Washington, DC [US], August 24: Lady Gaga, the global music icon and award-winning actor, poured her heart out during her Mayhem Ball Tour stop in her hometown New York City, where her journey to stardom first began. In an emotional moment on stage, Gaga revealed how her fiancé, Michael Polansky, gave her the strength she needed right before she faced the crowd.
The night was not just another performance—it was a homecoming. Recalling her early struggles in New York, Gaga told the audience, “I think about walking on the concrete, going all around the city… I remember fighting really hard, fighting really hard for my dreams and what I believed in and for myself.”
Before stepping on stage, Gaga admitted to her close friend China that she felt like she would need to fight through the performance. “Cause when I’m in New York, I fight. I gotta earn it, and I gotta go for it,” she confessed. But her friend’s wise words changed her perspective: “Sometimes you don’t have to fight, you just have to show up.”
What touched Gaga even more deeply was Polansky’s loving encouragement. With her voice cracking with emotion, she told fans, “Right before I came onstage, my fiancé Michael said, ‘When you go out there, let them fill you up.’”
The heartfelt moment led into a surprise performance of “Hair” from her Born This Way album—her first time singing it on this tour. Gaga explained that this record was incredibly close to her heart and tied to the city that made her who she is today. “I’m sure all my albums could not be made without New York, but I am sure that this album would not have been made without New York,” she declared, dedicating the song to her fans’ dreams and resilience.
Lady Gaga and Michael Polansky’s love story has blossomed since they were first spotted together at a Las Vegas New Year’s Eve party in 2020. After making their relationship public during Super Bowl weekend that same year, the couple chose to keep things private. Gaga only revealed their engagement at the Paris Olympics when she proudly called Polansky her fiancé. Since then, the two have been spotted together on cozy date nights, including the SNL50 afterparty earlier this year.
For Gaga, her New York concerts carry a special emotional weight. She is set to perform at Madison Square Garden on August 26 and 27, before returning to the city again for two more shows on September 6 and 7. Fans can expect not just a musical extravaganza, but also deeply personal moments from a star who has never forgotten where she came from.