. The city was created as an extension to Noida area under the ''UP Industrial Area Development Act, 1976''. Situated south-east of ...
. Before the performance, she announced "I feel like I've waited a long time to come here. And I feel very grateful. ... For the first time ever, I'm going to sing 'Marry the Night'." She sat on the piano and played a slow version of the song, accompanied by a
sitar The sitar ( or ; ) is a plucked stringed instrument, originating from the Indian subcontinent, used in Hindustani classical music. The instrument was invented in medieval India, flourished in the 18th century, and arrived at its present form i ...
. At the
2011 MTV Europe Music Awards The 2011 MTV EMAs (also known as the MTV Europe Music Awards) were held in Northern Ireland's capital Belfast, on Sunday, 6 November 2011, at the Odyssey Arena in the Titanic Quarter area of the city and was hosted by Selena Gomez. Additional ...
, Gaga gave her first televised performance of "Marry the Night" dressed as a
satellite A satellite or artificial satellite is an object intentionally placed into orbit in outer space. Except for passive satellites, most satellites have an electricity generation system for equipment on board, such as solar panels or radiois ...
landing on the moon. Wearing a red bikini, and a large red disc around her, Gaga was perched atop a semi-circular replica of the moon which was covered in silver chains. Flames erupted around the stage as Gaga revealed another circular disc covering her face. She sang the song from that vantage point and near the end of the performance, removed the metal disc and performed a choreographed dance routine with her back-up dancers. She also performed the song at the 2011 Bambi Awards in
Wiesbaden Wiesbaden () is a city in central western Germany and the capital of the state of Hesse. , it had 290,955 inhabitants, plus approximately 21,000 United States citizens (mostly associated with the United States Army). The Wiesbaden urban area ...
,
Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwee ...
, on November 10. The stage included a vintage convertible with a keyboard built into the side of the door and Gaga also won an award later that night at the gala. Gaga appeared on the eighth series of ''The X Factor'' on November 13, 2011, and performed the song. Whilst singing, she emerged from a
confessional A confessional is a box, cabinet, booth, or stall in which the priest in some Christian churches sits to hear the confessions of penitents. It is the usual venue for the sacrament in the Roman Catholic Church and the Lutheran Churches, but simi ...
dressed as a decapitated
corpse A cadaver or corpse is a dead human body that is used by medical students, physicians and other scientists to study anatomy, identify disease sites, determine causes of death, and provide tissue to repair a defect in a living human being. Stud ...
, carrying her own head. She sang most of the song before returning to the booth and re-appearing in a leotard-like outfit and performed the rest of the song and a dance routine with her dancers. At the
Children in Need Rocks Manchester Children in Need Rocks Manchester was a charity music concert held at the Manchester Arena in Manchester, England, on 17 November 2011. The concert was organised by Take That singer-songwriter Gary Barlow as one of a series of events to raise mo ...
concert on November 17, 2011, "Marry the Night" was performed as the final song of her set list, along with " Born This Way" and " The Edge of Glory". The performance was fast-paced and included a dance routine by Gaga with her dancers, for the first time. On the British comedy show, '' Alan Carr: Chatty Man'', Gaga performed a piano version of the song, while decked up in a pink dress and a gigantic bow on her head, which prompted Becky Bain from Idolator website to comment, "It's been some time since we’ve seen Lady Gaga rock a bow on top of her noggin', and though the one she wore during her erformancewasn't her signature hairbow, it still made a big (as in HUGE) impression." On the ABC special, '' A Very Gaga Thanksgiving'', the singer performed an acoustic version of "Marry the Night". Her look, consisting of a shoulder-less black dress with matching hand gloves, was compared by James Dinh of
MTV News MTV News is the news production division of MTV. The service is available in the US with localized versions on MTV's global network. In February 2016, MTV Networks confirmed it would refresh the MTV News brand in 2016, to compete with the likes ...
to actress
Audrey Hepburn Audrey Hepburn (born Audrey Kathleen Ruston; 4 May 1929 – 20 January 1993) was a British actress and humanitarian. Recognised as both a film and fashion icon, she was ranked by the American Film Institute as the third-greatest female screen ...
. The performance was shot on top of a balcony, with Gaga giving poses while holding the microphone. On the
CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...
special titled ''The Grammy Nominations Concert Live! – Countdown to Music's Biggest Night''—where the nominations for the
54th Grammy Awards The 54th Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 12, 2012, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles being broadcast on CBS honoring the best in music for the recording year beginning October 1, 2010 through September 30, 2011. LL Cool J hosted the ...
were revealed—Gaga opened the show with "Marry the Night", performing in a zombie-like costume. Todd Martens from ''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the U ...
'' described it as a "dance-meets-hair metal mix-up", while comparing the choreography of the dance to
Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the " King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over ...
's music video for " Thriller", and complimented Gaga's vocals. At the 2011 Jingle Ball in Los Angeles, Gaga performed the song in an imitation of the music video, by perching atop a hospital bed and singing from there. She also headlined Z100's Jingle Ball at
Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as The Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh and Eighth avenues from 31st to 33rd Street, above Pennsylv ...
. Her set included current hits from ''Born This Way'' and a hospital gown-clad "Marry the Night" finale that paid tribute to her music video. On December 9, 2011 she gave a ballet-themed performance of the song on ''
The Ellen DeGeneres Show ''The Ellen DeGeneres Show'' (often shortened to ''Ellen'' or ''The Ellen Show'') is an American daytime television variety comedy talk show that was created and hosted by its namesake Ellen DeGeneres. Debuting on September 8, 2003, it was pro ...
''. Gaga also performed "Marry the Night" on the 2011 Music Station Super Live in Japan and she performed a medley of "Heavy Metal Lover/Marry the Night/Born This Way" on '' Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest'' on December 31, 2011. The song was performed as the final song of her Born This Way Ball tour (2012–2013), where she played on a
keytar The keytar is a lightweight synthesizer that is supported by a strap around the neck and shoulders, similar to the way a guitar is supported by a strap. Keytars allow players a greater range of movement onstage, compared to conventional keyboards ...
during the song, and usually invited audience members onstage to join her for the finale.


Cover versions

In 2013, pop singer
Adam Lambert Adam Mitchel Lambert (born January 29, 1982) is an American singer and songwriter. Since 2009, he has sold over 3 million albums and 5 million singles worldwide. Lambert is known for his dynamic vocal performances that fuse his theatrical tra ...
performed a cover version on ''
Glee Glee means delight, a form of happiness. Glee may also refer to: * Glee (music), a type of English choral music * ''Glee'' (TV series), an American musical comedy-drama TV series, and related media created by Ryan Murphy * ''Glee'' (Bran Van 3 ...
s fifth-season episode "
A Katy or a Gaga "A Katy or a Gaga" is the fourth episode of the fifth season of the American musical television series '' Glee'', and the ninety-second episode overall. It was written by executive producers Russel Friend & Garrett Lerner, and directed by co-cre ...
" as his character Elliot "Starchild" Gilbert. Lambert's cover would later chart at number 39 on the US Pop Digital Songs chart. In 2021, Australian singer
Kylie Minogue Kylie Ann Minogue (; born 28 May 1968) is an Australian singer, songwriter and actress. She is the highest-selling female Australian artist of all time, having sold over 80 million records worldwide. She has been recognised for reinve ...
covered the song for the tenth anniversary edition of ''Born This Way''. Mike Wass of ''
Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film) ...
'' described Minogue's take on the song as a "glittery, disco-tinged version". Also in 2021, American actress Camila Mendes performed the song as her role of
Veronica Lodge Veronica Cecilia Lodge is one of the main characters in the Archie Comics franchise, and is the keyboardist and one of the three vocalists of rock band The Archies. She is from New York but currently resides in the town of Riverdale, with her ...
in ''Riverdale'''s sixth-season ''Rivervale'' episode "Chapter Ninety-Eight: Mr. Cypher".


Track listing and formats

Marry the Night – The Remixes # "Marry the Night" ( Zedd Remix) – 6:14 # "Marry the Night" (
Sander van Doorn Sander Ketelaars (; born 28 February 1979), better known by his stage name Sander van Doorn () or the initials SvD, is a Dutch electro house DJ and record producer from Eindhoven. Background Sander van Doorn began his recording career in 2 ...
Remix) – 5:38 # "Marry the Night" (
Afrojack Nick Leonardus van de Wall (; born 9 September 1987), better known as Afrojack, is a Dutch DJ, music producer and remixer from Spijkenisse, South Holland. In 2007, he founded the record label Wall Recordings; his debut album '' Forget the World ...
Remix) – 9:18 # "Marry the Night" ( John Dahlback Remix) – 5:19 # "Marry the Night" ( Sidney Samson Remix) – 4:44 # "Marry the Night" (
R3hab Fadil El Ghoul ( ar, فضيل الغول; born 2 April 1986), performing under the stage name R3hab (stylized in all caps as R3HAB; pronounced "rehab"), is a Dutch-Moroccan disc jockey and music producer. Ranked at number 12 on the DJ Mag Top 1 ...
Remix) – 4:54 # "Marry the Night" (Lazy Rich Remix) – 5:43 # "Marry the Night" (
Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike are a Belgian–Greek DJ duo composed of brothers Dimitri Thivaios and Michael Thivaios. They were ranked No. 1 on ''DJ Mag''s Top 100 DJs list in 2015 and 2019, and were ranked No. 2 in 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2020 ...
Remix) – 5:58 # "Marry the Night" ( Quitntino Remix) – 5:52 # "Marry the Night" (Danny Verde Remix) – 7:45 CD single # "Marry the Night" (Album Version) – 4:24 # "Marry the Night" ( David Jost & Twin Radio Remix) – 3:31 UK 7" picture disc # "Marry the Night" (
The Weeknd Abel Makkonen Tesfaye (born February 16, 1990), known professionally as the Weeknd, is a Canadian singer, songwriter, record producer, and actor. Known for his sonic versatility and dark lyricism, his music explores escapism, romance, and ...
&
Illangelo Carlo Montagnese (born July 29, 1987), known professionally as Illangelo, is a Canadian record producer, songwriter, musician and mixing engineer from Calgary, Alberta, who came to attention as long-time collaborator of the Weeknd. A Grammy ...
Remix) – 4:04 # "Marry the Night" (Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs 'Marry Me' Remix) – 5:49


Personnel

Credits adapted from the
liner notes Liner notes (also sleeve notes or album notes) are the writings found on the sleeves of LP record albums and in booklets that come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or the equivalent packaging for cassettes. Origin Liner notes are desc ...
of ''Born This Way''.


Recording and management

* Recorded at Studio Bus in Europe (during The Monster Ball Tour) * Mixed at The Mix Room (
Burbank, California Burbank is a city in the southeastern end of the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Located northwest of downtown Los Angeles, Burbank has a population of 107,337. The city was named after David Burbank, wh ...
) * Mastered at Oasis Mastering (Burbank, California) * Published by Stefani Germanotta P/K/A Lady Gaga ( BMI) Sony ATV songs LLC / House of Gaga Publishing Inc. / GloJoe Music Inc. (BMI) Sony ATV / Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp. (BMI) and Garibay Music Publishing (BMI) * All rights on behalf of itself and Garibay Music Publishing administered by Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.


Personnel

*
Lady Gaga Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta ( ; born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She is known for her image reinventions and musical versatility. Gaga began performing as a teenag ...
vocals Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or withou ...
,
songwriter A songwriter is a musician who professionally composes musical compositions or writes lyrics for songs, or both. The writer of the music for a song can be called a composer, although this term tends to be used mainly in the classical music ...
, producer,
background vocals A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are us ...
* Fernando Garibay – songwriter, producer,
programming Program, programme, programmer, or programming may refer to: Business and management * Program management, the process of managing several related projects * Time management * Program, a part of planning Arts and entertainment Audio * Programm ...
, keyboards *DJ White Shadow – drum programming *Dave Russell –
recording A record, recording or records may refer to: An item or collection of data Computing * Record (computer science), a data structure ** Record, or row (database), a set of fields in a database related to one entity ** Boot sector or boot record, r ...
,
audio mixing Audio mixing is the process by which multiple sounds are combined into one or more channels. In the process, a source's volume level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated or enhanced. This practical, aesthetic, ...
*Gene Grimaldi –
audio mastering Mastering, a form of audio post production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device (the master), the source from which all copies will be produced (via meth ...
*Eric Morris – assistant *Paul Pavao – assistant


Charts


Weekly charts


Kylie Minogue version


Year-end charts


Certifications


Release history


See also

* List of ''Billboard'' Dance Club Songs number ones of 2012 * List of number-one pop hits of 2012 (Brazil)


Footnotes


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Marry The Night 2011 singles 2011 songs Electronic rock songs Interscope Records singles Lady Gaga songs Song recordings produced by Fernando Garibay Song recordings produced by Lady Gaga Songs written by Fernando Garibay Songs written by Lady Gaga