Lady Gaga: Glory

Defining her is a challenge, and that precisely aligns with Gaga's intent. Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta set out to reinvent herself as an outrageous icon. It began with Italian Catholic New York City roots and expanded into glam pop, electronic rock, burlesque, and even jazz alongside nonagenarian crooner, Tony Bennett. Piano lessons began at age four, teaching her to create music by ear. She landed lead roles in high school standard Broadway show productions, then open mic nights at downtown clubs and a year and a half of formal training at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. A rape at age nineteen slowed the mission but did not stop it, guiding her toward over 200 million combined album and song sales. No wonder that Gaga's fans call her Monster Mother. An outrageous fashion sense has wrought costumes made of plastic bubbles and raw meat. While elaborate videos and spectacular stage sets are the norm.