I was born on May 28th 1986 in Manhattan, born and raised *laughs* as Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta.
I grew up in an apartment in the upper west side with my parents and my younger sister. And this is kind of a cliché but, I would say that I was raised on music. My dad would play records for me, like The Beatles, Stevie Wonder, Bruce Springsteen, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd etcetera etcetera from a very young age and I would dance and sing-a-long to them with my father. And it really inspired me to write my own songs and become a musician.
I started playing piano when I was about 4 years old. And it’s a funny story because my piano player used to have really long nails, like me now of course*shows hands*, and I asked her “How come you tell me to cut my nails and keep them nice and short but you have such long nails” and she said “One day you’ll know why, Stefani” *laughs. And she would teach me Mozart and Bach and Beethoven and Chopin and Rachmaninoff. And I practiced and practiced and I just became really good. I’m not the greatest dancer, or even singer for that matter compared to others, but I would say that I really excel on the piano and as a classical musician. And my parents really pushed me and encouraged me.
Something else that interested me when I was younger was fashion and just like any other little girl I used to play dress-up in my mom’s mirror. I used to try on her make-up and wear her fake pearls. But when I looked in the mirror, I wasn’t Stefani, I was Whitney Houston in the bodyguard, or Gloria Estefan or Madonna on stage. I could be anyone who I wanted to be with my costumes on, and that hasn’t changed even today. I am truly any and every icon.
And then I started voice lessons when I was 13. I was with my mom in this boutique and the store owner who was really fabulous, he loved theatre and music and I became friends with him, saw me singing the Backstreet Boys in the mirror whilst I was all dressed up and he gave me his uncle’s phone number. He said he was a voice teacher and might be interested in working with me. So I rushed home and rang him and his exact words were “I have worked with Grammy award winner Christina Aguilera, Mick Jagger, Bono of U2” and my jaw dropped to the floor. I exploded inside in pure excitement.
Overall I was just very influenced and inspired by my parents, school, my teachers to create music and art. I loved all types of music from Rock ‘n Roll to Pop to RnB. I was a music nerd. And it really made me who I am as an artist and a person in general, today. I would say to any people no matter how old you are to really get yourself involved in music, and to take lessons in singing or an instrument, whatever floats your boat. Because you’ll never get anywhere in music if you’re just sat on your ass.
Confidence and Conquering
I was a different child and I was subject to bullying ever since I was little. When I was younger it was subtle but still hurtful things that were said to me like, “Stefani why are you so weird” you know or, “You’re such a nerd Stefani”. It eventually grew into name calling, peer pressure. The popular girls would manipulate me and just make me feel so depressed and low.
And I remember when this one guy threw me in the trash can when I was walking to class. He didn’t mean anything by it but it was so embarrassing. All the girls were laughing and I laughed along to but I had tears in my eyes and a lump in my throat and one of the girls gave me this look like “Are you crying?” I only had a few friends who were you know, the “loser kids” and the nerds and the band geeks, and I had quite a lot of gay friends but, I always wanted to fit in with the popular beautiful girls and wanted to get attention from the hot jock boys *laughs* But I eventually realized that popularity isn’t worth it if you have to be like them you know? If you have to be a bully and the class clown. So I just put my head down and got my A’s and listened to my music *laughs*
So I was only like 15 and my mom was taking me to bars and trying to get them to let me perform. I would sit at my piano and play Bruce Springsteen covers. And that’s when my career really took off.
I went to NYU and studied performing arts but I decided I wanted to quit to… not really pursue my career but focus on performing. I was at peace with performing at dingy clubs and bars and living that way for the rest of my life. At that point, I already felt famous. My parents were furious at first but they let me go and do my thing.
So I started to rise on the scene and I met my friend, Lady Starlight. We joined forces and made a very raunchy performance art project named “Lady Gaga and The Starlight Revue”. And that’s when it started. I called myself Lady Gaga because my friends would call me Gaga and I loved the song “Lady Gaga” and, I was always crazy and theatrical. So that’s where it came from. It just really represented me.
And in our performances we used to be half naked, with our breasts out and we would spray aerosol cans and set them on fire whilst playing Iron Maiden in the background. It was crazy. But it was art. And one night my parents came to see the show and of course, my Dad was furious. I remember he said to me “This is what you’ve been doing instead of going to school?! You’re a stripper now?” and I said “No Daddy its art, nudity is art” *laughs*
But time passed and my career really started going places. I got management and I was slowly elevating. I continued on as a solo project but me and Lady Starlight are still good friends and she opens for me sometimes on tour. I got a record deal with Def Jam and of course I was over the moon. But I started having troubles with the producers they’d got me to work with, I was just too demanding. I am very bossy but, I’m not gonna let someone dictate what my record should sound like. It really wasn’t working out and months went past. I was just totally forgotten about by the label and they didn’t fully believe in me. And eventually I was dropped.
But then I got a deal with Interscope and that’s when I started putting together these tracks I had made and it became my debut album, The Fame. We put Just Dance out as the first single and, things just really took off from there.
I think one lesson I’ve definitely learned through all this is that, not everyone’s going to like you and not everyone will understand, you know? I am a risk taker. If you would’ve told 2008 Stefani or Just Dance-era Gaga that, you know “YOU’RE GONNA BE A ****ING SUPERSTAR” or “YOU’RE GONNA WEAR ******* CRAZY CLOTHES AND PEOPLE ARE GONNA KNOW YOUR NAME WORLDWIDE” I would’ve thought you were absolutely crazy *laughs* The outfits I wear, it’s just me. I’ve always had a passion for fashion and I didn’t know at all that I’d be where I am today. But what I did was I stuck to myself, I didn’t attempt to be anyone else. And obviously yes, the crazy costumes have helped me get to this point, I won’t deny that. And I made music that I liked, I didn’t try to adjust to anyone else’s taste. But I don’t really know how to get this across but, I’ll always still be that loser girl in high school. There’s always people criticising me and they’ll always be people who dislike me but you know what? You have to rise above it and do you. But one thing I never do is think “Well I’m richer than them and I’m famous so I’m right and they’re wrong”, because it’s not about that. I use my inner strength to combat them. I am powerful not because of my wealth or my fame, but because of my soul.
I also set up the Born This Way Foundation with my mother Cynthia to help young people who are suffering from bullying and abuse. Because people shouldn't have to go through what I did, or worse even. We teach people how to find that inner strength, love and overall just tell them that they're valuable. Because every child should feel valuable.
The Art of Fame
I think something that people misinterpreted about my first album, The Fame and my EP The Fame Monster was that I needed attention and I thrived off fame. But what I’ve always said is the album is called “The Fame” and not “Fame” for a reason - because it’s about the feeling of being famous. It was about me and my friends in Manhattan walking around down the street with this aura of the fame, but we were totally unknown then. And this subject, of fame, has always interested me and still does.
My new album DECAY is one of my best projects by far. I haven’t had the greatest of times this past 12 months or so, I had to cancel the Born This Way Ball in early 2013 because I broke my hip which also caused the delay of my last album ARTPOP. And when I finally was able to release the album I came under criticism, the first week sales were perhaps not impressive compared to what I have achieved in the past and my management and record label were pressuring me and dictating me. But I saw that these bloggers, critics, corporations etc. don’t mean ****. All I have in the end is my family, my friends, my fans, my Asia and most importantly, myself.
So I thought "**** it. **** it all. I'm going independent". So I set up HAUS records to release my music through. Now I don't have to worry about people trying to make me make music that targets a certain audience because I can make music that me and my fans will like. And I have been talking to new and unsigned artists who I plan on signing soon.
DECAY is a concept album and it’s absolutely crazy and is mostly exaggerated and fictional and my artistic expression but, at its core really symbolizes what I have gone through over the past 12 months. It is all about the decay of the blonde icon, the downfall of the superstar. It’s what happens in the industry. Everyone loves to see a good decay, you know?
But I honestly just really don’t give a **** anymore. *laughs*
*The Art of Fame snippet (new song) plays with a montage of Gaga's iconic career moments.*
It seems like Japan cannot get enough of Mariah. Even before Mariah came on stage, thousands of fans could be heard screaming their lungs on the sold out Tokyo Dome Arena even before Mariah came on stage. When Mariah went up on stage, she performed her stayed to her original setlist posted and sang with ease on her songs such as "Emotions" and "Fly Like A Bird". She sang her latest singles, "Libidinous Dream" and "The Stygian Chevalier" which made the crowd go wild. Merchandises such as T-shirts and physical copies of the album were sold out that night too.
Setlist
"Instrumental Sequence" (contains elements of Butterfly, Daydream Interlude [Fantasy Sweet Dub Mix] and You Don't Know What To Do)
Libidinous Dream
Fly Like a Bird
Make It Happen
The Stygian Chevalier
All In Your Mind
Always Be My Baby
Meteorite
The Roof (Back In Time)
Heartbreaker (contains elements of "Love Hangover")
Disguise
Underneath The Stars
Emotions
I Don't Wanna Cry
We Belong Together
There has been a sudden outrage over the fact that the Supreme Court has terminated Christina Aguilera's request to file a lawsuit against her doctor who spike-abused her through medical equipment and unknown substances. This professional of sorts is said to been linked with the controversial-inducing religion Scientology, which is notorious amongst the Hollywood scene. The public response to Xtina's killer still being on the loose has been quite hefty. Public outcries of injustice were felt loud and clear. Not much is known as to what action shall be taken, as of yet. All we know is that we've got Christina's back in this case.
Just a few weeks ago, Christina Aguilera was rushed to the ER room of a medical establishment somewhere near West Hollywood in the early hours of a dusk Saturday morning. The professionals there conducted a couple of tests on the 'voice of our generation' and it was later brought to our attention that a strand of a unknown genetically deformed substance. Aguilera had previously stated that she even took extra precautions to not catch the flu since she has two children and recently gave birth a month ago. After a short while, it was said that Aguilera was ready to take legal action against whoever spike-abused her system.
In light of all this hospitalisation news, the religious cult of Scientology has expressed their interest in Christina Aguilera and her family. This made others believe that they were somehow responsible for spike-abusing Aguilera, in some way. Aguilera's team released a statement on this matter at hand: "Since this has been brought to our attention, we haven't experienced anything from their end. Aguilera wishes to be no part of whatever they're trying to incite so please respect her wishes of being left alone in peace, surrounding her children. Thanks to those who have shown Christina the support that she needs especially after her health scare earlier on this week. She's incredibly excited to share "Pandora's Box" with you all, the long-awaited anticipated shall cease soon."
All in all, Aguilera's health should be prioritised - first and foremost - especially when she'd just gave birth not that long ago with beautiful daughter, Olivia Aguilera-Rutler. Her 8th studio album - "Pandora's Box" was released this so, of course, Aguilera may feel a lot of stress due to the fact that she's also planning to tour worldwide on various legs and quite a huge number of shows in a range of different countries and continent. This shall mark the first time Christina's toured in 7 years, which is almost near-on a decade. We just pray that Christina stays healthy and her family intact.
Aguilera's album "Pandora's Box" is now available for purchase with reggae-infused second single "Spitfire" f/ female rapping vixen Azealia Banks.
Setlist
That was literally perfection 
hopefully u wont be pissed 