Lady Gaga
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

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 versatility in the entertainment industry. Gaga began performing as a teenager, singing at
open mic An open mic or open mike (shortened from "open microphone") is a live show at a venue such as a coffeehouse, nightclub, comedy club, strip club, or pub, usually taking place at night, in which audience members may perform on stage whether the ...
nights and acting in school plays. She studied at
Collaborative Arts Project 21 Collaborative Arts Project 21, known more commonly as CAP21, is a New York City professional musical theatre training conservatory and Off-Broadway theatre company. It has a core faculty with many associate faculty who are also working professional ...
, through the New York University Tisch School of the Arts, before dropping out to pursue a career in music. After Def Jam Recordings canceled her contract, she worked as a songwriter for
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 ...
, where she signed a joint deal with
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 ...
and
KonLive Distribution KonLive Distribution (or simply KonLive) was a record label founded by R&B singer Akon. The label served as a joint-venture deal between Jimmy Iovine and Interscope Records. Notable artists briefly signed to the label include Lady Gaga, Kardinal ...
, in 2007. Gaga had her breakthrough the following year with her debut studio album, '' The Fame,'' and its chart-topping singles " Just Dance" and " Poker Face". The album was later reissued to include the
extended play An extended play record, usually referred to as an EP, is a musical recording that contains more tracks than a single but fewer than an album or LP record.
'' The Fame Monster'' (2009), which yielded the successful singles "
Bad Romance "Bad Romance" 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). Gaga wrote and produced the song with RedOne. Following an illegal ...
", "
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 ...
", and " Alejandro". Gaga's five succeeding albums all debuted atop the US ''Billboard'' 200. Her second full-length album, '' Born This Way'' (2011), explored electronic rock and techno-pop and sold more than one million copies in its first week. The title track became the fastest-selling song on the
iTunes Store The iTunes Store is a digital media store operated by Apple Inc. It opened on April 28, 2003, as a result of Steve Jobs' push to open a digital marketplace for music. As of April 2020, iTunes offered 60 million songs, 2.2 million apps, 25,00 ...
, with over one million downloads in less than a week. Following her EDM-influenced third album, '' Artpop'' (2013), and its lead single "
Applause Applause (Latin ''applaudere,'' to strike upon, clap) is primarily a form of ovation or praise expressed by the act of clapping, or striking the palms of the hands together, in order to create noise. Audiences usually applaud after a performance ...
", Gaga released the
jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...
album '' Cheek to Cheek'' (2014) with Tony Bennett, and the
soft rock Soft rock is a form of rock music that originated in the late 1960s in Southern California and the United Kingdom which smoothed over the edges of singer-songwriter and pop rock, relying on simple, melodic songs with big, lush productions. S ...
album '' Joanne'' (2016). She ventured into acting, winning awards for her leading roles in the miniseries '' American Horror Story: Hotel'' (2015–2016) and the musical film '' A Star Is Born'' (2018). Her contributions to the latter's soundtrack, which spawned the chart-topping single " Shallow", made her the first woman to win an
Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
, BAFTA Award,
Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...
, and
Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
in one year. Gaga returned to dance-pop with her sixth studio album, '' Chromatica'' (2020), which yielded the number-one single " Rain on Me". She both released her second collaborative album with Bennett, '' Love for Sale'', and starred in the biopic '' House of Gucci'' in 2021. Having sold an estimated 170million records, Gaga is one of the world's best-selling music artists and the only female artist to achieve four singles each selling at least 10million copies globally. Her accolades include 13 Grammy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, 18
MTV Video Music Awards The MTV Video Music Awards (commonly abbreviated as the VMAs) is an award show presented by the cable channel MTV to honour the best in the music video medium. Originally conceived as an alternative to the Grammy Awards (in the video category) ...
, awards from the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Council of Fashion Designers of America, and recognition as ''
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 advertise ...
'' Artist of the Year (2010) and
Woman of the Year ''Woman of the Year'' is a 1942 American romantic comedy-drama film directed by George Stevens and starring Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn. The film was written by Ring Lardner Jr. and Michael Kanin (with uncredited work on the rewritten e ...
(2015). She has also been included in several ''
Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also re ...
'' power rankings and ranked fourth on
VH1 VH1 (originally an initialism of Video Hits One) is an American basic cable television network based in New York City and owned by Paramount Global. It was created by Warner-Amex Satellite Entertainment, at the time a division of Warner Commun ...
's Greatest Women in Music (2012). ''
Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to ...
'' magazine named her one of the
100 most influential people in the world ''Time'' 100 (often stylized as ''TIME'' 100) is an annual listicle of the 100 most influential people in the world, assembled by the American news magazine ''Time''. First published in 1999 as the result of a debate among American academics, po ...
in 2010 and 2019 and placed her on their All-''Time'' 100 Fashion Icons list. Her philanthropy and activism focus on mental health awareness and
LGBT rights Rights affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people vary greatly by country or jurisdiction—encompassing everything from the legal recognition of same-sex marriage to the death penalty for homosexuality. Notably, , 33 ...
; she has her own non-profit organization, the
Born This Way Foundation Born This Way Foundation (sometimes abbreviated as BTWF) is a non-profit organization founded in 2012 by American artist and activist Lady Gaga and her mother, Cynthia Germanotta. Named after the singer's album '' Born This Way'' (2011), the Found ...
, which supports the wellness of young people. Gaga's business ventures include
Haus Labs Haus Labs by Lady Gaga (or simply Haus Labs; formerly known as Haus Laboratories) is an American vegan and Cruelty-free cosmetics, cruelty-free cosmetics brand founded by Lady Gaga. First launched on September 17, 2019, it was the first major bea ...
, a
vegan Veganism is the practice of abstaining from the use of animal product—particularly in diet—and an associated philosophy that rejects the commodity status of animals. An individual who follows the diet or philosophy is known as a vegan. Di ...
cosmetics brand launched in 2019.


Life and career


1986–2004: Early life

Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta was born on March 28, 1986, at Lenox Hill Hospital in
Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...
, New York City, to an upper middle class Catholic family. Both of her parents have Italian ancestry. Her parents are Cynthia Louise (), a philanthropist and business executive, and Internet entrepreneur Joseph Germanotta, and she has a younger sister named Natali. Brought up on the
Upper West Side The Upper West Side (UWS) is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City. It is bounded by Central Park on the east, the Hudson River on the west, West 59th Street to the south, and West 110th Street to the north. The Upper West ...
of Manhattan, Gaga said in an interview that her parents came from lower-class families and worked hard for everything. From age 11, she attended the Convent of the Sacred Heart, a private all-girls Roman Catholic school. Gaga has described her high-school self as "very dedicated, very studious, very disciplined" but also "a bit insecure". She considered herself a misfit and was mocked for "being either too provocative or too eccentric". Gaga began playing the piano at age four when her mother insisted she become "a cultured young woman". She took piano lessons and practiced through her childhood. The lessons taught her to create music by ear, which Gaga preferred over reading sheet music. Her parents encouraged her to pursue music and enrolled her in Creative Arts Camp. As a teenager, she played at
open mic An open mic or open mike (shortened from "open microphone") is a live show at a venue such as a coffeehouse, nightclub, comedy club, strip club, or pub, usually taking place at night, in which audience members may perform on stage whether the ...
nights. Gaga played the lead roles of Adelaide in the play ''
Guys and Dolls ''Guys and Dolls'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows. It is based on "The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown" (1933) and "Blood Pressure", which are two short stories by Damon Runyon, and also bo ...
'' and Philia in the play ''
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum ''A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart. Inspired by the farces of the ancient Roman playwright Plautus (254–184 BC), specifica ...
'' at Regis High School. She also studied method acting at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute for ten years. Gaga unsuccessfully auditioned for New York shows, though did appear in a small background role as a high-school student in a 2001 episode of ''
The Sopranos ''The Sopranos'' is an American Crime film#Crime drama, crime drama television series created by David Chase. The story revolves around Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini), a New Jersey-based American Mafia, Italian-American mobster, portraying h ...
'' titled "
The Telltale Moozadell "The Telltale Moozadell" is the 35th episode of the HBO original series ''The Sopranos'' and the ninth of the show's third season. It was written by Michael Imperioli and directed by Dan Attias, and originally aired on April 22, 2001. Starring * ...
". She later said of her inclination towards music: In 2003, at age 17, Gaga gained early admission to
Collaborative Arts Project 21 Collaborative Arts Project 21, known more commonly as CAP21, is a New York City professional musical theatre training conservatory and Off-Broadway theatre company. It has a core faculty with many associate faculty who are also working professional ...
, a music school at
New York University New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then-Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin. In 1832, the ...
(NYU)'s Tisch School of the Arts, and lived in an NYU dorm. She studied music there and improved her songwriting skills by writing essays on art, religion, social issues and politics, including a thesis on pop artists
Spencer Tunick Spencer Tunick (born January 1, 1967) is an American photographer best known for organizing large-scale nude shoots. Since 1994, he has photographed over 75 human installations around the world. Life and career Spencer Tunick was born in Middle ...
and Damien Hirst. In 2005, Gaga withdrew from school during the second semester of her second year to focus on her music career. That year, she also played an unsuspecting diner customer for
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 di ...
's '' Boiling Points'', a prank reality television show. In a 2014 interview, Gaga said she was raped at age 19 by her producer, and later underwent mental and physical therapy for this. She has
post-traumatic stress disorder Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental and behavioral disorder that can develop because of exposure to a traumatic event, such as sexual assault, warfare, traffic collisions, child abuse, domestic violence, or other threats on ...
(PTSD) and attributes it to the incident, and has credited support from doctors, family and friends with helping her. Gaga later gave additional details about the rape, including that "the person who raped me dropped me off pregnant on a corner at my parents' house because I was vomiting and sick. Because I'd been abused. I was locked away in a studio for months."


2005–2007: Career beginnings

In 2005, Gaga recorded two songs with hip-hop artist
Melle Mel Melvin Glover (born May 15, 1961 in The Bronx), better known by his stage name Grandmaster Melle Mel (or simply Melle Mel) () is an American hip hop recording artist who was the lead vocalist and songwriter of Grandmaster Flash and the Furiou ...
for an
audio book An audiobook (or a talking book) is a recording of a book or other work being read out loud. A reading of the complete text is described as "unabridged", while readings of shorter versions are abridgements. Spoken audio has been available in sc ...
accompanying Cricket Casey's children's novel ''The Portal in the Park''. She also formed a band called the SGBand with some friends from NYU. They played gigs around New York and became a fixture of the downtown
Lower East Side The Lower East Side, sometimes abbreviated as LES, is a historic neighborhood in the southeastern part of Manhattan in New York City. It is located roughly between the Bowery and the East River from Canal to Houston streets. Traditionally an im ...
club scene. After the 2006 Songwriters Hall of Fame New Songwriters Showcase at
the Cutting Room The Cutting Room is a music venue in New York City that was open at 19 West 24th Street from late 1999 through January 2009 for music of all varieties and reopened at the beginning of 2013 in a new location at 44 East 32nd Street. It was co-owned ...
in June, talent scout Wendy Starland recommended her to music producer
Rob Fusari Rob Fusari, also known as 8Bit, is an American record producer and songwriter. He has worked with Beyoncé, Kelly Rowland, Will Smith, Whitney Houston and Lady Gaga. Early life Rob Fusari was born between 1967 and 1968. And raised in Livingston, ...
. Fusari collaborated with Gaga, who traveled daily to New Jersey, helping to develop her songs and compose new material. The producer said they began dating in May 2006, and claimed to have been the first person to call her "Lady Gaga", which was derived from
Queen Queen or QUEEN may refer to: Monarchy * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom ** List of queens regnant * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...
's song " Radio Ga Ga". Their relationship lasted until January 2007. Fusari and Gaga established a company called "Team Lovechild, LLC" to promote her career. They recorded and produced
electropop Electropop is a hybrid music genre combining elements of electronic and pop genres. Writer Hollin Jones has described it as a variant of synth-pop with heavy emphasis on its electronic sound. The genre was developed in the 1980s and saw a re ...
tracks, sending them to music industry executives. Joshua Sarubin, the head of
Artists and repertoire Artists and repertoire (colloquially abbreviated to A&R) is the division of a record label or music publishing company that is responsible for talent scouting and overseeing the artistic development of recording artists (singers, instrumentalist ...
(A&R) at Def Jam Recordings, responded positively and, after approval from Sarubin's boss Antonio "L.A." Reid, Gaga was signed to Def Jam in September2006. She was dropped from the label three months later and returned to her family home for Christmas. Gaga began performing at  neo-burlesque shows, which according to her represented freedom. During this time, she met performance artist
Lady Starlight Colleen Martin (born December 23, 1975), known professionally as Lady Starlight, is an American DJ and musical performer. Based in New York City's Lower East Side, she is best known for her numerous collaborations with Lady Gaga. Starlight rele ...
, who helped mold her onstage persona. The pair began performing at downtown club venues like the Mercury Lounge, the Bitter End, and the
Rockwood Music Hall Rockwood Music Hall is a music venue at 196 Allen Street on the Lower East Side of Manhattan in New York City. Owner Ken Rockwood, aka "The Professor", opened the establishment in 2005 as a small bar and music venue. Today, the venue features ...
. Their live performance art piece, known as "Lady Gaga and the Starlight Revue" and billed as "The Ultimate Pop Burlesque Rockshow", was a tribute to 1970s variety acts. They performed at the 2007
Lollapalooza Lollapalooza (Lolla) is an annual American four-day music festival held in Grant Park in Chicago. It originally started as a touring event in 1991 but several years later made Chicago the permanent location for the annual music festival. Musi ...
music festival. Having initially focused on
avant-garde The avant-garde (; In 'advance guard' or ' vanguard', literally 'fore-guard') is a person or work that is experimental, radical, or unorthodox with respect to art, culture, or society.John Picchione, The New Avant-garde in Italy: Theoretical ...
electronic dance music, Gaga began to incorporate pop melodies and the glam rock style of
David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...
and Queen into her songs. While Gaga and Starlight were performing, Fusari continued to develop the songs he had created with her, sending them to the producer and
record executive A music executive or record executive is a person within a record label who works in senior management and makes executive decisions over the label's artists. Their role varies greatly but in essence, they can oversee one, or many, aspects of a re ...
Vincent Herbert Vincent Herbert (born January 27, 1973) is an American songwriter, record producer, record executive, and founder of Streamline Records, an imprint of Interscope Records. Work He has worked with artists such as Aaliyah, Tatyana Ali, Toni Braxt ...
. In November 2007, Herbert signed Gaga to his label Streamline Records, an
imprint Imprint or imprinting may refer to: Entertainment * ''Imprint'' (TV series), Canadian television series * "Imprint" (''Masters of Horror''), episode of TV show ''Masters of Horror'' * ''Imprint'' (film), a 2007 independent drama/thriller film ...
of
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 ...
, established that month. Gaga later credited Herbert as the man who discovered her. Having served as an apprentice songwriter during an internship at
Famous Music Famous Music Corporation was the worldwide music publishing division of Paramount Pictures, a division of Paramount Global since 1994. Its copyright holdings span several decades and includes music from such Academy Award-winning motion pictures ...
Publishing, Gaga struck a music publishing deal with
Sony/ATV 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 ...
. As a result, she was hired to write songs for
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 ...
, New Kids on the Block, Fergie, and the Pussycat Dolls. At Interscope, musician Akon was impressed with her singing abilities when she sang a reference vocal for one of his tracks in studio. Akon convinced Jimmy Iovine, chairman and CEO of
Interscope Geffen A&M Records Interscope Geffen A&M Records (IGA), is an American umbrella label owned by Universal Music Group, consisting of record labels Interscope Records, Geffen Records, and A&M Records. History Interscope Geffen A&M Records was established in 1999, f ...
(a brother company for Def Jam), to form a joint deal by having Gaga also sign with his own label KonLive, making her his "franchise player". In late 2007, Gaga met with songwriter and producer
RedOne Nadir Khayat ( ar, نادر الخياط; born 9 April 1972), better known by his stage name RedOne, is a Moroccan singer, songwriter, record producer and record executive. As a record producer and songwriter, he has worked with many high-profi ...
. She collaborated with him in the recording studio for a week on her debut album, signing with Cherrytree Records, an Interscope imprint established by producer and songwriter
Martin Kierszenbaum Martin Kierszenbaum, also known by his pseudonym Cherry Cherry Boom Boom, is an American music personality. As a songwriter and producer he worked with Lady Gaga, Sting, Madonna, Mylène Farmer, Keane, Tokio Hotel, Far East Movement, Robyn, Fei ...
; she also wrote four songs with Kierszenbaum. Despite securing a record deal, she said that some radio stations found her music too "racy", "dance-oriented", and "underground" for the mainstream market, to which she replied: "My name is Lady Gaga, I've been on the music scene for years, and I'm telling you, this is what's next."


2008–2010: Breakthrough with ''The Fame'' and ''The Fame Monster''

By 2008, Gaga had relocated to Los Angeles to work extensively with her record label to complete her debut album, '' The Fame'', and to set up her own creative team called the Haus of Gaga, modeled on
Andy Warhol Andy Warhol (; born Andrew Warhola Jr.; August 6, 1928 – February 22, 1987) was an American visual artist, film director, and producer who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art. His works explore the relationsh ...
's
The Factory The Factory was Andy Warhol's studio in New York City, which had four locations between 1963 and 1987. The Factory became famed for its parties in the 1960s. It was the hip hangout spot for artists, musicians, celebrities and Warhol's superstar ...
. ''The Fame'' was released on August 19, 2008, and reached number one in Austria, Canada, Germany, Ireland, Switzerland and the UK, as well as the top five in Australia and the US. Its first two singles, " Just Dance" and " Poker Face", reached number one in the United States, Australia, Canada and the UK. The latter was also the world's best-selling single of 2009, with 9.8 million copies sold that year, and spent a record 83 weeks on ''
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 advertise ...
'' magazine's
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 sta ...
chart. Three other singles, "
Eh, Eh (Nothing Else I Can Say) "Eh, Eh (Nothing Else I Can Say)" is a song by American singer Lady Gaga, from her debut album, ''The Fame'' (2008). It was released as the third single from the album in Australia, New Zealand and selected European countries, and the fourth sing ...
", "
LoveGame "LoveGame" is a song released by American singer Lady Gaga from her debut studio album, ''The Fame'' (2008). Produced by RedOne, the track was released as the album's third single in North America and Europe and the fourth single in Australia, ...
" and "
Paparazzi Paparazzi (, ; ; singular: masculine paparazzo or feminine paparazza) are independent photographers who take pictures of high-profile people; such as actors, musicians, athletes, politicians, and other celebrities, typically while subjects ...
", were released from the album; the lattermost reached number one in Germany. Remixed versions of the singles from ''The Fame'', except "Eh, Eh (Nothing Else I Can Say)", were included on ''
Hitmixes ''Hitmixes'' is the second extended play (EP) by American singer Lady Gaga, released on August 25, 2009. Featuring remixes of songs from Gaga's debut album, ''The Fame'' (2008), the album was only released in Canada, by Universal Music Canada. '' ...
'' in August 2009. At the
52nd Annual Grammy Awards The 52nd Annual Grammy Awards took place on January 31, 2010, at Staples Center in Los Angeles honoring the best in music for the recording year beginning October 1, 2008 through September 30, 2009. Neil Young was honored as the 2010 MusiCares Pe ...
, ''The Fame'' and "Poker Face" won Best Dance/Electronica Album and Best Dance Recording, respectively. Following her opening act on the Pussycat Dolls' 2009
Doll Domination Tour The Doll Domination Tour was the second concert tour by American girl group The Pussycat Dolls. It was launched in support of their second studio album, ''Doll Domination'' (2008). The tour was announced in October 2008 with dates in Europe and ...
in Europe and Oceania, Gaga headlined her worldwide The Fame Ball Tour, which ran from March to September 2009. While traveling the globe, she wrote eight songs for '' The Fame Monster'', a reissue of ''The Fame''. Those new songs were also released as a standalone EP on November 18, 2009. Its first single, "
Bad Romance "Bad Romance" 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). Gaga wrote and produced the song with RedOne. Following an illegal ...
", was released one month earlier and went number one in Canada and the UK, and number two in the US, Australia and New Zealand. "
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 ...
", with
Beyoncé Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Beyoncé's boundary-pushing artistry and vocals have made her the most influential female musician of the 21st century, according to ...
, followed as the second single from the EP and became Gaga's fourth UK number one. Its third single was " Alejandro", which reached number one in Finland and attracted controversy when its music video was deemed blasphemous by the Catholic League. Both tracks reached the top five in the US. The video for "Bad Romance" became the most watched on YouTube in April 2010, and that October, Gaga became the first person with more than one billion combined views. At the
2010 MTV Video Music Awards The 2010 MTV Video Music Awards took place on September 12, 2010 at Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, honoring the best music videos from the previous year. Chelsea Handler hosted the event, the first woman in sixteen years – since the 1994 MTV ...
, she won eight awards from 13 nominations, including Video of the Year for "Bad Romance". She was the most nominated artist for a single year, and the first woman to receive two nominations for Video of the Year at the same ceremony. ''The Fame Monster'' won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album, and "Bad Romance" won
Best Female Pop Vocal Performance The Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance was a Grammy Award recognizing superior vocal performance by a female in the pop category, the first of which was presented in 1959. It was discontinued after the 2011 Grammy season. The awar ...
and Best Short Form Music Video at the
53rd Annual Grammy Awards The 53rd Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 13, 2011, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. They were broadcast on CBS with a rating of 26.6 million viewers. Barbra Streisand was honored as the MusiCares Person of the Year two nights prio ...
. In 2009, Gaga spent a record 150 weeks 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-s ...
and became the most downloaded female act in a year in the US, with 11.1 million downloads sold, earning an entry in the ''
Guinness Book of World Records ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...
''. Worldwide, ''The Fame'' and ''The Fame Monster'' together have sold more than 15 million copies, and the latter was 2010's second best-selling album. Its success allowed Gaga to start her second worldwide concert tour, The Monster Ball Tour, and release ''
The Remix A remix is an alternative version of a recorded work. Remix or The Remix may also refer to: Film and television * ''Remix'' (film), a 2008 Danish film * '' The Remix: Hip Hop X Fashion'', a 2019 American documentary film * ''Remix'' (TV ser ...
'', her final record with Cherrytree Records and among the best-selling remix albums of all time. The Monster Ball Tour ran from November 2009 to May 2011 and grossed $227.4 million, making it the highest-grossing concert tour for a debut headlining artist. Concerts performed 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 Pennsylva ...
in New York City were filmed for an
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 ...
television special, '' Lady Gaga Presents the Monster Ball Tour: At Madison Square Garden''. Gaga also performed songs from her albums at the 2009 ''
Royal Variety Performance The ''Royal Variety Performance'' is a televised variety show held annually in the United Kingdom to raise money for the Royal Variety Charity (of which King Charles III is life-patron). It is attended by senior members of the British royal f ...
'', the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards, and the
2010 Brit Awards Brit Awards 2010 was the 30th edition of the British Phonographic Industry's annual Brit Awards. The awards ceremony was held at Earls Court in London for the last time. The ceremony was broadcast live on ITV on Tuesday 16 February 2010. It was ...
. Before
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 a ...
's death, Gaga was set to take part in his canceled This Is It concert series at the O2 Arena in the UK. During this era, Gaga ventured into business, collaborating with consumer electronics company
Monster Cable Products Monster Inc. is an American company that manufactures and markets about 6,000 products, but is best known for audio and video cables. It also produces speakers, headphones, power strips, mobile accessories and audio devices for automobiles. The c ...
to create in-ear, jewel-encrusted headphones called Heartbeats by Lady Gaga. She also partnered with
Polaroid Polaroid may refer to: * Polaroid Corporation, an American company known for its instant film and cameras * Polaroid camera, a brand of instant camera formerly produced by Polaroid Corporation * Polaroid film, instant film, and photographs * Polar ...
in January 2010 as their creative director and announced a suite of photo-capture products called Grey Label. Her collaboration with her past record producer and ex-boyfriend Rob Fusari led to a lawsuit against her production team, Mermaid Music LLC. At this time, Gaga was tested borderline positive for
lupus Lupus, technically known as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), is an autoimmune disease in which the body's immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissue in many parts of the body. Symptoms vary among people and may be mild to severe. Comm ...
but claimed not to be affected by the symptoms and hoped to maintain a healthy lifestyle.


2011–2014: ''Born This Way'', ''Artpop'', and ''Cheek to Cheek''

In February 2011, Gaga released " Born This Way", the lead single from her studio album of the same name. The song sold more than one million copies within five days, earning the Guinness World Record for the fastest selling single on
iTunes iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mul ...
. It debuted atop the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, becoming the 1,000th number-one single in the history of the charts. Its second single " Judas" followed two months later, and " The Edge of Glory" served as its third single. Both reached the top 10 in the US and the UK. Her music video for "The Edge of Glory", unlike her previous work, portrays her dancing on a fire escape and walking on a lonely street, without intricate choreography and back-up dancers. ''Born This Way'' was released on May 23, 2011, and debuted atop the ''Billboard'' 200 with first-week sales of 1.1 million copies. It sold eight million copies worldwide and received three Grammy nominations, including Gaga's third consecutive nomination for
Album of the Year Album of the Year, often abbreviated to AOTY, may refer to: Awards * ARIA Award for Album of the Year, Australia * Brit Award for British Album of the Year, UK * Grammy Award for Album of the Year, US * Juno Award for Album of the Year, CA * Lati ...
. ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'' listed the record among " The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time" in 2020. ''Born This Way''s following singles were " You and I" and " Marry the Night", which reached numbers six and 29 in the US, respectively. Its cut, "
Bloody Mary Bloody Mary originally referred to: * Mary I of England (1516–1558), Queen of England and Ireland, so called because of her persecution of Protestants Bloody Mary may also refer to: Film * '' Urban Legends: Bloody Mary'', a 2005 horror fil ...
", became a resurgent success and was released as a single in 2022. While filming the foremost's music video, Gaga met and started dating actor
Taylor Kinney Taylor Jackson Kinney (born July 15, 1981) is an American actor and model. He has played Mason Lockwood in ''The Vampire Diaries'', Jared in ''Zero Dark Thirty'', Phil in '' The Other Woman'', and Chicago Fire Department Lieutenant Kelly Severid ...
in July 2011, who played her love interest. She also embarked on the Born This Way Ball tour in April 2012, which was scheduled to conclude the following March, but ended one month earlier when Gaga canceled the remaining dates due to a labral tear of her right hip that required surgery. While refunds for the cancellations were estimated to be worth $25 million, the tour grossed $183.9 million globally. In 2011, Gaga also worked with Tony Bennett on a
jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...
version of " The Lady Is a Tramp", with
Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...
on "Hello Hello" for the animated feature film ''
Gnomeo & Juliet ''Gnomeo & Juliet'' is a 2011 computer-animated romantic comedy film directed by Kelly Asbury from a screenplay by Rob Sprackling and John Smith. It is loosely based on the play '' Romeo and Juliet'' by William Shakespeare and features the voi ...
'', and with
The Lonely Island The Lonely Island is an American comedy trio, formed by Akiva Schaffer, Andy Samberg, and Jorma Taccone in Berkeley, California, in 2001. They have written for and starred in the American TV program ''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL''). The three ...
and
Justin Timberlake Justin Randall Timberlake (born January 31, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He is one of the world's best-selling music artists, with sales of over 88 million records. Timberlake is the recipient of numerous awards and ac ...
on "
3-Way (The Golden Rule) "3-Way (The Golden Rule)" is a song recorded by American comedy music group the Lonely Island featuring American singers Justin Timberlake and Lady Gaga. It appeared as an SNL Digital Short in the May 21, 2011 episode of the American sketch comed ...
". She also performed a concert at the Sydney Town Hall in Australia that year to promote ''Born This Way'' and to celebrate former US President
Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton ( né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and agai ...
's 65th birthday. In November, she was featured in a
Thanksgiving Thanksgiving is a national holiday celebrated on various dates in the United States, Canada, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Liberia, and unofficially in countries like Brazil and Philippines. It is also observed in the Netherlander town of Leiden and ...
television special titled ''
A Very Gaga Thanksgiving ''A Very Gaga Thanksgiving'' is a Thanksgiving television special that originally aired on November 24, 2011, in the United States on the American Broadcasting Company, ABC network. Conceived and directed by Lady Gaga, it discusses her personal ...
'', which attracted 5.7 million American viewers and spawned the release of her fourth EP, ''
A Very Gaga Holiday ''A Very Gaga Holiday'' is a live EP released by American singer Lady Gaga, containing songs performed on the ABC holiday television special '' A Very Gaga Thanksgiving''. It was made available for purchase in the United States on November 22, ...
''. In 2012, Gaga guest-starred as an animated version of herself in an episode of ''
The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, ...
'' called "
Lisa Goes Gaga "Lisa Goes Gaga" is the twenty-second and final episode of the twenty-third season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on May 20, 2012. In the episode, American ...
", and released her first fragrance,
Lady Gaga Fame Lady Gaga Fame is the first fragrance created by American singer Lady Gaga. A unisex fragrance, it was released in Guggenheim Museum and in Macy's stores in the United States and a range of different stores in the United Kingdom on August 22, ...
, followed by a second one,
Eau de Gaga Eau de Gaga is the second fragrance created by American singer Lady Gaga. The announcement and details of the fragrance were announced on her Haus Laboratories website. The fragrance's notes include white violet, lime, and leather, and it is mark ...
, in 2014. Gaga began work on her third studio album, '' Artpop'', in early 2012, during the Born This Way Ball tour; she crafted the album to mirror "a night at the club". In August 2013, Gaga released the album's lead single "
Applause Applause (Latin ''applaudere,'' to strike upon, clap) is primarily a form of ovation or praise expressed by the act of clapping, or striking the palms of the hands together, in order to create noise. Audiences usually applaud after a performance ...
", which reached number one in Hungary, number four in the US, and number five in the UK. A lyric video for ''Artpop'' track "
Aura Aura most commonly refers to: * Aura (paranormal), a field of luminous multicolored radiation around a person or object * Aura (symptom), a symptom experienced before a migraine or seizure Aura may also refer to: Places Extraterrestrial * 1488 ...
" followed in October to accompany Robert Rodriguez's ''
Machete Kills ''Machete Kills'' (also known as ''Robert Rodriguez's Machete Kills'') is a 2013 American action exploitation film directed by Robert Rodriguez, with a screenplay by Kyle Ward, from a story by Robert and Marcel Rodriguez. Based on the eponymo ...
'', where she plays an assassin named La Chameleon. The film received generally mixed reviews and earned less than half of its $33 million budget. The second ''Artpop'' single, " Do What U Want", featured singer
R. Kelly Robert Sylvester Kelly (born January 8, 1967) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and sex offender convicted of racketeering and multiple sex offenses. During his recording career, Kelly sold over 75 million records worldwid ...
and was released later that month, topping the charts in Hungary and reaching number 13 in the US. ''Artpop'' was released on November 6, 2013, to mixed reviews. Helen Brown in ''
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 ...
'' criticized Gaga for making another album about her fame and doubted the record's originality, but found it "great for dancing". The album debuted atop the ''Billboard'' 200 chart, and sold more than 2.5 million copies worldwide as of July 2014. "
G.U.Y. "G.U.Y." (a backronym for "Girl Under You") is a song by American singer Lady Gaga from her third studio album, '' Artpop'' (2013). She co-wrote and co-produced the song with Zedd. It debuted on Italian radio as the album's third and final sing ...
" was released as the third single in March 2014 and peaked at number 76 in the US. Gaga hosted an episode of ''
Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serves a ...
'' in November 2013. After holding her second Thanksgiving Day television special on
ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...
, ''
Lady Gaga and the Muppets Holiday Spectacular ''Lady Gaga and the Muppets Holiday Spectacular'' is a Thanksgiving television special with American singer Lady Gaga and the Muppets. The 90-minute program aired on ABC on November 28, 2013, with guest stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Elton John an ...
'', she performed a special rendition of "Do What U Want" with Christina Aguilera on the fifth season of the American reality talent show '' The Voice''. In March 2014, Gaga had a seven-day concert residency commemorating the last performance at New York's Roseland Ballroom before its closure. Two months later, she embarked on the ArtRave: The Artpop Ball tour, building on concepts from her ArtRave promotional event. Earning $83 million, the tour included cities canceled from the Born This Way Ball tour itinerary. In the meantime, Gaga split from longtime manager
Troy Carter Troy Carter may refer to: * Troy Carter (physicist) (born 1973), American plasma physicist *Troy Carter (politician) (born 1963), American politician * Troy Carter (talent manager) (born 1972), American music talent manager Fictional characters *2 ...
over "creative differences", and by June 2014, she and new manager Bobby Campbell joined Artist Nation, the artist management division of
Live Nation Entertainment Live Nation Entertainment, Inc. is an American global entertainment company and monopoly that was founded in 2010 following the merger of Live Nation and Ticketmaster. The company promotes, operates, and manages ticket sales for live entertainme ...
. She briefly appeared in Rodriguez's '' Sin City: A Dame to Kill For'', and was confirmed as
Versace Gianni Versace S.r.l. (), usually referred to as Versace ( ), is an Italian luxury fashion company founded by Gianni Versace in 1978 known for flashy prints and bright colors. The company produces Italian-made ready-to-wear and accessories, as w ...
's spring-summer 2014 ambassador with a campaign called "Lady Gaga For Versace". In September 2014, Gaga released a collaborative jazz album with Tony Bennett titled '' Cheek to Cheek''. The inspiration behind the album came from her friendship with Bennett, and fascination with jazz music since her childhood. He stated that Gaga is "the most talented artist I have ever met". Before the album was released, it produced the singles " Anything Goes" and " I Can't Give You Anything but Love". ''Cheek to Cheek'' received generally favorable reviews; ''The Guardian''s Caroline Sullivan praised Gaga's vocals and Howard Reich of the ''
Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television ar ...
'' wrote that "''Cheek to Cheek'' serves up the real thing, start to finish". The record was Gaga's third consecutive number-one album on the ''Billboard'' 200, and won a Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album. The duo recorded the concert special '' Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga: Cheek to Cheek Live!'', and embarked on the
Cheek to Cheek Tour The Cheek to Cheek Tour was a co-headlining tour by American singers Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga in support of their album, ''Cheek to Cheek'' (2014). The tour, which began with a two-night run at The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas, played a total of ...
from December 2014 to August 2015.


2015–2017: ''American Horror Story'', ''Joanne'', and Super Bowl performances

In February 2015, Gaga became engaged to Taylor Kinney. After the lukewarm response to ''Artpop'', Gaga began to reinvent her image and style. According to ''Billboard'', this shift started with the release of ''Cheek to Cheek'' and the attention she received for her performance at the
87th Academy Awards The 87th Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored the best 2014 in film, films of 2014 and took place on February 22, 2015, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, Hollywood, ...
, where she sang a medley of songs from ''
The Sound of Music ''The Sound of Music'' is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. It is based on the 1949 memoir of Maria von Trapp, '' The Story of the Trapp Family Singers''. Se ...
'' in a tribute to
Julie Andrews Dame Julie Andrews (born Julia Elizabeth Wells; 1 October 1935) is an English actress, singer, and author. She has garnered numerous accolades throughout her career spanning over seven decades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Fi ...
. Considered one of her best performances by ''
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 advertise ...
'', it triggered more than 214,000 interactions per minute globally on Facebook. She and
Diane Warren Diane Eve Warren (born September 7, 1956) is an American songwriter. She has received several awards including a Grammy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, two Golden Globe Awards, three ''Billboard'' Music Awards and an Honorary Academy Award. Wa ...
co-wrote the song "
Til It Happens to You "Til It Happens to You" is a song produced and performed by American singer Lady Gaga. She co-wrote the song with Diane Warren for the 2015 documentary film ''The Hunting Ground'', which deals with campus rape in the United States. The song had ...
" for the documentary '' The Hunting Ground'', which earned them the
Satellite Award for Best Original Song The Satellite Award for Best Original Song is an annual award given by the International Press Academy The International Press Academy (IPA) is an American association of professional entertainment journalists, representing both domestic and for ...
and an
Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
nomination in the same category. Gaga won ''Billboard''
Woman of the Year ''Woman of the Year'' is a 1942 American romantic comedy-drama film directed by George Stevens and starring Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn. The film was written by Ring Lardner Jr. and Michael Kanin (with uncredited work on the rewritten e ...
and Contemporary Icon Award at the 2015 Annual Songwriters Hall of Fame Awards. Gaga had spent much of her early life wanting to be an actress, and achieved her goal when she starred in '' American Horror Story: Hotel''. Running from October 2015 to January 2016, ''Hotel'' is the fifth season of the television
anthology In book publishing, an anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler; it may be a collection of plays, poems, short stories, songs or excerpts by different authors. In genre fiction, the term ''anthology'' typically categ ...
horror series, '' American Horror Story'', in which Gaga played a hotel owner named Elizabeth. At the 73rd Golden Globe Awards, Gaga received the Best Actress in a Miniseries or Television Film award for her work on the season. She appeared in Nick Knight's 2015 fashion film for Tom Ford's 2016 spring campaign and was guest editor for '' V'' fashion magazine's 99th issue in January 2016, which featured 16 different covers. She received Editor of the Year award at the Fashion Los Angeles Awards. In February 2016, Gaga sang the
US national anthem "The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States. The lyrics come from the "Defence of Fort M'Henry", a poem written on September 14, 1814, by 35-year-old lawyer and amateur poet Francis Scott Key after witnessing the b ...
at Super Bowl 50, partnered with
Intel Intel Corporation is an American multinational corporation and technology company headquartered in Santa Clara, California. It is the world's largest semiconductor chip manufacturer by revenue, and is one of the developers of the x86 seri ...
and
Nile Rodgers Nile Gregory Rodgers Jr. (born September 19, 1952) is an American musician, record producer and composer. The co-founder of Chic, Rodgers has written, produced, and performed on records that have sold more than 500 million albums and 75 million ...
for a tribute performance to the late David Bowie at the
58th Annual Grammy Awards The 58th Annual Grammy Awards was held on February 15, 2016, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. The ceremony recognizes the best recordings, compositions and artists of the eligibility year, which was from October 1, 2014, to September 30, 20 ...
, and sang "Til It Happens to You" at the 88th Academy Awards, where she was introduced by Joe Biden and was accompanied on-stage by 50 people who had suffered from sexual assault. She was honored that April with the Artist Award at the Jane Ortner Education Awards by
The Grammy Museum The Grammy Museum is any of a group of museums containing exhibits relating to winners of the Grammy Award for achievement in recording. The museums in this group include: *The Grammy Museum at L.A. Live, which opened in 2008 in Los Angeles, Califo ...
, which recognizes artists who have demonstrated passion and dedication to education through the arts. Her engagement to Taylor Kinney ended in July; she later said her career had interfered with their relationship. Gaga played a witch named Scathach in '' American Horror Story: Roanoke'', the series' sixth season, which ran from September to November 2016. Her role in the fifth season of the show ultimately influenced her future music, prompting her to feature "the art of darkness". In September 2016, she released her fifth album's lead single, "
Perfect Illusion "Perfect Illusion" is a song recorded by American singer Lady Gaga. It was released for digital download on September 9, 2016 through Interscope Records as the lead single from her fifth studio album, '' Joanne'' (2016). The track was written an ...
", which topped the charts in France and reached number 15 in the US. The album, titled '' Joanne'', was named after Gaga's late aunt, who was an inspiration for the music. It was released on October 21, 2016, and became Gaga's fourth number one album on the ''Billboard'' 200, making her the first woman to reach the US chart's summit four times in the 2010s. The album's second single, "
Million Reasons "Million Reasons" is a song recorded by American singer Lady Gaga for her fifth studio album, '' Joanne'' (2016). Initially released as a promotional single, it was released to radio stations on October 29, 2016, as the album's second single. Th ...
", followed the next month and reached number four in the US. She later released a piano version of the album's title track in 2018, which won a Grammy for Best Pop Solo Performance. To promote the album, Gaga embarked on the three-date Dive Bar Tour. Gaga performed as the headlining act during the Super Bowl LI halftime show on February 5, 2017. Her performance featured a group of hundreds of lighted drones forming various shapes in the sky above Houston's NRG Stadium—the first time robotic aircraft appeared in a Super Bowl program. It attracted 117.5 million viewers in the United States, exceeding the game's 111.3 million viewers and making it the third most-watched Super Bowl halftime show to date. The performance led to a surge of 410,000 song downloads in the United States for Gaga and earned her an
Emmy The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...
nomination in the Outstanding Special Class Program category.
CBS Sports CBS Sports is the sports division of the American television network CBS. Its headquarters are in the CBS Building on W 52nd Street in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, with programs produced out of Studio 43 at the CBS Broadcast Center on W 5 ...
included her performance as the second best in the history of Super Bowl halftime shows. In April, Gaga headlined the
Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival (commonly called the Coachella Festival or simply Coachella) is an annual music and arts festival held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, in the Coachella Valley in the Colorado Desert. ...
. She also released a standalone single, "
The Cure The Cure are an English Rock music, rock band formed in 1978 in Crawley, Crawley, West Sussex. Throughout numerous lineup changes since the band's formation, guitarist, lead vocalist, and songwriter Robert Smith (musician), Robert Smith has re ...
", which reached the top 10 in Australia. Four months later, Gaga began the
Joanne World Tour The Joanne World Tour was the fifth headlining concert tour by American singer Lady Gaga, in support of her fifth studio album, '' Joanne'' (2016). It began on August 1, 2017, in Vancouver, Canada and ended on February 1, 2018, in Birmingham, Eng ...
, which she announced after the Super Bowl LI halftime show. Gaga's creation of ''Joanne'' and preparation for her halftime show performance were featured in the documentary '' Gaga: Five Foot Two'', which premiered on
Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...
that September. Throughout the film, she was seen suffering from chronic pain, which was later revealed to be the effect of a long-term condition called
fibromyalgia Fibromyalgia (FM) is a medical condition defined by the presence of chronic widespread pain, fatigue, waking unrefreshed, cognitive symptoms, lower abdominal pain or cramps, and depression. Other symptoms include insomnia and a general hyp ...
. In February 2018, it prompted Gaga to cancel the last ten shows of the Joanne World Tour, which ultimately grossed $95 million from 842,000 tickets sold.


2018–2019: ''A Star Is Born'' and Las Vegas residency

In March 2018, Gaga supported the March for Our Lives gun-control rally in Washington, D.C., and released a cover of Elton John's " Your Song" for his tribute album ''
Revamp Revamp may refer to: Changes *Revamp, informal term for maintenance, repair, and operations *Revamp, informal term for editing of natural-language text * Revamp (gaming), informal term for boost or renovation of a game's UI, system stats, items, ...
''. Later that year, she starred as struggling singer Ally in Bradley Cooper's musical romantic drama '' A Star Is Born'', a remake of the 1937 film of the same name. The film follows Ally's relationship with singer Jackson Maine (played by Cooper), which becomes strained after her career begins to overshadow his. It received acclaim from critics, with a consensus that the movie had "appealing leads, deft direction, and an affecting love story". Cooper approached Gaga after seeing her perform at a cancer research fundraiser. An admirer of Cooper's work, Gaga agreed to the project due to its portrayal of addiction and depression. ''A Star Is Born'' premiered at the
2018 Venice Film Festival The 75th Venice International Film Festival was held from 29 August to 8 September 2018. Mexican film director Guillermo del Toro was named as the President of the Jury. '' First Man'', directed by Damien Chazelle, was selected to open the fest ...
, and was released worldwide that October. Gaga's performance was acclaimed by film critics, with Peter Bradshaw 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 ...
'' labeling the film "outrageously watchable" and stating that "Gaga's ability to be part ordinary person, part extraterrestrial celebrity empress functions at the highest level"; Stephanie Zacharek of ''
Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to ...
'' magazine similarly highlighted her "knockout performance" and found her to be "charismatic" without her usual makeup, wigs and costumes. For the role, Gaga won the National Board of Review and Critics' Choice awards for Best Actress, in addition to receiving nominations for the
Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
,
Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...
,
Screen Actors Guild Award Screen Actors Guild Awards (also known as SAG Awards) are accolades given by the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA). The award was founded in 1952 to recognize outstanding performances in movie an ...
and BAFTA Award for Best Actress. Awards and nominations for ''A Star Is Born'': * Academy Awards: * BAFTA Awards: * Critics' Choice Awards: * Golden Globe Awards: * National Board of Review Awards: * Satellite Awards: * Screen Actors Guild Awards: Gaga and Cooper co-wrote and produced most of the songs on the soundtrack for ''A Star Is Born'', which she insisted they perform live in the film. Its lead single, " Shallow", performed by the two, was released on September 27, 2018 and topped the charts in various countries including Australia, the UK and the US. The soundtrack contains 34 tracks, including 17 original songs, and received generally positive reviews; Mark Kennedy 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 ...
'' called it a "five-star marvel" and Ben Beaumont-Thomas of ''The Guardian'' termed it an "instant classics full of Gaga's emotional might". Commercially, the soundtrack debuted at number one in the US, making Gaga the first woman with five US number-one albums in the 2010s, and breaking her tie with
Taylor Swift Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Her discography spans multiple genres, and her vivid songwriting—often inspired by her personal life—has received critical praise and wide media coverage. Bor ...
as the most for any female artist this decade; Swift tied with her again in 2019. It additionally topped the charts in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, Switzerland and the UK. As of June 2019, the soundtrack had sold over six million copies worldwide. The album won Gaga four Grammy Awards— Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance and
Best Song Written for Visual Media The Grammy Award for Best Song Written for Visual Media (including its previous names) is the Grammy Awards awarded to songs written for films, television, video games or other visual media. Recipients * Each year is linked t ...
for "Shallow", as well as the latter category for "
I'll Never Love Again "I'll Never Love Again" is a song from the 2018 film '' A Star Is Born'', performed by its stars Lady Gaga and director Bradley Cooper whose character sings the final chorus in the flashback scene. The soundtrack contained both versions of the s ...
"—and a BAFTA Award for Best Film Music. "Shallow" also won her the Academy Award,
Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...
, Critics' Choice Award, and Satellite Award for Best Original Song. Gaga gave live performances of the song at the
61st Annual Grammy Awards The 61st Annual Grammy Awards ceremony was held on February 10, 2019, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Singer-songwriter Alicia Keys hosted. During her opening monologue, Keys brought out Lady Gaga, Jada Pinkett Smith, Jennifer Lopez, and fo ...
and the
91st Academy Awards The 91st Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored the best films of 2018 and took place on February 24, 2019, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles. During the ceremony, A ...
. In October, Gaga announced her engagement to talent agent Christian Carino whom she had met in early 2017. They ended the engagement in February 2019. Gaga signed a concert residency, named
Lady Gaga Enigma + Jazz & Piano Lady Gaga Enigma + Jazz & Piano is a concert residency held at the Park Theater, Park MGM in Las Vegas, United States, by American singer and songwriter Lady Gaga. The residency consists of two types of shows: Enigma, which focuses on theatrica ...
, to perform at the MGM Park Theater in
Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
. The residency consists of two types of shows: Enigma, which focused on theatricality and included Gaga's biggest hits, and Jazz & Piano, which involved tracks from the
Great American Songbook The Great American Songbook is the loosely defined canon of significant early-20th-century American jazz standards, popular songs, and show tunes. Definition According to the Great American Songbook Foundation: The "Great American Songbook" is ...
and stripped-down versions of Gaga's songs. The Enigma show opened in December 2018 and the Jazz & Piano in January 2019. Gaga launched her
vegan Veganism is the practice of abstaining from the use of animal product—particularly in diet—and an associated philosophy that rejects the commodity status of animals. An individual who follows the diet or philosophy is known as a vegan. Di ...
makeup line, Haus Laboratories, in September 2019 exclusively on
Amazon Amazon most often refers to: * Amazons, a tribe of female warriors in Greek mythology * Amazon rainforest, a rainforest covering most of the Amazon basin * Amazon River, in South America * Amazon (company), an American multinational technology c ...
. Consisting of 40 products, including liquid eyeliners, lip glosses and face mask sticker, it reached number-one on Amazon's list of best-selling lipsticks.


2020–present: ''Chromatica'', ''Love for Sale'', and ''House of Gucci''

In February 2020, Gaga began a relationship with entrepreneur Michael Polansky. Her sixth studio album, '' Chromatica'', was released on May 29, 2020, to positive reviews. It debuted atop the US charts, becoming her sixth consecutive number-one album in the country, and reached the top spot in more than a dozen other territories including Australia, Canada, France, Italy and the UK. ''Chromatica'' was preceded by two singles, " Stupid Love", on February 28, 2020, and " Rain on Me", with
Ariana Grande Ariana Grande-Butera ( ; born June 26, 1993) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Her four-octave vocal range has received critical acclaim, and her personal life has been the subject of widespread media attention. She has received ...
, on May 22. The latter won the Best Pop Duo/Group Performance at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards, and debuted at number one in the US, making Gaga the third person to top the country's chart in the 2000s, 2010s and 2020s. At the
2020 MTV Video Music Awards The 2020 MTV Video Music Awards were held on August 30, 2020. Keke Palmer hosted the 37th annual ceremony, which was presented primarily from the channel headquarter in New York City, but with a virtual segments held in another cities,due the C ...
, Gaga won five awards, including the inaugural Tricon Award recognizing artists accomplished in different areas of the entertainment industry. In September 2020, she appeared in the video campaign for Valentino's Voce Viva fragrance, singing a stripped-down version of ''Chromatica'' track "
Sine from Above "Sine from Above" is a song by American singer Lady Gaga and English musician Elton John from the former's sixth studio album, ''Chromatica'' (2020). It is included as the album's fourteenth track, and is preceded by a string arrangement, "Chro ...
", along with a group of models. During the inauguration of Joe Biden as the 46th President of the United States on January 20, 2021, Gaga sang the US national anthem. In February 2021, her dog walker Ryan Fischer was hospitalized after getting shot in Hollywood. Two of her French Bulldogs, Koji and Gustav, were taken while a third dog named Miss Asia escaped and was subsequently recovered by police. Gaga later offered a $500,000 reward for the return of her pets. Two days later, on February 26, a woman brought the dogs to a police station in Los Angeles. Both were unharmed.
Los Angeles Police {{Unreferenced, date=June 2019, bot=noref (GreenC bot) Law enforcement in Los Angeles County is conducted by a variety of law enforcement agencies. State agencies *California Highway Patrol *University of California Police Department * California ...
initially said the woman who dropped off the dogs did not appear to be involved with the shooting, but on April 29, she was one of five people charged in connection with the shooting and theft. In December 2022, James Howard Jackson, the man who shot Fischer, was sentenced to 21 years in prison. In April 2021, Gaga teamed up with Champagne brand Dom Pérignon, and appeared in an ad shot by Nick Knight. On September 3, she released her third remix album, ''
Dawn of Chromatica ''Dawn of Chromatica'' is the third remix album by American singer Lady Gaga, released on September 3, 2021, by Streamline and Interscope Records. Consisting of remixes of songs from her sixth studio album, ''Chromatica'' (2020), the album embrac ...
''. This was followed by her second collaborative album with Tony Bennett, titled '' Love for Sale'', on September 30. The record received generally favorable reviews, and debuted at number eight in the US. The album's promotional rollout included the television special '' One Last Time: An Evening with Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga'', released in November 2021, on CBS, which featured select performances from the duo's August 3 and 5 performances at
Radio City Music Hall Radio City Music Hall is an entertainment venue and Theater (structure), theater at 1260 Sixth Avenue (Manhattan), Avenue of the Americas, within Rockefeller Center, in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. Nicknamed "The Showplac ...
. Another taped performance by the duo recorded for '' MTV Unplugged'' was released that December. At the 64th Annual Grammy Awards, ''Love for Sale'' won Gaga and Bennett the award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album. After an appearance in the television special '' Friends: The Reunion'', in which Gaga sang "
Smelly Cat Smelly may refer to something with a disagreeable odor (i.e., something that smells bad). Smelly may also refer to: People *Smelly (performer) or Dai Okazaki, a Japanese comedic performer *Erik Sandin Erik Sandin (born July 29, 1966), is ...
" with Lisa Kudrow, she portrayed Patrizia Reggiani, who was convicted of hiring a hitman to murder her ex-husband and former head of the
Gucci Gucci (, ; ) is an Italian high-end luxury fashion house based in Florence, Italy. Its product lines include handbags, ready-to-wear, footwear, accessories, and home decoration; and it licenses its name and branding to Coty, Inc. for fragrance ...
fashion house Maurizio Gucci (played by
Adam Driver Adam Douglas Driver (born November 19, 1983) is an American actor. He is the recipient of various accolades, including nominations for two Academy Awards, four Primetime Emmy Awards and a Tony Award; making him one of few performers nominated ...
), in
Ridley Scott Sir Ridley Scott (born 30 November 1937) is a British film director and producer. Directing, among others, science fiction films, his work is known for its atmospheric and highly concentrated visual style. Scott has received many accolades thr ...
's biographical crime film titled '' House of Gucci''. For the part, Gaga learned to speak with an Italian accent. She also stayed in character for 18 months, speaking with an accent for nine months during that period. Her method acting approach took a toll on her mental wellbeing, and towards the end of filming she had to be accompanied on-set by a
psychiatric nurse Psychiatric nursing or mental health nursing is the appointed position of a nurse that specialises in mental health, and cares for people of all ages experiencing mental illnesses or distress. These include: neurodevelopmental disorders, schizoph ...
. The film was released on November 24, 2021, to mixed reviews, though critics praised Gaga's performance as "note-perfect". She earned the New York Film Critics Circle Award, and nominations for the BAFTA Award, Critics' Choice Award,
Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...
and
Screen Actors Guild Award Screen Actors Guild Awards (also known as SAG Awards) are accolades given by the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA). The award was founded in 1952 to recognize outstanding performances in movie an ...
for Best Actress. Gaga co-wrote the song " Hold My Hand" for the 2022 film '' Top Gun: Maverick'', and also composed the score alongside Hans Zimmer and Harold Faltermeyer. She performed "Hold My Hand" live at the 95th Academy Awards, where it was nominated for Best Original Song. The track also earned Gaga her third win for Best Original Song at the
Satellite Awards The Satellite Awards are annual awards given by the International Press Academy that are commonly noted in entertainment industry journals and blogs. The awards were originally known as the Golden Satellite Awards. The award ceremonies take place ...
. In July 2022, she embarked on
The Chromatica Ball The Chromatica Ball was the sixth headlining concert tour by American singer Lady Gaga in support of her sixth studio album, ''Chromatica'' (2020). Comprising of 20 shows, it began on July 17, 2022, in Düsseldorf and concluded on September 17, 2 ...
stadium tour, which had twenty dates and grossed $112.4 million from 834,000 tickets sold. By the end of the year, she became the highest grossing female artist touring in 2022. In April 2023, Gaga was appointed as co-chair of the
President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities The President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities (PCAH) was an advisory committee to the White House on cultural issues. It worked directly with the Administration and the three primary cultural agencies: the National Endowment for the Art ...
by President Joe Biden. Gaga collaborated with
the Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the gritty, rhythmically d ...
on the song " Sweet Sounds of Heaven", also featuring
Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris ( Judkins; May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, who is credited as a pioneer and influence by musicians across a range of genres that include rhythm and blues, Pop musi ...
, from their album ''
Hackney Diamonds ''Hackney Diamonds'' is a studio album by the English rock band the Rolling Stones, released on 20 October 2023 on Polydor Records, Polydor. It is the first album of original material by the Rolling Stones since 2005's ''A Bigger Bang'' and ...
'' (2023). She is set to star with
Joaquin Phoenix Joaquin Rafael Phoenix (; né Bottom; born October 28, 1974) is an American actor. He is known for playing dark and unconventional characters in independent films. He has received various accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academ ...
in '' Joker: Folie à Deux'', which will be released in 2024.


Artistry


Influences

Gaga grew up listening to artists such as Michael Jackson,
the Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...
, Stevie Wonder, Queen,
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 ...
,
Pink Floyd Pink Floyd are an English rock band formed in London in 1965. Gaining an early following as one of the first British psychedelic music, psychedelic groups, they were distinguished by their extended compositions, sonic experimentation, philo ...
,
Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in London in 1968. The group comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. With a heavy, guitar-driven sound, they are ci ...
,
Whitney Houston Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer and actress. Nicknamed "The Voice", she is one of the bestselling music artists of all time, with sales of over 200 million records worldwide. Houston in ...
, Elton John,
Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. Th ...
,
En Vogue En Vogue is an American vocal girl group whose original lineup consisted of singers Terry Ellis, Dawn Robinson, Cindy Herron, and Maxine Jones. Formed in Oakland, California, in 1989, En Vogue reached No. 2 on the US Hot 100 with the single "Hol ...
,
TLC TLC may refer to: Arts and entertainment Television * ''TLC'' (TV series), a 2002 British situational comedy television series that aired on BBC2 * TLC (TV network), formerly the Learning Channel, an American cable TV network ** TLC (Asia), an As ...
, Christina Aguilera,
Janet Jackson Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreog ...
, and Blondie, who have all influenced her music. Gaga's musical inspiration varies from
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 ...
singers such as Madonna and Michael Jackson to glam rock artists such as David Bowie and
Freddie Mercury Freddie Mercury (born Farrokh Bulsara; 5 September 1946 – 24 November 1991) was a British singer and songwriter, who achieved worldwide fame as the lead vocalist of the rock band Queen. Regarded as one of the greatest singers in the ...
, as well as the theatrics of the pop artist Andy Warhol and her own performance roots in musical theater. She has been compared to Madonna, who has said that she sees herself reflected in Gaga. Gaga says that she wants to revolutionize pop music as Madonna has. Gaga has also cited heavy metal bands as an influence, specifically
Iron Maiden Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band formed in Leyton, East London, in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. While fluid in the early years of the band, the lineup for most of the band's history has consisted of Harri ...
,
Black Sabbath Black Sabbath were an English rock music, rock band formed in Birmingham in 1968 by guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward (musician), Bill Ward, bassist Geezer Butler and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. They are often cited as pioneers of heavy met ...
and
Marilyn Manson Brian Hugh Warner (born January 5, 1969), known professionally as Marilyn Manson, is an American rock musician. He came to prominence as the lead singer of the band which shares his name, of which he remains the only constant member since it ...
. She credits Beyoncé as a key inspiration to pursue a musical career. Gaga was inspired by her mother to be interested in fashion, which she now says is a major influence and integrated with her music. Stylistically, Gaga has been compared to Leigh Bowery,
Isabella Blow Isabella "Issie" Blow (nee Delves Broughton; 19 November 1958 – 7 May 2007) was an English magazine editor. As the muse of hat designer Philip Treacy, she is credited with discovering the models Stella Tennant and Sophie Dahl as well as prop ...
, and
Cher Cher (; born Cherilyn Sarkisian; May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress and television personality. Often referred to by the media as the Honorific nicknames in popular music, "Goddess of Pop", she has been described as embodying female ...
; she once commented that as a child, she absorbed Cher's fashion sense and made it her own. Gaga became friends with British fashion designer Alexander McQueen shortly before his suicide in 2010, and became known for wearing his designs, particularly his towering
armadillo shoe The armadillo shoe (alternately armadillo heel or armadillo boot) is a high fashion platform shoe created by British fashion designer Alexander McQueen for his final collection, ''Plato's Atlantis'' (Spring/Summer 2010). Only 24 pairs exist: 21 w ...
s. She considers fashion designer
Donatella Versace Donatella Francesca Versace (; born 2 May 1955) is an Italian fashion designer, businesswoman, socialite, and model. She is the sister of Gianni Versace, founder of the luxury fashion company Versace, with whom she worked closely on the developm ...
her
muse In ancient Greek religion and mythology, the Muses ( grc, Μοῦσαι, Moûsai, el, Μούσες, Múses) are the inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge embodied in the ...
; Versace has called Lady Gaga "the fresh Donatella". Gaga has also been influenced by
Princess Diana Diana, Princess of Wales (born Diana Frances Spencer; 1 July 1961 – 31 August 1997) was a member of the British royal family. She was the first wife of King Charles III (then Prince of Wales) and mother of Princes William and Harry. Her ac ...
, whom she has admired since her childhood. Gaga has called the Indian
alternative medicine Alternative medicine is any practice that aims to achieve the healing effects of medicine despite lacking biological plausibility, testability, repeatability, or evidence from clinical trials. Complementary medicine (CM), complementary and alt ...
advocate
Deepak Chopra Deepak Chopra (; ; born October 22, 1946) is an Indian-American author and alternative medicine advocate. A prominent figure in the New Age movement, his books and videos have made him one of the best-known and wealthiest figures in alternati ...
a "true inspiration", and has also quoted Indian leader
Osho Rajneesh (born Chandra Mohan Jain; 11 December 193119 January 1990), also known as Acharya Rajneesh, Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, and later as Osho (), was an Indian godman, mystic, and founder of the Rajneesh movement. He was viewed as a controv ...
's book ''Creativity'' on Twitter. Gaga says she was influenced by Osho's work in valuing rebellion through creativity and equality.


Musical style and themes

Critics have analyzed and scrutinized Gaga's musical and performance style, as she has experimented with new ideas and images throughout her career. She says the continual reinvention is "liberating" herself, which she has been drawn to since childhood. Gaga combines a variety of music genres, particularly incorporating elements of rock into her pop and dance music. She has also branched out into jazz and other non-pop musical genres. Gaga is a
contralto A contralto () is a type of classical female singing voice whose vocal range is the lowest female voice type. The contralto's vocal range is fairly rare; similar to the mezzo-soprano, and almost identical to that of a countertenor, typically b ...
, with a
range Range may refer to: Geography * Range (geographic), a chain of hills or mountains; a somewhat linear, complex mountainous or hilly area (cordillera, sierra) ** Mountain range, a group of mountains bordered by lowlands * Range, a term used to i ...
spanning from B2 to B5. She has changed her vocal style regularly, and considers ''Born This Way'' "much more vocally up to par with what I've always been capable of". In summing up her voice, ''
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 cul ...
'' wrote: "There's an immense emotional intelligence behind the way she uses her voice. Almost never does she overwhelm a song with her vocal ability, recognizing instead that artistry is to be found in nuance rather than lung power." According to Evan Sawdey of ''
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, fi ...
'', Gaga managed "to get you moving and grooving at an almost effortless pace" with ''The Fame''. Gaga believes that "all good music can be played on a piano and still sound like a hit".
Simon Reynolds Simon Reynolds (born 19 June 1963) is an English music journalist and author who began his professional career on the staff of ''Melody Maker'' in the mid-1980s. He has since gone on to freelance and publish a number of full-length books on music ...
wrote in 2010, "Everything about Gaga came from
electroclash Electroclash (also known as synthcore, retro-electro, tech-pop, nouveau disco, and the new new wave) is a genre of music that fuses 1980s electro, new wave and synth-pop Synth-pop (short for synthesizer pop; also called techno-pop; ) ...
, except the music, which wasn't particularly 1980s, just ruthlessly catchy
naughties File:2000s decade montage3.png, From top left, clockwise: The World Trade Center (1973–2001), World Trade Center on fire and the Statue of Liberty during the September 11 attacks, 9/11 attacks in 2001; the euro enters into European currency in ...
pop glazed with
Auto-Tune Auto-Tune (or autotune) is an audio processor introduced in 1996 by American company Antares Audio Technologies. Auto-Tune uses a proprietary device to measure and alter pitch in vocal and instrumental music recording and performances. Auto-Tu ...
and undergirded with R&B-ish beats." Gaga's songs have covered a wide variety of concepts; ''The Fame'' discusses the lust for stardom, while the follow-up ''The Fame Monster'' expresses fame's dark side through
monster A monster is a type of fictional creature found in horror, fantasy, science fiction, folklore, mythology and religion. Monsters are very often depicted as dangerous and aggressive with a strange, grotesque appearance that causes terror and fe ...
metaphors. ''The Fame'' is an electropop and dance-pop album that has influences of 1980s pop and 1990s Europop, whereas ''The Fame Monster'' displays Gaga's taste for pastiche, drawing on "Seventies arena glam, perky
ABBA ABBA ( , , formerly named Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Anni-Frid or Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Frida) are a Swedish supergroup formed in Stockholm in 1972 by Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. The group's ...
disco, and sugary throwbacks like Stacey Q". ''Born This Way'' has lyrics in English, French, German, and Spanish and features themes common to Gaga's controversial songwriting such as sex, love, religion, money, drugs, identity, liberation, sexuality, freedom, and individualism. The album explores new genres, such as electronic rock and techno. The themes in ''Artpop'' revolve around Gaga's personal views of fame, love, sex, feminism, self-empowerment, overcoming addiction, and reactions to media scrutiny. ''Billboard'' describes ''Artpop'' as "coherently channeling R&B, techno, disco and rock music". With ''Cheek to Cheek'', Gaga dabbled in the jazz genre. ''Joanne'', exploring the genres of country, funk, pop, dance, rock, electronic music and folk, was influenced by her personal life. The ''A Star Is Born'' soundtrack contains elements of blues rock, country and bubblegum pop. ''Billboard'' says its lyrics are about wanting change, its struggle, love, romance, and bonding, describing the music as "timeless, emotional, gritty and earnest. They sound like songs written by artists who, quite frankly, are supremely messed up but hit to the core of the listener." On ''Chromatica'', Gaga returned to her dance-pop roots, and discussed her struggles with mental health. Her second album with Tony Bennett, ''Love for Sale'', consists of a tribute to Cole Porter.


Videos and stage

Featuring constant costume changes and provocative visuals, Gaga's music videos are often described as short films. The video for "Telephone" earned Gaga the Guinness World Record for Most Product Placement in a Video. According to author Curtis Fogel, she explores Bondage (sexual), bondage and sadomasochism and highlights prevalent feminist themes. The main themes of her music videos are sex, violence, and power. She calls herself "a little bit of a feminist" and asserts that she is "sexually empowering women". ''Billboard'' ranked her sixth on its list of "The 100 Greatest Music Video Artists of All Time" in 2020, stating that "the name 'Lady Gaga' will forever be synonymous with culture-shifting music videos". Regarded as "one of the greatest living musical performers" by ''Rolling Stone'', Gaga has called herself a perfectionist when it comes to her elaborate shows. Her performances have been described as "highly entertaining and innovative"; the blood-spurting performance of "Paparazzi" at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards was described as "eye-popping" by MTV News. She continued the blood-soaked theme during The Monster Ball Tour, causing protests in England from family groups and fans in the aftermath of the Cumbria shootings, in which a taxi driver had killed 12 people, then himself. At the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards, Gaga appeared in drag (clothing), drag as her male alter ego, Jo Calderone, and delivered a lovesick monologue before a performance of her song "You and I". As Gaga's choreographer and creative director, Laurieann Gibson provided material for her shows and videos for four years before she was replaced by her assistant Richard Jackson (choreographer), Richard Jackson in 2014. In an October 2018 article for ''Billboard'', Rebecca Schiller traced back Gaga's videography from "Just Dance" to the release of ''A Star Is Born''. Schiller noted that following the ''Artpop'' era, Gaga's stripped-down approach to music was reflected in the clips for the singles from ''Joanne'', taking the example of the music video of lead single "Perfect Illusion" where she eschewed "the elaborate outfits for shorts and a tee-shirt as she performed the song at a desert party". It continued with her performances in the film as well as her stage persona. Reviewing The Chromatica Ball in 2022, Chris Willman of ''Variety (magazine), Variety'' wrote that Gaga "could have further played the authenticity card for all it's worth" after the release of ''Joanne'' and ''A Star Is Born'', but instead "has determined to keep herself weird — or just weird enough to provide necessarily ballast to her more earnest inclinations".


Public image

Public reception of her music, fashion sense, and persona is polarized. Because of her influence on modern culture, and her rise to global fame, sociologist Mathieu Deflem of the University of South Carolina has offered a course titled "Lady Gaga and the Sociology of the Fame" since early 2011 with the objective of unraveling "some of the sociologically relevant dimensions of the fame of Lady Gaga". When Gaga met briefly with then-president Barack Obama at a Human Rights Campaign fundraiser, he found the interaction "intimidating" as she was dressed in 16-inch heels, making her the tallest woman in the room. When interviewed by Barbara Walters for her annual ABC News special ''Barbara Walters' 10 Most Fascinating People, 10 Most Fascinating People'' in 2009, Gaga dismissed the claim that she is intersex as an urban legend. Responding to a question on this issue, she expressed her fondness for androgyny. Gaga's outlandish fashion sense has also served as an important aspect of her character. During her early career, members of the media compared her fashion choices to those of Christina Aguilera. In 2011, 121 women gathered at the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards, Grammy Awards dressed in costumes similar to those worn by Gaga, earning the 2011 Guinness World Record for Largest Gathering of Lady Gaga Impersonators. The Global Language Monitor named "Lady Gaga" as the Top Fashion Buzzword with her trademark "no pants" a close third. ''
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 cul ...
'' put her outfits on its end of the decade "best-of" list, saying that she "brought performance art into the mainstream". ''People (magazine), People'' ranked her number one on their "Best Dressed Stars of 2021" list, writing that Gaga "strutted the streets in high-fashion designs, from a sculptural seersucker number to a black lace corseted gown—accessorizing each with elegant updos, sky-high heels and retro shades—like it was no sweat." ''
Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to ...
'' placed Gaga on their All-''Time'' 100 Fashion Icons list, stating: "Lady Gaga is just as notorious for her outrageous style as she is for her pop hits", mentioning outfits "made from plastic bubbles, Kermit the Frog dolls, and raw meat." Gaga wore a Lady Gaga's meat dress, dress made of raw beef to the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards, which was supplemented by boots, a purse, and a hat also made out of raw beef. Partly awarded in recognition of the dress, ''Vogue (magazine), Vogue'' named her one of the Best Dressed people of 2010 and ''Time'' named the dress the Fashion Statement of the year. It attracted the attention of worldwide media; the animal rights organization People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) found it offensive. The meat dress was displayed at the National Museum of Women in the Arts in 2012, and entered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in September 2015. Gaga's fans call her "Mother Monster", and she often refers to them as "Little Monsters", a phrase she had tattooed on herself in dedication. In his article "Lady Gaga Pioneered Online Fandom Culture As We Know It" for ''Vice (magazine), Vice'', Jake Hall wrote that Gaga inspired several subsequent fan-brandings, such as those of Taylor Swift, Rihanna and Justin Bieber. In July 2012, Gaga also co-founded the social networking service LittleMonsters.com, devoted to her fans. Scott Hardy, CEO of Polaroid, praised Gaga for inspiring fans and for her close interactions with them on social media.


Censorship

In 2011, the Ministry of Culture of the People's Republic of China acting on behalf of the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, banned Gaga for "being vulgar." The ban was lifted in 2014. However, conditions for ''Artpop'' to go on sale legally in China were placed on the album artwork, covering her almost naked body. Officials also changed the title of the song "Sexxx Dreams" to "X Dreams." In 2016, Gaga was banned in China again after she publicly talked with the 14th Dalai Lama, Dalai Lama. The Chinese government added Gaga to a list of hostile foreign forces, and Chinese websites and media organizations were ordered to stop distributing her songs. The Publicity Department of the Chinese Communist Party also issued an order for state-controlled media to condemn this meeting. In the following years, Gaga's image was blacked out in reporting of the 91st Academy Awards in China and her appearance was cut from ''Friends: The Reunion''; both incidents received backlash from her Chinese fans.


Activism


Philanthropy

After declining an invitation to appear on the single "We Are the World 25 for Haiti", because of rehearsals for her tour, to benefit victims of the 2010 Haiti earthquake, Gaga donated the proceeds of her January 2010
Radio City Music Hall Radio City Music Hall is an entertainment venue and Theater (structure), theater at 1260 Sixth Avenue (Manhattan), Avenue of the Americas, within Rockefeller Center, in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. Nicknamed "The Showplac ...
concert to the country's reconstruction relief fund. All profits from her online store that day were also donated, and Gaga announced that $500,000 was collected for the fund. Hours after the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami hit Japan, Gaga tweeted a link to Japan Prayer Bracelets. All revenue from a bracelet she designed in conjunction with the company was donated to relief efforts; these raised $1.5 million. In June 2011, Gaga performed at MTV Japan's charity show in Makuhari Messe, which benefited the Japanese Red Cross. In 2012, Gaga joined the campaign group Artists Against Fracking. That October, Yoko Ono gave Gaga and four other activists the LennonOno Grant for Peace in Reykjavík, Iceland. The following month, Gaga pledged to donate $1 million to the American Red Cross to help the victims of Hurricane Sandy. Gaga also contributes in the fight against HIV/AIDS, HIV and AIDS, focusing on educating young women about the risks of the disease. In collaboration with Cyndi Lauper, Gaga joined forces with Make-up Art Cosmetics, MAC Cosmetics to launch a line of lipstick under their supplementary cosmetic line, Viva Glam. Sales have raised more than $202 million to fight HIV and AIDS. In April 2016, Gaga joined Vice President Joe Biden at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas to support Biden's White House Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault, It's On Us campaign as he traveled to colleges on behalf of the organization, which has seen 250,000 students from more than 530 colleges sign a pledge of solidarity and activism. Two months later, Gaga attended the United States Conference of Mayors, 84th Annual US Conference of Mayors in Indianapolis where she joined with the Dalai Lama to talk about the power of kindness and how to make the world a more compassionate place. In April 2020, Gaga curated the televised benefit concert, ''Together at Home, One World: Together at Home'', a collaboration with Global Citizen to benefit the World Health Organization's COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund. The special raised $127 million, which according to ''Forbes'' "puts it on par with the other legendary fundraiser, Live Aid, as the highest grossing charity concert in history." In recognition of her contribution to the Black Lives Matter movement, Gaga received the Yolanda Denise King High Ground Award from the King Center for Nonviolent Social Change, King Center's Beloved Community Awards in January 2021. In her acceptance speech, she denounced racism and white supremacy and addressed her social responsibility as a high-profile artist and white woman.


Born This Way Foundation

In 2012, Gaga launched the
Born This Way Foundation Born This Way Foundation (sometimes abbreviated as BTWF) is a non-profit organization founded in 2012 by American artist and activist Lady Gaga and her mother, Cynthia Germanotta. Named after the singer's album '' Born This Way'' (2011), the Found ...
(BTWF), a non-profit organization that focuses on youth empowerment. It takes its name from her 2011 single and album. Media proprietor Oprah Winfrey, writer Deepak Chopra, and US Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius spoke at the foundation's inauguration at Harvard University. The foundation's original funding included $1.2 million from Gaga, $500,000 from the MacArthur Foundation, and $850,000 from Barneys New York. In July 2012, the BTWF partnered with Office Depot, which donated 25% of the sales, a minimum of $1 million of a series of limited edition back-to-school products. The foundation's initiatives have included the "Born Brave Bus" that followed her on tour as a youth drop-in center as an initiative against bullying. In October 2015, at the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, Gaga joined 200 high school students, policy makers, and academic officials, including Peter Salovey, to discuss ways to recognize and channel emotions for positive outcomes. In 2016, the foundation partnered with Intel, Vox Media, and ''Recode'' to fight online harassment. The sales revenue of the 99th issue of the ''V'' magazine, which featured Gaga and Kinney, was donated to the foundation. Gaga and Elton John released the clothing and accessories line Love Bravery at Macy's in May. 25% of each purchase support Gaga's foundation and the Elton John AIDS Foundation. Gaga partnered with Starbucks for a week in June 2017 with the "Cups of Kindness" campaign, where the company donated 25 cents from some of the beverages sold to the foundation. She also appeared in a video by Staples Inc. to raise funds for the foundation and DonorsChoose.org. On the 2018 World Kindness Day, Gaga partnered with the foundation to bring food and relief to a Red Cross shelter for people who have been forced to evacuate homes due to the 2018 California wildfires, California wildfires. The foundation also partnered with Starbucks and SoulCycle to thank California firefighters for their relief work during the crisis. The singer had to previously evacuate her own home during the Woolsey Fire which spread through parts of Malibu. In March 2019, she penned a letter to supporters of the Born This Way Foundation, announcing the launch of a new pilot program for a teen mental health first aid project with the National Council for Behavioral Health. Gaga revealed her personal struggles with mental health in her letter and how she was able to get support which saved her life: "I know what it means to have someone support me and understand what I'm going through, and every young person in the world should have someone to turn to when they're hurting. It saved my life, and it will save theirs." In September 2020, Gaga released an anthology book, ''Channel Kindness: Stories of Kindness and Community'', featuring fifty-one stories about kindness, bravery, and resilience from young people all over the world collected by the Born This Way Foundation, and introduced by herself. She had been promoting it with a 21 days of kindness challenge on her social media, using the "BeKind21" hashtag. In 2021, Gaga collaborated with the Champagne house Dom Pérignon to benefit the Born This Way Foundation by releasing a limited edition of Rosé Vintage 2005 bottles along with a sculpture designed by her. The 110 exclusive pieces were sold at private sales, and the profit of $570,000 was donated to the foundation. On the 2021 World Kindness Day, Gaga released a 30-minute special, titled ''The Power of Kindness'', as part of the foundation's Channel Kindness program, in which together with a mental health expert and a group of eleven young people, she explored the connection between kindness and mental health.


LGBT advocacy

A bisexuality, bisexual woman, Gaga actively supports LGBT rights by country or territory, LGBT rights worldwide. She attributes much of her early success as a mainstream artist to her homosexuality, gay fans and is considered a gay icon. Early in her career, Gaga had difficulty getting airplay, radio airplay, and stated, "The turning point for me was the gay community." She thanked FlyLife, a LGBT culture in New York City, Manhattan-based LGBT marketing company with whom her label Interscope works, in the liner notes of ''The Fame''. One of her first televised performances was in May 2008 at the NewNowNext Awards, an awards show aired by the LGBT television network Logo (TV channel), Logo. Gaga spoke at the 2009 National Equality March in Washington, D.C., to support the LGBT rights movement. She attended the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards accompanied by four gay and lesbian former members of the United States Armed Forces who had been unable to serve Coming out, openly under the US military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy, which banned open homosexuality in the military. Gaga urged her fans via YouTube to contact their senators in an effort to overturn the policy. In September 2010, she spoke at a Servicemembers Legal Defense Network's rally in Portland, Maine. Following this event, ''The Advocate (LGBT magazine), The Advocate'' named her a "fierce advocate" for gays and lesbians. Gaga appeared at Europride, an international event dedicated to LGBT pride, in Rome in June 2011. She criticized the poor state of LGBT rights in Europe, gay rights in many European countries and described gay people as "revolutionaries of love". Later that year, she was referenced by teenager Suicide of Jamey Rodemeyer, Jamey Rodemeyer in the hours prior to his death, with Rodemeyer having tweeted "@ladygaga bye mother monster, thank you for all you have done, paws up forever". Rodemeyer's suicide prompted Gaga to meet with then-President Barack Obama in order to address anti-gay bullying in American schools. In 2011, she was also ordained as a minister by the Universal Life Church Monastery so that she could officiate the wedding of two female friends. In June 2016, during a vigil held in Los Angeles for victims of the Orlando nightclub shooting, attack at the gay nightclub Pulse in Orlando, Gaga read aloud the names of the 49 people killed in the attack, and gave a speech. Later that month, Gaga appeared in Human Rights Campaign's tribute video to the victims of the attack. She opposed the presidency of Donald Trump and his Transgender military ban in the United States, military transgender ban. She supported former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for president in 2016 United States presidential election, 2016. In 2018, a leaked memo from Trump's office revealed that his administration wanted to change the legal definition of sex to exclude transgender Americans. Gaga was one of the many celebrities to call him out and spread the #WontBeErased campaign to her 77 million Twitter followers. In January 2019, during one of her Enigma shows, she criticized Vice President Mike Pence for his wife Karen Pence working at an evangelical Christian school where LGBTQ people are turned away, calling him "the worst representation of what it means to be a Christian". Gaga also stated "I am a Christian woman, and what I do know about Christianity is that we bear no prejudice, and everybody is welcome". Gaga made a congratulatory speech commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots and the LGBT community, LGBTQ+ community's accomplishments at Stonewall 50 – WorldPride NYC 2019, WorldPride NYC 2019 outside the Stonewall Inn, birthplace of the modern LGBT social movements, gay rights movement.


Legacy

Gaga was named the "Honorific nicknames in popular music#G, Queen of Pop" in a 2011 ranking by ''Rolling Stone'' based on record sales and social media metrics. In 2012, she ranked fourth in
VH1 VH1 (originally an initialism of Video Hits One) is an American basic cable television network based in New York City and owned by Paramount Global. It was created by Warner-Amex Satellite Entertainment, at the time a division of Warner Commun ...
's Greatest Women in Music and became a feature of the temporary exhibition ''The Elevated. From the Pharaoh to Lady Gaga'', which marked the 150th anniversary of the National Museum, Warsaw, National Museum in Warsaw. Gaga has often been praised for using controversy to bring attention to various issues. According to Frankie Graddon of ''The Independent'', Gaga—who wore a meat dress to highlight her distaste for the US military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy—influenced protest dressing on red carpet. ''Billboard'' named her "the Greatest Pop Star of 2009", asserting that "to say that her one-year rise from rookie to MVP was meteoric doesn't quite cut it, as she wasn't just successful, but game-changing—thanks to her voracious appetite for reinvention." Because of ''The Fame'' success—it was listed as one of the 100 Greatest Debut Albums of All-Time by ''Rolling Stone'' in 2013—Gaga has been credited as one of the musicians that popularized synth-pop in the late 2000s and early 2010s. According to Kelefa Sanneh of ''The New Yorker'', "Lady Gaga blazed a trail for truculent pop stars by treating her own celebrity as an evolving art project." Including ''Born This Way'' as one of the 50 best female albums of all time, ''Rolling Stone'' Rob Sheffield considers it "hard to remember a world where we didn't have Gaga, although we're pretty sure it was a lot more boring". In 2015, ''Time'' also noted that Gaga had "practically invented the current era of pop music as spectacle". A 2017 journal published by ''Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts'' studying structural patterns in melodies of earworm songs compiled lists of catchiest tracks from 3,000 participants, in which Gaga's "Bad Romance", "Alejandro", and "Poker Face" ranked number one, eight, and nine, respectively. In 2018, NPR named her the second most influential female artist of the 21st century, noting her as "one of the first big artists of the 'Internet age. Gaga and her work have influenced various artists including Miley Cyrus, Nicki Minaj, Ellie Goulding, Halsey (singer), Halsey, Jennifer Lopez, Beyoncé, Nick Jonas, Sam Smith (singer), Sam Smith, Noah Cyrus, Katherine Langford, MGMT, Allie X, Greyson Chance, Cardi B, Rina Sawayama, Blackpink, Madison Beer, Ren (singer), Ren, Slayyyter, Bebe Rexha, Bree Runway, Celeste (singer), Celeste, Kim Petras, JoJo Siwa, Pabllo Vittar, Ava Max, Doja Cat, Chaeyoung of Twice, Kanye West, Rachel Zegler, SZA, Raye (singer), Raye, Grace Gaustad, and Laufey (singer), Laufey. A new genus of ferns, ''Gaga (plant), Gaga'', and three species, ''G. germanotta'', ''G. monstraparva'' and ''Kaikaia gaga'', have been named in her honor. The name ''monstraparva'' alluded to Gaga's fans, known as Little Monsters, since their symbol is the outstretched "monster claw" hand, which resembles a tightly rolled young fern leaf prior to unfurling. Gaga also has an extinct mammal, ''Gagadon minimonstrum'', and a parasitic wasp, ''Aleiodes gaga'', named for her. In Taichung, Taiwan, July 3 is designated as "Lady Gaga Day" marking the first day Gaga visited the country in 2011. In May 2021, to celebrate the tenth anniversary of ''Born This Way'' and its cultural impact, West Hollywood, California, West Hollywood mayor, Lindsey P. Horvath, presented a key to the city to Gaga and declared May 23 as "Born This Way Day." A street painting with the Daniel Quasar's version of the Rainbow flag (LGBT), pride flag featuring the album's title was also unveiled on Robertson Boulevard (Los Angeles), Robertson Boulevard as a tribute to the album, and how it has inspired the LGBT community over the years.


Achievements

Gaga has won thirteen Grammy Awards, an Academy Award, two Golden Globe Awards, a BAFTA Award, three Brit Awards, sixteen Guinness World Records, and the inaugural Songwriters Hall of Fame's Contemporary Icon Award. She received a National Arts Awards' Young Artist Award, which honors individuals who have shown accomplishments and leadership early in their career, the Jane Ortner Artist Award from the Grammy Museum in 2016, and a National Board of Review Award for Best Actress in 2018. Gaga has also been recognized by the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) with the Fashion Icon award. In 2019, she became the first woman to win an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, a Golden Globe Award and a Grammy Award in one year for her contribution to ''A Star Is Born''s soundtrack. At the 2020 MTV Video Music Awards, she was honored with the inaugural Tricon Award representing achievement in three (or more) fields of entertainment. Acknowledged by ''Billboard'' as the Greatest Pop Star in 2009, with honorable mention in 2010 and 2011, and Woman of the Year in 2015, Gaga has consecutively appeared on the magazine's Artists of the Year chart (scoring the definitive title in 2010), and ranked 11th on its Top Artists of the 2010s chart. She is the longest-reigning act of ''Billboard''s Dance/Electronic Albums chart with 244 weeks at number one, while ''The Fame'' (2008) holds the record for the most time on top in the chart's history, with 175 non-consecutive weeks. Her album ''Born This Way'' (2011) featured on ''Rolling Stone''s 2020 revision of their 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, and the song "Bad Romance" and its music video were among ''Rolling Stone''s Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, 500 Greatest Songs of All Time and 100 Greatest Music Videos of All Time, respectively, in 2021. In 2023, the magazine included Gaga among the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time. With estimated sales of 170million records as of 2018, Gaga is one of List of best-selling music artists, the world's best-selling music artists, and has produced some of the List of best-selling singles, best-selling singles of all time. As of 2022, she has grossed more than $689.5 million in revenue from concert tours and residencies with attendance of 6.3 million, being the fifth woman to pass the half-billion total as reported to ''Billboard'' Boxscore, receiving the Pollstar, ''Pollstar'' Award for Pop Touring Artist of the Decade (2010s). She is the 18th List of highest-certified music artists in the United States, top digital singles artist in the US, with 87.5 million equivalent units certified according to Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), was the first woman to receive the Digital Diamond Award certification from RIAA, one of the RIAA certification#Most Diamond 2, few artists with at least three Diamond certified songs ("Bad Romance", "Poker Face" and "Just Dance"), and the first and only artist to have two songs pass seven million downloads ("Poker Face" and "Just Dance"). In 2020, she became the first female artist to have four singles ("Just Dance", "Poker Face", "Bad Romance" and "Shallow") sell at least 10 million copies globally. According to ''Guinness World Records'', she was the most followed person on Twitter from 2011 to 2013, the most famous celebrity in 2013, and the most powerful popstar in 2014. She was included on ''
Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also re ...
'' Forbes Celebrity 100, Celebrity 100 from 2010 to 2015 and then from 2018 to 2020, having topped the list in 2011. She earned $62 million, $90 million, $52 million, $80 million, $33 million, and $59 million from 2010 through 2015, and $50 million, $39 million and $38 million between 2018 and 2020. Gaga also appeared on their list of the Forbes list of The World's 100 Most Powerful Women, World's Most Powerful Women from 2010 to 2014. She was named one of the
100 most influential people in the world ''Time'' 100 (often stylized as ''TIME'' 100) is an annual listicle of the 100 most influential people in the world, assembled by the American news magazine ''Time''. First published in 1999 as the result of a debate among American academics, po ...
by ''Time'' magazine in 2010 and 2019, and ranked second in its most influential people of the past ten years readers' poll in 2013. In March 2012, Gaga was ranked fourth on ''Billboard''s list of top moneymakers of 2011 with earnings of $25 million, which included sales from ''Born This Way'' and her Monster Ball Tour. The following year, she topped ''Forbes'' List of Top-Earning Celebs Under 30, which she also topped in 2011, and in February 2016, the magazine estimated her net worth to be $275 million. In December 2019, Gaga placed 10th on ''Forbes'' list of Forbes list of highest-earning musicians#2010s, Top-Earning Musicians of the Decade with earnings of $500 million in the 2010s. She was the fourth highest-earning female musician on the list.


Discography

Solo studio albums * '' The Fame'' (2008) (reissued in 2009 as '' The Fame Monster'') * '' Born This Way'' (2011) * '' Artpop'' (2013) * '' Joanne'' (2016) * '' Chromatica'' (2020) Collaborative studio albums * '' Cheek to Cheek'' (with Tony Bennett) (2014) * '' Love for Sale'' (with Tony Bennett) (2021) Soundtrack albums *''A Star Is Born (2018 soundtrack), A Star Is Born'' (with Bradley Cooper) (2018)


Tours and residencies

Headlining tours * The Fame Ball Tour (2009) * The Monster Ball Tour (2009–2011) * The Born This Way Ball (2012–2013) * ArtRave: The Artpop Ball (2014) *
Joanne World Tour The Joanne World Tour was the fifth headlining concert tour by American singer Lady Gaga, in support of her fifth studio album, '' Joanne'' (2016). It began on August 1, 2017, in Vancouver, Canada and ended on February 1, 2018, in Birmingham, Eng ...
(2017–2018) *
The Chromatica Ball The Chromatica Ball was the sixth headlining concert tour by American singer Lady Gaga in support of her sixth studio album, ''Chromatica'' (2020). Comprising of 20 shows, it began on July 17, 2022, in Düsseldorf and concluded on September 17, 2 ...
(2022) Co-headlining tours *
Cheek to Cheek Tour The Cheek to Cheek Tour was a co-headlining tour by American singers Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga in support of their album, ''Cheek to Cheek'' (2014). The tour, which began with a two-night run at The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas, played a total of ...
(with Tony Bennett) (2014–2015) Residencies * Lady Gaga Live at Roseland Ballroom (2014) *
Lady Gaga Enigma + Jazz & Piano Lady Gaga Enigma + Jazz & Piano is a concert residency held at the Park Theater, Park MGM in Las Vegas, United States, by American singer and songwriter Lady Gaga. The residency consists of two types of shows: Enigma, which focuses on theatrica ...
(2018–2023) Supporting act *
Doll Domination Tour The Doll Domination Tour was the second concert tour by American girl group The Pussycat Dolls. It was launched in support of their second studio album, ''Doll Domination'' (2008). The tour was announced in October 2008 with dates in Europe and ...
(2009)


Filmography

Film * ''
Machete Kills ''Machete Kills'' (also known as ''Robert Rodriguez's Machete Kills'') is a 2013 American action exploitation film directed by Robert Rodriguez, with a screenplay by Kyle Ward, from a story by Robert and Marcel Rodriguez. Based on the eponymo ...
'' (2013) * '' Sin City: A Dame to Kill For'' (2014) * '' A Star Is Born'' (2018) * '' House of Gucci'' (2021) * '' Joker: Folie à Deux'' (2024) Television * '' American Horror Story: Hotel'' (2015–2016) * '' American Horror Story: Roanoke'' (2016)


See also

* Artists with the most number-ones on the U.S. Dance Club Songs chart * Forbes list of highest-earning musicians, ''Forbes'' list of highest-earning musicians * Honorific nicknames in popular music * LGBT culture in New York City * List of actors with Academy Award nominations * List of LGBT people from New York City * List of Billboard Social 50 number-one artists, List of ''Billboard'' Social 50 number-one artists * List of most-followed Twitter accounts * List of organisms named after famous people (born 1950–present)


Notes


References


Citations


Literary sources

* * * * * * * * * * *


External links

* * * * * *
Lady Gaga
a
Todomusica.org
Spanish {{DEFAULTSORT:Lady Gaga Lady Gaga, 1986 births 21st-century American actresses 21st-century American pianists 21st-century American women singers 21st-century American singer-songwriters 21st-century American women writers 21st-century American LGBT people Actresses from New York City American bisexual actors American bisexual musicians American bisexual writers American contraltos American cosmetics businesspeople American dance musicians American female dancers American electronic musicians American women pop singers American women songwriters American film actresses American LGBT rights activists American LGBT singers American LGBT songwriters American LGBT dancers American music video directors American performance artists American pop pianists American pop rock singers American synth-pop musicians American television actresses American women in business American women in electronic music American women pianists American women record producers American women singer-songwriters Anti-bullying activists Anti-fracking movement Best Miniseries or Television Movie Actress Golden Globe winners Best Original Music BAFTA Award winners Best Original Song Academy Award-winning songwriters Bisexual actresses Bisexual feminists Bisexual singers Bisexual songwriters Bisexual dancers Bisexual women musicians Brit Award winners BT Digital Music Awards winners Convent of the Sacred Heart (NYC) alumni Dance-pop musicians Def Jam Recordings artists Echo (music award) winners Female music video directors Feminist musicians Germanotta family Golden Globe Award-winning musicians Grammy Award winners Grammy Award winners for dance and electronic music HIV/AIDS activists Interscope Records artists Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute alumni Bisexual Christians LGBT people from New York (state) LGBT record producers Living people MTV Europe Music Award winners MTV Video Music Award winners NME Awards winners Obscenity controversies in music Musicians from Manhattan People from the Upper West Side People with fibromyalgia People with post-traumatic stress disorder Philanthropists from New York (state) Record producers from New York (state) Shorty Award winners Singers from New York City Songwriters from New York (state) Sony Music Publishing artists Synth-pop singers Webby Award winners Writers from Manhattan American people of Italian descent