March 24 was a sad day for Little Monsters when Lady Gaga announced in an Instagram post that, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, she would be postponing the release of her newest album, Chromatica. After the release of Chromatica’s lead single, “Stupid Love,” in late February, the full album was set to drop on April 10, but its release has been pushed back to a later date in 2020 that Gaga promises to announce soon.
Under CDC guidelines on public gatherings, she must also postpone her Las Vegas shows that were originally scheduled between April 30 and May 1, though she hopes her shows later in May will continue and says she still plans to see fans on tour this summer.
Gaga also announced her plan for a secret Coachella set, as well as “a lot of other fun surprises,” some of which she plans to share very soon. To fans’ dismay, with Coachella postponed until October, it is unsure whether Lady Gaga still plans to make her surprise appearance.
She recognizes that many people find music and other art forms to be cathartic in times of immense stress but feels that now is not the right time to release her long-awaited sixth album, which fans have dubbed LG6. “This is such a hectic and scary time for all of us,” she wrote, “and while I believe art is one of the strongest things we have to provide joy and healing to each other during times like this, it just doesn’t feel right to me to release this album with all that is going on during this global pandemic.”
She feels that the focus right now should be on finding solutions, ensuring healthcare professionals are getting the equipment they need, feeding children who rely on their schools for meals and providing assistance to those financially impacted by the pandemic.
And while fans may be disappointed by the album’s delay, Gaga said that Chromatica “is still very much on the way” and that she is excited to share it with the world. Until then, she encourages her fans to practice social distancing, be kind to one another and to look forward to the day when everyone can truly celebrate the album’s release. “I hope that you can see that when the album does come out, I want us to be able to dance together, sweat together, hug and kiss each other, and make it the most bombastic celebration of all time. And until that time comes, LET’S ALL STAY HOME! But I promise that when we can go out again, I’m going to make it SO MUCH FUN. I can’t wait to be dancing with you all!”
In the meantime, Gaga fans can make her proud by practicing social distancing. While Chromatica won’t be the soundtrack to our “Coronapocalypse,” we can still stream “Stupid Love,” as well as any other songs off of her first five albums, while we jam out in quarantine.
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