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Lady Gaga's performance of Shallow at the Grammys becomes an instant meme

Lady Gaga left the ceremony with three prizes and internet notoriety

Sirena Bergman
Monday 11 February 2019 13:11 GMT
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Grammys 2019: Lady Gaga wins for song 'Shallow'

Lady Gaga is no stranger to blowing up the internet, from her outrageous fashion choices (meat dress and hoof shoes, anyone?) to her endless repetition of the same “there can be 100 people in the room…” story, which has spawned endless compilations and parodies.

But her performance at the Grammys last night has earned her a digital accolade of new heights: that of official meme-maker.

During the ceremony she performed a four-minute solo rendition of ‘Shallow’, the song that marks a pivotal moment in the 2018 film A Star Is Born when she sings it live on stage alongside her co-star and director Bradley Cooper.

At the end of her performance, which had a slightly edgier rock feel that it did in the movie, she slumped over the microphone and looked directly to camera in a position reminiscent of the style of dancing that she popularised in her earlier singles, involving jerky movements and zombie-like vacant stares.

The prolonged pose led a number of viewers to screenshot the image and use it to illustrate a range of situations, from waiting impatiently for your Amazon order and trying to stalk people on Instagram to figuring out who stole your phone charger, and the most meta of all: the way you look when anyone talks s**t about Lady Gaga.

Gaga won three prizes at the Grammys including Best Pop Solo Performance for her single ‘Joanne’, and Best Pop Duo Performance for ‘Shallow’, which she accepted on Cooper’s behalf, as he was attending the Baftas in London where A Star Is Born won the Best Original Music award.

In her acceptance speech, Gaga thanked Cooper, and made a statement about mental health in Hollywood, which was addressed in the film.

Her next appearance will likely be at the Oscars on 24 February, where she is nominated for the Best Actress award and Best Original Song.

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