She has been out of the limelight for some time. But fans of Lady Gaga might not even recognise her from this latest photograph.

The "Born this Way" singer posted a picture of herself make-up free, without her signature dark eyebrows, to reveal she had drawn on "past pain" to create her new record, ARTPOP, from which she is releasing a teaser single this week.

From that meat dress to an Elvis quiff, click here or on "View Images" to see the many changing looks of Lady Gaga

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The pop star's vulnerable self-presentation is a contrast to her usually more manicured appearance. She is known for her ever-changing look of dyed hair, red lipstick and heavy eye make-up.

Gaga posted the photo to her fan site littlemonsters.com ahead of releasing a new single.

She wrote: “As they pry the single from my bleeding fingers. It’s a scary thing to revisit those things underneath, the pain in your past. But all I found was raw passion. I thought I was destroyed inside. I’m ready to fight. Start the music.”

Gaga's forthcoming album, due for release in November, will draw on dark past experiences.

The singer has previously spoken openly about taking “bags and bags” of cocaine and LSD at the start of her music career. She also revealed she had suffered from bulimia and anorexia since the age of 15 after she was criticised for putting on weight last year.

Earlier this month the pop star shut down her Twitter account, deleting tweets up to February 2013 when she had to cancel all remaining US dates on her Born this Way tour due to surgery on her hip.

Despite her shortened tour and recent hiatus, the 27-year-old was yesterday named the wealthiest celebrity under 30 by Forbes with an estimated fortune of £52 million.