It’s been three years since the release of Lady Gaga’s last solo album ARTPOP; a hiatus which allowed the singer to step out of the spotlight and take time to focus on her mental health.
In a new interview with The Mirror, Gaga reveals that she had felt overwhelmed by her success, and needed to spend some time looking after herself after feeling ‘exhausted – like [she] was dying.’
‘I needed a moment to stabilise,’ she said. ‘When my career took off [in 2010], I don’t remember anything at all. It’s like I was traumatised. I needed time to recalibrate my soul.’
The singer, who has just released her latest single Perfect Illusion, has always been open when discussing her experiences with mental illness. Explaining that she felt ‘good’ after her time off, Gaga added that she is now taking medication for her depression.
‘I take medication. I’m not saying I feel good because of the medication – I wouldn’t encourage young people to take anti-depressants or mood stabilisers,’ she said.
‘I openly admit to having battled depression and anxiety and I think a lot of people do. I think it’s better when we all say “Cheers!” and ‘fess up to it.’
In choosing to take a career break to focus on her mental wellbeing, Gaga joins the likes of Selena Gomez, who recently announced that she would be cancelling her Revival tour to deal with anxiety, depression and panic attacks; a side effect of the autoimmune condition lupus.