The Fame Monster (stylized as The Fame Mons†er) is American singer Lady Gaga’s second studio album [1] released on November 18, 2009, through Interscope Records.
Originally intended to be released as a deluxe edition for Gaga’s debut studio album The Fame (2008), Gaga and her label later came to the conclusion that it would serve as her sophomore studio album. The deluxe edition was released as a double album featuring The Fame Monster on the first disc and a reissue of The Fame (2008) on the second disc.
The album was first announced on June 14 of 2009 at Singtel AMPed launch in Singapore. The album has sold 1,285,000 copies in the United States. The Fame Monster was the best-selling album of 2010, with 7.200.000 copies sold worldwide.
Reissue context
Following the global success of The Fame (2008), Lady Gaga and her label Interscope Records began discussing a re-release. However, Gaga expressed strong opposition to the idea of traditional reissues, stating that they were often a disservice to artists: “It’s artists sneaking singles onto an already finished piece of work in an effort to keep the album afloat.” Despite initial plans for a deluxe edition with just three new songs, Gaga had already written “Monster” by March 2009 and envisioned a darker, more conceptual body of work. This led to the creation of The Fame Monster, which she insisted be released as a standalone project in some territories.
At the time, it was increasingly common for pop artists to release named reissues or expanded editions roughly a year after their original album. These weren’t just deluxe versions—they were often branded as distinct releases with new titles, artwork, and bonus tracks, creating a hybrid between a reissue and a new era. This strategy allowed labels to extend the commercial lifespan of successful albums while introducing new singles and visuals. Notable examples from the same period include: Rihanna with Good Girl Gone Bad: Reloaded (2008), a reissue of Good Girl Gone Bad (2007), Taylor Swift's Fearless (2008) with the Platinum Edition (2009), Beyoncé with the deluxe edition reissue (2009) of I Am... Sasha Fierce (2008) and label mate, The Pussycat Dolls with Doll Domination (2008) and Doll Domination 2.0 (2009).
It’s worth noting that both Gaga and Beyoncé participated in this reissue wave while also collaborating on two phone-themed tracks: Gaga featured Beyoncé on "Telephone" from The Fame Monster (2009), and Beyoncé released a remix of "Video Phone" featuring Gaga on the deluxe edition of I Am... Sasha Fierce (2009). Both songs were released as singles and accompanied by high-profile music videos, further blurring the lines between reissues and new creative eras.
This trend was driven in part by the dominance of physical sales over streaming. Reissues offered fans tangible new content and gave labels a way to capitalize on momentum without launching a full new album cycle. Gaga’s decision to treat The Fame Monster as a separate release—complete with its own concept, visuals, and tour—set a precedent for how reissues could evolve into full-fledged artistic statements.
Writing and Development
"Vamp teeth represent my transformation as artist" - Gaga, Book of Gaga (2009)
The new monster theme started when Gaga released a tweet saying only one word: "Monster", on May 22, 2009. For an interview with The Daily Star, Gaga explained the concept of "Monster":
- “I have an obsession with death and sex.” Gaga says. “Those two things are also the nexus of horror films, which I’ve been obsessing over lately. I’ve been watching horror movies and 1950s science fiction movies. My re-release is called The Fame Monster so I’ve just been sort of bulimically eating and regurgitating monster movies and all things scary. I’ve just been noticing a resurgence of this idea of monster, of fantasy, but in a very real way.” Gaga adds to the Daily Star. “If you notice in those films, there’s always a juxtaposition of sex with death. That’s what makes it so scary. Body and mind are primed for orgasm and instead somebody gets killed. That’s the sort of sick, twisted psychological circumstance.”
Regarding the title The Fame Monster and the similarly named brand of headphones for which she had launched, Gaga said that it was a coincidence that the name was similar. She had already written a song titled "Monster" in March, before she met with Dr. Dre and the Noel Lee, the head of BSM Records, to discuss the collaboration. Gaga further explained that she was obsessed with monster movies then and "I’m kind of obsessing over the decay of the celebrity and the way that fame is a monster in society! That’s what my new record is about, so it was kind of a perfect fit." The first single from the re-issue was titled "Bad Romance". Gaga later revealed that the re-release would contain eight new songs, along with her whole original debut album. The Fame Monster deals with the seamier, darker side of fame, as experienced by Gaga over the course of the year 2008–2009, especially as she traveled the world for her first tour, The Fame Ball. She explained:
- "On my re-release The Fame Monster, I wrote about everything I didn't write on The Fame. While traveling the world for two years, I've encountered several monsters, each represented by a different song on the new record: my 'Fear of Sex Monster,' my 'Fear of Alcohol Monster,' my 'Fear of Love Monster,' my 'Fear of Death Monster,' my 'Fear of Loneliness Monster,' etc." "I spent a lot of nights in Eastern Europe, and this album is a pop experimentation with industrial/Goth beats, 90's dance melodies, an obsession with the lyrical genius of 80's melancholic pop, and the runway. I wrote while watching muted fashion shows and I am compelled to say my music was scored for them."
Gaga described The Fame and The Fame Monster as conceptual opposites, calling them her personal Yin and Yang. While The Fame celebrated the glamorous and seductive allure of celebrity culture, The Fame Monster explored its darker, more haunting underbelly. Gaga explained to MTV: “I am ready for the future, but I mourn the past. [...] And it's a very real rite of passage — you have to let go of things. You have to mourn them like a death so that you can move on, and that's sort of what the album is about.”
This duality is visually echoed in the album’s artwork, shot by Hedi Slimane. Known for his stark, minimalist, and emotionally charged black-and-white portraits, Slimane’s work often captures the raw energy of youth culture and the introspective glamour of celebrity. His use of dramatic lighting and monochrome tones perfectly complements the album’s themes of fear, transformation, and vulnerability. The cover features two contrasting portraits of Gaga:
- The blonde Gaga, representing The Fame, is polished, glamorous, and emotionally detached.
- The brunette Gaga, representing The Fame Monster, appears gothic and vulnerable, with blood-like tears—a visual metaphor for mourning, fear, and transformation.
The juxtaposition of these personas reflects Gaga’s internal dichotomy during the album’s creation: the tension between embracing fame and confronting its emotional toll. This symbolic split became central to the album’s identity and was reinforced through its music, visuals, and promotional materials.
Outtakes
Lady Gaga mentioned at multiple occasions before the release that "[She] would not add, nor take away any songs from [the] EP."
A rumored track listing was created by an online website, leading confusion because some online stores began using the false titles. When Gaga performed on Saturday Night Live, she sung an improvised ode to New York on the beat of her acoustic rendition of "Poker Face", but it was not a recorded song to be included in the album. During this performance, Gaga also debuted the acoustic version of "Bad Romance".
Critical Reception
Evaluation by Digital Spy: This is already the year of Lady Gaga – and she's not ready to pack up her disco stick yet. Originally conceived as a bonus disc to accompany a reissue of The Fame, her twelve million-selling debut album, The Fame Monster is now being released as a record in its own right. "In the midst of my creative journey composing The Fame Monster, there came an exciting revelation that this was in fact my sophomore album," the lady herself explains. "It's a complete conceptual and musical body of work that can stand on its own two feet."
She may have couched her decision in typically preposterous and pretentious terms, but there's no quibbling with Gaga's logic here. The Fame Monster does work as a standalone album and, what's more, it's a far more enjoyable listen than The Fame ever was. At just eight tracks and 35 minutes, there's no fat, no chance for Gaga's schtick to grate and, crucially, just the one ballad.
Half of the songs are RedOne productions, and the other half are split evenly between Teddy Riley, Ron Fair, Fernando Garibay and Rodney Jerkins. The lead single "Bad Romance" nearly equals "Poker Face" for wow factor, "Alejandro" channels Ace of Base and "La Isla Bonita" to deliriously catchy effect, and "Dance in the Dark" is the sort of song that, well, makes you want to dance with your top off in a grotty German bondage basement. "Teeth", meanwhile, is the most sonically intriguing thing Gaga's put her name to, an ode to rough sex conducted over an intense, tribal production that recalls Cher's "Half Breed" and Fleetwood Mac's "Tusk". Oh, and the ballad? It's called "Speechless" and it's her best one yet.
Of course, The Fame had already told us that Gaga can find her way to a tune with a gimp mask on. What The Fame Monster proves – as if the last twelve months hadn't already made it abundantly clear – is what an exhilarating popstar she is. She can be titillating, "touching herself" at the sight of a "lavender blonde" in "So Happy I Could Die", tremendous fun – her Beyoncé collaboration, "Telephone", could make Ann Widdecombe fancy a night on the tiles – and utterly startling, interrupting the '80s club rush of "Dance in the Dark" to name-check a list of dead female icons: Marilyn (Monroe), Judy (Garland), Sylvia (Plath), (Princess) Diana, and JonBenet; yes, that is JonBenet Ramsey, in case you were wondering.
Best of all, there's a certain fearlessness to Gaga here – specifically, an I-don't-give-a-shit-if-look-ridiculous sort of fearlessness. Her vocal performances, as anyone who's heard "Bad Romance" will know, can err towards the deranged. When she tries to sound Spanish on the "Alejandro" spoken word intro, the result is more Dolmio ad than Almodovar. Oh, and barely a year since she scored her first hit, she's already self-referencing ("I wanna Just Dance / But he took me home instead"). Getting to the bottom of the Gaga phenomenon is going to take a hell of a lot longer than twelve months, but she offers a temporary fix here with her latest catchy motto: "I'm a free bitch baby." We wouldn't have her any other way.
Controversy
Upon the release of the album, many fans were outraged to find that "Bad Romance", "Monster", "Dance In The Dark" and "Teeth" were censored, even on versions with Parental Advisory labels, and despite The Fame disc being uncensored on versions that included it. The official Cherrytree Records Twitter stated that uncensored versions of the songs would be available as soon as possible, and the uncensored album was later released in early 2010 on iTunes and as a reissue of the singular disc edition. The explicit versions were also made available on the USB edition, Ultimate Fan Pac, some European physical copies of the deluxe edition, and YouTube Music and Spotify.
Promotion
Singles
The album's lead single, "Bad Romance", was released for digital download on October 23, 2009. The accompanying music video, featuring Gaga inside a surreal white bathhouse, garnered acclaim from critics, who praised the risqué and symbolic nature of the plot, as well as its artistic direction and vivid imagery. In 2011, the music video was voted the best video of the 2000s (decade) by readers of Billboard.
"Telephone" was released as the album's second single on January 26, 2010. The music video is a continuation of the clip for Gaga's previous single, "Paparazzi" (2010), with the plot showing Beyoncé bailing Gaga from jail and together going on a murder spree.
"Dance in the Dark" was intended by Gaga's record label to be the third single. However, Gaga chose "Alejandro" after a confrontation with her label and it was released on April 20, 2010.
Performances
- For more performances, see this page.
Promotion first began for The Fame Monster through a performance on Saturday Night Live, which contained segments of a piano version of "Bad Romance".
Gaga has also appeared on various talk shows, such as, It's On with Alexa Chung and Germany's Wetten, dass..? (on which she had shown a segment of her then-upcoming music video to "Bad Romance"). On November 16, 2009, Gaga performed the song "Speechless" at the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art's 30th Anniversary celebration. She collaborated with artist Francesco Vezzoli and members of Russia's Bolshoi Ballet Academy.
On November 16, 2009, Gaga appeared on an episode of the CW's Gossip Girl in an episode titled "The Last Days of Disco Stick". She performed the lead single from The Fame Monster, "Bad Romance". Other songs that were referenced and played throughout the episode were "Alejandro", "Dance in the Dark", and "Telephone".
On November 22, 2009, Gaga made an appearance at the American Music Awards. She performed "Bad Romance" with the dance routine seen in the music video. She then took the mic stand and swung it into a glass cage containing a grand piano. Gaga proceeded to perform "Speechless" on the grand piano, which had flames bursting from it, while smashing glass bottles on the piano as she sang.
Tour
Gaga performing "Monster" at The Monster Ball in 2011.
Previously, Gaga announced that she was going to tour with Kanye West. The tour was titled Fame Kills Starring: Lady Gaga and Kanye West. However, after the incident at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards with Taylor Swift, West announced that he was taking a break from music. Following the announcement, all of the tour dates were immediately cancelled. Later, Gaga confirmed that she was going to tour by herself for the upcoming project. The show, called The Monster Ball, began late November 2009 and was set to finish early April 2010, however, Gaga has continuously been adding additional show dates. The tour has since ended on May 6, 2011, 17 days before the release of her third studio album, Born This Way.
Artwork
The cover artwork for the album was done by Hedi Slimane and has a gothic look which Gaga had to convince her record company to allow her to shoot. During an interview with Rolling Stone, Gaga talked about the album cover:
- My record label didn't want to put out that photo that's my album cover, with the brown hair. They were like, "It's confusing, it's too dark, you look gothic, it's not pop," and I said, "You don't know what pop is, because everyone was telling me I wasn't pop last year, and now look — so don't tell me what pop is, I know what pop is." It's funny, because I fought and fought and fought, and I actually ended up having two covers, because I wanted to do this yin and yang presentation with the covers. When I go to see what my fans are saying, I go onto Gaga Daily — they see the cover and say, "I don't really like the blonde one, but the brown one is fucking sick. They love it, and I know what they love, so I make it for them, I don't care what anybody else wants.
Originally the blonde cover of The Fame Monster was to be the standard version and the brunette cover was to be the deluxe edition, however, it was reversed, and the blonde cover is now the deluxe edition (possibly because Gaga's hair is similar to that of the cover of The Fame, which therefore visually depicts the fact that this edition contains both albums), while the brunette cover is the standard stand-alone version. In most non-US markets, the covers are mixed, so one can have the standard edition with the blonde cover or the deluxe edition with the brunette cover.
For the typography, News Gothic in Bold was used. Every text is usually displayed in upper case. It was also used for The Singles and The Remix. Although visually similar, the singles and the poster for The Monster Ball used Helvetica in bold condensed instead. For the HBO special, the same font as used on The Fame, Bauer Bodoni returned. It was also used on the super deluxe edition of The Fame Monster.
The Book of Gaga also have different photographs used for The Fame Monster booklet.
Track listing
The Fame Monster
- Standard edition or deluxe edition (disc 1)

| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Bad Romance | 4:54 |
| 2. | Alejandro | 4:34 |
| 3. | Monster | 4:10 |
| 4. | Speechless | 4:31 |
| 5. | Dance in the Dark | 4:49 |
| 6. | Telephone (feat. Beyoncé) | 3:40 |
| 7. | So Happy I Could Die | 3:55 |
| 8. | Teeth | 3:41 |
| Total length: | 34:09 | |
| iTunes Store edition (bonus track) | ||
| 9. | Bad Romance (Starsmith Remix) | 4:56 |
| Total length: | 39:05 | |
The Fame
- Deluxe edition (disc 2),

The reissues of The Fame, bundled with The Fame Monster, followed the original track listings used in the United States, United Kingdom, and Japan. Internationally, the album received an additional bonus track, "Retro Dance Freak" following "Disco Heaven." Previously, this track was exclusive to the Japanese edition.
United States/Canada edition
For this release, Canada adopted the U.S. track list, resulting in the omission of "Again Again." However, on the Canadian version of iTunes, two international bonus tracks—"Retro Dance Freak" (track 15) and "Disco Heaven" (track 16)—were included.
There are three key differences between the U.S./Canada version and the international edition:
- Track order changes:
- "I Like It Rough" appears as track 13 (instead of 5).
- "Starstruck" is placed as track 9 (instead of 7).
- Bonus tracks:
- The U.S./Canada CD version contains only 14 tracks, omitting the international bonus tracks.
- The international edition includes 16 tracks, with "Disco Heaven" and "Retro Dance Freak" added.
| No. | Length | |
|---|---|---|
| American/Canadian CD2 | ||
| 1. | "Just Dance" (featuring Colby O'Donis) | 4:01 |
| 2. | "LoveGame" | 3:36 |
| 3. | "Paparazzi" | 3:28 |
| 4. | "Poker Face" | 3:57 |
| 5. | "Eh, Eh (Nothing Else I Can Say)" | 2:55 |
| 6. | "Beautiful, Dirty, Rich" | 2:52 |
| 7. | "The Fame" | 3:42 |
| 8. | "Money Honey" | 2:50 |
| 8. | "Starstruck" (featuring Flo Rida and Space Cowboy) | 3:37 |
| 10. | "Boys Boys Boys" | 3:20 |
| 11. | "Paper Gangsta" | 4:23 |
| 12. | "Brown Eyes" | 4:03 |
| 13. | "I Like It Rough" | 3:22 |
| 14. | "Summerboy" | 4:13 |
| Total length: | 50:20 | |
| iTunes Store edition + 2014 digital release | ||
| 15. | "Disco Heaven" (Bonus track) | 4:13 |
| Total length: | 54:01 | |
| Canadian iTunes Store edition | ||
| 15. | "Disco Heaven" (Bonus track) | 4:13 |
| 16. | "Retro, Dance, Freak" (Bonus track) | 3:22 |
| Total length: | 57:24 | |
International editions
Regional variations:
- United Kingdom: The UK edition replaced "Retro Dance Freak" with "Again Again" as its bonus track.
- Japan: The Japanese deluxe edition included both "Again Again" and "Retro Dance Freak," with the latter placed as track 17, making it the most complete version of the album.
- France: Two exclusive editions with each a different live acoustic song from the NRJ Sessions on July 9, 2009.
- India: A remix of "Just Dance" by British-Indian producer Deewaan (Amandeep Singh Chohan) was added as track 17.
| No. | Length | |
|---|---|---|
| International CD2 | ||
| 1. | "Just Dance" (featuring Colby O'Donis) | 4:01 |
| 2. | "LoveGame" | 3:36 |
| 3. | "Paparazzi" | 3:28 |
| 4. | "Poker Face" | 3:57 |
| 5. | "Eh, Eh (Nothing Else I Can Say)" | 2:55 |
| 6. | "Beautiful, Dirty, Rich" | 2:52 |
| 7. | "The Fame" | 3:42 |
| 8. | "Money Honey" | 2:50 |
| 8. | "Starstruck" (featuring Flo Rida and Space Cowboy) | 3:37 |
| 10. | "Boys Boys Boys" | 3:20 |
| 11. | "Paper Gangsta" | 4:23 |
| 12. | "Brown Eyes" | 4:03 |
| 13. | "I Like It Rough" | 3:22 |
| 14. | "Summerboy" | 4:13 |
| 15. | "Disco Heaven" (Bonus track) | 4:13 |
| 16. | "Retro, Dance, Freak" (Bonus track) | 3:22 |
| Total length: | 57:42 | |
| France FNAC edition CD2 | ||
| 17. | "Eh, Eh (Nothing Else I Can Say)" (Acoustic in Paris) | 4:04 |
| France Virgin edition CD2 | ||
| 17. | "Paparazzi" (Acoustic in Paris) | 4:00 |
| Indian edition CD2 | ||
| 17. | "Just Dance" (Deewaan Remix) (featuring Ashking, Wedis, Lush and Young Thoro) | 4:15 |
| UK edition CD2 | ||
| 16. | "Again Again" (Bonus track) | 3:22 |
| Japan edition CD2 | ||
| 17. | "Retro, Dance, Freak" (Bonus track) | 3:22 |
Release history
- Main article: The Fame Monster (album)/Editions.
Originally, the album was intended to be a two-disc re-release of The Fame, but Gaga told MTV on November 12, 2009 that the album is to be a standalone piece. Gaga has also announced the release of The Fame Monster Deluxe Edition, and the Super Deluxe Fame Monster Pack, which was released on December 15, 2009. Gaga's website had confirmed a Deluxe Edition featuring the entirety of her first album, The Fame, as a bonus disc. Solely a deluxe edition had been previously planned, however, Gaga cited cost being an issue in deciding on the additional single disc release. A Super Deluxe Fame Monster pack containing the two releases was released on December 15, 2009, along with the Book of Gaga. The pack provided an assortment of products from Gaga's production collaborative Haus of Gaga and even included a lock of her hair (albeit from one of her wigs). Gaga explained this decision by saying,
- "In the midst of my creative journey composing The Fame Monster, there came an exciting revelation that this was in fact my sophomore album, [...] I would not add, nor take away any songs from this EP. It is a complete conceptual and musical body of work that can stand on its own two feet. It doesn't need The Fame. For those who do not have my debut album, there are a series of collectible double-disc editions that include both albums and artwork conceived by the Haus of Gaga in collaboration with our mentor, Hedi Slimane," she said. "Hear the music, see the show, live and love yourself."
For the first time, a limited edition 6 panel Digipak with embossed gold or silver lettering was released. Disc playing side and the inside spines are black. The back cover features the cover artwork for "The Fame" (without Lady Gaga written at the bottom), replacing the other Hedi Slimane cover as the other release did.
Collector's edition art book
- Fore more, see Super Deluxe Fame Monster Pack and Book of Gaga.
Overview of the content.
On November 12, 2009, Lady Gaga announced the release of three editions of The Fame Monster: a standard edition and a deluxe edition with The Fame on November 23, followed by a collector’s edition art book on December 15, 2009. While the physical slipcase was labeled as a "Collector’s Edition Art Book," the product was marketed online under the title Super Deluxe Fame Monster Pack.
This limited edition was sold through Gaga’s official store (US and UK) and Amazon, and was capped at 10,000 numbered copies, with unnumbered editions distributed to press. The pack featured a black cardboard slipcase with the edition number printed on the back, housing the highly stylized Book of Gaga. The book’s cover was made of reflective mirror-like foil and included mixed-media layouts resembling a handmade scrapbook, with taped photographs, handwritten notes, and drawings by Gaga using black Sharpie. Inside the book were:
- Two all-black CDs: The Fame and The Fame Monster
- A bookmark made from a lock of Gaga’s blonde hair (from the Candy Warhol wig)
- 3D glasses
- Two reversible pull-out posters
- A paper doll collection
- Two cardboard puzzles (originally only one was announced)
- A written version of the Manifesto of Little Monsters, used as a spoken interlude in the Monster Film during The Monster Ball tour (2009-2011)
The book also included four inserted fanzines:
- The original booklet for The Fame
- A behind-the-scenes look at select Haus of Gaga creations
- A curated selection of Gaga’s Twitter posts
- A zine composed entirely of fan art submitted through a contest on her official website.
In an interview with MTV News, Gaga explained that the fanzine concept was inspired by the punk-rock DIY movement in New York, stating: “I don’t want this to be an industry overview of my life. I want to give a real look at what I’ve been through to my fans.” A similar fanzine concept was later revisited for select limited editions of Chromatica in 2020.
T-shirt store bundles
The store on Lady Gaga's official website sold an exclusive bundle including The Fame Monster (Single/Double disc) with a Bad Romance T-shirt. A bundle with the Collector's edition was also made available.
Ultimate Fan Pac
A re-issue of The Fame Monster, titled "The Fame Monster Ultimate Fan Pac" was released on August 24, 2010. Unlike the Super Deluxe Fame Monster Pack, there is no set amount of copies, nor is it censored. Items in this box include an exclusive Just Dance T-shirt, The Fame Monster (Standard edition) (The 2 covers are mixed), and a "Lady Gaga keychain". The cover art used for the cover of the box is the same as that used for the "Dance in the Dark" digital download, with the exceptions that the title was replaced with "The Fame Monster" (written in gold).
Two versions of this box-set were issued, with the only difference being one with a size M T-shirt and the other having a size L T-shirt. Either version could be ordered.
Booklet and credits
- For the credits and the rest of the shoot, see Hedi Slimane. For lyrics, publishing rights, personnel, and more, see each individual song page.
The gallery below is a digital copy of the deluxe edition booklet.
- Executive Producer — Vincent Herbert
- A&R — Vincent Herbert, Martin Kierszenbaum
- Management — Troy Carter
- Mastered — Oasis Mastering (Burbank, CA) by Gene Grimaldi
- Production coordinators — Lisa Einhorn-Gilder, Andrea Ruffalo
- A&R administration — Jennifer Paola
- Marketing — Dyana Kass
- Creative — Matthew Michael Williams
- Art direction — Julian Peploe Studio
- Interscope creative — Ianthe Zevos, Dyana Kass, Bobby Campbell
- Production — Gretchen Anderson
- Business affairs — Erika Savage
Thank you to my dad, for always protecting me from monsters.
Resources
- Press conference in Singapore - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXtSJM588So
- Interscope Records, Press release -
- Track list - http://www.universal-music.co.jp/u-pop/artist/lady_gaga/uics9113.html
- Digital Spy Critical Reception - http://www.digitalspy.com/music/albumreviews/a187843/lady-gaga-the-fame-monster.html
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