Lady Gaga is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and multi-instrumentalist known for theatrical pop, a bold fashion sense, and a powerful voice. Born Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta on March 28, 1986, in New York City, she was raised on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in an Italian-American family and studied at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts before leaving to pursue music full time. She broke through with the 2008 album The Fame and its companion The Fame Monster, scoring worldwide hits including “Just Dance,” “Poker Face,” and “Bad Romance.” Those records brought her first Grammy Awards, including Best Dance Recording and Best Electronic/Dance Album. She followed with Born This Way, an empowerment-themed pop album led by the chart-topping title track, then Artpop, the more personal Joanne, and the dance record Chromatica, which featured the hit “Rain on Me.” She also recorded the Grammy-winning jazz albums Cheek to Cheek and Love for Sale with Tony Bennett, and later released the studio album Mayhem, home to the global hit “Die with a Smile.” Her stage shows, from The Monster Ball to the Chromatica Ball, became known for elaborate costumes, piano interludes, and signature dance routines.
Gaga expanded into acting with a Golden Globe-winning role on American Horror Story: Hotel, then starred opposite Bradley Cooper in A Star Is Born. She earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress and won the Oscar and a Golden Globe for Best Original Song for “Shallow,” along with a BAFTA for the film’s music. She later played Patrizia Reggiani in House of Gucci and Harley Quinn in Joker: Folie à Deux. In 2011 she founded the Born This Way Foundation to support youth mental health and kindness, and she has long been a visible advocate for LGBTQ equality. Off stage she is as watched for her look as for her voice: platinum blonde hair, dramatic eye makeup, a daring wardrobe of revealing gowns, structured couture, and performance pieces, plus a lean, dancer’s figure that drives her choreography. That mix of sex appeal, vocal power, and fearless style made her one of the defining pop stars of her era.