I don't see myself in terms of artifice. I see myself as a real person who chooses to live my life in an open way - artistically.

Akon is a very talented songwriter to work with. His melodies, they're just insane. It's funny, I think about him a lot when I'm doing my melodies because he's so simple, and he's just been great. He keeps me on my feet, very grounded, but he also puts me on a silver platter, which is always very nice. So it's been an incredible influence. It's like every time you work with somebody that's better that you are, you become greater.

I want women -- and men -- to feel empowered by a deeper and more psychotic part of themselves. The part they're always trying desperately to hide. I want that to become something that they cherish.

It has been hard for me to find it, but I have found love.

I've been actually really very pleased to see how much awareness was raised around bullying, and how deeply it affects everyone. You know, you don't have to be the loser kid in high school to be bullied. Bullying and being picked on comes in so many different forms.

Well my music was different in high school; I was singing about love—you know, things I don't care about anymore.

Lady Gaga is my name. If you know me, and you call me Stefani, you don't really know me at all.