Believe it or not, Lady Gaga has been in the music business for two decades. Her iconic artistry began at open mics and in school plays before she blossomed into the pop star we know and love today — and she’s changed so much over the years.
Gaga (real name: Stefani Germanotta) cut her teeth as a student at New York University’s prestigious Tisch School of the Arts — but she dropped out to pursue a career in music. She played clubs with fellow nightlife performer Lady Starlight in downtown New York City before she broke through with her 2007 debut album The Fame.
The record spawned two chart-topping singles that have since defined her career: “Just Dance” and “Poker Face.” Since then, she has released six albums, including Born This Way, Artpop, Joanne and Chromatica.
The Fame was reissued in 2009 as The Fame Monster, which included new tracks such as the beloved single “Bad Romance.” Gaga also released a jazz vocal album, Cheek to Cheek, with legendary singer Tony Bennett in 2014.
The A-lister has also developed quite the acting career for herself as well. She starred in American Horror Story, A Star Is Born, Sin City: A Dame to Kill For and stunned in the 2021 film House of Gucci opposite Adam Driver.
Over the years, the singer has dated many men — but boyfriend Michael Polanksy, whom she began seeing in December 2019, seems to be a good match. “Gaga is telling everyone that he’s a keeper. She doesn’t want to jinx anything, but she thinks she’s found her Mr. Right,” an insider previously revealed to Life & Style. “Gaga likes that he makes her feel sexy, but also safe and secure, like he’ll protect her from anything. That’s new. He adores Gaga and keeps her balanced.”
However, they took a break after hitting a “rocky patch” in October 2022, a source exclusively told Life & Style at the time.
“[Gaga and Michael] have taken some breathing space to figure out where their relationship is going,” one insider said at the time, noting that reconciliation wasn’t “off the table” for the Oscar winner.
Gaga became an icon in the entertainment industry because she did things on her own terms. “She’s done an amazing job at sort of both taking risks and taking a lot of underground fashion and underground creative art and presenting it on a world stage,” friend and collaborator Kerin Rose Gold previously told Life & Style.
“And she also does an incredible job at being this timeless, glamorous, beautiful woman. I think a lot of women have those dualities in us but we feel like we have to show one or the other and I feel she does both.”
Scroll through the gallery below to see photos of how much Lady Gaga has changed over the years!
Henry Lamb/Photowire/BEI/Shutterstock
2008
Early on in her career, the soloist was all about making statements with her looks.
Picture Perfect/Shutterstock
2009
In fact, her fashion sense was part of a persona she crafted and lived by in her music.
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2010
She started calling her fans “Monsters” at the beginning of her career — and adopted the moniker “Mother Monster” for herself.
John Alex Maguire/Shutterstock
2011
Despite the shock value of many of her looks — who could forget the meat dress? — there was serious artistry and work put into her ‘fits.
Michael Bowles/Shutterstock
2012
The starlet had her own fashion team called “the Haus of Gaga,” who were the masterminds behind many of her most shocking wardrobe moments.
Broadimage/Shutterstock
After a few years of going wild on the red carpet, Gaga’s looks started to get more toned down.
Evan Agostini/Invision/AP/Shutterstock
2014
Her awards season style started veering away from elaborate costumes and toward Old Hollywood-inspired classic gowns.
Broadimage/Shutterstock
2015
That being said, the A-lister continued to play with wigs to liven up her more classic looks.
Christopher Smith/Invision/AP/Shutterstock
2016
When her album Joanne was released in 2016, Gaga took on a more stripped down and raw fashion approach.
Invision/AP/Shutterstock
2017
She started wearing more rock-inspired outfits and flaunting her long legs in daisy dukes and boots.
Kristin Callahan/Ace/Shutterstock
2018
Ultimately, when she did pull outlandish fashion moments out of the bag, they were more effective because they were few and far between.
MIKE NELSON/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
2019
Over the years, Gaga has become synonymous with elegance.
Andrew Harnik/AP/Shutterstock
2020
She is an undeniable part of pop culture — and is still making her mark today.
Win McNamee/POOL/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
2021
In fact, she even sang at President Joe Biden‘s inauguration in January 2021. Talk about making history.
Dave Allocca/Starpix/Shutterstock
NOVEMBER 2021
Lady Gaga showed off her transformation into Patrizia Reggiani in House of Gucci by posing next to a movie poster of her in character at the film’s November 16 New York premiere. The singer-actress sported dramatically heavy eye makeup and brows, and well as a bright red lip.
Photo by Matt Baron/Shutterstock
2022
Gaga has always been ahead of the fashion curve! She stunned in this peek-a-boo gown at the 28th Screen Actors Guild Awards.
David Fisher/Shutterstock
2023
Gaga wore a sexy and elegant sheer, cone bra gown on the Oscars red carpet with heavy dark-eyed makeup. However, she opted for a makeup-free look during her performance at the award show.
Courtesy of Lady Gaga/Tiktok
