Why the World is Gaga for Lady Gaga

As I sat waiting in the upscale lobby of the St. Regis Hotel in downtown Vancouver, I overheard a gaggle of reporters gasp in awe adjacent to me. “Oh my god, she’s here! I am so updating this on my Twitter!” I immediately knew who had arrived. Looking like she had just stepped out of the Valhalla of pop princesses, Lady Gaga coasted across the floor in black patent vertiginous heels towards the interview room. When it was my turn to interview her, I gingerly held out my hand in introduction and in true Hollywood fashion, Lady Gaga took my hand and kissed both my cheeks.

Like a moth to a flame, I was immediately drawn to and mesmerized by Lady Gaga. I couldn’t believe that one of today’s biggest pop stars was sitting beside me – in the flesh – and I mean that literally. Gaga’s subtly emblazoned minijacket was atop a black strapless bandeau – and trust me, there was plenty of flesh.

With the release of her debut album, The Fame, back in October 2008, Lady Gaga has been on the fast track to success. She recently broke history, becoming the first artist of this millennium to top the US charts with her first two singles: Just Dance and Poker Face. But with all this success and so little clothing, does Gaga worry about being a good role model for young women? “It’s not my job to be a role model,” she answers quickly, then adds, “but I do recognize that I do have a shining influence on young people.”

So who is this influential pop diva? Twenty-three-year-old Lady Gaga, whose real name is Stefani Germanotta, grew up in New York in an Italian-American family – and it has definitely influenced who she is as an artist. “I have a very strong family,” she says. “I think the way I write about men is a bit traditional. As much as I’m a free sexual woman, I say, ‘We like boys and cars; buy us drinks in bars [from her song Boys, Boys, Boys].’”

So beyond the influence of her upbringing, what else inspires Lady Gaga to write a song? “Oh, all sorts of things,” she explains. “Anything from sitting down at the piano – which I did for quite a few of the songs on that album – or just coming up with an idea, a concept, a hook in the shower, being in the producer’s studio and hearing a synthline or writing a synthline. Inspiration comes from many different ways, it’s just when it comes, you must know how to harness it. Lately, it’s been quite like vomiting for me, just (*snaps*) very organic and like out of nowhere. I’ll just get an idea and write the song in five minutes and that’s it.”

Harnessing her inspiration, talent and passion has been something Lady Gaga has been doing for years. By the time she was 13, she had written her first song; by 14, she was already playing open mike nights throughout the New York club scene; by 20, she was signed and writing songs for pop acts as big as the Pussycat Dolls. So where did she get the determination and drive to be so focused on her career? “It’s like in your bones,” says Gaga. “It’s not for everyone, but it’s for me. I haven’t seen my family in a year. It’s your destiny. People say, ‘Are you lonely? Are you sad? Don’t you want to take a break?’ I say, ‘Why? I’m making music and art everyday. It’s an amazing thing.’ It’s not being No. 1 that makes you great, it’s what you do and what you say when you’re No. 1 that people remember.”

And what does Lady Gaga have to say about being No. 1? “I’m very grateful,” she responds. “Canada was one of the – or was the first – to play my record. And all over the world, it was difficult to get my songs played on the radio. I’m very grateful because now everyone’s really into the sound and the vibe and the message of the record. And that’s why the album’s doing so well. It’s about the lifestyle and not just about one song.”

So amidst all the acclaim, how does this young uninhibited artist stay grounded? “I ignore the camera and I ignore the implications of fame,” she says. “I focus only on my love for the work. For me, the perks of being successful are that I can have the people around me who inspire me all the time.” Then, through her chestnut tinted sunglasses, I saw Lady Gaga’s eyes smile: “This is really what makes me happy.”

Underneath all her physical layers: the sunglasses, the wig, the makeup, the image – I saw past Lady Gaga and saw Stefani Germanotta – a true artist who is passionate first and foremost about the music. And that’s why the world is gaga for Lady Gaga.

Outtakes: Lady Gaga Talks Collaboration, Fashion and Fame

YT: Are there any songs on your album that you have a stronger personal connection to than the others?
LG: I really love Paparazzi. I think it’s one of the most well-written pop songs on the whole album. It’s still very New York and a bit left of centre – avant-garde. But the chorus is so undeniable and so joyful and it has double and triple entendres. It’s about the art of fame, the way the celebrity woos the camera. It’s about likening, falling in love with another person; to being an obsessed fan; and it’s also about whether you can have love and fame, or both, or neither. So it’s one of those records that has a special place in my heart because it really marked for me as a songwriter.

YT: How did your collaboration with Akon come about?
LG: Well, I was actually hired by Akon as a songwriter, when I was already signed to Interscope Records. I began to work with him kind of as this weird quirky white girl rock ‘n’ roll... As we worked more and more together, he became more engaged with me as an artist. And then I wrote Just Dance and Poker Face, and when he heard those songs, he hit the ceiling and said, “I really want to be involved.” So that’s how it all happened.

YT: Who else would you like to work with in the future?
LG: I’m not sure yet. I’m very careful about collaborations. I get asked quite a bit to collaborate and I think it’s important to stand on your own two feet, very early in your career.

YT: You have this ’70s glamrock and ’80s retro vibe about you. If you could resurrect a fashion trend from any of those decades, what would it be?
LG: Body paint. Have you seen the Love Game video? This has been one of my favourite moments of what we have done so far. It was meant to be a very whimsical graffiti – body art in the subway. The rhinestones are meant to be an entirely ironic contrast to the hardness and the coldness and the pollution of the subway. So somehow it’s this very beautiful, whimsical, subway faerie moment, but still feels very dirty. But I’m covered in rhinestones.

YT: Where does your eccentric taste in fashion come from?
LG: Grace Jones, the singer and the model. She is very strong and androgynous. I love her.