Diane for Billboard Gaga 'One of the Best Artists I've Ever Worked With,'

[ViviLittleM 3]

“She doesn’t have to wear a meat dress to get attention,” says the “Til It Happens To You” songwriter of the pop star.

“Til It Happens To You,” Lady Gaga’s new song recorded for the documentary The Hunting Ground, has struck a nerve: the affecting ballad, which soundtracks a film focusing on the rape epidemic on U.S. college campuses, has accrued 10 million YouTube views in less than a week. The song was penned by legendary songwriter Diane Warren, who tells Billboard that “Til It Happens To You” once again demonstrates Gaga’s under-heralded vocal charisma, following her powerhouse performance at the Academy Awards earlier this year.

“She’s one of the best artists I’ve ever worked with,” says Warren. “A song like this, she brings her artistry to it. What she’s proven with these other things she’s done is that she doesn’t have to wear a meat dress to get attention. That stuff is cool because that’s who she is, but she doesn’t need it, because she has so much raw ****ing talent.”

Warren — best known for writing smashes like Toni Braxton’s “Un-Break My Heart,” LeAnn Rimes’ “How Do I Live” and Aerosmith’s “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” — wrote “Til It Happens To You” for The Hunting Ground and thought that Gaga would be the perfect person to deliver the vocals. During an interview with Howard Stern last December, Gaga revealed that she had been a victim of s-xual assault at the age of 19.

“I played [Gaga] the song and she was basically in tears,” Warren recalls. “It really affected her, and she loved it. I flew to New York and we went in the studio, and it was one of those lifetime experiences, hearing her bring the song to life and putting so much of her heart and soul into it.”

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Warren continues that Gaga’s vocal take is a “master class in performance” and mirrors the trajectories of the assault victims in the documentary. “In the first verse, she’s so vulnerable — it’s almost like in the movie, these girls start out as victims and they become survivors and then they become activists,” she says. “As she’s getting into that second verse, it’s like she’s getting mad and becoming a survivor. At the end, she’s so victorious and strong.”

Gaga’s “Til It Happens To You” video does not feature an appearance by the pop star, but the song could make a big splash on the Hot 100 chart thanks in part to its millions of YouTube views since its Sept. 17 release (proceeds from the song will also be donated to organization aiding s-xual assault victims). Warren says the song is already getting a strong reaction.

“I’ve never gotten so many people calling me and texting me about how this song has moved them before,” says Warren. “It’s never happened to me, and I’ve written a lot of songs.”

Gaga has yet to announce the full-length follow-up to her Tony Bennett duets album Cheek To Cheek, but Warren says she’d love to be on board for the singer’s next project. “We have talked about [collaborating further], so hopefully that will happen,” says the songwriter. “I’d love to do that. And she can go anywhere from here”

http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop-shop/6707206/lady-gaga-diane-warren-til-it-happens-to-you

 

[Phoenix 17,395]

Yesss...! Truth. It's like she is reading my mind with those sayings. 

Another day another slay.

 

[homomo 23,883]

It would be pretty kickass if they worked together on a song or two for the album.

[ViviLittleM 3]

diane keeps saying that she wrote the song and not co wrote with Gaga. i'm afraid for the awards nominations tbh lmao

[PartySick 160,488]

You better praise ha

I'm so proud of Gaga, honestly. Like, actually looking at how far she's come legit makes me proud. 

[Coop 15,354]

diane keeps saying that she wrote the song and not co wrote with Gaga. i'm afraid for the awards nominations tbh lmao

EVEN if Gaga didn't co-write it she produced it so can still get an award...

[Miracle 14,068]

diane keeps saying that she wrote the song and not co wrote with Gaga. i'm afraid for the awards nominations tbh lmao

The song is registered as co-written by Gaga on BMI

 

[djBuffoon 12,123]

Warren continues that Gaga’s vocal take is a “master class in performance” and mirrors the trajectories of the assault victims in the documentary.

Yes. But to certain people, she was doing "drunk vocals".

[Lucifer 1,987]

It always irks me when people say "she doesn't need the meatdress, controversy or crazy outfits". But I'm happy to see Diane be so stoked about this.

[monketsharona 81,595]

I would be here for another collab on next Gaga album ! 

[Jed 7,716]

diane keeps saying that she wrote the song and not co wrote with Gaga. i'm afraid for the awards nominations tbh lmao

in the credits of the song it says written by lady Gaga and Diane so technically we are in the clear

[Didymus 34,380]

diane keeps saying that she wrote the song and not co wrote with Gaga. i'm afraid for the awards nominations tbh lmao

Diane said Gaga just came in and changed a few bits and pieces, but the main skeleton kept standing But she is still a co-writer, she just did very little.

[Quasi 10,935]

You better praise ha

I'm so proud of Gaga, honestly. Like, actually looking at how far she's come legit makes me proud. 

It literally brings tears to my eyes sometimes. Someone who has been so close to our hearts for years is FINALLY getting all the recognition she deserves. But what's exciting is that there's still more to come.  

[crisTEAne 21,059]

“A song like this, she brings her artistry to it. What she’s proven with these other things she’s done is that she doesn’t have to wear a meat dress to get attention. That stuff is cool because that’s who she is, but she doesn’t need it, because she has so much raw ****ing talent.”

i love diane for this.  

[PartySick 160,488]

It literally brings tears to my eyes sometimes. Someone who has been so close to our hearts for years is FINALLY getting all the exhibiting she deserves. But what's exciting is that there's still more to come.  

Mte!! I'm so excited to see what the future brings