Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta may be one of the most famous people in the world right now. From record breaking pop songs and groundbreaking fashion statements to a leading role in a movie that grossed over $400 billion globally, Stefani is riding a career high.
If the name doesn't sound familiar, does Lady Gaga ring a bell? Well, funnily enough the two have a lot in common, in fact, Stefani is Lady Gaga.
Picture a young girl growing up in New York City rich with raw musical talent listening to Queen's Radio Ga Ga. One can only wonder, did she realise then what she would become when that song inspired her to create the moniker Lady Gaga?
Armed with the unique name of Lady Gaga she was to take the entertainment world by storm with her emotional lyrics and outlandish sense of style.
Like most stars, there is a very poignant story behind Gaga. Learning piano by the age of four it seemed that the young girl was destined for a life defined by music. As she turned 11, the Julliard School of Music came calling, accepting her to their prestigious program, however, in a somewhat unheard of move, Gaga rejected Julliard to attend a Catholic school.
While she got her education, Gaga performed in New York nightclubs before she received early acceptance to the New York University Tisch School of the Arts. No small feat for the young musician as only 20 people in the world are offered early acceptance to Tisch in any given year. Despite the honour, Gaga withdrew from her studies at Tisch to form her own creative expression and experience.
It seemed from early on that Gaga would always do things her own way, even when faced with the safe option.
Working three jobs in order to stay above water, Gaga was consumed with work and her need to create original music. Finally, her hard work paid off when an offer came through from Def Jam Records, asking her to sign with their label. Before the high of signing with a label could even set in, Gaga was dumped from the label and had to face the prospect of returning to a 'normal' career while she waited for her next big break.
Two years later, Gaga was hired as a songwriter at Interscope Records where she penned hits for Britney Spears, the Pussycat Dolls and New Kids on the Block. While her foot was somewhat in the door of the music industry, Gaga continued to perform at venues across the city. While performing her own burlesque show, RnB star Akon discovered Gaga and immediately signed her to his label- which was a branch of Interscope Records.
Under Akon's guidance, Gaga spent the next two years compiling an album that would put the music industry on notice. The Fame, while an incredibly successful debut album was also a statement from Gaga that she was here to make her mark on pop music. Spawning hits such as Just Dance and Poker Face, the debut was such a success that it sent Gaga to the Grammy Awards.
Once the original hysteria died down, Gaga embarked on a tour with New Kids on the Block in an attempt to make herself acquainted with music lovers all over the globe. In between touring, Gaga penned her next album The Fame Monster, a nod to her fans whom she affectionately called her Little Monsters.
The albums were quick to hit the shelves thanks to Gaga's ability to write her own lyrics, chords and melodies. Producers and professional songwriters often refer to their collaboration with Gaga as quite brief as she is known to only ask for assistance when the song is almost finished.
In 2011 Born This Way was released to the world with huge fanfare. The title track was later adopted as an anthem for anyone who felt they were different. The album also earned Gaga the reputation of a champion for the underdog. With her over the top and often crazy outfits, Gaga became an embodiment of difference and in turn showed the world that even if you are considered different, there is a place for you in this world.
However, with great highs come great lows. In 2013, Gaga released Artpop which was torn apart by critics and fans alike. Gaga was labelled as out of touch and accused of creating an album that failed to resonate with any audience. With her other three albums reaching number one in the United States, Artpop's commercial failure was a hard fact for Gaga to swallow.
In an attempt to get back to what matters musically, Gaga collaborated on what was to be a Grammy winning album with Tony Bennett, called Cheek to Cheek. While promoting this album, Gaga was to make a revelation to the world that perhaps put her music, outfits and attitude into perspective.
In the middle of an interview while on the press junket for Cheek to Cheek, Gaga revealed that she had been raped at the age of 19, by a man that was 20 years her senior. Feeling immense trauma, Gaga kept that fact to herself, fighting PTSD, anxiety and depression until she finally realised that she needed to face the monster head on in order to heal properly.
Gaga said that she kept the assault to herself because she didn't want critics saying that the assault informed her creative decision making. While it didn't inform her choice to become a musician or influence her wardrobe, it certainly added a very tangible layer to her songwriting that allowed her to dig into the depths of her experience to create heart breaking and inspirational lyrics that resonate with audiences around the world.
After Artpop, Gaga certainly changed her tact. Firstly there was the duets album with Tony Bennett and secondly there was a show stopping performance at the 2015 Academy Awards. Gaga performed a tribute for the 50th anniversary of The Sound of Music that reminded audiences that at the end of the day, when you peel back all of the layers, Gaga has a phenomenal voice.
A brief foray into acting thanks to Ryan Murphy and the television show American Horror Story: Hotel, earned Gaga a Golden Globe award, showing the industry for the first time what a versatile talent Gaga is.
After the heartbreak of Artpop, it was a long time before fans were treated to another Gaga solo album, but that was to change in October 2016 when Joanne was released. Joanne became Gaga's fourth album to reach number 1 in the US and was inspired by the death of her aunt at the age of 19 to lupus. Gaga's decision to look inward for inspiration was a way to get back to her roots and create an album that was meaningful to not only her, but her family as well.
During the initial phases of putting together Joanne, Gaga also filmed a documentary entitled Gaga: Five Foot Two. The documentary was an eye opening insight into one of the biggest stars in the world. It was raw, honest and at times sad. One of the biggest revelations from the doco was the fact that Gaga actually suffers from fibromyalgia- a condition characterised by chronic pain all over the body. In some scenes, the pain was so intense that Gaga couldn't move and you felt for her plight as she was hysterical in one scene before being put together in the next and performing to a packed crowd.
The release of Joanne kickstarted an avalanche of success and opportunity for Gaga. First there was the invitation to sing the national anthem at the 50th Super Bowl, followed by the request to come back the next year as the headliner for the Pepsi half time show. And then an announcement a little out of the box, Gaga was going to be in another remake of the hit movie, A Star is Born.
While Gaga seemed like a strange choice to the outside world, upon hearing her sing for the first time, Bradley Cooper knew that Gaga was the only choice to play his leading lady. Cooper took a risk on Gaga and was forced to go through numerous screen tests with her in order to convince the studio that the songstress was up to the task of becoming an actress.
Talks about A Star Is Born remake have been circulated since the 1990s and executives have stated that with the rise of each new pop star, they talked about filming the remake. Names like Whitney Houston and Beyonce were thrown around, so the fact that they decided on Gaga for the remake is a big deal.
But boy did the gamble pay off.
Grammy, Oscar, Bafta and Golden Globes wins and nominations were to cement the box office success of A Star Is Born. Gaga's individual nominations prove that she made the transition from singer to actress flawlessly, a feat that should be celebrated given how few modern day stars have been able to have a successful movie and singing career.
Through the unparalleled success and the down times, the one constant has been Gaga's legion of fans. She can do anything and still have the support of a large fan base. The way that Gaga's fans fiercely protect her is, in the modern day, only akin to Beyonce's Beyhive.
Even if you aren't a fan of Gaga's music, it isn't hard to see and understand the appeal. Despite trying to break into a hard industry that has its own specific standards and ideas about how women should look and sound, Gaga has remained unapologetically herself.
Despite her recent success, she doesn't want the movie star label yet, she would rather wait until she can repeat the success in a few more movies before feeling comfortable with that label. A fact that makes Gaga refreshing in an era of celebrities who have bigger egos than their body of work.
At one point during her documentary Gaga says that she never felt "pretty enough or smart enough or a good enough musician..." but now she is in a place where she feels worthy. Perhaps her recent success can be attributed to the fact that because she is more confident in herself, everything else is falling into place perfectly.
While the success of A Star Is Born will undoubtedly change her life, just like her rise to musical fame in 2008, Gaga's ability to resonate with her music and turn heads with her performances will still be her main draw card and will be on full display during her Las Vegas residency.
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