When you think of her, you may think of “Poker Face”, outlandish stage performances, and a dress made entirely out of raw meat. Yes, this is the name you know as Lady Gaga. However, all of these things are definitely not all that is to this woman. Stefani Joanne Germanotta is not only a spectacular artist, but a versatile, inspiring legend that is made up of as much kindness as she is talented.

This month, I had the amazing opportunity to see my favorite artist in concert. Now, I have absolutely adored Gaga for years, so you can imagine how I must have felt being just feet away from her. No amount of words or photos could even begin to match the experience that I had at this show. I knew that Gaga was an amazing role model and person from the beginning of her rise to fame, but she has upheld her kindness and grace as the years have gone on. I had gone into the Joanne World Tour with extremely high expectations, but she exceeded these expectations wholeheartedly. Her vocals, stage, outfits, and choreography were absolutely remarkable and needless to say, I was stunned. Other than the fact the performance as a whole was flawless, a quality about Gaga stands out to me. It is a something that most pop artists today do not possess. It is the fact that she has such a down-to-earth essence and seems to cherish the time spent with the people that attend her shows. In and out of concerts, she is an advocate of world peace and equality. Gaga made sure to speak to the audience members and connect with us on a different level. She gave speeches about topics that most of us could relate to, and it made me feel quite emotional that even someone like Gaga powers through the exact struggles that the rest of us go through daily. She addresses her fans (or “Monsters”) as if we are friends, and speaks to us with genuine words that could heal millions. The room felt as if we were all sharing one story with different plots, coming together as one with 17,000 heartbeats. I think that is more than important for someone such as Gaga to use their platform to make a change, and I know that the lives of many in that arena have been changed by Gaga’s words and art in some way or another. It was an absolutely beautiful experience that I would recommend for everyone, and I would do it all over again.