'Doing life on my own'—Lady Gaga recalls her biggest fear
What's the story
Pop sensation Lady Gaga opened up about handling global fame in a recent interview with BBC.
The 38-year-old artist, who rose to global fame in 2009-10, revealed that she was terrified of being alone.
"I think my biggest fear was doing this by myself - doing life on my own," she confessed.
Despite her global stardom and adoring fanbase, known as the Little Monsters, Gaga admitted to feeling isolated at times.
Identity crisis
Gaga's struggle with fame and public persona
Gaga spoke about her battle with fame and the difficulty of separating her identity from her stage persona.
"I'd created this public persona that I was truly becoming in every way - and holding the duality of that, knowing where I begin and Lady Gaga ends, was really a challenge," she admitted.
"I think what I actually realized is that it's healthier to not have a dividing line and to integrate those two things into one whole human being."
Gaga's statement
What does it mean to be Gaga?
Gaga added, "The healthiest thing for me was owning...that living an artistic life was my choice."
"I'm a lover of making music, rehearsing, choreography, stage production, costumes, lighting, and putting on a show."
"That is what it means to be Lady Gaga."
"Being there for my friends, being there for my family, meeting my amazing fiancé - all of these things made me a whole person, instead of the most important thing being my stage persona."
Personal life
Gaga's engagement and unique proposal story
Gaga is now dating tech entrepreneur Michael Polansky, a relationship she says has helped her deal with her fear of solitude.
"I think that the greatest gift has been meeting my partner, Michael, and being in the mayhem with him," she said.
The couple announced their engagement at the Venice Film Festival last September where Gaga flaunted her million-dollar engagement ring publicly for the first time.
Symbolic gesture
Gaga's engagement ring and its sentimental value
Along with her extravagant diamond engagement ring, Gaga also sports a more modest ring with blades of grass set in resin.
The piece is especially meaningful to her as it was used by Polansky to propose.
"Michael actually proposed to me with these blades of grass," she revealed.
The proposal happened in their backyard, which also hosted the wedding of Gaga's close friend Sonja Durham before she lost her battle with cancer in 2017.
Musical journey
Gaga's new album 'Mayhem' and its inspiration
Gaga's recent experiences have shaped her latest album, Mayhem.
One of the songs on the album, Blade of Grass, is a tribute to her partner and their unique proposal story.
The album also marks Gaga's return to pop music after exploring other genres like jazz and classic American songs.