Lady Gaga
Lady Gaga Adds European Tour Dates, Announces U.S. Arena Tour
by on Mar.01, 2010, under Lady Gaga
Singer will take Monster Ball back to Europe after hitting Australia.
By Jocelyn Vena
Lady Gaga
Photo: Florian Seefried/ Getty Images
Lady Gaga loves her overseas little monsters so much, she decided to add more dates to the European jaunt of her Monster Ball Tour. The tour was scheduled to wrap March 8 in the UK before picking up in Australia for a number of dates. But Gaga will head back to Europe in May for 10 new dates, as well as two rescheduled dates.
It was also announced that Gaga will embark on her first major arena tour when she returns to North America this June, hitting 30 cities. More info is coming soon.
Gaga will be on the road with glam-rock band Semi Precious Weapons, who recently spoke to MTV News about what it’s like to the opening act for the woman who was once their opening act at club gigs in New York.
“When we met her, we were doing shows here bringing, like, 300 people or so, and we were looking for bands to open for us,” bassist Cole Whittle recalled. “They were all boring, but she was fun and partied, and her and [Gaga's performing partner] Lady Starlight had a really cool show. We were like, ‘I’d much rather see this than some hipster band.’ ”
So they opted to do the future pop star a favor and have her join them for their shows. Despite the fact that she was playing to very small crowds, she was beyond thankful for the spot.
“She was big fans of ours before we met her. She was so grateful to be playing with us, ’cause she loved us so much,” singer Justin Tranter said. “She was like, ‘I’ve never seen so many people! Thank you so much for letting me open.’ It’s obviously a little different now. Them tables have turned! [Back then,] it was still the most awesome thing we’d ever seen. It’s still the most awesome show we ever saw. She’s always been the coolest girl!”
New European dates for Monster Ball Tour:
»May 7 – Stockholm, Sweden @ Globe Arena
»May 10 – Hamburg, Germany @ Color Line Arena
»May 11 – Berlin, Germany @ O2 Arena
»May 15 – Arnhem, Netherlands @ Gelredome
»May 17 – Antwerp, Belgium @ Sportspaleis
»May 21 – Paris, France @ Bercy
»May 24 – Oberhausen, Germany @ König-Pilsener Arena
»May 27 – Nottingham, UK @ Trent FM Arena
»May 28 – Birmingham, UK @ LG Arena
»May 30 – London, UK @ O2 Arena
»June 2 – Manchester, UK @ MEN Arena
»June 4 – Sheffield, UK @ Sheffield Arena
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Lady Gaga Wants ‘Telephone’ Video ‘To Be Perfect’
by on Mar.01, 2010, under Lady Gaga
Gaga tweets that long-awaited video is still being edited.
By Jocelyn Vena
Lady Gaga
Photo: Eric Ford/ On Location News
The “Telephone” video is coming! The “Telephone” video is coming!
Lady Gaga took to her Twitter to let her little monsters know that the much-anticipated “Telephone” video is on its way. Although no date was announced, she did say that the video, shot last month in California and directed by Jonas Åkerlund, is currently being edited.
“Telephone is coming I promise! Still editing. I want it to be perfect,” she tweeted. “The Haus has dubbed her a ‘masterpiece.’ ”
While co-stars Beyoncé (who also worked with Gaga on “Video Phone”) and Semi Precious Weapons have been singing the video’s praises, Gaga recently gave her fans some hints as to what they can expect from the clip.
“It was really amazing,” she told Johnjay and Rich on Phoenix’s 104.7 KISS FM last month, according to Rapup.com. “Beyoncé’s incredible and I had a lot of time with her, so I was able to put her in quite a bit of the video.”
She added that this video is a sequel to her “Paparazzi” video, which was also shot by Åkerlund. “I feel so bad for the ‘Bad Romance’ video ’cause the ‘Telephone’ video’s so much better,” she said. “[Beyoncé's] really a great friend of mine. We have a lot of fun working together. We’re so very different in our approaches, but somehow when we come together it’s really magical. I’m very excited for everyone to see the video.
“What I like about it is it’s a real true pop event,” she added. “And when I was younger, I was always excited when there was a big giant event happening in pop music and that’s what I wanted this to be.”
How excited are you for the “Telephone” video? Tell us in the comments below!
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Lady Gaga, Cyndi Lauper Get Goofy For MAC AIDS Fund
by on Feb.27, 2010, under Lady Gaga
Pop stars show playful sides in behind-the-scenes photos for Viva Glam campaign in new issue of V magazine.
By Jocelyn Vena
Lady Gaga at her MAC photo shoot
Photo: Ellen von Unwerth
Lady Gaga joined forces with Cyndi Lauper last spring to take colorful, fun photos for the MAC AIDS Fund’s Viva Glam campaign, which donates 100 percent of the proceeds from the sale of lipstick and lip gloss to the global fight against AIDS and HIV. The behind-the-scenes photos from the shoot will be featured in the new issue of V magazine which hits newsstands next month.
In the issue, Gaga appears nearly nude in a makeup chair as she preps herself to pose with Lauper in photos that were shot by famed photographer Ellen von Unwerth, who also shot Rihanna for her Rated R cover. “It’s quite awkward to be talking about my passion about the AIDS crisis and the gay community while doing my makeup but … Viva Glam!” Gaga says in the issue.
One photo shows Lauper in a giant, poofy platinum-blond wig blowing kisses, and both Lauper and Gaga appear in another photo in satin robes goofing around in front of a giant makeup mirror. “When MAC started it was a place where people who were highly creative and didn’t fit in could feel comfortable working,” the pop star says. “And that’s still the attitude. We can be incredibly creative and feel like we’re making a difference.”
MTV News caught up with the ladies earlier this month as they promoted the campaign. Gaga said that she feels these lipsticks are a way for women to empower themselves.
“We want women to feel strong and feel strong enough that they can remember to protect themselves. To have this lipstick as a reminder in your purse, that when your man is laying naked in bed, you go into the bathroom, you put your lipstick on, and you bring a condom out with you,” Gaga said. “There are no exceptions. … This idea of negotiation before intercourse is this kind of ridiculous thing in the age that we’re living in. I would say never, but you must be in a loving, monogamous relationship or married. We’re not in an age when you can have irresponsible, condom-less sex.”
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iTunes Sells 10 Billion Songs
by on Feb.25, 2010, under Lady Gaga
Downloader who bought 10 billionth track wins a $10,000 iTunes gift card.
By Ryan J. Downey
iTunes hits 10 billion sold
Photo: Apple
Black Eyed Peas, Lady Gaga and Katy Perry helped drive sales of tracks on Apple’s iTunes store past the 10 billion mark Wednesday (February 24). And the person who bought the 10 billionth track gets a $10,000 iTunes gift card.
The Black Eye Peas’ “I Gotta Feeling” is the most-downloaded song on the store, with “Boom Boom Pow” landing at #3. Lady Gaga is the artist with the most songs toward the top, with “Poker Face” at #2, “Just Dance” at #6 and “Bad Romance” at #22. Other acts with tracks in the top 25 include Coldplay, Kanye West, Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, Kings of Leon, the Fray and Owl City.
All of the top 25 tracks were released in the past five years (Ke$ha’s “Tik Tok” is the newest at #10) except for one: “Don’t Stop Believin’.” Classic rockers Journey undoubtedly have “The Sopranos” and “Glee” to thank for renewed interest in the unstoppable song, first recorded in 1981, which landed at #21.
In 2006, Apple gave a gift card, 20-inch iMac, 10 60GB iPods and a music-school scholarship set up in the winner’s name to the person who purchased the 1 billionth download. Apple’s iTunes store was known as the iTunes Music Store when it launched less than seven years ago, prior to the addition of videos, movies and TV shows.
Onetime MTV News correspondent Iann Robinson helped introduce iTunes in an infomercial that ran in Apple stores and online back in the day. In it, Robinson explained what are now well-known concepts like single-track downloads, full-album purchases, free 30-second previews of songs, burning CDs and transferring to iPods.
“These are the people that changed my life with the simple invention of the iPod,” he said in the six-minute-plus video. “Buy a song or a whole album. Either way, you get album art! Awesome!”
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Lady Gaga Poses Topless In Q Magazine
by on Feb.24, 2010, under Lady Gaga
‘I consider myself quite the lady,’ Lady Gaga says in interview with magazine.
By Jocelyn Vena
Lady Gaga on the cover of <i>Q</i> magazine
Photo: Q/ Q4music.com
Lady Gaga’s appearance on the cover of England’s Q magazine is causing quite a stir: In the photo, she is seen topless, covering her chest with nothing more than her gloved hands or mesh wiring, and in some shots sporting a bulge in her black pants that is presumably a strap-on.
In the issue, which hit newsstands on Tuesday (February 23), Gaga talks all about arguably the most infamous rumor of the many that have followed her around: that she is a hermaphrodite. “We all know that one of the biggest talking points of the year was that I have a d—, so why not give them what they want?” she told the magazine.
Although she may come off as an unconventional person, Gaga admits she actually is quite old-fashioned in many respects. “Well, I believe in certain institutions: cooking, serving dinner, taking care of my family,” she said
in the magazine. “So I consider myself quite the lady.”
In the interview, Gaga also shares how her strong-willed attitude and decision to not have a conventional pop star image have, at times, been an issue for her.
“The last thing a young woman needs is another picture of a sexy pop star writhing in sand, covered in grease, touching herself. My image was an issue at my record label. I fought for months and cried at meetings,” she said. “I got criticized for being arrogant because if you’re sure of yourself as a woman they say you’re a bitch whereas if you’re a man and you’re strong-willed it’s normal.”
Lady Gaga is on tour in England through next month.
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Beyonce Gets ‘Crazy’ With Lady Gaga In ‘Telephone’ Video
by on Feb.23, 2010, under Lady Gaga
‘It’s gonna be so crazy,’ B tells Tyra Banks of the stars’ second video together.
By Jocelyn Vena
Lady Gaga in her video for “Telephone”
Photo: Interscope Records
Though Lady Gaga and Beyoncé’s “Telephone” video still doesn’t have an official premiere date, info about the clip is slowly but surely making its way to the fans. Last week, Gaga gave fans a glimpse of what she will look like in the video, and B recently dished about the clip when she stopped by “The Tyra Banks Show.”
“I am such a huge fan of hers. We just filmed her video two weeks ago in Los Angeles, and it’s gonna be so crazy,” said Beyoncé, who also worked with Gaga on her clip for “Video Phone.” “I don’t want to give too much away because I don’t want her to be upset, but it’s a part two of ‘Paparazzi.’ She’s just so smart and she’s becoming an icon in her own right.”
Beyoncé also said she was going to Brazil to shoot the video for Alicia Keys’ “Put It in a Love Song.” She told Tyra that she loves working with other powerful women.
“I actually leave today and go to Brazil. … I’m going there to work — I am finishing my last leg of my tour. I’m filming a video with Alicia Keys there,” she said. “I’m so excited to work with women. I’m a girl’s girl, so to show that women who are successful can support each other and have a good time, I’m just so happy to bring that message across with Gaga and Alicia Keys. … I learn something from all these ladies.”
Gaga recently revealed the cover art for the “Telephone” single, which is due out on March 2, on her Web site. It features a photo of Gaga wearing a hat made from a telephone and a picture of a Sasha Fierce-mode Beyoncé.
There still very few details about the “Telephone” video available. We know that part of it will take place at a diner and that at some point Beyoncé breaks Gaga out of jail. “We die in [the video],” Semi Precious Weapons lead singer Justin Tranter said of his band’s cameo. “And I think that’s probably all I’m allowed to tell. … And, I think, what people have already talked about: It’s very Tarantino-inspired, sort of like violent melodrama glamour.”
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Akon Says He Can Retire, Thanks To Lady Gaga
by on Feb.20, 2010, under Lady Gaga
‘She was definitely a blessing. She came at the right moment,’ singer/producer says of signing the superstar to a record deal.
By Hillary Crosley
Akon and Lady Gaga
Photo: Kevin Mazur/WireImage
Akon is releasing a new album this year, but the singer seems more excited about his Kon Live imprint artist Lady Gaga’s success than his own.
“She’s pretty much retired me,” Akon told The Associated Press. “She was definitely a blessing. She came at the right moment. I’m glad I believed in her, boy. That goes to show you, if you believe in something strong enough, it will pay off.”
Lady Gaga was initially signed to Def Jam Records, where she was dropped several months later. Then Akon signed her as a free agent as he was finalizing his Kon Live deal with Interscope Records and label head Jimmy Iovine. Fast-forward a few years and Lady Gaga has become an internationally known pop star, winning two awards at the 2010 Grammys: Best Dance Recording for “Poker Face” and Best Electronic/Dance Album for The Fame.
The singer recently swept the Brit Awards in London, where she performed a tribute to recently deceased designer Alexander McQueen and walked away with three awards.
“She just blossomed into a super megastar,” said Akon.
As for his own upcoming album, Akon says that in addition to Lady Gaga, he’s also working with Dutch dance DJ/producer Chuckie, DJ David Guetta, who recently collaborated with Akon on “Sexy Bitch,” and hip-hop heavyweight Dr. Dre.
“You’ve got some straight hard-core hip-hop guys actually moving into the dance realm,” Akon said. “And that’s shocking. When you’ve got someone like Dr. Dre about to do a dance record … that’s crazy.”
Akon didn’t divulge much about the Dr. Dre collaboration, except to say the record “actually sounds great. He played it for me. I was shocked. So I was like, ‘Wow, that’s dope. When the world hears this, they might go crazy.’ … When you’ve got the two worlds mixed together, clashing, it’s going to be a monster.”
Akon’s as-yet-untitled forthcoming CD is slated to hit shelves toward the end of 2010.
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Lady Gaga Dazzles At U.K. Tour Opener, Despite Snafus
by on Feb.20, 2010, under Lady Gaga
Singer ran through 15 outfit changes and 19 songs at Manchester, England, show.
By Eric Ditzian
Lady Gaga performs in Manchester, England on Thursday
Photo: Shirlaine Forrest/ WireImage
She climbed atop a flaming piano, donned a Beetlejuice-esque striped bodysuit and unleashed a 40-foot multi-tentacled beast onstage. Yes, Lady Gaga arrived in Manchester, England, on Thursday night to kick off the European leg of her Monster Ball Tour, and the results were typically dazzling despite some technical snafus.
Gaga ran through 15 outfit changes, four acts and 19 songs — including “Just Dance,” “LoveGame,” “Dance in the Dark” and concluding with “Bad Romance” — in front of 23,000 screaming fans. The entire production had been put together in just four weeks.
“We were doing another show in the United States,” the 23-year-old pop star said, according to the BBC. “But I got very bored, so I threw it away.”
The quick turnaround time to build the show, however, led to a string of production malfunctions on opening night, from subpar sound mixing to missed lighting cues to the show wrapping up 30 minutes late.
Nonetheless, Gaga delivered. According to multiple reports, her outfits ranged from a tight one-piece bathing suit to a yellow hair-covered cape to an oversized red gown and matching red bonnet to a cotton candy-style wig. Other songs she performed included “Brown Eyes,” “Alejandro,” “Poker Face” and “Paparazzi.”
From Manchester Gaga heads to Dublin on Saturday for a two-night stand. From there she’ll swing through London and Birmingham before jetting off for dates in cities including Auckland, New Zealand, Sydney and Perth, Australia, and Osaka, Japan, in mid-April.
“The show is a musical, it’s not just a pop show, there are lines and a score — there’s a lot of music that you haven’t heard before,” Gaga said recently. “Some of it’s very old, some of it’s new, there are scores specifically for the show itself. The show’s completely different and I have some really amazing surprises, and it’s unlike anything I’ve done before.”
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Music Videos From RIAA’s Top Decade-End Sales List
by on Feb.18, 2010, under Lady Gaga
Check out music videos from RIAA’s list of the top sellers of the decade, including Lil Wayne, Lady Gaga, Beyoncé and many more.
Photo: Universal
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Lady Gaga Dishes On Revamped Monster Ball Tour
by on Feb.18, 2010, under Lady Gaga
‘The show’s completely different and I have some really amazing surprises,’ singer says after Brit Awards on Tuesday.
By James Dinh
Lady Gaga
Photo: Kevin Mazur/ WireImage
While Lady Gaga’s performance at the Brit Awards
on Tuesday was a heartfelt tribute to her late friend, designer Alexander McQueen, the show served as a preview for the next phase of her Monster Ball Tour, which launches in England on February 18 before moving on to New Zealand, Australia and Japan in March. In an interview with London’s 95.8 Capital-FM on Tuesday, the singer spilled a few new details on what her fans can expect.
“The show is a musical, it’s not just a pop show, there are lines and a score — there’s a lot of music that you haven’t heard before. Some of it’s very old, some of it’s new, there are scores specifically for the show itself,” Gaga said. “The show’s completely different and I have some really amazing surprises, and it’s unlike anything I’ve done before.”
She also spoke a bit about the bizarre keytar that she played during the Brit Awards, which turns out to be the Haus of Gaga’s latest innovation.
“We have this new instrument that I brought to the Brits tonight, ‘Emma,’ which is what I was playing on the stage. She’s a hybrid from all these other instruments, which is quite funny to deal with,” she explained.
Earlier this month, Gaga spoke with Ryan Seacrest on his KIIS-FM show about the tour, noting its city vibe.
“It’s still called Monster Ball, but it’s more of a musical and less of a concert. It has a New York theme, it’s a story, and the story is that me and my friends are in New York and we’re going to the Monster Ball, and we get lost,” she told Seacrest.
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