Lady Gaga Reveals Cover Art for Upcoming Single “Applause”

Well, this is definitely a different look than the last time Lady Gaga shared a photo.

Mother Monster is back, and she's revealed the cover art for her new single "Applause," the first track off of her forthcoming third studio album ARTPOP, hitting stores Nov. 11.

Shot by Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin, the photograph is a colorful and theatrical snapshot of the singer, with her rainbow makeup smeared across her face from the tears.

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However, unlike the emotional display on the cover art, Gaga tells Women's Wear Daily (who first reported the story) that the music "is very fun. And that it's full of happiness, because what I'm saying in the song essentially is that I live for the applause.

"I live for the way you cheer and scream for me. Give me that thing that I love. Put your hands up, make them touch."

Are those lyrics? Possibly. We'll know for sure when the single is released on Aug. 19.

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Gaga wrote "Applause" with DJ White Shadow, someone she's collaborated with for five years now.

"In my heart of hearts as I was writing, I knew that if I asked [the fans] to cheer for me before I sang or if I alluded to the fact that they would cheer for me before I sang....They do that all the time for me; before I even open my mouth, the fans start cheering for me.

"And so this exclamation, 'Give me that thing that I love. Give it to me. I'm ready, start the music.' I'm from New York. I've worked since I was a five-year-old to be a performer. All my life. I deserve to be here. I'm ready."

And we're ready to enjoy it.

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