The wait is over, and as the title suggests, Lady Gaga’s much-anticipated album Mayhem is exactly that; a high-voltage fusion of unexpected and daring sonic experiments.
If there’s one thing Mayhem doesn’t do, it’s ease you in. Immediately erupting into the once viral hit ‘Disease’, before sliding into the even bigger sensation ‘Abracadabra’, the record pulls no punches from the start, thrilling longtime fans while introducing newcomers to the singer’s signature sound.
‘Garden of Eden’ is strikingly akin to Born This Way and The Fame Monster, both symbolically and sonically, with yet another nod to the spiritual and religious imagery that is scattered throughout her discography, most notably ‘Judas’ and ‘Bloody Mary’. Defined by its electro-synth sounds that mark a return to Gaga’s earliest, and arguably most-loved material, it’s undoubtedly on track to become a club anthem, cementing the party girl aesthetics repopularised by the cultural domination of Brat last year.
In a similar impassioned and theatrical vein, ‘Perfect Celebrity’ draws on harsher, darker rock elements and deeper, hard-hitting lyrics: “I’m made of plastic like a human doll / You push and pull me, I don’t hurt at all… / You can’t hate me / I’m the perfect celebrity”. While its lyricism is not surprising from such a bold, unapologetic, and global icon like Gaga, it’s perhaps the first time we’ve seen her hit out musically at the standards public figures are subjected to, reinforcing the impact of the story she tells—for, if Gaga still feels like she is still merely a pawn in the game that is fame, subject to the unrelenting harshness of the public eye, who else can stand a chance? The song feels particularly timely as emerging stars such as Chappell Roan have begun to shine a light on the negative intensity of fame, reaffirming Gaga’s unparalleled ability to encapsulate the essence of pop culture both past and present.
Eerily, but excitingly, reminiscent of the global hit ‘Bad Romance’ comes ‘Vanish into You’, while ‘Don’t Call Tonight’ feels distinctly related to ‘Alejandro’, sparking fans’ elation online. One listener on X wrote: “Don’t Call Tonight is Alejandro’s cousin HEAR ME OUT”. Both tracks lead one to think that Gaga has carefully curated the album to marry up her old and new artistic endeavours, honouring her most loved hits 15 years on from the release of her debut.
With riffs reminiscent of David Bowie’s ‘Fame’ and ad-libs not dissimilar to those of Prince’s, ‘Killah’, featuring French DJ and producer Gesaffelstein, is a further addition to Gaga’s long list of gorgeously executed musical experiments, again taking the album down a different path than the initial dark pop sound that fans and music aficionados might have expected from Mayhem.
Quickly, Mayhem becomes groove-infused, breaking free from the wondrous, though gothic entries on the record. ‘Zombieboys’ is the most obvious example of this shift in sound, existing as an ode to her late close friend, Rick Genest (also known as ‘Zombie Boy’), who starred in her widely revered ‘Born This Way’ music video.
In an interview with The Rolling Stone, she spoke of the song’s roots: “[it’s] all about the moment in the night when you and your friends all realise that you’re going to wake up not feeling well the next day because you’re having too much fun, so it’s about being a zombie in the morning.” Her ability to capture the highs and lows of life in a single song resonates with fans who have lived through both love and loss. This further cements why Gaga stands tall as a globally celebrated pop icon.
The lustrous lyricism of ‘LoveDrug’, mixed with the punchy pop ballad that is ‘How Bad Do U Want Me’ both come together to deliver yet again another side of Gaga. Utterly multidimensional, Mayhem might have come as a surprise to those who have followed the press and promotion in the months leading up to its release on 7 March.
Continuing this tender theme, in stark contrast to the first half of the record, comes ‘Blade of Grass’, an ode to Gaga’s engagement in the spring of 2024. In another conversation with The Rolling Stone, shared how her idealised engagement became a reality when her then-boyfriend proposed with a spear of grass; a fantasy she had revealed to fiancé Michael Polansky earlier in their relationship. The simplicity and romance of such a joyous occasion reveals yet another layer to Gaga’s persona, outside of her surface-level extravagance and, at times, audacious couture, adding an intimate and authentic depth to the record beyond its immediate chaos.
While it is easy—and perhaps innate for Gaga fans worldwide—to draw comparisons to the legend’s eccentric and eclectic discography, namely her earlier sounds that dominated the mid 2000’s and 2010’s—Mayhem deeply deserves recognition as a neatly wrapped multi-genre parcel in its own right. As the star takes on new milestones, both personally and commercially, this album feels like the most true-to-Gaga sound we’ve been gifted—and one that is sure to define the singer’s career in the long-run.
Words by Ruby Brown
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