LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Lady Gaga has been up front about her admiration for Madonna. But does Madonna share the love?
The "Material Girl" sounded lukewarm in U.S. interviews released on Friday, calling her influence on Gaga's music "interesting" and "amusing." Sometimes.
"I certainly think she references me a lot in her work. And sometimes I think it's amusing and flattering and well done," Madonna, 53, told ABC News in a television interview.
"There's a lot of ways to look at it. I can't really be annoyed by it...because obviously, I've influenced her," the pop star told ABC.
The comparisons between the two divas, both known for combining provocative stunts with catchy dance-pop hits, came to a head when Gaga released her "Born This Way" single last February.
The song was instantly likened to Madonna's 1989 hit "Express Yourself".
"When I heard it on the radio .I said that sounds very familiar," Madonna said. Asked if that felt annoying, Madonna responded, "It felt reductive."
Pressed by ABC interviewer Cynthia McFadden whether that was a good or bad thing, Madonna replied "look it up".
In a separate interview in the upcoming issue of Newsweek, Madonna described "Born This Way" as "a wonderful way to redo my song."
"I mean, I recognized the chord changes. I thought it was... interesting," she added.
"Born This Way" became an instant hit for Lady Gaga, 25, topping the charts in 19 countries and becoming the fastest selling song in iTunes history.
The Grammy-winning singer told U.S. talk show host Jay Leno in February that she was Madonna's "hugest fan personally and professionally."
As for "Born This Way", Gaga told Leno; "The good news is that I got an e-mail from her (Madonna's) people, and her sending me their love and complete support on behalf of the single."
(Reporting By Jill Serjeant; Editing by Piya Sinha-Roy)
