Born Which Way? The Physical Evolution Of Lady Gaga

After months of hype and a Glee episode to fuel it, Lady Gaga's second album, Born This Way, finally hit stores today. If you've been waiting for your copy to finishing downloading off Amazon since yesterday morning, that's because every little monster and their mothers have also hopped onto the site to snag their copy of the record that will no doubt own radio all summer long.

Tracing her career path from 2005, when she was just an NYU musician unknown anywhere beyond the Lower East Side club scene, up to her being named the godmother of Elton John's first child, the girl born Stefani Germanotta's remarkable transformation into Lady Gaga is entirely laid out. With changes in her hair color, physique, and wardrobe, Gaga's fame increases as she continues to reinvent herself. Maybe that's why Forbes just named her as the industry's "Most Powerful Celebrity"; the face of pop culture changes with the many faces of the Mother Monster.

We, on the other hand, can't help but think back upon Gaga's "Poker Face"-era thickness and the other attributes that first grabbed our attention and have since morphed. While you're listening to Born This Way on repeat, see for yourselves as we take a look at The Physical Evolution Of Lady Gaga.

From the brunette 15-year-old Stefani who was an extra on The Sopranos (pictured above) to the platinum blonde pop star we first met through "Just Dance," Lady Gaga's hair color seems to match exactly where she's at in her life. For example, platinum blonde for a platinum album and highlights for, well, high school.

When she first broke onto the music scene, Gaga was instantly noted for her signature bangs. To avoid fading into obscurity as a one-look/one-hit wonder, Gaga's celebrity grew as she began donning double-take worthy hairstyles that look more like emoticons and hats at the Kentucky Derby than actual human hair.

Although this alteration was never confirmed, you can judge for yourself with these pictures. Even if she did switch up her schnoz, the "breathing problems" excuse every singer seems to give will never be entirely implausible.

The more visible Lady Gaga becomes, the more messages she overtly inks on her body. Starting with a peace sign on her left wrist, she's added a unicorn whose horn says "Born This Way" on her thigh, daisies on her left shoulder with "Tokyo Love" written above them, a small heart with the word "Dad" wrapped around it near the daisies, and roses on her lower back.

Gaga also has a Rilke quote on her inner left bicep that states, "In the deepest hour of the night, confess to yourself that you would die if you were forbidden to write. And look deep into your heart where it spreads its roots, the answer and ask yourself, must I write?" Whatever happened to tramp stamps that don't require us to read or think?

Gaga is addicted to touring. Right after The Fame Ball Tour ended in 2009, the performaholic began another tour, The Monster Ball Tour, that same year, which just came to an end earlier this month. From constantly sweating it off on stage, it's no surprise that Gaga dropped almost all of the weight Stefani Germanotta seemed to be retaining in her episode of MTV's Boiling Points in 2005.

You can attribute it to either her budget or stylist, but Lady Gaga in 2011 is incredibly removed from the Lady Gaga who performed with then-partner (in the musical sense) Lady Starlight in her scenester underwear at Lollapalooza in 2007. That chain-linked get-up looks like a simple jeans-and-T-shirt look against the condom-inspired outfits she'd gladly wear to the grocery store, as well as the phallic prosthetic implants she accessorizes with, today.