Mariano VivancoUpon learning that she graced the No. 1 spot, Gaga revealed the best song she's ever written, weighed in on her pop competitors, revealed that a great artist must be "emotionally thin," and more. Read the exclusive Q&A with Gaga and watch the Popdust 40 video teaser below!
We've just finished putting together our rigorously pseudo-scientific ranking of the 40 greatest pop stars in the world, and you, Lady Gaga, have been named the number one artist in the Popdust 40.
I have?
You have.
Oh my gosh!
You're so good at acting surprised!
No, really! Wow! I'm so honored. Thank you.
You're welcome. So, one of the categories we devised to rate and rank artists is "Third Best Song." We said your third best song is 'The Edge of Glory.' Do you agree?
Well, it's so very difficult to say. I love all my songs so much.
Of course ... you love all your children equally. Let's start with this: If you had to, could you name a favorite?
Well, 'Bad Romance' has a special place in my heart because it meant a lot to the Little Monsters when it came out. I also think 'You and I' is one of the best songs I've ever written. But the third best song ... [long pause] Well, I suppose I would have to say 'Poker Face.' But see, I have very different feelings about different songs at different times.
I could also say that 'Fooled Me Again' is one of the best songs I've written, and that was never on any of my albums. I could say that 'Marry the Night' is my third best song, or 'Americano.' I go through these artistic rebirths where I envision my songs in completely different ways. But I guess I'd say my third best song is 'Poker Face.'
Are you the type of person who studies your contemporaries on the pop chart?
Sure, I like to be aware of the landscape. But I'm really keen on understanding how I can push the boundaries of pop music and still exist outside of it in some way. When I made 'Born This Way,' I looked at underground dance music and the direction it was taking. Then, I thought about where I was personally in my life and what I was trying to express, and I tried to create this hybrid of underground dance music -- which is the voice of my generation -- and the spirit of anthemic, rebellious rock 'n' roll. That's what 'Born This Way' is all about.
Watch the Popdust 40 Video Recap
What have you learned about yourself since you started promoting 'Born This Way'?
I learned that to be a great artist, you must be emotionally very thin.
What do you mean by "emotionally thin"?
Your tears and your anger and your happiness must be just under the surface of your first layer of skin.
Is that the same as being vulnerable?
Yes. But I like to say "emotionally thin" because it's much more dramatic. Vulnerable to me implies only tears.
What's the downside of being so emotionally thin?
Well, in my mind, to be a great artist you must be private and public at all times. And yet I'm part of an industry that challenges the pop female head-on, guns-a-blazing. I have to be emotionally thin but equally strong and impervious.
And how does the industry prevent that?
The challenge is that what others view as artifice -- my wigs, my makeup, my clothes, my love for show business and theater -- to me, these are the paint in my palette. These things are not artifice. They're my reality. But they create a boundary between me and the public that I have to fight through. People wonder, "Is she for real? Is it all an act?" But my question is, "Since when did the act become a bad thing?" Show business has always been about the act, hasn't it?
Watch Lady Gaga's 'Judas' Video
Lady Gaga - Judas
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