2008 Flashback: Lady Gaga in the Yahoo Music Studio

Nine years ago, when a strange and fascinating woman in a color-blocked leotard, LED-screen sunglasses, Time-Life operator headset, and Edgar Winter pageboy slinked into Yahoo Music’s studio, we knew right then and there that we were looking at a future star. It was obvious that she was born that way.

But did we know this disco-stick-brandishing, poker-faced diva would one play (and likely slay) the Super Bowl halftime show — one of the most high-profile gigs in all of music? Frankly, no. Though extremely talented and fearless, this woman just seemed too edgy, too underground, too clubby, too fringe-dwelling, too uncategorizable… too plain bizarre to ever fully conquer the mainstream.

But from her humble beginnings in Yahoo’s studio, this dynamite NYC lady has gone on to win Grammys, VMAs, and Golden Globes; headline stadiums; and become the forward-thinking, envelope-pushing pop voice of a generation. And now, this Sunday, she’ll ride her disco stick all the way to Houston’s NRG stadium, to perform for a TV audience of over 100 million.

We’re talking about Lady Gaga, of course. Back in 2008, the then-unknown singer talked to us about how she’d struggled to find her place in the music business. “For a while, I didn’t know if I wanted to be a recording artist or if I wanted to be on Broadway,” she revealed. “I would go into auditions and they would say, ‘You’re too pop for theater.’ And then I’d be in a nightclub doing my show, and somebody from Columbia Records would be sitting in the audience and go, ‘It’s very theater.’ So I was like, ‘I can’t win!'”

Gaga persevered, and never changed who she was. “I’m very weird,” she conceded, proudly, during our interview. “It’s OK! I love myself. I think that what I do is important… I’m an artist. I want to be that person that funnels that idea through the pop lens, and really changes what pop music means for my generation.” And she eventually succeeded, obviously.

Now, at her Super Bowl halftime show, Gaga is sure to utilize her theatrical tendencies and confidence for maximum impact. But before you catch her this weekend, watch her on the edge of glory, circa 2008, right here. From “Love Game” to the big game, Stefani Germanotta has certainly come a long way… but clearly she knew she’d always get here.