“Poker Face” is a song by American singer Lady Gaga from her debut studio album, The Fame (2008). It was released on September 23, 2008, as the album’s second single, through Streamline Records, KonLive, Cherrytree Records, and Interscope Records. The song was written and recorded in January 2008, and was written by Gaga herself, alongside the song’s producer, RedOne. It was also recorded at Record Plant Studios, based in Hollywood, Los Angeles. The song is a synth-pop and dance-pop tune in the key of G♯ minor, following in the footsteps of her previous single “Just Dance”, but with a much darker musical tone. The song revolves around bisexuality, and was a tribute by Gaga to her rock and roll boyfriends. The song’s lyrics feature various sexual innuendos.
Upon its release, “Poker Face” was acclaimed by most critics, who praised the song’s robotic hook and chorus. Commercially, the song attained worldwide success, topping the charts in 20 countries including the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and many European countries. With over 14 million copies sold, “Poker Face” is one of the world’s best-selling singles ever and became the best-selling single of 2009 worldwide with over 9.8 million in sales that year alone. It was certified Diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in 2015.
The accompanying music video for the song portrays Gaga singing it in various costumes and playing strip poker in a getaway villa. Gaga performed the song on the eighth season of the television show American Idol, besides multiple other television appearances, all of her concert tours, and the Super Bowl LI halftime show. “Poker Face” was nominated for both Song of the Year and Record of the Year at the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards, and won the Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording.
