In an stunning, revealing post, Lady Gaga blames betrayal and mismanagement for the delay in the “Do What U Want” video and plaintively asks her fans for forgiveness in what becomes a broader apology for her new album “Artpop”s” performance so far.
The missive, posted Sunday on Lady Gaga’s fan site, LittleMonsters.com, explains that she was only given a week to plan the video for the song, which features R. Kelly, and that wasn”t enough. She originally expected it to bow in December.
Without ever naming specific individuals, she adds that those who have “betrayed me gravely….let me on my own to damage control any problems that ensued as a result. Millions of dollars are not enough for some people. They want billions. Then they need trillions.”
She adds after her hip surgery last year, she was “too sick, too tired, and too sad to control the damage on my own. My label was not aware that this was going on.”
The rest of the post asks for their forgiveness in how “Artpop” has rolled out and she asked for another chance to “Let me be for you the Goddess that I know I truly am.” Lady Gaga declares that “the next few months of “Artpop” will truly be its beginning.”
In November, “Artpop” debuted at No. 1 with sales of 258,000 -more than 100,000 less than expected- and mixed reviews. Despite first single “Applause”s” success at radio, the album quickly dropped out of the Top 10 as if a heavy stone had been tied to it. A week prior to the album”s release, she parted ways with her longtime manager, Troy Carter, for reasons neither has disclosed, and Lady Gaga does not name Carter specifically in the post.
Lady Gaga has been communicating with her fans through the Little Monsters site much more heavily than her Twitter account, including informing one of her fans that she and her mother would like to hire her to help run her Born This Way Foundation yesterday. After not tweeting since Jan. 1, this morning Lady Gaga tweeted, “In this lifetime how will you use the power in your voice? Wlil you give back to the world what you receive, or are you just talking?”
In addition to what sounds like a relaunch for “Artpop,” Lady Gaga”s The Artpop Ball tour kicks off May 4 in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., following a seven-date residency at New York”s Roseland Ballroom starting in March before the theater shuts down. While tickets remain for that tour kick-off, according to Lady Gaga’s website, a number of shows on the arena outing are already sold out.
Below is the full text of Lady Gaga’s message:
DWUW Video
It is late because, just like with the Applause video unfortunately, I was given a week to plan and execute it. It is very devastating for someone like me, I devote every moment of my life to creating fantasies for you. All my my most successful videos were planned over a period of time when I was rested and my creativity was honored. Those who have betrayed me gravely mismanaged my time and health and left me on my own to damage control any problems that ensued as a result. Millions of dollars are not enough for some people. They want billions. Then they need trillions. I was not enough for some people. They wanted more. I am very grateful to the photographers and designers who have always stood by me to make sure my fans are never aware of the things that happen behind the scenes, but unfortunately after my surgery I was too sick, too tired, and too sad to control the damage on my own. My label was not aware that this was going on. The next few months of ARTPOP will truly be its beginning. Because those who did not care about ARTPOP’s success are now gone, and the dreams I have been planning can now come to fruition. Please forgive me that I did not foresee this coming, I never thought after all the years of hard work that those I called friends and partners would ever care so little at a time I needed them the most. Give me a chance to show you the meaning of seeing art all around you. Open your hearts to me again that I may show you the joy of us coming together through our talents, that we are stronger as a unit than when we are alone. Let me be for you the Goddess that I know I truly am, let me show you the visions that have been in my mind for two years. I love you. Forgive me monsters. Forgive me ARTPOP. You are my whole world.
What do you think of Lady Gaga’s message?