Monster

"Monster" is a song by American singer Lady Gaga from her third EP, The Fame Monster (2009). Inspired by her "Fear of Attachment Monster", the record was produced by Nadir "RedOne" Khayat, and written by Gaga, RedOne and Space Cowboy. Gaga had explained that "Monster" describes her fear of sex and relationships, and described the lyrics as being in love with the bad boy all the time, but instead of running away, one keeps going back to the same person. She added that the fear in "Monster" erupted from her need to have a stable relationship. Incorporating the usage of heavy bass lines, descending keyboard lines and "massive" choruses, "Monster" contains zombie-like metaphors and a reference to Gaga's debut single "Just Dance". "Monster" received generally positive reviews from critics who appreciated the song's musical arrangement and frequently rated it as a top track from The Fame Monster, while some disliked its lyrics. "Monster" enjoyed brief commercial success in 2010, charting on four singles charts, as well as the Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs and Latin Pop Airplay. "Monster" was performed on Gaga's concert tours The Monster Ball (2009–11) and The Chromatica Ball (2022), with other performances including an appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show and her 2014 residency show at Roseland Ballroom. Writing and production "Monster" was written by Lady Gaga, RedOne and Space Cowboy, with RedOne producing the track. The song was recorded at the Record Plant Studio in Los Angeles. In an interview with MTV News, Gaga said that "Monster" describes her fear of sex and relationships and the literal meaning is about a "guy with a big dick". She elaborated, "It's the fear of attachment and the fear of loving something that's bad for you... If you listen to the lyrics, it's like being in love with the bad boy all the time, and you keep going back for more." Gaga added that the fear in "Monster" erupted from her need to have a stable relationship. She explained "I keep falling in love with the monster... But what I really need is the security and the safety and the womanhood, responsibility of my femininity. And so that's what that song is about." Composition A Europop and dance-pop song, "Monster" begins with Gaga's voice uttering the line, "Don't call me Gaga". It contains stuttering synths and 1980s drums that, according to PopMatters' Evan Sawdey, create a playful environment.