Lady Gaga was barely recognizable when she stepped out in New York this weekend. The singer replaced her eccentric outfits and wild wigs for a fresh face and an edgy nose ring.

Gaga went public with her new look at the 20th Annual Watermill Center Summer Benefit at The Watermill Center on Saturday in Water Mill, N.Y.

The ARTPOP star opted not to wear any makeup, was dressed in all black and had bleached eyebrows and raven hair. Her new nose ring, which she had pierced last week and recorded in a YouTube video, was also on display. (See the photos.)

Gaga is gearing up for the release of her new single called Applause. The cover art features the singer's face smeared with paint.

"It's the end of the night after the show," she said of the image. "When I look at it I see that there is a longing for the applause. I see that there is a void that is leaking onstage, that the performer is leaking, that the art is sort of becoming something else in front of your eyes. Something more human, something more honest."

She also tweeted this promotional photo for the single, which finds her nude on a chair made of motherboards.

The song itself will premiere on Aug. 19, which also happens to be the first day that ARTPOP will be available for pre-order and will mark the launch of the ARTPOP app.

Lady Gaga is set to perform the single at the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards, which airs August 25 on MTV.

Tags: Lady Gaga