Lady Gaga Calls Herself 'Emotionally Thin,' Says It's All an Act in Exclusive Interview + Video

Posted on Aug 9th 2011 12:10PM by Craig Marks

Lady Gaga Mariano Vivanco

Lady Gaga is the biggest and brightest pop star in music today, at least according to Popdust's pseudo-scientific, fully-fun formula that was used to compile a list of the current top 40 players on the pop music scene: the Popdust 40. Mother Monster beat out the other chart-topping challengers, including LMFAO, Selena Gomez and Michael Jackson, in categories such as "Nowness," "Hotness," "Lifetime Achievement," "Drama" and "Third Best Song."

Read Full Popdust 40 Countdown

Upon learning that she graced the No. 1 spot, Gaga revealed the best song she's ever written, weighed in on her pop competitors, revealed that a great artist must be "emotionally thin," and more. Read the exclusive Q&A with Gaga and watch the Popdust 40 video teaser below!

One of the categories we devised to rate and rank artists is "Third Best Song." We said your third best song is 'The Edge of Glory.' Do you agree?

Well, it's so very difficult to say. I love all my songs so much.

Of course ... you love all your children equally. Let's start with this: If you had to, could you name a favorite?

Well, 'Bad Romance' has a special place in my heart because it meant a lot to the Little Monsters when it came out. I also think 'You and I' is one of the best songs I've ever written. But the third best song ... [long pause] Well, I suppose I would have to say 'Poker Face.' But see, I have very different feelings about different songs at different times.

I could also say that 'Fooled Me Again' is one of the best songs I've written, and that was never on any of my albums. I could say that 'Marry the Night' is my third best song, or 'Americano.' I go through these artistic rebirths where I envision my songs in completely different ways. But I guess I'd say my third best song is 'Poker Face.'

Are you the type of person who studies your contemporaries on the pop chart?

Sure, I like to be aware of the landscape. But I'm really keen on understanding how I can push the boundaries of pop music and still exist outside of it in some way. When I made 'Born This Way,' I looked at underground dance music and the direction it was taking. Then, I thought about where I was personally in my life and what I was trying to express, and I tried to create this hybrid of underground dance music -- which is the voice of my generation -- and the spirit of anthemic, rebellious rock 'n' roll. That's what 'Born This Way' is all about.

Watch the Popdust 40 Video Recap

What have you learned about yourself since you started promoting 'Born This Way'?

I learned that to be a great artist, you must be emotionally very thin.

What do you mean by "emotionally thin"?

Your tears and your anger and your happiness must be just under the surface of your first layer of skin.

Is that the same as being vulnerable?

Yes. But I like to say "emotionally thin" because it's much more dramatic. Vulnerable to me implies only tears.

What's the downside of being so emotionally thin?

Well, in my mind, to be a great artist you must be private and public at all times. And yet I'm part of an industry that challenges the pop female head-on, guns-a-blazing. I have to be emotionally thin but equally strong and impervious.

Read Popdust's full Q&A with Lady Gaga here!

Watch Lady Gaga's 'Judas' Video

Watch Lady Gaga at Sessions

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Filed under: New Videos, Hot Off the Press, Q&A, Exclusive

Around The Web:

Lady Gaga & The Art of Fame - 60 Minutes - CBS News

Lady Gaga on Howard Stern by GagaDirect on SoundCloud - Create ...

Lady Gaga : News : David Letterman Interview

Lady Gaga -- The Full Interview!‏ - YouTube

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Sarah Janmaat

@Jessica That's fine, I don't mind if others like her. You're entitled to like who you like just as I'm entitled not to. Sweetheart.

August 17 2011 at 8:18 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Jessica

@Sarah Janmaat that won't be happening anytime soon sweetheart, she's not going anywhere. DEAL WITH IT.

August 10 2011 at 1:18 PM Report abuse Permalink +1 rate up rate down Reply

TorrentOff

Lady Gaga is cool!!! I really love her music, on http://www.usemeplz.com I found her videos. She is so young, she must work hard to reach a world success like it Madonna did, but I believein her talent!

August 10 2011 at 5:57 AM Report abuse Permalink +1 rate up rate down Reply

Sarah Janmaat

I can't stand this person. Lady Gag-gag strikes me as someone's puppet, she's told what to do and when to do it. I cannot wait until she just fades into the background.

August 10 2011 at 1:32 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Pandaz4evr

And where exactly does she say that "it's all an act?" What's all an act? She is who she is. Everyone who is a true fan knows the truth, and faulty, lying titles like this that are only meant to draw in views on your article are meaningless and pointless and only make you (journalist) and AOL look shallow and prejudiced. As a professional music blog, you should be unbiased and unopinionated and simply present the information for what it is, not to bring in your one-sided personal opinions on her. Whether or not you believe she is living a lie or an "act" or whatever, she personally never said anything was an act. You made a selfish and tastelss move professionally, and I am appalled by the level of ignorance you displayed behind it.

August 09 2011 at 9:03 PM Report abuse Permalink +1 rate up rate down Reply

Devon Ortiz

White people problems.

August 09 2011 at 8:50 PM Report abuse Permalink -1 rate up rate down Reply

arlissholmes

I'd call her a disturbed , no-talent piece of crap. She obviously is a sick individual.

August 09 2011 at 8:24 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

1 reply to arlissholmes's comment

fr.duane

I don't have the impression that Ms. Germanotta is in the least bit 'disturbed'; on the contrary, she's perhaps completely lucid and knows exactly what she is doing.

She's something like a pop-music Andy Warhol (whom she's praised on occasion) in that she too has a deep and in a reverse fashion profound insight into the workings of the pop-music industry and the public group psychology that underpins the whole enterprise. In a word, she knows exactly what she must do in order to keep the promotional wheels turning and how to stoke the fires of mass appeal--and toward that end she is who she 'is', that is, the eccentric shock-artist who keeps us guessing.

She saw right away that the ultimate secret to staying popular was never to be the same 'person' twice, and we all know that her variability is so relentless that people mistake it for transcendental genius, a phenomenon that she foresaw.

And as for her music, it's at the level of competence one would expect from a music-school graduate, but its late-1980s sound world would go nowhere without the theatrics which are now partake of a by-the-numbers novelty.

Ms. Germanotta's secret is not that she's doing things to influence us--just the opposite: what she does is simply the show-biz reflection of who we are.

August 09 2011 at 8:57 PM Report abuse Permalink +1 rate up rate down Reply

dmg12700

when I read comments like "she stinks" I have to say to those people Clearly you have no knowledge of Music or musicality, speaking as a singer. this woman regardless of how odd she appears, has one of the BEST voices in music today. she isnt studio manufactured, when she sings its LIVE and its her not some machine. SHe also writes ALL her own songs and Actually knows how to play a piano. I think this one will be around a LONG time.

August 09 2011 at 8:16 PM Report abuse Permalink -1 rate up rate down Reply

dfoster

I love the title photo - I always wondered what she looked like without makeup.

August 09 2011 at 7:50 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

butterflytulsi

I LOVE LADY GAGA SHE'S SO AWESOME AND KIND AND DOES HAVE FEELING SOME PEOPLE THINK SHES A FREAK BECAUSE OF WHAT SHE WEARS BUT I DON'T CUZ THAT'S JUST HOW SHE EXPRESSE'S HERSELF

August 09 2011 at 7:15 PM Report abuse Permalink -1 rate up rate down Reply