"Applause" is a song by American singer Lady Gaga from her third studio album, Artpop (2013). It was released as the album's lead single through Interscope Records on August 12, 2013. Written and produced by Gaga, DJ White Shadow, Dino Zisis and Nick Monson, additional songwriters included Martin Bresso, Nicolas Mercier, Julien Arias and William Grigahcine. "Applause" was inspired by the cheering of her fans, which kept her motivated during the months she toured with the Born This Way Ball in pain, before cancelling it due to a hip injury, and pays respect to the art of performance. It is an electropop, dance-pop and Eurodance song built around synthesizers and hi-NRG beats, with lyrics addressing how Gaga is dependent upon her fans' adoration and how she lives to perform.
The song received generally positive reviews from music critics, who felt its chorus was catchy and favorably compared it to the material featured on Gaga's debut album, The Fame (2008). "Applause" achieved commercial success in a number of nations, topping the charts in Hungary, Lebanon, South Korea, and Spain while peaking within the top 10 in Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Scotland, the United Kingdom, and the United States as well as the top 20 in Australia, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Slovakia, and Sweden. It was also certified multi-platinum in Canada, Sweden, the United States, and Venezuela.
An accompanying music video directed by fashion photography duo Inez and Vinoodh was released on August 19, 2013, and broadcast on jumbotrons across Times Square. The video received positive reviews from critics, who saw it as a profile of Gaga herself and noted references to German Expressionist cinema and Andy Warhol. To promote the record, Gaga opened the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards with a performance of the song in which she represented her career through several on-stage wardrobe changes. She also performed it live on Good Morning America, Saturday Night Live, her tours ArtRave: The Artpop Ball and the Joanne World Tour, and residency shows Lady Gaga Live at Roseland Ballroom and Enigma.
Last Updated: June 12, 2021
