Lady Gaga never stops trying to "expand her bubble" creatively, according to her visual director Richy Jackson.
The pair started working together back in 2011 when Richy became her lead choreographer and he has been responsible for helping the pop megastar create some of her most iconic moments, including her unforgettable ‘Telephone’ video with Beyoncé, her Super Bowl halftime show and her headline performances at this year’s Coachella Festival.
Richy, 38, says the greatest thing about working with Gaga, is that she never wants to stall as an artist and is always determined to push herself and everyone who is part of her team.
In an interview with Billboard, he said: "I think we’ve learned to continue pushing our creative bubbles. She’ll challenge me to try this or go with that. I’ll say, ‘OK, how do we make it faster or slower? How do we turn it another way?’ I always think about where we’ve come from and where we’re going on. For instance, for ‘John Wayne’, I knew that was about her intense relationships with men, so I wanted the dance to feel rougher. I loved the couple section I created for her where she’s hopping on the guy’s back and still dancing and singing. That’s the beauty of our organic, creative relationship: we both keep trying to expand each other’s bubble."
Richy – who has also worked with Usher, Will Smith, Katy Perry, Nicki Minaj, Missy Elliot and *NSYNC among many more big names – is very proud of the stage show he and Gaga created for Coachella.
The dance expert was delighted when their rock vision for the annual event – which is held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California – was realised fully by Gaga for her fans.
He said: "What we decided to do with this show [Coachella] is play with the many genres within [Lady Gaga]. She can go from a pop vibe to a rock style. We found a way to mix all her vibes with the set. When we performed ‘Just Dance’ it was more of her and the band, and she remixed it a bit at the top. Normally, we have her with all the dancers. It’s usually more of a pop visual, as opposed to Coachella where [we made it] more of a rock visual that allows the band to soar."
And Richy is excited for the rest of 2017 which will see Gaga take her ‘Joanne World Tour’ around the globe.
He said: "With Lady Gaga, it’s going to be the ‘Joanne Tour’, I’m really excited about that. It’s going to be fun to bring that album to life, so people can see the vision. I love going on tour and seeing all the fans in different cities. They’re so excited and welcoming."
Lady Gaga is always trying to ‘expand’ her creative bubble
