[ Cheers and applause ]
>>Marissa Mayer: Hi.
I'm Marissa Mayer, and I'm
really excited today to be
joined by the world-famous,
incredibly talented, the one
and only Lady Gaga.
[ Cheers ]
>>Marissa Mayer: At Google,
we've seen Gaga build her
career by embracing technology,
including some
Google Tools, as well
as constantly
innovating for her fans.
And we're going to get a glimpse
behind the scenes to
see how some of that innovation
works today.
But first I'd like to
play a video to
welcome Gaga to Google.
[ Applause ]
[ Video. ]
[ Cheers and applause ]
[ Applause ]
>>Marissa Mayer: Please help
me welcome Lady Gaga.
[ Cheers and applause ]
(Standing ovation).
>>Lady Gaga: Hi, everyone.
Oh, my gosh.
>>Marissa Mayer: Welcome
to Google.
>>Lady Gaga: Thank you.
[ Applause ]
>>Lady Gaga: The Google chairs
are a little high.
>>Marissa Mayer: Thank you
so much for coming.
>>Lady Gaga: Just going to
put my purse right there.
>>> We love you.
>>Lady Gaga: I love you, too.
Hi, everyone.
[ Cheers and applause ]
>>Lady Gaga: Did you just
get out of jail?
[ Laughter ]
>>Lady Gaga: Me, too.
>>Marissa Mayer: We are so
excited to have you here.
>>Lady Gaga: I just want
to say before we begin,
thank you so much.
This is such an honor.
You know, when I was in high
school, all my girlfriends
wanted to get jobs here.
[ Laughter ]
>>Lady Gaga: And I wanted to
be what they were searching
for or putting on the -- you
know, the side column, what
comes up first. I believe that's
what my friend Mary
Haley does here at Google.
Just thank you so
much for coming.
And I really -- I respect
all of you so much.
I know that there's some really
amazing minds in this
room, and how competitive
it is.
So thank you.
[ Applause ]
>>Marissa Mayer: And speaking of
searches, you are among one
of the most searched people
in the world.
You've been on the top
of our 2009, 2010
fastest-rising searches.
We made a portrait of you
taking the millions of
searches that come
in for Lady Gaga.
>>Lady Gaga: Beautiful.
[ Laughter ]
>>Marissa Mayer: So obviously,
you've been a huge search
star, also a huge YouTube star,
Bad Romance has 360
million views, just
that one video.
[ Applause ]
>>Lady Gaga: Thank you.
>>Marissa Mayer: And you're
the queen of the download.
You're actually the most
downloaded artist in history,
with more than 20 million
singles downloaded.
>>Lady Gaga: Thank you so much.
Thank you.
>>Marissa Mayer: All of which
brings us to today.
Last week, you opened up a
moderator page on your YouTube
channel and you got questions
from your
fans, 54,000 questions.
And more than a quarter million
votes, in just three
and a half days.
We have questions that are
both in text and video.
I have the top 20
questions here.
We'll go through those and
also go -- >>Lady Gaga:
Wearing the same dress.
[ Laughter ]
>>Lady Gaga: Branding.
>>Marissa Mayer: So the first
question I'm going to ask, it
came in video form, but
it was also going
to be my first question.
It comes in from a user,
we'll go ahead and
roll that video question.
>>Video: Hi, Gaga.
My first question that
I wanted to ask
was, how are you?
I remember in one of your
interviews you said that was a
question that interviewers never
really asked you and
actually meant it.
And so I wanted to ask you
and actually mean it.
So how are you?
>>> Awwwww.
[ Applause ]
>>Lady Gaga: Well, I am
absolutely wonderful and a
little bit choked up, because
that is why I am still here
and why I work so hard, it's
because I really am very
blessed to have fans with
such a beautiful spirit.
And I'm sure you can see just
from that one video very much
what a lot of my day is like.
I do spend a lot of time on
Google, looking for fan videos
and messages.
And I'm doing wonderful today.
And I would say that the only
reason I ever mentioned that
people don't ask me how I am
genuinely is because it took a
lot of bravery to get to
where we are today.
A lot of people see glasses
and shoulderpads and crazy
outfits, and over the years,
it was very difficult to do
interviews, because that's all
people would talk about.
So I guess what I would say
is I'm doing wonderful now
because of how brave that --
all my fans have made me.
So thank you for making me
brave, and I hope I can --
thank you brave. Thank you.
[ Applause ]
>>Marissa Mayer: And you're
also on tour.
So you're performing
tonight in Oakland.
[ Applause ]
>>Marissa Mayer: I know a lot
of people here are going.
The next question is
about your tour.
So Gagafame11 from the U.K.
asks, do you have any funny
stories to tell about things
that have happened backstage
at the Monsterball?
>>Lady Gaga: There are lots of
funny things that happened
backstage at the Monsterball.
[ Laughter ]
>>Lady Gaga: I don't
like surprises, and
I don't like pranks.
I'm sure you can maybe tell that
just from -- but I don't
like pranks.
But I actually, with me, have
brought all my friends from
New York City on tour with me.
So I have had very
few, I should
say, famous acts opening.
It's been mostly really
underground bands and deejays
that I've known his I
was 18 years old.
So there's a lot of backstage
shenanigans.
Very often they make jokes about
my diet, because they
know I have to stay fit for
music videos, so they'll leave
mounds of cheese burgers and
stuff in my dressing room.
It's really awful.
Vicious, vicious.
[ Laughter ]
>>Marissa Mayer: So going back
to before the cheese burgers,
where you got your start, one
of your fans, MysticalMatty
from California, asks, where
were you the first time you
heard one of your songs
on the radio?
>>Lady Gaga: I was in Canada.
[ Cheers ]
>>Lady Gaga: And I'll
never forget it.
But it's a very different --
it's funny, it's almost more
enjoyable now when I hear it
for the first time on the
radio, because at the time in
Canada, I had -- I mean, many
people don't know this about me,
because it seems as though
one just is at number one, it
was that big massive oh, she
became a star overnight.
But to tell you the truth, I
had been working so hard,
doing three shows a night, all
day long going to radio
stations, doing -- the reason
we're here at Google today is
because the original campaign
for my music and my project
began with online media-based
advertisements.
So that's really
where I began.
So I remember I was in Canada,
and I was really tired, and I
was about to go on stage at this
outdoor performance -- I
actually think it was in
Winnipeg, which is where Maria
Aragon is from, from
the video.
And I remember I heard it,
and I started crying.
And my tour manager, David,
said, "How does it feel?" And
I said, "It's about damn
time!" [ Laughter ]
>>Lady Gaga: So now when it
comes on, it's a little bit
more of a gracious,
humbling moment.
[ Laughter ]
>>Marissa Mayer: So in terms
of other special moments,
solongadelaide from Sheffield,
England, asks, when exactly
was the moment in your career
when you realized you were
going to be an international
superstar?
>>Lady Gaga: I still don't
feel like one.
I really -- >>Marissa Mayer:
How is that possible?
>>Lady Gaga: I know that
sounds very silly.
But even this morning, I was
getting ready to tweet that I
was coming here today, and
I got, like, 50 frigging
e-mails, don't tweet it.
They don't want anyone
to know.
[ Laughter ]
[ Cheers ]
>>Lady Gaga: I guess they were
worried for security.
But I need to market my
record, you know.
People need to know
-- [ Laughter ]
>>Lady Gaga: -- where
I'm going to be.
Everyone was saying, they know
we were going to be there,
just don't tell them when.
And, oh, my gosh, my security
is always -- they want to
shoot me, because I will
literally leave the house and
go to the bodega down
the street where
I live in New York.
And they're like, "Where are
you?" Because where I live, I
have been hustling for so long
that it's more just like,
"You're home." Like, everybody's
so cool.
And I guess even though my first
album was called "the
fame," that was never the
ultimate goal of any of this.
It was always that I just really
am genuinely a musician
to my core, and a lot
of people don't
know that about me.
But I write every lyric, every
Melody, I'm in there with the
producers, whipping them to make
the new future of music.
And I -- that is why I'm here.
I'm not here to be
a superstar.
But -- So, yes and no.
I -- I never, ever -- there was
never a day when I woke up
and said, "I'm a superstar."
I'm still
waiting for that to happen.
>>Marissa Mayer: Fair enough.
So in terms of formative
experiences, hugs and kisses,
XOXO94, from Pennsylvania, asks
-- >>Lady Gaga: I love
the Internet.
[ Laughter ]
>>Marissa Mayer: -- you said
that in school, a lot of
people bullied and you
didn't like you.
Now that you're famous, have any
of them, quote, unquote,
tried to apologize and
become friends.
If so, what did you
say to them?
>>Lady Gaga: I wouldn't
say apologize.
There's been lots of concert
ticket requests.
[ Laughter ]
>>Lady Gaga: And I think one
of the most awkward things
that anyone ever said to me
was, "Well, my, my how the
tables have turned." But to be
honest, I don't have that kind
of vengeful spirit in myself,
and I never did.
It was just more that, you know,
I say this with so much,
you know, genuineness from my
heart, is that bullying really
stays with you your
whole life.
And it really, really
never goes away.
And I know you're using words
like superstar, and most
Googled and billions
of YouTube videos.
But I was never the winner.
I was always the loser.
And that still stays with me.
And do I want to stick
it to anybody?
No.
I just want to make music.
So -- [ Applause ]
>>Marissa Mayer: I do think --
I think bullying is a really
big issue right now, especially
because -- The
technology.
[ Laughter ]
>>Lady Gaga: I'm listening.
>>Marissa Mayer: And so I
imagine -- I imagine that Born
This Way is a little bit about
being yourself and how to
overcome bullies.
And I don't know if you want to
talk a little bit -- >>Lady
Gaga: A little bit.
Well, it was so funny when I
put that song out, because,
everybody was like, "Oh, the
lyrics are so literal." And
I'm like, "Yeah." [ Laughter ]
>>Lady Gaga: When -- you know,
when you get bullied, you kind
of try to -- there's almost
like this emotional poetry
that you go through in high
school, well, someday, and you
just kind of try to hide from
it and be the bigger person.
But Born This Way is about
saying, "This is who I am.
This is who the fuck
I am." [ Cheers ]
>>Lady Gaga: And there's -- I
mean, the next single, is,
like, this very classic
Gaga record.
But more importantly, the song
Born This Way is this, like,
gateway drug for the album and
really trying to say in the
most literal and honest way that
I can that when I go to
the Monsterball, I see something
so fearless and so
special in my fans.
But I also see something afraid,
something that I was,
something that was unsure.
And I really encourage people to
look into the darkness and
look into places that you would
not normally look to
find uniqueness and specialness,
because that's
where the diamonds are hiding.
>>Marissa Mayer: I think that's
a wonderful message.
[ Applause ]
>>Marissa Mayer: And you
actually are a very
classically-trained pianist,
jazz musician.
And one of our video questions
actually is about your --
>>Lady Gaga: Leopard scar?
>>Marissa Mayer: Leopard
scar 20.
He wants to know about your
training ongoing.
So we'll go ahead and
roll that video.
[ Video. ]
This is Rudy Hernandez, one of
your little monsters from
Portland, Oregon.
My question is, is I was
wondering if you still took
piano training and
vocal training to
improve your skills.
It would be great to hear
you answer my question.
I can't wait to see you again
here in Portland, Oregon.
And paws up.
Arrrr.
>>Lady Gaga: What a cutie.
[ Applause ]
>>Lady Gaga: I love my fans.
Yes, I actually vocally rehearse
every single day.
I do a 30-minute warmup
every single day.
It's been the same vocal warmup
that I've been doing
since I was 11 years old.
I have my mentor, Don Lawrence,
has been my voice
teacher since I was 11, so
it's over ten years now.
And in terms of piano,
piano's funny.
It's kind of the thing that
always stays with you.
I don't know if there's any
pianists in this room.
But if you don't practice for
a little while and then you
focus on it, you kind
of get your
chops back pretty quickly.
So what I do mostly for piano is
I try to find time when I'm
in New York City or on the road
to do shows and have jam
sessions with my band
just for fun.
So whenever you see those really
horrid photos of me
looking drunk at a piano bar,
I'm actually rehearsing.
That's just how I like
to rehearse.
I like to have a couple
martinis and
play some Cole Porter.
And that's just the way
I like to learn.
But stay in school.
[ Laughter ]
>>Marissa Mayer: So changing
-- changing gears a little
bit, I actually have a
confession to make.
So we'll pull a picture
up here.
I was you for Halloween
in 2009.
>>Lady Gaga: You were?
I want to see it.
Which me?
>>Marissa Mayer: And --
You can see it here.
So we -- >>Lady Gaga:
Fabulous.
Look at you.
>>Marissa Mayer: So I guess
transitioning to your style,
it's inspired so many people.
And -- [ Laughter ]
>>Lady Gaga: Now, what is it
about -- is it because of the
blond and New York.
>>Marissa Mayer: Blond, and I
have stars on my face and the
long eyelashes.
>>Lady Gaga: I'm sorry.
>>Marissa Mayer: There's
poker chips on my
hat for Poker Face.
So -- okay.
[ Laughter ]
>>Marissa Mayer: So so many
people beyond just me,
millions of people, have been
inspired by your style.
And one of the fans would like
to know, sirgagaOfficial --
>>Lady Gaga: Sirgaga.
>>Marissa Mayer: -- would like
to know, with all the clothes
you have, how do you decide
what to wear every day and
what happens to the garments
after they're worn?
>>Lady Gaga: How do I
decide what to wear.
It's actually not quite as
complicated as some of you
might imagine.
I -- sometimes I -- I'll plan
months ahead for certain
things that I -- for example,
at the grammy's, the Hussein
Chalayan vessel, although it's
become known as "the egg," he
wants me to remind you it's "the
vessel," that was -- that
took months and months
of conception.
And I wanted to do a whole
performance or a piece that
began on the red carpet and
ended after the performance.
So certain things
take a while.
And, yes, I do view the vessel
as a fashion piece.
But like today, I wore the same
black dress because I
wanted the fans to recognize me
a certain way when I enter
the Google building.
>>Marissa Mayer: And also
on the topic of
style, you have tattoos.
And one of the fans noticed
that they're all
on your left side.
So TaylorMonster15 would like
to know, why are all of your
tattoos on the left
side of your body?
>>Lady Gaga: It was actually
per my father's request.
>>Marissa Mayer: So
tell us more.
>>Lady Gaga: He asked
that I remain on one
side slightly normal.
[ Laughter ]
>>Lady Gaga: So I only have my
tattoos on my left side.
I -- I'm also a lefty.
So -- [ Cheers ]
>>Lady Gaga: It's funny, my
father, when I was a kid, he
used to try to change my hands
when I was little.
And the doctor would be, like,
"She was born this way.
You can't" -- you know.
So I think maybe some of it,
just from a neurological
standpoint, might be because
I'm creatively
driven by my left side.
Maybe that's why.
But he's asked that I don't
get any more on the right
side, for whatever reason.
I -- I think he sees this as my,
like, Marilyn Monroe side
and this as my Iggy Pop side.
>>Marissa Mayer: So beyond your
clothes and tattoos, you
also show tremendous style
in your videos.
And the strubydoo would like
to know, how do you come up
with your video ideas?
Every time I watch them, I'm
stunned by the creativity and
meaning I love you, Lady Gaga,
Strubydoo, your little monster.
>>Lady Gaga: StrubyDoo.
It's good, old faithful.
I'm a creative person, and I
just always -- at some point,
the idea comes to me.
And the most important thing,
I think, with creativity is
that you honor your creativity
and that you don't ever ignore
it or go against what that
creative image is telling you
because of what society
is projecting on you.
I remember when I called Troy
Carter my manager, from
Amsterdam, and I was, like,
"I want to be on a
government-owned alien territory
in space, and I want
to be giving birth to my
own head." [ Laughter ]
>>Marissa Mayer: I was going
to ask you about the
kaleidoscope.
>>Lady Gaga: And you hear the
-- and he goes, like, why?
And I said, "Because I see
myself and my fans and I feel
that they give birth to me and
I give birth to them, and the
egg symbolized the race of the
future, which bears no
prejudice." So I have my own
-- and I'm like -- then I'm
showing him Frances bacon
photos, which is, like, all
this bleeding imagery.
And he was, like, "I don't get
it." With Nick Knight on a
video, if you think I'm bad,
Nick Knight is -- whoo, he is
so smart, I'm like, "Nick,
I love you, but I don't
understand what you're saying."
But, I just really
always -- like, just the other
night, last night, I was lying
in bed and I had this idea for
an outfit, and I made myself
get up and sketched it
real fast and then I
went back to sleep.
I think it's when you
say, "I'm too tired.
Let me just go to bed,"
that's when the
creativity stops coming.
If God calls you, pick
up the damn phone.
Hello.
I'm listening.
>>Marissa Mayer: So on the
topic of videos, you're
obviously a huge YouTube star.
I was going to ask, so from
Kentucky, what's your favorite
YouTube video that
isn't yours?
>>Lady Gaga: My favorite YouTube
video that -- it's so
embarrassing but I love it.
I love the boy that when he
comes home from the dentist.
[ Laughter ]
>>Lady Gaga: I can't -- because
I always -- whenever
I'm really tired before
a show, I always go,
is this real live?
Because I'll have been up for,
like, 30 hours straight doing
interviews, and then I'll
hear the, you know,
da, da, da, da, da.
And the show starts.
And I just go, is
this real life?
And everybody goes, it is.
You have to go on stage.
I love that video.
That poor boy.
[ Laughter ]
>>Marissa Mayer: There's also
so many fan remixes and
remakes of your songs
on YouTube.
I was wondering if you have
a favorite there.
I know there's Maria, the young
girl, who I think really
embodies a lot of what is
interesting about technology.
>>Lady Gaga: Maria is
just so special.
And, you know, she's, like, ten
-- she's ten years old.
But even ten-year-olds today
know how to work a webcam and
upload a YouTube video.
And I think that's -- that is
why this -- for myself, my
campaign with my album has been
so successful, is because
I, too, am a child of
the dot com era.
Me and my father ran an Internet
company when I was
really young, so I was
listening to lots of
technology talk, jargon, over
the dinner table, not
understanding until much later
what it all meant.
But she's beautiful.
She's very young, and she has
a voice in the world.
And she latched onto a song that
was very risky for me to
put out so soon in my career.
But if I could just touch maybe
ten ten-year-olds in the
world in every single continent,
maybe I could make
a difference.
>>Marissa Mayer: Do we
have the Maria video?
[ Video. ]
>>> My mama told me when I was
young, we are all born
superstars.
She rolled my hair and
put my lipstick on.
In the glass of her boudoir.
There's nothing wrong with
loving who you are, she said,
'cause he made you
perfect, Babe.
So hold your head up,
and you'll go far.
Listen to me when I say: I'm
beautiful in my way. 'Cause
God makes no mistakes.
I'm on the right track, baby.
I was Born This Way.
Don't hide yourself in regret.
Just love yourself.
(Video ends).
[ Cheers and applause ]
>>Lady Gaga: She's
just so amazing.
You know, and that's -- it's
so -- What I would like to
speak about is the way that
we experience music now.
We experience the music through
the Internet, but it
has really great effects
and also has
really negative effects.
The great effect is Maria.
The negative effect is you sort
of quite mathematically
input your songs and your soul
into a computer, and out spits
out charts (indicating).
[ Laughter ]
>>Lady Gaga: So my -- the fan
experience now, digitally, is
they buy the song, and then they
get into chat rooms and
they watch the song
climb the chart.
But somebody like Maria
has no pretension.
She's wildly innocent and
beautiful, and she only cares
about the music and
the lyrics.
So what I'm working on doing
now is creating a fan
experience with the release of
Born This Way that takes them
a bit away from the computer
in terms of the actual
purchase of the song.
I want to encourage the fans
to experience the music and
the lyrics removed
of that sort of
behind-the-computer banter.
When I was a kid, I was standing
outside of HMV,
praying that I saw Billy Joel's
fingernail in the window.
I was hoping that I would
see Thom Yorke when
Radiohead came in.
You know, that is what I want
to recreate for my fans.
We've done it with the
Monsterball, and now I want to
do it with album retail.
>>Marissa Mayer: You've also
shown a lot of things from
behind the scenes.
So you had Gaga Vision
on YouTube.
And Gaga info from Twitter would
like to know, please,
could you bring back
Gaga Vision.
We miss it so much.
PS.
We love you and we're
so proud.
>>Lady Gaga: I love
Gaga Vision.
That was the -- they were these
little films that I was
doing back when I first
began touring.
But I actually just got so
busy that it was really
difficult to have a
camera in my face.
You will never see me do
reality television.
It will never --
don't even ask.
It will never happen.
[ Applause ]
>>Lady Gaga: It will
never happen.
It's just -- I'm not that
kind of person.
My whole life is a performance
piece.
So I don't need to have my
picture taken to feel that I'm
in a moment of art.
So -- But the good news is, as
I'm planning the Born This Way
Ball, I have been speaking to
Terry Richardson, who's this
amazing photographer.
He wanted to film some of the
making of process of what
we're doing.
So I'm hoping we can resurrect
the Gaga Vision videos for the
creation of the new tour so
you guys can creatively be
more connected to how
I make things.
>>Marissa Mayer: That'd
be great.
[ Applause ]
>>Marissa Mayer: So since we're
at Google, this question
is apropos.
TheeJuann from Chicago,
Illinois, asked, have you ever
Googled yourself just
to see what came up?
>>Lady Gaga: Yes, of course
I have. [ Laughter ]
>>Marissa Mayer: When
was the last time?
>>Lady Gaga: The last time,
probably -- well, last night,
I wanted to know if people knew
that I was going to be
here, because everybody was
telling me not to tweet.
So I Googled, and I didn't see
enough come up, so I said,
well, I'm tweeting, so....
[ Laughter ]
>>Marissa Mayer: That
solved that problem.
>>Lady Gaga: So there.
>>Marissa Mayer: Well, 443
million hits on Google for
Lady Gaga, which basically means
you don't have very much
anonymity left at all.
And I guess from Colorado, asks,
are there ever moments
the paparazzi doesn't
recognize you?
>>Lady Gaga: I have to be really
honest. People that say
that they can't escape the
paparazzi are full of shit.
So let me just be the artist
who -- to throw everybody
under the bus.
And my head of security is
standing over there nodding.
I don't spend money on houses
and lots of cars, but I do
spend money on security,
and they never find me.
So, no, it doesn't run my life,
because getting my photo
taken is not what makes me
feel like an artist; it's
being in front of 50,000 fans
screaming, "I was born this
way, baby." That's
why I'm here.
[ Applause ]
>>Marissa Mayer: So we have
another video question, from
peachdog1224.
These names are great.
>>Lady Gaga: Peachdog?
>>Marissa Mayer: Peachdog, who
wants to know a little bit
about regrets.
>>Video: Hey, mother monster,
my name is Matt.
And my question for you is that
in the song Born This Way
that you recently released,
which is awesome, you have the
lyrics that "Don't hide yourself
in regret." I was
wondering if you have ever
regretted anything or if there
was something in your life that
you'd ever want to change
in the past. Thank you for
looking at my question.
I really love you.
Thank you for making music.
Bye.
>>Lady Gaga: Is there anything
that I regret from my past.
Well, I'll begin with the lyric,
and I will say, "Don't
hide yourself in regret"
is don't perpetuate
negativity in your life.
Don't obsess about the things
that you didn't do or the
things that you may have not
done your best. Obsess about
the future.
Obsess about today.
Think endlessly about how you
can pull the inner queen -- or
king -- out of yourself, and
let that superstar shine.
I don't believe that fame is
something that is obtainable.
I believe that it's --
it's inside of you.
It's not something that
you can touch.
It's not tangible.
Which is why when I speak
about the paparazzi and
things, it's very meaningless
to me.
There are days when
I wake up, and I
don't feel like a superstar.
And it's those regrets, you say
did you ever wake up and
feel like a superstar.
The answer is no.
The regret of some days
waking up and not
feeling brave enough.
Those are the regrets I have.
Because I have so many things
to be grateful for, so many
fans looking up to me.
And the days when
I feel insecure,
those are my regrets.
I want to always be secure and
strong for you, because look
at how sweet they are.
They're so -- so genuine, and
they're listening to the
lyrics, you know.
And so I guess what I would say
is don't -- don't obsess
over what you've done wrong.
Always look into yourself for
the answer and be the best you
that you can be in the future.
>>Marissa Mayer: In the same
vein -- I think that's --
[ Applause ]
>>Marissa Mayer: In the
same vein, we have a
question from Australia.
What's the greatest piece of
advice you've ever received?
>>Lady Gaga: The greatest
piece of
advice I've ever received.
It is, if you don't have any
shadows, you're not standing
in the light.
[ Applause ]
>>Lady Gaga: I say that to
myself every day, every single
day, I say that.
Because I'm not a squeaky-clean
person, you
know, so there's nothing about
my music or the Monsterball or
my fans that -- we're
not squeaky-clean.
You know, and people always
say to me, "Who's the real
you?" when, in reality, I'm
pretty much an open
book about my life.
What you're asking me
about is magic.
And if you are magical, you
always have shadows.
If you're in the light, you
must cast a shadow.
>>Marissa Mayer: So let's
talk a little bit
about the new album.
It's out on May 23rd,
Born This Way.
The first single, title single,
is already out.
It's been number one for
five weeks already.
[ Applause ]
>>Marissa Mayer: And we
have a video question
about the new album.
So we'll go to jazz bridger
here on video.
>>> Hi, Gaga, if you could
describe the Born This Way
album in just three words,
what would they be?
>>Lady Gaga: In three words.
See how smart my fans are?
I would call it -- I would use a
-- It is one word, I suppose
that avant-garde is one word.
But I would call it avant-garde
technorock.
It's a lot of -- there's a lot
of rock influences on the
album, but not in a --
this is a rock music
record kind of way.
It actually is quite steadfast
in that it is an exploration
in electronic music and
in technosonics.
But I have sort of created a
genre of metal dance techno
pop music with a lot of rock
anthemic choruses, because
that is the music that I love.
I'm actually really obsessed
with Bruce Springstein.
My father used to play Bruce
Springstein records for me all
the time when he was
a kid, and he
was, blue collar America.
And in a way, I guess I related
to Bruce because I
watched my father, a blue
collar American citizen,
relate to Bruce.
And I think that in a social
way, my fans feel blue collar.
They feel like they're the
underdogs that will someday be
the winners.
And I took the influence of
Bruce on my father in my life
to create this album.
And, yeah, lots of really big,
almost, like, big Def
Leopard-style melodies
in the choruses.
But it's electronic
dance music.
It's very hard, very edgy.
And I'm very excited
for you to hear it.
>>Marissa Mayer: We're all
looking forward to it.
[ Applause ]
>>Marissa Mayer: One of the
things that you face as an
artist is censorship.
So from Colorado is asked, how
do you feel about Malaysian
radio stations editing out your
imperative "no matter
gay, straight, or bi, lesbian,
transgendered life" line for
Born This Way.
>>Lady Gaga: Obviously,
I disagree with it.
Otherwise, I wouldn't have
specifically put those words
in a song that I knew would
be put on top 40 radio.
What I would say is, for all
of the young people in
Malaysian that want those words
to be played on the
radio, it is your job and it is
your duty as young people
to have your voices heard.
You must do everything that
you can if you want to be
liberated by your society.
You must call, you must not
stop, you must protest
peacefully.
No -- I don't believe
in violence.
I don't believe in negativity.
There's no reason to
be derogatory.
You just have to keep fighting
for what you believe in.
And to be quite honest, honesty
and the truth is
always what will set you free.
I can't tell you how many times
I get phone calls from
TV stations, and Troy will call
me and he'll say, "They
want you to edit out this
section of the video." And I
say, "Well, just tell them I
won't do it, and if they don't
want to play it, they don't
have to." That's it.
[ Applause ]
>>Lady Gaga: Because if the
artist is constantly molding
ourselves and changing and
bridging -- abridging what we
do for the machine,
then the artist
becomes part of the machine.
I don't want to be part
of the machine.
I want the machine
to be part of me.
>>Marissa Mayer: Okay.
The next question
-- [ Applause ]
>>Marissa Mayer: -- the next
question is actually a
composite and we'll open up to
Googler questions if you want
to move to the microphones
in just a minute.
A composite.
There were 643 fan questions
asked about the next single
that comes off of Born
This Way, Judas.
And so I'm wondering if you can
tell us a little bit about
the inspiration for it, the
video you have planned.
>>Lady Gaga: I'm very excited.
Actually, I can exclusively
reveal here at Google that I
will be making my directorial
debut with Laurieann Gibson,
directing this video
with her ourselves.
It's no surprise to many of you
that Judas is a man of the
Biblical senses.
So expect to see some symbolism
in this video.
But the song is about -- some of
the words in the song I can
reveal here are, "When he
comes to me, I am ready.
I'll wash his feet with
my hair if he needs.
Forgive him when his tongue lies
through his brain, even
after three times
he betrays me.
I'll bring him down, a king with
no crown." So the song is
about honoring your darkness
in order to bring yourself
into the light.
That's kind of what I just
mentioned to about if you're
standing in the light,
you cast a shadow.
I have been haunted by my past
for a very long time.
And, actually, that's a
recurring theme on the album.
It has a lot to do with identity
and being able to be
proud and say I was
born this way.
But I was haunted by being able
to go back to New York,
being able to go back to my
past, being able to understand
why I made certain decisions,
that instead of regretting
them, I chose to embrace
and understand why
I made those choices.
And what the song Judas is about
is, you have to look
into what's haunting you and you
need to learn to forgive
yourself in order to move on.
>>Marissa Mayer: We all
look forward to it.
[ Applause ]
>>Lady Gaga: And it's really
fun to dance to.
And it -- and it sounds
like it could be a --
a pop priest record.
It's really fun.
>>Marissa Mayer: We'll go ahead
and take some questions
from the audience.
>>> Hi.
So I understand the fame brought
you a lot of great
things, like your monsters
and everything that's
happening to you.
But is there something that the
fame brought you that you
could do without?
>>Lady Gaga: That I
could do without.
I don't know.
No.
I would say no.
I don't want to focus on
anything negative like that.
It's -- there's always --
whether you're famous or
you're not, there's always
things in your life that you
could do without.
So I don't think anything is
particularly fame-related.
I've got a really good family.
And if anything, I'm grateful,
because my family and I
wrestled fame to the ground, and
we're stronger than ever.
So no.
[ Applause ]
>>> Hi, Lady Gaga.
Thanks so much for coming.
>>Lady Gaga: You look so cute.
>>> A little background
on this.
I took the inspiration from
the Kermit the frog one.
But you can't tell.
>>Lady Gaga: That
was so funny.
>>> I added a little bit
of myself in it.
Bunnies for Easter.
I thought it would be
a hop-in attire.
You like that?
I liked it, too.
>>Lady Gaga: That's funny.
>>> Sorry.
What was that?
>>Lady Gaga: That's funny.
>>> I thought I had to dress up
because I definitely wanted
to speak to you and give
you a hug or whatever.
But I think Google as a whole,
and YouTube and the world is
very excited for you to come
here and be so candid.
So on that note, I'm at this
point really curious, when
you're not in the spotlight,
when you're home, you know, in
New York with your family, what
are some of the things
you enjoy doing?
What do you wear?
What do your pajamas
look like?
[ Laughter ]
>>Lady Gaga: Well,
I'm actually --
I'm very into yoga.
So I do a lot of that really --
I saw the yoga rooms here.
And -- at Google.
I was, like, inching my way.
But I'm actually really into
the crazy hot yoga in
100-degree rooms. It's the only
thing that I can, I feel,
can be really bad at
and nobody knows.
So I sort of take comfort
in the journey of
becoming good at yoga.
Because if I suck one day,
nobody sees it, it's just me.
I guess that's the thing about
fame that is difficult.
Is, if you screw up, Google
-- [ Laughter ]
>>Lady Gaga: -- is there.
So I love yoga.
I love cooking.
I'm a really good cook,
actually, which maybe some of
you may not know about me.
I love spending time
with my mom.
I love getting really drunk with
my friends at the same
bars that we used to go to, and
listening to AC/DC records.
And what else do I --
what do I wear?
I mean, to tell you the truth,
it's very funny, because my
father quite often is like,
"Can't you just put on this?"
But have you been to any of my
shows, out of curiosity?
>>> No, not yet.
>>Lady Gaga: You haven't yet.
I would say anybody who's seen
me live would tell that you
whether I'm dressed like
this or wearing a tee
shirt, I look the same.
And I know that that
might sound silly.
But it's not this that you are
responding to anymore.
And I keep talking about this,
because my fans are actually
quite blind to my clothes now,
because they're so used to it
that they don't see
it anymore.
They just see me.
And I'm excited about that,
because I think with this new
album, people will wonder less
and less what I look like when
I'm brushing my teeth.
But the truth is, I look exactly
like I look right now.
I just, you know, probably have
a Mötley Crüe tee shirt
on, and there's a really
good-looking guy in my bed.
[ Cheers ]
[ Cheers and applause ]
>>> Thank you.
>>Lady Gaga: I think
my manager just
darted out of the room.
>>> Anytime you want to come
cook in or, you know, hanging
out with my mom and your
mom, you're welcome to.
>>Lady Gaga: You asked
for a hug.
Do you want to come over
here and get one?
[ Cheers ]
>>> Yes.
How about a picture, too?
>>Lady Gaga: Yeah.
[ Cheers and applause ]
>>> Thank you so much.
It was so good.
>>Lady Gaga: It was
nice to meet you.
You're so cute.
That's a lot of bunnies.
>>> There are 16.
>>Lady Gaga: 16.
>>Marissa Mayer: So we'll take
a few more questions here.
>>> Hi.
My name is Logan.
Thank you so much for coming.
Thrilled that you're here.
>>Lady Gaga: Hi, Logan.
>>> Hi.
I'm wondering, have you seen the
video called "Friday" by
Rebecca Black?
[ Laughter ]
>>Lady Gaga: No.
>>> So this is the latest
Internet sensation.
And it's this 13-year-old girl
who made a video and now it's
online and everyone's making
fun of it and just kind of
criticizing it as really
cheesy, which it is.
But she's only 13.
And my reaction to it -- or
I'm curious about your
reaction to YouTube as a forum
for new artists and for some
of the criticism that
maybe young people
get for going online.
And then on the other side,
there's the Justin Biebers who
are becoming famous
through YouTube.
What do you think about
the future of
fame through YouTube.
>>Lady Gaga: I think
it's fantastic.
[ Applause ]
>>Lady Gaga: I say Rebecca Black
is a genius, and anyone
that's telling her she's
cheesy is full of shit.
>>> Thank you.
>>Marissa Mayer: Okay.
Over here.
>>> Hi, Gaga.
Thanks for coming.
>>Lady Gaga: Hi.
That's a nice -- [ Laughter ]
>>Marissa Mayer: I think you
have -- >>Lady Gaga: See, I
don't want to laugh, because
I'm quite certain that
sometimes when I enter the room,
that's how people feel.
[ Laughter ]
>>Lady Gaga: But it's really --
it kind of looks like the
Chrysler building.
>>> Thank you.
I used to be an architect,
so....
>>Lady Gaga: Where did
you go to school?
>>> At Carnegie Mellon.
>>Lady Gaga: Great school.
>>> I'm happy to lend this to
you for your concert tonight.
[ Laughter ]
>>Lady Gaga: It looks an awful
lot like one of the outfits,
it might go quite
well, actually.
>>> It's all yours.
>>Lady Gaga: Thank you.
>>> My serious question, though,
is, we talk about Gaga
this and Gaga that and the fame
and The Fame Monster.
But what about Stefani?
How do you stay Stefani through
-- >>Lady Gaga: I love
this question.
Who are you looking for?
I'm right here.
Stefani is also who I am.
Gaga's just my nickname.
It's like when you're a kid and
your mom calls you "skip,"
or -- instead of calling you,
you know, Johnny, she calls
you Jonathan when you're bad.
It's the same thing for me.
It's just -- it was a way for me
to release so many years of
being told "no" by
this business.
And it's actually funny, because
I didn't -- I didn't
shop around to record labels
until I was calling myself
Gaga, until people in New York
knew me as Lady Gaga.
But in high school and making
music and choir and being cast
in the boys' play and all the
girls hated me because I
always got the lead -- they
hated me for that, because it
was at the boys' school, so if
you got the lead, you were
always at the boys' school
after school.
[ Laughter ]
>>Lady Gaga: So I guess what
I'm trying to say is, is I
really make absolutely
no separation
between Stefani and Gaga.
It is the absolute
same person.
It's just it was a way for me in
my life -- and it's a gift
I wish I could give to anyone,
if you went through hard times
when you were a kid or when you
were in college, or maybe
you had a job that really -- you
know, they fired you and
you were -- you were, you know,
poor for two years and
then you got -- I wish I could
give that gift to anyone of
being able to say I rebuke all
of that negativity, and I am
now a new person, and I'm going
to be the queen I know
that I can be.
And that's really
all that it is.
>>> Thanks.
[ Applause ]
>>> I know you have a
meticulously planned wardrobe,
but just in case, I'm going
to leave this for you.
>>Lady Gaga: Thank
you very much.
>>Marissa Mayer: We will take
two more questions.
>>Lady Gaga: Please leave
all fashion accessories.
Thank you.
So sweet.
>>> Have a great show.
>>Lady Gaga: I can't --
is that going to fit?
>>Marissa Mayer: Do you want
-- >>Lady Gaga: It's not
balancing very well.
>>Marissa Mayer: Okay.
Two more questions.
Okay.
>>> Thank you very
much for coming.
>>Lady Gaga: Hi.
>>> So much of your music is as
you kind of labeled it, the
avant-garde, technorock and kind
of lends itself toward
this really epic sound.
And then you take those songs
and you make these amazing
acoustic versions that are just
this polar opposite in
terms of the musicality.
And I was wondering if you could
talk about the process
of building those two songs out
of the same lyrics, same
chords, same songs.
And is there one that
you like performing?
>>Lady Gaga: I guess what I
would like to say is a lot of
times I will begin
at the piano.
I will write one of the songs on
the album that is truly one
of my favorites called "the edge
of glory." And it's kind
of a sad story.
Sorry to be a downer.
My grandpa died about five
months ago and my dad and I
were going to say goodbye
to him at the hospice.
And I got out a big thing of
agave tequila, and my dad sat
next to me at the piano, and
we just started doing shots
back and forth.
And I wrote The Edge of Glory
on the piano, and
my dad and I cried.
And the song is about your
last moment on Earth, the
moment of truth.
The Edge of Glory is that
moment right before
you leave the Earth.
So that song can be played on
the piano, but it's actually
set to this giant, huge
technorock Springsteinesque
dance beat.
I actually had Clarence Clemons
from the A Street Band
come in and play saxophone
on it.
It's fucking beautiful.
And I do that with a
lot of my songs.
But it's funny, it's so
interesting to hear your
perspective on it because that
is really what I wanted to do
with this album, is I wanted
to show my abilities as a
songwriter.
So a lot of songs
are like that.
There's really no song on the
album that can't be played at
a piano acoustically.
It's all about the songwriting,
it's all about my
abilities as a writer from
a melodic perspective.
And I coproduced every
song on the album.
So, sonically, it just
smells like me.
I guess what I'm trying to say
is, in my opinion, all good
music can be played at a piano
and still sound like a hit.
>>> Thank you very much.
[ Applause ]
>>Marissa Mayer: One
more question here.
>>> Hi.
I'm Chris.
>>Lady Gaga: Hello.
Why do I feel like some of you
were coaxed into doing this?
[ Laughter ]
>>> Because we were promised
we would get a prize if we
were the best-dressed.
>>Lady Gaga: So you get 200
bucks after you take those
balls off, huh?
>>> They're actually loufahs.
>>Lady Gaga: They're
what, loufahs?
I'm sorry.
Can I take my glasses off?
You can take a really fancy
shower, then, after this.
[ Laughter ]
>>> Okay.
So I've got to figure out my
(inaudible) because I'm nervous.
What I wanted to ask you, after
hearing you talk, you
have a very positive
look on life.
So I was just kind of wondering
where that came from.
What happened in your
life to shape that?
Because not many people are like
you and can always say
rebuke things that are
bad and, you know,
always look to the good.
>>Lady Gaga: Well, my mom.
I have a really good mom.
She really was there for me.
And she always taught me
to be very gracious.
My mother's the kind of person
that will give you the shirt
off her back if you're cold.
And that is how I was raised.
But I guess I would also say --
I don't know if people in
this room are religious.
I always feel kind of awkward
talking about religion,
because I don't want people to
feel like I'm impressing any
kind of belief on you.
But I do see -- I do believe
that God comes in many forms.
And I don't believe that we
know what he looks like.
That's something that I actually
address in Judas.
But I see God in my fans.
So every night when I look into
the audience, I feel like
I see this -- this force of
beauty and that I don't know,
it's just faith.
So I see faith in my fans.
And that's what keeps
me strong, is them.
Is I really -- when I go out
there, I don't go out after
the show and get plastered and
do a ton of drugs and when I
go on stage the next day
I can barely sing.
I'm very, very disciplined
and hard-working.
And I am a -- as a blond woman
with tits and ass, very proud
of my accomplishments
as a musician.
And I say that with
lots of strength.
People call it arrogance.
But I do believe that women in
pop music have a very bad rap.
And I think people have learned
to expect very little
from all of us.
And it's very unfair.
It's very prejudiced.
So me and my tits and my ass and
my brain are very proud to
be here today.
[ Cheers and applause ]
>>Lady Gaga: And I truly see --
I truly see God in my fans.
They are -- they are -- they are
who I worship is what I'm
trying to say.
And I believe what you worship
in your life doesn't have to
be religion or an institution
or a certain kind of God.
It's just you must worship
your faith.
I -- perhaps I'm speaking
in my own Gaga tongues.
But I worship my fans is
what I'm trying to say.
They are my religion.
>>> Love you!
>>> I'm sorry to ask, but
can I have a hug, too?
This was, like, one of my
dreams. I love your music.
>>Lady Gaga: I love you, too.
>>> Okay?
>>Lady Gaga: I thought he was
asking -- come on, have a hug.
I'm not going to say no.
>>> Thank you so much.
[ Applause ]
>>Lady Gaga: That towel-wrapping
is giving me,
like, new Jerusalem.
>>Marissa Mayer: If I'm not
mistake, next Monday, March
28th, is your 25th birthday.
>>Lady Gaga: Yes.
[ Cheers and applause ]
>>Marissa Mayer: So
happy birthday.
>>Lady Gaga: Thank you.
Can I just keep telling
people I'm 24.
>>Marissa Mayer:
We won't tell.
Google might, but we won't.
We have a surprise for you,
which you can tell there are
many people in the audience
dressed up in
their best Gaga garb.
We've handed cards
to a few people.
So why don't the people who
got a card before the show
come up, and we're going
to have you critique
the best Lady Gaga.
>>Lady Gaga: Thank you.
Oh, my goodness.
I can't really -- do you
want to come up here?
Hi.
Can I hug all of you?
>>> Yes.
>>> Group hug!
>>Lady Gaga: That's
really good.
Hello.
Thank you.
[ Laughter ]
>>Lady Gaga: Thank you.
Hi.
>>> Hi.
>>Lady Gaga: Hello.
>>> Hi.
>>Lady Gaga: This
is interesting.
It's very Yves St.-Laurent.
>>> This is an ammunition
belt from World War II.
>>Lady Gaga: Hi.
You look beautiful.
You know what's so funny?
Is when I was on my
first record label
-- you can go back.
I'm sorry.
She's like -- When I was on my
first record label, Def Jam,
not to bring up a sour story,
but I sent all of the
employees at Def Jam Disco
balls that I hand-painted
myself, like that, except I
wrote "Gaga" all over them.
And I sent them huge bags of
candy from the Dollar Store --
[ Laughter ]
>>Lady Gaga: -- with these
Disco balls that
had my name on it.
And I got dropped, like,
a month later.
Somebody in the office was,
like, "Who sent all these
gummy worms and Disco balls
that say 'Gaga?'" I
hand-painted those suckers,
every one of them.
Okay.
Well, this is very good.
And this is very good, because
it looks almost exactly like
my Theirry Mugler-inspired
outfit from the
very first Fame Ball.
This is amazing, because
it looks just like
the telephone video.
However, I have to say that the
mark of a true Gaga fan is
always thinking forward.
And that is you.
[ Applause ]
>>Lady Gaga: It's
very detailed.
It's very detailed.
The ponytail looks perfect.
The shoulderpads, you did a nice
job with the duct tape.
[ Laughter ]
>>Lady Gaga: And that is exactly
-- it took me an hour
to get my makeup
done for that.
And it's -- >>> 15 minutes.
>>Lady Gaga: 15 minutes.
See?
That's a really glamour girl.
Well, congratulations.
>>> Thank you so much.
>>Lady Gaga: You
are the winner.
>>Marissa Mayer: Thank
you, guys.
And as we heard, Gaga is
performing in Oakland tonight.
So all of our competition here
on stage will get a pair of
tickets to the concert
tonight.
>>Lady Gaga: Here, you can
have the riding crop.
You look really, really
wonderful.
That -- actually, that setup
was -- just to explain it a
little bit -- Rico, who is in
the video with me, he has the
same -- he's tattooed
that way.
>>> I read that last night.
>>Lady Gaga: Yeah, that's
really -- he's really
tattooed that way.
And I asked him, you know, when
we were on the set, I
said, "Why did you get" -- it's
kind of like a weird,
funny question -- "but why did
you tattoo yourself that way?"
And he said, "Bazooka Gum."
I said, "What do you mean,
Bazooka Gum?" And he said, "Well
you know how Bazooka Gum
comes with the stick-on
tattoos?" He said, "I really
liked them and I loved punk rock
when I was a kid, so I
just used to listen to punk
rock and put Bazooka Gum
tatoos on, so I tattooed my face
like this." So that's why
we chewed bubble gum
in the video.
But I wanted to tribute Rico,
because I believe -- what this
look represented to me was that
I will not allow society
or critics to dictate
my beauty.
I -- I tell you what I believe
is beautiful about me.
Every person defines their own
beauty for themselves.
So that's what that makeup
represents to me, is that Rico
was defining who he is in an
artistic way and not relying
on society to tell him what
makes him valuable.
[ Applause ]
>>Lady Gaga: So you
look fabulous.
She's coming to the show?
>>Marissa Mayer: Yes.
They're all coming
to the show.
>>Lady Gaga: All right.
You're going to fit right in.
[ Laughter ]
>>Marissa Mayer: And they
are not the only
people who are coming.
So we have 40 more of
these cards taped to
the bottom of seats.
So if you look under your
seat, you get a pair of
tickets to the Gaga concert
tonight. (Screams).
>>Marissa Mayer: There are
instructions on the back as to
how to -- >>Lady
Gaga: So cute.
>>Marissa Mayer: And just --
someone found one over here.
Just so no one leaves
empty-handed, we actually have
special edition Google
Goes Gaga tee shirts
for everyone here.
They are in Benghazi in building
43, they're there
now, so you can stop by
on your way leaving.
I just want to say thank
you, thank you to the
Haus of Gaga for this.
There have been an unbelievable
number of people
here at Google who have helped
out, but mainly Andrew
Schulte, along with
(saying name).
>>Lady Gaga: And, actually, some
of you don't know this,
but Andrew was an RA at third
north where I went to college.
And he wrote me up for
drinking in my room.
[ Laughter ]
>>Marissa Mayer: And she
came to Google anyway.
>>Lady Gaga: So we go
way back, Google.
>>Marissa Mayer: I just want
to say, a huge thank you to
you from all of us and
from your fans.
Thank you so much for
being here today.
[ Cheers and applause ]
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