Lady Gaga has already made herself at home in her “exquisite hotel” in Dubai, according to several Instagram shots the singer posted in the early hours of Tuesday. She’s even had the chance to go for a late night dip, striking a pose next to a pool and appreciating a moment of quiet before her September 10 show at Meydan Racecourse.
Just hours earlier, deep into Monday night, the pop star landed at Dubai International Airport to be greeted by pandemonium in the form of screaming fans.
She first met with members of the press in a designated VIP room in the airport, shortly after her arrival. Clad in a floor-length golden gown paired with a sparkling blue headpiece, created for her by a Dubai-based designer (“I will be posting it on my Instagram with all of the information and you’ll be able to report about it,” she said), she fielded questions about whether or not she would be baring it all on stage.
“No, I will not be. I respect the culture here and this show will be appropriate for all the fans here in Dubai,” she said. When her Dubai show was first announced, organisers told tabloid! there would be “some edits” for the region. Gaga expanded on this.
“They mentioned to me that there were some restrictions, and I know there are some artists that are very strict about their policies of adhering to their art and not compromising, but I actually think it’s important to respect other cultures and not force them to adhere to the beliefs of your own country, and in fact, I think it’s a better way to connect with the people and to connect a message,” she said.
She was also prodded about her controversial song, Aura, which mentions the burka — a religious covering of the face.
“At the end of the song, we mention the burka. The song Aura is about the aura that we all carry with us. Our essence,” she said. “And I say, do you want to see the girl behind the aura? Meaning: the presence and the image I’ve projected for years, are you interested in knowing what’s underneath all of that? So, the burka, the curtain, the veil, these are all metaphors I use to bring fans from all over the world with different cultures together.”
Her world tour, artRave: The ArtPop Ball, has been a year in the making. During her Dubai stop, which marks her first in the Middle East, she will be in the city for four days, and hopes to experience the fashion, food and artistry.
“Some people are from Dubai that will be working, actually, with my wardrobe department which will be wonderful. But most of the crew that will be here are from my world tour and from the United States and some are from the United Kingdom. It’s a whole assortment.”
Gaga kept it short when it came to certain topics, like what she thought of her Dubai show failing to sell out all tickets: “Next question, please.” How about how she handles her critics? “Just fine. Thanks for writing all the stories.”
She was more concerned with “putting art the front”, and said her UAE performance was a “magnificent opportunity for a young Italian girl from New York with a modest Italian-American family.”
“Most importantly, while I’m here, I’d like to leave a message of light and happiness and creativity and freedom with the fans, and that’s more important than my clothes,” she said.
After the press conference wrapped up, Gaga waited a few minutes before exiting the airport, with her suited-up security guards in tow. She was swarmed by the crowd of eager fans, some of whom had been standing in the night-time heat for three hours for a chance to meet her. A few had travelled from abroad for the occasion, and many were lucky enough to get a selfie with their idol.
“She kissed my shirt,” Sami Mohammad, a 27-year-old from Turkey, yelled in the aftermath. He said he wouldn’t take it off, and that she was his hero. His friend, Inan Ullah, 27, came especially from Pakistan to see her.
“I can’t breathe,” Mohammad Tariq, 19, said. “I got a photo. It’s on my friend’s phone. She touched my shirt and she signed it.”
Yousuf Al Awadhi, 18, came to the UAE from Bahrain weeks ahead of when he was set to start school there, all to see Gaga. He, too, got a photograph with her.
“She’s so nice,” he said. “Her security were trying to pull her away, but she gave them a look, like, don’t you dare.”
After departing, Gaga posted several shots of herself with the fans to social media — including a photo with one young, shaking boy who had shrieked and briefly fell to the ground after interacting with her — and said she was “so choked up”.
“I had chills the whole time we were with the fans. I can’t tell you how much it means to be welcome to the Middle East. I hope during this trip I can show my true self, with a message of acceptance, tolerance, a respect for individuals of all cultures,” she wrote on Instagram.
It was an echo of an earlier sentiment she shared during the press conference.
“When it comes to little monsters [her fans] and me, it’s about much more than just the music. It’s about the message,” Gaga said. “A message of equality, a message of uniqueness and strength, a message of compassion. We support one another.”
