Last month, Lady Gaga made waves with her dance-forward single “Abracadabra,” an instant club classic. A short of her dancing to its satisfyingly staccato post-chorus that aired during the Super Bowl and its delightfully weird and opulent music video raised hopes even higher for her latest album, “Mayhem.”
The album, released on Friday, starts strong with the kind of experimentation we know and love Gaga for and a fresh take on the dance music trend. It’s an exciting fusion of dance music, synth pop, recession pop and even disco.
Halfway through its nearly one-hour length, though, you’re left wondering how many times in a row you can hear the same song.
The album opens with its other single, “Disease,” which was released before “Abracadabra” in November 2024. The heavy synth and pronounced beat pair excellently with Gaga’s rich vocals and prime the listener for the magic of “Acadabraba.”
“Garden Of Eden” highlights the operatic notes of the album, particularly in the backing vocals telling the DJ to “hit the lights,” and its chorus is a groovy guitar riff guaranteed to lodge itself in your brain.
“Perfect Celebrity” is an electronic critique on fame, something artists of Gaga’s caliber are all too familiar with (throwback to when the media decided to transvestigate her). Its electronic sound enables its danceability, but its melody sounds almost haunting, alluding to something darker.
Gaga also employs some of the smartest songwriting of the album on this song, utilizing a double entendre in the line “sit in the front row, watch the princess die” to evoke the beloved Diana, Princess of Wales whose fame ultimately killed her.
“Vanish Into You” is a longing breakup song that leans into the recession pop sound that was Gaga’s stairway to stardom. “Killah” is a funky feature with French DJ and “Mayhem” producer Gesaffelstein, who also worked with today’s queen of recession pop Charli XCX.
When Gaga’s chanting gave way to a sparkling disco melody at the beginning of “Zombieboy,” I audibly said “What the hell?” in a good way. The track stands apart from the rest of the album and is by far its most exciting non-single track. Gaga sassily saying, “Put your paws all over me, you zombieboy!” is a definite highlight.
Unfortunately, after “Zombieboy,” Gaga falters and falls back on a sound we’ve all heard before.
“LoveDrug” returns to the recession pop formula, but infuses it with ‘80s-style synth with notes of 2015 Daft Punk.
Then there are three songs that sound pretty much the same and aren’t worth mentioning.
“The Beast” is a welcome break in the pop music monotony in the form of a sexy slow jam. Sonically and thematically, it transitions well into the album’s penultimate track “Blade Of Grass.”
The melancholy, piano-driven power love ballad dedicated to Gaga’s fiancé Michael Polansky feels very similar to a Lana Del Rey track, and its exceedingly tender lyrics hammer the comparison home. They honestly trend a bit more hopeful than anything Del Rey has written.
“You said, ‘How does a man like me love a woman like you?’ / I said ‘Hold me until I die and I’ll make you brand new,’” Gaga croons.
As you’re listening to this beautiful declaration of love, you’ll be stunned to remember that “Abracadabra” was, in fact, the same album. But it’s this type of range that we should expect from legends like Gaga, and she shows she still has it.
“Blade Of Grass” would have been a satisfying conclusion to “Mayhem.” Even a triumphant return to the album’s primary dance sound would have been nice.
Instead, Gaga tacked on her Grammy Award-winning duet with Bruno Mars “Die With A Smile” onto the end of the already-too-long record. Grammy win aside, it’s a lazy move that sticks out like a sore thumb compared to the originality of the album’s first half.
Even though their voices blend well, as of 2025, society has moved on from Bruno Mars. Additionally, though not officially connected with the film, the song is far too reminiscent of the musical “Joker” sequel “Joker: Folie à Deux,” a flop that Gaga pioneered.
“Mayhem” was Gaga’s chance to move on from that misstep, but it’s all the listener is left with at its conclusion.
Perhaps Gaga has outgrown her meat dress, but that unabashed weirdness is why she’s so beloved and reminds us of what she does best.
Gaga’s dance pop has always been a source of solace during difficult times, and it’s her latest reinvention of this classic sound of hers that’s the highlight of “Mayhem.” It’s what makes the album’s subpar second half all the more disappointing.
