Lady Gaga’s seventh studio album, MAYHEM, was released at midnight on March 7. When her single “Abracadabra” came out, many Gen Z fans said that recession pop was back. People even joked about Gaga reheating her nachos, which she addressed in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, saying, “…my nachos are mine, and I invented them, and I’m proud of them.”
It’s true — MAYHEM is an amazing work of art that brings back all of Gaga’s old excellence of The Fame and is reminiscent of 80s pop music. Regarding the title, Gaga said on Good Morning America, “I try to use my artistry and my lyrics and my songwriting to create something that was indicative of personal chaos but also how we can still celebrate and dance through it while that’s happening.” Following the tracklist, I’ll break down my thoughts on this album.
The album begins with the singles “Disease” and “Abracadabra.” These are great songs with different sounds than the rest of the album. The bass and harmonies of “Disease” are very reminiscent of old Gaga. The lyrics comment on disability, similar to what Gaga has done in the past, like in “Born This Way.” Considering her openness about having fibromyalgia and chronic pain, listeners can interpret “Disease” through this lens.
“Abracadabra” premiered through a MasterCard commercial during the 2025 Grammy Awards. This single brought up the discussions of the resurgence of recession pop. The song is fun and sounds similar to her first two albums. The accompanying music video has such complex and vibrant choreography that it demonstrates Lady Gaga is back and doing what she does best: creating memorable art.
“Garden of Eden” is classic pop. This is my favorite song from the album. It sounds similar to “Supermassive Black Hole” by Muse. It has a fun, infectious melody with amazing harmonies. I’ll be playing this on repeat for the foreseeable future.
“Perfect Celebrity” builds slower and has more of a rock influence. The lyrics are vulnerable and a commentary on the realities of fame and what it’s like to be scrutinized under the public eye. She sings, “Hollywood’s a ghost town, you love to hate me, I’m the perfect celebrity.” This reminds me of Taylor Swift’s “Blank Space” and how she takes a satirical approach to her criticism.
“Vanish Into You” is a sweet, upbeat love song. I love the lyrics, the production, and her vocals. It makes me wish I were in love, but instead, I’ll live vicariously through Gaga.
“Killah” reminds me of 20th-century boy band pop. I absolutely love the guitar; the sound of this song is so addictive. It’s a seductive, vibey song that I can see myself listening to in any situation.
“Zombieboy” is very 80s pop-coded, with the instrumentals specifically reminding me of Prince. However, the chorus sounds similar to “Hollaback Girl” by Gwen Stefani. It’s a fun pop song that fans have come to expect from Lady Gaga.
“Lovedrug” is a catchy pop song with sad lyrics — my favorite subgenre. She sings about wanting to dance and using her partner like a drug to avoid feeling her emotions. While this is unhealthy, it’s a super catchy song that’s great to dance to.
Swifties seem to think that Taylor Swift has backing vocals on “How Bad Do U Want Me.” However, when checking the song credits, there is no evidence supporting this theory. Last year, fans thought Swift had backing vocals on Beyonce’s “BODYGUARD,” which also ended up being false. Either way, the song is still great and a pop classic.
Fans seeing the title “Don’t Call Tonight” may have hoped for a “Telephone” part two collaboration with Beyonce, but she is not featured on this album. That being said, this song is very fun and reminiscent of 80s pop. It reminds me of one of her older songs, “Alejandro.”
“Shadow of A Man” shares Gaga’s fears of not being enough to be successful because she’s in the shadow of a man: “Can’t ignore the voice within and a woman can’t lose but you still pretend.” The lyrics are vulnerable but very real and speak to the experience many women have at some point in their careers. The chorus reminds me of “Wanna Be Starting Something” by Michael Jackson.
“The Beast” starts a tonal shift for the album, with the last few songs being slower and more ballad-like. This song reminded me of “Bleeding Love” by Leona Lewis. The instrumental break resembles Rina Sawayama’s sound, as well as “In the Air Tonight” by Phil Collins. The slow ballad is 80s-inspired, and she wants whoever she sings to be themselves.
“Blade of Grass” is more stripped-back, as it’s primarily a piano ballad. The chorus reminds me of “Feel this Moment” by Pitbull and Christina Aguilera. I love the key change at the end of the song, which provides a perfectly eerie sound. It’s a vulnerable love song in which she stresses to her partner her desire to make their love last despite not having perfection or all the material things they want.
“Die With a Smile” may have surprised fans with its inclusion on this album, but the tonal shift to slower ballads makes this song fit right in as a perfect conclusion. This Grammy Award-winning song already has over two billion streams. It’s a wonderful love ballad, so it makes sense why it’s so popular and renowned.
I love this album so much. My favorites are “Garden of Eden,” “Vanish Into You,” and “Lovedrug.” Gaga brought back recession pop and successfully reheated her nachos. She has proven her talent, which is the reason for her longevity in such a competitive and ruthless industry. It’s only March, but I would love to see MAYHEM win Album of the Year at next year’s Grammy Awards.