Lady Gaga Feels ‘Grateful’ for This Point in Her Life: ‘I Went Through a Lot’ (Exclusive)

Lady Gaga is full of gratitude at this time in her life. 

“I’m in a new place,” the actress-musician, 38, tells PEOPLE as her new movie Joker: Folie à Deux and its companion album Harlequin debut.

“I've been in the music industry since I was a teenager. And I've been working in the film industry for the last 10 years or so,” says Gaga. “And, you know, I think that I just went through a lot.”

The artist’s chart-topping music, boundary-pushing fashion and awards (including an acting Oscar nomination and Best Original Song win for “Shallow” from 2018’s A Star Is Born) have not come without their share of personal and professional challenges, some of which she chronicled in her 2017 documentary Gaga: Five Foot Two. 

“I feel really grateful for the career that I've had,” the singer tells PEOPLE. “And I feel so grateful for my fans. Also, I think I had a lot of trouble with it at one point.” 

She adds, “I just feel a lot better now, and it's nice to be able to say that. I feel really grateful to be able to say that.”

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Gaga plays Harleen "Lee" Quinzel, a.k.a. Harley Quinn, in Joker: Folie à Deux, the follow-up to the 2019 hit introducing Joaquin Phoenix as Arthur Fleck, a.k.a. Joker. Written and directed again by Todd Phillips, the sequel is a musical featuring Gaga and Phoenix delivering fanciful renditions of well-known standards. During its premiere at the Venice Film Festival on Sept. 4, the film received an 11-minute standing ovation. 

As for why a DC Comics villainess was next on her list of career achievements, Gaga says with a smile, “I really wanted to do something that I've never done before.”

Joker: Folie à Deux is in theaters now.