Somewhere out there, I just know there is a gay person with a single wish from a genie left. The first was obviously used to have drag icon Sasha Velour interview the one and only mother monster herself, Lady Gaga. The two are both respected, renowned, multidisciplinary artists, and I think this is really an interviewer/interviewee match made in heaven. The second? For Lady Gaga to tease in the interview that she has new music coming. Two wishes very well spent.
The interview serves to whet the appetite of little monsters for Gaga’s new HBO documentary Gaga Chromatica Ball. The film captures Lady Gaga’s 2022 Chromatica Tour, and memorializes her once in a lifetime performance at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles to a sold out crowd of 52,000 people. Velour asks Gaga about the process of making the film, touring, and connecting with fans.
Velour opens by asking the artist, “How does it feel to finally be able to share this amazing film with the world?” Gaga’s excitement is palpable. “The way this film was put together was designed to show the fans everything,” she says. “The fashion, the art direction, the films that were shown, the beautiful hair and makeup was all part of what Chromatica was.”
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The art of the interview is not something everyone possesses. Even longtime interviewers still stumble (*cough cough* Jimmy Fallon interviewing Chappelle Roan *cough cough*) but Velour really nails it as she gets into the interview. It’s clear that she is not only a longtime fan of the art Gaga produces, but the means by how she gets there. A good interviewer should indeed want to know how the sausage gets made. She asks Gaga more about maintaining a connection with fans when performing on such a large scale.
HBO/Max
“Your stage presence is legendary, but when I’m watching it feels like you’re performing for each person individually. What advice do you have for performers about how to cultivate a personal connection when you’re in a giant stadium?” Excellent question, and Gaga gives an excellent answer right back. She says, “Be mindful that while the audience will be looking up to you, you have to make sure you’re looking up to them, too. My performances and my music are inspired by my life but they’re also inspired by the life of the fans.”
Gaga has always been notoriously dedicated and gracious to her fan base, especially LGBTQ ones. Trying to explain to my 16-year-old sister what it was like when “Born This Way” came out is difficult to capture, but I’m not ashamed to say that song still gives me full body goosebumps every time. Yes, Lady Gaga, I was born this way! Cringe is dead, long live sincerity! Velour is also someone I think would understand my sentiment given that she then asks, “Pride, in its most queer sense, has been a big theme in all your work. How do you hope that this film is going to resonate with LGBTQ audiences in particular?”
Gaga responds, “The LGBTQ+ community is one of the most powerful artistic communities in the world. It’s the community that has given birth to the way we think about art. I just hope that whoever watches it has a wonderful time. I hope you smile and laugh and dance and I hope it is just all about you."
Finally, Velour asks, “Is there anything that you can hint to us fans about what we can expect next from you?” Gaga does not disappoint, and replies, “I have just been in the studio all the time.”
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At this, Sasha Velour has the reaction any of us would have if you were sitting in a room with Lady Gaga and she told you she's been working on music nonstop in the studio: her face cracks, and she fully stops breathing for a second. When Velour's soul returns to her body, she fans herself—a very slick recovery. Gaga continues, "I'm making a lot of music, and it's just this like incredibly vast experience that I just feel so lucky to get to have. I'm excited for monsters to hear where I am now and be connecting on that level again."
While I understand that patience is a virtue, if the very generous gay person with a genie would like to spend their last wish to get a Gaga album out pronto, I certainly wouldn’t be mad. Until that happens, I’ll be anxiously waiting with everyone else!
Gaga Chromatica Ball is now available to stream on MAX.
