The Associated Press (AP) is an American multinational nonprofit news agency headquartered in New York City. The AP is owned by its contributing newspapers, radio, and television stations in the United States, all of which contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists. The AP staff is represented by the Newspaper Guild union, which operates under the Communication Workers union, which operates under the AFL-CIO.
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NEW YORK (AP) — After hip surgery and parting ways with her longtime manager, Lady Gaga says things are looking up.
"I've very centered now. I meditate a lot. I'm happy. I am more sober than I've ever been", the singer said interview this week. "It's a very happy time in my life".
Last year, Gaga parted ways with longtime manager Troy Carter, who helped the pop star achieve multiplatinum status, dominate the pop charts and win multiple Grammy Awards. She said she was overworked and that greed led to their split.
"Part of what was making my sort of artistic experience so unpleasant was that I felt that I was not able to truly freely fly as an artist", she said. "In some ways my talents were not being used to their full potential".
Gaga says part of her happier state of mind comes from working with Tony Bennett on the album "Cheek to Cheek", out on Tuesday.
The 28-year-old is currently on an international tour that wraps Nov. 24 in Paris. Calling from Istanbul, she spoke with The Associated Press about being unhappy, letting go of her manager, her under-selling "ARTPOP" album and performing in Tel Aviv.
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AP: Did your disagreements with management affect the making of "ARTPOP"?
Gaga: It certainly affected my mind during "ARTPOP". I would have to say that whole situation had less to do with creativity differences and more to do with me really needing some time from myself to be creative. My schedule was way too difficult, I was not able to keep up and my whole business became very focused on making as much money as possible as quickly as possible, which is really not where my heart is. My integrity as a musician is so much more important to me than money. ... While I was making "ARTPOP", I was very tired. I'm actually very proud of "ARTPOP". As much as it's had a lot of criticism, I think a lot of that had to with where I am in my career, I've been on top for a long time, I think it's the nature of this industry — we love to build them up to tear them down.
AP: You sound like you're in a good place. Is that spilling over to the new music you're creating?
Gaga: It is in the very super early stages. I'm always writing music. I was up all the other night here in Istanbul writing and they had a lovely piano in my room and I was so excited, especially when I get to pay a real stringed piano, not an electronic one, that always makes me happy. I've been writing some records that I really sort of surprised at myself. I have a lot of pain built over the past few years. It was very difficult being on the road for this "Born This Way Ball" without having a full, proper team around me. I was going through a lot of pain with my body that led to the hip surgery. I call it the "Pain of fame"... Your life changes a lot and the people that around you, they change too. Money makes people crazy and they see your life change and all of the luxuries and the things that come with becoming a star and they think, "I've known her my whole life... or I've been here this whole time, I deserve all of that too".
AP: Other singers have backed out of performing in Tel Aviv. How did you make the decision to perform there this week?
Gaga: I was very confident based on my relationships with lots of internal, political people. We're very lucky to have great relationships with the White House. They let us know it would be very safe while we were there, and I hope to share that with the world so that they know it is safe to be in Tel Aviv right now. But I have to say, and I don't mean this as a suggestion that anything bad would have happened, but I'm a gypsy and I live around the world, so in my mind when I was staying in Tel Aviv — I say this on my song "Gypsy" on "ARTPOP": "Be my home just for the day" — that would have been my home while I was there and it was... I felt a beautiful energy when I was there.
AP: U2 released its new album alongside Apple, and Jay Z and Beyonce also released recent albums in unconventional ways. What do you think about that and do you think of innovative ways to release music when readying a project?
Gaga: I think honestly what we need to be doing, and this is my opinion, is instead of trying to find ways to trick the world into focusing on the album for a brief moment, I think that artists need to speak more about how media treats the artists and making the distinction between the celebrity and the artist, because everything is all in one pool now isn't it? We're all the same and they're some pretty terrible celebrities out there, let's be honest, right? People famous for no reason. So, I think the more the media can help us to support the artist and support music in a way that's maybe less critical for journalists that are not as knowledgeable about music and help to just spread the music and see the music as gift to the World.
I really believe that once the press becomes more kind I think a lot of the things in the universe are going to change. It makes me scared when I hear that there's pro-ISIS (Islamic State in Syria) rallies in America because I think that social media has created this sort of negative undertone in the universe. People feel that they can say or do anything; it makes them feel a sort of comfort when really it's just giving hatred a petri dish to fester. I know that was sort of a random answer for a question about album marketing. I really believe it lies in the hearts in the people that are writing about the music. The more we honor and support the artist, the more the art will live on forever. Otherwise, it's going to continue to be what I think pop music is now, which is sort of this giant tabloid. It's become quite trashy in my opinion.
- Article by Mesfin Fekadu.
September 12, 2015
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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Appearing in the new season of "American Horror Story" was a life boost for Lady Gaga.
The singer raved about her experience on "American Horror Story: Hotel" as she arrived for the star-studded premiere of the FX show on Saturday night.
With fiancé Taylor Kinney as her date, Lady Gaga said the experience of playing Countess Elizabeth, who runs the Hotel Cortez, made her feel alive.
"It's been so fun", said Gaga, who arrived fashionably late in a red gown with a thigh-high slit.
"Everybody on this cast has been really open and available to me in a very honest way, so I'm able to be myself in a way I feel like I haven't been in a really long time, so they are just making me feel so alive", Gaga said.
She called the fifth installment of the Emmy-winning show a masterpiece and praised executive producer and co-creator Ryan Murphy.
"I'm just really happy to be a part of it. I like being a part of someone else's vision it's really exhilarating," she added.
Lady Gaga endeared herself to the cast. Matt Bomer said some of her fellow actors called her by her given first name (her real name is Stefani Germanotta).
"it's sort of takes the mythos and all the preconceptions of Lady Gaga out of the equation so we can just relate to each other like human beings and actors in a scene", explained Bomer. "She's so approachable that she totally just was there for us... at by the time the cameras were rolling and we were in a scene together, we weren't thinking about the fact that you were doing a scene with Lady Gaga".
Denis O'Hare spilled juicy details about the super exclusive bash Lady Gaga threw for the cast, which includes regulars like Angela Bassett, Sarah Paulson, and Kathy Bates.
"She had a pool; she dyed it blood red", said O'Hare. "She had bathing suits for all of us. I jumped right in. I wore a woman's bathing suit at one point. She had a massive amount of food for us".
Being Lady Gaga, there was also some sauciness involved.
"She had a half-naked bartender for some of us it was an incredible party and it was just us, so it was comfortable and we all got to know each other", he said. "She got a birthday cake for Angela. I can't describe it. It was an obscene birthday cake, it was shocking actually".
Supermodel Naomi Campbell is among the new additions to the show. Campbell, who also appears on "Empire", said the role came about when Ryan offered her a role over dinner. Up until Saturday night the cast wasn't able to discuss anything about the new season. The British supermodel said keeping hush hush was really easy for her.
"It's never been my thing of speaking before something happens", she said. "I kind of find that bad luck".
The show premieres Wednesday night.
- Article by Marcela Isaza.
February 10, 2016
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