Between the ladylike Valentino haute couture gowns and the Audrey Hepburn-approved Tiffany & Co diamonds that Lady Gaga has appeared in lately, it’s easy to forget that this is a star who once wore a suit of plush Kermit the Frogs as a commentary on fur. For “Stupid Love”, the first single from her sixth studio album, however, Gaga seems to be returning to meat-dress-era form when it comes to her aesthetics.
After announcing that she would be launching #LG6 on a billboard with a distinctly Y2K feel, the “Born This Way” singer dropped clips from the single’s accompanying music video last night. Set in a surreal desert studded with giant crystal-like rocks, it sees a pink-haired Gaga appear in a metallic fuchsia breastplate à la Zendaya in Tom Ford. Surrounding her in the arid landscape is a group of followers – either wearing futuristic rimless sunglasses and jumpsuits or decked out in lush foliage, like a Noughties answer to flower fairies. As dramatic instrumental music plays in the background, Gaga silently signs “All I ever wanted was love”. The vibe? An outer space version of Burning Man where everyone at the festival seems to be going through a break-up.
No doubt, the significance behind the imagery – and Gaga’s new look in general – will become clear when the video drops in full at midnight EST on Friday. In the meantime, Little Monsters are left parsing her Instagram and Twitter for clues, like Gaga’s fashion director and long-term collaborator Nicola Formichetti’s succinct summary of her outfit: “PUNK is not dead it just went POP.”
This article originally appeared in British Vogue.
