STAN CULTURE

Lady Gaga Stubbornly Refuses to Start a New Era

Lady Gaga has no “Stupid Love,” for fans demanding that she kick off the #LG6 era. Even at her Super Bowl weekend concert in Miami.


Lady Gaga in concert with green feathers.

The thirst Lady Gaga fans possess is the size of a bottomless hole. It was just a year ago when the singer was capping off her whirlwind promotions and awards ceremony tour for A Star Is Born (the soundtrack of which provided at least half an album’s worth of new Gaga material), but the Little Monsters already want more.

To be fair, Gaga herself has been teasing the release of more music for a while now.

“Rumors I’m pregnant? Yeah, I’m pregnant with #LG6,” she tweeted almost 11 months ago (#LG6, for those not completely caught up with the complexities of Twitter stan culture, means her sixth studio album). In December, she hinted that she had been working so hard on the album, she’s barely had time to bathe.

Anticipation hit a fever pitch over the past few weeks. A concert in Miami on Super Bowl weekend was announced. AT&T would sponsor a free livestream of the set. Soon, snippets of a new track, apparently leaked, began making the rounds. Then the full track, titled “Stupid Love,” leaked. It was classic Gaga with a chugging power chorus, and a big room backing track. Gay bars across the globe started playing it in full, according to Twitter reports. Her fans began dissecting what it told us about the upcoming album. Gaga herself, however, wasn’t having it.

That didn’t necessarily negate the possibility of an official launch coming soon; yet, this past “New Music Friday” came and went, and Dua Lipa’s “Physical” was allowed to win the day on the pop front.

Turns out, Gaga wasn’t prepared to premiere any new music at her Miami concert this weekend, either. The singer mostly performed a set adapted from her “Enigma” residency in Las Vegas.

When a fan requested “Stupid Love” from the crowd, Gaga reacted in a way which reminded all that she, indeed, was nominated for an Oscar a year ago.

The song went unperformed. We should have known she wouldn’t dare perform the track well decked out in the Cybergoth-informed neon-style associated with “Enigma” (a new Gaga era requires new aesthetics, after all).

So, what’s going on here?

With Gaga, it’s very possible this is all part of her plan. A planned “leak” as a way to comment on Stan culture and how much fans demand of their pop heroes? Perhaps! It would make sense for her to return to the major themes of her Fame era, especially considering how genuinely famous she’s become since writing that material. (In any event, it makes you wonder what Gaga makes of the infamous Charli XCX/Douche incident.)

Or this could be an actual leak, and Gaga is hard at work on a new album until it’s perfect (Lord knows how critical some of her fans can be).

We’re sure we’ll get the answer in time, but for now Gaga remains stubbornly in her one enigma.

Related: Lady Gaga’s Halloween Pumpkins Have Little Monsters Searching For Clues

Celebrating Lady Gaga’s Most Iconic Beauty Looks, From the Outrageously Bold to the Elegantly Chic

The pop star arrives at MTV’s Total Request Live in New York City wearing her platinum blonde hair sleek straight with blunt bangs and a coral red lip. (2008)

Photo by Getty.

Wearing her hair in a curled bob with swept over bangs, bleached brows and a nude glossy lip, Lady Gaga attends the 102.7 KIIS-FM’s Wango Tango in California. (2009)

Photo by Getty.

Arriving at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, Lady Gaga wears her curled bob with pink highlights and an exaggerated black smoky eye embellished with a golden mask.

Photo by Getty.

Lady Gaga goes bold at the 52nd Annual GRAMMY Awards with her yellow platinum locks in voluminous waves, a jade green smoky eye and a Barbie pink lip. (2010)

Photo by Getty.

Celebrating her collaboration with MAC Cosmetics, Lady Gaga wears her white platinum locks with a frosted face embellished with pearls and a fuchsia pink lip. (2010)

Photo by Getty.

At the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards, Lady Gaga wears long, ombre waves of silver and light blue with a golden feathered hairpiece and a nude lip.

Photo by Getty.

Sporting a turquoise blue bob with blunt bangs, dark painted brows an a bold red lip, Lady Gaga arrives at the 2011 CFDA Fashion Awards.

Photo by Getty.

Wearing her hair in a high tousled, pink highlighted pony with exaggerated latex facial features and a bold red lip, Lady Gaga attends the 53rd Annual GRAMMY Awards.

Photo by Getty.

At the MTV Europe Music Awards in Belfast, Lady Gaga wears her platinum blonde hair in a twisted high pony with glittered green eyebrows, a bold cat eye and a metallic aqua blue lip. (2011)

Photo by Getty.

At the The 54th Annual Grammy Awards, Lady Gaga wears a sleek up do with black highlights, bold brows and a red lip embellished with a lace veil. (2012)

Photo by Getty.

Wearing her dark brunette locks in natural waves with luminous skin and a coral peach lip, Lady Gaga attends 2013 MTV Video Music Awards.

Photo by Getty.

Back to platinum blonde, Lady Gaga wears her hair middle-parted, in natural waves with a light contour on her cheekbones and glossy pink lip at the 2013 American Music Awards.

Photo by Getty.

At the ArtRave in Brooklyn, Lady Gaga sports a blunt bob with a black patent leather headpiece and a sheer coral lip. (2013)

Photo by Getty.

At the 2014 MusiCares Person Of The Year Honoring Carole King event, Lady Gaga wears her shoulder length locks in soft curls, a hint of blush on the cheeks and a nude pink lip.

Photo by Getty.

Stunning at the 86th Annual Academy Awards, Lady Gaga wears her hair swept back into a simple bun with a silver frosted eye. (2014)

Photo by Getty.

Wearing her hair swept over in soft, silver curls with a metallic jade green eye, Lady Gaga arrives at the 57th Annual Grammy Awards. (2015)

Photo by Getty.

At the 67th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards, Lady Gaga wears her shoulder length blonde locks in soft curls with a neutral smoky eye and a glossy pink lip. (2015)

Photo by Getty.

Lady Gaga’s classic soft, wavy curls and red lip was elevated with an dramatic taupe smoky eye and bleached brows at the Los Angeles screening of American Horror Story: Hotel. (2015)

Photo by Getty.

Lady Gaga goes bold at the 58th Grammy Awards with her fiery red locks and an embellished sapphire blue smoky eye. (2016)

Photo by Getty.

At the 87th Annual Academy Awards, Lady Gaga wears her hair in a sleek, yet playful low pony garnished with red florals that paired perfectly with her red satin lip. (2015)

Photo by Getty.

Celebrating her Golden Globe win for her role in American Horror Story, Lady Gaga wears her yellow blonde bob in soft curls with a classic cat eye and a sheer nude lip. (2016)

Photo by Getty.

Arriving at The Fashion Awards 2016 in London, Lady Gaga wears a sleek, side-parted low bun with a bold cat eye and a nude pink lip.

Photo by Getty.

Wearing her hair in sleek, elegant curls with a copper smoky eye, Lady Gaga attends the 88th Annual Academy Awards. (2016)

Photo by Getty.

Wearing her hair in voluminous, tight waves with dark brows and a bold red lip, Lady Gaga attends the Costume Institute Gala at the Metropolitan Museum in New York City. (2016)

Photo by Getty.

At the 59th Grammy Awards, Lady Gaga wears her pink highlighted locks in a tousled pony with a glittered gold and burgundy smoky eye and a berry pink lip. (2017)

Photo by Getty.
1/25