Is Lady Gaga's Born This Way a Rip-Off of Madonna Classics?

Following the release of Gaga's long-awaited single, fans and critics alike began to note similarities between Born This Way and Madonna's hit records

Lady Gaga's Little Monsters waited months for a taste of the superstar singer's next album. But, when she released "Born This Way" Friday, a little bit of controversy emerged.

The long-awaited single quickly drew a slew of comparisons to Madonna's "Express Yourself" and "Vogue," so much so that when the Twitterverse went ablaze with reactions to Gaga's single, "Express Yourself" became a trending topic as well.

"Just listened to a clip of Lady Gaga 'Born This Way' and I gotta say...sounds a lot like 'Express Yourself' from Madonna," Chris Daughtry tweeted. "OK. Good. A lotta peeps are saying the same thing so maybe I won't get raked over the coals:) I thought I was crazy for a second. And by the way...I'm not dogging it. Haven't even heard it all...that was just my first impress."

Even Madonna's brother, Chris Ciccone, got in on the action, saying that he too recognized the similarities.

"They should have noticed, somebody should have noticed that the songs are so remarkably alike," Ciccone told E! News. "They should have pulled it or at least said, 'Change it.' "I was like, '"Express Yourself," wow.' And it's not like it's a direct copy, but it's more like that song than any other song I've ever heard before.

"I'd like to make one thing clear," he quickly added. "I am a fan of Lady Gaga. She's a great songwriter and a great performer. I just wish she'd stay with one look long enough to enjoy it. She's a bit like my sister on crack, she goes through reincarnations faster than my sister goes through Brazilian boyfriends." (Rimshot!)

Meanwhile, other self-professed Gaga fans like Snooki, Khloé Kardashian Odom and Paramore's Hayley Williams sang the song's praises.

"Speaking of liberation, I just heard "Born This Way" and loved it," Williams tweeted. DON'T BE A DRAG JUST BE A QUEEN."

So what did the Queen of Pop have to say about this pseudo-controversy?

Well, nothing just yet.  And while Saturday, Madonna's You tube page was updated with her 1989 live performance of "Express Yourself" on the MTV Video Music Awards, don't look for an all-out feud with this duo.

Gaga has constantly referred to Madonna as a big influence in her career, so perhaps if there are similarities, it's simply just a tribute to the pop icon.

But, tell us...what do you think in the comments? Did Gaga's Madonna inspiration go too far or are Gaga's critics simply hating?

—Reporting by Marcus Mulick

(Originally published Feb. 12, 2011, at 8:03 p.m. PT)