Lady Gaga: ‘Being a Lady Today Means Being a Fighter’

You may have noticed how Lady Gaga remained relatively low-key and out of the spotlight until she came back onto the scene with a vengeance with the release of her new album, Joanne. And in true Gaga fashion, she returned with a whole new look — very laid-back outfits styled with her go-to topper, her Gladys Tamez Millinery hats. She spilled her thoughts on her new career outlook to Harper’s Bazaar for its December/January issue and we have a first peek of the gorgeous covers and spread, below.

Gaga was photographed by Inez & Vinoodh and styled in vintage-inspired attire to pay homage to the magazine’s 150th anniversary. But that doesn’t mean she left her signature pink hat at home (she hasn’t been spotted without it for weeks!).

While she drew inspiration from the past for her vintage photoshoot, in the accompanying interview she’s focused on looking ahead and specifically talks about what’s next for women. “Being a lady today means being a fighter,” she shares. “It means being a survivor. It means letting yourself be vulnerable and acknowledging your shame or that you’re sad or you’re angry. It takes great strength to do that… Health, happiness, love — these are the things that are at the heart of a great lady, I think. That’s the kind of lady I want to be. You know, I never thought I’d say this, but isn’t it time to take off the corsets? As someone who loves them, I think it’s time to take them off.”

Taking time off while making Joanne let her not only rest but reflect on the bigger picture surrounding her career. “Before I made Joanne, I took some time off… I was able to get off the train of endless work I’d been on, which was quite abusive to my body and my mind, and have some silence and some space around me,” she shares. “I wanted to experience music again the way I did when I was younger, when I just had to make it, instead of worrying what everybody thinks or being obsessed with things that aren’t important.”

As someone who has an album titled The Fame Monster she says nowadays she’s not focused on that side of her work anymore.

“Fame is the best drug that’s ever existed,” she explains. “But once you realize who you are and what you care about, that need for more, more, more just goes away. What matters is that I have a great family, I work hard, I take care of those around me, I provide jobs for people I love very much, and I make music that I hope sends a good message into the world. I turned 30 this year, and I’m a fully formed woman. I have a clear perspective on what I want. That, for me, is success. I want to be somebody who is fighting for what’s true — not for more attention, more fame, more accolades.”

The December/January issue of Harper’s Bazaar hits newsstands on November 22.

This article originally appeared on People.com