Lady Gaga has joined a pop echelon that includes Madonna and Bowie
INTERVIEW MICHELE MANELIS ILLUSTRATION TOM MORGAN-JONES
Before Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta galvanized the world as Lady Gaga, — the eccentric, award-winning singer, actress and LGBTQ activist — this New York born and raised Italian-American and self-confessed daddy’s girl attended an all-girls Catholic school in Manhattan. Deemed a misfit by her peers, instead of disguising her differences to fit in with the status quo, she used them to propel her towards the Lady Gaga persona she would one day become.
Once she exploded into popular culture in 2008 with her hit “Just Dance,” replete with glitter makeup and outlandish fashion statements, she was dismissed as just another gimmicky pop star.
But now more than 10 years on, Lady Gaga has achieved the same level of respect and commercial success as Madonna, while culturally pushing the envelope in ways that Bowie did for the generations that came before her. Lady Gaga has become an integral part of the movement to shift gay culture into the mainstream, while offering a voice to those without the same power and influence.
VM: What role does ambition play in your life?
LG: Ambition is like a fire, with constant oxygen being blown into it, making it bigger and bigger. Without ambition at the beginning of my career I would not be where I am today, because you get rejected over and over again. You make mistakes, you fall down, you have performances that you’re proud of and you have performances that you’re not proud of. I think it’s always wonderful to have ambition, even if that ambition is to improve on how you feel. It doesn’t have to be about your career, it can be about you as a person. For me, I am ambitious now to help more people in the world.
VM: You’re in The Guinness Book of Records, you have nine Grammy Awards, two Golden Globes, a BAFTA and an Oscar — you certainly have nothing to prove anymore. When you were starting out, were you ever told by record company executives and other powers that be to change yourself?
LG: That absolutely happened to me. It was suggested that I get a nose job before my first music video, before my first single ever came out. I said no. I am proud to be Italian and I love my Italian nose. I didn’t always, but I’ve learned to love who I am. And in that way I maintained my authenticity. When people would come to me and say, “Try looking this way,” I would always flip it on its head and just do it my way.
VM: How did you maintain your authentic self?
LG: I always made sure that I said what I wanted to say, how I wanted to say it. If they wanted me to look like a sexpot, then I wanted to look like the opposite. I was always trying to challenge the norms of how people view women in pop music. And I am not done. I appreciate your comment that I’ve proven myself, but I feel like I am just at the beginning of showing who I am.
VM: Do you remember a day when you noticed your world had changed?
LG: I remember one moment in particular that was very special. I was at Rockwood Music Hall in New York. It’s a tiny venue. I was nobody and I was working with Lady Starlight. We had a show called Lady Gaga and the Starlight Revue. She would spin dubplates, and I would play piano over the beats and sing. We wore matching bikinis and we’d dance. If you’ve been to the Rockwood Music Hall, you would know that it’s all glass so everyone can see in from the street. So on this night, the place was packed, but packed means maybe 30 people. About 15 minutes into the performance, I looked up and I saw out the window there were 100 people on the street taking pictures of us. I will never forget that moment as long as I live because I was no one.
VM: You’re a very popular figure for drag queens to emulate. How do you feel about that?
LG: I don’t think there’s any higher honor than having a drag queen impersonate you. I think it is very special, and I am very happy that it’s included in the film Drag Culture, because I would not be here if not for my gay friends or my friends that do drag.
VM: The last time we spoke, you had just met Barbra Streisand, who famously preceded you in your role in A Star is Born. Did you talk to her about the film?
LG: No, we did not talk about A Star is Born. We just had a lovely dinner and she showed me her home. John Travolta was there, and we had a lovely time talking about life and acting. She was telling me about her career, and she showed me some of her old costumes and clothes. It was really a special time.
VM: Your residency in Las Vegas extends to the end of the year. Did you talk to other stars like Celine Dion or Britney Spears about their experience in Vegas?
LG: Well I am very close with Elton John and am the godmother of his children with David Furnish. So we have talked about it, but more importantly I watched him. I have two different relationships with him, one is a private one, and then one is where I go into the audience and start to cry — it’s almost like he’s two different people. He’s just magic. And the truth is, I cannot do what I do if I am partying like crazy in Las Vegas, so I’m focused and ready to put on the show of a lifetime. I have worked for ten years now in this business and I am excited to reinvent what it means to be in Las Vegas at this age.
VM: What makes a star?
LG: Bravery, compassion, understanding.
VM: When was the moment you felt like a star?
LG: When I looked into the eyes of my fans and saw myself.
VM: You’ve been famous for a long time. How did you navigate your way through that process?
LG: There were times in my career early on when I wish there had been someone to help nourish me psychologically, to handle the change. Because when you become famous, everything changes. Your whole life changes and you are no longer just a free being. In many ways, you belong to the world.
VM: Tell me about your foundation, Born This Way.
LG: The Born This Way Foundation is focused on empowering youth, kindness, bravery and mental health. I think it is very important that we look out for one another and pay attention when people are suffering. Sometimes when people are suffering, they don’t even know that they are because it’s so deep. And if we see someone suffering and they are in pain, reach your hand out and help them.
VM: What helped you through times of suffering?
LG: What helped me get out of suffering was the nourishment from people around me who were paying attention and validating my feelings. So many people say, “Well, you asked for it. You wanted to be a singer, you wanted to be a star.” It’s almost like blaming. I don’t believe that I asked for it. I can’t explain to you why inside me, since I was a small child, I wanted to be a singer and an actress. It is like something from God. And so, I think that we should be kinder to people that live in the spotlight and we should treat them like humans.
VM: Once you felt validated, especially by awards, does that help the self-doubt fall away?
LG: It doesn’t push away all your doubts about yourself, but it is a tremendous honor. I remember the first time I got a phone call to tell me that I was nominated for three Grammys and I burst into tears. But awards don’t erase insecurity. I think the insecurity inside an artist is across the board. We are always trying to be better, trying to make more honest work, and trying to dive deeper into our souls.
VM: Have you ever considered opera?
LG: I have thought about singing opera, yes. I love different types of singing and I love experimenting with what I can do with my voice. So I am sure one day you will see me singing opera.
VM: What did you learn about yourself on A Star is Born?
LG: I went to the depths of my heart and mind. I’d never done that before. I am very proud of the work that Bradley [Cooper] did. I am just incredibly grateful to be here. I thought I’d never have that feeling again, like I did the first time I put out music, and I will carry with me that experience for the rest of my life. It changed my life.
VM: What dreams do you have yet to achieve?
LG: I have dreams of being a mother and of having a family. And I have dreams of doing more films and making more music. But I am very happy. I am not obsessed with career expansion. I am just incredibly grateful for everything that’s happened.
