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Lady Gaga's Monster Ball Now Available on DVD

Check out Gaga's psychedelic excess on 'Lady Gaga Presents the Monster Ball at Madison Square Garden'

Lady Gaga performs at Madison Square Garden on February 21, 2011 in New York, New York.
Kevin Mazur/WireImage
January 19, 2012

With nearly as many costume changes, dance routines and self-empowerment speeches as songs, everything about this New York gig from last February pushes the envelope of what's too much, and therein lies Lady Gaga's genius. Gaga plays gothic keyboards under the hood of what resembles a radioactive Hummer, dons a nun's cornet with a see-through plastic dress and sweetly sings "Paparazzi" while fighting back a giant anglerfish with her spark-spewing boobs – critiquing the pseudo-religious excess of celebrity/consumer culture while worshipping it with psychedelic gusto.

This story is from the Januray 19th, 2012 issue of Rolling Stone.

To read the new issue of Rolling Stone online, plus the entire RS archive: Click Here

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Song Stories

“Youth Knows No Pain”

Lykke Li | 2011

“Like on 'Youth Knows No Pain' — we are the ones that should demonstrate, because we can take it,” Likke Li said. “We can pierce ourselves, take Ecstasy, dance all night and still go to work at our McDonald's jobs.” Despite the hedonistic sentiment in the song, the Swedish singer also admitted in hindsight her youth had repercussions. “I remember when I was 18-19 and feeling that I know it all,” Li said. “I always feel that I know it all. But that song is about realizing you don’t, and reflecting, ‘Boy, if I only knew what would follow.’”

More Song Stories entries »