Such is his love for global pop icon Lady Gaga that superfan Red Seo has immortalised it in ink — three times over. Each tattoo is a tribute to the chart-topping star who has served as a creative inspiration to him since her breakout debut in 2008.
“She’s the icon of our era. The performer of our time and a huge creativity source for me as well,” the 36-year-old public relations director said.
Discovering Gaga
Recalling his first encounter with the Grammy-winning artist’s music, Red shared that listening to one of her bestselling singles, Just Dance, piqued his curiosity.
“I was really curious, so I started listening to her songs, and very soon, I got addicted because they are all so catchy,” he explained. “I love pop, and during that period, it was mostly bubblegum pop, and to have dance-pop was not common. So marrying both dance and pop was amazing for me, and she made it so catchy, which is why I love how she puts her music together.”
The then-teenage Red found himself spellbound by Gaga’s glittering world of synth-pop and infectious hooks, as he quickly fell into a rabbit hole of watching her electrifying live performances online.
First Live Experience
Fortunately for him, the wait to see his idol move from screen to stage didn’t last long.
Red first saw Gaga live at her 2009 Fame Ball Tour stop at Fort Canning, and later attended all three nights of her 2012 Born This Way Ball at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
“It's a real spectacle, the visual effects. And then to see it grow to how she is today, artistically, creatively. I think it's really interesting to see how she put together all her shows, from the different concepts,” he said.
His love for Gaga and her live shows has taken him across the globe. He flew to Vancouver and Inglewood, Los Angeles, to catch two stops on her Joanne World Tour in 2017, then made a European sojourn in 2022, attending her Chromatica Ball shows in Saint-Denis, Paris and London.
A Collection Like No Other
Beyond collecting memories from eight live shows, Red has also amassed an impressive trove of Lady Gaga memorabilia.
Among his most prized pieces are exclusive USB editions of Gaga’s first three albums, which Red cherishes and admits “took a while to find.”
Another standout in his collection is The Fame Monster Super Deluxe Pack, of which only 10,000 were released worldwide.
“There’s a part of her wig inside, and I believe HMV only brought in three copies to Singapore… So that meant a lot to me because I knew how rare it was,” he said.
Dancing to Her Rhythm
An avid dancer since his secondary school days, Red has also kept his passion for Gaga alive by choreographing and dancing to her songs over the years.
“I used to be a dancer when I was younger, so it's very easy for me to catch on to her moves. So I would learn to dance, and whenever I go to karaoke (joints), all my friends know that I will do a Lady Gaga number.”
He’s even taken his love for dancing to the water — a video of him wakesurfing while grooving to her music went viral on Instagram.
“I have a friend who surfs with me, and she does crazy get-ups like wearing a qi pao (traditional Chinese dress) during Chinese New Year and dancing on the board. I took inspiration from that… and found something niche to myself.”
Check out Red’s latest dance video on the Stingray surf simulator at the Sports Hub’s Splash-N-Surf Water Park here.
Beyond dancing and surfing, Gaga has also been a lifelong source of personal inspiration for Red, who lives by the empowering message of her hit song Born This Way.
“That album was a real turning point for me,” he said. “I love how she encouraged people to express themselves as individuals — that message really stuck with me,” said Red, who has the lyric ‘mi amore vole fe yah’ (Italian for ‘love needs faith’) inked on his neck.
Running down his shin is also a series of tattooed symbols representing each of Gaga’s albums — a work in progress that’s still missing her latest release, Mayhem.
With just a week to go before Gaga showcases her new tracks at the Singapore Sports Hub, Red is already planning his outfit. “This album’s theme is very heavy on black, white, and red, so I’ll probably explore those hues for my inspiration,” he said, eager to embody the spirit of Mayhem in his own way.
He is set to attend all four nights with his friends and is excited to see the fan community come together in celebration at the Sports Hub. “When you get to see everyone gearing up for the concert and enjoying the moment together, there’s a huge adrenaline rush,” he explained.
Singapore’s Exclusive Stop
With the concert being Gaga’s only stop in Asia, following performances at Coachella, Brazil, and Mexico, Red was both shocked and thrilled when he first heard the news.
“It was a shock but also an honour for our little country in Asia to be her only stop here, and when you look at her entire rollout of live performances this year, there aren't many… I think we are really lucky to be able to watch this, and for four nights.”
Beyond the avant-garde icon’s high-energy dance routines and powerhouse vocals, Red is also looking forward to the elaborate stage designs that are a trademark for the singer’s shows.
“I can't wait to see the entire Opera House concept that she has done for Coachella and for the set to be here in Singapore. It’s really exciting to see the set in real life.”
Describing Mayhem as his favourite album since Born This Way in 2011, Red encouraged fence-sitting fans to watch Gaga’s past live performances, believing they would be enough to convince them to experience the magic up close at the Sports Hub.
Join the Experience
Performing in Singapore for the first time in 13 years, Lady Gaga’s four-show run at the National Stadium kicks off on Sunday, May 18, 2025. Get your tickets now and be part of this unforgettable experience! Secure your spot today!
