It's been a big year for Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Miley Cyrus and Britney Spears, but there's not much question that 2009 was Lady Gaga's year. New York native Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta began the year as a hot hopeful and will end it as one of the biggest pop stars in the world. And there's no one who challenged, provoked, entertained and, well, titillated us over the past 12 months quite like she has.
Her debut album, The Fame, was released on October 30, 2008, but MTV News was on the case early, and when we spoke with her four months earlier, her vision was clear even then.