Runway (song)

In October 2025, while on tour 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 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 with her dancers 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"

A 17-second sample of the song's bridge and final chorus, featuring vocals by Doechii and Gaga over a house-inspired production.

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"Runway" was written by Gaga, Doechii, Jayda Love, Andrew Watt, Cirkut, D'Mile, and Bruno Mars, and produced by the latter four.^[6][13] It is a house-pop^[5][14] song with an 1980s-inspired electronic beat,^[15] drawing influence from ballroom culture.^[16] Clash described it as a mixture of house and hip-hop.^[17] 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".^[18]

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".^[16] 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.^[19] Pitchfork identified "obvious influence" in the song from RuPaul's 1992 single "Supermodel (You Better Work)", and added that it further echoes elements from "Vogue" (1990) by Madonna.^[20]

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.^[21] Elle's Starr Bowenbank further highlighted the song's emphasis on confidence and visibility, framing the runway as a metaphor for embracing public attention.^[22]

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".^[17] 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".^[23] Katie Atkinson, from the same publication, felt the song is "perfect for the catwalk".^[13] Rolling Stone's David Fear called it a "stone-cold banger",^[24] while Liberty Dunworth of NME deemed it "charismatic" and "unapologetic".^[15] Daisy Carter of DIY described it as a "pulsing, club-ready" track built around a "badass bassline" and "attitude galore".^[25]

Andie Kirby of Paper found "Runway" the "danciest" and best track from the soundtrack album, considering it a "song of the summer" contender. She further commended its post-chorus breakdowns and the "Sashay…Doechii" vocal stim.^[26] Jon Pareles of The New York Times described the track 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".^[27] In his review for Stereogum, Danielle Chelosky found the song's beat "generic", while adding that the hook was "fun".^[28] Kiana Mickles of Pitchfork argued that "Runway" doesn't offer songwriting that adds anything new to queer pop, and its beat feels like an echo of better tracks. She added, "It's more suited for an H&M than any reputable dancefloor".^[20]

Following its release, "Runway" recorded 2.96 million unfiltered streams on Spotify and debuted at number 32 on the platform's global chart.^[29] Internationally, it debuted at number 70 on the Billboard Global 200 chart for the week of April 25, 2026.^[30] 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.^[31] Additionally, it debuted at number five on the Hot Dance/Pop Songs and peaked at number 21 on Pop Airplay.^[32][33] In Canada, it debuted at number 36 on the Canadian Hot 100.^[34]

In the United Kingdom, "Runway" debuted at number 32 on the UK Singles Chart for the week of April 16, 2026, moving 12,164 copies.^[35] It marked the second-highest debut of that week and became Gaga's thirty-fourth and Doechii's fifth top-forty entry in the country.^[36][37] It also entered at number 11 on the UK Singles Sales Chart and at number 10 on the UK Singles Downloads Chart.^[38]

In Japan, the song peaked at number 18 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100.^[39] In Australia, "Runway" debuted at number 90 on the ARIA Singles Chart. In New Zealand, it debuted at number five on the Hot 40 Singles Chart, an extension of the main chart.^[40]

Credits are adapted from Tidal.^[53]