Lady Gaga has enough money to keep making music her way for the rest of her life. Last year alone she hauled in $80 million.
Yet during her keynote address at SXSW earlier today she vowed that if she isn’t allowed to create on her terms she will quit the music business.
I refuse to compromise and allow my talents to be monetized to the point that I don’t want to be here anymore,” she said. “I will stop, I will quit, I will retire from the commercial market if I have to do something other than be myself because if I can’t be myself in this moment than everything I have said to my friends since the beginning will be a total lie. Then what? I’ll be myself until I have to make money to sustain a luxurious lifestyle, and then I change, right? No, I’ll be myself till they (expletive) close the coffin so that you can all be yourselves.
Lady Gaga, who allowed herself to be vomited on during last night’s SXSW performance, also complained that her handlers demand she show more of her beauty, not just her art.
That’s the thing that poisoned me … (people saying) ‘We want you to be beautiful’ over and over and over in my head until I just wanted to look ugly all the time because I’m rebellious,” Lady Gaga said. “Don’t tell me not to do anything because it’s going to happen. That really crushed me. I’ve won Grammys now. I’ve written albums. I’ve toured the world four times. You’re telling me to be beautiful? That’s what this is all about? Is it all about tits and a–? That’s so sad.
The performer spent part of her SXSW set donning a black bikini. She also has posed nude for several magazines.