Lady Gaga has opened up about the disappointing reception of Joker: Folie à Deux, in which she portrays Harley "Lee" Quinzel.
The highly anticipated sequel to Joker (2019) came with high expectations, but its 2024 release failed both commercially and critically.
In an interview with ELLE, the 38-year-old pop star acknowledged that audiences didn’t embrace the film, something she sees as a natural part of artistic life.
"Sometimes, people just don’t connect with certain things. It’s that simple. Being an artist means accepting that the audience won’t always resonate with your work, no matter how much you want them to. But you keep going."
Despite the disappointment, Gaga managed to find a silver lining in the experience:
"When the fear of failure enters your life, it can be difficult to control. But it’s part of the chaos."
Fittingly, “Mayhem” (Chaos) is also the title of her upcoming seventh studio album, set for release on March 7.
In a recent announcement, Gaga revealed that the creative process behind Mayhem began as a way for her to confront her fear of returning to pop music, the genre that originally defined her career.
"This album started as a process where I had to face my fear of returning to the music that my earliest fans loved," she said.
Describing her artistic journey, she added:
"It’s like piecing together a broken mirror: even if you can’t make it perfect again, you can still create something beautiful and whole in its own unique way."
Fans won’t have to wait long to hear new music from Gaga—her first single from Mayhem will debut this Sunday night during a commercial break at the 2025 Grammy Awards.