Lady Gaga has attributed “all music” to the Black community in a new interview that sees her speak about race, music, depression, and more.
The star, who released her sixth album Chromatica in May at the height of the Black Lives Matter protests, spoke extensively about the movement and the influence of Black artists on the music industry.
Speaking to Billboard, Gaga said that she is “learning and unlearning things I’ve been taught my whole life” as a white woman growing up in America. She added: “When you’re born in this country, we all drink the poison that is white supremacy.”
“Social justice is not just a literacy, it’s a lifestyle,” she continued, noting the Black Lives Matter movement. “What do I think about (posting) a black square?” she asked, referencing the social media blackout trend that arose following the murder of George Floyd, which was criticised as hollow slacktivism.
“I think everybody has a different feeling about a black square,” she added. “Do I think there’s such a thing as performative activism? Yes. Do I think there’s been true activism that’s been very important and needed? Yes. Do I believe Black Lives Matter? Yes. Do I believe this is going to get louder? Yes. Do I believe it should? Yes.”
“All music is Black music – that’s just a fact”, she said, continuing to add how her her producers BloodPop and BURNS made a “Welcome to Chromatica” playlist of songs that inspired the sound of the album, including tracks by Black, queer house innovators such as Frankie Knuckles.
Elsewhere, Gaga touched on the pressures of fame, saying: “My existence in and of itself was a threat to me. I thought about really dark shit every single day.”
