Lady Gaga graces the cover of the December/January issue of Harper’s Bazaar (on newsstands November 22) and models fashion from different eras in a stunning Inez & Vinoodh-helmed photoshoot. In addition to striking a pose, Mother Monster also pens an essay about being a modern woman. “Being a lady today means being a fighter,” she writes. “It means being a survivor. It means letting yourself be vulnerable and acknowledging your shame or that you’re sad or you’re angry. It takes great strength to do that.”
“Before I made Joanne, I took some time off,” the “Million Reasons” diva continues. “I made music with Tony Bennett. I did ‘Til It Happens To You’ with Diane Warren. But I was able to get off the train of endless work I’d been on, which was quite abusive to my body and my mind, and have some silence and some space around me. I wanted to experience music again the way I did when I was younger, when I just had to make it, instead of worrying what everybody thinks or being obsessed with things that aren’t important.”
Gaga also opened up about her personal growth. “Fame is the best drug that’s ever existed. But once you realize who you are and what you care about, that need for more, more, more just goes away. What matters is that I have a great family, I work hard, I take care of those around me, I provide jobs for people I love very much, and I make music that I hope sends a good message into the world. I turned 30 this year, and I’m a fully formed woman. I have a clear perspective on what I want. That, for me, is success.” 