Lady Gaga
Lady Gaga Addressed The Russia-Ukraine Conflict At The SAG Awards: ‘My Heart Really Goes Out To Ukraine’
Tonight is an important night for film and TV — it’s the 2022 SAG Awards. After the last several months of canceled events and virtual appearances, an in-person red carpet is a treat for stylists, who are back at work, and all the artists and creatives who are eager to celebrate their work together once more. Especially during a time when unease is spreading in other ways, due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, it’s a welcome distraction for some. However, plenty of other artists and actors are more than willing to show their support for the suffering of the people in Ukraine, and Lady Gaga is one of them.
“I think tonight we should all really sit in the gratitude of this.” – @ladygaga at the #SAGAwards. pic.twitter.com/ixVRz7Qs8Z
— E! News (@enews) February 28, 2022
Gaga is up for several nominations for her work as Patrizia Reggiani in her second starring role in a major feature film, House Of Gucci, but still had plenty of time to discuss foreign politics on the red carpet. When E! correspondent Laverne Cox approached Gaga about the event, her succinct response acknowledged both the impact of Covid-19, and the situation in eastern Europe. “What story are you telling us tonight with this gorgeous, gorgeous ensemble?” Cox asked.
“The story I’m telling is the truth, which is that I’m just really honored to be here,” Gaga said. “This is a beautiful night when we get to celebrate art together, and celebrate each other. There’s so much going on in the world, and my heart really goes out to Ukraine. I think tonight we should all sit in the gratitude of this.”
Meanwhile, Gaga stans are on the exact same page as Mother Monster:
Sorry about the lack of updates, got arrested at a #UkraineRussiaWar protest in Moscow
Who’s excited to see Lady Gaga tonight at the #SAGAwards?
— Gaga Daily (@gagadaily) February 27, 2022
Lady Gaga, Alana Haim, Billie Eilish, And Other Music Stars Earned 2022 Golden Globes Nominations
The Golden Globes celebrate the best in TV and movies, but the music world usually finds its way into the proceedings, too. The nominees for the 2022 event were announced this morning, and sure enough, some of the biggest names in music are on the list.
Lady Gaga scored a huge nomination thanks to her work on House Of Gucci, as she’s up for Best Performance By An Actress In A Motion Picture, Drama. On the flip side, Alana Haim got a nomination for Best Performance By An Actress In A Motion Picture, Musical Or Comedy for her breakout starring role in Licorice Pizza.
When it comes to music-specific awards, Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood locked up a nomination for Best Original Score for The Power Of The Dog. As for Best Original Song, Motion Picture, the field is packed with familiar names: Beyoncé (for “Be Alive” from King Richard), Lin-Manuel Miranda (“Dos Orugitas” from Encanto), Van Morrison (“Down To Joy” from Belfast), Jennifer Hudson (“Here I Am (Singing My Was Home)” from Respect), and Billie Eilish (“No Time To Die” from No Time To Die).
Meanwhile, a few music-adjacent projects are up for Best Motion Picture, Comedy Or Musical: Cyrano (Aaron and Bryce Dessner composed the film’s score), Don’t Look Up (Kid Cudi and Ariana Grande have roles in the movie), and Licorice Pizza.
Check out the full list of nominees here.
‘Beat Saber’ Adds Hit Songs Like ‘Alejandro’ And ‘Rain On Me’ In Its New Lady Gaga Pack
Beat Saber is one of the best games out there. The VR-only game puts the player in a world where they’re given two beams of light and, with the rhythm of a song, have to swing at blocks that appear before them. The game first exploded in popularity because of how fun it was, but it’s also an excellent form of exercise. These days, a lot of people are trying out Beat Saber because their favorite artists’ music is beginning to appear in the game. We’ve already seen Billie Eilish add her music to Beat Saber, for example.
During The Game Awards on Thursday night, we saw another gigantic name add their music to the game. Lady Gaga will add some of her biggest hits to Beat Saber in the Lady Gaga music pack. Songs like “Alejandro,” “Poker Face,” and “Rain On Me” will all be available for the player to jam out. The full list of songs include:
- Alejandro
- Bad Romance
- Born This Way
- Just Dance (feat. Colby O’Donis)
- Paparazzi
- Poker Face
- Rain On Me (with Ariana Grande)
- Stupid Love
- Telephone (feat. Beyoncé)
- The Edge of Glory
Beat Saber and this music pack are available on both the Oculus Quest and Oculus Rift. The pack itself will cost $12.99 but anyone who wants to get an individual song can do so for $1.99.
Lady Gaga Called Adam Driver A ‘Weirdo Like Me’ In A Touching Birthday Post
We’re still a few days removed from the holiday release of House of Gucci, the star-studded, epic account of the legendary fashion line and the crumbling marriage of Maurizio Gucci and Partrizia Reggiani. But in real life, the two main stars, Adam Driver and Lady Gaga, get along like gangbusters. They so connected on the shoot — including during a sex scene — that the latter sent a touching birthday greeting to the former.
“I hope you have the best day,” Gaga wrote on Instagram, beside a picture of the two on-set. “I’m the lucky actress who got to learn from you and lead with you every day. Shoutout to all your fans! I know why they adore you, it’s cuz you’re the best! (and you’re a weirdo like me).”
When House of Gucci hits theaters the day before Thanksgiving, it will be the second Ridley Scott movie in as many months, after The Last Duel, which also co-starred Driver. That movie tanked, despite strong reviews, but Gucci seems to at least be generating a ton of good press and social media coverage. Some of that has circled around the over-the-top Italian accents, while the singer and actress has said making the film wound up triggering some old trauma.
House of Gucci hits theaters on November 24.
(Via EW)
Barbra Streisand Was Not A Big Fan Of The Bradley Cooper-Lady Gaga Version Of ‘A Star Is Born,’ Saying It Took The ‘Wrong’ Approach
There have been four movie versions of A Star is Born — five, if you count 1932’s What Price Hollywood?, which tells basically the same story. The one before the smash hit 2018 version with Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga hails from 1976, and it starred another powerhouse duo: Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristofferson. While also a box office cash cow, that Star‘s the one with the worst reviews. But at least according to Streisand, it’s the Cooper-Gaga one that deserves the scorn.
In an appearance on the Australian talk show The Sunday Project (as caught by Deadline), Streisand had some very critical words about the 2018 iteration, which tracks one singer as her star rises and another as his falls.
“I thought it was the wrong idea,” the musical and acting legend said. “Look, it was a big success. I can’t argue with success. But I don’t care so much about success as I do originality.”
It’s true that the Cooper-Gaga Star had the same general idea as the 1976 one, which moved it away from Hollywood movie stars and relocated it to the music industry. That said, she thought one of the original ideas for the 2018 version — starring Will Smith and Beyoncé, with Clint Eastwood directing — was a good one.
“I thought…that’s interesting. You know, really make it different again—a different kind of music, integrated actors. I thought that was a great idea,” Streisand confessed. “So, I was surprised when I saw how alike it was to the version that I did in 1976.”
Streisand took credit for moving her Star into the music biz, although arguably the most famous version — from 1954, starring Judy Garland and James Mason — did take place in the world of movie musicals. And as brilliant as Streisand is as both a singer and an actress, she didn’t want to compete with Judy.
“When I did A Star Is Born…Judy Garland was so great in it, I thought, ‘Oh my God, how am I going to do this?” she said. “‘I have to change it. I’ll become a guitar-playing singer-songwriter, and Kris Kristofferson is already a singer-songwriter, and we’ll change the story a bit.’”
If you want to see if Streisand’s right, you can watch her version on HBO Max alongside the Cooper-Gaga. You can stream the Garland-Mason on there as well. For the original one from 1937, with Janet Gaynor and Frederic March, you’ll have to head to IMDb TV.
(Via Deadline)
Lady Gaga And Adam Driver Do Their Best Italian Accents In The Trailer For ‘House Of Gucci’
Thursday was a big day for House of Gucci, the forthcoming fashionista drama and one of two Ridley Scott films due before year’s end. Earlier, social media lost it over the new posters, specifically the one where Jared Leto once again looks nothing like Jared Leto. Later in the day people got to see him in action, in the first official trailer, which milks one of the couture world’s wildest true tales.
The film finds Lady Gaga belatedly following up A Star is Born, which took someone who was already a Golden Globe-winning thespian next level as an actress. She plays Partrizia Reggiani, the woman infamous for (spoiler alert, sort of) ordering the murder of her husband, fashion magnate Maurizio Gucci, played by Adam Driver.
That grim conclusion is buried in a trailer, which is still chock-full of high fashion melodrama, flaring egos, thrown-about wealth, and amazing ‘80s fashions. Blondie’s “Heart of Glass” gets a slightly slower, moodier cover, as is the style of the time, over top images of comfy sweaters, Lamborghinis, and lots of broad Italian accents.
You also get to see the actors, already made instantly amusing in the poster wing of the ad campaign, in action. Leto, who plays Gucci family member Paolo, looks pretty comfortable in his bald patch and giant mustache, though the trailer is pretty skimpy on howling Al Pacino action. (He plays the family patriarch, also named Maurizio, who was also a screen actor.)
House of Gucci hits theaters on November 24. Meanwhile, Scott’s other 2021 release — The Last Duel, reuniting Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, as well as Driver, again — will be released a mere month and change earlier, on October 21.
You can watch the trailer in the video above.
Lady Gaga Introduces An Anniversary Edition Of ‘Born This Way’ With A Big Freedia Cover
2011 was a huge year for Lady Gaga: Following the breakout success of her debut album The Fame, she released her first No. 1 album, Born This Way. The album yielded a handful of memorable top-10 singles, including “The Edge Of Glory” and the chart-topping title track. May 23 actually marked the 10th anniversary of the iconic album, and now Gaga is celebrating with a new reissue of it, Born This Way: The Tenth Anniversary, that is set to come out in June 18.
Aside from the original album, this 10th anniversary rerelease will also feature a handful of new versions of songs by artists who are representative of the LGBTQIA+ community. The first of these recordings has been shared today: A rework of “Judas” by Big Freedia. Freedia explains, “‘Judas’ was my favorite song when it came out originally, so I really wanted to cover. To me, ‘Judas’ is a love song about when someone does you dirty. I’ve sure had my experience with that. Who can’t relate?”
Aside from “Judas,” the reissue will also feature re-worked versions of “Highway Unicorn”, “You & I”, “Marry the Night”, “Born This Way,” and “The Edge Of Glory.” The other artists set to be involved have not yet been revealed.
Listen to Big Freedia’s version of “Judas” above.
Born This Way: The Tenth Anniversary is out 6/18 via Interscope. Pre-order it here.
Let’s Enjoy Some Of The Most Adorable Pets In The Music Industry
Lady Gaga recently had to endure a pet owner’s worst nightmare: Her dog walker was shot and two of her beloved dogs were kidnapped. Fortunately, in a matter of days, the dogs were recovered and everything was in its right place. Gaga offered a $500,000 reward for whoever brought the dogs back, which just goes to show how much some people care about their pets. That got us thinking about other famous artists and their four-legged friends who we see pop up from time to time on social media and whatnot.
We’ve rounded up a handful of my favorites below, but this is by no means a comprehensive list of celebrity pets, so our sincerest apologies if your preferred artist’s furry/scaly/otherwise textured friend isn’t included. Now, if you’re recently found yourself asking, ‘Who’s a good boy,’ you can find some answers to that question below.
Coco, Toulouse, Cinnamon, Strauss, Lafayette, Pignoli, Myron, Snape, Lily, and Piggy Smallz (owned by Ariana Grande)
Grande’s dogs make social media appearances pretty often, but fans may not realize just how many puppers she actually has: According to Ariana Grande Wiki (which is surely the authoritative source on such matters), she currently owns nine dogs. That’s enough for 5-on-5 basketball if they let Grande’s pig Piggy Smallz play. As if that wasn’t enough, Grande is also working on an animal rescue center in Los Angeles, which indicates that she is perhaps the best friend to animals in the biz.
Lavender (owned by Dylan Baldi of Cloud Nothings and Sadie Dupuis of Speedy Ortiz and Sad13)
blue monday pic.twitter.com/hT8crXyLoz
— Lavender (@lavendertowndog) March 1, 2021
Towards the end of last year, indie-rock power couple Baldi and Dupuis decided to adopt Lavender, a pitbull with atypical facial features. In a recent interview with MTV News, Baldi said of Lavender, “She’s a one-of-a-kind dog. People will just stop and be like, ‘Look at this dog,’ and want to be with this dog in a way like no other dog I’ve seen. It’s like having a rare Pokémon.” He doubled down on his admiration of the unique pet with a Twitter follow-up: “if we did a tour, charged $50 for tickets, and all that happened was this dog came out onstage and walked around for a bit? you would still feel like you spent $50 correctly. incredible dog.”
Trappy S. Goyard (owned by 2 Chainz)
Like other famous pets, Trappy S. Goyard (which is easily the best name on this list) has his own Instagram account. Goyard probably also has a SAG card by now based on all the appearances they’d made. In addition to popping up on 2 Chainz’s Most Expensivest, Goyard also co-starred in the “Grey Area” video from earlier this year, in which Goyard and their human swapped heads.
Calippo and Dorito (owned by Ed Sheeran)
Sheeran stayed mostly out of the public eye during 2020 as he decided to take a break. What he didn’t stop doing, though, was posting about his cats on their dedicated Instagram page, which boasts over 300,000 followers. Calippo and Dorito are doing well, although Dorito could apparently stand to lose a bit of weight: In October, Sheeran shared a photo of the cats accompanied by a note that reads, “Don’t feed the cats!!! Even if Dorito gives you ‘the eyes’… She has a bad tum… naughty puss…”
Shark (owned by Billie Eilish)
About a month ago, Eilish celebrated the first birthday of Shark, the rescue dog she adopted in April. She wrote in a now-unavailable Instagram post, “My sweet rescue baby boy was born a year ago today. You have made my life 1000x better happy birfday little shark.” While the two share a special bond, the journey to today wasn’t without (expensive) complications: In August, Eilish shared that Shark left some unwanted presents in and around some pricey sneakers.
Foe Thee Frenchie (owned by Megan Thee Stallion)
Not many pets win awards, but Megan Thee Stallion’s has: Foe Thee Frenchie (who has nearly half a million Instagram followers and is coming after Trappy S. Goyard’s best-name-of-this-feature crown) was Paper‘s Celebrity Pet Of The Year for 2019. Meg recently shared a progress pic showing off how much Foe has grown over the course of five months, and understandably, in the more recent photo, Meg has a hard time carrying her increasingly large pet.
Alf (owned by Hayley Williams)
Hayley Williams’ dog Alf has been an important figure in her life and has helped her through some difficult times. She told EW, “I got Alf when he was, like, 11 weeks old. I raised him, but I feel like he raised me. I was 23 or 24 when I got him. He keeps me present because he’s present all the time: He’s so happy and very in tune with me when I’ve gone through life-altering changes or moments.”
On “Cinnamon,” from the 2020 album Petals For Armor, Williams sings, “On the walls of my home / There are signs that I’m alone / I keep on every light / Talk to my dog, he don’t mind.” She explained that lyric to Pitchfork, saying, “He was my first therapist. And he’s still my favorite therapist.” Around this time last year, she also told Apple Music’s Zane Lowe, “My dog is the reason I’m alive, because he would’ve been waiting on me to get home, no matter what. You know how little sweet little puppies sit and they wait? I couldn’t think about it.”
Georgia (owned by Tegan Quin of Tegan And Sara)
Me 6 months ago: I would never let a dog lick my face.
Me 5 minutes ago: pic.twitter.com/0uhzPCpGI0— Tegan and Sara (@teganandsara) February 14, 2021
Dogs dominated Tegan And Sara’s “100x” video from 2016, and recently, Tegan got a pup of her own, named Georgia. Since then, she has documented the joys and struggles of raising a dog and there have been plenty of both. In November 2020, she tweeted, “Is there an umbrella for people who have a new puppy and have to take it out to pee 700 times a day and need both hands to pick up poo? *must cover human and dog.” While a lot of her Georgia tweets are scatological, there’s clearly a ton of love there and Georgia has essentially become Tegan’s everything. She tweeted in December, “All I dream about is my dog. She’s literally taken over every inch of my life including all dream real estate. It will make ZERO sense that she is in a dream situation, but inevitably she appears regardless. Is this normal?”
Kane Songz (owned by Trey Songz)
Trey Songz goes full method while running his dog’s Instagram account, which is presented entirely from the Frenchton’s perspective. On Father’s Day in 2018, for example, “Kane” posted a photo of him and his father playing basketball and “wrote,” “Happy Father’s day Pops!! Thanks for showing me how to break canine ankles out here in these streets!!” He even did what many others have failed to do when he saw John Cena one time.
Meredith Grey, Olivia Benson, and Benjamin Button (owned by Taylor Swift)
Yes, of course Taylor Swift is on this list. After all, Swift has proven to be perhaps the biggest cat person out there (heck, she portrayed a literal cat person in Cats). Thousands of words could be written about Swift’s cats and her love for them, so for this space, let’s just focus on Benjamin Button, the latest addition to the Swift family. Swift actually decided to adopt the cat on the set of her “Me!” video and described how that came to be, saying on Instagram Live in 2019, “[A cat handler handed me this tiny cat and he just starts purring and […] he looks at me like, ‘You’re my mom, and we’re going to live together.’ I fell in love. I looked at Brendon [Urie] and he’s like, ‘You’re going to get the cat aren’t you?’”
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.