The 24-year-old pop star is famous for her outrageous fashion sense and often goes out in her underwear. She has previously refused offers to appear in Hugh Hefner`s iconic adult magazine, but is now said to be considering it because she thinks it will help her "grow as an artist".

"She thinks it will be an experience, and she`s always looking to grow as an artist," a source revealed. "She doesn`t think there`s anything distasteful about it. She sees it as just another form of expression.

"She`s always looking to shock and entertain, and something like this would be perfect for her. She wants her shoot to be like nothing Playboy has ever seen before. If she doesn`t drop it, her nude shoot will be like nothing Playboy has ever seen!"

But Gaga`s friends and management team are trying to convince her that stripping off for the publication is not the right thing to do. They fear posing nude would destroy her "edgy" image, and are advising her to keep her clothes on.

"Most of her inner circle are fuming about her plans to strip off," a source told British magazine Heat. "Her business people are trying to convince her the shoot will be seen as lowbrow and cheesy, and will alienate her fans who like her edgy appeal.

"No-one wants her to do it. It goes against all her ideas about creativity."

Hefner confirmed he has asked Gaga to pose for his publication, but didn?t mention if she had accepted. He did say he was convinced the star would bring something very "special" to the magazine if she appeared in it.

"We`d love to have Lady Gaga in Playboy. That would be a very special issue," the 84-year-old lothario wrote on his Twitter page.

Gaga turned down an offer to appear in Playboy in early 2009 because she said she wanted to focus on her music. At the time, she said she might be interested in posing nude in the future if it would boost sales of her albums.

"I mean, if I was a glamour model, I would be delighted (with Playboy`s offer), but for me it`s all about the music," she said at the time. "Ask me again, though, when I have a new album to plug."
sections: Celebrities