Lady Gaga is without a doubt the most captivating pop star alive. I say this not just because of her Grammy-winning vocals, chart-topping hits or unique persona. It’s because when every other performer on the planet zigs, she zags.

Gaga’s new song “Stupid Love” — released late Thursday ahead of her upcoming album set to drop later this year — is a magnificent return to pop form. It’s proof that while she didn’t invent the pop music wheel, most of her peers are riding bikes while she’s driving a Tesla.

Gaga’s new song “Stupid Love” — released Friday ahead of her upcoming album set to drop later this year — is a magnificent return to pop form.

To start, the single is quintessential Gaga — a sledgehammer beat, slick production, powerhouse vocals and an epic music video that feels like it was conceived via some zany pop star Mad Libs. (“Neon Mad Max alien raver Burning Man goddess punk? Sure, let’s go with it.”) In typical Gaga fashion, the song’s release was as theatrical as she is — a demo version leaked earlier this year, and spread like wildfire. Name another artist who’s unreleased tracks are performed by drag queens at gay bars and played at New York Fashion Week.

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For most other artists, this kind of leak would be a career-defining moment. For Gaga, it was just another January. But the song takes on new significance when you look at the years leading up to its release. This might be the hardest-earned mainstream pop hit in music history, which makes listening to it all the sweeter. Its very existence proves that Gaga isn’t just one of the most talented artists alive, but also far and away the most versatile chameleon in the pop music jungle.

The last time Gaga released a true pop album, Billie Eilish wasn't even in middle school, Taylor Swift was still technically a country artist, and Beyoncé hadn't released her surprise album yet. 2013’s “Artpop”might be a cult favorite (Little Monsters clamor #JusticeForArtpop to this day), but its messy rollout and critical reception forced Gaga to go back to the pop music drawing board. There was a concert in space that never took place, performative vomiting on stage at South By Southwest, and an ill-conceived collaboration with R. Kelly that has since been removed from streaming services. The Artpop era was a tough period to be a Gaga fan — and perhaps an even tougher time to be Gaga.

One of Gaga’s greatest strengths has always been her ability to manipulate and play with audiences, masking her raw talent (she attended the Tisch School of the Arts at NYU) with over-the-top theatrics. In the age of social media, where 15 minutes of fame have practically come down to 15 seconds, it’s very easy to get people’s attention. But it’s much, much harder to get people to stick around.