For years, Madonna and Lady Gaga’s feud was like a pop music soap opera, full of shady comments, subtle digs, and enough drama to fuel a dozen think pieces. It all started in 2011 when Gaga’s Born This Way had people raising eyebrows over its striking resemblance to Madonna’s Express Yourself. And let’s just say Madonna didn’t exactly brush it off. She called it “reductive” (ouch), and thus, the cold war between these two music queens began.
Over the years, they traded jabs through interviews, social media posts, and even fashion choices. Because, in the pop world, everything is a statement. But fast forward to 2019, and suddenly, the impossible happened: Madonna and Gaga were spotted together at an Oscars after-party, smiling and snuggling like long-lost besties. Did hell freeze over?
Did someone misread the room? Either way, it seemed like the feud had finally been laid to rest. Of course, fans had questions: was this a genuine truce or just a carefully staged PR moment? Either way, the internet exploded because when two of pop’s biggest icons call a ceasefire, it’s kind of a big deal. So, did they really end their feud? Here’s what we know.
2011- Born This Way vs. Express Yourself
Back in 2011, Lady Gaga released Born This Way, and while it quickly became an anthem for self-love and acceptance, it also sparked a major debate. Fans couldn’t help but notice that it sounded a lot like Madonna’s Express Yourself. And once people started pointing it out, things got messy.
Gaga, of course, wasn’t having any of it. In an interview with NME, she completely shut down the idea that she copied Madonna. She made it clear that she wasn’t “dumb or moronic” enough to steal a song and think no one would notice. According to her,
If you put the songs next to each other, side by side, the only similarities are the chord progression. It’s the same one that’s been in disco music for the last 50 years. Just because I’m the first fucking artist in 25 years to think of putting it on Top 40 radio, it doesn’t mean I’m a plagiarist, it means that I’m fucking smart. Sorry.
But that didn’t stop the comparisons. Fans created mash-ups of the two songs, critics analyzed every note, and Madonna herself later threw shade by performing a mash-up of Express Yourself and Born This Way on tour, just to make sure people really heard the similarities. And just like that, the feud between two of pop’s biggest stars was officially born.
2012- Madonna threw shade at Lady Gaga’s Born This Way
By 2012, the Born This Way vs. Express Yourself debate was still going strong, and Madonna decided to add a little fuel to the fire. In an interview with ABC News, she was asked what she thought about Gaga’s song.
Her response? Just two words,
It feels reductive.
When the interviewer asked if that was a good or bad thing, Madonna didn’t even bother explaining. Instead, she hit them with the ultimate power move, a casual “look it up” and a slow, dramatic sip of tea. That was it. No further comment. Just pure, unbothered shade. And with that one moment, the pop queen made it clear she was not impressed.
2015- Madonna calls a truce, kinda
By 2015, the so-called pop diva war had been dragging on for years, and Madonna finally decided to clear the air. In a Rolling Stone interview, she set the record straight: she didn’t have a problem with Gaga as a person, just with Born This Way.
Madonna explained,
The only time I ever criticized Lady Gaga was when I felt like she blatantly ripped off one of my songs.
But she also made it clear that there was no competition.
She has her thing. I have mine.
Basically, Madonna wasn’t worried about anyone taking her crown. She even admitted that Gaga was a talented singer and songwriter. So, was the feud really over? Well, for now.
2016- Lady Gaga draws a line
Just when things seemed to be cooling down, Lady Gaga made it clear in 2016 that she was not the next Madonna. During an interview with Zane Lowe on Beats 1, she firmly rejected the comparisons. Gaga said,
Madonna and I are very different. Just say, ‘We’re very different.’
She made sure to give Madonna her flowers, calling her the “biggest pop star of all time.” But she also pointed out what set her apart. Gaga emphasized that she plays multiple instruments, writes all her own music, spends hours in the studio, and is heavily involved in production. Translation? She wanted people to know she wasn’t just another pop princess; she was an artist.
After Madonna delivered a powerful speech at Billboard’s Woman of the Year event, where she spoke about overcoming challenges as a woman in the music industry, Gaga took to Twitter to show her respect.
Even with their history of shade and drama, this small gesture hinted that there was still room for mutual respect.
2017- Lady Gaga speaks about Madonna in Five Foot Two
By 2017, Lady Gaga had had it with all the indirect shade. In her Netflix documentary Gaga: Five Foot Two, she didn’t hold back, calling out Madonna for never confronting her directly.
Gaga said,
I’m Italian and from New York, so if I have a problem, I’m gonna tell you to your face.
But, instead of a face-to-face talk, she felt like Madonna was throwing insults through the media, like a guy too scared to break up in person. Still, despite the drama, Gaga made it clear that she always admired Madonna. In fact, she ended on an unexpectedly wild note,
I just want Madonna to push me up against the wall and kiss me and tell me I’m a piece of shit.
Well, that escalated quickly.
2018- The 100-people-in-the-room saga
Just when we thought the Madonna-Gaga feud was finally old news, 2018 brought it back in the pettiest way possible. While promoting A Star Is Born, Gaga kept repeating one particular line over and over,
There can be 100 people in a room, and 99 don’t believe in you, but you just need one to believe in you.
Fans started noticing the repetition, as did Madonna, who was not about to let this slide.
In a since-deleted Instagram story, she posted an old clip from a 1989 interview where she said something eerily similar,
If there’s 100 people in the room and 99 people said they liked it, I only remember the one person who didn’t.
Coincidence? Madonna didn’t think so.
2024- Madonna returns with a playful dig at Lady Gaga
Just when we thought the Madonna-Lady Gaga feud was ancient history, boom, Madonna brought it back with a cheeky little jab.
During her Celebration Tour stop in Toronto, Madonna accidentally greeted the crowd with,
Hello, Boston!
Oops. Realizing her mistake, she later addressed it, joking,
Are you guys mad at me because I said ‘Hello Boston’? I’m sorry. What kind of fed-up s is that?
Then came the Gaga moment. Madonna compared her slip-up to calling Lady Gaga the performer that night. She quipped,
I wouldn’t like that. I mean, you know, nothing against Lady Gaga. Love her.
But Madonna couldn’t resist a final touch of shade. After a pause, she smirked and added,
I love anyone shorter than me.
Cue the collective gasp! Was it a harmless joke? A little playful rivalry? Or is it a subtle reminder that their decades-long tension isn’t completely over? Either way, Madonna made sure we’re all still paying attention.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
