Throwback: The Day I Discovered Lady Gaga

Preparing for major exams is always stressful, and back in 2008, 17-year-old me was deep in SPM study mode. But no matter how much work I had, I always made time for my post-school ritual: an hour at the internet café, browsing the web and updating my Myspace (yes, Myspace—throwback!).

The Limewire Discovery

That day, I was scrolling through Limewire (if you know, you know) looking for a new song to feature on my profile. My usual go-tos were Britney or Rihanna, but then I kept seeing this weird name pop up—Lady Gaga.

Why does that sound familiar? I thought. Gaga… where have I heard that before?

At first, I ignored it, sticking to the familiar. But her name kept appearing, so curiosity won. I clicked.

And then—"Just Dance" blasted through my cheap headphones.

The Moment Everything Changed

That beat. That infectious, pulsating, unignorable beat. It was like nothing else on the radio at the time. I remember thinking, Okay, this Lady Gaga girl has something going on.

A few days later, I heard the song on the radio. "I see you," I thought smugly. Then, I caught her on MTV and Channel [V]—and there she was: a glittery, messy, unapologetically weird pop star in a sea of polished, conventional artists.

She’s different. And I love it.

Poker Face & The Point of No Return

Then came "Poker Face."

That intro. Mum-mum-mum-mah. Goosebumps.

I rushed home after school, glued to the TV, waiting for the music video to drop. When it did, I was obsessed. I needed to know everything about her. So I did what any 2008 teen would do—I "Yahoo!"ed her (yes, I was a Yahoo! guy before Google took over).

What I found only made me stan harder.

The Birth of a Little Monster

I went back to Limewire, downloading every song I could find (I know, I know—illegal, but I made up for it by buying The Fame later, okay?). From that moment, I knew she was going to be bigger than anyone else in pop at the time.

And boy, was I right.

Two Decades Later…

Now, almost 16 years after that random internet café session, I’ve followed every era, every reinvention, every "Oh my God, what is she doing now?" moment. And I’ve never regretted that instant connection back in 2008.

Oh, and my SPM? I did decent. But let’s be real—the real victory was discovering Lady Gaga.

Thank you, Limewire. Thank you, 2008. And thank you, Gaga.

—A Little Monster since day one.

What about you? Do you remember the first time you heard Lady Gaga? Share your story in the comments! 🎶💖