Bad Romance by Lady Gaga: meaning, release, credits and chart history

Bad Romance by Lady Gaga is a song from her 2009 EP The Fame Monster, a reissue of her debut album The Fame. Released on October 19, 2009, it is an electropop, dance-pop and dark pop track. The song was written and co-produced by Lady Gaga and RedOne, with RedOne handling instrumentation, programming, recording, and serving as the main producer. Gaga contributed background vocals and co-produced with RedOne. Dave Russell and Eelco Bakker handled audio engineering, while Johny Severin focused on vocal editing. Spike Stent mixed the track, with Gene Grimaldi completing the mastering process. It was recorded at the Record Plant in Los Angeles and FC Walvisch in Amsterdam.

The song draws from Lady Gaga's experiences of paranoia during tours and explores her attraction to unhealthy romantic relationships. It features a spoken bridge and a hook with nonsense syllables. Musically, it blends house and techno influences with new wave synths. Verses use Am–C–F–Am–C–G, while the chorus shifts to F–G–Am–C–F–G–E–Am. Gaga's vocal range spans from E3 to C5.

A demo version of the song was leaked online on October 2, 2009. Lady Gaga performed a snippet of the song on Saturday Night Live on October 3, 2009. Plato's Atlantis, the closing event of Alexander McQueen's 2010 Paris Fashion Week, featured the song's debut. The music video was directed by Francis Lawrence, with Haus of Gaga managing art direction. The video premiered on November 10, 2009. Gaga described her experience working with Lawrence as impressive.

The song received widespread acclaim. It reached platinum status in France according to SNEP. There are no reported chart peaks in other regions or official global charts. Critics noted its rave-inspired synthesizer sounds and rock influences. No specific critic ratings or reviews are reported in the sources.

Credits: Written by RedOne and Lady Gaga. Produced by RedOne. Label: Sony Group, Cherrytree Records.

• Bad Romance is a song by Lady Gaga from The Fame Monster (2009)
• Released on October 19, 2009; premiered at Alexander McQueen's Paris Fashion Week
• Written and co-produced by Lady Gaga and RedOne
• Music video directed by Francis Lawrence, premiered November 10, 2009
• Received platinum certification in France (SNEP)
• No chart peaks reported outside of France
• No critic ratings or reviews reported in sources