Lady Gaga is finally making her debut in the metaverse after she agreed to be the main act in the second season of the “Fortnite Festival,” a rhythm game started by Epic Games late last year.
Five years ago, the singer-songwriter didn’t even know what Fortnite was, much less spell it correctly. In 2019, she posted on X, the platform previously known as Twitter, “What’s fortnight?”
But on Feb. 20, Lady Gaga all but confirmed her participation in the event by correcting her tweet to “Fortnite.” The “Applause” hitmaker posted an avatar of herself in pink and chrome, similar to her real-life “Chromatica” look, sparking excitement among her fans.
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Fan experiences in Lady Gaga’s metaverse
The Fortnite Festival allows gamers to “perform songs of their choice by hitting notes at the right time,” similar to classic video games like Guitar Hero, according to the Los Angeles Times, which first reported the news.
In 2021, Fortnite creator Epic Games bought Harmonix, the studio and developer behind Guitar Hero and Rock Band. Fortnite says its second season of the festival, which started on Thursday, Feb. 22, pays tribute to Lady Gaga’s iconic fashion and music.
Lady Gaga in Fortnite when??? @ladygaga in Fortnite… now ✨
Mother Monster herself is the featured artist of @FNFestival Season 2, so get those paws up and take your stage. https://t.co/fwEK0CGWY5 pic.twitter.com/Cvf3ITXMHA
— Fortnite (@FortniteGame) February 22, 2024
Lady Gaga’s hit singles, including “Applause,” “Bloody Mary,” “Born This Way,” “The Edge of Glory,” “Just Dance,” and “Rain on Me,” will all be added to the Fortnite library as playable jam tracks.
Fortnite said gamers can perform the songs on a stage that draws inspiration from Gaga’s 2020 futuristic studio album, “Chromatica.” The singer’s “Bad Romance” track was already featured in the first chapter of the Fortnite Festival last year.
Players can also buy two Gaga-themed outfits using in-game currency, which gives them access to “Poker Face,” the game’s Premium Reward track. The costumes include a purple bodysuit and a full black leather bodysuit. In addition, gamers can purchase a custom guitar, microphone, keytar, and dancing emotes.
More artistes enter the metaverse
Lady Gaga’s appearance at the Fortnite Festival will run through April 22. She becomes the second artiste to headline the event after The Weeknd, who was the main act in the inaugural season.
Musicians Travis Scott, Eminem, Bruno Mars, Marshmello, Ariane Grande, and others have all performed in the Fortnite metaverse. Grande performed a virtual in-game concert in 2021, and a year earlier, Scott used the platform to debut a new song with Kid Cudi.
Travis Scott has always had a futuristic approach to his music. His Fortnite concert had about 28 million attendees. In 2022, Sir Elton John worked with gaming and virtual reality platform Roblox to hold a concert in its metaverse.
John said reaching fans through the metaverse offers him a wider creative space than physical spaces. “It’s [metaverse] a new world that allows fans and creators to be themselves completely,” he said at the time.
Experts expect that the number of those performing on the metaverse will increase, as it allows artistes to perform for a global audience without leaving their homes—a fair break from the hectic touring schedules they follow.
Musicians who pursue this route are likely to be paid using non-fungible tokens, or NFTs. Two years ago, MTN, one of the largest mobile networks in Africa, funded the establishment of an African metaverse for music, art, and dance.
It built on interest from artistes who have struggled to break into the streaming world and are seeking metaverse refuge. Nigerian music star BNXN (formerly called Buju) held a listening session in the metaverse in August 2022. To attend, users needed to have NFTs, a primary currency in the metaverse.
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