Lady GaGa's team had a ''meltdown'' when she told them she wanted to perform naked.

The 'Applause' singer stripped completely off at G.A.Y nightclub in London last weekend surprising the audience, and although her plan sent her aides into shock the 27-year-old singer felt compelled to do it as an artistic expression.

During an interview with UK station Radio 1, she said: ''I was performing my song 'Venus' for the first time and the label was having a meltdown as I was telling them I wanted to do this [get naked].

''I was performing at G.A.Y and wanted to give them 'Venus' as a thank-you for always being there for me and supporting me in the beginning at one of my earlier gigs.

''It was just so natural to me, in the painting [Birth of Venus] by Botticelli, she's naked, she's spawned from the sea and the painting has been inspiring me.

''It just happened, I feel safe at certain points to do things like that. I just wanted to be nude and feel the spirit of Venus, come out of the painting and sing.''

Gaga, 27, insists her new album 'ARTPOP' is a development of her art and she is adamant she will never let people dismiss her pop music as something that is not important.

She added: ''What I am on stage is always affected by the fans - 'ARTPOP' is about showing my artistic process. People think there is no artistic process and I should just shut up and sing pop songs.''