23-year-old singer Lady Gaga, real name Stefani Germanotta, is known for her eccentric clothing and preference to wearing underwear in public. But in a new interview, the flamboyant singer proves she's a living contradiction as she insists she's 'quite the lady', reports The Mail, London.
Lady Gaga makes the declaration in a revealing new interview with Q magazine, which sees the pop star posing topless.
Lady Gaga poses in little but a pair of spiky trousers and metal chains around her neck in the new issue of Q magazine
The Poker Face star poses in little but a pair of spiky black trousers and metal chains around her neck in the simple shoot, which took place last December, just weeks before Gaga was diagnosed with 'exhaustion'.
Despite regularly flashing the flesh on stage, Gaga says she's more traditional than people realise.
She said: 'Well, I believe in certain institutions: cooking, serving dinner, taking care of my family. So I consider myself quite the lady.'
Signs of stress were clearly visible during the interview and photoshoot, which abruptly ended after Gaga broke down in tears.
She was advised to postpone a concert in West Lafayette, Indiana, on January 15 on doctor's orders.
Gaga's exhaustion, which led to a concert being cancelled in Indiana, was already in evidence during the interview
The singer was suffering breathing problems just moments before she was due to take the stage and was advised to take several days off.
At the time, she apologised on her Twitter micro-blogging site: 'I've been crying for hours, I feel like I let my fans down tonight. An hour before the show, I was feeling dizzy and having trouble breathing.'
'I can't apologise enough for how sorry I am... My stage has complicated mechanical elements, everyone was concerned I'd be in danger during the two hour show, since I had passed out earlier. I am so devastated.'
The journalist writing the accompanying interview confirms reports that Gaga broke down during the interview, which took place a few weeks before she cancelled the gig in Indiana due to 'exhaustion'.
Sylvia Patterson wrote: 'Over the next three hours, the shoot slowly but painfully begins to unravel as various technical conundrums arise...
Lady Gaga shows off her toned figure as she poses with some Edward Scissorhands-style PVC gloves
'Gaga is perplexed, convinced the lighting makes "my eyes look dead" or accentuates her "weak chin"...
'"Listen to what I'm saying," declares Gaga, more forthright and uncompromising than global pop entities than global pop entities twice her age. "I just don't like the photo."
'Soon her invincible demeanour dissolves. "I'm stressed..." She retreats to her dressing room, only to mere minutes later in tears and wearing enormous shades...
'She says she has to leave and hopes the shoot can be rescheduled. "I'm just not in a good place right now."'
In the Q magazine interview, Gaga admitted she had many emotional battles with her record label over her individual style.
She said: 'The last thing a young woman needs is another picture of a sexy pop star writhing in sand, covered in grease, touching herself. My image was an issue at my record label. I fought for months and cried at meetings. I got criticised for being arrogant because if you're sure of yourself as a woman they say you're a bitch whereas if you're a man and you're strong-willed it's normal.'
