Lady Gaga, one of the Isle of MTV’s headline artistes turned up at a press conference this afternoon wearing a face mask, but said it had nothing to do with swine flu.

The eccentric singer, returning to Malta for her second concert, insisted the black plastic mask was an item of contemporary art.

It complemented her sexy black dress and massive patent leather booties.

Lady Gaga, who has enjoyed a year of huge success, said that Malta was now a place in her heart.

She expressed her remorse at the death of Michael Jackson.

“I grew up singing his songs, I don’t know what world I am making music to any more without Michael Jackson,” she said.

Her inspiration, she said, was to make the fans feel good about themselves, her music was not ego-centric but aimed at the fans.

She reflected on her video Paparazzi and said it had a special message about the media and social death. She said she had always lived an isolated life, a life of solitude totally committed to her work, and that was all she cared about.

Asked about her dress sense, she said she was currently obsessed with the clothes she found in sex shops.