Lady Gaga has spoken about her admiration for Trent Reznor and Nine Inch Nails – see what she had to say about Reznor below.
Earlier this month (March 5), Gaga revealed that her new album ‘Mayhem’ was partially inspired by the likes of Nine Inch Nails and Radiohead, citing the record has having “’90s grunge influence, 2000s pop influence, funk influence, ’80s influence.”
She also specifically named Nine Inch Nails’ ‘Closer’ as a huge influence on the record, especially in regards to its lead single ‘Disease’. Yesterday (March 12), Gaga made an appearance on Howard Stern’s SiriusXM radio show to discuss the album, per Consequence. During their time on the show, Stern played ‘Closer’ before asking why she loves the song so much. She replied with a simple “Because it’s so good!”
When asked if she’d ever met Reznor, Gaga said that she had but when asked for more details, she confessed: “I forget the first time. I think I black out every time I’m in his presence. He’s an amazing musician.”
She was then asked if she’s intimidated by the Nine Inch Nails frontman. “Not intimidated,” she clarified, “just really excited, stoked, quiet.” In fact, Gaga was recently spotted wearing Nine Inch Nail merchandise when surprising a handful of super fans.
In a four-star review of ‘Mayhem’, Nick Levine wrote for NME: “Ultimately, ‘Mayhem’ feels like a great Gaga album because it’s just so much fun. At times, it’s a bit like reconnecting with an old friend who makes sense even when they seem to be chatting nonsense… Seventeen years after she broke through with ‘Just Dance’, Lady Gaga remains pop’s foremost agent of impeccably crafted chaos.”
As for Nine Inch Nails, Reznor and co. announced details of a huge tour back in January, dubbed ‘Peel It Back’. It’ll mark their first live performances together since 2022 and see them take to the stage in the UK, Europe and North America later this summer.
For the tour, they’ll be supported by Boys Noize – visit here to find remaining tickets.
During an interview at the end of 2024, Reznor revealed that NIN had been working on new material. “We’re ready to be back in the driver’s seat,” he said. An upcoming new record would mark their first since the surprise 2020 ambient double album ‘Ghosts V-VI’, which followed 2018’s ‘Bad Witch’.
