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Lady Gaga is getting in on the latest TikTok trend called the Teenage Dirtbag challenge. Playing a sped-up version of the 2000 hit "Teenage Dirtbag" by Wheatus, users post a slideshow of photos of them from when they were their most "dirtbag-y" selves, usually from their teenage years or their early 20s.
"I had to," Gaga captioned her post on Sunday, August 28th. Her version of the challenge features photos from her days on the New York City club scene. Gaga became a fixture of the downtown Lower East Side club scene for her electric stage presence and powerful vocals.
One of the last photos features a brunette Gaga with her then-partner Lady Starlight. After being dropped from Def Jam in 2006, Starlight helped Gaga mold the electric and avant-garde onstage persona she's now known for.
They quickly became known for their live performance art piece "Lady Gaga and the Starlight Revue: The Ultimate Pop Burlesque Rockshow" which was a tribute to 1970s variety acts. After dancing around on stage, the two would light hairspray on fire onstage. Gaga and Starlight performed their act at the 2007 Lollapalooza festival and recreated their act in 2010 after Gaga became famous.
Fans were excited to see Gaga embrace her early days. "Gaga you win this trend," wrote one fan. "The Starlight and [Justin] Tranter feature are taking me back," wrote another longtime fan.
Lady Gaga is currently on tour in the US in support of her 2020 album Chromatica.