Gaga-Perez

A MONSTER BATTLE: As Lady Gaga continues to be the subject of intense industry conversation in conjunction with the release of single "Applause" (from her forthcoming ARTPOP album, due 11/11), more chatter has been stirred by an avalanche of back-and-forth tweets and comments between the star and Perez Hilton. You'll recall that widely read blogger Perez is generally known to have contributed to Gaga's success before radio discovered her and she broke through with their first of her smash Pop hits. The latest round of tweets between the former friends finds Gaga labeling Perez a "stalker" (for allegedly trying to move into her New York apartment building); she also alleges he texted her after last year's fall (which necessitated surgery and the cancellation of tour dates), captioning a photo of her in a wheelchair with the word "karma."Perez replied that he's received death threats from the star's fans, expressed "shock" when "Applause" declined slightly on iTunes and cheered the success of Gaga's chart rival, Katy Perry. Meow! (8/22p)