Lady Gaga unveils cover art for single 'Applause,' takes off clothes, shows the world her new piercing

Are you curious about the cover art for the first single for Lady Gaga's forthcoming album ARTPOP? Have you ever wondered what it would look like if Gaga got her septum pierced? If you answered "Yes" to either or both of those questions, then this is your favorite post of all time.

Gaga's new single is called "Applause," and the cover art features the singer's face smeared with paint. "It's the end of the night after the show," she said of the image. "When I look at it I see that there is a longing for the applause. I see that there is a void that is leaking onstage, that the performer is leaking, that the art is sort of becoming something else in front of your eyes. Something more human, something more honest." The shot was taken by photography team Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin, who also helmed the forthcoming video for "Applause."

She also tweeted this promotional photo for the single, which finds her nude on a chair made of motherboards.

The song itself will premiere on Aug. 19, which also happens to be the first day that ARTPOP will be available for pre-order and will mark the launch of the ARTPOP app.

Because she's Lady Gaga, she didn't just let the world see her new single art—she also let somebody take video of the inside of her nasal passages.

In an official video, Gaga sits slightly inverted as a spike is driven through the middle of her nose for a septum piercing. If you've ever thought, "Lady Gaga is cool and all, but she should really look more like a bull," then you should be first in line to reserve your copy of ARTPOP.

You'll notice there's music scoring that clip, though it's unclear if that's a snippet from ARTPOP or just something that Trent Reznor did while leaning on a keyboard.

Gaga describes "Applause" as having a more positive, happier vibe than some of her past work. Is that what you want from Mother Monster? Let us know in the comments below.