When Lady Gaga gave the grade in college

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When Lady Gaga gave the grade in college

Lady Gaga is today an undisputed pop icon. Multi-award-winning singer and actress, winner of more than a dozen Grammy Awards, an Oscar, and two Golden Globes, Gaga is one of the great pop stars of the 21st century. It’s hard to imagine a day when Gaga was simply Stefani Germanotta, an aspiring pop star who dreamed of being the biggest star in the world.

That Lady Gaga starred in ‘A Star is Born’ could not have caught anyone by surprise, since she has always said that we are all stars deep down, and she even once declared that she has felt “famous all her life.” She believed in the role from the beginning.

This is how Lady Gaga was portrayed by her former New York University classmate Carly Waddell in a recent interview. Waddell, known for her time on ‘The Bachelor’, and Germanotta studied arts together and both dropped out almost at the same time.

In a chat with the Trading Secrets podcast, Waddell recalls that Stefani used to sing everywhere in college, even at lunchtime. Especially at lunch time. “Stefani would sit at the piano every day and she would sing ‘Wicked’ at the top of her lungs every day,” she says. «The rest of us simply wanted to eat our sandwich. It was break time and suddenly we were forced to listen to it. And yes, was she good? Clear! It was amazing, but I just wanted to eat my sandwich. So I ate in the hallways, because she drove me crazy. “It was too much.”

In the interview, Waddell claims that Stefani was not necessarily “the best” in her class. She was one of the good ones, but she wasn’t super on top of everyone either. “She is now,” she says, laughing. About Stefani she highlights that, at that time, she was already writing her own songs, and that even then she seemed like a “genius.”

To paraphrase Lady Gaga, there may be 100 people having lunch in a room, but only one who gets the grade and becomes the nuisance of her class, rises to the top.

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Simon Müller

Simon Müller is the driving force behind UMusic, embodying a lifelong passion for all things melodious. Born and raised in New York, his love for music took form at an early age and fueled his journey from an avid music enthusiast to the founder of a leading music-centered website. Simon's diverse musical tastes and intrinsic understanding of acoustic elements offer a unique perspective to the UMusic community. Sporting a dedicated commitment to aural enrichment and hearing health, his vision extends beyond just delivering news - he aspires to create a network of informed, appreciative music lovers. Spend a moment in Mueller's company, and you'd find his passion infectious – music isn’t simply his job, it’s his heartbeat.