"Applause" is a song written by Lady Gaga and produced by DJ White Shadow in 2012. The song served as the lead single from her fourth studio album ARTPOP. It was originally intended to be released in August 19, 2013, but was rush released on 12 August, 2013 after some snippets of the song were leaked online.
Background
Gaga first revealed the title of the song in November of 2012 through Little Monsters: "I Live for the APPLAUSE". She tweeted on January 4, 2013 part of the lyrics: "If only Fame came in IV form could I bare being away from you. I live for the way that you cheer and scream for me. The Applause."
On July 24, 2013, Gaga posted via Little Monsters hand written lyrics with a visual for the song. The lyrics were slightly reworked from the first version revealed a year before. She explained that she documented the creation of the ARTPOP project in a series of notes and books filled with visual ideas and sketches.
When asked about the song, DJ White Shadow explained that it was written in 2012 and that Gaga was in pain due to her undiagnosed broken hip and labral tear while writing the song. When asked about the creation of the song, Gaga confirmed that she was in a lot of pain during the last weeks of the tour and that thanks to the applause of her fans, she was able to drown out the pain and finish the show.
At the time, they didn't know which song would be the lead single for ARTPOP. It was after she took some time off in 2013, that they revisited the song and selected it as the first single. He also revealed that he recorded the "screaming fans" heard on the track during one of the Born This Way Ball dates.
Composition
Applause has been pinned to the electropop and Eurodance music genres, with vocals reminiscent to those of Annie Lennox and David Bowie. Written in the key of G minor, the song follows a chord progression of Gm-F-Eb-Cm-F-Gm and has a tempo of 140 beats per minute. Gaga's vocals span from a low note of F3 to a high note of A5, covering nearly two and a half octaves.
Performances
The song was first performed at the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards.
| Dates | Location | City | 
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| 2013 | |||
| Sep 1 | iTunes Festival | London | 
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| Sep 7 | Le Poisson Rouge | New York City | 
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| Nov 10 | artRave | Brooklyn, NY | |
| 2014 | |||
| Mar 13 | South by Southwest (SXSW) | Austin, TX |
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| Dates | Location | Channel |
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|---|
| 2013 | |||
| Aug 25 | MTV Video Music Awards | MTV |
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| Sep 9 | Good Morning America | ABC | |
| Nov 16 | Saturday Night Live | NBC | |
| Nov 28 | Lady Gaga & the Muppets' Holiday Spectacular | ABC | |
| Nov 22 | SMAPxSMAP | Fuji TV | 
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| Dec 2 | Music Station | TV Asahi | |
| Dec 10 | Sukkiri!! | Nippon TV | |
| Dates | Location | Station |
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|---|
| Tour | Dates | Performances |
|---|
| Lady Gaga Live at Roseland Ballroom | Mar 28—Apr 7, 2014 | 7 |
| artRAVE: The ARTPOP Ball | N/A | N/A |
| Total of performances | 7 |
Lyrics
- See reference for more details on the release of select lyrics.
Starting on July 24, 2013, Gaga revealed part of the lyrics via posts on her social media accounts.
Album version (3:32)
I stand here waiting for you to bang the gong
To crash the critic saying, "is it right or is it wrong?"
If only fame had an IV, baby could I bare?
Being away from you, I found the vein, put it in here
I live for the applause, applause, applause
I live for the applause-plause
Live for the applause-plause
Live for the way that you cheer and scream for me
The applause, applause, applause
Give me that thing that I love
(I'll turn the lights out)
Put your hands up, make 'em touch, touch
(Make it real loud)
Give me that thing that I love
(I'll turn the lights out)
Put your hands up, make 'em touch, touch
(Make it real loud)
(A-P-P-L-A-U-S-E) Make it real loud
(A-P-P-L-A-U-S-E) Put your hands up, make 'em touch, touch
(A-P-P-L-A-U-S-E) Make it real loud
(A-P-P-L-A-U-S-E) Put your hands up, make 'em touch, touch
I've overheard your theory: nostalgia's for geeks
I guess sir, if you say so, some of us just like to read
One second I'm a Koons, then suddenly the Koons is me
Pop culture was in art, now art's in pop culture in me
I live for the applause, applause, applause
I live for the applause-plause,
Live for the applause-plause
Live for the way that you cheer and scream for me
The applause, applause, applause
Give me that thing that I love
(I'll turn the lights out)
Put your hands up, make 'em touch, touch
(Make it real loud)
Give me that thing that I love
(I'll turn the lights out)
Put your hands up, make 'em touch, touch
(Make it real loud)
(A-P-P-L-A-U-S-E) Make it real loud
(A-P-P-L-A-U-S-E) Put your hands up, make 'em touch, touch
(A-P-P-L-A-U-S-E) Make it real loud
(A-P-P-L-A-U-S-E) Put your hands up, make 'em touch, touch
Wooooooo
Touch, touch
Wooooooo
Touch, touch now
Oooh, Oooh, Ooooooh
I live for the applause, applause, applause.
I live for the applause-plause,
Live for the applause-plause.
Live for the way that you cheer and scream for me.
The applause, applause, applause.
Give me that thing that I love
(I'll turn the lights out)
Put your hands up, make 'em touch, touch
(Make it real loud)
Give me that thing that I love
(I'll turn the lights out)
Put your hands up, make 'em touch, touch
(Make it real loud)
(A-P-P-L-A-U-S-E) Make it real loud
(A-P-P-L-A-U-S-E) Put your hands up, make 'em touch, touch
(A-P-P-L-A-U-S-E) Make it real loud!
(A-P-P-L-A-U-S-E) Make it real loud
(A-P-P-L-A-U-S-E) Put your hands up, make 'em touch, touch
A-R-T-P-O-P!
Demo version
?? ?? ??
'Cause a woman being ?? ??
Do you love Do you love ??
Do ya, do you want but free, 'cause a woman ?? ?? inside you
I live for the applause, applause, applause
I live for the applause-plause
Live for the applause-plause
Live for the way that you cheer and scream for me
The applause, applause
(Yeah)
Applause, applause, applause
I live for the applause, applause, applause
I live for the applause-plause,
Live for the applause-plause
Live for the way that you cheer and scream for me
The applause, applause, applause
Credits
| Writers and producers | Lady Gaga and DJ White Shadow |
| Co-Producers | Dino Zisis, Martin Bresso and Nick Monson |
| Recording by | Dave Russell at Record Plant, Hollywood, CA Platinum Sound Recording Studios, New York City, NY
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| Assistant recording | Benjamin 'Ben' Rice at Record Plant and Andrew Robertson at Platinum Sound |
| Mixed by | Dave Russell at Record Plant, Hollywood, CA Heard IT! Studios, North Hollywood, CA
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| Additional Mixing by | Bill Malina at Record Plant, Hollywood, CA
|
| Assistant mixers | Ben Rice and Ghazi Hourani |
| Mastering | Gene Grimaldi at Oasis Mastering, Burbank, CA
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| Excutive Producer and A&R | Vincent Herbert for Streamline Records |
| Management | Troy Carter for Atom Factory |
| Publishing |
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References
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