5 years agone, Lady Gaga did not exist. Then 19, Stefani Germanotta was waitressing and singing in dirty New York clubs. But she had bigger goals. "Don't ask me how or why," she sings in "The Fame," her debut anthology's championship rail, which recalls the genesis of her career, "but I'1000 gonna brand it happen."

Gaga broke through concluding year every bit a global phenomenon, musing on "disco sticks," channeling Madonna'due south glitter-glam manner, and appropriation stupor-rock functioning notes from Alice Cooper. Some critics say she's derivative. But Gaga has washed something unprecedented, melding her inspirations with au courant dance pop and Spider web savvy to build a business empire notable for both the speed of its cosmos and the diversity of its platforms.

Now 24, she reigns over a brand that spans music (10 meg-plus albums sold), video (1 billion-plus Spider web views), design (Monster headphones, Polaroid cameras), and marketing (HP, MAC Cosmetics). "No other artist commands the kind of attention that Gaga does," says Gabe McDonough, an exec at the ad agency DDB. "If she does something with your make, information technology's like bam!–a million eyeballs."

It's hard to wait away: Gaga is ubiquitous, largely because she deftly exploits the Web. "Her persona is built for the online generation," says MAC head John Demsey, with whom she created a shade of Viva Glam lipstick that has raised $two.2 million for AIDS awareness. (It was Viva Glam's almost successful launch e'er.) Her cultish ground forces of fans mimic her dance moves on YouTube, uploading 15,000-plus videos. They devour her musings on Twitter, where @ladygaga has 3.eight million followers, and Facebook, where half dozen.four million people have declared themselves fans. To proceed them engaged, she gives thanks in real time, tweeting in support of a Tennessee student sent domicile for wearing an I ♥ Lady Gay Gay T-shirt and posting a photograph of her tattoo that reads Piffling Monsters, her nickname for her fans. Her outlandish style sense seems tailor-made for online slide shows; she was the most-Googled image of 2009.

While other popular tarts sell tabloids and Motorcar-Tune their voices, the Lady cultivates her brand with near-armed forces rigor. In 2008, she handpicked several friends to class a creative team that she calls Haus of Gaga. Together, they produce look-at-me fashions–a nude, bubble-covered bodysuit, a flame-shooting metal bustier–that ascertain her concerts and her controversial videos, which drive a total 25% of the music site Vevo's traffic. "Bad Romance" lone has racked up some 200 million plays on YouTube; it's the site's No. ane clip of all fourth dimension.

Gaga'south videos apparently promote herself, but they also tout her partners' products, such as Monster's Heartbeats headphones and HP's Green-eyed xv Beats Limited Edition laptop, which cameo in "Bad Romance." She features unaffiliated brands, such every bit Wonder Bread, using them for what she calls "a commentary on the kind of state that nosotros are." The references "actually aid her artistic argument," McDonough says. "Not having them would exist like making a motion-picture show about hockey and non having ads on the boards."

Beyond serving its queen and mammon, the Gaga empire stresses social enterprise. "When we approach most artists, it's 'Hither's what we want to exercise,' and nosotros're done," says Ron Faris of Virgin Mobile, a sponsor of Gaga's U.Southward. tour. But she prepare atmospheric condition: The linkup had to involve her fans and her causes. So Virgin created a shrine to the Little Monsters (ladyvirgin.com) and gave show tickets to those who did customs service, helping generate thirty,000 hours nationwide.

She has too wowed in the boardroom. When Polaroid CMO Jon Pollock met her to hash out teaming up, he says he expected "a chat nigh pink boas." Instead, she offered insights about digital strategy and how to position Polaroid to accomplish her generation. Impressed, Pollock gave Gaga creative command of several products. "Her design, her feel, her way of thinking all work at a different level."

The enthusiasm was mutual. Gaga proudly posted a photo of her "creative director" business organization card–her starting time–and said, "I am and then excited … to, equally my father puts it, finally take a real job."–Dan Macsai

For some people, fame kills it and becomes more important than the music or the performance. But for me fame is similar rocket fuel. The more my fans like what I'thou doing, the more than I want to give back to them. And my passion is so stiff I tin't slumber–I haven't slept for 3 days.

I'yard already crazy. I'm a fearless person. I call up information technology creeps up on you. I don't think information technology tin exist stopped. If my destiny is to lose my listen because of fame, then that's my destiny. But my passion still means more anything.

I notice on stage, I await out into the audience and there are coke cans bobbing upward and down everywhere. I dear the fact my fans accept picked upward on something I really only did as bit of fun and a comment on consumerism. My i tip is to make certain they are washed out properly!

chiliad already crazy. I'k a fearless person. I recollect information technology creeps up on you. I don't recollect it can be stopped. If my destiny is to lose my mind because of fame, and then that'southward my destiny. Just my passion still means m