[ 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 ] 1284 01:04:13,823 -->