"Runway" (stylized in all caps) is a song by the American singer Lady Gaga and the American rapper Doechii. Both artists along with Jayda Love co-wrote the song with its producers Andrew Watt,Bruno Mars,D'Mile,and Cirkut. "Runway" was released as a single through Interscope and Capitol Records on April 10,2026. It is a house and hip-hop song with influences of ballroom,whose lyrics explore themes of self-affirmation,ambition,and confidence,using the runway as a metaphor for visibility and success. The song will be featured in the soundtrack for the movie The Devil Wears Prada 2 (2026),in which Gaga also makes a guest appearance.
"Runway" was met with a positive critical reception,with praise directed at its maximalist production,catchy chorus,and confident delivery. Commercially,the song entered the weekly charts in countries such as Australia,Canada,the United States,Ireland,Japan and the United Kingdom,as well as the Billboard Global 200.
Development and release
In October 2025,while promoting her eighth studio album,Mayhem (2025),Lady Gaga was spotted in Milan filming scenes for the film The Devil Wears Prada 2 (2026).[1] Her involvement in the project,which took place during her Mayhem Ball (2025–2026) tour,coincided with the development of the film's soundtrack.[2][3]
The following year,on April 6,2026,the final trailer for the film was released,featuring a preview of "Runway";[4] the official post accompanying its release stated that the song is performed by Lady Gaga and Doechii. The track,described by the press as a dance and house song,is part of the film's soundtrack and takes its title from Runway,the fictional fashion magazine headed by the character Miranda Priestly.[5] On April 10,2026,the song was released for digital download and streaming via Interscope Records and Capitol Records.[6] It was also sent to radio airplay in Italy through EMI,[7] and was released to contemporary hit radio in the United States on April 14,2026,by Interscope and Capitol.[8] Hours after the song's release,Gaga played it from tape during the encore of her Mayhem Ball concert in Saint Paul,Minnesota,performing a choreographed walk reminiscent of a fashion runway.[9]
"Runway" marks the first collaboration between the two artists. Doechii had previously presented Gaga with the Innovator Award at the 2025 iHeartRadio Music Awards. Later that year,Gaga spoke warmly of Doechii in a British Vogue interview:"The power in her words,her vulnerability,the way she rhymes with this wild mix of audacity and emotional precision —it struck me to the core".[10] Doechii later spoke about working with Gaga in an interview with E! News,describing the experience as "amazing" and hinting that they "have more to come" following the release of "Runway".[11] At the film's New York premiere on April 21,Gaga praised Doechii,describing her as a "brilliant artist",and confirmed that they had been working on additional material together.[12]
"Runway" was written by Gaga, Doechii, Jayda Love, Andrew Watt, Cirkut, D'Mile, and Bruno Mars, and produced by the latter four.[6][13] Its production has been described as a mixture of house and hip-hop,[14] inspired by ballroom culture[15] Liberty Dunworth of NME noted that the track is built around an '80s-inspired electronic beat.[16] Alexa Camp of Slant Magazine wrote, "Gaga's hook nods to the largely anonymous soul singers who appeared on the myriad house-pop songs that dominated radio airwaves in the early '90s".[15] Jordi Bardají of Jenesaispop also highlighted the influence of 1990s house, describing the track as a "colorful, chic, and French-leaning disco-house" song. He further noted that Gaga performs a spoken first verse, in a style reminiscent of "Babylon" from her 2020 album Chromatica, in addition to the chorus, while Doechii takes on the majority of the song's vocal sections.[17]
Joyann Jeffrey of People described it as an upbeat anthem that promotes self-expression, noting that Gaga sings about feeling confident and comfortable in her own skin, while Doechii echoes this message by framing the dance floor as a runway. Jeffrey also highlighted that, during the bridge, both artists reference their love of fashion and visibility.[18] Writing for Rolling Out, Jess Sobrevinas described the track as featuring "club-ready production" and a "theatrical flair".[19]Elle's Starr Bowenbank further highlighted the song's emphasis on confidence and visibility, framing the runway as a metaphor for embracing public attention.[20]
The song opens with a brief excerpt of dialogue from the 1996 film The Nutty Professor, in which the character Sherman Klump, portrayed by Eddie Murphy, states: "No matter what, no matter what... you've got to strut".[21] Gaga delivers the opening verse before both artists join on a "confident, feel-good" chorus, as described by NME.[16]
Critical reception
Robin Murray of Clash called "Runway" a "blockbuster in every sense", which succeeds due to its "unrestrained maximalism". He added, the track "owns its over-the-top nature in every way, a luxurious, larger-than-life single whose self-conscious ownership of the headlines comes from two women who specialise in seizing attention with their every act".[14]Billboard's Lyndsey Havens called it a catchy collaboration which is "booming with in-your-face bass and filled with the exact type of confident sass that anyone about to hit the runway would want to hear".[22] Katie Atkinson, from the same publication, felt the song is "perfect for the catwalk".[13]
Jon Pareles of The New York Times described "Runway" as "a very efficient committee product" by its seven songwriters, but said Gaga and Doechii deliver its well-worn theme of posing in clubs and on fashion runways "with gusto".[23] In his review for Stereogum, Danielle Chelosky found the song's beat "generic", while adding that the hook was "fun".[24]
Commercial performance
Internationally, "Runway" debuted at number 70 on the Billboard Global 200 chart for the week of April 25, 2026.[25] In the United States, the song entered the Billboard Hot 100 at number 50 during the week of April 25, 2026, becoming Gaga's 33rd and Doechii's 5th song to reach the top 50 on the chart.[26] Additionally, it debuted at number five on the Hot Dance/Pop Songs.[27] In Canada, it debuted at number 36 on the Canadian Hot 100.[28]
In the United Kingdom, "Runway" debuted at number 32 on the UK Singles Chart during the week of April 16, 2026, marking the second-highest debut of that week and becoming Gaga's thirty-fourth and Doechii's fifth top-forty entry in the country.[29][30]
12Fusi, Eleonora (April 10, 2026). "Runway – Lady Gaga, Doechii" (Press release) (in Italian). EarOne. Archived from the original on April 10, 2026. Retrieved April 10, 2026.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
