Lady Gaga has described herself as "emotionally thin"

The Born This Way star said that she feels all great artists must wear their hearts on their sleeves in order to connect with listeners.
Gaga told AOL Music:

"I learned that to be a great artist, you must be emotionally very thin. Your tears and your anger and your happiness must be just under the surface of your first layer of skin. I like to say 'emotionally thin' because it's much more dramatic. Vulnerable to me implies only tears."

Asked if living in such a manner has many downsides, the 25-year-old responded: 

"Well, in my mind, to be a great artist you must be private and public at all times.

"And yet I'm part of an industry that challenges the pop female head-on, guns-a-blazing. I have to be emotionally thin but equally strong and impervious."