Lady Gaga (born Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, March 28, 1986) is an American singer-songwriter, actress, and performance artist whose career spans pop music, electronic dance music, rock, and jazz. She emerged in 2008 with the album The Fame, which produced the chart-topping singles "Just Dance" and "Poker Face" and established her persona as a provocateur of pop art—blending avant-garde fashion, theatrical performance, and emotionally direct songwriting. Over subsequent albums including Born This Way (2011), Joanne (2016), and Chromatica (2020), she demonstrated stylistic range and vocal versatility, while her acting debut in A Star Is Born (2018) earned critical recognition including an Academy Award nomination. She holds the record for the most-attended concert tour by a female artist and is recognized as one of the best-selling music artists of all time, with over 170 million records sold worldwide.
Her work operates at the intersection of commercial pop and cultural commentary, frequently addressing themes of identity, queer visibility, body autonomy, and self-acceptance—often through deliberately provocative visual and performative elements that invite both celebration and controversy.