Lady Gaga ARTPOP Release Date: Singer Talks New Single 'Applause', Unveils Cover Art (PHOTO)

To the frustration of Little Monsters everywhere, Lady Gaga has been incredibly secretive about her new album, ARTPOP, but as the November release date creeps closer, Gaga is giving fans a taste of what they can expect from her latest project.

Gaga released the cover art for her new single "Applause," which is set to debut Aug. 19. The striking photo features only the singer's face, covered in colorful, smudged paint.

While she didn't quite explain the meaning of the art-infused cover, the over-the-top songstress did open up to Women's Wear Daily about the focus of the new tune.

"I'll tell you that it is very fun and that it's full of happiness," she said. "What I'm saying in the song essentially is that I live for the applause. I live for the way you cheer and scream for me. Give me that thing that I love. Put your hands up, make them touch."

Gaga also talked about writing the song with DJ White Shadow, who she has been working with for five years.

"In my heart of hearts as I was writing, I knew that if I asked [the fans] to cheer for me before I sang or if I alluded to the fact that they would cheer for me before I sang....They do that all the time for me; before I even open my mouth, the fans start cheering for me. And so this exclamation, 'Give me that thing that I love. Give it to me. I'm ready, start the music,'" she said. "I'm from New York. I've worked since I was a five-year-old to be a performer. All my life. I deserve to be here. I'm ready."

Gaga is set to perform "Applause" for the first time during the MTV Video Music Awards on Aug. 25. It will also be the first time Mother Monster has returned to the stage since undergoing hip surgery in February.

While Gaga admits the break was difficult, she also says it helped make the album better.

"I had six months to beef up my brain and my body. I got to put a giant white or black sheet of paint over my whole canvas and I got to review ARTPOP again," she said. "I was given the time to really be creative because it's a gazing process, it really is. I have to gaze into the work for long periods of time for it to be good."

ARTPOP hits shelves Nov. 11.