911 (song)

"911" is a song by Lady Gaga from her sixth studio album, Chromatica. The track was written by Gaga, Michael Tucker, Hugo Leclercq and Justin Tranter, and produced by BloodPop® and Madeon.

Background and Composition

Gaga explained in an interview with Zane Lowe of Apple Music that the song is about an antipsychotic that she takes. "It's because I can't always control things that my brain does. I know that. And I have to take medication tos top the process that occurs."

Gaga performed the song live for the first time in a medley during the 2020 MTV Video Music Awards.

On May 25^th, 2022, when asked by a fan on Twitter if Madeon created the initial demo of "911" with Lady Gaga or came in later on and what the whole process of creating of the song was like, the producer answered^[1]:

“	The song already existed, with a rough production from BloodPop® and co-written by Justin Tranter, I believe. I heard [listened to] a demo and really loved it! At first I suggested people I thought would sound good working on the production but eventually BloodPop® invited me directly. I worked a little bit at home remaking new drums and bass sounds and other details. Then I joined everybody in the studio and I tweaked the chorus melody slightly and wrote the new breakdown chords etc. But the soul of the song was there long before I joined! It was really great when Gaga came to record final vocals, I hadn’t seen her in years and she was as sweet and graceful as ever - truly one of my favorite artists. We had an awesome session where she dug deep to deliver breathtaking vocals. We ended the day by dancing together to the latest Rain On Me demo - very special moment. I should mention Rami Yacoub was also there throughout and had brilliant insight.	”
—Madeon via Twitter

Release and promotion

On September 17^th, 2020, Gaga announced it would be released as a single accompanied by a short film the next day.^[2] The song was released to Italian radios on September 25.

Remixes

WEISS Remix

	Label: Interscope Format: Digital download, streaming Released: December 4, 2020 Design: Studio Pending

Sofi Tukker Remix

	Label: Interscope Format: Digital download, streaming Released: December 4, 2020 Design: Studio Pending

Bruno Martini Remix

	Label: Interscope Format: Digital download, streaming Released: December 4, 2020 Design: Studio Pending

Release history

Country	Date	Format	Label	Catalog #	Barcode
	Sep 25, 2020	Contemporary hit radio	Universal	N/A
	Dec 4, 2020	Remixes (Digital download • streaming)

Spotify

Performances

Lyrics

Short film

Premiere date September 18, 2020 Director(s) Tarsem Singh Fashion director Nicola Formichetti at Haus of Gaga Choreographer N/A Director of photography N/A

Promo Images

• Photography by Mason Poole.

Stills

Synopsis and fashion credits

There are two known versions of the music video. The director's cut in which, at the end, Gaga becomes unconscious once again (maybe even dies) and the final cut in which Gaga stays alive. The former has some footage that didn’t end up in the officially released version.

Main visual theme of the music video reference films by Armenian artist and film director Sergei Parajanov (The Color of Pomegranates, Ashik Kerib), Italian Federico Fellini (Eight and a Half), Chilean-French filmmaker and artist, Alejandro Jodorowsky (El Topo).

Gaga explained in an interview with Zane Lowe of Apple Music that the song is about an antipsychotic that she takes: "[...] I can't always control things that my brain does. [...] And I have to take medication to stop the process [...]." After a big reveal at the end of the videos, Gaga tells paramedics that she didn't have the pill. This phrase explains the sequence of the video: Gaga didn't take her antipsychotic medication, thus she was not able to control her actions and unintentionally caused the car crash. But because the reality is too traumatic for her to handle, her consciousness takes in information, processes it and tries to make sense of the situation by giving it an over-the-top artistic interpretation that we see through the music video. “911” m/v is a metaphor for how Gaga chooses to see reality in her own artistic way.

Here's an incomplete list of parallels between actions and objects from the real world and Gaga's interpretation of them: Pomegranates on the sand — apples scattered on the asphalt. Red ankle bracelet — injured bloody ankle. Horseman dressed in black on a black horse — death. Person banging his head onto the pillow — the driver banging his head into the airbag. Two people descending from the top of the building on an umbrella — paramedics coming down on an accident sight with a helicopter. Sea shell put on the face of a man — an oxygen mask. Three people on a pedestal dressed in blue robes — bystanders who record accident on their smartphones. Gaga holding doll and a jewel box — her antipsychotic medicine ("keep my dolls inside diamond boxes" - lyric from "911"). Woman holding a mummified body — the woman holding a dead body of a car crash victim. Man grabbing a mummy — paramedic checking a pulse. Silver robe put over a man who's banging his head — an aluminum foil put on an injured driver. Woman with a mirror — parametric checking Gaga’s photo pupillary reflex. Gaga rising up holding a white rose, with halo around her head — she's dying. Rope with which Gaga's pulled down to the ground — doctors saving Gaga from death. Line with red sequins on Gaga's forehead — blood dripping from the head. Man grabbing Gaga’s ankle — paramedic adjusting medical tourniquet to stop bleeding from an ankle. Man throwing petals — firefighter. Man in a royal-blue outfit doing hand-gestures — policeman. The ribbon flowing in the breeze — the water coming from the fire hydrant. Horsman with a yellow flag — death, a Tarot card major arcana. The carpet on the wall — the poster for the film. Peacock on the top of the wall — the bird on the poster of Ashik Kerib by Parajanov. Chromatica-symbol-shaped scars on Gaga’s forehead — the trauma that is on her mind ("The scars on my mind are on replay" - lyric from "Replay"). Rose petals being thrown — the sparks falling from the movie theater sign. Yellow banner going across the black backdrop — the caution tape. Box with two barbed-wire knives attached to it with a rope — the defibrillator. Man stabbing Gaga in the chest — defibrillator discharge.

“	When I look back on my life, it's not that I don't want to see things exactly as they happened; it's just that I prefer to remember them in an artistic way [...] It's sort of like my past is an unfinished painting, and as the artist of that painting, I must fill in all the ugly holes and make it beautiful again.	”
—Lady Gaga, Marry The Night: The Prelude Pathétique

“	["911" music video is] abstractly representative of what I’ve been through... something that I remember as a horrible time of my life, [that] I can now rewrite and make it beautiful.	”
—Lady Gaga, Gagavision no. 49

1. Lady Gaga wears a custom dress and cape by Johannes Warnke customized by Alex Navarro for Haus of Gaga, a bracelet by Lillian Shalom, earrings by House of Emmanuele, a mask by Dead Lotus Couture, and gloves, two rings and an anklet from stylist's kit.
2. Lady Gaga wears a custom dress by Diego Montoya in collaboration with Marshall Columbia and Sydney Moss, and a mask by Lance Victor Moore.
3. Lady Gaga wears a dress by Universal Studios Costume, and a halo by Shaun Leane for Alexander McQueen.
4. Lady Gaga wears a skirt by Karina Akopyan, a bra by Carapace, a headpiece by It-Spain, and a bracelet by Fabio Dultra.
5. Lady Gaga wears a custom catsuit by It-Spain, a corset and a belt by Karina Akopyan, and a custom coat by Marta del Rio and Samuel Ososki.
6. Lady Gaga wears a gown by Johannes Warnke, a headpiece by Lance Victor Moore, and a vintage necklace and two bangles from Western Costume Co..
7. Lady Gaga wears a bodysuit, leggings, gloves and a headpiece by Karina Akopyan x Monika Bereza, and boots by Ellie.
8. Lady Gaga wears a dress by Alexander McQueen.
9. Lady Gaga wears sneakers by Reebok.

Behind the Scenes

LG OLED TV BTS video

Gagavision no. 49 BTS video

CEEK VR 360º BTS video

On the set

Trivia

• It's rumored that this song was an outtake from The Fame, Gaga's debut album. This is due to the fact that fans have pointed out similarities to it's sound to the songs of the record.
  • Prior to the release of Chromatica, there had been rumors as well that Gaga was going to rework one of her older songs and place them on the record.
• Gaga tweeted "A POP MUSIC EMERGENCY IS UNDERWAY 911" on August 12, 2013, and quote tweeted it on September 17, 2020 before announcing "911" as a single.^[3]

Credits

Written by	Lady Gaga, Michael Tucker, Hugo Leclercq and Justin Tranter
Produced by	BloodPop® and Madeon
Vocal Produced by	Benjamin Rice
Recorded by	Benjamin Rice at Henson Recording Studios, Los Angeles
Mixed by	Benjamin Rice and Tom Norris at Henson Recording Studios, Los Angeles Assisted by E. Scott Kelly
Mastered by	Randy Merrill at Sterling Sound, New York, NY
Track Participants	Drums, Bass, Keyboards, Guitar(s) & Percussion by Bloodpop® and Madeon
Published by	Sony/ATV Songs LLC / House of Gaga Publishing LLC (BMI)

Short film credits

Director	Tarsem Singh
Date	August 18-19, 2020
Location	Valencia, Santa Clarita, CA
Producer	Oualid Mouaness
Starring	Lady Gaga, Sia Zami (Medic), Nicole Montgomery (Saint), Mazen Shehabi (Victim), Jessus Zambrano (Bystander), Alexis Arrendondo (Bystander #2), Lauren Patrice (Bystander #3), Mark Chinnery (Horse Man), Michael Welch (Firefighter), Mandell Frazier (Firefighter #2), Adrian Quinonez (Police Officer)
Art Direction	Travis Brothers, Bryan Rivera, Isha Dipika Walia & Darío Alva for Studio Pending
Manager	Bobby Campbell and Bo O'Connor at Haus of Gaga
Fashion Direction	Nicola Formichetti at Haus of Gaga
Styling	Marta del Rio at Haus of Gaga, Hunter Clem
Photography	Mason Poole
Head Make-up	Sarah Nicole Tanno using Haus Laboratories at Haus of Gaga
Assisted by	Yukari Obayashi Bush
Additional MUA	Michael Anthony, Eryn Krueger Mekash, Kim Ayers and Silvina Knight
Head Hair	Frederic Aspiras using Joico at Haus of Gaga
Additional hairstylists	Nozomi Hirao, Akiko, Yuma, Michelle Ceglia, Analyn Cruz and Taschi Lynell
Nails	Miho Okawara
Colorist	Dave Hussey for Company 3
Director of Photography	Jeff Cronenweth, ASC
Editorial	Robert Duffy
Visual Effects	Frank Synowicz

References

Era Discography Dawn of Chromatica Videography Gaga Chromatica Ball Performances The Chromatica Ball Fashion Media "Chromatica I" (Interlude) "Alice" "Stupid Love" "Rain On Me" (with Ariana Grande) "Free Woman" "Fun Tonight" "Chromatica II" (Interlude) "911" "Plastic Doll" "Sour Candy" (with Blackpink) "Enigma" "Replay" "Chromatica III" (Interlude) "Sine From Above" (with Elton John) "1000 Doves" "Babylon" "Love Me Right"