Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta[a] (born March 28, 1986), known professionally asLady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her image reinventions and versatility across the entertainment industry, she is an influential figure inpopular music. With estimated sales of 124million records, she is one of thebest-selling music artists of all time. Publications such asBillboard andRolling Stone have ranked her among the greatest artists in history.
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta was born into anupper-middle-class Catholic family on March 28, 1986, atLenox Hill Hospital inLenox Hill, Manhattan, New York City.[1] Both of her parents have Italian ancestry.[2] Her parents areCynthia Louise (née Bissett), a philanthropist and business executive, and Internet entrepreneur Joseph Germanotta,[3] and she has a younger sister named Natali.[4] Brought up on theUpper West Side of Manhattan, Gaga said in an interview that her parents came from lower-class families and worked hard for everything.[5][6] From age 11, she attended theConvent of the Sacred Heart, a private all-girls Roman Catholic school.[7] Gaga has described her high-school self as "very dedicated, very studious, very disciplined" but also "a bit insecure". She considered herself amisfit and was mocked for "being either too provocative or too eccentric".[8]
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 learn music by ear, which Gaga preferred over reading sheet music. Her parents encouraged her to pursue music and enrolled her in Creative Arts Camp.[9] As a teenager, she played atopen mic nights.[10] Gaga played the lead roles of Adelaide in the playGuys and Dolls and Philia in the playA Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum atRegis High School.[11] She also studiedmethod acting at theLee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute for ten years.[12] Her screen debut was a background appearance in the 2000 music video forAC/DC's song "Stiff Upper Lip".[13] Gaga auditioned unsuccessfully for New York shows, though did appear in a small background role as a high-school student in a 2001 episode ofThe Sopranos titled "The Telltale Moozadell".[14] Fan interest in that episode increased when a clip of Gaga's scene surfaced online in 2010.[15][16] She later said of her inclination towards music:
I don't know exactly where my affinity for music comes from, but it is the thing that comes easiest to me. When I was like three years old, I may have been even younger, my mom always tells this really embarrassing story of me propping myself up and playing the keys like this because I was too young and short to get all the way up there. Just go like this on the low end of the piano ... I was really, really good at piano, so my first instincts were to work so hard at practicing piano, and I might not have been a natural dancer, but I am a natural musician. That is the thing that I believe I am the greatest at.[17]
In 2003, Gaga gained early admission toCollaborative Arts Project 21, a music school atNew York University (NYU)'sTisch School of the Arts, and lived in anNYU 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 artistsSpencer Tunick andDamien Hirst.[18][19] In 2005, Gaga withdrew from school during the second semester of her second year to focus on her music career.[20] That year, she also played an unsuspecting diner customer forMTV'sBoiling Points, a prank reality television show.[21]
In a 2014 interview, Gaga discussed being raped at age 19 by her producer, and later undergoing mental and physical therapy for this.[22] She haspost-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and attributes it to the incident, stating that the trauma had changed her as a person, and would never leave her.[23] She has credited support from doctors, family, and friends with helping her.[24] Gaga later gave additional details about the rape, including that "the person who raped medropped me off pregnant on a corner at my parents' house because I was vomiting and sick. Because I'd been being abused. I was locked away in a studio for months."[25]
2005–2007: Career beginnings
In 2005, Gaga recorded two songs with rapperMelle Mel for anaudio book accompanying Cricket Casey's children's novelThe Portal in the Park.[26] She also formed a band called the SGBand with some friends from NYU.[11][27] They played gigs around New York and became a fixture of the downtownLower East Side club scene.[11] After the 2006Songwriters Hall of Fame New Songwriters Showcase atthe Cutting Room in June, talent scout Wendy Starland recommended her to music producerRob Fusari.[28] Fusari collaborated with Gaga, who traveled daily to New Jersey, helping to develop her songs and compose new material.[29] 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 fromQueen's song "Radio Ga Ga".[30] According to his account, the name was coined when on one occasion he attempted to call her "Radio Ga Ga" via text message, but thespell checkerautocorrected "Radio" to "Lady".[31] Their relationship lasted until January 2007.[32]
Fusari and Gaga established a company called Team Lovechild, LLC to promote her career.[30] They recorded and producedelectropop tracks, sending them to music industry executives. Joshua Sarubin, the head ofArtists and repertoire (A&R) atDef Jam Recordings, responded positively and, after approval from Sarubin's bossAntonio "L.A." Reid, Gaga was signed to Def Jam in September2006.[33] She was dropped from the label three months later[34] and returned to her family home for Christmas. Gaga began performing atneo-burlesque shows, and said these represented freedom to her.[35] During this time, she met performance artistLady Starlight, who helped mold her onstage persona.[36] The pair began performing at downtown club venues like theMercury Lounge,the Bitter End, and theRockwood Music Hall. 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.[37][38] They performed at the 2007Lollapalooza music festival.[37]
In late 2007, Gaga met with songwriter and producerRedOne.[45] She collaborated with him in the recording studio for a week on her debut album, signing withCherrytree Records, an Interscope imprint established by producer and songwriterMartin Kierszenbaum; she also wrote four songs with Kierszenbaum.[42] 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."[7]
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 onAndy Warhol'sThe Factory.[46][47]The Fame was released on August 19, 2008,[48] and reached number one in Austria, Canada, Germany, Ireland, Switzerland and the UK, as well as the top five in Australia and the US.[49][50] Its first two singles, "Just Dance" and "Poker Face",[51] reached number one in the United States,[52] Australia,[53] Canada[54] and the UK.[55] The latter was also theworld's best-selling single of 2009, with 9.8 million copies sold that year, and spent a record 83 weeks onBillboard magazine'sDigital Songs chart.[56][57] Three other singles, "Eh, Eh (Nothing Else I Can Say)", "LoveGame" and "Paparazzi", were released from the album;[58] the lattermost reached number one in Germany.[59] Remixed versions of the singles fromThe Fame, except "Eh, Eh (Nothing Else I Can Say)", were included onHitmixes in August 2009.[60] At the52nd Annual Grammy Awards,The Fame and "Poker Face" wonBest Dance/Electronica Album andBest Dance Recording, respectively.[61]
Gaga onThe Monster Ball Tour in 2010; it grossed $227 million and became the highest-grossing concert tour for a debut headlining artist[62]
Following her opening act onthe Pussycat Dolls' 2009Doll Domination Tour in Europe and Oceania, Gaga headlined her worldwideThe Fame Ball Tour, which ran from March to September 2009.[63] While traveling the globe, she wrote eight songs forThe Fame Monster, a reissue ofThe Fame.[64] Those new songs were also released as a standaloneEP on November 18, 2009.[65] Its first single, "Bad Romance", was released one month earlier[66] and went number one in Canada[54] and the UK,[55] and number two in the US,[52] Australia[67] and New Zealand.[68] "Telephone", withBeyoncé, followed as the second single from the EP and became Gaga's fourth UK number one.[69][70] Its third single was "Alejandro",[71] which reached number one in Finland[72] and attracted controversy when its music video was deemedblasphemous by theCatholic League.[73] Both tracks reached the top five in the US.[52] The video for "Bad Romance" became themost watched on YouTube in April 2010, and that October, Gaga became the first person with more than one billion combined views.[74][75]
During this era, Gaga ventured into business, collaborating with consumer electronics companyMonster Cable Products to create in-ear, jewel-encrusted headphones called Heartbeats by Lady Gaga.[93] She also partnered withPolaroid in January 2010 as their creative director and announced a suite of photo-capture products called Grey Label.[94][95] Her collaboration with her past record producer and ex-boyfriend Rob Fusari led to a lawsuit against her production team, Mermaid Music LLC.[b] At this time, Gaga was tested borderline positive forlupus but claimed not to be affected by the symptoms and hoped to maintain a healthy lifestyle.[98][99]
2011–2014:Born This Way,Artpop, andCheek to Cheek
In February 2011, Gaga released "Born This Way", the lead single from herstudio album of the same name. The song sold more than one million copies within five days, earning theGuinness World Record for the fastest selling single oniTunes.[100] It debuted atop theBillboard Hot 100, becoming the 1,000th number-one single in the history of the charts.[101] Its second single "Judas" followed two months later,[102] and "The Edge of Glory" served as its third single.[103] Both reached the top 10 in the US and the UK.[52][55] 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.[104]
Born This Way was released on May 23, 2011,[102] and debuted atop theBillboard 200 with first-week sales of1.1 million copies.[105] It sold eight million copies worldwide and received three Grammy nominations, including Gaga's third consecutive nomination forAlbum of the Year.[106][107]Rolling Stone listed the record among "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time" in 2020.[108]Born This Way's following singles were "You and I" and "Marry the Night",[109] which reached numbers 6 and 29 in the US, respectively.[52] Its track, "Bloody Mary", became a resurgent success and was released as a single in 2022.[110] While filming the "You and I" music video, Gaga met and started dating actorTaylor Kinney in July 2011, who played her love interest.[111][112] She also embarked on theBorn 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 alabral tear of her right hip that required surgery.[113] While refunds for the cancellations were estimated to be worth $25 million,[114] the tour grossed $183.9 million globally.[115]
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".[124][125][126] In August 2013, Gaga released the album's lead single "Applause",[127] which reached number one in Hungary, number four in the US, and number five in the UK.[55][52][128] Alyric video forArtpop track "Aura" followed in October to accompanyRobert Rodriguez'sMachete Kills, where she plays an assassin named La Chameleon.[129] The film received generally mixed reviews and earned less than half of its $33 million budget.[130][131] The secondArtpop single, "Do What U Want", featured singerR. Kelly and was released later that month,[132] topping the charts in Hungary and reaching number 13 in the US.[52][133]Artpop was released on November 6, 2013, to mixed reviews.[134] Helen Brown ofThe Daily Telegraph criticized Gaga for making another album about her fame and doubted the record's originality, but found it "great for dancing".[135] The album debuted atop theBillboard 200 chart, and sold more than 2.5 million copies worldwide as of July 2014.[136][137] "G.U.Y." was released as the third single in March 2014 and peaked at number 76 in the US.[52][138]
In September 2014, Gaga released a collaborative jazz album with Tony Bennett titledCheek to Cheek. The inspiration behind the album came from her friendship with Bennett, and fascination with jazz music since her childhood.[149] He stated that Gaga is "the most talented artist I have ever met".[150] Before the album was released, it produced the singles "Anything Goes" and "I Can't Give You Anything but Love".[151]Cheek to Cheek received generally favorable reviews;[152]The Guardian's Caroline Sullivan praised Gaga's vocals and Howard Reich of theChicago Tribune wrote that "Cheek to Cheek serves up the real thing, start to finish".[153][154] The record was Gaga's third consecutive number-one album on theBillboard 200,[155] and won aGrammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album.[156] The duo recorded the concert specialTony Bennett and Lady Gaga: Cheek to Cheek Live!,[157] and embarked on theCheek to Cheek Tour from December 2014 to August 2015.[158]
2015–2017:American Horror Story,Joanne, and Super Bowl performances
In February 2016, Gaga sang theUS national anthem atSuper Bowl 50,[170] partnered withIntel andNile Rodgers for a tribute performance to the late David Bowie at the58th Annual Grammy Awards,[171] and sang "Til It Happens to You" at the88th Academy Awards, where she was introduced byJoe Biden and was accompanied on-stage by 50 people who had suffered from sexual assault.[172] Her engagement to Taylor Kinney ended in July; she later said her career had interfered with their relationship.[173]
Gaga played a witch namedScathach inAmerican Horror Story: Roanoke, the series' sixth season,[174] which ran from September to November 2016.[175][176] Her role in the fifth season of the show ultimately influenced her future music, prompting her to feature "the art of darkness".[177] In September 2016, she released her fifth album's lead single, "Perfect Illusion", which topped the charts in France and reached number 15 in the US.[178][179][180] The album, titledJoanne, was named after Gaga's late aunt, who was an inspiration for the music.[181] It was released on October 21, 2016, and became Gaga's fourth number one album on theBillboard 200, making her the first woman to reach the US chart's summit four times in the 2010s.[182] The album's second single, "Million Reasons", followed the next month and reached number four in the US.[180][183] She later released a piano version of the album'stitle track in 2018,[184] which won aGrammy for Best Pop Solo Performance.[185] To promote the album, Gaga embarked on the three-dateDive Bar Tour.[186]
Gaga performed as the headlining act during theSuper 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'sNRG Stadium—the first time robotic aircraft appeared in a Super Bowl program.[187] 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 at the time.[188] The performance led to a surge of 410,000 song downloads in the United States for Gaga and earned her anEmmy nomination in theOutstanding Special Class Program category.[189][190]CBS Sports included her performance as the second best in the history of Super Bowl halftime shows.[191] In April, Gaga headlined theCoachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.[192] She also released a standalone single, "The Cure", which reached the top 10 in Australia.[193][194] Four months later, Gaga began theJoanne World Tour, which she announced after the Super Bowl LI halftime show.[195] Gaga's creation ofJoanne and preparation for her halftime show performance were featured in the documentaryGaga: Five Foot Two, which premiered onNetflix that September.[196] Throughout the film, she was seen suffering fromchronic pain, which was later revealed to be the effect of a long-term condition calledfibromyalgia.[197] 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.[198][199]
In March 2018, Gaga released a cover of Elton John's "Your Song" for his tribute albumRevamp.[201] Later that year, she starred as struggling singer Ally inBradley Cooper's musical romantic dramaA Star Is Born, a remake of the1937 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".[202] 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.[203][204]A Star Is Born premiered at the2018 Venice Film Festival, and was released worldwide that October.[205] Gaga's performance was acclaimed by film critics, withPeter Bradshaw ofThe Guardian 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".[206]Stephanie Zacharek ofTime magazine similarly highlighted her "knockout performance" and found her to be "charismatic" without her usual makeup, wigs and costumes.[207] For the role, Gaga won theNational Board of Review andCritics' Choice awards for Best Actress, in addition to receiving nominations for theAcademy Award,Golden Globe Award,Screen Actors Guild Award andBAFTA Award for Best Actress.[208]
In October, Gaga announced her engagement to talent agent Christian Carino whom she had met in early 2017.[222] They ended the engagement in February 2019.[223] Gaga signed aconcert residency, namedLady Gaga Enigma + Jazz & Piano, to perform at theMGM Park Theater inLas Vegas.[224] The residency consisted of two types of shows: Enigma, which focused on theatricality and included Gaga's biggest hits,[225] and Jazz & Piano, which involved tracks from theGreat American Songbook and stripped-down versions of Gaga's songs. The Enigma show opened in December 2018 and the Jazz & Piano in January 2019.[226] Gaga launched hervegan makeup line,Haus Laboratories, in September 2019 exclusively onAmazon. 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.[227]
2020–2023:Chromatica,Love for Sale, andHouse of Gucci
Gaga's sixth studio album,Chromatica, was released on May 29, 2020, to positive reviews.[228][229] 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.[230]Chromatica's lead single, "Stupid Love", was released on February 28, 2020,[231] and charted at number five in the US and the UK.[232] The second single, "Rain on Me" withAriana Grande, followed on May 22.[233] It won the Best Pop Duo/Group Performance at the63rd 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.[234][235] At the2020 MTV Video Music Awards, Gaga won five awards, including the inaugural Tricon Award representing achievement in three (or more) fields of entertainment.[236] In September 2020, she appeared in the video campaign forValentino's Voce Viva fragrance, singing a stripped-down version ofChromatica track "Sine from Above", along with a group of models.[237]
Havingendorsed Joe Biden in the2020 United States presidential election, Gaga sang the US national anthem duringhis inauguration as the country's 46th President on January 20, 2021.[239][240] In February 2021, her dog walker Ryan Fischer was hospitalized after getting shot in Hollywood. Two of herFrench 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.[241][242] Two days later, on February 26, a woman brought the dogs to a police station in Los Angeles. Both were unharmed.Los Angeles Police initially said the woman who dropped off the dogs did not appear to be involved with the shooting,[243][244] but on April 29, she was one of five people charged in connection with the shooting and theft.[245] In December 2022, James Howard Jackson, the man who shot Fischer, was sentenced to 21 years in prison.[246]
In April 2021, Gaga teamed up with Champagne brandDom Pérignon, and appeared in an ad shot by Nick Knight.[247] On September 3, she released her third remix album,Dawn of Chromatica.[248] This was followed by her second collaborative album with Tony Bennett, titledLove for Sale, on September 30.[249] The record received generally favorable reviews, and debuted at number eight in the US.[250][251] The album's promotional rollout included the television specialOne 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 atRadio City Music Hall.[252][253] Another taped performance by the duo recorded forMTV Unplugged was released that December.[254] At the64th Annual Grammy Awards,Love for Sale won Gaga and Bennett the award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album.[255]
Gaga starred asHarleen "Lee" Quinzel alongsideJoaquin Phoenix inTodd Phillips's musical psychological thrillerJoker: Folie à Deux, the sequel to his 2019 filmJoker.[281] It premiered at the81st Venice International Film Festival and was released theatrically in October 2024.[282] While the film was a critical and commercial failure, Gaga's performance was better received, with critics finding her to be underused.[283][284] Songs recorded by her and Phoenix for the film were included on an accompanyingsoundtrack album.[285] Gaga additionally produced a companion album to the film, titledHarlequin, which was released on September 27, 2024.[286] She and Polansky co-wrote four of its tracks.[287]
Gaga's album titledMayhem—conceived as a pop record per Polansky's recommendation—was released on March 7, 2025, to critical acclaim and debuted at number one in the US.[275][288][289] The couple served as executive producers for the album,[290] and wrote seven tracks together.[274] This included the lead single "Disease", which was released on October 25, 2024,[291] and peaked at number seven in the UK.[292] Its second single, "Abracadabra", followed on February 3, 2025,[293] reaching the top five in Germany and the UK, as well as on the Global 200 chart.[294][295][296] The track list also included "Die with a Smile" as a later addition.[297] Gaga sang "Hold My Hand" at theSuper Bowl LIX pregame as a tribute to the victims of the2025 New Orleans truck attack, which won her the award for Outstanding Music Direction at the46th Sports Emmy Awards.[298] In March 2025, she hostedSaturday Night Live for a second time.[299] At the2025 iHeartRadio Music Awards, she was honored with the Innovator Award.[300]
Gaga was inspired by her mother to be interested in fashion, which would later become a major influence and integrated with her music.[20][323] Stylistically, Gaga has been compared toLeigh Bowery,Isabella Blow, andCher;[324][325] she once commented that as a child, she absorbed Cher's fashion sense and made it her own.[325] Gaga became friends with British fashion designerAlexander McQueen shortly before his suicide in 2010, and became known for wearing his designs, particularly his toweringarmadillo shoes.[98][326] She has called fashion designerDonatella Versace hermuse; Versace referred to Gaga as "the fresh Donatella".[327][328] Gaga has also been influenced byPrincess Diana, whom she has admired since childhood.[329]
Gaga has called the Indianalternative medicine advocateDeepak Chopra a "true inspiration",[330] and has also quoted Indian leaderOsho's bookCreativity on Twitter. Gaga said she was influenced by Osho's work in valuing rebellion through creativity and equality.[331]
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 has called the continual reinvention "liberating", and has been drawn to it since childhood.[332] Gaga has said thatsynesthesia, characterized by her seeing colors while making music, has played a key role in her creative process, explaining: "As I'm writing, it assembles in my brain, then through the recording it becomes a full piece of colour. Every song is a different shade."[274] 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.[333] Gaga's voice has been classified as acontralto,[334][335][336] with avocal range spanning fromB♭2 toB5.[337][338][339] She has changed her vocal style regularly, and deemedBorn This Way "much more vocally up to par with what I've always been capable of".[340][341] In summing up her voice,Entertainment Weekly 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."[342]
According to Evan Sawdey ofPopMatters, Gaga managed "to get you moving and grooving at an almost effortless pace" withThe Fame.[343] Gaga has said that she believes "all good music can be played on a piano and still sound like a hit".[344]Simon Reynolds wrote in 2010: "Everything about Gaga came fromelectroclash, except the music, which wasn't particularly 1980s, just ruthlessly catchynaughties pop glazed withAuto-Tune and undergirded withR&B-ish beats."[345]
Gaga's songs have covered a wide variety of concepts;The Fame discusses the lust for stardom, whileThe Fame Monster expresses fame's dark side throughmonster metaphors.The Fame is an electropop and dance-pop album that has influences of 1980s pop and 1990sEuropop,[346] whereasThe Fame Monster displays Gaga's taste for pastiche, drawing on "Seventies arena glam, perkyABBAdisco, and sugary throwbacks likeStacey Q".[347]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.[348] The album explores new genres, such aselectronic rock andtechno.[349]
The themes inArtpop revolve around Gaga's personal views of fame, love, sex,feminism, self-empowerment, overcoming addiction, and reactions to media scrutiny.[350]Billboard describedArtpop as "coherently channeling R&B, techno, disco and rock music".[351] WithCheek to Cheek, Gaga pursued the jazz genre.[352]Joanne, exploring the genres of country, funk, pop, dance, rock, electronic music and folk, was influenced by her personal life.[353] TheA Star Is Born soundtrack contains elements ofblues rock, country andbubblegum pop.[213]Billboard commented that 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."[354]
OnChromatica, Gaga returned to her dance-pop roots, and discussed her struggles with mental health.[355]Love for Sale andHarlequin expand on her venture into jazz music. The former consists of a tribute toCole Porter, while the latter was inspired by her role inJoker: Folie à Deux.[356][357] WithMayhem, Gaga aimed to revisit "the pop music my earliest fans loved."[358] Described byBillboard as a "chaotic blur of genres",[359] it incorporatessynth-pop,[360] withindustrial dance influences,[358] and elements ofelectro, disco,industrial pop, rock andpop rock.[359][360] Lyrically, it explores themes of love, chaos, fame, identity, and desire, using metaphors of transformation, duality, and excess.[361][362][363]
Featuring constant costume changes and provocative visuals, Gaga's music videos are often described as short films.[364] The video for "Telephone" earned Gaga theGuinness World Record for Most Product Placement in a Video.[365] According to author Curtis Fogel, she exploresbondage andsadomasochism and highlights prevalent feminist themes. The main themes of her music videos are sex, violence, and power. She has called herself "a little bit of a feminist" and asserted that she is "sexually empowering women".[366]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".[367]
Regarded as "one of the greatest living musical performers" byRolling Stone,[368] Gaga has called herself a perfectionist when it comes to her elaborate shows.[369] Her performances have been described as "highly entertaining and innovative";[370] the blood-spurting performance of "Paparazzi" at the2009 MTV Video Music Awards was described as "eye-popping" by MTV News and ranked among the best MTV VMA performances of all time by various publications.[371][372] She continued the blood-soaked theme during The Monster Ball Tour, causing protests in England from family groups and fans in the aftermath of theCumbria shootings, in which a taxi driver had killed 12 people, then himself.[373] At the2011 MTV Video Music Awards, Gaga appeared indrag as her malealter ego, Jo Calderone, and delivered a lovesick monologue before performing her song "You and I".[374] She stated that she created the character to explore "what I was looking for in men, and also what I was maybe lacking in myself".[375] When asked about the persona in 2025, she said that Calderone was "no longer with us".[375] 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 assistantRichard Jackson in 2014.[376]
In an October 2018 article forBillboard, Rebecca Schiller traced back Gaga's videography from "Just Dance" to the release ofA Star Is Born. Schiller noted that following theArtpop era, Gaga's stripped-down approach to music was reflected in the clips for the singles fromJoanne, 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.[377] Reviewing The Chromatica Ball in 2022, Chris Willman ofVariety wrote that Gaga "could have further played the authenticity card for all it's worth" after the release ofJoanne andA Star Is Born, but instead "has determined to keep herself weird — or just weird enough to provide necessarily ballast to her more earnest inclinations".[378]
Public image
In 2010, eight wax figures of Gaga were installed at the museumMadame Tussauds.[379]
Public reception of Gaga's music, fashion sense, and persona is polarized. She is noted for her outlandish fashion sense, which has served as an important aspect of her character.[324][327] During her early career, members of the media compared her fashion choices to those of Christina Aguilera.[327] When she met briefly with then-presidentBarack Obama at aHuman Rights Campaign fundraiser, he found the interaction "intimidating" as she was dressed in 16-inch (40 cm) heels, making her the tallest woman in the room.[380] When interviewed byBarbara Walters for her annualABC News special10 Most Fascinating People in 2009, she dismissed the claim that she isintersex as anurban legend. Responding to a question on this issue, she expressed her fondness forandrogyny.[381]
In 2011, 121 women gathered at theGrammy Awards dressed in costumes similar to those worn by Gaga, earning the 2011Guinness World Record for Largest Gathering of Lady Gaga Impersonators.[100] TheGlobal Language Monitor named "Lady Gaga" as the Top Fashion Buzzword with her trademark "no pants" a close third.[382]Entertainment Weekly put her outfits on its end of the decade "best-of" list, saying that she "brought performance art into the mainstream".[383]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."[384]
Time 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".[385] Gaga wore adress 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.[386] Partly awarded in recognition of the dress,Vogue named her one of the Best Dressed people of 2010 andTime named the dress the Fashion Statement of the year.[387][388] It attracted the attention of worldwide media; the animal rights organizationPeople for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) found it offensive.[389] The meat dress was displayed at theNational Museum of Women in the Arts in 2012,[390] and entered theRock and Roll Hall of Fame in September 2015.[391]
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.[392] In his article "Lady Gaga Pioneered Online Fandom Culture As We Know It" forVice, Jake Hall wrote that Gaga inspired several subsequent fan-brandings, such as those ofTaylor Swift,Rihanna andJustin Bieber.[393] In July 2012, Gaga also co-founded thesocial networking service LittleMonsters.com, devoted to her fans.[394] Scott Hardy, CEO of Polaroid, praised Gaga for inspiring fans and for her close interactions with them on social media.[395]
Censorship
In 2011, lyrics of Gaga's song "Born This Way", which reference homosexuality and LGBTQ subjects, were censored by Malaysian broadcasterAMP Radio Networks as a precaution against government restrictions against songs which might violate "good taste or decency or [are] offensive to public feeling".[396] The same year, theMinistry of Culture of the People's Republic of China, reportedly enforcing a directive designed to tackle "poor taste and vulgar content", banned the publication of six of Gaga's songs from the albumBorn This Way on all Chinese music websites.[397][398]
In 2014, her albumArtpop was released in China with conditions being placed on the album artwork, covering her almost naked body as well as changing the title of the song "Sexxx Dreams" to "X Dreams".[399] In 2016, her meeting with theDalai Lama resulted in theChinese government adding her to a list of hostile foreign forces, and Chinese websites and media organizations were ordered to stop distributing her songs.[400][401] ThePublicity Department of the Chinese Communist Party also issued an order for state-controlled media to condemn the meeting.[402] In 2019, coverage of Gaga in the 91st Academy Awards was removed on some Chinese streaming platforms such asMango TV and in 2021 her appearance was cut fromFriends: The Reunion; both incidents received backlash from Chinese fans.[403][404]
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 the2010 Haiti earthquake, Gaga donated the proceeds of her January 2010Radio City Music Hall concert to the country's reconstruction relief fund.[405] All profits from her online store that day were also donated, and Gaga announced that $500,000 was collected for the fund.[406] Hours after the2011 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;[407] these raised $1.5 million.[408] In June 2011, Gaga performed atMTV Japan's charity show inMakuhari Messe, which benefited theJapanese Red Cross.[409]
In 2012, Gaga joined the campaign groupArtists Against Fracking.[410] That October,Yoko Ono gave Gaga and four other activists theLennonOno Grant for Peace inReykjavík, Iceland.[411] The following month, Gaga pledged to donate $1 million to the American Red Cross to help the victims ofHurricane Sandy. Gaga has also contributed to the fight againstHIV and AIDS, focusing on educating young women about the risks of the disease. In collaboration withCyndi Lauper, Gaga joined forces withMAC Cosmetics to launch a line of lipstick under their supplementary cosmetic line, Viva Glam.[412] Sales have raised more than $202 million to fight HIV and AIDS.[413]
In April 2016, Gaga joined Vice President Joe Biden at theUniversity of Nevada, Las Vegas to support hisIt'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.[414] Two months later, Gaga attended the84th Annual US Conference of Mayors in Indianapolis where together with the Dalai Lama she talked about the power of kindness and how to make the world a more compassionate place.[415]
In 2012, Gaga launched theBorn This Way Foundation (BTWF), a non-profit organization that focuses on youth empowerment. It has been named after her 2011 single and album. Media proprietorOprah Winfrey, writer Deepak Chopra, and US Secretary of Health and Human ServicesKathleen Sebelius spoke at the foundation's inauguration atHarvard University.[420] The foundation's original funding included $1.2 million from Gaga, $500,000 from the MacArthur Foundation, and $850,000 fromBarneys New York.[421] In July 2012, the BTWF partnered withOffice Depot for a series of limited edition back-to-school products, with 25% of its sales going towards the foundation, for a guaranteed donation of $1 million.[422] The foundation's initiatives have included the "Born Brave Bus" that followed Gaga on tour as a youth drop-in center as an initiative against bullying.[423][424]
In October 2015, at the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, Gaga joined 200 high school students, policy makers, and academic officials, includingPeter Salovey, to discuss ways to recognize and channel emotions for positive outcomes.[425] In 2016, the foundation partnered with Intel,Vox Media, andRecode to fight online harassment.[426] The sales revenue of the 99th issue of theV magazine, which featured Gaga and Kinney, was donated to the foundation.[168] Gaga and Elton John released the clothing and accessories line Love Bravery atMacy's in May 2016. 25% of each purchase benefited the BTWF and theElton John AIDS Foundation.[427] Gaga partnered withStarbucks 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.[428] She also appeared in a video byStaples Inc. to raise funds for the foundation and DonorsChoose.org.[429]
On the 2018World Kindness Day, Gaga partnered with the foundation to bring food and relief to aRed Cross shelter for people who have been forced to evacuate homes due to theCalifornia wildfires. The foundation also partnered with Starbucks andSoulCycle to thank California firefighters for their relief work during the crisis. Gaga had to previously evacuate her own home during theWoolsey Fire which spread through parts of Malibu.[430] In March 2019, she penned a letter to supporters of the BTWF, 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 withmental 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."[431][432]
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 BTWF, and introduced by herself.[433] She promoted it with a 21 days of kindness challenge on her social media, using the "BeKind21" hashtag.[434] In 2021, Gaga collaborated with the Champagne house Dom Pérignon to benefit the BTWF 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.[435][436] On the 2021 World Kindness Day, Gaga released a 30-minute special, titledThe 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.[437]
Abisexual woman,[e] Gaga has been actively supportingLGBTQ rights worldwide.[438] She has attributed much of her early success as a mainstream artist to hergay fans and is considered a gay icon.[439][440] Early in her career, Gaga had difficulty gettingradio airplay, and stated: "The turning point for me was the gay community."[441] She thanked FlyLife, aManhattan-basedLGBTQ marketing company which worked with her label Interscope at the time, in the liner notes ofThe Fame.[442] One of her first televised performances was in May 2008 at theNewNowNext Awards, an awards show aired by the LGBTQ television networkLogo.[443]
Gaga spoke at the 2009National Equality March in Washington, D.C., to support the LGBTQ rights movement.[444] She attended the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards accompanied by four gay and lesbian former members of theUnited States Armed Forces who had been unable to serveopenly under the US military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy, which banned open homosexuality in the military.[445] Gaga urged her fans via YouTube to contact their senators in an effort to overturn the policy. In September 2010, she spoke at aServicemembers Legal Defense Network's rally inPortland, Maine. Following this event,The Advocate named her a "fierce advocate" for gays and lesbians.[446]
Gaga appeared atEuropride, an international event dedicated to LGBTQ pride, in Rome in June 2011. She criticized the poor state ofgay rights in many European countries and described gay people as "revolutionaries of love".[447] Later that year, she was referenced by teenagerJamey 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 to address anti-gay bullying in American schools.[448] She laterendorsed him during the2012 US presidential election.[449] In 2011, Gaga was also ordained as a minister by theUniversal Life Church Monastery allowing her to officiate the wedding of two female friends.[450]
Gaga at herMayhem Ball tour in 2025, with rainbow lights projected onto her long white cape[451]
In January 2019, during one of her Enigma shows, she criticized Vice PresidentMike Pence for his wifeKaren 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".[461] Gaga made a congratulatory speech commemorating the 50th anniversary of theStonewall riots and theLGBTQ community's accomplishments atWorldPride NYC 2019 outside theStonewall Inn, birthplace of the moderngay rights movement.[462] Following Trump's win in the2024 US presidential election, in which GagaendorsedKamala Harris, she voiced her support for the transgender community after hisrollback of their protections.[463][464]
Legacy
Gaga was named the "Queen of Pop" in a 2011 ranking byRolling Stone based on record sales and social media metrics.[465] In 2012, she ranked fourth inVH1'sGreatest Women in Music,[466] and became a feature of the temporary exhibitionThe Elevated. From the Pharaoh to Lady Gaga, which marked the 150th anniversary of theNational Museum in Warsaw.[467]
Gaga has often been praised for using controversy to bring attention to various issues.[468][469] According to Frankie Graddon ofThe 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.[470]Billboard named her "theGreatest 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."[471] Because ofThe Fame's success—it was listed as one of the 100 Greatest Debut Albums of All-Time byRolling Stone in 2013[472]—Gaga has been credited as one of the musicians that popularized synth-pop in the late 2000s and early 2010s.[473]
According toKelefa Sanneh ofThe New Yorker, "Lady Gaga blazed a trail for truculent pop stars by treating her own celebrity as an evolving art project."[474] IncludingBorn This Way as one of the 50 best female albums of all time,Rolling Stone'sRob 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".[475] In 2015,Time noted that Gaga had "practically invented the current era of pop music as spectacle".[476] A decade later, Daniel D'Addario ofVariety further observed the influence of Gaga's sense of spectacle on the next generation of artists, calling her "a pop star's pop star". He surmised thatSabrina Carpenter's use of self-parodying and ultra-glamcamp in her performances,Billie Eilish's incorporation of grandeur into her shows, andChappell Roan's "drag-inflected let's-put-on-a-show spirit" and "eagerness to use costumes and makeup to help tell her stories" all came from each watching the video for "Bad Romance" in their childhoods.[477]
Various higher education institutions have offered courses focusing on Gaga. Due to her influence on 21st century culture and her rise to global fame, sociologist Mathieu Deflem of theUniversity of South Carolina launched a course titled "Lady Gaga and the Sociology of the Fame" in early 2011 with the objective of unraveling "some of the sociologically relevant dimensions of the fame of Lady Gaga".[518] Focusing on her influence on gender and sexual identity, theUniversity of Virginia College of Arts and Sciences introduced a writing course titled "GaGa for Gaga: Sex, Gender, and Identity" during its Fall 2010 semester, which explored "how identity is challenged by gender and sexuality and how Lady Gaga confronts this challenge".[519] Courses exploring different aspects of Gaga's phenomenon, including her music and fame, have also been offered byArizona State University,Tufts University,St. Catherine University, and theUniversity of Richmond.[520]
A new genus offerns,Gaga, and its species,G. germanotta andG. monstraparva, have been named in her honor. The namemonstraparva 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.[521] Gaga also has an extinct mammal,Gagadon minimonstrum,[522] a parasitic wasp,Aleiodes gaga,[523][524] and a treehopper,Kaikaia gaga, named for her.[525]
InTaichung, Taiwan, July 3 is designated as "Lady Gaga Day" marking the first day Gaga visited the country in 2011.[526] In May 2021, to celebrate the tenth anniversary ofBorn This Way and its cultural impact,West Hollywood mayor,Lindsey P. Horvath, presented Gaga with akey to the city and declared May 23 as "Born This Way Day". A street painting with theDaniel Quasar's version of thepride flag featuring the album's title was also unveiled onRobertson Boulevard as a tribute to the album, and how it has inspired the LGBTQ community over the years.[527]
With estimated sales of 124million records,[538][539] Gaga is one ofthe world's best-selling music artists, and has produced some of thebest-selling singles of all time.[540] She is the only female artist to have four singles ("Just Dance", "Poker Face", "Bad Romance" and "Shallow") each sell at least 10 million copies globally.[541] As of 2025, she has grossed more than $879.6 million in revenue from concert tours and residencies, with attendance of 7.1 million,[542] being the fifth woman to pass the half-billion total as reported toBillboard Boxscore,[238][543] receiving thePollstar Award for Pop Touring Artist of the Decade (2010s).[544] She is also among thetop digital singles artists in the US, with 87.5 million equivalent units certified according toRecording Industry Association of America (RIAA),[f] was the first woman to receive the Digital Diamond Award certification from RIAA,[546] one of thefew artists with at least three Diamond certified songs ("Bad Romance", "Poker Face" and "Just Dance"),[547] and the first artist to have two songs pass seven million downloads ("Poker Face" and "Just Dance").[548]
NamedBillboard'sArtist of the Year in 2010, Gaga subsequently appeared on its "Greatest of All Time Artists" chart.[549][550] She became the longest-reigning act ofBillboard'sDance/Electronic Albums chart with 211 weeks at number one, whileThe Fame spent a record 142 weeks atop the chart.[551] As of 2020, six of her singles appeared on theInternational Federation of the Phonographic Industry's annual Top 10 Global Singles chart ("Just Dance", "Poker Face", "Bad Romance", "Telephone", "Born This Way" and "Shallow"), setting the record for the most entries by any female artist.[541]
According toGuinness World Records, Gaga was the most followed person on Twitter from 2011 to 2013,[100][552] the most famous celebrity in 2013,[553] and the most powerful popstar in 2014.[554] She was included onForbes'Celebrity 100 from 2010 to 2015 and 2018 to 2020, topping the list in 2011.[555] Gaga also appeared on their list of theWorld's Most Powerful Women from 2010 to 2014, and topped their list of the Most Powerful Musicians in 2013.[556][557] She was named one of the100 most influential people in the world byTime magazine in 2010 and 2019,[558][559] and ranked second in its most influential people of the past ten years readers' poll in 2013.[560]
^In 2010, Fusari claimed he was entitled to a 20% share of the company's earnings, but theNew York Supreme Court dismissed both the lawsuit and a counter-suit by Gaga.[96][97]
^Both of the fragrances were released in association withCoty.[122][123]
^PromoterLive Nation and Gaga's representatives estimated an audience of 2.5 million,[303][304] whilst the local authorities claimed a number of 2.1 million.[305]
^Gaga says that the song "Poker Face" was about her bisexuality, and she openly speaks about how her past boyfriends were uncomfortable with her sexual orientation.[32]
^As of February 2024, Gaga has had cumulative single certifications of 82.5 million digital downloads and on-demand streaming as a solo artist, and 5 million with Bradley Cooper.[545]
^In February 2016,Forbes estimated Gaga's net worth at $275 million.[561]
^Cinquemani, Sal (November 18, 2009)."Lady Gaga The Fame Monster".Slant Magazine.Archived from the original on October 9, 2017. RetrievedOctober 29, 2017.
^Brown, Helen (November 7, 2013)."Lady Gaga, Artpop, review".The Daily Telegraph.Archived from the original on November 11, 2013. RetrievedNovember 8, 2013.
^Mompellio, Gabriel (March 28, 2014)."G.U.Y.: Lady Gaga" (in Italian). Radio Airplay Italy. Archived fromthe original on October 28, 2014. RetrievedNovember 7, 2017.
Screen Actors Guild Awards:Nordyke, Kimberly (December 12, 2018)."SAG Awards: Full List of Nominations".The Hollywood Reporter.Archived from the original on December 12, 2018. RetrievedDecember 12, 2018.
^Geier, Thom (December 11, 2009). "The 100 Greatest Movies.. Trends That Entertained Us Over The Past 10 Years".Entertainment Weekly. Vol. 1079/1080, no. 74. p. 84.ISSN1049-0434.
^Moré, María Elena (November 13, 2010)."The Gaga Effect..." More Than Branding.Archived from the original on February 16, 2016. RetrievedFebruary 12, 2016.
Tracy, Kathleen A. (2013).Superstars of the 21st Century: Pop Favorites of America's Teens: Pop Favorites of America's Teens. ABC-CLIO.ISBN978-0-313-37737-2.
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