View source for Perfect Illusion (song)

{{Infobox song
|artist = [[Lady Gaga]]
|written = [[Kevin Parker]]<br>[[Lady Gaga]]<br>[[Mark Ronson]]<br>[[BloodPop|M. Tucker]]
|producer = Mark Ronson<br>Kevin Parker<br>Lady Gaga<br>[[BloodPop]]
|image = Image:Perfect_Illusion_Cover.jpg
|time = 3:02
|Source = [[File:J-Logo.png|50px|link=Joanne (album)]]
|album = [[Joanne (album)|Joanne]]
|Singles = {{JS}}
|DS = {{JDS}}
|previous = "[[Dancin' in Circles (song)|Dancin' in Circles]]"
|next = "[[Million Reasons (song)|Million Reasons]]" 
}}"'''Perfect Illusion'''" is a song written and recorded by [[Lady Gaga]] and serves as the lead single from her fifth studio album ''[[Joanne (album)|Joanne]]''. The single was announced on [[17 August|August 17]], [[2016]] through Lady Gaga's [[Instagram]] and her website, and was released on [[9 September|September 9]], 2016. [[Mark Ronson]] and [[Kevin Parker]] of Tame Impala produced the track, with additional production from Gaga and [[BloodPop]]. On September 9, Gaga co-hosted BBC Radio 1 in the UK with Nick Grimshaw to promote the single.

== Background ==
[[File:Perfect Illusion studio.png|left|thumb|220x220px|(Left to Right) [[BloodPop]], [[Mark Ronson]], [[Lady Gaga]], [[Kevin Parker]].]]
The song title was first teased by Mark Ronson on his Instagram with a picture of Gaga, Kevin Parker, and BloodPop captioned 'Illusion'. The song title was then later revealed when Gaga took to Instagram to post several pictures, forming a grid, which read '<nowiki/>''Lady Gaga, Perfect Illusion, New Single, September''<nowiki/>' against a multicolored background. The same graphic was later posted on her website. "Perfect Illusion" is described as a '''sweet space in [her] catalog alongside some of her best dance floor anthems. It's a cut that touches the highest of highs and lowest of lows in a relationship gone wrong, thus, the perfect illusion.' '' Gaga, in an interview with [[iHeartRadio]], revealed that the song "''is about modern ecstasy... we found our sweet, simple, ragey way of saying it. I get this sick adrenaline rush every time I hear it''."
[[File:Perfect_Illusion_lyrics.jpg|thumb|220px|Lyrics development]]
On September 6, 2016, Gaga took to Instagram and Twitter to post a picture from what appears to be the music video and then proceeded to post the single cover on Instagram. She later posted a collage with behind-the-scenes images of her in the studio and recording the music video, as well as the lyrics 'I don't need eyes to see. I felt you touchin' me. High like amphetamine. Maybe you're just a dream.'

Gaga stated that "''the song is about how I believe many of us are wondering why there are so many fake things around us that really and truly appear to be real. How do we navigate through social media, and the images on social media, that we know are filtered and altered and decipher what is reality and what is a perfect illusion?''" in an interview with [[BBC Radio 1]].

== Release ==
<!--  [[File:5-22-16 At a Recording Studio in LA 001.jpg|thumb|"illusion"]]
The first hint came from Mark Ronson's instagram on May 22, 2016 with the caption "illusion". Add a section about the promotion of the song to radio, etc. -->
On August 17, 2016, Gaga attended [[iHeartRadio|iHeartMedia Music Summit]] where she performed the song and did a Q&A. The song title was then later revealed when Gaga took to Instagram to post 12 pictures, forming a grid, which read 'Lady Gaga, Perfect Illusion, New Single, September' against a multicolored background. The same graphic was later posted on her website. For the Joanne era, Gaga collabored with [[Lobster Eye]] ([[Ruth Hogben]] and [[Andrea Gelardin]]) on the visuals which debuted with "Perfect Illusion". 

On September 6, 2016, Gaga revealed the artwork via Instagram and Twitter using the caption "''LADY GAGA / PERFECT ILLUSION NEW SINGLE SEPT 9''". The artwork shows Gaga on the side of a cliff singing into a microphone taken on August 29, 2016. The [[Fonts|font]] used is called ''License Plate USA'' and like its name indicates, it is similar to the font used on United States license plates. It was chosen by designer Brian Roettinger from Willo Perron & Associates, which also worked with Tame Impala and Willo with Gaga in 2009 for [[The Monster Ball Tour|The Monster Ball Tour 1.0]]. 

On September 7, 2016, she posted a collage with behind-the-scenes images of her in the studio and recording the music video, as well as the handwritten lyrics 'I don't need eyes to see. I felt you touchin' me. High like amphetamine. Maybe you're just a dream.' The collage include stills from the unreleased at that time music video and photographs from [[Collier Schorr]].

<gallery widths="90" orientation="square" spacing="small" bordercolor="#e7e7e7" captiontextcolor="#999999" hideaddbutton="true">
Perfect Illusion Promo Instagram 17 8 2016 001.jpg|(Aug 17, 2016)
8-29-16 Lobster Eye 001 Uncropped.jpg|Original
Perfect Illusion Cover.jpg|Single artwork
Perfect Illusion - Collage.jpeg|(Sep 7, 2016)
</gallery>
=== Digital Release ===
{{discobox
|image = Perfect Illusion Cover.jpg
|glabel = [[Interscope]]
|gformat = Digital
|gdate = [[9 September|September 9]], [[2016]]
|gphotog = [[Lobster Eye]]
|gdesign = N/A}}
{| class="table table-condensed" style="width: 620px;"
!No.
! width="480px" |Title
!Length
|-
|1.
|"[[Perfect Illusion (song)|Perfect Illusion]]"
|03:02
|}

===Release history===
<verbatim>Table</verbatim>
{| class="table table-condensed" style="width: 620px;"
|-
! Country
! scope="col"| Date
! scope="col"| Format
|-
|{{WW}} Worldwide
|rowspan="2"|[[9 September|September 9]], [[2016]]
| Digital download
|-
|{{Italy}} Italy
|Contemporary hit radio
|-
|rowspan="2"|{{US}} United States
|[[12 September|September 12]], [[2016]]
|Hot AC radio
|-
|[[12 September|September 12]], [[2016]]
|Contemporary hit radio
|}

== Performances ==
<verbatim>Tabs</verbatim>
<tabber>
Television=
<verbatim>Table</verbatim>
{| class="table table-condensed" style="width: 620px;"
! style="width: 110px;"|[[File:Calendar.png|link=]] Dates
! style="width: 230px;"|Show
! style="width: 120px;"|[[File:Television.png|link=]] Channel
! style="width: 20px;"|[[File:Globe-green.png|Country]]
|}
<div style="overflow: auto; height: 150px;">
{| class="table table-condensed" style="width: 620px;"
|colspan="4" align="center"|[[2016]]
|-
|align="left"|[[26 October|Oct 26]]
|align="left"|[[The Late Late Show with James Corden]]
|align="left"|CBS
|align="center"|{{US}}
|-
|align="left"|[[1 November|Nov 1]]
|align="left"|[[Sukkiri!!]]
|align="left"|Nippon TV
|align="center" rowspan="2"|{{Japan}}
|-
|align="left"|[[12 December|Dec 12]]
|align="left"|[[SMAP×SMAP]]
|align="left"|Fuji TV
|}
</div>
|-|Radio=
<verbatim>Table</verbatim>
{| class="table table-condensed" style="width: 620px;"
! style="width: 110px;"|[[File:Calendar.png|link=]] Dates
! style="width: 230px;"|Show
! style="width: 230px;"|[[File:Microphone.png|link=]] Station
! style="width: 20px;"|[[File:Globe-green.png|Country]]
|}
<div style="overflow: auto; height: 150px;">
{| class="table table-condensed" style="width: 620px;"
|colspan="4" align="center"|[[2016]]
|-
|align="left"|[[3 October|Oct 3]]
|align="left"|Mornings with Carson Daly
|align="left"|[[AMP (radio station)|97.1 AMP]]
|align="center" rowspan="2"|{{US}}
|-
|align="left"|[[4 October|Oct 4]]
|align="left"|On Air with Ryan Seacrest
|align="left"|[[KIIS-FM]]
|}
</div>
|-|Concert=
<verbatim>Table</verbatim>
{| class="table table-condensed" style="width: 620px;"
! style="width: 110px;"|[[File:Calendar.png|link=]] Dates
! style="width: 230px;"|[[File:Microphone-icon.png|link=]] Location
! style="width: 120px;"|[[File:Building.png|link=]] City
! style="width: 20px;"|[[File:Globe-green.png|Country]]
|}
<div style="overflow: auto; height: 150px;">
{| class="table table-condensed" style="width: 620px;"
|colspan="4" align="center"|[[2016]]
|-
|align="left"|[[10 September|Sep 10]]
|align="left"|[[Moth Club]]
|align="left"|London
|align="center" |{{UK}}
|}
</div>
|-|Tour=
<verbatim>Table</verbatim>
{| class="table table-condensed" style="width: 620px;"
! style="width: 217px;"|Tour
! style="width: 183px;"|Dates
! style="width: 100px;"|Performances
|}
<div style="overflow: auto; height: 150px;">
{| class="table table-condensed" style="width: 620px;"
|-
|align="left"|[[Dive Bar Tour]]
|align="left"|[[5 October|Oct 5]]—[[27 October|27]], [[2016]]
|2
|-
|align="left"|[[Joanne World Tour]]
|align="left"|[[2017]]—[[2018]] ([[Joanne World Tour/Tickets & Dates|All Dates]])
|49
|-
|
|align="right"|'''Total:'''
|<u>51</u>
|}
</div>
</tabber>

== Lyrics ==
{{Scroll box|content = <poem>
Tryin' to get control
Pressure's takin' its toll
Stuck in the middle zone
I just want you alone

My guessing game is strong
Way too real to be wrong
Caught up in your show
Yeah at least now I know

It wasn't love, it wasn't love
It was a perfect illusion (perfect illusion)
Mistaken for love, it wasn't love
It was a perfect illusion (perfect illusion)

Oh...
You were a perfect illusion

I don't need eyes to see
I felt you touchin' me
High like amphetamine
Maybe you're just a dream

That's what it means to crush
Now that I'm wakin' up
I still feel the blow
But at least now I know

It wasn't love, it wasn't love
It was a perfect illusion (perfect illusion)
Mistaken for love, it wasn't love
It was a perfect illusion (perfect illusion)

Where are you cuz I can't see (it was a perfect illusion)
But I feel you watchin' me
Dilated fallin' free
In a modern ecstasy

Where are you cuz I can't see (it was a perfect illusion)
But I feel you watchin' me
But I feel you watchin' me (illusion)
But I feel you watchin' me (mistaken for love)

Where are you cuz I can't see
But I feel you watchin' me (mistaken for love)
Dilated fallin' free
In a modern ecstasy (mistaken for love)

In a modern ecstasy
In a modern ecstasy
I'm over the show
Yeah at least now I know

It wasn't love, it wasn't love
It was a perfect illusion (perfect illusion)
Mistaken for love, it wasn't love
It was a perfect illusion (perfect illusion)

Oh...
You were a perfect illusion
Oh...
It was a perfect illusion

It was a perfect illusion
Somewhere in all the confusion
It was a perfect illusion
Illusion, illusion (where are you cuz I can't see)

It was a perfect illusion (but I feel you watchin' me)
Somewhere in all the confusion (dilated fallin' free)
You were so perfect (in a modern ecstasy)
You were a, you were a perfect illusion
</poem>}}


== Music video ==
{{Music video2
| video          = Perfect Illusion
| premiere       = [[20 September|September 20]], [[2016]]
| director       = [[Ruth Hogben]] and [[Andrea Gelardin]]
| stylist        = [[Brandon Maxwell]] <small>at [[Haus of Gaga]]</small>
| choreographer  = N/A
| photography    = Patrick Meller
}}The music video was filmed on August 29 and 30 in a desert outside of Los Angeles, California. The video is directed by [[Ruth Hogben]] and [[Andrea Gelardin]] for [[Lobster Eye]].
[[File:Perfect Illusion (Teaser)|thumb|220x220px]]

On September 8, hours before the premiere of the song, Gaga posted a short snippet of the music video on her website, [[Twitter]], [[Instagram]] and [[Snapchat]]. The short video shows her dancing in the desert at night with strobe lights with the first few seconds of the song on repeat. (This first teaser clip didn't make the cut on the final version of the video).

On September 16, Gaga announced the video to be released on September 20, during the season premiere of Scream Queens series, and she posted a sneak peek of the video via Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. After the premiere of the video during Scream Queens, the video was released on platforms as YouTube, VEVO, TIDAL and was put on iTunes store too.

<gallery widths="90" orientation="portrait" spacing="small" bordercolor="#e7e7e7" captiontextcolor="#999999" hideaddbutton="true">
8-29-16 Lobster Eye 001.jpg|[1]
PI_MV_PIC_04.jpg
PI_MV_PIC_09.jpg
PI_MV_PIC_14.jpg
PI_MV_PIC_11.jpg
8-29-16 Lobster Eye 002.jpg
8-29-16 Lobster Eye 003.jpg
Lady Gaga - Perfect Illusion 006.jpg|[2]
PI_MV_PIC_19.jpg
PI_MV_PIC_15.jpg
Lady Gaga - Perfect Illusion 011.jpg|[3]
PIMVRH001.jpg
PI_MV_PIC_18.jpg
8-30-16 Lobster Eye 001.jpg|[4]
PI_MV_PIC_22.jpg
PI_MV_PIC_24.jpg
</gallery>

#''Customized T-shirt by [[American Apparel]], shorts by [[Levi's]] customized by [[Chain Gang]], boots by [[Rag & Bone]], and sunglasses by [[Persol]].''
#''Customized T-shirt by [[American Apparel]] and custom shorts by [[Michael Schmidt]] x [[Whiting & Davis]].''
#''Custom jacket by [[Muto-Little Costumes]].''
#''Boots by [[Alexander Wang]].''

=== Behind the Scenes ===
==== Behind the Scenes pictures ====
<gallery widths="90" orientation="portrait" spacing="small" bordercolor="#e7e7e7" captiontextcolor="#999999" hideaddbutton="true">
8-29-16 Lobster Eye 004.png
8-29-16 Lobster Eye 005.png
8-29-16 Lobster Eye 006.png
8-29-16 Alexandre Jaras 001.jpg
8-29-16 Alexandre Jaras 002.jpg
8-29-16 Alexandre Jaras 003.jpg
8-29-16 Alexandre Jaras 004.jpg
Perfect-Illusion--Teaser.jpg|Teaser
Perfect-Illusion--Teaser2.jpg|Teaser
Perfect Illusion KP MR jackets.jpg
</gallery>

==== Behind the Scenes video from [[Gaga: Five Foot Two (film)|Gaga: Five Foot Two]] ====
<gallery widths="90" orientation="portrait" spacing="small" bordercolor="#e7e7e7" captiontextcolor="#999999" hideaddbutton="true">
8-29-16 Perfect Illusion (BTS) 001.png
8-29-16 Perfect Illusion (BTS) 002.png
8-29-16 Perfect Illusion (BTS) 003.png
8-29-16 Perfect Illusion (BTS) 004.png
8-29-16 Perfect Illusion (BTS) 005.png
8-29-16 Perfect Illusion (BTS) 006.png
8-29-16 Perfect Illusion (BTS) 007.png
8-29-16 Perfect Illusion (BTS) 008.png
8-29-16 Perfect Illusion (BTS) 009.png
8-29-16 Perfect Illusion (BTS) 010.png
8-29-16 Perfect Illusion (BTS) 011.png
8-29-16 Perfect Illusion (BTS) 012.png
8-29-16 Perfect Illusion (BTS) 013.png
8-29-16 Perfect Illusion (BTS) 014.png
8-29-16 Perfect Illusion (BTS) 015.png
8-29-16 Perfect Illusion (BTS) 016.png
8-29-16 Perfect Illusion (BTS) 017.png
8-29-16 Perfect Illusion (BTS) 018.png
8-29-16 Perfect Illusion (BTS) 019.png
</gallery>

== Credits ==
<verbatim>Table</verbatim>
{| class="table table-condensed"
! width="100px" |
|-
|'''Written by'''
|[[Kevin Parker]], [[Lady Gaga]], [[Mark Ronson]] and [[BloodPop|M. Tucker]]
|-
|'''Produced by'''
|Mark Ronson, Kevin Parker, Lady Gaga and [[BloodPop]]®
|-
|'''Recorded by'''
|[[Joshua Blair]] and assisted by [[David Covell|David "Squirrel" Covell]] <small>at [[Shangri-La Studios]], Malibu, CA {{US}}</small><br />Joshua Blair and assisted by [[Justin Smith]] <small>at [[Pink Duck Studios]], Burbank, CA {{US}}</small><br />Joshua Blair and assisted by Barry McCready <small>at [[Electric Lady Studios]], New York, NY {{US}}</small>
|-
|'''Mixed by'''
|[[Serban Ghenea]] and engineered for mix by John Hanes <small>at [[MixStar Studios]], Virginia Beach {{US}}</small>
|-
|'''Mastered by'''
|[[Tom Coyne]] and [[Randy Merrill]] <small>at [[Sterling Sound]], New York, NY {{US}}</small>
|-
|'''Track Participants'''
|Mark Ronson — Guitar, Synthesizer<br />Kevin Parker — Drums, Guitar, Synthesizer<br />BloodPop® — Bass, Synthesizer, Rhythm track <small>for GenPop Corp.</small><br />[[Josh Homme]] — Guitar<br />
|-
|'''Published by'''
|{{Publishing|Gaga=1|Kevin Parker=1|Mark Ronson=1|BloodPop=1}}
|-
| colspan="2"|''Kevin Parker appears courtesy of Modular Recordings Pty Ltd.''
|}


=== Video Credits ===
<verbatim>Table</verbatim>
{| class="table table-condensed"
! width="100px" |
|-
|'''Directors'''
|[[Ruth Hogben]] and [[Andrea Gelardin]] <small>at [[Lobster Eye]]</small>
|-
|'''Stylist'''
|[[Brandon Maxwell]] <small>at [[Haus of Gaga]]</small>
|-
|'''Producer'''
|Keeley Gould
|-
|'''Colourist'''
|Dave Hussey for Company 3
|-
|'''Director of Photography'''
|Patrick Meller
|-
|'''Company'''
|SAV Studios
|-
|'''Creative Dir.'''
|[[Lobster Eye]]
|-
|'''SFX - Flame compositor'''
|Yoshiko Hirata for Method Studios (NY)
|}

== References ==
*[http://repertoire.bmi.com/DetailView.aspx?detail=titleid&keyid=23043811&ShowNbr=0&ShowSeqNbr=0&blnWriter=True&blnPublisher=True&blnArtist=True&blnAltTitles=True BMI Repertoire]

{{Joanne}}
[[Category:Songs]]
[[Category:Singles]]
[[Category:Music videos]]
[[Category:Joanne songs]]
[[Category:Joanne singles]]
[[Category:Dive Bar Tour songs]]
[[Category:Joanne World Tour songs]]