Paparazzi

Lady Gaga released "Paparazzi" as the fifth single from her debut album The Fame in 2008, via Interscope Records. Co-written and co-produced with Rob Fusari, the song is an uptempo techno-pop and dance-pop ballad that explores the dark side of fame, with lyrics about a stalker willing to do anything for attention. The track runs for 3 minutes and 28 seconds and sits as the fifth song on the album's standard edition.

The music video, directed by Jonas Åkerlund, premiered on May 29, 2009. It stars Alexander Skarsgård as Gaga's boyfriend and depicts her as a starlet hunted by paparazzi, who is pushed off a balcony and survives to exact revenge. The video won two MTV Video Music Awards in 2009 for Best Art Direction and Best Special Effects. Gaga performed "Paparazzi" at the 2009 VMAs in a theatrical piece that ended with her hanging bloodied from a rafter, later nominated for the VMAs' Most Iconic Performance in 2024. The song reached the top ten in multiple countries, including number one in the Czech Republic, Germany, and Scotland.[edit]