Lady Gaga appeared on The Late Show where she performed her song Vanish Into You. Fresh from her win as Artist of the Year at the MTV VMAs on Sunday night, Gaga delivered a moving and intimate version of the piano-driven ballad.
Vanish Into You is part of Lady Gaga’s most recent album Mayhem, released in March. The track was co-written with Andrew Watt, Henry Walter, and Michael Polansky, and produced by Gaga alongside Watt and Cirkut. It was the first song she created for the album and is believed to be inspired by her fiancé Michael Polansky. Speaking with ELLE, Gaga explained, “In Vanish Into You, I imagine that I just want to disappear into the person I love most.”
The recording of Mayhem took place at Rick Rubin’s Shangri-la Studios. Gaga described the album as a personal breakthrough, saying in a statement, “The album started as me conquering a fear: to return to the pop music my earliest fans loved. This record allowed me to reclaim a huge part of myself. It’s about enjoying everything I am and sharing that joy with my fans.”
She also told Rolling Stone that she aimed to blend some of the darker energy and imagery of The Fame Monster and Born This Way with a fresh direction. “I wanted to traverse old ground while breaking new ground, which I think is hard to do,” she said. “There are a few moments on the album where some people might say, ‘Oh, that reminds me of this,’ because I do have a style, but I made an effort musically to push myself to a new place.”
In addition to winning Artist of the Year at the VMAs, Gaga performed live for the televised ceremony from her concert at Madison Square Garden, where she delivered versions of Abracadabra and The Dead Dance.
While accepting her award, Gaga reflected on the role of artistry. “Being an artist is an attempt to connect the souls of people all over the world. Being an artist is a discipline, a craft meant for reaching into someone’s heart, where it grows its roots and reminding them to dream,” she said. “Being an artist is a responsibility to make the audience smile, dance, cry, release at any turn. It is a method of building understanding and celebrating community. I hope as you navigate through the mayhem of daily life, you are reminded of the importance of the art of your life that you can count on yourself and your simple skills to keep you whole, your rehearsal, your discipline, your craft, deserves to be rewarded for its passion.”
