Lady Gaga Hits 18-Year Milestone with 170 Million Records Sold

In an interview for the BBC World Service, Lady Gaga spoke about her art, public persona, and lifelong career. The interview was conducted by Lee Bain of the BBC. It looks at the complexities of public fame and Lady Gaga's relationship with fame. In her early 30s, she looks back on her 18 years as a global pop music and film icon, after selling over 170 million records and launching her own vegan makeup company, and how Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta was born.

Lady Gaga shared her fashion statements and her impressions of Elton John, and how there were few and far between female mentors in the industry. Gaga was named one of Time magazine's 100 most influential people in 2019, underscoring her cultural impact. 

You can listen to the BBC World Service interview on air Mondays and Wednesdays at 7 a.m. GMT and is also available as a podcast on major platforms. Produced by Clare Williamson, Mantej Deol, and Gabriel May, with editing by Sam Bonham, the segment provides a candid look at one of the world's most influential performers.

In a past interview shared by Billboard, Gaga reflected on her personal growth, stating, “Taking the pressure off myself helped me to value what I feel really matters about me as a person. When you put your artistry first, and then you take the other stuff away … it gave me so much dignity. And I didn't realize how much I was craving that.”