"We're Gonna Dance" (w/ Lady Gaga)

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Hey everybody, it's Matt here, and I just wanted to remind you that the new podcast from Liz Feldman and Jesse Klein, Here to Make Friends, is coming out on Friday, March 14th. You gotta check it out.
We love Liz, we love Jesse, and we know you're gonna love the pod. Here to Make Friends, Friday, March 14th.
Look, to check it out. We love Liz.
We love Jesse. And we know you're going to love the pod.
Here to make friends, Friday, March 14th. Look, man.
Oh, I see. Wow.
Oh, look over there. Wow.
Is that culture? Yes. Wow.
Las Culturistas. Ding dong.
Las Culturistas calling. It's tough to be speechless on a day when you have to record a podcast because the art form requires

you talk. It

feels unfair. I don't want to

be at work right now because I'm very much

transcending

existence, physical space.

It's all really kind of led up

to this. Honestly,

Beau, maybe this has to be the series

finale of Last Cult. This is the last episode

of Last Cult. Thank you all so much for the nine years.
For joining us all these years. It had to end this way.
We'll always remember us this way. We'll always remember us this way.
And you started off the show saying speechless too. Oh, wow.
We did. We have to say a third.
You're rattling them off. Third.
Let's see. Our pop.
There we go. Perfect.
We nailed it. We nailed it.
We nailed it. This this is why don't you say how you feel I mean this is one of the most important people to me one of the most I said this at the Radio City show for SNL 50 my favorite artist in the world I left my body we'll talk about this I left my body because if you said hi and then you turn around and go, wait, Cher's on stage.
Yeah. Hearing that you guys watched Cher together was a huge moment for me even.
Yeah. For everybody.
But I mean, we're just so happy she's here. The album Mayhem might be out already.
Oh, it's out depending on when this comes out. So you have to have grace, everybody, because we've listened to the album one and a half times where we were brought to a secure location where we were basically told, okay, we're going to listen to this and if we want to go back, we can listen to parts.
Yeah. It was in a bunker.
It was like, where they keep all the designated survivors in case of like these fallout. We're the mayhem designated survivors.
We're the mayhem designated survivors. But it is perfect.
We were ecstatic listening to it. And as you all know at this point, it's brilliant.
We think it's our guest's best work, which is saying something and a half. Which is saying a lot.
She's a 14-time Grammy winner. Academy Award winner.
Academy Award winner. So many more accolades on top of that.
Everyone, please welcome into your ears, Lady Gaga! Thank you so much. I am so, so happy to be here.
This is the joy of our lives. No, it's the joy of mine.
I was so excited to see you both. And I just want to say also congratulations to both of you.
You are doing such amazing things. It's amazing to watch.
Seriously, you've had an amazing year. And I'm just like really excited to be here.
You're also wearing a Joanne era t-shirt. It's just really killing me.
I feel like I've only ever like dry cleaned this shirt because I want to preserve it. I don't think I dry cleaned anything during Joanne.
From that time? You still got the Bud Light on you. Not even the hats.
Not even the hats? No. No.
Those are being sold at auction Those are being sold at auction Someday You have to tell Gaga about your Joanne tour experience Oh okay So you played MetLife here Yes It was pouring rain I don't know if you remember I love a rain show I love a rain show too So Diana Ross I was Oh cause I remember you said at the show It's free production Yes show too. So Diana Ross.
I was,

oh,

because I remember you said at the show,

it's free production.

Yes,

exactly.

You don't pay for the rain.

You don't pay for the rain.

And the rain kind of follows you

because I feel like

Mary of the Night,

it was the same thing too.

The video for that,

it was like.

Oh yes,

that was,

I was,

I can't believe

that I got away with that.

We were exploding cars

on the roof of the building.

Production value.

And it was raining and they were like, you know, we have to stop production because it's raining and I said, roll the camera! Let's go! We're going to miss it! You had a Vivo interview. This is a throwback to Vivo and you were just in an amazing outfit.
You had sunglasses on. You're telling this anecdote about Mary the Night and at one point you just pull your glasses down and go, we got free rain.
Yeah, it's a big deal. With all the cameras.
Well, because, you know, when you're putting a music video together, there's so many things you want to do. I mean, and everything is, you know, adds to the budget.
And I'm trying to like weigh what thing is more important than the other. And that wasn't actually supposed to be a rain scene at all.
But then it happened. And it happened that way.
Like rain on fire. Come on.
Come on. Too much like Universal Studios-esque things happening.
Yes, it was exciting. And then naturally I thought it would be a good idea to hang upside down from the sunroof of the car.
The Trans Am. The Trans Am.
Yeah. That was a gorgeous Trans Am.
Thank you. I was sick as a dog that show.
He was so sick. That Citi Field show.
Oh, no. I said, what did I say MetLife? I said, I meant Citi Field.
Okay. But I agreed to MetLife.
We've also seen you there. Well, but I, you know, I, when I play shows, like I get so tired on the road that like, sometimes I forget the venue for which tour.
Of course. Yeah.
You know, I would imagine it's like one of those schedules where it's like, you don't want this to happen, but you could yell out Barcelona

and you're in Brussels.

No, we can't do that.

No, it'd be horrible.

That is not good.

We've seen you.

Gosh, we've been lucky

to see you in multiple venues now

because it's Citi Field, MetLife.

We saw one of the shows

with Tony at Radio City.

Radio City, the last show.

We were there.

What?

You know, it's so funny.

At the SNL 50 concert

the other night,

I was nervous

to do Dig in a Box.

Yeah.

Because like,

I feel like

Thank you. What? You know, it's so funny at the SNL 50 concert the other night, I was nervous to do Dick in a Box.
Yeah. Because like, I feel like, you know, if you're a comedian being asked to do who's on first is probably like, really like, you know, so and to me, Dick in a Box is a classic.
Of course. So I was like, oh my God, why did I agree to do this? And then I was, you know, walking through the theater and I remembered that I had been, the last time I'd been there was with Tony Tony and I was like, you know, Tony would have just said, don't be nervous or if you are nervous, it's because you care and I do care.
Absolutely. Okay, but a comedian doing Who's on first is like you, it's like you singing La Vie en Rose or something on film.
It's like I feel like you've inhabited all of these classics for your entire life. I feel like you were playing Rachmaninoff at four or whatever the fuck.
Like you've been doing this your whole life. I have been.
I have been. And it's, but I love so much being a part of entertainment.
Like in like the truest sense, I don't mean any more than the thrill of the good old-fashioned hard work with other actors, other musicians, stage designers, costume makers, makeup artists, wig makers, the lighting. And like backstage at SNL 50 was insane.
We were all like getting ready to go on. And then like, you know, a human squid would walk by.
And like then the B-52s would be there. And then, would be getting their wig thrown on.
And it was just, I don't know. I think that that's my favorite part of show business, right? Is the show of it all.
The show of it all. Because something about that concert, which we talked to Kevin Mazur, who, by the way, photographer.
Yes. You want to hear something? Yes.
My mom's boyfriend from high school. Can you believe? Oh, that's some piping hot tea.
Yeah. I'm from Long Island.
He took my mom to prom and every time I see him now, mad, he comes over like he's just, he's the guy. He's the guy.
But y'all, Readers, Katie's, Publishers, Finals, Kyles, Kevin Mazur, the like live event photographer. Yeah.
I've known him for so long. Can I ask your mom his name? Katrina.
I'm so, you know, I see him. I feel like, so I heard about Katrina.
He's going to love it. Katrina Claritas.
She had an iconic high school name. That's sweet.
I was checking with him on Sunday. I was like, oh my God, Friday.
Well, like, what was that about? I go, you go to all of these things, Kevin. Where does that rank among your nights? And he was like, that is one of the top three events I've ever done.
It was one of the greatest nights in entertainment. And I heard it took two years to plan.
Yeah. And I felt really emotional.
I couldn't figure out exactly what I wanted to say on stage. I ultimately decided to shout out Mark Ronson and The Roots because Mark and I wrote Shallow together and The Roots were playing it with me and I love them so much.
And I was, I almost said like, and thank you to Lauren and SNL because like, thanks for giving me a shot on the show years ago. Because like SNL also helps break artists and it's a huge deal.
I don't know if people, I mean, I know that people know this, but I don't know that they know how much it means to the artists when we get booked for the show. I mean, to this day, when I got called to do Double Duty in a couple of weeks, full panic tears.
Oh. Yeah.
So, so happy. So elated.
I couldn't be more proud. It was the thing that I wanted to do the most.
Yeah. To promote my record and to just make people happy.
Yeah. it's going to happen.
We're recording this before SNL.

Yes.

We're coming right off of the celebration on the 50th.

But I mean,

when they told me

that they booked you for double duty.

You're going to be incredible.

The scream I scrummed.

I just,

the scream I scrummed.

I was so excited.

To me,

like I say to people,

I'm in the business

of making people smile.

And that is 100% how I feel about SNL. It's just that it is a night devoted to making people laugh at home.
And I'm all about it. But you literally embodied and captured that in the last time you hosted, which was that like jazzy applause cover.
I still watch. It's like a pitch perfect.
It is everything the monologue should be. Thank you.
And it sets the tone for the show. It introduces, not that you need an introduction, especially at that time or now, but it's like that was the perfect way to build confidence for the audience that the show was going to be great.
It was like such a privilege to do that. And I'm a theater kid from New York.
So doing the SNL monologue is a big deal. It is a huge deal.
And, you know, I just, I don't, I don't know that I ever imagined that I would end up doing that. I think I had a lot more confidence that I would, you know, just be a songwriter, singer, producer for as long as possible.
But I didn't know that I would get embraced in that way. And it's, and that's, what's cool about, you know, hosting and doing musical guests too, is being the host, the monologue, the monologue is separate from being an actor in the skit.
And then that's also separate from being the artist on stage as a musical guest. So it's like, I get to kind of do all the things that I love.
Yeah. I'm just thinking about how, like, you talk about what an amazing moment that is as an artist to be asked to do that show.
And even in Stars Born, it's almost like an emotional, emotional moment in the film when Ali is told, you're doing SNL. It's like that and getting a Grammy nomination are both moments for that character in that movie.
Did anything from that experience influence the decision to do Shallow on SNL 50? Because you have so many songs you could have done, but you chose Shallow. Well, first of all, one of the reasons that that was included in A Star is Born is because a lot of A Star is Born was inspired by my real life.
And I worked really, really close with Bradley and Eric on making sure that the story of these two musicians felt real. And so that kind of feeling around SNL and around a Grammy, that's just like how it actually felt.

Truly important to you. And so that's reflected in that.
And Shallow to me is the song I wish I had done on SNL. And when Andy and I started talking about doing Dick in a Box, he came to me and he said, I had this idea that we started off and you start with Shallow and I started and it's like, doesn't sound good.
And then you said, you know, and we did the whole thing and and when i watched um the rehearsal i was like oh like but now maybe they kind of they might want to hear it because i started because we started and it doesn't go so i thought i thought it would be a chance to do that and also to kind of put some of my best work forward on a show that deserves your best work oh yeah you know what i mean Like to me, when I see artists perform on SNL, like we all try to put our best foot forward. And so, yeah, I just, I wanted it to be like a heartwarming moment, hopefully for people at home too.
I mean, I do like lots of different things, you know, I'm also into the dark arts and the poetry of pop music. And Shallow is very different than a lot of the music I've done in my career.
But it's an important song to me because it helped me to connect with people that otherwise maybe didn't know if they could connect with someone like me. Like maybe they didn't relate to me as much or maybe they didn't know someone like me in high school.
So, you know, Shallow is an important song to me for that reason. And it just felt like the right one to do.
I remember the Chromatica Ball, like that, which was such a party, but we went with like 15 of our friends. And when you started Shallow, we all were like checking in with each other.
Like, this is really happening. Like we're hearing Shallow.
It is like a high point of culture. 60,000 people at MetLife, a hush fell.
You know what I mean? Like you could hear a pin drop It was just one of those sublime moments. I think I remember looking up at the crowd just being like, I was shooting a movie in Charlotte.
I flew back for that show. I was like, I'm not missing Gaga.
No, never. It was just a culmination of that era which was a glorious era that got kind of messed up by the pandemic and like it just felt like this victory lap and this like culmination of like what everybody wanted to celebrate together with you thank you it was a really special tour to me um i hadn't seen my fans really on tour since i had to stop the joanne world tour right and i and i was was like really not well during that time.
And it totally broke my heart to have to cancel. And that, that was the, that was the second tour, um, that that happened on.
Um, so I was a little bit nervous about going out for Chromatica. I was like, am I going to be able to do it? As I, you know, am I going to be in pain when I'm on stage? What's it to be like and it was amazing i had the best time also my amazing partner michael was with me he came with me the entire tour we were together during the prep for the tour we lived in leeds while we put the tour which is like very funny having a brutalist stage in the middle of that music that was incredible thank you but it was you was special and healing.
And I think in a way, it kind of set me up for this next time. Yeah.
I got to say, just hearing you talk about being in service of the idea of entertainment. I think it means to me, what I hear is that like, for a while, I always thought about you as like someone who is perpetually being a student to the concept of fame.
But I think what it's very quickly become and like even sooner than I realized was you are a student of entertainment. And it's not the same thing, obviously.
You know what I mean? Yeah, thank you. I mean, I think you're right about earlier.
Earlier in my career, I was a student of fame and I was fascinated with it. And it was a part of my art.
And I studied it. I was like really, really fascinated with Andy Warhol.
And I tried to sort of take the spirit of Warhol into my pop shows, like even like the choices of, you know, the music with the lighting and a, you know, a piss yellow wig that would have been one of, you know, his screen prints. Like it was all about this idea that anyone could become a star if they, if they studied how, but the thing that I didn't know that would happen was my fans.
Like I didn't know who they would be. I didn't know how it would make me feel.
I also did not anticipate, but I'm so glad that I did hear the stories of people all over the world. I mean, I would stop outside my hotel rooms and I would talk to fans.
I would invite fans backstage after the shows. I would play demos for fans years before I released music and like, what do you think of this? Let's talk about it.
What's your home life like? And they would tell me about their lives. And so I've grown up.

It's almost been two decades in the public.

It's definitely been two decades for me as a recording artist.

But I kind of grew up and I changed.

I was a student of fame, but I ultimately decided that the reason I want to do this is to make people happy with art.

And then like now, I mean, I don't know if my fans really know this about me now, but I warm up my voice twice a day.

And I practice piano every day.

And I am like working harder than ever in the dance studio.

So I like keep up my chops.

Yeah.

Because to me, that hard work is what my fans deserve.

And also it's to me, that's like the privilege of being an artist is that you, you get to work on your craft. And I want to be able to say that I'm getting better at it.
Not that I've done it already. And, and that's that.
You know what? We have to talk though, about your vocals on this new album. Like we, we, we listened to it.
Like we said, I turned to Bobby. I was like, how do you do it? It is so Olympic what you do with your voice.
And I would imagine you said you're warming up twice a day. I would imagine your vocal warmups are what, like a half hour long? So you're really in the pocket on this.
Like the rock vocals that are not easy to do, the passion with which you sing. When you're recording and you're putting songs like these together, do you go back and back and back vocally? Or how can you do that? Yes.
I actually, poor Andrew and Circuit in the studio and Gasol Fulstein, when we were doing vocals, I would sometimes do like 50 takes. Wow.
And they were very supportive and it was fine. But the reason is because when I'm writing music, I'm sometimes imagining someone else is singing it.
Of course. Yeah.
Because it helps me to kind of embody the spirit of a superstar. Because I didn't always feel very confident as a kid, and that stayed with me my whole life.
So during the writing process, when I wrote Born This Way, I was actually thinking about Whitney Houston. I love that you knew that.
No, but I was thinking always about different people. But then when I get there to sing it, I'm like, okay, I could sing this in a lot of

different ways. How should I sing it? So take one, I do it one way.
Take two, I do it another way. By take eight, I've sunk into it differently.
Take 16, I go, I'm going to try something completely different. Scratch it all.
And so I think what you are hearing on this album is that I was actually pretty, pretty bossy actually in the studio about, about getting the best possible vocal and also pushing myself to do things that I've never done on a record before. I don't think I sound on this album like I sound on any of my records.
So many vocal discoveries on this and so many, this is crazy to say because you're always so many different characters in your music, which you're, you're speaking to, but so many more than ever and new characters that we're hearing.

Yes. And which character is going to tell that story and why?

Yes. Yeah.
I mean, I remember there was this very early, early interview of yours where

it was for V Magazine. It was like you were in like Mario Testino made you get all like

tanned and, you know, it was a very like Testino look and it was incredible. But I think it was like you were in like Mario Testino made you get all like tanned and you know it was a very like Testino look and it was incredible but I think it was someone I think it was John Norris at Fuse who was asking you about like or you brought up Faith No More.
And I was like okay this is not what I expected Gaga to like love and like zero in on. This is like the real musical taste that she has.
And then it would shift to like, oh, but then this bitch knows the Great American Songbook like the back of her hand. And then it's like, wait, and then she also like, she's like a classically trained pianist and she like fucking knows like all of these.
I'm sorry, I didn't want me to call you a bitch. I'm sorry.
No, you said this bitch colloquially. You know what I'm saying? No.
Okay. I'm a girl from New York.
Don't apologize. I know, I know.
I know, but I was like, wait, hold on. My soul is on my body.
This bitch knows the Great American Songbook. Yes, I do.
Yes, I do. Thank you.
Period. And like, I just think the characters are not so much characters as they are the knowledge and being the student of music, of entertainment.
Like you embody all of these things. And so I think with Mayhem, I think with this album, it's like Bobby was saying that this is probably the most authentically you album you've ever put out.
That makes me think, well, then there's something to Gaga being an amalgamation of all these different things and these genres and these studied, detailed musical exercises, I guess. But like, that's who you are because I couldn't boil you down to one thing and I'm sure you couldn't either.
No, I mean, I am definitely all of these things and that's what mayhem is. It's a celebration of all of that.
And, you know, it's so funny as you're talking about this too, I'm like thinking about this moment where Michael, Michael was in the studio every day. Michael executive produced the record with me.
And there was at one point I was like really into this electro grunge sound, like on perfect celebrity. It's like whole, it's, it's, we were saying garbage.
So I'm like, I'm like, okay, we're going to make the whole album like this. And I'm going to change everything.
And he was like, no, you are not. You can't do that.
But he was right. Because I am all of the different genres, all of the different approaches, all the different processes.
That's why it ultimately is mayhem. If you're stepping really far back, it doesn't make sense.
But when you put it all together, it's me. And I appreciate you seeing that in me.
I feel like since the beginning of my career, there was always some type of criticism coming from somewhere of like, but who are you? And what is Lady Gaga? And can you explain it to me? what's your style and you know you know what's what genre really is it what should i call you what should i call you like what's your what are we supposed to feel really like yeah you know and i think that first of all i was terrified to make a pop record again and i decided to do it and i felt very supported in doing it by Michael, by my family, by everyone around me. But feeling like people think you're chaotic is there's something, there was a joy in that for a while, but there was also like a pain in that too.
Was that what the fear was coming from? Yeah. Well, it's like, especially as a woman, people are like, you're chaos.
It's kind of like, of like part of me is like uh-huh you know and then the other part of me is like but what like what do you mean by that right and like dismissive it's kind of like um you're a mess and like you're a mess because i can't figure out how to organize you right and i don't know how to think about you and i think what i want my fans to know is like, that's other people's problem. That's not your problem.
You can be the whole you. And that was a part of this record.
And I felt excited as a female producer too. Like just doing whatever I wanted when I wanted to in the way that I heard it.
And I'm so happy, like even before we started that you brought up Killa because it's like my favorite record. Yeah, it's amazing.
Thank you. But you're gonna die tonight.
Well, no, you don't even know. People are gonna lose their minds.
We've heard it twice and we've been like grabbing onto that in our brain. Like this whole album, let's talk about the album.
Like it's like face melty, brain scratchy, heart screamy pop dance with this theme of mortality throughout. Decay, chaos.
Yes. And I wanted to, I know you've said before, you watch a horror movie every night before you go to bed.
I don't know if you're in that zone now, but the theme of death and dancing in the face of it is obviously all over this. What I've always wanted to ask you though, is how much are you laughing while you're creating? Like how much is joy and humor and laughter a part of your creative process when you're making music? It's all of it.
Yeah. It is.
There's a lot of humor on Killa, especially what a funny record, right? What a funny record. I'm like, not that confident.
The person that wrote that record is confident but I would say also though that it's like the process is a little bit manic because I also get really serious and I know I can be difficult to work with because I'm a very warm hearted person but when I'm songwriting I get like I'm trying to listen to what I'm hearing and get it out as fast as possible. But then maybe I'll, you know, yeah, the lyric, I'm a killer and boy, you're going to die tonight.
And like, right. And then that's funny.
And then that comes out. But then I get serious again, because I'm trying to figure out if the guitar lick is right.
And I'm like, no, it's not that one. It's this one.
Do it again. Like, it's kind of a, yes, the process is chaotic.
And I'm not also a very linear thinker i'm very tangential love it and sometimes if i can't get one part of the song right i will need to stay on it for three days gotcha like a baseline or a guitar riff and then other times i will move on from it and go i'll go like no let's go to the pre-chorus now you know it's it's sort of um it's a very non-linear process and and I love it and I love it I'm so like also appreciative that my partner like he you know the first few years that we were together I wasn't in the studio and when he saw me start to make music he was like, oh my God, I've never seen you happier than when you're making music. And that was, I felt very seen by that.
And I think why it is so important to me is when you grow up in the public eye, as you know, there's things that people grow to like about you, but there's things that they don't know about you. Like they don't know the you that's like maybe deep in reflection at home working on something.
They know the outward facing you. So it feels really nice to be seen by someone for the thing that you do alone that makes you special.
That's your gift, right? Like the thing the world doesn't see. Yeah.
I mean, I think you even alluded to this in the Oscar acceptance where you were just like, this is hard work. There are sacrifices that need to be made to get to this point.
Like the reason I'm on this stage is because I worked so hard. And that is the essential thing about you, Lady Gaga, is that you're like I can't believe you're here

I love being here

I love it. I love also community.
So like being with you and talking with you and bonding over music is like, this is the thing I'm probably missed the most from my time before I became famous I did an interview downtown last week and I picked the location and I was like, we got to go to this bar that I used to write music at. And we did the interview there and I like cried during the interview talking about all my friends down there.
What bar? Welcome to the Johnsons. Nice.
And I went to like, there was a lot of bars down there that we went to, but that was just one of them. And I used to go there during the day.
Like I'd go at like one o'clock and like order a, you know, perhaps blue ribbon and a shot of whiskey and write on a napkin. But living around artists, being around writers, songwriters, comedians, photographers, actors, musicians, go-go dancers, club promoters.
We were all like our own little group and we supported each other. And it was actually really hard to go to Hollywood and do what I was doing there because it was just not like New York

at all. And I know you guys, you know about New York.
And so this is actually hugely like a deep,

a deep joy for me to be here because we get to, I get to like do the thing that made like part

of who I am. Right.
It's like talking about it all. This is Bell and Yang.
And

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For more information, visit AmericanExpress.com slash with Amex. We'll talk about your current community, which is like, Quatt, Circuit, Gustafelstein, which by the way, when I see Killa featuring Gustafelstein, I'm like, well, I think I have an expectation with the song is did not.
I know. I was totally blown away by it.
Didn't he flip the script on everyone? Both of you did. Yeah.
Thank you. Thank you.
Gustafelstein is very, very talented. He's very specific.
I won't give away any of his secrets of how he works, but I loved working on that record with him. And it's so funny.
Every time we talk to each other, we always go like, oh man, I love this song. Oh man, this song.
It's a very special one. It's an industrial funk song.
Yeah. The only live instrument on it is the guitar.
I was going to ask, because everything else is electronic. That's right.
That's right. It's just really, it's so different for me.
And I think there's areas of mayhem that are the tip of the iceberg of where I might even go next. You know, like that was some of the joy of making the album was going like, oh, I'm not done with this.
Right. You know, now I have to take this further.
Talk about sequencing this one

because I feel like that was its own process.

Sequencing the album was, I mean,

Michael was like worried about me.

He was like, are you okay?

And I said, no, like I just kept listening to the songs

and in every conceivable order.

Right.

Oh, yeah.

Lots of permutations.

Because there's versions.

It's, you know, do you do it by BPM? That's like the most the most to me the most obvious first version is like for it to feel like one night at a club right and then there's the other version where it's like okay but do you do it based on the story and like is there a story that i'm telling here which there is so i i did kind of a mixture of both of those things um and the album kind of starts out with like the devil on your shoulder whispering to you like, would you like to make some bad decisions tonight? Because like, I'll help you. Like I can fix this feeling that you're having.
And by the end of the album, you know, you've gone through joy. You've gone through partying.
You've gone through anger. I mean, Perfect Celebrities, maybe the most angry song I've ever made.
I think so. Then Vanish Into You is a song about wanting to disappear into someone.
It's a happy love song, but it's also dark. We're happy just to be alive.
And then Killa keeps the party going, but it's that moment at the party when you're a little numbed out. The end of that? We love it.
Your fucking whale. Yeah, the outros are fucking good.
Incredible. Thank you.
Thank you. I am a very big fan of the outros too.
We actually had a thought to release the outros like two days before the album. But I don't think I'm going to do it.
Yeah, what's the hesitation? Yeah, just because I feel like when you hear them as an actual outro, then it's an outro. But if I give it, then it's a snippet.
But then it's a snippet. And then it kind of is decontextualized from the actual work.
Yeah. I mean, Kayla, you really experienced that outro because of the beginning.
Right. Like, you kind of need the beginning.
Cinderella's got to walk up the stairs before the glass slipper, you know? Before she can leave in a hurry. Yeah, that's right.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. The other song that I feel like was like, we listened to several times and the build on this one is just amazing, but it's so different for you, we feel, is How Bad Do You Want Me.
We love How Bad Do You Want Me. I almost put that on the album.
We're so happy you did because it's like throwback-y for you because it's very pop. It really very much is.
It's like a total hyper-pop song. But I was like, I hear like a high school girl singing this with her ripped up shoes.
Like, you're, how bad do you? Like, bad. Like, it just feels, you know what I mean? Like, we can see and hear the character in this.
Like, tell us about that song. Okay, so very funny story is, Michael and I started that song at home, but I started it first and he heard me singing it.

And he walks in from the kitchen and he goes, is that about me? And I was like, no. And then he came on in and we started to finish it together.
And, you know, that song embodies a feeling that I've had probably my whole life which is that i always felt archetyped as the bad girl and it's why the lyric is kind of funny you like my hair my ripped up jeans yeah it's like that's like so stereotypical like the girl with ripped jeans is bad right it's so it's so kind of silly and humorous um so but but i've always felt this kind of like i don't know shame that i'm i've always been at war with this feeling that if i am you know interested in someone that like they're actually longing for a good girl but they're stuck with me and i'm who they really want but like we're in this like three-way relationship and there's there's other good girl. But the good girl is in their head.
And they're kind of comparing me the whole time. That girl that you like ain't real.
How bad do you want me for real? Yeah, exactly. Oh, my God.
We love it. No, I'm telling you, we've been just texting it to each other.
Like, how bad do you want me for real? Yeah. The good girl in your dreams is mad you're loving me.
I know you wish that she was me. How bad do you want me? So, yeah, and it, I like, I, it's so funny too because it's a fun pop song but I cried when I wrote it.
Like, it was like, my favorite kind of song, emotional pop. Like, I have a, I have a, I have some voice recordings of it somewhere that I have like from the original that, yeah, maybe I'll just drop those at some point.
That's the tease, I guess. But I also was also not sure I should put that on the record.
And Michael was like, you have to, like your fans are going to love that song. What was the hesitation around that about? I just, I don't know.
Sometimes when things are really super pop, I get like, I don't know, I get a weird reaction. Yeah.
Where do you think that comes from? I don't know. I felt this way about Just Dance.

Thank God I didn't

listen to myself then.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Because I was going to ask,

is it about the prior work?

But I think

there's something

about this current team

around mayhem

between Watt and Circuit

and Paris.

It's like,

these are all people

who understand

what came before

but are facing

and have a vision

for the future for you. Yes.
I mean, Andrew, what was great about working with him is he also plays a lot of different instruments. And I know how to write on all those different instruments.
So if we were in the studio, I would just be like, okay, like play the guitar this way, do the bass line this way. And then we would do it over and over and we would riff back and forth.
Circuit is an amazing musician also Also, he's also like the fastest producer programmer that I've ever seen ever. He's wildly fast.
He also does amazing analog synth work. We had like every iconic analog synth possible in the studio.
Andrew also had a mechanic there that was working on the synths to kind of like bring out the low end in certain areas and sort of like tailor the instruments to be unique for the album. And Gustafel Stein, I will share nothing.
Okay. Because the man is a mystery and I'm going to keep it that way.
He shall remain. Also, Die With a Smile at the end of the album, it's this beautiful moment of like, first of all, the first line being, I just woke up from a dream, really kind of works after what's happened.
And then it does feel like a beautiful cinematic like credits roll. It's like a waltz too, which I love.
Thank you. I, you know, as a personal choice, I really wanted the mayhem to end.
Oh, that's beautiful. You know what I mean? mean? Because Blade of Grass is a beautiful song, but you don't get the feeling that the mayhem is over with Blade of Grass.
Blade of Grass is a song about saying, I'm going to spend the rest of my life with you, but I just want you to know that now that you've asked me to spend the rest of my life with you, all I can think about is how hard it was to get here. So I did make the decision that I wanted there to be a message of hope on the record because I feel nervous about speaking about mental health issues at this stage of my life.
I think only because I talked about them so much for so many years and I'm so passionate about mental health and people getting help but I'm also like I like deal with my own sort of nerves about people only talking about me in that way right um like I don't want to be defined by that time in my life but I will say that like having personal mayhem and like struggling mentally, that is a very particular kind of chaos that I hope that people who do struggle, like hear this record and then know that there's peace at the end of it and that it can get better because it truly got better for me. And I just really wanted that to be a part of it.
And also in working with bruno who like a hundred percent collaborated with me like head-to-head musician to musician um and i'm usually the only woman in the room when i'm making music and to be treated with that kind of respect really meant a lot to me. And it felt, it felt like it felt like the,

the only way to put a period on the end of the album,

if that makes sense.

Like,

like that I,

and,

and also that I'm sure you've heard the phrase reheating your nachos.

Yeah.

I had never heard that.

And I was like,

what is this?

It's running rampant.

People are really using it.

Yeah,

it is.

But I have to say,

like,

there's something

beautiful in it

because

I think being

a female artist,

there was always

pressure on me.

What is she going

to do next?

How is she going

to reinvent herself?

How is she going

to change?

Well, you know,

she's going to do

the same thing forever.

And then I would

reinvent myself

and I would change

and they'd be like,

we wish she was like,

you know,

she used to be, right?

And I think what I realized

making this album

is there is a sound

and a style and a way of creating music that I did come up with and I'm owning it on this album. And it's, it's to me, I did it in a new way.
And I also took myself to musical places that I've never been to before and i was a student of music but i think it's okay for anyone to own their own inventions and be like this is me and i you know i'm the creator of me and a lot of female artists we know this that people say well that record was successful because of this producer or that this thing was successful because it's unfair. And it's not fair to women to do that.
It's women are creators as well. We are the creators of our lives and, and it's our vision.
And, you know, we weren't made, we made ourselves. I think out of all your albums, this one stands as like a true artistic statement for you.
It is It is your painting with every color on the palette, you know? It's like I don't think you should ever, well first of all, I don't think you will ever be defined by any of the mental health conversation. It's only been helpful to people.
You have literally you've saved my life. I would listen to Marry the Night in very dark times.
I still do. Oh my God, Tuesday night writing it at SNL.
Sometimes I'll just, I'll hit that track. I got to marry the fucking night because it's 4 a.m.
and I have a sketch to finish. You know what I mean? I do.
Like it's, I completely understand this relationship you have with the people, the way people talk about your life and what you've gone through. It is only enriching what the work is.
Truly. Thank you.
Thanks for sharing that. I'm so sorry that you go through those times.
I think it's, you know, it's like something I have to work through because it really was true that for a while, and I don't know if you can relate to this anyway, but it's sometimes when you get to that place, talking about it is the healthiest thing for you. And like, you have to get it out.
And if you don't get it out, you're just living in silence about it. And it's like this secret that is making you feel more sick.
So yeah, I'm, you know, I'm a work in progress. It's like, I'm just, you know, I'm not an authority on anything, really.
I just am a person and I love making people happy. And I hope that people will put on mayhem start to finish and just have a good time.
Because it's ultimately meant to be a celebration of you. But I think I did make it for those that feel like maybe they don't always know how to make sense of themselves.

And I'm saying like, that's cool.

It's okay.

You don't have to make perfect sense of it.

That's what the sequencing is about in the end.

That's probably why you landed on this order of songs,

because that's the statement.

That's right.

This is Bowen Yang.

And Matt Rogers from Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers. And Bowen Yang.
This podcast is sponsored by PayPal. All right, readers, Katie's publicist, finalist, Kyles, it's time to talk about one of the most iconic payment brands out there.
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Learn more at americanexpress.com slash with Amex CST 1022318. Well, we have the central question of our podcast that we ask everybody, that we're going to ask of you, Lady Gaga, which is what was the culture that made you say culture was for me? This can be anything from a film you saw that moved you in a certain direction, a song, an artist, something environmental.
If you could think I became something close to Lady Gaga, if not full on Lady Gaga in this moment. I have a few different ones, I feel like.
We love that. I think the one that is the most important to me is I had gay friends in high school and I didn't have a lot of friends in high school.

And I went to an all-girls school, which means that when school was over, I used to walk like eight blocks away to the boys' school and they weren't out yet. But we were friends and we would do the musicals together and I found my people.
And then later in my career, when I started performing out and I had LGBTQ plus fans, I was like, oh, this is the community that loved me when I was a child. And this is the community that I'm meant to be a part of now.
And so I don't think I would be Lady Gaga without the queer community. You're such an important friend in the life of a gay person

when you are that person.

You know what I mean?

Oh my God.

That's like such a silly way

to sequence those words, sequencing.

But I'll just never forget my safe spaces

when I wasn't out,

when I was in high school,

when I felt like I could talk about my influences,

talk about the music I wanted to talk about,

you know,

like telling all the boys in my school

that I liked Limp Bizkit

and all love to them, but I wanted to talk about Christina Aguilera. And then finding the girls and being like, don't you love the last track obvious on the self-titled? You know what I mean? Like, it's just like being able to share a language and share a humor.
And you have grown into such a maximum version of that. And it was, I mean, jumping around, we just have to say it was so beautiful.
And thank you so much for saying what you said on the Grammys. For speaking to our community and speaking to the trans community and people that need it the most.
That was my absolute privilege. And I promised myself that if I won a Grammy that night, I was going to say something that was in support of something that is so, so important, which is to be protective and loving to a community that is experiencing violence.
It's my privilege to be a part of this community. And it's the language that we speak to each other.
And it's also like, thank you for teaching me so much about the world. I couldn't be the person that I am without the stories of all of the people that I've met.
Totally. And the authenticity and the realness.
Like I have so many gay friends that like just share with me their truth. Yeah.
And that's a real gift. Like how many people do you meet that don't do that? Right.
Everybody. Right.
And it's like, that can be also not a great way to move through the world. So, you know, to me, this is my privilege to be a part of it.
And I know I wouldn't be the same. And, you know, I think like born this way for me was it's like easily my favorite easily my favorite album that I ever created.
And what's interesting is the second answer to the question that you asked me, if I could think of another culture, it would be that culture of friends on the Lower East Side. And Born This Way was a mixture of the inspiration of the queer community, my love of the queer community, as well as like this like techno rock, electro rock, underground New York metal scene that I was a part of.
So, you know, all of those things, like that blender is like truly what makes me, me and it still is. And I think this is an important time for us all to be real with each other and ask for what we need from each other.
Well, something about that night where you won the Grammy with Bruno that was so impactful. Because I was just watching at home kind of just because a couple of hours had gone by in the show already.
And I was just like, I guess no one's really addressing what's going on in like a real important way. And you broke the seal on that.
And then the immediate response from the audience and from people at home was, thank God you said something. Yeah, so grateful.
Because I will always think about the way you handled the rumors and the way you even talked about it with Anderson Cooper, which was like, would that be such a bad thing? Like the fact that you were even talking about this recently where you're like, you had to decide whether or not you would quote unquote fix the rumor. But how would that make someone feel if they were trans? And why would you inject more shame into that situation? Because I think there was some turning point in Lady Gaga as an artist who was studying fame.
Because that's a moment where, I don't know, we experienced this on such a smaller scale than you obviously, but it's like, there's nothing more frustrating

than someone saying something about you

that isn't true.

Right.

And you don't have the opportunity to address it

or you're not,

and all you want to say is that's not true.

But for you to flip that on its head

and be like,

if it were true,

who fucking cares?

Yeah.

It's huge.

Yeah.

Well,

I think that was probably

the most responsible I ever felt

for like the words that were going to come out of my mouth at that point. Like I really kind of did understand that the way that I would react to that would, I thought be meaningful.
But to be frank, I didn't think about it for very long. Even better.
No, but seriously, it was outrageous to me that it was also kind of a weird thing. Like, so how do you feel about these rumors? I'm like, what are we talking? What are we talking about? These are people's lives.
These are people's real lives. And that's what makes me so upset about it today is when I see people peering down at others and making it socially acceptable to peer down and to say that the trans community should be treated this way is wrong.
It is wrong. It's violent.
It is everything I hate. It is everything I hate.
To just go after the most vulnerable people. Yes.
That's why community is so important though, because had you not been exposed to community and had you not like had this understanding of people's humanity, someone may have been put in that situation as like a pop star that's being rocketed to fame and like, you know, aggressively trying to be defined by this thing that the media is like, you know, inherently saying is like some negative thing. But because you had that exposure to community and because you knew the reality that these are people's lives, you were able to be in that position and be so gorgeous and responsible.
And that's why that's important. The blessing is when, when I was accepted by the queer community, that was the gift to me because then I get to learn and I get to, I get to experience and have real relationships that change my insides.
And sometimes, you know, people ask, you know, how can I do this better? Can you explain this to me? Like people want to learn more. And I, you know, I always have the desire to say like, be friends with more people in the queer community.
That's the best way to learn is to just be a part of the world. It's quite easy.
We're all pretty friendly. That's right.
The best. I mean, you are such an important part of that conception for people because I think I had come out of the closet again when Born This Way came out because I went to conversion therapy.
Obviously, it did not work out. I didn't know that.
Yeah, yeah. And so Matt had come out in college.
So we've known each other since college. Matt had come out around the same time.
We were both doing comedy. He was in the sketch group.
I was in the improv group. Born This Way came out the same.
The single came out the same week as this college comedy festival. We would drive from NYU- Skidmore.
Yep. Up to Skidmore.
And we were just blasting that song for 48 straight hours, being wasted, just like in some like tool shed. Grungy, grungy, grungy.
Grungy as, just like that is- And he felt emboldened to come out that weekend that's really special that's really really special you're so important to a huge swath of people who only want the best things for you and for each other and if there is community in this world it is fully embodied in that sector but also those people need leadership and you've always been that leader culturally, artistically, in so many ways, you've always been that person. I appreciate you saying that, but you know what? I, more than being a leader, I just want to do my part.
And like, I really believe that like, we can all do our small part. And then when we all do our small part, it like makes a big part.
And I believe that we will continue to show people that are filled with hatred and ignorance that they should be looking up to the queer community and following and learning about love, learning about grace, learning about kindness. I really believe that.
And I'm not giving up. No.
No. No, no, no.
And we know, and neither are we. And it's so interesting that the answer that you gave to the question was almost like the very simple, beautiful answer that felt like was coming out in the results of the election and everything is people were just saying one word community yeah look around you water the flowers right build those connections maybe find new connections that's right community that is really what it's all about and exposure to the humanity of everybody that's right and i know that it feels important for me to say too that yes i say these things publicly but like it's actually even more important to me that I live them in my life.
Like that, that is the work. Yeah.
Yeah. The category is dance or die.
The only way forward is to just, is to be joyous and to celebrate each other in that way. Because like, I think abracadabra is like my interpretation of it is, it is this duel between, it's death or love.
It's the only alternative. There's really only one option in that video.
Yeah. Really.
She announces the category, but you kind of know, no, we're going to dance. We can't die.
Yeah, it's an easy choice for me. Yeah, we're going to dance.
Speaking of dance, okay, so we'll be at Coachella. I'm going weekend one.
Bo and Astorik, he's going to go weekend two. I think I may go again.
Is there, because we're listening to the album and we're like, oh my God, in the desert, this is going to be insane. Could you drink some water? Yeah, of course.
We will be safe. So how long have you been thinking about that performance all night every night since I said yes and also you know before then I mean I didn't really get a chance to do Coachella the way I wanted to because you came in that's what we filled in yeah you know it was great it was actually great for A Star is Born too because Coachella agreed to let us use the stage from the movie as you know making movies in production like having you know places to film is a positive thing it was great for the film I had like three days to get ready for it which is absurd but for this I am just putting everything that I have into it and I'm really really excited.
But I don't want to give anything away. I truly want it to be like a big surprise.
I feel like I have heard you say in recent interviews that you have been moving in the direction of something slightly more stripped down. Because there was a time in your career where the set pieces would be like unmanageably big.
You know what I mean? And now you are thinking in terms of sustainability and in terms of like- I do. Yeah.
I do think a lot more now about like not wasting and not overproducing things. Because when I was younger, I used to get like so nervous that we would like run out of props, you know, or run out or costumes would get ruined or something wouldn't work well.
So we would have a backup. But now, you know, I have an archive with a lot of like costumes from all my previous tours and TV shows.
And so now I try to reuse those and repurpose them. And in the abracadabra video, we did some of that as well as like the white cape that I'm wearing.
Wedding dresses? It was all

vintage wedding dresses.

Oh, that's so cool.

Yeah, so, you know,

I'm trying to,

yeah, I'm changing.

I don't think you need

the overproduction, obviously,

which is what you're saying.

It's like,

people will just be fucking

gagged to see you

in any kind of

stage picture.

You know,

the thing about the Radio City show

with Tony Bennett,

it was like,

we were with our friend Sudi and we just, the three of us kept saying, she just always knows her stage picture. Thank you about the Radio City show with Tony Bennett, we were with our friend Sudi,

and the three of us kept saying,

she just always knows her stage picture.

Thank you.

But I do believe when it comes to stage performance,

and this probably has to do more with me,

like loving theater so much too,

is that you can do a lot with a black box theater

and a spotlight.

And it's how it's lit. It's your pose.
It's the way that you say the first line. You know, more adornment and more money doesn't necessarily mean better.
Certainly not. You know, it's like how you think about it and how you bring it.
I think simplicity is actually like very, very powerful. But that also is not indicative necessarily of what Coachella will be.
So I- Sure. I just brought that up as a maybe a little- You were talking on Hot Ones actually about like performing at the Slipper Room way back when, which is crazy.
Because we've done shows there. We've done shows there.
And like, I was just thinking to myself when you were talking about that, some of my most formative, memorable, like theatrical experiences have been in rooms

with like seven or eight other people

watching someone create fantasy.

That's right.

When you shouldn't be able to,

but yet it is like lighting choices,

the way things sound in rooms like that.

That's right.

It's the stage.

Yeah.

It's like the magic of the stage.

Because when you do things like, I mean, there are clubs where people perform, right? Like in the room, like on the floor. Right.
But to me, the context changes on a stage, you know, it's elevated and you know, like I'm going to see a show and there's going to, something's going to try to move me. Yeah.
And I do find in New York, actually, at some of those downtown clubs that like, there is immense talent. Yes.
Immense talent. And it's so much fun.
And I've always like also been so in awe of the drag shows in New York. Oh, the best.
It is unreal. And I've been watching some of the recreations on TikTok of the video.
And it's just like,

it's, I mean. Yeah.
Mind-blowing. Oh, it's Jan.
Jan did it with, yeah. The next day after the video.
How? Because we live for it. No, but also like the lacing is perfect on the corset and then the hat.
And I saw people making like spiked hat out of plastic and then hand spray painting it cranberry. Cranberry.
I mean, when you came to Drag Race and did that workshop with them, that was just taking it the extra mile. And I think that telegraphed to everyone that it is about the details.
I mean, that is such a, of course, it's about so much more than that, but the details do matter. You were so detailed

in the way that you walked through

with those queens.

I mean, I loved being a part of Drag Race.

That was so much fun

and also a privilege.

I loved it so much.

I mean, I think that I have like

just the ultimate respect

for drag as an art form.

I also think drag very often

does it so much better than we do it on red carpets, honestly. Like I think it's just on another level.
Yeah. How much of what you do do you think of as drag? I mean, that's interesting.
I probably wouldn't use that word just because I do feel like it's a very specific art form that I don't like do, But there is to me also a drag element in what I'm doing. But I don't think that, you know, wigs and makeup and costumes always mean drag.
I think like it is a very beloved and specific art form. And but not no, certainly not, but certainly not.
No, it's kind of kind of like sometimes people will, you know, ask me that and I just like, it's hard to say yes because I would never want to like take away from someone that's devoted their life to it. Sure.
You're coming from a place of respect for what they do. That's my sort of rationale whenever someone's like, what would your drag name be? I'm like, I don't know because I've not thought that far because, and I honestly think it's because I love the form so much that I'm like, I don't want to insert myself in that without earning my chops, without like, Well, if I was going to do it, I would have to like step it up in a big way.
Right. So there you go.
This is Bowen Yang. And Matt Rogers from Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers.
And Bowen Yang. This podcast is sponsored by PayPal.
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Learn more at americanexpress.com slash with Amex. To speak on another art form, because we went to NYU here.
You did a semester at Cap 21. Yes.
So we had a bunch of friends in Cap 21. We were there and that was like legendary that you had graced that studio for even a second.
is there still a part of you that would do musical theater

in like a like a mainstream sense like would you go and do Broadway and if so is there a role I think so yes I think I would love to write a musical well of course I think that a new one yeah a new one yeah yeah I think I mean that would give me the ultimate joy of like crafting all the music yes working with amazing writers on developing the story and the script and then you know the stage design and the costumes yeah and like maybe I'd be in it too but you know just like the idea of writing one that sounds really I mean that's I mean come on the Cyndi bag. I mean, because all my albums basically want to be musicals.
Of course. You're in the pocket already, so why not? Okay, we're going to close things off with I Don't Think So, Honey.
This is where we take one minute each to rail against something. I'm trying to think if there's anything else I want to ask you.
Oh, I know, I know, I know. I have one more thing.
Okay. Okay, so you talk about when you do films.
Yeah. Your commitment to that.
And like your, I don't know if you, have you described yourself as Method? Yes. No problem.
That sounds like something I would say. Yeah.
Embarrassingly remembering, yes. No, but I want to know because your performances are so brilliant.
Thank you. I mean, I saw Starz 4 five times opening weekend.
Thank you. I love House of Gucci.
I mean, I wonder, have you approached acting now in a way that you can feel is sustainable? Or how do you feel when you are approaching a role now? In terms of what you've learned and what you've done because you've done such incredible stuff. I think,

thank you,

I think that

I love making films.

Yeah.

I love being an actor.

It's been a privilege

working with such

amazing actors

and actresses

in like every film

that I've been a part of.

I learned a lot

working with Joaquin

actually.

Yeah.

It was a very,

very enriching experience.

I would say,

I don't know

that it's acting. You're really feeling it when you're doing it and it's real.
So, um, I, I, I would say the thing I've learned the most is like to put yourself fully in the moment and to really be in it, you know, as, as if it was real life and that it is a performance, but that it's not, um, pretend, you know I was actually working with, it's really so hard, but I was working with my niece on something related to Wicked. Oh.
She sings. And I was talking to her about, you know, thinking of a moment in her life where it made her want to cry because she felt so changed inside.
And what I want to say about acting is it's not far from singing, you know, that you have to go to a place where you're really, truly connecting to what you're saying. And it's not just about the words on their own.
It's about like the being behind it. Right.
But when you play characters that go through such harrowing stuff. Yeah.
Yeah. Do you think that going forward, I don't know if you have anything on the books or whatever, but would you ever do, because you love comedy so much, does the lightness appeal to you in terms of that art form? It does.
It actually does. Michael's always like, can you please do it? Instead of absolutely punishing yourself.
Yes. I would love to do a more lighthearted film.
I would. But I, you know, I love the dark stuff too.
That's me. Yeah, that is.
Mayhem. That's mayhem.
Yeah, it's mayhem. You know, I'm like, I'm like a pretty soft person that adores intensity.
So I don't really know where that comes from. I always thought it was funny when I was making this album.
Cause like I would, you know, like I'm at home, like making breakfast for me and Michael and then go to the studio and I'm like kind of soft spoken and like just being myself. And then like the music was so hard and it doesn't really make a lot of sense, but you know,

I guess that's the way that I

deal with myself. It's like the way I deal with

my anger. It's the way that I deal with

my intense feelings. Yeah.

Got it. God.

We just love you at all four.

We just love you.

Just anyway,

this is amazing having you here, but

we're going to do our silly little segment now. I don't think so So Honey.
And I guess I'll start it out. I do have something.
Last night, I sort of was like, I had nervous energy. So I was like, I want to take myself on a YouTube wormhole that I've never experienced before.
I want a new educational experience. And I got one.
I'm excited to learn. This is Matt Rogers.
I don't think so many times. Time starts now.
I don't think so, honey. People don't respect elephants.
You don't understand how complicated their communication is. This is a fact.
Elephants can communicate from miles away with each other without seeing each other. They speak, and it is speaking, at a decibel that is so low.
Do you understand? I don't think so, honey. You understand.
It can't be heard by the human ear, but they are always speaking. Elephants have processes they go through for their grief.
They honor their dead. They will walk in succession and grieve, and there is different ways of communicating.
They're in a matriarchal society. People don't know that.
And get this, it's not just mom. It's mom and all her friends raising a child.
Community. The aunties.
It's the aunties. It's the friends.
They will mimic what it is to feed a child, even if they're not feeding it, just to give the child comfort. Elephants are unbelievable.
They are not just gorgeous. And think about their trunks.
That is amazing. Can you do something like that? I don't think so, honey.
That's one minute. You gotta get on my level when it comes to YouTube at this point.
I've never been so connected to the animal world and you know sometimes I fear animals. Yes, you do.
Just the wild ones. But the elephants are important.
But these elephants, have you ever really gotten into elephant culture? I am dead over that rant. That was...
No. Have you been to Africa to see them? Yes.
You're very lucky. You're very lucky.
Oh my God. No, I'm telling you.
Thank you so much. I just wanted to give them their shine.
And I actually almost came in here today. I changed my outfit six times, Gaga, and landed in a white polo.
But I was going to wear a red sweatshirt with a panda on it. Oh.
And I just, because they're my next target. I was like, I need to find out what's happening with them.
There's a lot. Oh, my God.
And by the way, elephants, when they say they never forget, they really don't. And that's why it's so important to keep them safe.
Because when they are attacked or they have a family member attacked, the trauma lives in them forever. Oh, my God.
And they remember it and won't go places where they've... That's so sad.
It is so sad, but the knowledge will embolden us to protect them. Thank you for your service to the elements.
That was beautiful. I just care for them so much and they're so tender and emotional.
Absolutely. Yeah.
Okay. So with that, Bo and Yang, do you have an I don't think so honey on today?

I do.

I do.

Okay.

Wonderful to hear.

I love when that is true.

This is Bowen Yang's I don't think so honey.

His time starts now.

I don't think so honey.

Hot ones.

You made Lady Gaga cry.

And you're going to give this woman da bomb?

I've had it.

I had the privilege,

quote unquote,

of tasting da bomb.

And it is battery acid, rancid stuff. Just kidding, Sean Evans.
We love you. Love everybody at First Beat Feast.
One of the funnest things I've done personally, you were a champ. It was, it did not feel right to make you suffer in that way.
While you were trying to talk about the album, while you were trying to talk about your career. I can't, We need to put respect on Lady Gaga's time in her promotional bag.
I guess she needs, you can't be making this woman tromp on plant-based wings. I think you need to do it off camera.
Just say, Sean, how about this? Say, before we recorded, we had Lady Gaga try these wings. Five seconds.
We're not going to put the indignity of her sweating and crying and chugging down milk on film for you. That's not for...
Some things are too precious, and that's one of them. And that's one minute.
Bonyang said, fuck your show. No.
Change the format so that we can... No, but you were amazing.
You were incredible on it. Oh, my God.
What was the process of it like?

What?

No, you're still absorbing that.

I know.

I can't.

These are like...

This is amazing.

No.

Yes.

This is amazing.

We're just speaking from the heart.

It's special.

You blown away by I don't think so, honey.

It's so funny.

I am.

You're going to be great.

You're going to be great.

It's not harder than hot ones.

Okay.

I mean... so honey is so funny.
I am. You're going to be great.

You're going to be great.

It's not harder than Hot Ones.

Okay.

I mean, but Hot Ones,

was it a good experience?

Yes.

Yeah.

I had a great time.

I'm just kidding, by the way.

It was spicy.

And you do spicy.

I do.

I do do spicy.

Yeah.

I mean, what I thought was funny was that I did like seven

and they were sort of fine

and then eight out of nowhere. Eight out of nowhere kills you.
I was like, what a sneak attack though. Like at least let me know at four and six that this is going to get bad.
Have you not seen the show? No, of course I have. I just like, I don't know if I'd seen like, you know, 30 episodes.
Right, but watching from home, you're like, oh, like I guess it's a linear curve. I thought it would be.
I kept laughing at myself because I was like, it's not actually a contest.

It's not a contest.

No, it's not a contest.

I'm like, am I winning?

If you get to the end, you win.

And you won.

You do win.

You won.

Yeah.

I love that you totally forgot.

You were so in the heat of the moment, literally,

that you forgot to promote the album.

You were like, oh, yeah.

You were like, oh, that was fun.

What am I here to do?

That was amazing.

That was one of my favorite episodes.

And I, again, purely in jest, that is one of my favorite things I've ever done. He's got to do it.
I'll do it one day. You got to do it.
I'm manifesting it. It's going to happen.
But he really, we're doing the versus. We're doing versus.
Matt and I are going to do one where you face, that is a game of contest where you face off against each other. But he's going to win.
What I think is so sweet is that he mirrors you. Is that he'll drink if you drink.
He eats the wings the same time that you do. I think that's lovely.
I mean, he was really nice. He's so nice.
I think he's adorable too. Yeah, he was so sweet and I just, I was expecting more spicy.
Yeah. Until? Until, until I was praying for it to stop.
Until you were praying. Yes.
Absolutely. Well, anyway, I just had to take them to task and it's now time for yours if you'd like to do one.
You're going to do one. I'm so afraid this is going to backfire.
No, it's not. You just say, I don't think so, honey.
Then the thing and then you just kind of let it go. Let it go.
One minute goes by fast. This is Lady Gaga's I don't think so, honey.
That sentence. And her time starts now.
Basically, I don't think so, honey, that you guys are putting me on the spot to do this. I don't think so.
I don't like to rant. I hate ranting.
I hate confronting people. I feel super uncomfortable.
Right now, I'm shaking. Seriously, I would love to just go on stage and sing and change my outfits and pick my wigs and write songs and make albums and go on tours.
But I do not want to rant about anything. It is so scary to me.
I feel scared. I want to cry.
No, please don't cry. But I love you both so much.
But I don't think so that you're putting me on the spot. I'm not just going to do whatever you say, whatever you ask me to do it.
When you tell me to do things, it makes me want to cry. It makes me insane.
We shouldn't have done this. We shouldn't have done this.
I love you so much. And also, I don't think so.
Don't you ever put me on the spot ever again, but I love doing this podcast. 10 seconds.
Thank you so much for having me here, but please, please, please don't make me get angry about anything in public. Oh, and that's one minute, Lady Gaga.
We're so sorry. Honestly, hot ones, you should have gotten rid of your hot sauce.
Lost coach, we should have not done that.

I don't think so, honey.

I mean, we have to, the show's done.

This is the last episode ever.

This is it.

How can we beat this?

Is that funny?

Yes!

Are you kidding me?

I said you have to ask.

Gaga, you're back.

Did you break in a sweat?

Yes.

Gaga, come on. You know what?

I like to plan.

I know you do.

I'm such a control freak.

I like to plan everything.

I like to know every line.

Where was the team?

They were told about

I don't think so about this.

I know, and I panicked then and now.

We're so sorry.

That's okay.

And on a real level, you crushed it.

So there you go.

You know, all the best

I don't think so honeys

have been the one that kind of drags us.

Tina Fey.

Tina Fey dragged us.

Yeah.

Truly.

The people who come after us tend to succeed.

So well done.

Thank you.

Very well done.

I think I got like my voice got very high and loud.

You're warmed up now.

You're warmed up.

No, you haven't done it before.

Not yet.

Even on days when you don't perform,

you do your warm up.

Yes.

Yeah.

It's fun, right?

Yeah.

Yeah.

It's nice.

It's grounding.

And then, and like, then sometimes, yeah. Okay.
I can grounding. And then sometimes, yeah, I can't give too much away.
Can't give too much away. I'm in the danger zone with Coachella where it's going to start slipping soon.
Totally. Because it's getting closer.
It's happening. You're seeing the visuals.
We cannot fucking wait. I'm so excited.
Are you both coming? We're coming. Yay, we will take care of you.
Oh, no, no, no, no. I'm coming weekend two.

He's coming weekend one.

But I will go again because I have to be there

with him to watch it.

I'm not missing this

for the fucking world.

So literally what it was

was we had,

I had tickets for the first weekend

and he was like,

I'll just come Sunday

and on the odds.

Because I'm working

because I'm working on Saturday.

Famously.

On the odds that she's performing

on Sunday night,

I'll just come.

The Friday announcement,

we love it.

You're going to kick off the weekend so incredibly well. But I was like, okay, now I'll go back the second weekend so that I get to go with you.
Thank you, my friend. Mayhem is out March 7th.
That's right. Two days after my birthday.
By the way, this kicked off Pisces season in the best way. Oh, yeah.
It's February 19th. Deep in the feels.
This is really, really good stuff. Yeah.
Thank you so much for coming on. Thank you so much for having me.
I loved this loved this so much I love you both so much thanks for being so kind to me and it was such a nice hang too it was it really was yeah I hope that we can do it again without microphones oh yeah we'll get rid of these things we love that we do end every episode with a song killer I'm a killer and boy you're gonna die tonight

Killer, killer, killer, killer

For more of that

Listen to me

Bye

Bye

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