Lady Gaga explains 'Applause,' distinguishes artists from celebrities

1/38

Lady Gaga visits the Elvis Duran Z100 Morning Show at Z100 Studio on Nov. 8, 2013, in New York City. (Jamie McCarthy / Getty Images)

2/38

Lady Gaga attends the YouTube Music Awards 2013 on Nov. 3, 2013, in New York City. (Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images)

3/38

Lady Gaga arrives for a presentation of her latest album, “Artpop,” at a fan event at the Berghain club in Berlin on Oct. 24, 2013. (Markus Schreiber / Associated Press)

4/38

Lady Gaga wears an extraordinary costume in Berlin on Oct. 24, 2013. (Ole Spata / Associated Press)

5/38

Lady Gaga speaks at the Daily Front Row’s Fashion Media Awards in New York City. (D Dipasupil / Getty Images)

6/38

Lady Gaga wears a Prabal Gurung dress on the red carpet for the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards at the Barclays Center on Aug. 25, 2013. (Larry Busacca / Getty Images for MTV)

7/38

Lady Gaga performs during the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards at the Barclays Center on Aug. 25, 2013, in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. (Rick Diamond / Getty Images for MTV)

8/38

Lady Gaga talks with “The Morning Mashup Live” on SiriusXM Hits 1 at SiriusXM Studio on Aug. 19, 2013, in New York City. (Jamie McCarthy / Getty Images for SiriusXM)

9/38

Lady Gaga arrives at the Versace atelier in Milan, Italy, on Oct. 1, 2012. On Dec. 20, 2012, the singer announced that the Born Brave Bus Tour will tailgate outside her upcoming U.S. concerts and provide a space for 13- to 25-year-olds to learn more about local resources on anti-bullying, suicide prevention and mental health services. Her foundation focuses on youth empowerment and self-confidence. (Luca Bruno / Associated Press)

10/38

Lady Gaga spent Thanksgiving Day 2012 in Lima, Peru, with a group of 45 victims of sexual abuse. She held a concert in Lima as part of her Latin American tour and also gave food to the girls at the Caritas Felices (Happy Faces) Center. (RPP Noticias / EPA)

11/38

Lady Gaga joins Mick Jagger, center, and Ronnie Wood of the Rolling Stones on stage at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., on Dec. 15, 2012. (Evan Agostini / Associated Press)

12/38

Lady Gaga performs on the catwalk for the Philip Treacy show on Sept. 16, 2012, during London Fashion Week 2013 at the Royal Courts of Justice in London. (Gareth Cattermole / Getty Images)

13/38

Lady Gaga arrives at Vilnius airport in Lithuania on Aug. 20, 2012, where she held a concert as part of her European tour. (Mindaugas Kulbis / Associated Press)

14/38

Lady Gaga at the 54th annual Grammy Awards on Feb. 12, 2012, at Staples Center in Los Angeles. She was nominated for three Grammys but did not win in any of the categories. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

15/38

Lady Gaga prepares to start the ball drop in New York City’s Times Square during the New Year’s Eve celebration on Dec. 31, 2011. (Charles Sykes / Associated Press)

16/38

Lady Gaga attends the “Lady Gaga x Terry Richardson” book launch party at the New Museum on Nov. 22, 2011, in New York City. (Stephen Lovekin / Getty Images)

17/38

Lady Gaga performs at the MTV European Music Awards on Nov. 6, 2011, in Belfast, Northern Ireland. (Joel Ryan / Associated Press)

18/38

Lady Gaga shows a new two-tone hairstyle as she leaves her hotel and is besieged by screaming fans in Sydney, Australia, on July 12, 2011. She was in town to play a one-night show in Sydney’s Town Hall on July 13. (Dean Lewins / EPA)

19/38

Lady Gaga attends a press conference in Taipei on July 4, 2011. She visited Taiwan for five days to promote her album “Born This Way.” (Chiang Yingying / Associated Press)

20/38

Lady Gaga performs at Radio 1’s Big Weekend 2011 at Carlisle Airport on May 15, 2011, in Carlisle, England. (Dave Hogan / Getty Images)

21/38

Lady Gaga’s stylist Nicola Formichetti, Lady Gaga and Sebastian Peigne (the women’s designer for Thierry Mugler) walk the runway during the Thierry Mugler Ready to Wear Autumn/Winter 2011/2012 show during Paris Fashion Week on March 2, 2011, in Paris. Formichetti is at the helm of the newly revived Thierry Mugler brand. (Francois Durand / Getty Images)

22/38

Lady Gaga emerges from her egg casing onstage during her performance at the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards on Feb. 13, 2011. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

23/38

Lady Gaga arrives enclosed in an egg at the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards on Feb. 13, 2011, at Staples Center in Los Angeles. (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

24/38

Lady Gaga walks backstage wearing a dress made of meat after accepting the award for video of the year for “Bad Romance” at the MTV Video Music Awards in Los Angeles on Sept. 12, 2010. The dress has made its way to Washington along with other relics from music history and was displayed at the National Museum of Women in the Arts with an explanation of her political message. (Matt Sayles / Associated Press)

25/38

Lady Gaga accepts the award for best pop video for “Bad Romance” at the MTV Video Music Awards on Sept. 12, 2010. (Matt Sayles / Associated Press)

26/38

Lady Gaga arrives at the MTV Video Music Awards on Sept. 12, 2010, at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles. (Robyn Beck / AFP / Getty Images)

27/38

Lady Gaga arrives at the Brit Awards 2010 at the Earl’s Court Exhibition Centre in London on Feb. 16, 2010. Her Brit Awards, the British equivalent of the Grammys, include international female solo artist, international breakthrough act and best international album for “The Fame.” (Alastair Grant / Associated Press)

28/38

Lady Gaga performs as part of Lollapalooza on Aug. 6, 2010, at Grant Park in Chicago. (Tim Mosenfelder / Getty Images)

29/38

Lady Gaga performs during the Rainforest Fund’s 21st Birthday Celebration benefit concert at Carnegie Hall in New York on May 13, 2010. (Jason DeCrow / Associated Press)

30/38

Lady Gaga performs at the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards on Jan. 31, 2010. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

31/38

Lady Gaga in the photo room at the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards on Jan. 31, 2010. She took home two Grammys that night for best dance recording (“Poker Face”) and best electronic/dance album (“The Fame”). (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)

32/38

Lady Gaga on the red carpet for the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards on Jan. 31, 2010. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

33/38

Lady Gaga performs at the Museum of Contemporary Art’s 30th anniversary gala in Los Angeles on Nov. 14, 2009. (Dan Steinberg / Associated Press)

34/38

Lady Gaga performs in Boston on Dec. 2, 2009, the night she received five Grammy nominations. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

35/38

Lady Gaga strikes a pose at a press conference announcing Heartbeats by Lady Gaga, the latest addition to the Beats by Dr. Dre family of headphones, in New York on Sept. 30, 2009. (Peter Kramer / Associated Press)

36/38

Lady Gaga performs at the Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, in Glastonbury, Britain. (Jonathan Brady / EPA)

37/38

Lady Gaga, photographed in Boston in 2009. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

38/38

Lady Gaga, at the MTV Studios in New York City in 2008, confirmed on Twitter she is collaborating with Tony Bennett on a jazz album. (Peter Kramer / Associated Press)

By Nardine Saad

Sept. 18, 2013 4:48 PM PT

Lady Gaga just gave a Twitter dissertation about what her latest single “Applause” really means to her as both an artist and a celebrity.

The theatrical singer, real name Stefani Germanotta, released the single Aug. 13 and performed it at the MTV Video Music Awards last month. She’s been doing the rounds promoting the Nov. 11 release of her latest album, “Artpop,” on which she emphasizes the importance of art in her work.

But the song has been getting bad press from the likes of Perez Hilton and Billboard, and perhaps Mother Monster used that feedback as a cue to explain herself Wednesday.

PHOTOS: Lady Gaga through the years

“‘Applause’ is a very meaningful song to me, because it addresses what many think of ‘celebrities’ today, that we ‘do it’ for the attention,” the singer wrote, adding, “But some of us are ‘artists’ in this group called ‘celebrity,’ & what we create doesn’t live on unless theres an audience to remember it.”

“So I may need your attention at first, so I can sing you my song. But its the ‘Applause’ after that let me know if I’ve entertained you,” she posted.

“Entertainment makes people happy, I live for the ‘Applause,’ to know I’ve spread that. I live to hear you cheer, to just be a part of that,” she added, concluding, “I believe in show business. The ‘Applause’ is what breeds that thing that I love. When I know i’ve made you happy. When I know it was good.”

It’s been quite the year for the 27-year-old, who in February had to undergo hip surgery and took a hiatus from performing until she recovered. “Artpop” comes amid stiff competition from singer Katy Perry, who recently surpassed Gaga in followers on Twitter and on the music charts.

Coincidentally, Gaga’s latest effort comes on the heels of her attempt to ramp up her single’s sinking position on the charts.

PHOTOS: 50 most beautiful female celebrities

The pop star announced a fan contest on Twitter that would award two fans who purchased the most copies of “Applause” a trip to meet her at London’s iTunes Festival, according to the Atlantic. She also linked to a page that would let fans watch the single’s music video 150 times in a row (on a playlist) in a ploy to get the song higher on Billboard’s music chart, which now counts video views in its ranking system.

The move prompted Billboard’s editorial director, Bill Werde, to tweet about the matter late last month.

“An artist tweeting out and facebooking a link that enables a fan to hit play and leave their computer is not in the spirit of what we chart,” he wrote, adding, “Tweeting that other artists game the system is like telling a cop other people were speeding. When we catch it we stop it.”

“I just hate to see anyone try to game the charts, be it fans or artists. It’s not in the spirit of what we do, celebrating success,” he added.

Gaga fans, aptly called Little Monsters, took no time responding to Werde’s words, prodding the editorial director to tweet back numerous explanations.

“Just need to keep playlisted data off chart. Gaga fans sending me threats and profanity: don’t you think this is why she deleted that link?”

He added her fans were “more or less polite,” then cleared up a few questions on the topic, point by point.

“1. It is fine to self-promote, send links to fans, etc. my objection is to playlisting. It seems some fans are unaware such a link was sent.

“2. By ‘playlisting’ I mean a link to ‘watch’ the same video 150 times: roughly 9 straight hours of the same vid.

“3. I’ve been/remain a fan of gaga’s. I have previously tweeted my affinity for Applause. None of this has anything to do w chart integrity.

“4. Im not suggesting we’ll discount credible views. I suspect (but wont know til AM) YouTube antispam tech will take care of playlisting.

“5. I believe in transparency & dialog. That’s why I discuss here before all is neatly resolved. I learned a lot from y’all tonight. Thanks.”

ALSO:

Jennifer Aniston is not pregnant, despite rumors

Brad Pitt drops by British wedding, makes bride’s day

Liam Hemsworth puts the smooch on a new girl -- Miley who?

Follow Ministry of Gossip @LATcelebs.

Lady Gaga explains ‘Applause,’ distinguishes artists from celebrities

More to Read

More From the Los Angeles Times