"A knockoff handbag": Internet reacts as Ava Max addresses Lady Gaga "imitation" claims in leaked 'Don’t Click Play' song

Ava Max is back in headlines after a leaked track from her upcoming album, Don't Click Play, appeared online. The snippet was confirmed as real by Rolling Stone. It includes lyrics where Ava Max directly responds to years of criticism that she has "imitated" Lady Gaga.

The leak has sparked notable buzz among fans and critics. The pop singer's third studio album, Don't Click Play, is officially slated to be released on August 22, 2025. However, Max has been notably absent from social media since early July.

She also canceled her entire North American and European tour weeks after announcing it. She told fans she needed more time to deliver the kind of performance she wanted. The silence and this new leak have left fans talking. One such netizen declared:

"Ava Max addressing Gaga comparisons is like a knockoff handbag insisting it is totally original. Sure, Karen, we believe you."

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Internet reactions to Ava Max addressing Lady Gaga "imitation" claims

Pop Crave took to its official X (formerly Twitter) to share that:

"Ava Max addresses Lady Gaga comparisons on 'Don’t Click Play' title track, Rolling Stone confirms."

Fans did not wait long to weigh in on the X post to pen their thoughts. Below are what some of them had to say:

"I don't mean this in a disrespectful/ shady manner, but have people actually compared Gaga and Max?", questioned a netizen.

"Ava Max claps back at Gaga haters in 'Don't Click Play'! 'Kings & Queens' with a poker face? She is lovin' herself! Who is hyped for this?", penned another.

"It intrigues me how many claim not to know about the comparisons when all the time they mentioned "You look just like Gaga" until she stopped mentioning her to avoid more comparisons", stated a third.

Others also chimed in:

"They compare her faces and music style... Not the achievement.. There is no way ava compare to Gaga", noted an X user.

"The only comparison I've seen was how much Ava Max looks like Lady Gaga from the artpop era. Music? No because only one of them samples all their music (No shade to ava max)", commented another.

"She has always been compared to Gaga. Some even say she is trying to be Gaga when she is not even trying to be Gaga. All these comparisons are just because Ava and Gaga look alike, LOL. How stupid we are. Little Monsters will be streaming Max's latest album 'Don't Click Play'", opined a third.

The leaked snippet of Don't Click Play allegedly features Max singing:

"She samples, singing Gaga imitations. Can't kings and queens look good with poker faces? But I'm loving myself even if you hate it."

The line references Ava's 2020 hit Kings and Queens alongside Lady Gaga's 2008 track Poker Face. For many listeners, the lyric is the first time Max has explicitly addressed the comparisons in her music. A source told Rolling Stone the lyric is indeed part of the final album version.

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Edited by Sarah Nazamuddin Harniswala