Freak Out: Lady Gaga Set Has Been Added as a VMAs Performer

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Lady Gaga has been added to the lineup of performers for the VMAs on Aug. 30.
The superstar announced the news on social media Thursday (Aug. 13).

MTV didn’t reveal what song(s) Gaga will perform, other than to say that she
“will bring her chart-topping album, Chromatica, to life” and that it will be
“the world premiere televised performance of her latest release.”

It will be Gaga’s fourth VMAs performance; her first since she opened the
2013 telecast with “Applause." Gaga also performed on the VMAs in 2011
(teaming with Brian May for "Yoü and I") and 2009 (performing “Poker Face”
and “Paparazzi”).

Previously-announced performers are BTS, Doja Cat, J Balvin, The Weeknd,
Roddy Ricch, Maluma and CNCO. Keke Palmer is set to host the show.

Gaga is tied with Ariana Grande for the most nominations this year -- nine
each.

Gaga has won 13 VMAs -- a total topped by just two artists in VMAs history:
Beyoncé with 24 and Madonna with 20. Gaga’s video for “Bad Romance” won seven
awards at the 2010 show, including video of the year. Only one other video
has won seven or more awards. Peter Gabriel’s “Sledgehammer” won nine awards
at the 1987 show.

Gaga is coming back to the VMAs on a career high. She won an Oscar for best
original song for “Shallow” from A Star Is Born in early 2019. She was also
nominated for best actress. Her current album, Chromatica, entered the
Billboard 200 at No. 1, her sixth album to top that chart. “Rain on Me,” her
collab with Grande, entered the Hot 100 at No. 1, allowing Gaga to set a new
record for the longest span of No. 1-debuting singles. It was nine years,
three months and one week since she opened in the top spot with “Born This
Way.”

Seven of Gaga’s VMA nods this year are for “Rain on Me.” She is also
nominated for artist of the year and in the new best quarantine performance
category for her cover of the pop standard “Smile” from One World: Together
at Home, which aired in syndication on April 18.

Gaga’s VMAs performance could boost Chromatica’s chances of landing a Grammy
nomination for album of the year. Gaga was nominated for the top Grammy for
The Fame (2009), The Fame Monster (2010) and Born This Way (2011).

Fans can vote for their favorites across 15 gender-neutral categories,
including video of the year and artist of the year through Aug. 23 at
vma.mtv.com. Voting for PUSH best new artist presented by Chime Banking will
remain open until the show is on the air.

--
"It took a worldwide pandemic. It took a 35% plunge in the stock
market. It took quarantining. It took many small businesses closing. It
took canceling practically everything, to bring the USA economy back to
the Obama high mark."