Lady Gaga, a timeless beacon of fame, reminisced about the tumultuous days of her academic pursuit at New York University amidst the backdrop of September 11th, as she gracefully commented on a fan's TikTok post that harkened back to a bygone Facebook group, ironically titled "Stefani Germanotta, you will never be famous." This poignant moment was encapsulated in two haunting visuals—a screenshot of that infamous group, etched in Gaga's fans' memories, juxtaposed against a radiant image of the "Die with a Smile" crooner at the 2019 Academy Awards, her achievements gloriously enumerated in a scrolling honor roll.
"Some souls I crossed paths with in college's hallowed halls conjured this group in a bygone era," Gaga, born Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, penned beneath the images, her words dripping with resilience. "This is precisely why, when doubt and detractors seek to dampen your spirit, you must persevere—keep forging ahead, unwavering."
The star of Joker: Folie à Deux, who honed her musical prowess as a child and embarked on a performing journey as a teenager, eventually blossoming in the vibrant club scene of downtown Manhattan in the mid-aughts, adopted the moniker "Lady Gaga" around the same time. Partly inspired by Queen's anthemic "Radio Ga Ga," though some credit music producer and her former love, Rob Fusari, with coining the name, Gaga explained in a 2016 interview with Jamie Lee Curtis for Variety's "Actors on Actors" series that the alias mirrored facets of her multifaceted personality.
"Gaga represents the unyielding strength within me that emerged during my formative years in New York—a passion for music, camaraderie with fellow artists, collaborations with musicians and writers, immersing myself in the scene, and embracing its vibrant lifestyle," she reminisced. "I began to call myself Gaga; it was the nickname that resonated with my best self."
Under this storied stage name, Gaga soared to celestial heights with her 2009 debut album, The Fame, unleashing smash hits like "Just Dance," "Poker Face," "LoveGame," and "Paparazzi." Since then, she has amassed an awe-inspiring trove of accolades, including 13 Grammy Awards, two Golden Globes, 18 MTV Video Music Awards, an Oscar, a BAFTA, and three BRIT Awards.
Currently basking in the spotlight for her titular role as Harleen "Lee" Quinzel, aka Harley Quinn, in Joker: Folie à Deux, Gaga teased her fanbase further on Instagram on September 3rd, hinting at the impending release of the lead single from her eagerly anticipated seventh album, LG7. Accompanied by a snapshot of her jam-packed Venice Film Festival itinerary, which encompassed a welcoming dinner, the world premiere of the Joker sequel, press conferences, red carpet glamour, and a European press tour, Gaga slyly revealed that Joker: Folie à Deux, starring Joaquin Phoenix in the lead, would grace theatres on October 4th, with the LG7 first single set to drop sometime during the same month, promising a musical extravaganza to captivate hearts and minds alike.
