Celebrities are human beings, and Lady Gaga proved this statement true in her new song “Perfect Celebrity.” The singer released her album Mayhem on Mar. 7, and all of the songs have been sparking some major convos online. From Gaga reheating her nachos to the discourse of whether Taylor Swift is singing on “How Bad Do U Want Me,” this album has had a lot of people talking. However, there’s one song that has managed to hit all the right notes and cue some tears. I’m talking about “Perfect Celebrity” with its meaningful lyrics.
Not only does this track serve as a callback to Gaga’s earlier music, but it also touches on her status as a celebrity in the music industry. Since 2008, Lady Gaga has solidified herself as a global popstar and her rise to fame was met at a quick pace. Sadly, with fame comes pressure. Gaga is someone who hasn’t shied away from the topic of mental health, and in “Perfect Celebrity,” she’s making it known how she has to continuously hide her true self in order to give the general public what they want.
In the first verse, she sings, “I’m made of plastic like a human doll / You push and pull me, I don’t hurt at all / I talk in circles, cause my brain, it aches / You say ‘I love you,’ I disintegrate.” Despite the criticism that Gaga receives, it doesn’t hurt her as much, although she feels confined to a rather unsettling place. She also makes references to her past songs “Plastic Doll” and “Dancin’ in Circles,” which both talk about similar topics.
In the pre-chorus, Gaga points out her “clone version” that she presents to the world. She sings, “I’ve become a notorious being / Find my clone, she’s asleep on my ceiling / Now, can’t get me down / You love to hate me / I’m the perfect celebrity.” The constant need to isolate her real persona from the world serves as a means of protection because most people will find something to criticize Gaga for, which is common among celebrities.
In the second verse, Gaga sings, “I look so hungry, but I look so good / Tap on my vein, suck on my diamond blood / Choke on the fame and hope it gets you high / Sit in the front row, watch the princess die.” The second verse sums up all of the negativity and scrutiny that female celebrities tend to receive from the public.
Gaga goes on to note how fame can severely ruin one’s mental health, hence the line “Watch the princess die.” She could be referring to her unreleased song, “Princess Die,” which sources claimed was supposed to be on her album ARTPOP, about Diana, Princess of Wales, whose life was negatively portrayed in the British tabloids.
With the grunge-rock sound and the hard-hitting lyrics that Gaga serves on this track, I will say that this song is one of many to get me in my feels.