Lady Gaga’s MAYHEM; A Glorious Return to the Dancefloor
After years of experimentation and reinvention, MAYHEM finds Lady Gaga back in her element—on the dancefloor, basking in the chaos. Her seventh studio album is the most fun she’s sounded in a long time, free from the weight of high-concept storytelling or commercial pressures. This isn’t Gaga chasing trends or stripping things back in search of rawness. This is Gaga being Gaga. Produced alongside Andrew Watt, Gesaffelstein, and her fiancé Michael Polansky, the album fuses fizzy electronics, roaring guitars, and 80s-inspired grooves into a sonic playground that feels both nostalgic and cutting-edge.
From the moment MAYHEM begins, it’s clear that Gaga isn’t holding back. “Disease”, the lead single, is an explosive mix of dirty synths, high-camp theatrics, and a chorus so loud and relentless it practically demands to be screamed in an arena. Then there’s “Abracadabra”, the kind of gloriously unhinged pop nonsense that only Gaga could pull off. It’s messy, in the best way possible. With an operatic break inspired by Phantom of the Opera, it’s high drama, high energy, and an instant fan favorite. As Gaga declares “Dance or die” in the music video, it perfectly sums up the album’s ethos.
Gaga’s references are all over MAYHEM, yet it never feels derivative. “Garden Of Eden” has production moments that recall Madonna’s Music, with sleek, hypnotic beats courtesy of Gesaffelstein. “Killah”, another Gesaffelstein-assisted track, channels Prince’s Kiss and samples David Bowie’s Fame with its funky guitar licks and sparse synth stabs before erupting into a thrilling drum’n’bass break. Meanwhile, “Shadow Of A Man” nods to Michael Jackson with its slick disco groove and space-like synths, proving that Gaga still knows how to craft an irresistibly danceable track.
Gaga’s relationship with fame has always been complex, and “Perfect Celebrity” lays it all out. Over early-2000s rock production, she sneers “You love to hate me” and “Find my clone, she’s asleep on the ceiling”, playing with the duality of Stefani Germanotta and the larger-than-life Lady Gaga persona. “Zombieboy” is a thrilling fusion of talk-singing, 80s disco. Just when you think the track has settled into a rhythm, a wailing hair-metal guitar solo crashes in, because, of course, it does. It’s one of the album’s boldest moments.
While MAYHEM thrives on high-energy anthems, it also delivers some of Gaga’s most gripping emotional moments. “The Beast” is haunting and cinematic, with dark, pulsating bass and an electric guitar solo that erupts like lightning in a storm. It’s one of the album’s most powerful tracks, balancing raw emotion with MAYHEM’s signature grandiosity. But it’s “Vanish Into You” that truly steals the show—this is Gaga at her best, with a massive climax that evokes Bad Romance-level intensity. The song’s disco influences, high-pitched synths, and soaring vocal delivery make it one of the album’s undeniable highlights.
“How Bad Do U Want Me” evokes early 80s synth-pop and Jack Antonoff’s Taylor Swift, blending aching melancholy with pulsating dance beats. “LoveDrug” infuses high chords into a hard snap beat, incorporating rock elements that add to the album’s electric energy. “Don’t Call Tonight”, meanwhile, takes Daft Punk-inspired production and pairs it with heavy guitars for one of the most dynamic tracks on the record.
The album’s biggest misstep might be “Die With A Smile”, a lush power ballad featuring Bruno Mars that became a chart-topping hit but feels somewhat out of place. Beautiful as it is, it seems like an odd fit for MAYHEM—almost as if Gaga included it for its success rather than its cohesion with the rest of the album. “Blade Of Grass”, a love song dedicated to Michael Polansky, is another deviation, though its old-fashioned power ballad feel provides a tender, heartfelt contrast to the surrounding chaos.
More than anything, MAYHEM feels authentic. Where Joanne saw Gaga strip things back and Chromatica tried too hard to reclaim her past success, MAYHEM simply lets Gaga exist. She’s no longer reinventing herself—she’s embracing herself. The result? A chaotic, thrilling, and undeniably Gaga record that proves, once again, she’s in a league of her own.
