She lives for the applause: how Lady Gaga has maintained popularity

She lives for the applause: how Lady Gaga has maintained popularity

Pop star Lady Gaga returns to Australia for her much-anticipated The Mayhem Ball tour. She will perform five concerts in three cities, beginning in Melbourne on Friday 5 December. An RMIT expert explains how the performer’s vulnerability keeps her relevant with fans.

Dr Kat Nelligan, Lecturer, Popular Culture and Music Industry  

"Lady Gaga harkens back to her gothic synth-pop sound and the dark theatricality of her early career with her upcoming Mayhem Ball, and this excites fans.  

"But what really shapes Gaga’s enduring relevance - or, as I would call it, her legacy - is her unwavering connection with her fans.  

"This connection is shaped by the way Gaga encourages them to love and accept themselves, and to be courageously proud of who they are. She positions herself not as someone distant from her fans but as one of them - someone who has also experienced bullying while feeling different and misunderstood.  

"Gaga established these values very early on in her career through the Born This Way album and has maintained consistency with this messaging for more than two decades. In fact, Gaga has only become more outspoken on youth mental health while making herself vulnerable by being open about her own mental health issues.  

"So, instead of feeling like Gaga was an untouchable, unreachable pop star, she made her fans feel close to her. They feel seen, understood and trust her – and trust is key to any successful brand."

Dr Kat Nelligan is a proud Gamilaraay woman, songwriter / music producer, and Lecturer in Music Industry / Popular Culture at RMIT University. She is also the author of Brand Lady Gaga. Her work focuses on storytelling in music; music as a form of Indigenous resistance; and stardom and music branding. 

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General media enquiries: RMIT External Affairs and Media, 0439 704 077 or news@rmit.edu.au

03 December 2025

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