Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta (born March 28, 1986), better known by her stage name
Lady Gaga, is an American pop singer-songwriter. She signed with Streamline Records, an imprint of Interscope Records. During her early time at Interscope, she worked as a songwriter for fellow label artists and captured the attention of recording artist
Akon who, recognizing her vocal abilities, signed her to his own label, Kon Live Distribution.
Gaga came to prominence following the release of her debut studio album
The Fame (2008) - "Just Dance" and "Poker Face". Achieving similar worldwide success,
The Fame Monster (2009), its follow-up, produced a further three global chart-topping singles "Bad Romance", "Telephone" and "Alejandro" and allowed her to embark on her second global concert tour,
The Monster Ball Tour, just months after having finished her first, The Fame Ball Tour. Her second studio album
Born This Way (2011) its singles "Born This Way", "Judas" and "The Edge of Glory".
Inspired by glam rock singers like
David Bowie and
Freddie Mercury, as well as dance-pop artists such as
Madonna and
Michael Jackson, Gaga is well-recognized for her outre and ever-changing sense of style in music, in fashion, in performance and in her music videos. Her contributions to the music industry have accrued her numerous achievements including five Grammy Awards, among twelve nominations; two Guinness World Records; and the estimated sale of 13 million albums and 51 million singles, making her one of the best-selling music artists worldwide. Billboard named her the Artist of the Year in 2010, ranking her as the 73rd Artist of the 2000s decade. Gaga has been included in the Time 100 list of the most influential people in the world as well as being listed in a number of Forbes' annual lists.