Lady Gaga looks back at her alter ego Jo Calderone: 'it's no longer with us'

Lady Gaga's alter ego, Jo Calderone, made a lasting impression on fans back in 2011. 

The suave and charismatic Jo, described as "a mechanic from Sicily," first appeared on the September 2010 cover of Japanese Men's Vogue. However, it was at the 2011 MTV Music Video Awards that Jo truly made a memorable performance, singing Gaga's song Yoü And I and presenting Britney Spears with the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award.

In a recent interview with Them, the singer reflected on the significance of Jo Calderone in her life. 

"That was actually kind of a big moment for me as a woman to put all the pent-up fear or anger I had about relationships into one character," she said. 

Gaga continued, "Yoü And I was actually, I think, the first video that I ever did where I played multiple me's, and I brought that back on Mayhem. But Jo was an important character for me. It's the way I explored what I was looking for in men, and also what I was maybe lacking in myself."

Last month, she revealed to Vanity Fair's polygraph test that Jo was "no longer with us." However, when asked by Them to clarify her statement, Gaga explained, "the character is no longer with me. But I wish Jo all the best."

Gaga also spoke about her upcoming seventh studio album, Mayhem, and its themes. "I was always kind of fascinated with some kind of inner torture since the beginning of my career. I think I've always felt a little bit at war with myself. Like there was a soft side of me, but then also this really intense side and a desire to be heard," she said. 

"On this album, I was taking a really long, hard look at the last 20 years. And I think it's interesting that I ended up calling my album Mayhem."

Mayhem is set to be released on March 7, marking Gaga's first album since Chromatica in 2020.