“Applause” is an EDM/electro-pop celebration of sticking it to the haters, doing what one loves, and embracing the thrill of the crowd. Bed-ridden and forced to cancel tour dates due to a 2013 hip injury, Gaga yearned for the love – * the applause* – of her fans, inspiring her to write this song.

The song is the lead single off of Lady Gaga’s ARTPOP. It’s less robust than her previous lead singles, like “Bad Romance” and “Born This Way”, but what it lacks in length it displays in nightclub-ready energy and unapologetic campiness.

The song’s cover art is possibly Bowie-influenced.