Lady Gaga's big love for Iron Maiden

Pop superstar Lady Gaga has spoken of her love for Iron Maiden – and praised the “importance and scope” of heavy metal.

The singer features in an upcoming issue of CR Fashion Book wearing a Maiden Number Of The Beast t-shirt. And she tells the publication that she doesn’t want to be the next Madonna – she’d rather be the next Maiden.

Gaga says: “They’re one of the greatest rock bands in history, in my opinion. Some people really don’t know the importance of metal and the scope of it. Those guys were filling stadiums, and they still are.

“And it’s because of the culture of the music, the poetry that’s so powerful, that whenever the fans come together they unite in the essence of what Iron Maiden is all about. I always used to say to people, when they would say, ‘Oh, she’s the next Madonna.’ No, I’m the next Iron Maiden.”

She also tweeted a picture of her wearing the t-shirt.

Gaga has proven her metal credentials before, hanging out with Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford backstage. Halford said he’d love to work with the pop icon.

And Scott Ian described her as “a genuine metalhead” and said he’d love for her to cover an Anthrax tune. In June last year, former Skid Row singer Sebastian Bach dressed as Gaga and covered her song Bad Romance on TV talent show Sing Your Face Off.

Maiden are the cover stars of the current issue of Metal Hammer magazine, out now in print, digital and via TeamRock+.

Stef wrote close to 5,000 stories during his time as assistant online news editor and later as online news editor between 2014-2016. An accomplished reporter and journalist, Stef has written extensively for a number of UK newspapers and also played bass with UK rock favourites Logan. His favourite bands are Pixies and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. Stef left the world of rock'n'roll news behind when he moved to his beloved Canada in 2016, but he started on his next 5000 stories in 2022.