Paparazzi (Lady Gaga song)

"Paparazzi" is a song by American singer Lady Gaga for her debut studio album, The Fame (2008). It was released by Interscope Records as the fifth and final single from the album. Gaga wrote and co-produced the song with Rob Fusari. The song portrays Gaga's struggles in her quest for fame, as well as balancing success and love. Musically, it is an uptempo techno-pop and dance-pop ballad whose lyrics describe a stalker following somebody to grab attention and fame.

The music video was released on May 29, 2009, and "Paparazzi" was digitally released in Ireland and the UK on July 6, 2009, and physically in Australia on July 10. "LoveGame" was initially planned as the third single in the UK, but "Paparazzi" was chosen instead due to concerns over its lyrics and video. "Paparazzi" received critical acclaim and commercial success, reaching top ten positions in several countries and topping the charts in the Czech Republic, Germany, and Scotland.

The accompanying music video was directed by Jonas Åkerlund and portrays Gaga as a doomed starlet, hounded by photographers, who is almost killed by her boyfriend (played by Alexander Skarsgård). It shows her survival, comeback, revenge on her boyfriend, and experiences on the way to fame. The video won two MTV Video Music Awards in 2009 for Best Art Direction and Best Special Effects. Gaga performed the song at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards in a performance art piece symbolizing the negative effect of fame leading to death, which was later nominated for VMAs Most Iconic Performance in 2024. Additional live performances of the song took place during many of her concert tours and residency shows.