Lady Gaga’s first ever Oscars win proves she’s a certified icon

Lady Gaga won the Oscar for her song “Shallow” from A Star is Born, and she’s come a long way since her eccentric pop star beginnings.

Lady Gaga just won her first Oscar and I have a lot of emotions about it.

For a lot of people, Lady Gaga was the weird pop singer who, in recent years, proved that she had class, powerhouse vocals, and the ability to do so much more than they all expected of her. But for anyone who was a Gaga fan since the beginning, she was always those things. People always underestimated her because she was unique, because she made pop music, and because she refused to be what everyone else wanted her to be. And now she’s an Oscar winner.

When I first discovered Lady Gaga, she had just released her debut single “Just Dance” and I loved how catchy it was. I looked up everything I could about her. I bought her debut album the day it was released. I saw her on her first major tour in 2009. I was inspired by her, as someone who also felt like an outcast growing up. I defended her to every family member, classmate, teacher, and internet troll who had the audacity to make fun of her for being weird or for saying she was a fad.

She long since proved she wasn’t a fad, but even when she cleans herself up, puts on a ball gown, and accepts the biggest award in Hollywood, she’ll always be that same weirdo that I, and so many other fans, fell in love with 10 years ago.

Watching Gaga grow and get better and better over the last decade has been incredible, and I couldn’t be happier that, now, everyone really appreciates the hard work, dedication, and talent that her fans have been screaming about since the beginning. As soon as A Star is Born started getting early buzz, I knew this would be Gaga’s shining moment. First came the film festival circuit, and she got a standing ovation for her performance at the Toronto International Film Festival. Then came the awards: a BAFTA, a Critics’ Choice Award, a Golden Globe, two Grammys, and now an Academy Award.

Gaga proved this year that she is not only a superstar — she proved that years ago — but that she is a certified icon. She played the role of the movie star with ease, showing up to every premiere and every award show looking like a picture-perfect Hollywood glam icon. She was poised and well-spoken — even if she was memed quite a few times!

Her performance at the Grammys reminded us that even though she may look like a movie star, deep down, she’s a girl from New York who can rock a stage better than anyone. Then her performance at the Academy Awards showed us all the pure talent, heart, and grace that she possesses. It’s her ability to encompass all of those things that makes her such a once-in-a-lifetime talent.

People can say whatever they want about how Lady Gaga handled awards season. Some thought she was overdoing it; others thought it was an act. But she worked hard to be taken seriously in this industry. She lost record deals; she fought with producers; she was told she would never be famous.

But she inspired millions of fans who felt like outsiders and worked herself to the bone for over 10 years, and I’ll be damned if she doesn’t deserve to act however she wants.

If she wants to cry her eyes out at every awards show, fawn over her director and co-star, and act like A Star is Born is the most groundbreaking film ever, then let her. She has earned it, and now she has the Oscar to back it up. I’m sure it’s only the first of more to come, and next up are hopefully an Emmy and Tony to get her that EGOT.

Congratulations again to you, Lady Gaga, from a devoted fan.