Lady Gaga‘s mother Cynthia Germanotta penned a very powerful, beautiful essay about raising her unique daughter, and why it’s time for an “emotional revolution.”

Nicknamed “Mother Monster,” Gaga is something of a matriarch for her fans and those who feel different or weird in mainstream society. After all, at her concerts, Gaga’s voice rings out “Baby, you were born this way” to the cheers and cries of fans. And Gaga’s made it no secret that when she was growing up, she felt like a “freak.” Read more

In January, Ciara gave fans the first taste of her new album Jackie with the emotional “I Bet,” a personal track about her very public breakup with the rapper Future. Despite the single’s intimate tone, the rest of the album, which is named after her mother, has a more upbeat sound. “It came from me wanting people to dance and groove,” says the singer, who names Michael Jackson, Frank Sinatra, and Sade as her sources of musical inspiration. “I have always wanted to make this kind of album.” Here, she explains how she came up with the album’s title, what fans can expect, and more. Read more

Issa Rae stands strong, arms akimbo, on the jacket of her new memoir, “The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl.”

By most measures in entertainment, she is a wonderful woman. Nearly 25 million views of her YouTube videos. New York Times best-seller status for her debut book. A greenlit pilot for HBO. She is collaborating with Shonda Rhimes and Instagram’ing with Oprah. Read more