Lady GaGa Exclusive Interview: Take a Ride on Her Disco Stick!

 

No doubt she's unfazed - gay groupies and Lady GaGa are like bees and honey - but the New York disco-popstress may be starting to wonder about me. Your intrepid NewNowNext reporter interviewed Lady GaGa last week - yeah, I totally know her; let's not call it "stalking" - and since then I have pretty much tailed GaGa on her New York gay bar performance tour.

And since I've been front-and-center at all of her shows, I'm bestowing upon myself the Queen Bee of The Groupies title. I'm claiming the throne now because LOGO's girl is taking off, and I will be facing some stiff competition soon enough. (And fine, she's only LOGO's girl because she's an official performer for the upcoming NewNowNext Awards, which will feature GaGa's first televised performance.)

Lady GaGa's debut album, The Fame, comes out this summer, and if you haven't heard lead single "Just Dance" by now, umm... stop, drop and watch the video below:

 

 

Lady GaGa is shameless disco extravagance in tights, and I testify that her live show is a mix of druggy burlesque and ultra-mod Kylie Minogue (i.e. amazing). Well, that's my take, of course; GaGa describes herself as 'Freddie Mercury, Boy George and John Lennon in a wig and fishnets at Studio 54.' Getting the flavor yet?

Check out our Q&A with GaGa after the jump: We talked about her transforming from Manhattan Catholic school girl into Lower East Side club fixture of fierceness, in addition to GaGa's pop-culture inspirations and her raunchy music video...

 

Of course my love for Lady GaGa's "Just Dance" video knows no limits (I'm gay, after all), but I don't know how I feel about that Colby O'Donis guest spot. Colby's interlude was far improved at GaGa's show at L.E.S.'s 40C for which gay rapper Cazwell feigned being interested in girls. Oh yeah, it was also better because GaGa dry-humped Cazwell on stage ... but everything else about the music video is just ridiculously smutty and wonderful, so I'm sold.

And now for the interview ...

 

I'm so excited to meet you! I've been listening to "Just Dance" on a loop...

Oh my god, that makes me so happy. Thank you.

I saw the music video more recently, though - what was your concept going in?

I absolutely wanted it to be a reflection of my lifestyle, but through a more pop lens. That's sort of my whole idea: I really want to filter all of my ideas through a pop, commercial lens in order to reach more people – and kind of make a contribution, you know? And for this video, I wanted it to be a house party instead of just doing a typical night club video, which is, I think, what one might expect from hearing the song. So I wanted to give something that was a bit of a contrast and said something about me and included some of my iconic references – and was also just a really good video that kept it about the song.

The world that I live in, it's run by music and art and fashion, and this idea of The Fame: it's something that comes from within. It's not because you're a celebrity or because the media is following you or you have the paparazzi on your coattails; it's a self-proclaimed, inner confidence and sense of self and passion about something, no matter what it is. It doesn't have to be music or fashion. It could be, you know ... fishing.

That idea appeals to me so much... and I think it's me as a gay man.

Well actually, it's funny, I never really thought about it in that way, but I am surrounded by a lot of gay men, gay women, transgendered ... I'm surrounded by it all. So I guess it sort of comes with you, if that makes any sense. I was just so inspired by the world around me that what ended up coming out in the music and in the visuals was really just an organic performance, you know, of this life.

 

I'm (probably too) excited to meet Lady GaGa and her backup dancers, to say the least. P.S. GaGa never breaks her cat-walking, disco-robot character - and she's totally her backup dancers' pimp, cane and all!

 

And I know you'll be performing at gay bars this weekend, and at LOGO's NewNowNext Awards...

I am. I'm very excited. The gay clubs are my favorite.

You've performed for all gay audiences before?

Oh, yeah! A ton.

Do the gay audiences tend to respond differently?

I just love the gay community. There's a lack of pretension. It's almost like you're going to court - you're guilty before you're proven innocent; I always feel like for a gay audience I'm already innocent. But they'll prove me guilty if I f*ck it up, you know. They're definitely not easy to please, 'cause you guys have a ton of really amazing ... just, like, references from the past, things that you guys believe in ... in fashion, in art and in club-culture. In a way, the gay community has an even more strategic eye, but there's a lack of pretension, like I said. And I go out there and it's really incredible, overwhelming ... it's really emotional for me.

Any life lessons from gay men?

Umm ... yes. A friend of mine - who will remain nameless - who is a gay man, he actually taught me to put baby powder in my bangs when I get sweaty. It makes them look fabulous, because I get gnarly when I perform. That was probably the best ever...

Did you go to gay bars in New York in your teens?

Oh, yeah. I would always go to, like, Kenny Kenny’s party at Sebastian and Rated X, Michael T. ... Just in general, the environment that I lived in was a lot of gay-straight mixed. Always. I mean, I've been a dancer for many years ... a lot of gay friends, a lot of gay parties. It's just a part of my life. To me, it's just totally normal. When people ask me, I'm like, I guess so. Yeah. [laughs.]

 

Bang, bang! When GaGa's not brandishing that Disco Stick, she breaks it down with her dancers to those crazy-danceable tracks.

 

Maybe you've heard this, but the gay love, the Lower East Side scene - you're just like Madonna right now!

Yeah, it's so funny - I never really thought of myself as The New Madonna or anything, and then people around me just started to say it. I mean, look at me, we have a lot in common: the Lower East Side thing; I'm Italian; I was a brunette and I went blonde; I'm very exhibition-istic. So we do have a lot in common, but I also think I bring something new.

But I appreciate the comparison, because I do think she's probably one of the most powerful female performers in a long time.

Now, you grew up in New York...

Every minute. My whole life. I was born in Lenox Hill Hospital.

I also read you went to the Convent of the Sacred Heart. I want to know the craziest thing you ever got busted for...

I used to get in trouble a lot for wearing very low-cut shirts and see-through stuff with bras. And there were definitely some girls that would, you know, drink in the cafeteria and sh*t like that, and they would get thrown out of school. I never got caught for anything like that.

But we were definitely bad kids in a good environment. I mean, I was actually a very good student. I just sort of stuck out like a sore thumb - no different than today. But I value my education a lot. It's interesting because even though, in a social way, it was kind of a weird environment to grow up in, in a lot of ways it was great because I'm a really great musician as a result of it.

[GaGa also attended the Tisch School of Arts at NYU.]

Totally. I didn't mean to imply you must have been dying to leave or anything!

No, not at all. I didn't take it that way at all. It's super bizarre - I can't even properly articulate it, because the way that I felt about it then is very different from the way that I feel about it now. My life completely changed, and I made the decision to live a different a life.

How did you get involved with Akon?

Well actually, I was signed first to Interscope, and as I was making my album; I was getting hired as a writer to work on other female artists' projects, and Akon hired me to work on a writing project he was doing for an artist on Universal, Tami Chynn. I wrote a few songs for her, and he just really took a liking to me, and he heard my stuff and he was like, 'Oh my god, this is so fresh, it's so new. I want to be a part of it.'

It also creatively opened my eyes up because I thought, 'Well, if Akon digs it, maybe the urban community will wrap their arms around it.' He's such an iconic, world music, urban artist. So he actually spoke with my label and just told them he wanted to be a part of it, and we created this big, giant family. So I'm actually signed to Streamline Records, Interscope Records and Kon Live.

 

Doin' it for The Fame!

 

With your album title and songs like "Dirty Rich," I'm curious what you think of the music industry and of our culture that's so celebrity-obsessed?

The Fame was more about celebrity-obsessed culture and what people will do for the spotlight and also about con art-ing your way to the top. But "Beautiful Dirty Rich" was more about my experience as an up-and-coming Lower East Side artist - the drug scene.

The way that I came upon the idea of The Fame was a false sense of ... fame, but it's real. It's you and your friends doing drugs and everybody gets happy, and then all of a sudden we're famous - with our tight pants and our fabulous hair – and we go out and we're rock stars. And it's manufactured, but I realized, through that, you don't really need the drugs, and the whole idea in itself is very powerful. You know, you're not really famous, but you believe that you are; and whatever you're projecting from within, other people are buying.

You know, I've literally been standing outside night clubs, and the people just say, 'Come in.' And they believe I'm somebody that I'm not. Now, today, it's a little bit different; sometimes they know who I am. But in the past, it's more about ... you know, Oh, the way that she carries herself, the way that she dresses - it's like, Who is she? And I want to encourage other people to be that way.

 

Yes, the show is as kooky and amazing as this looks. (I also have a major crush on GaGa's DJ SpaceCowboy - who you can sort of see here...)

 

Totally. I remember reading you said even something like your body language on the street can have so much power.

Absolutely, you can walk like a king or walk like ... a snake. You have to really believe that you're great. I want people to genuinely believe in their heart that they're great – and have that be your passion. Be passionate about yourself, you know?

I know artists such as David Bowie and Freddie Mercury inspire you. What about their personas appeals to you?

Well, for me it's all about the theatrics, musically and performance-wise; just the dramatics, the theater; it's almost like a more emotional interpretation of the music. But it's so visual and strong that you can almost watch it muted - or without picture - and still feel it so heavy in your heart.

I just want all of the components of what I'm doing to be very strong, whether it's the music, or the visual, or it's the Web site, or the blog or the technical device that I'm designing for the stage. I just want everything to be very strong and have a very big message and image. I almost feel like the audience deserves that.

 

And courtesy of Lady GaGa's Interscope Records page, check out the woman herself on the set of her The Fame photo shoot. Changing The World One Sequin at a Time!

 

 

Comments

[hannah]

i love stefani, she's lyke my idol. yer so lucky to interview her. she seems really wicked.

[keya]

is lady gaga gay?

[Mandy]

Everybody keeps telling me lady gaga is a men? I was wondering if this was the truth?

[Hayley]

She is bisexual. She is just an insparation to me, I would love to meet her and get a chance to talk to her. She is so talented. Keep it up Gaga!!

[josse]

i looove her!!

[español88]

por si alguien entiende español...aquí va un comentario, es todo un descubrimiento, me gusta mucho porque supera las deficiencias que tanto britney como christina mostraban, es algo nuevo, diferente y que realmente me gusta.
ARRIBA LADY GAGA!

[michael]

I love this chick, i love her individual stylish output.

its quite refreshing. Check out a cool article of her at www.wowevil.com

There is also an interesting picture of her

[REPRESENTtheSTREETS]

Lady Gaga is awesome. People need to stop with all of that @#%!@#$ judgment, no matter what people at school say, she is not crazy or any of that other crap that you people keep saying.I mean come on, nobody is perfect. Lady Gaga will always be my inspiration, because her songs got me through some of the hardest times in my life.

[jasmina]

hi im 9 years old and i live in chicago and i think u sing so kool and i love to sing to and dance and my dream is to sing and dance. if i was fames my name will be storm and im in 3 grad i have two best friends and they live in th soth so im going to keeep dreaming and pls write back and my Email is sandymariinkovic@yahoo.com

[jasmina]

hi its me so wats goung up lady GAGA i love just dance & poker face today i went and seen ur new song called lovegame is sooooooooo kool wats up girl? i have a meez do u? will if u dont its on meez.com LOVE :jasmina soto- storm