Lady Gaga began the 10s as an ironic, flamboyant electro-pop queen. She ended it by winning an Oscar for an unadorned, sincere love ballad...composed as a plot point in a major motion picture, of course. Cynicism aside, “Shallow” is one of her very best songs, demonstrating her vocal power and dynamic control. And no cynicism needs to be waived to be moved by “Praying,” wherein Kesha venomously takes down one of the most powerful people in the music industry, while reasserting her own worth.