Lady Gaga has hit back at any comparisons between herself and Madonna – and made it pretty clear who she thinks the real musician is.

In an hour-long interview with DJ Zane Lowe on his Beats 1 show, she rejected similarities between the two artists, but promised the Hung Up singer no disrespect.

She said: “Madonna and I are very different. Just saying. We’re very different.

“I wouldn’t make that comparison at all and I don’t mean to disrespect Madonna, she’s a nice lady and she’s had a fantastic, huge career, biggest pop star of all time.

Lady Gaga and Zane Lowe
Serious chats between Lady G and Zane (Beats 1/PA)

“But I play a lot of instruments. I write all my own music. I spend hours and hours a day in the studio. I’m a producer. I’m a writer. What I do is different.

“I’m not just rehearsing over and over again to put on a show, there is a spontaneity in my work. I allow myself to fail. I allow myself to break. I’m not afraid of my flaws.

“My life story is my life story just like yours is.

“The thing is, we all express things in different ways but my rebellion at my father for him being angry with me, that has ended. It’s like finally I can bite back.”

Her comments echo tensions between the pair last year, when Madonna told Rolling Stone magazine that the Bad Romance singer “blatantly ripped off one of my songs”.

Madonna expressing herself in 1990.
Madonna expressing herself in 1990 (Kevork Djansezian/AP)

But the artist, who was this week nominated for the 2017 Songwriters Hall of Fame, was careful to add: “She has her thing. I do think she’s a very talented singer and songwriter. It was just that one issue.”

In case you’d forgotten, it was understood that Madonna was referring to Gaga’s Born This Way, which was somewhat reminiscent of her 1989 track Express Yourself.

Also during the interview, broadcast on Thursday night, Gaga shared the poignant meaning behind her latest album, Joanne, her feelings on what it’s like to be famous, and the time Sir Elton John told her to get sober.