Paparazzi Introduction

In a Nutshell

There are pop stars, there are theatre divas, there are outrageously dressed runway models, and there are immensely talented singer/songwriters. And then there's Lady Gaga, who happens to be all of the above.

An icon in the world of performance art, Gaga made a huge splash on the pop music scene in 2008 and 2009 and hasn't looked back yet. From her humble New York roots as Stefani Germanotta, Italian-American schoolgirl, to her shock art stage performances—like "dying" onstage in a pool of blood at the 2009 MTV VMAs—Lady Gaga has transfixed the world with her unique blend of infectious beats, glam-rock stylings, wild costumes, and catchy lyrics. 

Her debut album, The Fame, shot quickly to the top of the charts; before she knew it, Lady Gaga herself had become exactly the kind of famous that she examines in her songwriting. No Gaga track better personifies this idea than "Paparazzi," a song that's paradoxically deep and shallow at the same time. This is a song about cameras, stars, and vapid celebrity, but it also speaks, just under the surface, to a tortured, unrequited love of the Shakespearean variety.

Songs like "Paparazzi" are the stuff that pop music sensations are made of, and this may be just the tip of the glittering, diamond-encrusted iceberg. Gagamania looks like it's here to stay.

About the Song

Music Video

Shmoop Connections

"Paparazzi" describes that gut-churning pain you feel when you love someone powerfully but you don't know if they feel the same way about you. 

This is, of course, one of our most common literary themes, probably because it's a near-universal part of the human experience. Shakespeare aside, from Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? to The Great Gatsby to Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, countless protagonists in literature have experienced the crushing pain of unrequited love.

Gaga's relevance is political as well as artistic; if we view Lady Gaga as not only an artist but also as an activist, consider that she's been a strong ally for the LGBT community. In 2009, she appeared at the National Equality March to show her support for marriage equality, and even after same-sex marriage was legalized by the federal government in 2015, she continued to be a voice for the community. 

On the Charts

At the 2009 MTV Awards, Lady Gaga won Best New Artist. "Paparazzi" won for Best Art Direction and Best Special Effects.

Gaga was named the Rising Star of 2009 by Billboard. The Fame reached #4 on the U.S. Billboard 200 in 2009 and hit #1 on the European Top 100 Albums of 2009. The album also went platinum in the United States, double platinum in the UK, and triple platinum in Australia.

The "Paparazzi" single reached #6 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and #4 on the UK Singles chart. The first four singles from The Fame all reached #1 on Billboard's Pop Songs Chart.

Gaga, Christina Aguilera, Beyonce, and Fergie, are the only women of the early-2000s decade to collect four Hot 100 top tens from a debut album.