Dance in the Dark

"Dance in the Dark" is a song by American recording artist Lady Gaga, from her third EP, The Fame Monster. Inspired by Gaga's "Fear of Self Monster", the song deals with the intimate experience between two people alone in a bedroom. According to Gaga, the record is about a girl who likes to have sex with the lights off because she is embarrassed about her body. She explained that she came across such women while working on the MAC AIDS Fund, and that the song is not about freedom, but rather the assurance that Gaga understood their feelings. The song was initially planned to be released after "Telephone", but due to a dispute between Gaga and her record company, "Alejandro" was released instead. It was later released as a digital download and radio-only single in Australia, Belgium, and France.

A synthpop and dance-pop song, "Dance in the Dark" contains retro and new wave music, and begins with a stuttering introduction. It includes a spoken interlude, where Gaga says the names of famous people whose lives ended tragically. The song has received critical acclaim from music critics. It charted on the UK Singles Chart and Billboard 's Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart, while reaching the top-thirty in Australia and the top-ten in Slovak Republic, Hungary and Czech Republic.

Gaga performed "Dance in the Dark" as the opening song of The Monster Ball Tour. In the first leg of the tour, she appeared behind a scrim-lit screen to perform the song, while in the revamped shows, Gaga performs it on a set reminiscent of a New York City night scene. The song was also performed at the 2010 BRIT Awards, where Gaga dedicated it to her close friend, Alexander McQueen, who had committed suicide a few days earlier. It was nominated for Best Dance Recording at the 53rd Grammy Awards, but lost to Rihanna's "Only Girl (In the World)".