"Bad Romance" is a song by American recording artist Lady Gaga. It was released as the lead single from her third extended play (EP), and second major release The Fame Monster (2009). Written by Lady Gaga and produced by RedOne, the track was inspired by Gaga's fear of negative love relationships and the paranoia that she experienced while touring the globe from 2008 to 2009. Following a demo leak, Gaga premiered the finished version at Alexander McQueen's show at the Paris Fashion Week in October 2009, followed by the release of the single's cover art. Musically, "Bad Romance" features a spoken bridge, a full-throated chorus and sung lyrics that concern the situation of being in love with one's best friend. The song, containing elements of the music from the 1980s and the 1990s and influences of German house-techno music, has been described by Gaga as a pop experimental record.
"Bad Romance" reached number one in the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, Canada, Sweden, Germany, Austria and Denmark, also peaking at number two in countries such as the United States, Australia and New Zealand. According to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, the song has sold 9.7 million copies worldwide in 2010. "Bad Romance" was praised by most critics, who compared it to Gaga's second single, "Poker Face". It was also ranked the ninth best song by Rolling Stone in their list of the "25 Best Songs of 2009" and received the Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta (/ˈstɛfəniː dʒʌrməˈnɑːtə/ STE-fə-nee jurr-mə-NAH-tə; born March 28, 1986), known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, she primarily studied at the Convent of the Sacred Heart and briefly attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts before withdrawing to focus on her musical career. She began performing in the rock music scene of Manhattan's Lower East Side, and was signed with Streamline Records by the end of 2007. During her employment as a songwriter for the record company, her vocal abilities captured the attention of recording artist Akon, who signed her to his label Kon Live Distribution.
Lady Gaga came to prominence as a recording artist following the release of her debut album The Fame (2008), which was a critical and commercial success that topped charts around the world and included the international number-one singles "Just Dance" and "Poker Face". After embarking on the The Fame Ball Tour, she followed the album with The Fame Monster (2009), which spawned the worldwide hit singles "Bad Romance", "Telephone" and "Alejandro". The album's success allowed her to embark on the eighteen-month long Monster Ball Tour, which later became one of the highest-grossing concert tours of all time. Her most recent album Born This Way (2011) topped the charts of most major markets and generated more international chart-topping singles, including "Born This Way", "Judas" and "The Edge of Glory". Besides her musical career, she involves herself with humanitarian causes and LGBT activism.