Lady Gaga facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lady Gaga
Gaga at the inauguration of Joe Biden, 2021
Born	Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta (1986-03-28) March 28, 1986 (age 39) New York City, US
Occupation	Singer songwriter actress
Years active	2000–present
Works	Discography songs videography performances
Parent(s)	Cynthia Bissett (mother)
Awards	Full list
Musical career
Genres	Pop dance electronic jazz rock
Instruments	Vocals piano
Labels	Def Jam Cherrytree KonLive Streamline Interscope
Signature

Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta (born March 28, 1986), known as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She is famous for changing her style often and for being good at many things in entertainment. She is a very important person in popular music.

After joining Interscope Records in 2007, Gaga became famous around the world. This happened with her first album, The Fame (2008), and its new version, The Fame Monster (2009). This project had many hit songs like "Just Dance", "Poker Face", "Bad Romance", "Telephone", and "Alejandro". Her second album, Born This Way (2011), explored electronic rock and techno-pop. It sold over one million copies in its first week. The title song became the fastest-selling song on iTunes Store, with over one million downloads in less than a week.

After her electronic dance music album, Artpop (2013), she tried jazz music. She made the album Cheek to Cheek (2014) with Tony Bennett. She then explored soft rock with the album Joanne (2016).

Gaga also started acting. She won awards for her main roles in the TV show American Horror Story: Hotel (2015–2016) and the movies A Star Is Born (2018) and House of Gucci (2021). She helped create the music for the A Star Is Born movie. This music included the hit song "Shallow". Because of this, she became the first woman to win an Academy Award, BAFTA Award, Golden Globe Award, and Grammy Award in one year.

Gaga returned to dance-pop with her sixth album, Chromatica (2020). This album had the number-one song "Rain on Me". She worked with Tony Bennett again for their second album, Love for Sale (2021). She also had another number-one song with "Die with a Smile" (2024).

Lady Gaga has sold about 170 million records. This makes her one of the best-selling music artists in the world. She is also the only female artist to have four songs each sell at least 10 million copies globally. Five of her albums have been number one on the US Billboard 200 chart. She has won many awards, including 13 Grammy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards. She was named one of Time magazine's 100 most influential people in the world in 2010 and 2019. Gaga helps people through her charity work and activism. She focuses on mental health awareness and LGBTQ rights. Her non-profit group, the Born This Way Foundation, helps young people feel good about themselves. She also has a vegan makeup brand called Haus Labs.

Early Life and Career

Growing Up (1986–2004)

Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta was born on March 28, 1986, in Manhattan, New York City. She grew up in an upper middle class Catholic family. Her parents, Cynthia and Joseph Germanotta, both have Italian family roots. She has a younger sister named Natali. Gaga said her parents worked very hard for everything they had.

From age 11, she went to the Convent of the Sacred Heart, a private all-girls school. Gaga said she was "very dedicated" and "disciplined" in high school. But she also felt "a bit insecure" and like a "misfit". People sometimes made fun of her for being "too eccentric".

Gaga started playing the piano at age four. Her mother wanted her to be a "cultured young woman". She took piano lessons and practiced a lot. She learned to create music by ear, which she liked more than reading sheet music. Her parents supported her music and sent her to Creative Arts Camp. As a teenager, she performed at open mic nights. She also acted in school plays and studied acting for ten years. Gaga had a small background role in a TV show called The Sopranos in 2001.

She said music came easily to her. She worked hard at the piano and felt she was a "natural musician".

In 2003, at age 17, Gaga got into a music school at New York University (NYU). She lived in a dorm and studied music. She also improved her songwriting by writing about art, religion, and social issues. In 2005, Gaga left school to focus on her music career. That year, she also appeared on an MTV prank show called Boiling Points.

Starting Out (2005–2007)

In 2005, Gaga recorded songs for a children's audio book. She also formed a band called the SGBand with friends from NYU. They played shows in New York and became well-known in the Lower East Side club scene.

A talent scout saw her perform and suggested her to music producer Rob Fusari. Fusari worked with Gaga, helping her write and create new songs. He said he was the first to call her "Lady Gaga," inspired by Queen's song "Radio Ga Ga".

Fusari and Gaga created a company to help her career. They made electropop songs and sent them to music companies. Def Jam Recordings signed Gaga in September 2006. But she was dropped from the label three months later.

Gaga then started performing at neo-burlesque shows, which she felt gave her freedom. She met performance artist Lady Starlight there. They started performing together as "Lady Gaga and the Starlight Revue." Their show was a tribute to 1970s variety acts. They even performed at the 2007 Lollapalooza music festival.

Gaga began to add pop melodies and glam rock style, like David Bowie and Queen, to her music. In November 2007, record executive Vincent Herbert signed Gaga to his label, Streamline Records. Gaga later said Herbert was the one who discovered her. She also got a deal to write songs for other artists like Britney Spears and the Pussycat Dolls.

Musician Akon was impressed by Gaga's singing. He convinced Jimmy Iovine to sign Gaga to his own label, KonLive. In late 2007, Gaga worked with producer RedOne on her first album. She also signed with Cherrytree Records and wrote four songs with Martin Kierszenbaum. Even with a record deal, some radio stations thought her music was too "racy" or "dance-oriented." But Gaga believed her music was "what's next."

Music and Acting Career

Big Hits with The Fame and The Fame Monster (2008–2010)

By 2008, Gaga moved to Los Angeles to finish her first album, The Fame. She also created her own creative team called the Haus of Gaga. The Fame came out on August 19, 2008. It reached number one in many countries like Canada and the UK, and top five in the US.

Its first two songs, "Just Dance" and "Poker Face", became number one hits in the US, Australia, Canada, and the UK. "Poker Face" was the world's best-selling song of 2009. Other songs from the album, "Eh, Eh (Nothing Else I Can Say)", "LoveGame" and "Paparazzi", were also released. The Fame and "Poker Face" won Grammy Awards.

Gaga on The Monster Ball Tour in 2010. It made $227 million and was the highest-grossing concert tour for a new artist.

After opening for the Pussycat Dolls in 2009, Gaga started her own tour, The Fame Ball Tour. While touring, she wrote eight new songs for The Fame Monster, a new version of The Fame. These songs were also released as a separate album on November 18, 2009.

Its first song, "Bad Romance", became number one in Canada and the UK. "Telephone", with Beyoncé, was the second song and became Gaga's fourth UK number one. "Alejandro" was the third song. The music video for "Bad Romance" became the most watched on YouTube in April 2010. Gaga became the first person with over one billion total views on YouTube. She won eight awards at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards for "Bad Romance". The Fame Monster and "Bad Romance" also won Grammy Awards.

In 2009, Gaga spent a record 150 weeks on the UK Singles Chart. She also became the most downloaded female artist in the US. Together, The Fame and The Fame Monster sold over 15 million copies worldwide. This success allowed Gaga to start her second world tour, The Monster Ball Tour. This tour made $227.4 million, making it the highest-grossing tour for a new artist. Concerts at Madison Square Garden were filmed for an HBO TV special.

Gaga also started some businesses. She worked with Monster Cable Products to create headphones called Heartbeats. She also partnered with Polaroid in 2010 as their creative director.

Born This Way, Artpop, and Cheek to Cheek (2011–2014)

In February 2011, Gaga released "Born This Way". This song sold over one million copies in five days, setting a Guinness World Record. It became number one on the Billboard Hot 100. Its second song, "Judas", and third song, "The Edge of Glory", both reached the top 10 in the US and UK. The music video for "The Edge of Glory" was simpler than her past videos, showing her dancing alone.

Born This Way was released on May 23, 2011. It sold 1.1 million copies in its first week and sold eight million copies worldwide. It received three Grammy nominations. Rolling Stone magazine listed it among "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time" in 2020. Other songs from Born This Way included "You and I" and "Marry the Night". A song called "Bloody Mary" became popular again in 2022.

Gaga started dating actor Taylor Kinney in July 2011. She began the Born This Way Ball tour in April 2012. The tour ended early in March 2013 because Gaga needed surgery for a hip injury. Even with cancellations, the tour made $183.9 million.

In 2011, Gaga worked with Tony Bennett on a jazz song. She also sang with Elton John for a movie and with The Lonely Island and Justin Timberlake. She performed for former US President Bill Clinton's birthday. In November, she had a TV special called A Very Gaga Thanksgiving. In 2012, Gaga was in an episode of The Simpsons as an animated version of herself. She also released her first perfume, Lady Gaga Fame, in 2012, and a second one, Eau de Gaga, in 2014.

Gaga started working on her third album, Artpop, in early 2012. She wanted the album to feel like "a night at the club." In August 2013, she released the first song, "Applause". It reached number one in Hungary and top five in the US and UK. A video for the song "Aura" was released for the movie Machete Kills, where Gaga played an assassin. The second Artpop song, "Do What U Want", came out later that month.

Artpop was released on November 6, 2013. It received mixed reviews. Some critics thought it was "great for dancing." The album became number one on the Billboard 200 chart. "G.U.Y." was the third song released from the album.

With the Cheek to Cheek era, Gaga (seen here performing on the Cheek to Cheek Tour alongside Tony Bennett) changed her image.

Gaga hosted Saturday Night Live in November 2013. She also performed with Christina Aguilera on The Voice. In March 2014, Gaga had a seven-day concert series at New York's Roseland Ballroom. Two months later, she started the ArtRave: The Artpop Ball tour. This tour made $83 million. Gaga also appeared in the movie Sin City: A Dame to Kill For. She became a face for Versace fashion in 2014.

In September 2014, Gaga released a jazz album with Tony Bennett called Cheek to Cheek. She was inspired by her friendship with Bennett and her love for jazz since childhood. Bennett said Gaga is "the most talented artist I have ever met." The album received good reviews, with critics praising Gaga's singing. Cheek to Cheek was Gaga's third number-one album on the Billboard 200. It won a Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album. They also had a TV special and went on the Cheek to Cheek Tour.

Acting, Joanne, and Super Bowl (2015–2017)

In February 2015, Gaga got engaged to Taylor Kinney. After Artpop, Gaga started to change her image. This change began with Cheek to Cheek and her performance at the 87th Academy Awards. She sang songs from The Sound of Music as a tribute. This performance was called one of her best by Billboard.

She co-wrote the song "Til It Happens to You" for the documentary The Hunting Ground. This song earned her an Academy Award nomination. Gaga was named Billboard Woman of the Year in 2015.

Gaga had always wanted to be an actress. She achieved this goal by starring in American Horror Story: Hotel. In this TV show, she played a hotel owner named Elizabeth. She won a Golden Globe Award for her role. She also appeared in a fashion film for Tom Ford and was a guest editor for V fashion magazine.

Gaga performing on the Joanne World Tour in 2017

In February 2016, Gaga sang the US national anthem at Super Bowl 50. She also performed a tribute to David Bowie at the 58th Annual Grammy Awards. She sang "Til It Happens to You" at the 88th Academy Awards. Her engagement to Taylor Kinney ended in July. She later said her career made it hard for their relationship.

Gaga played a character named Scathach in American Horror Story: Roanoke, the sixth season of the show. Her role in the show influenced her music. In September 2016, she released "Perfect Illusion", the first song from her fifth album. It reached number one in France. The album, Joanne, was named after Gaga's late aunt. It was released on October 21, 2016. It became Gaga's fourth number-one album on the Billboard 200. This made her the first woman to have four number-one albums in the 2010s. The album's second song, "Million Reasons", reached number four in the US. She later released a piano version of the title song, which won a Grammy. To promote the album, Gaga went on the Dive Bar Tour.

Gaga was the main performer at the Super Bowl LI halftime show on February 5, 2017. Her performance included hundreds of lighted drones forming shapes in the sky. This was the first time robotic aircraft were used in a Super Bowl show. It was watched by 117.5 million people in the United States. The performance led to a big increase in her song downloads. It also earned her an Emmy nomination. In April, Gaga performed at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. She also released a song called "The Cure".

Four months later, Gaga started the Joanne World Tour. A documentary called Gaga: Five Foot Two showed Gaga creating Joanne and preparing for the Super Bowl. The film also showed her dealing with chronic pain, which was later known as fibromyalgia. In February 2018, Gaga had to cancel the last ten shows of the Joanne World Tour because of her health. The tour still made $95 million.

A Star Is Born and Las Vegas Shows (2018–2019)

Gaga at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival before the screening of A Star Is Born, her first main role in a movie.

In March 2018, Gaga supported the March for Our Lives rally for gun control. She also released a cover of Elton John's "Your Song". Later that year, she starred as Ally in Bradley Cooper's movie A Star Is Born. This movie was a remake of a 1937 film. It tells the story of Ally's relationship with singer Jackson Maine (played by Cooper). Their relationship becomes difficult as her career grows and his fades.

Critics praised the film and Gaga's acting. They called her performance "knockout" and "charismatic." For her role, Gaga won several awards, including the National Board of Review and Critics' Choice awards for Best Actress. She also received nominations for the Academy Award and Golden Globe Award.

Gaga and Cooper wrote and produced most of the songs for the soundtrack. They insisted on singing them live in the movie. The main song, "Shallow", became number one in many countries, including the US and UK. The soundtrack received good reviews and sold over six million copies worldwide. It won Gaga four Grammy Awards and a BAFTA Award for Best Film Music. "Shallow" also won her the Academy Award and Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song. Gaga performed the song live at the Grammy and Academy Awards.

Gaga started a concert residency in Las Vegas called Lady Gaga Enigma + Jazz & Piano. It had two types of shows: Enigma, with her biggest hits and theatrical performances, and Jazz & Piano, with jazz songs and simpler versions of her own songs. The Enigma show opened in December 2018, and Jazz & Piano in January 2019.

Gaga launched her vegan makeup line, Haus Laboratories, in September 2019. It was sold only on Amazon. The brand had 40 products and became number one on Amazon's list of best-selling lipsticks.

Chromatica, Love for Sale, and House of Gucci (2020–2023)

Gaga's sixth album, Chromatica, was released on May 29, 2020. It received good reviews. It became her sixth number-one album in the US and reached number one in many other countries. The first song from Chromatica, "Stupid Love", was released on February 28, 2020. It reached number five in the US and UK. The second song, "Rain on Me" with Ariana Grande, came out on May 22. It won a Grammy Award and became number one in the US. Gaga won five awards at the 2020 MTV Video Music Awards. She also appeared in a video for Valentino's perfume.

Gaga performing on The Chromatica Ball in 2022, her first all-stadium concert tour

On January 20, 2021, Gaga sang the US national anthem at the inauguration of Joe Biden as President.

In April 2021, Gaga worked with Champagne brand Dom Pérignon. On September 3, she released her third remix album, Dawn of Chromatica. This was followed by her second album with Tony Bennett, Love for Sale, on September 30. The album received good reviews and reached number eight in the US. They also had a TV special called One Last Time: An Evening with Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga. Love for Sale won Gaga and Bennett a Grammy Award.

Gaga appeared in the TV special Friends: The Reunion, where she sang "Smelly Cat" with Lisa Kudrow. She then played Patrizia Reggiani in Ridley Scott's movie House of Gucci. For this role, Gaga learned to speak with an Italian accent and stayed in character for 18 months. She worked hard on her role, which she later said affected her mental well-being. The film was released on November 24, 2021. Critics praised Gaga's performance. She won the New York Film Critics Circle Award and was nominated for other awards.

Gaga co-wrote the song "Hold My Hand" for the 2022 movie Top Gun: Maverick. She also helped create the music for the film. She performed "Hold My Hand" live at the 95th Academy Awards, where it was nominated for Best Original Song. In July 2022, she started The Chromatica Ball stadium tour. It made $112.4 million and had an HBO concert special. By the end of 2022, she was the highest-earning female artist on tour. In April 2023, President Joe Biden appointed Gaga as co-chair of the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities. She also worked with the Rolling Stones and Stevie Wonder on the song "Sweet Sounds of Heaven" that year.

Recent Projects (2024–present)

Gaga with her fiancé Michael Polansky at the 2024 Venice International Film Festival

Gaga was a featured artist for season two of the video game Fortnite spin-off, Fortnite Festival, in early 2024. She became engaged to Michael Polansky in April, after four years of dating. In July, she performed at the 2024 Summer Olympics opening ceremony in Paris. Gaga released the song "Die with a Smile", a duet with Bruno Mars, on August 16, 2024. The song became number one in the US and on the Billboard Global 200.

Gaga starred as Harleen "Lee" Quinzel with Joaquin Phoenix in the movie Joker: Folie à Deux. It was released in October 2024. While the movie had mixed reviews, Gaga's performance was well-received. Songs she and Phoenix recorded for the film were on its soundtrack album. Gaga also produced a companion album, Harlequin, released on September 27, 2024.

"Disease", the first song from Gaga's upcoming eighth album, was released on October 25, 2024. It reached number seven in the UK. Her new pop album is expected in February 2025. Gaga is also scheduled to perform at the 2025 Coachella festival and appear in the second season of the Netflix show Wednesday.

Artistry

Influences

Musicians such as Madonna and David Bowie have influenced Gaga.

Gaga grew up listening to many artists. These include Michael Jackson, the Beatles, Stevie Wonder, Queen, Bruce Springsteen, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Whitney Houston, Elton John, Prince, En Vogue, TLC, Christina Aguilera, Janet Jackson, and Blondie. All of them have influenced her music.

Gaga's musical inspiration comes from dance-pop singers like Madonna and Michael Jackson. She also gets ideas from glam rock artists like David Bowie and Freddie Mercury. The theatrical style of pop artist Andy Warhol and her own musical theater background also inspire her. She has been compared to Madonna, and Gaga says she wants to change pop music just like Madonna did. Gaga has also mentioned heavy metal bands like Iron Maiden and Black Sabbath as influences. She credits Beyoncé for inspiring her to pursue a music career.

Gaga's mother inspired her interest in fashion. Gaga says fashion is now a big influence and is connected to her music. She has been compared to fashion icons like Leigh Bowery and Cher. She became friends with British fashion designer Alexander McQueen and often wore his designs. She considers fashion designer Donatella Versace her inspiration. Gaga has also been influenced by Princess Diana.

Gaga has called the Indian alternative medicine advocate Deepak Chopra a "true inspiration." She has also quoted Indian leader Osho's book Creativity. Gaga says Osho's work influenced her ideas about creativity and equality.

Music Style and Themes

Critics have closely watched Gaga's music and performance style. She has always tried new ideas and images. She says this constant change makes her feel "liberating." Gaga mixes many music styles, especially adding rock elements to her pop and dance music. She has also explored jazz and other types of music.

Gaga has a vocal range from B♭₂ to B₅. She changes her singing style often. She believes that "all good music can be played on a piano and still sound like a hit."

Gaga's songs cover many different ideas. The Fame Monster shows the dark side of fame using "monster" ideas. The Fame is an electropop and dance-pop album with influences from 1980s pop and 1990s Europop. The Fame Monster shows Gaga's love for mixing styles, using "Seventies arena glam" and "perky ABBA disco."

Born This Way has lyrics in English, French, German, and Spanish. It talks about common themes in Gaga's songs, like love, religion, money, identity, freedom, and being yourself. The album explores new styles like electronic rock and techno.

The songs in Artpop are about Gaga's thoughts on fame, love, feminism, self-power, and how the media sees her. Billboard describes Artpop as mixing "R&B, techno, disco and rock music." With Cheek to Cheek, Gaga tried the jazz style. Joanne explores country, funk, pop, dance, rock, electronic, and folk music. It was inspired by her personal life.

The A Star Is Born soundtrack has elements of blues rock, country, and bubblegum pop. Billboard says its lyrics are about wanting change, struggles, love, and connection. On Chromatica, Gaga returned to her dance-pop style and talked about her mental health challenges. Her second album with Tony Bennett, Love for Sale, is a tribute to Cole Porter.

Videos and Stage Shows

Gaga as her male alter ego Jo Calderone in 2011

Gaga's music videos often feature many costume changes and exciting visuals. They are sometimes called short films. The video for "Telephone" earned Gaga a Guinness World Record for having the most product placements. Billboard ranked her sixth on its list of "The 100 Greatest Music Video Artists of All Time" in 2020. They said Lady Gaga's name will always be linked to amazing music videos.

Rolling Stone calls Gaga "one of the greatest living musical performers." Gaga says she is a perfectionist when it comes to her detailed shows. Her performances are described as "highly entertaining and innovative." Her "blood-spurting" performance of "Paparazzi" at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards was called "eye-popping." At the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards, Gaga appeared as her male alter ego, Jo Calderone. She gave a speech and performed her song "You and I."

After her Artpop era, Gaga's music and videos became simpler. For example, in the music video for "Perfect Illusion," she wore simple clothes instead of elaborate outfits. This continued in her movie roles and stage performances.

Activism

Helping Others

After turning down an invitation to sing on "We Are the World 25 for Haiti" for victims of the 2010 Haiti earthquake, Gaga helped in other ways. She donated the money from her January 2010 Radio City Music Hall concert to help rebuild Haiti. All profits from her online store that day also went to the cause. Gaga announced that $500,000 was collected.

Hours after the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami in Japan, Gaga shared a link to Japan Prayer Bracelets. All money from a bracelet she designed was given to relief efforts, raising $1.5 million. In June 2011, Gaga performed at MTV Japan's charity show to benefit the Japanese Red Cross.

In 2012, Gaga joined the group Artists Against Fracking. That October, Yoko Ono gave Gaga and four other activists the LennonOno Grant for Peace. The next month, Gaga promised to donate $1 million to the American Red Cross to help victims of Hurricane Sandy.

Gaga has also helped fight HIV and AIDS. She focuses on teaching young women about the risks of the disease. With Cyndi Lauper, Gaga worked with MAC Cosmetics to create a line of lipstick. Sales from this line have raised over $202 million to fight HIV and AIDS.

In April 2016, Gaga joined Vice President Joe Biden to support his It's On Us campaign. Two months later, Gaga spoke with the Dalai Lama about kindness and making the world more compassionate.

In April 2020, Gaga organized the TV concert One World: Together at Home. This was with Global Citizen to help the World Health Organization's COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund. The special raised $127 million, making it one of the highest-earning charity concerts ever. In January 2021, Gaga received an award for her help with the Black Lives Matter movement. In her speech, she spoke against racism and white supremacy.

Born This Way Foundation

Gaga during an event for the Born This Way Foundation in Europe, 2013

In 2012, Gaga started the Born This Way Foundation (BTWF). This non-profit group helps young people feel strong and confident. It is named after her 2011 song and album. Famous people like Oprah Winfrey spoke at the foundation's start at Harvard University. Gaga gave $1.2 million to start the foundation.

In July 2012, the BTWF worked with Office Depot on school products. 25% of sales went to the foundation, with a guaranteed donation of $1 million. The foundation also had a "Born Brave Bus" that followed Gaga on tour. This bus was a place for young people to get help and support against bullying.

In October 2015, Gaga met with students and experts to talk about emotions. In 2016, the foundation partnered with Intel and Vox Media to fight online harassment. Money from a magazine issue featuring Gaga and Kinney was donated to the foundation. Gaga and Elton John also released a clothing line called Love Bravery. 25% of sales went to the BTWF and the Elton John AIDS Foundation. Gaga worked with Starbucks in June 2017 for the "Cups of Kindness" campaign. Starbucks donated money from certain drinks to the foundation.

On World Kindness Day in 2018, Gaga and the foundation helped people affected by the California wildfires. Gaga herself had to leave her home during the Woolsey Fire. In March 2019, Gaga wrote a letter to supporters of the BTWF. She announced a new program to help teens with mental health. Gaga shared her own struggles with mental health in the letter. She said getting support saved her life and that every young person should have someone to turn to.

In September 2020, Gaga released a book called Channel Kindness: Stories of Kindness and Community. It has 51 stories about kindness and bravery from young people. She promoted it with a "BeKind21" challenge on social media. In 2021, Gaga worked with Dom Pérignon to release special bottles and a sculpture. The profits of $570,000 were donated to the BTWF. On World Kindness Day 2021, Gaga released a special called The Power of Kindness. In it, she talked about kindness and mental health with experts and young people.

Gaga speaking against "don't ask, don't tell" in Portland, Maine (2010)

Legacy and Achievements

Gaga was called the "Queen of Pop" in a 2011 ranking by Rolling Stone. In 2012, she was ranked fourth in VH1's Greatest Women in Music.

Gaga is often praised for using her fame to bring attention to important issues. For example, she wore a meat dress to show her dislike for the "don't ask, don't tell" policy. Billboard named her "the Greatest Pop Star of 2009." They said her rise was "meteoric" and "game-changing" because of her constant changes. Because The Fame was so successful, Gaga is seen as one of the artists who made synth-pop popular in the late 2000s and early 2010s.

Kelefa Sanneh of The New Yorker said Lady Gaga "blazed a trail for truculent pop stars by treating her own celebrity as an evolving art project." Rolling Stone included Born This Way as one of the 50 best female albums of all time. Time noted that Gaga "practically invented the current era of pop music as spectacle." In 2017, a study found that Gaga's "Bad Romance," "Alejandro," and "Poker Face" were among the catchiest songs. In 2018, NPR named her the second most influential female artist of the 21st century.

Gaga and her work have influenced many artists. These include Miley Cyrus, Nicki Minaj, Ellie Goulding, Halsey, Jennifer Lopez, Beyoncé, Nick Jonas, Sam Smith, Noah Cyrus, Cardi B, Rina Sawayama, Blackpink, Doja Cat, and Kanye West.

A new group of ferns, Gaga, and three species, G. germanotta, G. monstraparva and Kaikaia gaga, have been named after her. The name monstraparva refers to Gaga's fans, known as Little Monsters. Gaga also has an extinct mammal, Gagadon minimonstrum, and a parasitic wasp, Aleiodes gaga, named for her.

In Taichung, Taiwan, July 3 is "Lady Gaga Day." This marks the first day Gaga visited the country in 2011. In May 2021, to celebrate the tenth anniversary of Born This Way, West Hollywood mayor declared May 23 as "Born This Way Day." A street painting of the pride flag with the album's title was also revealed.

Achievements

Gaga has won many awards. She has 13 Grammy Awards, an Academy Award, two Golden Globe Awards, a BAFTA Award, and three Brit Awards. She also holds 16 Guinness World Records. In 2019, she became the first woman to win an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Grammy Award in one year for her work on A Star Is Born's soundtrack. At the 2020 MTV Video Music Awards, she received the first Tricon Award for her achievements in different areas of entertainment.

Billboard named her the Greatest Pop Star in 2009. She has appeared on Billboard's Artists of the Year chart and Greatest of All Time Artists chart. She was named the magazine's Woman of the Year in 2015. As of 2021, Gaga had the longest time at number one on Billboard's Dance/Electronic Albums chart. Her album The Fame holds the record for the most weeks at the top of that chart. Born This Way was on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. Her song "Bad Romance" and its music video were also on Rolling Stone's lists of 500 Greatest Songs and 100 Greatest Music Videos. In 2023, Rolling Stone included Gaga among the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time.

With about 170 million records sold, Gaga is one of the world's best-selling music artists. She has produced some of the best-selling singles of all time. As of 2022, her concert tours and shows have made over $689.5 million. She is the fifth woman to pass half a billion dollars in concert revenue. She is also among the top digital singles artists in the US. She was the first woman to receive the Digital Diamond Award. She is one of the few artists with at least three Diamond certified songs. By 2020, six of her songs were on the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry's Top 10 Global Singles chart. In 2020, Gaga also became the first female artist to have four songs each sell at least 10 million copies globally.

According to Guinness World Records, she was the most followed person on Twitter from 2011 to 2013. She was also named the most famous celebrity in 2013 and the most powerful popstar in 2014. She was on Forbes' Celebrity 100 list many times. She topped the list in 2011 with $90 million. Gaga was also on their list of the World's Most Powerful Women. Time magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2010 and 2019.

In March 2012, Gaga was ranked fourth on Billboard's list of top earners of 2011, with $25 million. The next year, she topped Forbes' List of Top-Earning Celebs Under 30. In December 2019, Gaga was 10th on Forbes' list of Top-Earning Musicians of the Decade, earning $500 million in the 2010s.

Discography

Tours and Residencies

Filmography

See also

In Spanish: Lady Gaga para niños

• Artists with the most number-ones on the U.S. Dance Club Songs chart
• Forbes list of highest-earning musicians
• Honorific nicknames in popular music
• List of actors with Academy Award nominations
• List of LGBT people from New York City
• List of Billboard Social 50 number-one artists
• List of most-followed Twitter accounts
• List of organisms named after famous people (born 1950–present)