New Music: Lady Gaga - 'Applause'

Gaga is back! Mother Monster surprises her Little Monsters and drops her new single a week early. To avoid leaks (a la Katy Perry), the pop superstar called for a “pop music emergency” and released “Applause,” the first single off her upcoming album ARTPOP.

The dance floor-ready anthem, which she co-wrote with DJ White Shadow, features a pounding beat and catchy chorus. “Put your hands up, make ’em touch,” she sings.

Despite the sad cover artwork, the song is upbeat. “I’ll tell you that it is very fun,” Gaga told Women’s Wear Daily. “And that it’s full of happiness, because what I’m saying in the song essentially is that I live for the applause. I live for the way you cheer and scream for me.”

She will perform “Applause” at the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards on August 25, while ARTPOP arrives November 11.

What do you think of Gaga’s new single? Listen and weigh in below.