Matt

Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett’s second collaborative album has finally made its debut on the Billboard 200 album chart. With more than 41K units, Love For Sale debuts at #8 on chart. It marks Bennett’s sixth top 10 album on the chart and Lady Gaga’s 10th top 10. The record also debuted at #1 on both the Jazz and Traditional Jazz albums chart. This week, The Fame returns to #1 on the Top Electronic/Dance Albums chart, making Lady Gaga the first artist ever to simultaneously hold the top spot on the Jazz and Electronic charts.

The Sun has just released an exclusive interview of Lady Gaga made before her concert for Westfield titled "Lady Gaga Celebrates Love For Sale." Lady Gaga spoke about the mission of her Born This Way Foundation and her love of working with the legendary Tony Bennett.

WSJ has just released a new interview with Lady Gaga to discuss all her upcoming (and past) projects. Read an extract from the interview below. About Chromatica and Dawn of Chromatica Gaga says the remix wasn’t a bone thrown to fans to tide them over until the 2022 tour is announced. “The remix wasn’t strategic—it was love,” she says. “I love young artists and support them. All of them on the album have something to say, and they performed their hearts out.” She adds that her transition from one persona to the next is part of her art. “Some people are constantly trying to figure me out,” she says. “I’m trying to figure me out, too. But this is artistry that is boundary-less. This is love that’s boundary-less. If I have love to give and I have a way to give it, I’m going to do it.” About House of Gucci “I felt the best way to honor Maurizio and Italians was for my performance to be authentic, from the perspective of a woman. Not an Italian-American woman but an Italian woman. Choosing to work in a film that’s set in Italy is where my heart lies,” says the performer, whose birth name is Stefani Germanotta. “When I went over to film this year, every day I was able to plant my feet on the ground and know that I was in a place where my family lived before coming here and working hard so I could have a better life.” About Love For Sale “I gave my heart to every note of this album. Singing with Tony is the great honor of my life.” Read the full interview on WSJ.com

The official video for I Concentrate On You, has been released! It's the 4h video from Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett’s newest jazz album Love For Sale. You can watch the video below. Don't forget to tune in later today for the premiere video of "I've Got You (under my skin)".

We had the privilege to listen to Love For Sale some time ago, and we are finally able to share our review with you! Love For Sale: Review by Matt and @aviintheroom 7 years after the release of the monumental Cheek to Cheek, Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett are back again with a jewel of a follow-up: Love For Sale, a new jazz album made of covers of songs by legendary composer Cole Porter, born out of a desire to solidify the chemistry between the two legends. All Little Monsters will remember the shock of the first transition between ARTPOP (Lady Gaga’s 4th studio album) and Cheek to Cheek, the first jazz project from Tony and Gaga. The record marked a profound change of direction for Gaga: from the prominent EDM sound and shocking imagery of ARTPOP and her other previous albums, to a raw, stripped-down and classy style that received rave reviews all over the world, proving to the general public that Gaga still had much to say. Not only was Cheek to Cheek an example of Gaga’s masterful ability to shape-shift, but it also introduced her younger audience to a genre that is more often appreciated only by older generations. Cheek to Cheek paved the way for something much more profound than a successful album (which earned a Grammy Award and was supported by a sold-out world tour): a beautiful and long-lasting friendship between two artists that would change one another’s lives forever. Gaga even symbolized their bond through getting a trumpet drawn by Tony tattooed on her right arm. Although for Tony, the album was an addition to an already long list of successful studio albums (61 this year), his connection to Gaga swayed the crooner to ask her for another collaboration. He invited her to work on a passion project of his that had been years in the making: a Cole Porter tribute album. Love For Sale is special for many reasons: it is being referred to as Tony’s final studio album, due to his ongoing battle with Alzheimer’s disease. His illness forced him to cancel his upcoming tour. He bid farewell to his performing career with a pair of concerts at Radio City in New York, One Last Time, alongside Lady Gaga. Many of the songs on Love For Sale are far removed from the swing-y, at times humorous sonorities of Cheek to Cheek. Here, we have a more mature, sophisticated body of work, which is reflected in both Gaga’s vocal quality and the soaring orchestrations. Gaga’s growth and maturity between jazz albums is evident, and beautifully compliments the timeless talents of Tony Bennett. This album, like Cheek to Cheek, finds special little moments of intimacy and sincerity between the pair. Subtle jokes and improvisations, such as Tony and Gaga’s laughs during I’ve Got You Under My Skin, or Gaga’s promiscuous ‘meow’ in You’re The Top, are a delight. But we also notice that it’s somehow different from the last jazz album, more serious, classy, almost like the complexity of the songs themselves pushed the duo to aim for perfection. We can’t help but marvel at (and cry at) Lady Gaga’s perfect vibrato in her touchy solo track Do I Love You, originally performed by Ella Fitzgerald, and our jaws drop at Tony’s super-strong vocal steadiness in his solo Just One Of Those Things. But we also laugh often, thanks to silly and irreverent tracks like I Get a Kick Out of You, Love For Sale, or romantic ones like I Concentrate On You and It's De-Lovely, each equipped with catchy choruses that stick with you for the rest of the day. A special mention goes to Gaga for her ability to transform Let’s Do It from lullaby to jazz fest with a theatrical change of tune midway through the song. Behind it all, the winning duo not only proves their ability to produce a strong, solid record once again, but they share with us a perfect combination of camaraderie and love that can be heard in every song, filterless and without tweaking. To appreciate it fully, allow the music to guide you through your day. Listen to the lyrics, and enjoy the pure talent of the two icons delivering them. We know that some of you have yet to return from space, where we’ve all been partying to Chromatica and Dawn of Chromatica, but we urge you to come back down to Earth soon. Love For Sale is almost here, a celebration of jazz for the 21st century that is as humble and genuine as it is magnificent. Lady Gaga is gearing up for the release of her new jazz album with Tony Bennett, Love For Sale, through a one-of-a-kind online performance brought to you by Westfield! Set to take place on September 30, the performance will feature selections from the new album performed by Gaga in an intimate setting. To register for the online stream of Lady Gaga Celebrates Love For Sale, click here or on the poster above.

Lady Gaga has just published an official trailer for her upcoming jazz album with the legendary Tony Bennett: Love For Sale, out on October 1st. In the trailer, the iconic pair discusses the making of Love For Sale and the value of their friendship. The trailer offers a sneak peek at several songs from the album, including “Let’s Do It (Let’s Fall in Love)”, “I’ve Got You Under My Skin”, “Just One of Those Things”, “Night and Day”, and “Do I Love You?”. Watch below:

Lady Gaga: "My career is an answer to all the times I've been bullied" by Luciano Ferraro. Translation by LadyGagaNow Team Trigger Warnings: Sexual Assault & Self-Harm. Please be mindful of these warnings as you read the following article. "My career is an answer to all the bullying I've received. My life is hard work, respect, and love for my Italian family". Lady Gaga left the meat dress, the fire gun bra, the fake blood, and all the provocations she brought on stage for the last 12 years as queen of pop. And she goes back as "the catholic girl that knows how things work". That's how she describes herself. Her voice arrives from a warm morning in Los Angeles. She answers just in time for our phone appointment. A small group of agents, press workers, and stylists are listening. Among them, the Frenchs from Dom Pérignon, the champagne brand which Lady Gaga is sponsoring. Lady Gaga greets us in Italian. "Just a few questions", her staff say. But she answered (almost) everything. Violence in School Since the day she told the story of her sexual assault from 16 years ago to Oprah Winfrey, Gaga keeps showing us the other side of herself. The one of a rich, but tormented woman, worshipped but also suffering, who had to fight every day to find a good balance between her depression and her therapies, which consists of medical drugs, meditation, and physiotherapy. The old traumas that weakened her are back again. She doesn't hide anymore, Stefani Angelina Germanotta. She finds her safe space with her family, originally coming from Naso, near Messina (Sicily). The first trauma was bullying. The violence started in junior high. "Some girls used to take me and throw me into the trash bins. They used to say that it's where I belonged because I was trash” she answered to The Guardian. Her friends laughed, instead of defending her. She couldn't move, she felt "petrified, embarrassed, mortified and useless". Her Traumas at 14 Her mother Cynthia resumed her daughter's teenage years in 3 words: "Mortified, laughed, and alone". She was 14 when they threw her in the trashcan. At that age she lost the joy of living, "from a happy girl she turned into a person full of doubts, unable to understand her value", recalls Cynthia Germanotta. The two became even closer since then, and now they're both ONU ambassadors for mental health awareness, and they created the "Born This Way Foundation", which helps young people fight mental health issues. Now that she has more than 49 million followers on Instagram, Lady Gaga has moved forward from the infamous post of one of her classmates on Facebook with just 12 likes "You'll never become famous". Now the first woman in history to win an Oscar, a Grammy, a BAFTA, and a Golden Globe in the same year, needs to go back to those memories, perhaps because it's the only way to fight her dark side and win the match. How does Lady Gaga manage to heal the scars left from the school bullies? "When you're bullied, especially when you're young", says the pop star with a calm but still voice, as if she's resuming the plot of a book she just read, “you go through very hard times. To me, in particular, left with a goal: prove that those who bullied me were wrong. And in some way, my career has been an answer to that social reject I felt." She spent her teenage years through bullies and violence, and it gave her away to freedom. "Unfortunately it's not the same for everyone", Lady Gaga continues. "I deeply respect those who, even when bullied when they were young, managed to not feel overwhelmed. Today we live in times dominated by social media, and everything is different for the new generations. With the "Born This Way Foundation" we're working to change these dynamics. We want to celebrate the world for its diversity, whether it's culture or genres. This duty makes my life worthy." Her latest album is titled Chromatica. The sixth studio album by Lady Gaga, climbed all the charts in the main markets worldwide. Among the sixteen tracks, we find features with Ariana Grande and Elton John. Lady Gaga launched Chromatica in Italy with an Interview with singer Tiziano Ferro, broadcasted by RTL 102.5. The album was born during a time where the singer was suffering from deep depression. At the home studio once owned by Frank Zappa, producer BloodPop pushed her to work during her moments of solitude. She locked herself up upstairs. "C'mon get down, let's write a song, let's make music". BloodPop begged. When she felt better, Lady Gaga came out of her room, sat at the piano, and played some chords, ready to record with the microphone open, "the first ideas are always the best". In the end, this album is therapeutic. The main theme is "dancing through your pain, and sing until the pain goes away". She explained to Ferro. "I didn't acknowledge the therapeutic effect, then I understood how there is a still part of me that wants to dance and be joyful even when I touch the rock bottom. I'm so grateful for what I have. I have a relationship with God, maybe it's just energy, a sex-less entity, that pushes me to wonder how my stories can help others dance through the pain". The downfall from depression take the form of a piano, she tells at CBS's Sunday Morning: "I hate being famous. I hate being a star. I felt exhausted and used. One morning I saw the piano and I thought how it ruined my life, turning me into my worst enemy, Lady Gaga. Now when I watch that piano I feel that I love it, it makes me express myself and create poetry". One of the songs in Chromatica, 1000 Doves, talks about the help you need when you're struggling with mental health issues. Lady Gaga narrates the lyrics. "I need you to listen, closely, please believe me. I'm completely lonely, please, don't judge me. When your tears are falling, I'll catch them as they fall. I need you to listen closely, please don't leave me. I know I'm not perfect, but I'll keep trying. When your tears are falling, I'll catch them as they fall". She takes a small breath. "this song is about kindness". She explained. Family and the Indian psychic Kindness is a word much used by Lady Gaga. She even uses it when she recalls with us her meeting with Amma, an Indian psychic who gifts hugs and explained to her the formula to heal: "Time, commitment and divine grace". A meeting that made her understand the "importance of kindness, to land a hand to who's suffering". When we asked her to tell us about her childhood, she replies that she has always been like this. "When I was younger" she recalls, "I was a dreamer, extrovert, music lover, and I used to love helping others, I was extremely curious. And I hope that this innate curiosity, will stay with me for the rest of my life". All thanks to the education that she received from her parents. "My family" she affirms "taught me the values of my ancestors, who arrived here from Italy: hard work, respect, and love for your own family". A very "Italian" bond with her parents and all her close relatives. Just like any girl living with the Italian traditions, Lady Gaga loves to cook, and she keeps the memory of the smell of tomato sauce, meatballs, and sausages, every Sunday at 14 after Church, with all seated at the table. Kindness and family are the main thread of our interview via Zoom that connects Los Angeles with Milan. Even when we ask about the biggest joy of her life, she doesn't answer "selling 15 million copies with her first disc, or singing and win an Oscar. She answers: "My happiest memory? The day my sister Natali was born! I love her and I'm so happy to have her. It really changed my life and my way of thinking. For me and for my whole family". When we move the topic towards the way Lady Gaga's songs are made, and where she takes her creativity and freedom, Lady Gaga becomes a neo-romantic. "Creativity for me", she explains "comes from humanity, from nature, and the way men and nature interact with each other. The artist always tries to translate the joy, beauty, and greatness of nature itself. And sometimes we create art full of pain. For me, creative freedom is not something we have from the day we are born, but something that we can all achieve. In my life, creative freedom was the main source to narrate my essence, my truth. I think that no artist managed to create something as beautiful as nature itself. Us artists, try to do our best". Very often her name was mentioned with Madonna, for their explosive start and the music quality. But what are the women (and men) who really inspired Lady Gaga? "It might sound like a statement", she explains, "but I love to be inspired by everyone! I think that each one of us has something to offer and that everyone has something to learn, even from the bad sides. In my work, like in my life, it's the people who I respect to offer me inspiration with their example, but I can also learn from nature. I don't exclude anyone as my source of inspiration: each person I've met allowed me to learn and learn. And this is what pushes me as an artist to grow". Maureen Callahan, a famous musical journalist who dedicated to the singer a very controversial biography, listed a couple of terms that have been thrown at Lady Gaga: "Weird, Drag queen, hermaphrodite, a gay man trapped into a women's body, hardcore, grotesque, trash". And then she wrote "She's someone who screams on stage "I'm a free bitch", but if you take the stage outfits, she's just dark and insecure.". This portrait could be dated back to 2010 when the book came out. Now, she's 35, and Lady Gaga is a woman who wants to turn her traumas into her pride flags and use them to strengthen her humanitarian side through her foundation. Gaga keeps unveiling herself showing us her scars through her memories, just like she did with Oprah Winfrey, revealing the story about the time when she was sexual assaulted at the age of 19 and got left outside her parent’s house while she was sick and vomiting as a result. Tragically, the assault had left her pregnant. The abuser is a producer who threatened her if she did not comply, telling her she would not have a career. The violence caused her to develop post-traumatic stress disorder. She never managed to treat her trauma because so soon after, she became infamous. Since she was not processing the trauma in therapy, she began to cope with self-harm. In addition to the PTSD, she was later also diagnosed with fibromyalgia. “I started feeling an intense pain in my whole body. Like the one I felt when I got raped. Four years ago I learned that it was somehow the ghost of that day that kept hurting, now I’m fighting it with a therapist that helps me during my crisis.” Pain and the acknowledgment of the fragility This journey to self-discovery, acknowledging her fragility, pushed her to fight for human rights, such as writing songs about loving yourself, making her an LGBTQ+ icon all over the world. Now the only question remains: “how should the world change in terms of human rights?” ”When we talk about human rights”, explains Lady Gaga “we need to use a critical eye to observe the system that surrounds us. Which hasn’t been built perfectly. So we have to organize a movement and dismantle it.” A call to do something and fight for our rights. “I think that all humanity”, she explains “needs to follow this approach, but first of all we have to look inside of us to make grow and mature what we feel it’s right for us. Love, understand, and accept ourselves is the first step to reach the goal.” The Dom Pérignon campaign is dedicated to this goal. How's the Born This Way Foundation involved? "As you already know, family is very important to me", reminds us Lady Gaga. "I wanted to know the Dom Pérignon family before our decision to collaborate. What hit me the most was the passion, the art, and the creativity behind each Dom Pérignon. Even after many years from the foundation of the Maison by a benedictine monk Dom Pierre Pérignon, the elevated art behind this Champagne remains the same. Once I saw the art and the charm of this Maison, I understood that we could connect it with my "Born This Way Foundation" because we share the same dream of generosity, and so we decided to collaborate". The director of the campaign is Nick Knight, the photographer who made the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles for the 90th birthday of the sovereign. "When I spoke about a possible collaboration with him, I received such a lovely answer that I learned how amazing the Dom Pérignon team was, they were enthusiastic and daring. Being daring means to be one step ahead from the others." One last question: how do you define love? Lady Gaga stops for one second, then she smiles and says goodbye in Italian "ciao ciao Luciano". It's not the right time to talk about love or her love affairs. And she goes away followed by her managers and press officers.

Lady Gaga has announced that her limited-edition bottles of Dom Pérignon vintage champagne, designed by herself and Nicola Formichetti, will be available worldwide on October 1. Two editions are available for pre-order in the United States via ReserveBar: Dom Pérignon Rosé Vintage 2006 Lady Gaga Limited Edition ($439) Dom Pérignon Vintage 2010 Lady Gaga Limited Edition ($249). Dom Pérignon's collaboration with Lady Gaga is built on "a shared belief in absolute creative freedom". They describe the "rippling" design of the packaging as "a visual ode to creativity. A vital impulse. A celebration of those who push boundaries." Both editions can now be pre-ordered HERE (select US markets only).

3 television specials for the promotional rollout of Love For Sale have been announced as part of a partnership between Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett and ViacomCBS, in their "biggest cross-platform music collaboration to date". The first is titled One Last Time: An Evening With Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga, and will air on CBS the Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend, November 28 at 8 p.m. ET/PT. The hour-long show is the filmed rendering of the two concerts the pair did at Radio City Music Hall in August. The show will be available for streaming on the Paramount Plus service. The second show will be MTV Unplugged: Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga, filmed in an intimate studio setting around the same time as the Radio City Music Hall shows. Though the airdate has yet to be confirmed, it is slated for this winter. Tony previously won a Grammy Award for Album of the Year for the recording of his 1995 MTV Unplugged special. The last of the specials will be a documentary called The Lady and the Legend, available exclusively via Paramount Plus, also with a premiere date yet to be announced. Described as providing “an intimate look into a beautiful friendship and musical partnership that transcends generations,” the special will include footage from the making of Love for Sale, the duo's 2014 album Cheek to Cheek, and their first collaboration The Lady is a Tramp in 2011. MTV also confirmed that the music video for Love For Sale, the album's title track, will premiere this Friday at 12pm ET, as part of a series of video premieres to promote the album.

Lady Gaga teamed up with Valentino Beauty to announce a special challenge on TikTok. Dance and sing to her hit song Sine From Above for a chance to win two tickets for her upcoming show in Las Vegas. To join the challenge, visit Valentino Beauty's profile on TikTok and respond to the video by clicking "duet" using the new version of Sine From Above once it gets posted later today. Make sure to user the ashtag #vocevivachorus and tag @valentino.beauty! Only one entry per person is allowed. The contest is open to EU, US, and UK residents only and it will end on October 11. One winner from each country will be picked, for a total of 3 winners. Each winner will receive TWO tickets for Lady Gaga's Vegas show on October 28th 2021*, two plane tickets, and two days paid in a hotel near the venue. This initiative is part of the ongoing campaign for Valentino's Beauty's fragrance "Voce Viva Intensa", the revisited fragrance of the Maison, which Lady Gaga is the main sponsor. The duo has recently released a similar campaign on Instagram where Little Monsters can use the new Sine from Above filter and have a chance to be featured on Lady Gaga's Stories. *If the USA borders remain closed by the end of October, winners will receive tickets for other shows in 2022.