Lady Gaga: I "crashed" from working 6 years non-stop
Singer-songwriter Lady Gaga tells correspondent Anthony Mason she "crashed" after working nonstop for six years, in an interview for CBS' "Sunday Morning with Charles Odsgood." However, she says, singing with legendary performer Tony Bennett makes her happy.
The two have collaborated on a new album of jazz standards, "Cheek to Cheek," which will be released on Tuesday, Sept. 23.
Gaga, born Stefani Germanotta, took a break from performing after her last CD, "Artpop," didn't fare as well as predicted. The reviews even led her to question herself.
"I felt like people were holding me to a pretty high standard," Gaga tells Mason. "Everybody's hooting and hollering because, you know, I didn't sell 20 million records this time, which I did with my first album. And you know, it's not easy to replicate that. And you just -- I don't have a formula."
The stress of those expectations combined with a heavy workload, led her to step away from music.
"I have to make sure everything was okay," Gaga tells Mason. "Because it wasn't. You know, it's one thing to put a train on the tracks. But it's another thing to keep the train on the tracks. You can't just let a train out on the tracks and just run it out; it'll -- I crashed."
That crash, she tells Mason, happened midway through 2013, and was caused in part by challenges she faced with her management. "I just didn't even want to make music any more," Gaga says.
She's back now with a collection of duets with Bennett. "This album will prove to her that she'll always be around 'cause it proves that she's a great performer," Bennett told Mason.
Bennett and Gaga talk with Mason about their unique friendship, and the career advice that Bennett has shared with her.
Gaga tells Bennett she just wants to be happy. "And I can't tell you how happy this music makes me," she says.
Mason's interview with Gaga and Bennett will be broadcast on "Sunday Morning" on Sept. 21 at 9:00 a.m. ET on CBS.
To watch the music video for Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga's rendition of "I Can't Give You Anything But Love, Baby" (music & lyrics by Jimmy McHugh and Dorothy Fields), click on the player below.
For more info:
- "Cheek to Cheek" by Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga (Columbia/Interscope); Available Sept. 23 via Amazon and iTunes; preview downloads available now
- cheek2cheek.com
- ladygaga.com
- Follow Lady Gaga on Twitter, Facebook, MySpace and YouTube
- littlemonsters.com
- Born This Way Foundation
- Follow the Born This Way Foundation on Twitter (@BTWFoundation) and Facebook
- tonybennett.com
- Follow Tony Bennett on Twitter (@ItsTonyBennett), Facebook, MySpace and YouTube