Here are some new photos of Lady Gaga, celebrating the 4th of July holiday the only way she knows how, with fireworks coming out of her boobs at a concert in Boston on Friday night. If I’m not mistaken, some of these costumes look like new additions. Eh. Anyway, Gaga has a new interview with The Daily Mail this weekend (full piece here). It’s written in the first person, as if Gaga is just being quoted mid-rant. Some of the quotes are interesting, though… Gaga talks about how she’s not a dumb blonde and how none of this is about money, and that you’ll never catch her in sweatpants and a hoodie. Hm… but what if the sweatpants were studded and leather? And the hoodie was made out of Miss Piggy? WHAT THEN?

If you’re going to be different, make sure you’re smart.
Don’t ever make the mistake that you’re a dumb blonde or a pushover. I was a grade-A student and I went to a really top school in New York where the children of middle-class parents are expected to achieve at everything. I started piano at the age of four and I passed every grade with top marks. I wanted to be smart because I wanted to be able to control things. My career isn’t about other people’s ideas and decisions. It’s about my decisions, my vision, my inspirations. I listen to other people, but I’m smart enough to know what to take notice of. Never underestimate the importance of education.

Everything I do is about getting a reaction.
My aim in what I do is to push buttons, make people do a double take. People will either love me or they will hate me. That’s what I want. No artist should ever want to be bland. I dress to get people to stare, I say a lot of things for shock value and I do a lot of things to deliberately unsettle people – like going around in my underwear in the middle of winter. It gets a big reaction.

I am Lady Gaga 24/7 – I have no day off.
You have to live your art, as it’s all about integrity. You won’t ever catch me in sweatpants and a hoodie. Even in bed I wear my pearls and high heels. I’m always looking for more inspiration, new barriers to push.

Fame should never be about the money.
Money is completely boring to me. It means nothing, except it feeds my art. Every penny I make goes back into the Haus of Gaga. My Haus of Gaga is something like Andy Warhol’s Factory. I have a small bunch of really creative people who make up the Haus and they work with me on my sets, my costumes, my jewellery and the concept of Gaga. It’s my team and we come up with crazy ideas and make them happen. I do make a lot of money, but I don’t want to own flash cars; I want to make Lady Gaga the biggest star in the world, and that takes a lot of work and creativity.

I never let a man come before my career.
My greatest sacrifice is love. I’ve only ever been in love once, and I had to walk away because I had to put my career first. He wanted me to stay at home and be with him; I wanted to be out there trying to make it on stage. It was a huge lesson for me, but it’s also a source of sadness. God gave me a gift with music, but if you have gifts you also have weaknesses. My weakness is not being able to make relationships work. I’ve dated artists, drummers, guitarists, architects, but there’s something in me that stops me ever putting a relationship before my work. I guess I always think my music is never going to roll over in bed one morning and tell me that it doesn’t love me any more. I have to believe the music is worth the sacrifice.

Drugs can destroy you.
I don’t like to talk about it too much, but there were drugs in my teenage years. The reason I don’t like to talk about it is I wouldn’t want anyone else to do it. I believe it could have ruined everything. I was a middle-class girl who wanted to rebel and discover all these different sides to life. It was my dad who pulled me back. I wanted to show my parents I was completely wild. My dad thought I’d lost it. He came to see me and told me if I didn’t pull back I would lose everything. That completely shook me, because even though I wanted to rebel, my parents are the people I respect most in this world. I didn’t want to lose my father’s respect, so I stopped.

As a performer I’m outrageous and wild, but as a person I have a very strong moral code.
I would never cheat on a man; I believe in honesty and integrity. The most important people in the world to me are my family, and the one thing I miss when I’m touring is having time with my parents and my little sister. I am Lady Gaga because in private I’m a lady. I’m a feminist who believes in the importance of femininity. Don’t be fooled by the way I look – underneath all this I know exactly who I am and what my boundaries are. They are all important to me.

Never be afraid to say sorry.
To this day I feel guilt about what I put my parents through when I was younger. I’ll call my mother out of the blue and say, ‘Mum, I’m so sorry about what I did.’ They’re very proud of me today, but I wouldn’t have their pride if I hadn’t listened to them and told them I was sorry. It’s as important to acknowledge your mistakes as it is to get credit for your victories.

[From The Daily Mail]

As I’ve said before, I like Gaga, I really do. But I’m getting a little tired of her. I get that her deal is that she’s always “on” and that her life is a performance and it’s all for the fans, et cetera. But I would love to see Gaga in a hoodie and sweatpants. I would love for her to go on a holiday for a few months and not give any interviews, and I think it would be good for her too. Oh, well. It’s not going to happen. As soon as she finishes up this tour, she’s got a new album coming out in the beginning of next year. You know it’s going to be all Gaga, all the time then too.

All that being said, you know what I miss? I miss that diamond-encrusted lobster headpiece. She needs to bring that sh-t back.

Gaga on July 2, 2010, in Boston. Credit: CWNY/Fame.