American pop star Lady Gaga, best known for her breakout hits Just Dance and Bad Romance, is in Singapore to perform four shows to promote her latest studio album, Mayhem.
And it was quite the mayhem when tabla! interviewed some of her fans, endearingly called Little Monsters, at the National Stadium on May 19.
They turned up in droves wearing eye-catching and gender-bending costumes in honour of Mother Monster, who last performed in Singapore in 2012 as part of her Born This Way Ball world tour.
“She taught me how to love myself for who I am, especially during a time when everyone was telling me to change myself,” said Mr Sharan Prasad, 19, a national serviceman.
“She also taught me that I don’t have to change myself to fit in with societal norms or to please people so I love what she stands for.”
When asked what his parents thought of Lady Gaga, 39, he replied: “My mum’s quite open. I think my dad’s okay with it.
“I haven’t talked much about Gaga with them but they’re aware that I’m here, but not aware about this though”, he added, as he cheekily pointed to his goth-inspired outfit.
He wore a head to toe black ensemble look complete with maleficent-inspired devil horns, silver chain with a skeleton pendant, knee-length skirt, a top with feathered wings and six-inch high platform boots – all nods to Lady Gaga’s album Mayhem, which features a more gothic aesthetic.
Mr Sharan is attending all four concerts, the last of which is on May 24. The total cost for the tickets and all the different outfits he’s put together for each show amounts to a whopping $3,344.
“I paid for it using my savings from national service and my parents also chipped in,” he said.
Another fan who came decked up was Ms A Priyadarshini, 24, who recently graduated from Nanyang Technological University. She wore a short, metallic pleated dress, Air Jordan sneakers and brown-tinted shades to imitate the Moon Man trophy Lady Gaga received when she won Video of the Year at MTV’s Video Music Awards (VMAs) in 2010.
Her friend, Ms Belinda Leong, 23, took it up a notch by recreating the iconic “meat dress” Lady Gaga wore to the VMAs that same year. Thankfully, Ms Belinda did not sew together strips of raw beef but instead crocheted her dress out of pink and white yarn.
“Everything is handmade. Even the shoes I crocheted and based it on how she did it,” Ms Leong said.
The young fan took one and a half months while working full-time as a Quality Control Technician to crochet her entire concert look, which included a beanie, two bracelets and a tote-style handbag. “I started sewing it the moment we got the tickets in March,” she said.
Fans from other countries such as the Philippines, Taiwan and Malaysia flocked to Singapore to catch Lady Gaga in concert as it’s the only Asian country she will be performing in during the Mayhem Ball world tour, which officially kicks off in July.
Accountant Surendraj Manivanan, 32, travelled from Johor Bahru to attend the concert. “Due to the stricter rules in Malaysia, I don’t think she can perform there,” he explained.
He’s been listening to Lady Gaga’s pop anthems for the past 16 years, starting with Poker Face in 2008. His favourite albums are The Fame Monster (2009) and Born This Way (2011), and he was especially excited to see live performances of his favourite tracks, Judas and Scheiße.
He wore a more casual yet stylish outfit of black cargo pants, New Balance sneakers and a graphic tee with Lady Gaga’s face printed on it. To complete the look, he wore face makeup that paid tribute to Lady Gaga’s signature winged black eyeliner and bold red lips.
Ms Nishalani Raju, 30, a finance associate from Kuala Lumpur, flew in with two of her friends to attend the concert. “I have been following her since I was in high school. I still cannot believe that I’m going to see her live today. It’s a dream come true,” she said.
When asked if Lady Gaga has a sizable Indian fan base, she said: “Of course! Back in Malaysia, we have a bunch of fan clubs so she definitely has fans who are Indian.”
For tabla! readers, Ms Nishalani recommends the dance-pop track, Paparazzi.
“Indian fans will appreciate the song because its lyrics encourage you to be wild and the beat is very similar to the Bollywood songs from the 2010s,” she explained.
The trio came dressed to the nines with their sequinned tops, layered fringe pants, bejewelled sneakers, studded chokers and customised costume accessories like a metal-brace mouthpiece in reference to Lady Gaga onstage costumes, which include armoured bodysuits, feathered wings and flowing trains.
Some 47,000 fans attended the opening show on May 18, and online reviews have praised the pop star’s commanding stage presence, high-energy backup dancers, elaborate sets and powerful live vocals – all proof that a Lady Gaga concert is anything but ordinary.
Like her, Lady Gaga’s fandom is headstrong and unapologetic. Many have followed her since her debut in 2008, yet the community is always open to anyone who’s ever been told they’re “weird” or as Gaga would say, born this way.
