Remember that one girl who got pulled up onstage at the ArtRave to sing "Born This Way" with Lady Gaga? Today, that same Little Monster has won a hard fought victory in the music business, and is now a signed artist with Sony. Michelle Treacy is currently prepping for an album, a forthcoming tour, and promoting her newest single to hit radio, the slow burn breakup ballad "Armageddon." I sat down with Michelle (pronounced "Mee-Shell," like the Paul McCartney tune) to learn how she made her dreams come true with stamina, inspiration... and lots of pizza!

How are you today?

I'm great! I've been obsessed with Gaga Daily for years, so this is really exciting for me!

You have had a truly unique experience as a Lady Gaga fan.

Well, a few years ago, I actually met her at Roseland Ballroom when she was closing out Roseland. I think she did a week of shows. And I kept meeting her. And meeting her. And meeting her! And I didn't try, some of the times I met her. It was kind of like I became a magnet to her, and every time she'd see me, she'd come right straight to me. And every time I'd see her, I'd say, can you make my dream come true and let me sing on stage with you?

I thought maybe if I'm repetitive, maybe one day it would click! And every time, she would say yes. Then in Montreal, I saw her again right before her show. And I asked her the same question. That was in March or April, and then Montreal was in July. Then she said, "Yeah, I'll look for you tonight." And we got into the show super late. We had GA tickets, nothing special. We didn't think we'd get front row, or anything, and we actually ended up getting a spot right where the stair case was, right where the bodygaurd was. So it was meant to be. She spotted me as soon as she got on the stage.

I remember seeing the YouTube video.

I had a sign. It was just like a paper thing, I just wrote a few words, "Can I sing 'Born This Way' with you?", just to remind her that it was me. And she looked at me, and she nodded her head yes, and I took a big huge sip of my water, and then she was like, "Will the little girl with the mermaid bikini please come up on stage?" And then I just walked on up. Got stuck in the top of the stairs, because I was wearing, like, ten-inch heels! And struggled! It was great.

What was it like singing in front of a stadium full of people next to your idol?

It was a dream come true. It was everything I had dreamed of. It was everything I worked for. It's everything I ever wanted to be. In that moment, I turned to her, and I said — obviously, I thanked her a million times — but I told her how grateful I was. And I said, "This is exactly what I want to do for the rest of my life."

She just looked at me, and she smiled, and... I forgot my name.... and... it was great! You know, it was an experience that everyone wishes they could get. I'm really grateful. And I always try and tell people: achieve their dreams. And give advice [to people.] I want it to happen to everyone else.

We also went to a couple shows after and I kept meeting her. People kept asking me, "Oh, are you going to do it again? Are you going to do it again?" and I was like, "No, I've had my chance with her, I've already done it, now it's someone else's turn." Do you know what I mean? Everyone wanted me to do it again. And I was like, "No, no — it's someone else's turn. You gotta help everyone.

Do you draw inspiration from Gaga in a different way now that you are a star in your own right, then you did when you were a fan? Or has nothing changed?

Do I draw new inspiration? Nothing has changed. I draw a lot of inspiration from b******t. Maybe that's too honest, but I'm a very honest person. A huge inspiration for me was Amy Winehouse. And you know, she really wrote about s**t she went through. Experiences that she went through. I want to be honest in my artistry. I want to talk about things that actually happened to me, I can't sit down and write you a bubblegum song, and put it out. That's not me.

How was it like in the beginning, at what point did you know, "This is what I want to do"?

Honestly I never had a moment when I said, "This is what I want to do." It was kind of when I popped out. My brother asked for a sister. He named me, he raised me on music. He would spend all his money bringing me to concerts. And that was my schooling! My parents were very supportive. They took me halfway across the world to do X Factor UK. I'm a global citizen. I tried everything. I did so many competitions. So many tv shows. Nothing worked out. I got "no"s every time. People told me I'd never make it — people told me to stop, and think of a plan B. And anyone who ever told me to think of a plan B, I'd stop. I'd prove wrong. There you go, just prove 'em all wrong!

Exactly like Gaga herself did at one time.

Yeah! I mean, it's hard. When you get people you really look up to telling you that you're garbage, you start to believe it. And it was really hard being supported by nobody but my family (who've always been very supportive) — but I'm such a person who is like, "I don't care what people think — I'm just gonna do what makes me happy." I live and breathe music. Without music... I think... I would be really sick. This is my therapy. This is all I know. This is my fighting anthem.

That's beautiful. A lot of people are going to see in your music exactly how you feel.

Thank you.

Describe a typical day in Michelle Treacy's life.

I wake up tired. I eat pizza! Probably. Either a huge day of promo, and seeing myself next to my idols on the charts — which is really crazy even saying that! I interact online with my fans, whom I call "Rebels." I don't like calling them my fans. That doesn't feel right to me. I feel like it kind of puts them below me — and I don't like that. I don't know if that sounds crazy, or if you understand that. I call them "Rebels." I like to comment back, on my YouTube and stuff. I like hearing people's stories and talking to them. And then, I'll probably eat pizza. Again! And then I'll have band rehearsal with my really sweet boys. We're gonna play live soon, because it's incredible, it's gonna be a great rock show. And then I'll probably eat pizza again. Probably around midnight. And then... I'll probably go to bed at like 6 am. And wake up at 10 am. And do it all again. I go to bed very late.

So, what are your musical influences besides Gaga?

Amy Winehouse, Nirvana, Soundgarden, Led Zeppelin, a lot of the greats. Janis Joplin, Stevie Nicks. Just the greats.

You know how Stevie Nicks has mentored the band HAIM?

Yeah!

In a way, Gaga has kind of mentored you.

She's been my teacher for so long. And she really, from afar, helped me become an artist, and really believe in myself. Just through her music. You know, I didn't know her my whole life. She made me believe, just go kick some butt. Yoko Ono really helped me as well. She has said, "Never have one single doubt. Once you start doubting yourself, it's not gonna happen. You really got to believe 100%. And that's what I did with my experience with Gaga, I really just believed and said, "Whatever happens, happens." I let go, and it happened. When you let go— it happens.

It's great to see you have such a broad pool of influences. It's going to come out in your music, it's going to make it that much richer. I've seen so far that your success is really starting build. In July, your single Armageddon became the most added song on Top 40 radio in Canada! Congratulations.

Yeah, it was crazy! Thank you.

"Armageddon" is a very powerful song.

I say that all my songs that I've written are "f**k you" songs to someone. In "Armageddon," I wrote it because my family went through a really tough time — my parents got divorced. I saw my mom kind of lose herself in it, and not know who she was, and it was just bad. So it felt like a kind of armageddon. And I watched her become this fighter. She said [to me], "You know what, I'm gonna really focus on myself and figure my life out." And now, she's the strongest, most awesome saint in the world. She's amazing. It was really inspiring for me for her to just come out of her shell and feel happy again. She's in a great relationship now, with somebody she's known since she was 19 years old. Which is amazing, how everything works out. She's really happy. She just says to me, "Thank you for saying all the words I could never say." It's really rewarding for me to see her enjoy my music so much.

It must be. We all look to our parents for approval, and if they enjoy it, there's no other feeling on earth that equals that.

I do like when they don't like a song though! And they tell me. 'Cause then, I'm like, okay, I gotta re-evaluate or write a better song. They are my "no" people. I think you always need some "no" people around you.

You can't have all "yes men."

Yeah, exactly!

What's next for you? Are you gonna be touring, is there an album... what can we look forward to?

So, I found the best boys [in the band] in the world. They are musical geniuses, they make me cry. We fit together, and now I'm in this great rock and roll sandwich of really cute boys. We're gonna put on the best live show. I can't say when, but it's coming. An album is coming! I've been working on it four years. I just want people to know that I didn't get this handed to me. And it wasn't Gaga who got me my record deal, it was me just being just who I am. I never asked anyone for help. I just struggled on my own. I feel like that's a part of it. You just really need to struggle, and just keep going. When people say no, you just get stronger. You cry, you let it out, and you get stronger. You go past it. You write even better songs. And you get even better vocals. You know, I wasn't always the best singer — I'm still not the best singer. But you keep improving, and you keep going. And it's really amazing to see the reactions of people when I play my songs. So, so far, things are looking up.

Never let the haters get you down!

Yeah! Another thing I'm really excited because now that "Armageddon" is doing so well, people that I've idolized as songwriters are reaching out. And I want to get out everywhere, and I have one foot off the balcony because I'm so excited. Maybe there are some cool collaborations coming up soon which Gaga fans will probably die over. Because I'm gagging over it!

The thing I love about Gaga is she gave me friends. I never had friends. She gave me some really great ones who are really loyal. Little Monsters are some of the most loyal fans in the world. She's really lucky. And for her to allow me into that world, and to share with me her fans, it's really amazing. I really appreciate her!

We here at Gaga Daily thank you for your time and wish you good luck in your bright future!

Watch the official music video for "Armageddon" by Michelle Treacy below or click here to purchase the track on iTunes!

Follow Michelle on Twitter: http://twitter.com/MichelleTreacy

Happy 5th anniversary, Born This Way!

Announced first at the 2010 VMAs with Lady Gaga dressed head to toe in meat, Born This Way is one of Lady Gaga's biggest and most influential albums. An acapella snippet teased us for what was to be one of the hottest anthems of the decade, lead single of the massive empowerment album of the same name.

The lead single broke the record of being the fastest selling song in iTunes' history, and the commercial success hardly ended there. Debuting with over 1 million album sales in its first week on the Billboard charts, Born This Way became Lady Gaga's first number one album. Spawning 5 singles and a behemoth of a tour (the Born This Way castle being the largest scenic structure that’s ever been built to tour at its time), the success of Lady Gaga's latest venture didn't seem to cease.

Commercial successes aside, the social and emotional impact of Born This Way still pushes strong today. An album created to spread love and acceptance, it has helped many through hard times and continues to provide solace and hope to people of a multitude of backgrounds and situations. Colour, sexuality, and race are only three of the many themes woven into Born This Way’s powerful core, solidifying the promotion of equality in the quest to provide freedom for all.

A lot has happened in these 5 years, both in and out of music, but what hasn't changed is the effect Born This Way has had, it will forever remain a strongpoint in our hearts and minds. For what you have given to us, we would like to send our deepest love and sincerest thank you, Gaga. The years may go on, but the shine of Born This Way will never fade.

Love,
GagaDaily.com

Lady Gaga's Born This Way is available for a special price on Amazon. Click here to get your copy now!

Monsters, what are your favorite memories from the Born This Way era? Let us know in the comments below!

These days, all of us are particularly careful about the food we eat. Organic gardening has become the order of the day — so much so that even Hollywood celebrities have started getting their hands dirty... literally!

Lady Gaga, who we thought was hard at work in the music studio, got her fiancé Taylor Kinney involved in building an irrigation system, organic vegetable patch, and chicken coop, at a small farm just two counties north of their Malibu home. According to the six-time Grammy winner, it will "help them grow as strong and emotionally sound individuals who aren't caught up in the crazy, vain world pop stars and actors live in."

instagram.com

instagram.com

After last year's purchase of the small but quaint California farm, we finally caught up with Gaga for a talk on her new endeavors.

"I've been growing vegetables since I was 13," Gaga told us exclusively. "I was a farmer then and I'm a farmer now, but this time with more than a small New York patio to work with! I love learning about the land and which feed is most suitable for which chicken, the drama of which chick will one day rule the roost... I enjoy cleaning the garden bed and walking the land. [It is] the antithesis of the pop music drive, the want, the need to get ahead. It's a place you can slow down and let months go by without a thought to the outside world."

When we asked if farming would impact her planned 2016 album release, she responded: "I'm on an entirely different schedule now. The Farmers Almanac, I had no idea how much it would influence me... my soul. It really teaches you that you can't force Mother Nature... and my fans will have to learn they can't force Mother Monster. All I can say is, the album is coming soon."

Monsters, how excited are you about Gaga's new career as a farmer? Sound off in the comments below!

Update:

💃gotcha . April Fools! 😈💋💋

— Lady Gaga (@ladygaga)

April 2, 2015

At the 2015 Academy Awards, Lady Gaga performed a gorgeous medley of songs from The Sound of Music to mark the 50th anniversary of the classic movie. In return, the cast of a brand new production of The Sound of Music paid their respects by putting together a lively performance of many of Gaga's biggest hits.

Watch below and share your thoughts in the comments!

Gaga will be returning to the Oscars stage this Sunday to perform her anthem "Til It Happens to You." 

Lady Gaga is featured in the latest version of Smite, a popular online video game in which players team up to take on the role of a god or a goddess. A Gaga-inspired update to the goddess of beauty Aphrodite is available as a part of the "Divas and Demons" patch, which also contains new skins for other characters of the game.

The character's description reads, "There are too few words to describe the radiance, the magnificence, the inequitable glory of Aphrodite, Goddess of Beauty. So wondrous is she to behold that one look can inspire tears, desire, jealousy, and love."

Visit Smitegame.com for more information about Smite and Diva Aphrodite.

A Little Monster from London surprised passersby when she walked around the city dressed up as Lady Gaga's character from American Horror Story, The Countess. Decked out in a white dress from the first episode of Hotel, the lady was accompanied by three young boys who looked just like The Countess' blood-loving children on the show.

The white gown is the actual outfit worn by Lady Gaga on American Horror Story and was sent to the fan by the show's team.

Monsters, what do you think of the costume? Let us know in the comments below!

Sarah Paulson has dropped some hints about the plot of American Horror Story: Hotel, and if her words are anything to go by, we're in for another insane season! During an interview with E! News, the Emmy-nominated actress played a game called "Two Truths and a Lie," in which she had to give three statements, two true and one false, about what happens in Hotel. Here's what she said...

1. Sally is actually a man
2. The Hotel Cortez doesn't actually exist
3. Miss Evers is Sally's mother

Watch: 'American Horror Story: Hotel' season premiere

Monsters, which statements do you think are true, and which one is the lie? Share your guess in the comments below!

Hot Topic is launching an American Horror Story-inspired fashion collection just in time for Halloween and the premiere of the show's new season starring Lady Gaga. The limited-edition line includes items inspired by each season of the franchise, including a Murder Housemaid dress, an Asylum doctor dress, a Coven t-shirt, a Freak Showdress, and a Bellhop dress from the upcoming season, Hotel.

Click here to shop the collection now!

Sarah Paulson is a massive Lady Gaga fan, but the Emmy-nominated American Horror Story star says she needs to tone it down before she begins working with the pop star.

"I am just such a super fan," she told Deadline. "I need to tone it down. I need to start playing it really cool. We all know that everybody who likes somebody, that they have to play a little hard to get. I'm just like a dog in a window panting, waiting to be around her. It’s just really pathetic. It's really just because I'm in awe of her talent and I really think she's going to be an incredible addition to the show. I just think she's a perfect fit."

Sarah and Gaga met on the set of American Horror Story: Hotel last week but haven't filmed any scenes together yet.

Hotel begins airing on October 7th on FX.

Sarah Paulson says Lady Gaga is an "enormous gift" to the new season of American Horror Sotry. The Emmy-nominated actress sat down with LA Times' Yvonne Villarreal for a chat about the show during which she also spoke about working with Gaga and sharing a special moment with the pop star.

"I had a really lovely encounter with her yesterday where I couldn't figure out where to park my car," Paulson recalled. The actress turned to producer Brad Falchuk for help because she was confused whether she was on the set of American Horror Story or American Crime Story -- without realizing he was talking to none other but Mother Monster herself.

"This vision in a turban in this outfit was like, 'Hiiiii!' and she came running towards the car," she continued. "I was so excited that I forgot to put my car in park and my car just started to keep going. And she just thought that was the funniest thing ever, which it was. Then I got out and we had a lovely chat."

"I love Lady Gaga," Paulson added. "I think she is really an enormous gift to the show. I think she fits so right in. It's exactly where she belongs. This story that's being told is a perfect marriage."

American Horror Story: Hotel begins airing on October 7th on FX.

Update: Click here to read the full POPULOVE interview with Breedlove and Chew FU! 

Lady Gaga's close friend Breedlove says his favorite Gaga song is one we haven't heard yet.

Our friends at POPULOVE sat down for an interview with the New York City performance artist and his collaborator Chew Fu ahead of the release of their new music video for "Sex O'Clock." When asked what his favorite Lady Gaga song was, Breedlove replied simply: "You haven't heard it yet and I'm sworn to secrecy."

Chew Fu, who has worked Gaga on many official remixes, including the "LoveGame" mix featuring Marilyn Manson, added that she is among his favorite collaborators ever. "I love remixing for Gaga because she writes amazing pop songs, there's always such a breadth of musicality, and she's a super 'hands on' artist to work for," he said. "A lot of artists nowadays take a step back and let their label handle everything, but that's not the case with her."

Breedlove and Chew Fu's latest album Magic Monday is available now.

British actress and supermodel Naomi Campbell is the latest star to join the already impressive cast of the upcoming season of American Horror Story: Hotel, TVLine reports exclusively. Campbell, who starts filming next week, plays a fashion editor and will share scenes with Lady Gaga and Angela Bassett.

In a recent interview, the creator of the show Ryan Murphy revealed that Lady Gaga's part on the show is "bananas good" but there will be no singing. "People, keep saying to me, 'What numbers are they singing, what numbers are they singing,' and I say there will be no numbers," Murphy said."I think that's why Gaga was excited about it; it's not something that she's ever done before. It's a pure acting part. I think people expect that she's going to be sitting in a bar in a white silk gown sort of singing songs — she is not."

American Horror Story: Hotel began filming last week in Los Angeles and will air in October.

Acclaimed American music historian Ted Gioia, author of best-selling books Jazz Standards: A Guide to the Repertoire and History of Jazz, has shared his thoughts on Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett's latest collaboration Cheek to Cheek in a comment to The Washington Post.

"There is a cynical feeling in the jazz community that when a major star in popular music embraces jazz, it's because they're on the downside of their career and they're reaching for some gimmick to reestablish themselves," he said. "That's definitely not true with this Lady Gaga album, and it's definitely not true with the Bob Dylan album. Those are great artistic works. But probably more often than not, when you see a pop star embracing jazz, you should run for the hills."

Gioia continued: "It's a test of musicianship, because when you sing these old songs, you invite comparison with people who sang them in the past. So if Lady Gaga sings a standard, she's immediately compared to Frank Sinatra or Billie Holiday or Ella Fitzgerald and that brings with it great risk. It brings with with it tremendous risk. I commend Lady Gaga for taking on that risk and I also praise her for pulling it off. I think she shows considerable talent as a jazz singer. I don't think many pop megastars of her generation could withstand the scrutiny of singing these songs live in concert, without Auto-Tune, sharing a stage with Tony Bennett and pull it off. Quite extraordinary."

Read the full article, titled "Why do pop singers like Lady Gaga keep releasing jazz albums? The upsides are tremendous" at washingtonpost.com.

Russian-German DJ and music producer Zedd, who worked on several tracks on Lady Gaga's 2013 album ARTPOP, says she helped him score a record deal with Interscope Records.

Zedd, born Anton Zaslavski, revealed that a demo of a song called "Addicted to a Memory" got into the hands of Gaga, who was so impressed with the track that she called the young DJ to work on her album and helped him land a deal with her label home, Interscope Records.

"She said she wanted me to produce her album and she called Jimmy Iovine and said, 'You have to sign this kid,'" Zedd recalled. "So Jimmy signed me because Gaga called him."

"Addicted to a Memory" is featured on Zedd's latest album True Colors, available now.

Pop superstars Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift had a cute Twitter exchange in which Taylor confirmed what we already knew all along: Mother Monster has magical powers.

It all started in March when Taylor tweeted: "Is it just me or is Lady Gaga, like, fully living right now? #goals," referring to Gaga's engagement with Taylor Kinney, to which she replied: "Wow you're a sweetheart! Life is friends, family, and love! We all see that in you, your prince charming will come!"

Her prince charming did come in the form of Scottish DJ Calvin Harris, who says he is "insanely happy" with their relationship and it’s going "absolutely fantastic." Last month, Forbes magazine crowned them as the most powerful couple in music business.

Today, Taylor took to her Twitter account to confirm that she reached her relationship goals thanks to Gaga's magical powers. "Go read Gaga's tweet that she sent me a few months ago. It's good love luck. Because it's not a tweet. It's a magical spell," she joked.

Gaga and Taylor first met at the 2013 American Music Awards. "I can't say anything bad about her," Gaga told Howard Stern. "What she doesn't know is, her and I were sitting next to each other and she goes, 'Oh my God! I love ARTPOP. I love 'Applause,' and it's my favorite song.'"

She continued: "I was thinking, 'Yeah, yeah, yeah. This chick is full of s--t.' But then my buddy called me, Brandon, who's my stylist, and she was doing a shoot and he was styling her… He goes, 'Taylor Swift is in here blasting ARTPOP so loud, and she is dancing and she's posing.' I thought to myself, 'I like this girl.' You know why? Because she said the same thing to my face that she said behind my back."

In her relatively short career, Lady Gaga managed to build a strong relationship with her fans and achieve a tremendous amount of success with her five albums, each different from one another. Our reader Stephen Rosado decided to create a powerful video which highlights some of the most important and memorable moments of Gaga's career and the result is fantastic.

"I've been a Lady Gaga fan for over six years," Stephen told Gaga Daily. "As a filmmaker, I wanted to create something that would illustrate the creative, relentless spirit she's had throughout her career. With this video, I aimed to capture the essence of every album period in a quick, accessible way. It's 5 eras in 5 minutes!"

What did you think of the video? Sound off in the comments below!

Legendary producer Quincy Jones has praised Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett after their performance at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland. The 27-time Grammy Award winner took the stage to introduce the Cheek to Cheek duo that had "blown his mind" and later shared kind words about their show in a Facebook post.

"I loved seeing my 60+ year friend, Tony Bennett performing some of the best songs of all-time with Lady Gaga," Jones wrote. "Tony still has his vocal chops (and range!) and it's such a strong statement for a superstar from the 'bling' generation to make this type of career move. I applaud her and hope that her support of Jazz and these songs leads her young fans to find out and research what this music is all about. Bravo guys!"

Quincy Jones was not the only one who praised Lady Gaga and Mr. Bennett's set at Montreux — the two-hour show received rave reviews from local media and fans alike.

Many thanks to our reader Agustin for the video!

Matt Bomer, who will be starring alongside Lady Gaga in the upcoming season of American Horror Story, says Mother Monster's character on the show is "fresh and original."

"I am so excited to be a part of the season again," the actor told Inquirer.net while promoting his latest movie Magic Mike XXL. "It's a wild ride. Most of my story line in the beginning is with Lady Gaga which I am excited about. She's such a brilliant artist. I know she's going to bring a lot of incredible things to the table. Just the character that they have created for her is spot-on. There's so much for her to play with."

He continued, "I love collaborating with Ryan because I've been on television for 15 years. It takes a lot to inspire me. Any time I work with Ryan, he's always bringing something to the table that is fresh and interesting. I can't go into details but even the take they have on my character and Lady Gaga's is so fresh and original. I hadn't even thought about it that way before."

American Horror Story: Hotel begins filming next week in California.

Related: Ryan Murphy says Lady Gaga's part on American Horror story is 'bananas good'

Lady Gaga's hit single "Born This Way" has been featured in the upcoming animated movie Hotel Transylvania 2, which opens in theaters on September 25. Watch the newly-released trailer below...

It is rumored that "Born This Way" was suggested by Selena Gomez, who plays a key character in the film. The singer also previously revealed that her new music will be inspired by Lady Gaga's album of the same title.

Update: The game is out now! Click here to purchase it.

Lady Gaga's smash hit single "Born This Way" has been included in the brand new video game Just Dance 2016, which is scheduled for an October release.

"For this new Just Dance we are very proud and excited to work on 'Born This Way' which is a huge song," said the game's creative directors. "We worked on different 3D camera movements to bring the players a new perspective on the space and on the dancer. The costume is inspired by Cabaret Codes, and the dancer performed with a huge crew of dancers just behind her, and it's never seen before in Just Dance!"

Watch a sneak peek below...

Just Dance 2016 is set to be released on October 20th in the U.S.