MAYHEM, Lady Gaga’s 7th studio album, was released on March 7th. Gaga made a formal announcement for the release on January 27th, through a video on her instagram account, along with New York City billboards with MAYHEM written across them. There are fourteen tracks on MAYHEM and three main singles; “Disease,” “Die With a Smile,” and “Abracadabra.” It was produced by Gaga, Michael Polansky, and Andrew Watt with Streamline and Interscope Records.
With MAYHEM, Gaga has returned to her roots in electronic dance pop. In talking about the release, Gaga said, “The album started as me facing my fear of returning to the pop music my earliest fans loved.” MAYHEM is reminiscent of her earliest and more well known albums, such as The Fame and Born This Way.
Gaga’s EDM pop is often referred to as part of the phenomenon known as “recession pop,” which is the resurgence in popularity of upbeat pop music as the economy is tanking. Many are comparing MAYHEM’s release to The Fame during The Great Recession.
According to Gaga, while MAYHEM is her return to pop, the project “leaps around genre in a way that’s almost corrupt.” Each track approaches this in a different way.
“Disease” starts off the album with elements of techno electric cyberpunk and draws in listeners with the beat and rhythm. The second and third tracks, “Abracadabra” and “Garden of Eden,” stay on this theme while also developing as escapist club classics.
“Perfect Celebrity” takes on a more melodic composition that is almost existential. Gaga keeps her typical beat up while detailing the effects of fame and being idolized by the public. In the same vein, “Vanish Into You” focuses on how Gaga uses her partner as an escape from the reality of constantly being in the public eye.
“Killah” featuring Gesaffelstein, is a very sensual and rhythmic track with a unique beat. “Zombieboy” is a chant-like song with a more typical pop factor.
“LoveDrug” brings out the strong vocals that Gaga is famous for and also focuses on that nostalgic 2010s club numbness. “How Bad Do U Want Me” can be summed up in its post chorus, with the lyric “A psychotic love theme/How bad do you want me?”
“Don’t Call Tonight” at first seems like a song about a past partner she can’t get rid of, but upon closer listening it’s a clear conversation Gaga is having with herself about how her fame has led her to feel that she doesn’t belong to herself anymore.
“Shadow Of A Man” is Gaga’s take on how it feels to work in an industry in which you have to work twice as hard as your male counterparts to be recognized for your talent. “The Beast” is symbolic of this alter ego that Gaga utilizes in the industry and with her performances.
“Blade Of Grass” is a romantic ballad inspired by the proposal from Gaga’s current fiance, Michael Polansky. It shows how the partnership of two imperfect people can create something beautiful.
“Die With A Smile” closes the album with a power ballad about the strength in sacrifice for love, pulling together the end with a peaceful sense of mortality.
Gaga’s return to pop with MAYHEM is a prime example of her talent and solidifies her standing as one of the greatest in the industry.
