Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, professionally known as Lady Gaga, is a prominent American singer, songwriter, and actress celebrated for her multifaceted talents and striking transformations within the entertainment realm.
Gaga’s journey commenced during her teenage years when she frequently graced open mic stages and participated in school theatrical productions. She pursued formal training at Collaborative Arts Project 21, an initiative affiliated with the New York University Tisch School of the Arts, before making the pivotal decision to forsake academia in pursuit of a music career.
In her early career, Gaga faced a contract cancellation from Def Jam Recordings, but her indomitable spirit led her to become a songwriter at Sony/ATV Music Publishing. There, she inked a remarkable joint venture with Interscope Records and KonLive Distribution in 2007, a decision that catapulted her to stardom. The turning point in Gaga’s career arrived with the release of her debut studio album, “The Fame,” in the subsequent year. This album spawned chart-topping singles like “Just Dance” and “Poker Face.” Notably, “The Fame” saw a reissue featuring the extended play “The Fame Monster” in 2009, yielding hit tracks like “Bad Romance,” “Telephone,” and “Alejandro.”
Gaga’s subsequent five albums all achieved debut chart positions atop the US Billboard 200. Her second full-length offering, “Born This Way” (2011), ventured into electronic rock and techno-pop and achieved over one million copies sold in its inaugural week. The title track notably earned the distinction of being the fastest-selling song on the iTunes Store, amassing over a million downloads within a week. Gaga’s artistic exploration continued with her third album, “Artpop” (2013), featuring the lead single “Applause.” She also embarked on a musical collaboration with Tony Bennett, resulting in the jazz album “Cheek to Cheek” (2014), followed by the soft rock album “Joanne” (2016).
Gaga expanded her horizons into the world of acting, winning accolades for her standout performances in the miniseries “American Horror Story: Hotel” (2015–2016) and the musical film “A Star Is Born” (2018). Her contributions to the latter’s soundtrack, including the chart-topping single “Shallow,” earned her the distinction of becoming the first woman to clinch an Academy Award, BAFTA Award, Golden Globe Award, and Grammy Award in a single year. Gaga’s musical trajectory returned to dance-pop with her sixth studio album, “Chromatica” (2020), which delivered the number-one hit “Rain on Me.” Simultaneously, she released her second collaborative project with Tony Bennett, “Love for Sale,” and graced the biographical film “House of Gucci” in 2021.
Lady Gaga’s illustrious career boasts an estimated 170 million records sold, making her one of the world’s best-selling music artists and the sole female artist to have four singles surpassing 10 million copies in global sales. Her impressive array of awards includes 13 Grammy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, and 18 MTV Video Music Awards. She has also been honored by the Songwriters Hall of Fame, the Council of Fashion Designers of America, and Billboard, which crowned her as Artist of the Year in 2010 and Woman of the Year in 2015.
Her influence transcends music and fashion; she has secured a place in Time magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people in the world on two occasions, in 2010 and 2019, and she features on their All-Time 100 Fashion Icons list.
In addition to her artistic endeavors, Gaga actively champions philanthropic and social causes, with a particular focus on mental health awareness and LGBT rights. Her Born This Way Foundation, a non-profit organization, is dedicated to supporting the well-being of young individuals. Furthermore, she has ventured into the business world with Haus Labs, a vegan cosmetics brand that made its debut in 2019.