Gaga, Taylor and PI: What is the Truth?

[ReidOne 12,427]

Gaga and Taylor broke up around April. She recorded Perfect Illusion in May. But she did not reveal the breakup until July and subsequently asked us to "root" for them... just weeks before announcing Perfect Illusion as the lead single.

 

Were Gaga and Taylor really on a "break" in July? Was there every any point for us to "root" for them? Or was it all a calculated illusion to build hype for the single?

 

There's no harm in Gaga channeling her breakup with Taylor into her art. That's 100% acceptable and to be expected of a raw, emotionally fueled artist like her. But because PI is the lead single from the album, that means she is also using the breakup for promo (by default). Not trying to drag her for this, but I do have to call a spade a spade... It certainly seems that she delayed the announcement of their split and asked us to "root" for them in an effort to build hype for the song. Which would mean that she knew there was no "break" --- it was very clearly over by July.

Let's add up what we know: 

March 2016: Gaga and Taylor were last seen together at her 30th birthday party (sans engagement ring). 

 

May 2016: Gaga, Mark, Kevin and Blood Pop begin work on "Perfect Illusion" ... so we can safely assume the breakup occurred before May. 

 

July 2016: International media report that Gaga and Taylor have split, and Gaga responds by stating they are simply on a break. And implies that they are trying to work it out. Even going so far as asking fans to "root us on." 

 

August 2016: Just one month after asking fans to "root" for them, Gaga announces the release of "Perfect Illusion."

 

September 2016: "Perfect Illusion" is released and it's clearly the most angry record Gaga has ever sung. And it does not sound like the voice of someone who had any intention of reconciling.

 

 

-------------

 

 

Is Gaga "using" her split with Taylor to sell records? And using the media (and social media) to help take fans on the emotional journey leading up to the song's release? I believe the answer is "yes." And Gaga, being the diabolical genius that she is, pretty much admits it during her first interview promoting the song... When asked if PI is about a breakup, she says yes, but she also says it's about the images portrayed on social media: 

I believe many of us are wondering why there are so many fake things around us ... How do we navigate through social media? How do we look through these images that we know are filtered and altered, and decipher what is reality and what is a perfect illusion? There are also a lot of things on the internet that are not reality. 

...in other words, things like this??

 

It's actually kind of brilliant!! 

Please understand, Lady Gaga is my IDOL and I honestly wouldn't judge her for any of her intentions above. But I'm also an intelligent person who has to call them like I see them. There's definitely some calculated media moves taking place here. 

This worries me for her. Even though "everyone" in Hollywood does this, it's pretty risky. Especially when you openly ask for your fans to "root us on" and go on the emotional journey with you. When fans realize what is happening, it can blow up in your face. Just look at what happened to Taylor Swift. 

 

EDIT: @JustYouandI reminded me later in this thread that my timeline is wrong and Gaga & Taylor were together (with the engagement ring) in May 2016 at the Indy 500.

My head is spinning!! 

[Dramatica 13,690]

Yes they broke up, but maybe just "temporarily"? Because what she wrote about him "Him and I are soulmates" etc. would NEVER explain her anger in the song, I mean she described Perfect Illusion on BBCR1 as the strongest betrayal that hurts you the most.

Someone that hurts you very much you wouldn't call them your soulmate.

[weed 73,743]

I don't think Gaga would do that tbh

[GANGIE 5,420]

They probably decided to not make a public drama (Taylor and Calvin f.e.) but she felt like she had to express her real feeling in some way.

[Tokyo Rose 1,475]

To make things even more complicated, she says the song wasn't originally her idea. (Subconsciously distancing herself already )

[freebit 6,240]

I feel like she announced that when she did because of the Taylor/Kim K thing and the RNC going on at the same time. It was great PR timing because all that stuff going on would be there deflecting any attention her breakup would get. Joshua Jackson and Diane Kruger did the same thing. 

Also, I do think it's probably best for her at this moment to be single (travel, her life story fits her song, she has a public narrative that is now very relatable), but I don't think it's deliberate. 

[FFXSoul91 1,098]

She's not Taylor Swift. The song isn't about him.

[alextruper17 8,908]

3 minutes ago, ReidOne said:

Is Gaga "using" her split with Taylor to sell records? And using the media (and social media) to help take fans on the emotional journey leading up to the song's release? I believe the answer is "yes." And Gaga, being the diabolical genius that she is, pretty much admits it during her first interview promoting the song...

I mean, they broke up and a couple of months after she's announcing she has a song about it. It's strange. But maybe she wrote the song before and once it happened, she really get into the song.

[Chris Evans 8,917]

"Kevin flew to us from Australia and he came with this idea, that was the beginning of a song called Illusion," she told Nick Grimshaw.

"I work on a typewriter and we would bounce new lyrics back and forth."

She added: "We stripped everything away. Changed the melody, shifted it. I sat at piano, Kevin was on guitar, Mark was on the bass."

I believe many of us are wondering why there are so many fake things around us," she said.

"How do we navigate through social media? How do we look through these images that we know are filtered and altered, and decipher what is reality and what is a perfect illusion?

"There are also a lot of things on the internet that are not reality. And I think people are pressured to keep that personal illusion going on in their real lives.

"So this song is about raging against it and letting it go. It's about wanting people to re-establish that human connection."

it's not about Taylor they all contributed to the song from scratch about re-establishing a human connection. Also she never said it was about a breakup- if she does consider the song about Taylor she hasn't given any hints outside of the song that it's about him

 

[crisTEAne 21,059]

2 minutes ago, FFXSoul91 said:

She's not Taylor Swift. The song isn't about him.

2 minutes ago, Chris Evans said:

it's not about Taylor they all contributed to the song from scratch about re-establishing a human connection

these.

the song is not about taylor.

she said, it could be interpreted as a break-up song.

[LaLuna 12,732]

Seems very unlikely. I don't even think the song is about Taylor anyway.

Plus, it's not like they were the most high profile couple out there (*cough* Taylor and Tom *cough*), I'm pretty sure a lot of people didn't give two sh*ts about them, so I don't see how she could've used their breakup to sell records. 

[Tanner 810]

The song isn't about Taylor, have any of you guys listened to her radio interviews? It was originally Kevin Parkers idea of 'Illusion' that she made into a song with a double meaning (relationship/social media illusion). 

[Tanner 810]

5 minutes ago, Chris Evans said:

"Kevin flew to us from Australia and he came with this idea, that was the beginning of a song called Illusion," she told Nick Grimshaw.

"I work on a typewriter and we would bounce new lyrics back and forth."

She added: "We stripped everything away. Changed the melody, shifted it. I sat at piano, Kevin was on guitar, Mark was on the bass."

I believe many of us are wondering why there are so many fake things around us," she said.

"How do we navigate through social media? How do we look through these images that we know are filtered and altered, and decipher what is reality and what is a perfect illusion?

"There are also a lot of things on the internet that are not reality. And I think people are pressured to keep that personal illusion going on in their real lives.

"So this song is about raging against it and letting it go. It's about wanting people to re-establish that human connection."

it's not about Taylor they all contributed to the song from scratch about re-establishing a human connection

 

This!

[luckythisway 2,610]

But Gaga wore her ring in beginning of May at the Met Gala and towards the end in candids.... While she was creating the song.... I really want this timeline figured out bc imo, they were still together when she wrote this. 

[ReidOne 12,427]

OK --- these replies are actually getting me even more hyped about the brilliance of the song!!! (and no, I haven't listened to all the interviews because I've been traveling for work the last couple days)

This song is obviously meant to sound like her Taylor breakup anthem. She is well aware of this. 

But it's actually about social media and the fake images portrayed of all of our lives. 

In other words, the song isn't about Gaga's life. It's about all of our lives. 

The meaning of the song itself is a perfect illusion. Wow. I am slayed!!!!!