Singer answers fan questions about her collaborators and creative process for SiriusXM series
Lady Gaga sat down for an in-studio Q&A on Friday as part of SiriusXM’s “Town Hall” series. The superstar fielded questions by the station’s Hits 1 Morning Mash Up crew and select fans about life, her ARTPOP LP, which comes out on November 11th, and its new sister phone app.
Gaga discussed how living in Chicago with her boyfriend has given her much-needed normalcy away from celebrity life and influenced the album’s creative process. One collaboration that sprang forth was the duet “Do What U Want” with Windy City native R. Kelly. “We share a connection in terms of what the song is about. A lot of people write untrue things about me and a lot of people write untrue things about him,” said Gaga. A self-professed fan of Kelly, she revealed later that in solitary times, “I smoke weed and listen to R.Kelly and metal.” Gaga also confirmed that a music video for “Do What U Want” has been shot.
15 Things We Learned About Lady Gaga’s ‘ARTPOP’
ARTPOP features additional contributions from the likes of Zedd, DJ White Shadow, will.i.am and the return of past collaborator RedOne. Gaga said that she’s particular regarding whom she works with because in the past, some people have taken undue credit for her work or underestimated her because she’s a woman. “I’m smart and I’m a musician and that’s what I do. I don’t like to or choose to work with anybody that’s trying to dim my shine.”
One collaborator the singer could not gush about enough about was visual artist Jeff Koons. In addition to designing the artwork for ARTPOP, Koons helped out on the forthcoming ARTPOP app for iPhone and Android. As Gaga’s brief preview revealed, the app is a virtual universe for Little Monsters to create visual art and music and interact with each other. A Siri-esque avatar creates an “Aura,” personalized for each user, that brightens based upon individual activity.
The ARTPOP promo blitz is only beginning as Gaga kicks off an artRave party in NYC this weekend. On the small screen, she’s set to do double-duty as host and musical guest on Saturday Night Live on November 16th and will team up with the Muppets for a Thanksgiving holiday special. “Kermit and I used to date,” Gaga joked at the Town Hall. The superstar empathizes with her furry friends: “Some people think I’m shocking or crazy…and it’s like that on the Muppets.”
