The Heartbreaking Reason Lady Gaga Almost Gave Up Her Music Career - E! Online
Lady Gaga recently shared insight into why she almost quit music early in her career and how she now knew walking away was never an option.
Watch : Lady Gaga Praises Fiancé Michael Polansky for Helping Her Through an "Absolutely Horrible Time"
Lady Gaga isn’t shy in talking about her occasionally bad romance with fame.
As the “Abracadabra” singer continues to roll out her Mayhem era, the name of her upcoming seventh album that’ll release in March, she’s reflecting on one of the pivotal moments in her career: how being away from the family she built in her native New York almost led her to retire from music.
“I missed the community that I had in New York and that was really hard,” Gaga told host Sean Evans during her Feb. 13 appearance on Hot Ones. “There were definitely times where I felt like maybe I should walk away but I know for sure that I never would.”
Although that obstacle briefly “tested” her loyalty to being an artist, she noted she could never “give up” her dream. “I’m still doing it,” she continued, “so it must mean I want to do it.”
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Lady Gaga's Best Looks
Gaga, 38, also detailed her evolution as a performer and a new rule she now lives by. She’s no longer “overproducing” the artsy aesthetics in her stage design, a decision that was influenced by her performance at the 2010 BRIT Awards where she sang in front of a large 3D sculpture.
“It was so early in my career, we just didn’t plan how it would get on and off the stage,” she said of the Nick Knight created statue. “The crew guys were like, ‘[This statue] is about as big as this arena, we cannot put this on stage. That was pretty expensive and a bad decision, so I definitely now try to be more resourceful and making less.”
The singer has kept her promise, as her most recent shows—including her surprise rendition of “Hold My Hand” at the 2025 Super Bowl—have been more minimalistic.
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While Gaga is stripping away some drama from her live performances, she’s fully leaning into her creativity as a producer with her fiancé Michael Polansky. At the Los Angeles premiere of Joker Sept. 30, she described Polansky, who has producing credits on Mayhem, as “brilliant.”
“He never ceases to amaze me,” Gaga told E! News at the time. “I’ve watched him in so many facets of business, in science and biotech, in philanthropy, and like somehow he’s also magic with music.”
Keep reading to see more sweet moments in the engaged couple’s relationship….
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A Romance is Born
Lady Gaga / Instagram
Insta Official
Gaga made her new romance social media official in February 2020, sharing a photo of her sitting on Michael's lap at the Super Bowl on Instagram with the caption, "We had so much fun in Miami. Love to all my little monsters and fans, you're the best!"
Lady Gaga / Instagram
Private in Public
Despite keeping a low profile since the start of their relationship, Gaga has let her love for Michael, an entrepreneur and former CEO of the San Francisco-based Parker Group, shine through over the years, sharing a photo of the two in March 2020 with the caption, "I've got a STUPID love."
The Oscar winner also called Michael "the love of my life" during an April 2020 interview with MSNBC's Morning Joe.
And in March 2021, he surprised her with a massive flower arrangement for her 35th birthday, prompting Gaga to share on Instagram, "I love you honey. I can't wait to be home with you and our dogs, that's all I need."
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House of Love
Also in 2021, following the February attack on her French bulldogs and dog walker Ryan Fischer, the "Born This Way" singer made a rare comment about her and Michael's life together, telling The Hollywood Reporter, "My dogs and the man that I love are my whole life."
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Watch As They Dive In
Rumors of an engagement between Lady Gaga and Michael first started swirling in April 2024 when Gaga stepped out wearing a massive diamond ring on that finger. But at the time, the duo were keeping tight-lipped on the rumors.
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I Want Your Love
Days after Gaga kicked off the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, performing Zizi Jeanmaire's "Mon Truc En Plumes" at the opening ceremonies, she finally confirmed the engagement, introducing him as her "fiancé" during a conversation with French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal July 28.
Rocco Spaziani/Archivio Spaziani/Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Images
Red Carpet Official
The two made their red carpet debut as a couple at the premiere of Joker: Folie à Deux at the Venice Film Festival Sept. 4, 2024.
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Red Hot Couple
Michael joined Gaga at the premiere of Joker: Folie à Deux in London later in September 2024.
The singer said on the Graham Norton Show that the two had actually gotten engaged on April Fools' Day.
"Actually, I thought he was joking and he was not," Gaga said. "But it was really nice."
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