WW L L INTERVIEW
AN INTERVIEW WITH LADY GAGA
Stefani“ Lady Gaga” Germanotta— an icon of reinvention and boundary-breaking creativity— has captivated the world as a multi-Grammy-winning singer, songwriter, and actress. Famous for global hits like“ Just Dance,”“ Poker Face,” and“ Born This Way,” she has sold over 120 million records and earned acclaim across music, film, and fashion Now, Gaga is set to enchant Manchester audiences as part of The Mayhem Ball, her electrifying 2025 – 26 arena tour supporting the critically acclaimed Mayhem album. She’ ll perform two nights at Co-op Live on October 7 and 8, bringing her signature theatrical flair, powerful vocals, and immersive stage production to the UK. In this interview, we’ ll explore how Gaga continues to evolve as an artist, the creative vision behind Mayhem, and what fans can look forward to in Manchester.
BY MARIE FITZSIMMONS
You are currently touring the world with your 7th album Mayhem, which was released in March 2025. What was the inspiration for the title? It felt like I was playing multiple people throughout my whole career and trying to hold the duality of that, and that personal mayhem is echoed also in how I feel about the world sometimes, the world is a chaotic place. I tried to use my artistry, lyrics and songwriting to create something that was indicative of personal chaos but also how we can still celebrate and dance through it whilst that’ s happening.
You’ ve said this album is you facing your fear of returning to pop music. Were you really fearful of returning? I think so. As a woman in music there was a lot of people that were like‘ this is who made her’ or‘ this is what made her’ and I think that returning to pop music for me was a little bit like something I was afraid of because I wondered if I was believing what those people were saying. So, I went into the studio, and I went in with confidence and thought no, I made me, me.
What do you hope listeners will take from the album Mayhem? I hope that listeners will have a good time. I hope they will smile, I hope they will laugh, if they need to cry there are some tracks on there to cry too. I hope that they know that through all the personal mayhem of life and our personal mayhem that we carry every day that there can be a happy ending and that the chaos can end too. Also, that there can be an exhale and that is why the record ends with Die With a Smile because I found love in my life and I found a partner in my chaos and that’ s real. I used to feel that the romanticism of being a tortured artist was the way to be, and I have actually found that in my health and with my relationships with my family and friends and sticking to my values that I put my artistry first and I put being a human being first. That is what will carry the quality of my work forward and the quality of my life as well. I would say I have changed a lot, but the mayhem is still alive, I keep it in the music and stage now.
If you had to pick one song from Mayhem that represents your life right now, which one would it be? You know I think it might be Shadow of a Man, that record was about being in the shadow of men my whole career, but I learned how to dance in their shadow. The lyric is, I’ ll dance in the shadow of a man.
You have used different phases and chapters in your life to tell different stories, which chapter are you in now? You know I think that I am feeling really confident in myself as a musician, a songwriter, a producer, and an artist. I know that might sound silly, but it actually took me two decades to become the boss in a way. Being a woman in music I was almost always the only woman in the room all the time and I had to work hard to maintain my sense of stability and purpose. I always stuck to my guns when it came to my music and artistry, but it was a real challenge, and I made it through that mayhem.
Do you remember the moment you became Lady Gaga? I was working on some music, and I was making all this theatrical pop, some of which ended up on The Fame, my first studio album, and I just really wanted to change my name, I didn’ t feel like it matched the person that I was becoming. I was in my apartment, and I just came up with it, I was listening to a lot of Queen and was listening to Radio Gaga, and I thought what if I put Lady in front of it. It was also inspired by a lot of club kids I hung around with and the art I would see and make with various people who were incredibly talented and watching them I realised I could be the artist of my own life.
You’ re a singer, artist, producer, performer, songwriter and actor. Which do you see as your main job? You know I think it’ s all my main job. I think that’ s what Mayhem was pushing against as an album, this idea that I was always asked like, could you explain your style to me, or could you explain your music, sonically like what are you going after or like, your personal style, are you an actor or are you a singer. The truth is I’ m all of these things and I always have been. I had to navigate my way through people wanting to define me so just being a gal in the art world I like to be creative. It’ s a real blessing and a real honour.
What does the next ten years look like for Lady Gaga? I really want to be a mom; the greatest vision is that. I want to keep it super private when we decide to get married because I think that going to be the most special day of my whole life, but I know it will be a real dream, I know that. wirrallife. com 31