Lady Gaga is an icon of pop culture and the music of the 2010’s. Anyone can appreciate the fun yet musically interesting sound.
After her last studio album Chromatica (2020), Gaga made music for films such as Top Gun Maverick and Joker 2. With the release of Abracadabra as a single, alongside its music video, fans became excited about Lady Gaga’s latest project: Mayhem. Abracadabra sparked fan discussion about Lady Gaga’s evolution as a musical artist, with many describing Abracadabra as a return to her debut electronic pop sound.
But, after giving Mayhem a full listen I can say that Mayhem is not a continuation of Fame or Born This Way, but rather an evolution of Lady Gaga’s unique artistic sound. I’m going to do a track by track review of each song, giving my opinion along the way.
Disease
Before Abracadabra dropped, Lady Gaga released the hit single Disease. The sound is a layered track with some quintessentially Gaga lyrics. It has an almost creepy tone to it, but a modern mixing style. It’s chorus alone is worth the listen.
In Disease, Gaga references her own traumas and demons, wrestling with experiences that leave her feeling “worse than she’s ever been”. However in the chorus, she combats this hurt by claiming she can “cure your disease”. This line could be referencing her song “The Cure” where she promises her audience, possibly a lover, that she would always support them. In this romantic relationship she finds a strength. This feeling is supported by her strong vocal performance and the increasingly layered sounds in the song, building up to a satisfying conclusion.
Overall this track is great as a standalone and is a highlight of Mayhem. I find myself putting Disease on more than some of the other songs off of Mayhem, but this could simply be because it was released earlier.
Abracadabra
Abracadabra was a strong introduction to Mayhem as a project and fits perfectly into Lady Gaga’s discography. However the track brings a unique flavor of its own, with religious motifs and a beat perfect for dancing.
Gaga uses haunting lyrics such as “Save me from this empty fight, in the game of life” to describe an internal struggle between dark and light, depicted by the incredible costuming in the Abracadabra music video. There is also a character introduced in the song, the “Lady in Red”. Lady Gaga told Elle that she represents, “Your internal monologue. ‘Can you do it? Can you do it? Will you do it? Are you good enough? Can you handle it?’ In a lot of ways, the song is about dealing with that challenge to yourself and very often the world around us can reflect it back to us as well.”
This theme is evident throughout the rest of Mayhem. In my opinion, Lady Gaga represents an internal discord through the diverse trackss on the album.
Garden of Eden
Being the first newly released track on the album, Garden of Eden delivered on fan expectations. The song starts with an overwhelming symphony of bass, chorus singing, and of course Lady Gaga’s voice. For me, the lyrics aren’t nearly as complex as the first two tracks, but this isn’t necessarily a criticism.
Garden of Eden reflects a newly revived cultural appreciation for party music. Think of the success of Brat or the revival of Ke$ha’s discography. The song’s chorus is a strong point for me and somehow the mixture of pop lyrics with a choral sound works really well. Religious imagery is of course recurring in Lady Gaga’s works so the song title also feels in character.
Lady Gaga still uses some dark, even industrial sounds to tie Garden of Eden into the rest of the album. Somehow Gaga has managed to once again craft a catchy, fresh song with an edge to it.
Perfect Celebrity
Perfect Celebrity is a critique of celebrity culture and how Lady Gaga has been demonized by mainstream media in the past. Gaga’s vocal talents are certainly on display in her screaming vocals where she directly addresses the audience for “loving to hate her”. The drums used in the chorus also have almost a rock sound, layered into a electropop track that is so classically Gaga.
Perfect Celebrity plays into the themes of Mayhem, where Lady Gaga considers her identity and how this identity is twisted to create narratives about her as a person. While Perfect Celebrity isn’t a song I go to play first, it has its place in my heart as an aspect of Mayhem’s story.
Vanish Into You
The into of Vanish Into You began with a beat reminiscent of disco dance music, almost like in Doja Cat’s Hot Pink. However Gaga takes this sound in a completely different direction, using emotionally charged lyrics such as “Do you see me now? I’ve been waiting for you, cryin’ out,” all layered on a dance beat.
Vanish Into You deals with Lady Gaga’s identity while in a relationship which is at times one sided. She references good times of the past (“We were happy just to be alive”) as she asks to “Vanish into” her lover. To vanish into someone could be positive, a romantic sync. However to vanish is to also disappear or lose a part of oneself. Nestled in this dance song is once again an internal struggle.
Killah
Killah is a track that’s not afraid to be fun. It is definitely one of the more light tracks off the album, dealing with a short term relationship that’s something of a flashy fantasy. Flirtatious and genuine, this song feels draggy at times.
In this spunky track there are acid house adjacent beats, a breathy vocal performance, and electronic bass lines.
I didn’t think I’d enjoy Killah as much as I did but wow. I’d say the song mostly speaks for itself. It is a standout for sure because of its unique mixing and decidedly gleeful style.
Zombie Boy
Following Killah, Zombie Boy has similar romantic themes and references to clubbing. The song has vintage guitar lines similar to Vanish Into You, but they’re utilized differently to create a track that you have to dance to.
Gaga begins by almost chanting to the audience, openly asking the Zombie Boy to “put his paws all over” her. Zombie Boy is a freeing song; It feels like a release from societal constraints, contrasting the struggles of Perfect Celebrity and Vanish Into You. This is how Zombie Boy contributes to the story of Mayhem.
It is impossible not to smile with Zombie Boy on, with its positive sound and lyrics conducive to shower singing. I find myself listening to Zombie Boy more than many other tracks off of Mayhem as it’s also easy to pop on with friends around.
LoveDrug
LoveDrug feels like an evolution in Lady Gaga’s experience of romance. She describes love as almost a need, in a less casual manner than in the past. From Killah, where she describes herself as being almost irresistible, to this track where she admits that she needs her lover’s affections to feed an addiction.
Here, the music is more poppy, allowing Lady Gaga’s lyrics to shine. She demonstrates her intense feelings with lines such as “I’ve got a poem in my throat” .
LoveDrug acts as a transition between Zombie Boy and How Bad Do U Want Me, bridging the gap between dance music and pop. LoveDrug still utilizes instrumental sounds but they are more produced here.
I like LoveDrug as a part of Mayhem but it might not be in my every day rotation.
How Bad Do U Want Me
How Bad Do U Want me fits right into the Taylor Swift dominated pop scene of the 2020’s. Lady Gaga sings about a relationship with a man she idealizes. She claims he sees her as a “bad girl” and wishes she was different. Gaga seems almost obsessed with this man (“I got a tattoo for us last week”) as she competes with another girl, who is actually just who the man wants Gaga to be. This song fits into the vulnerable romantic tone of the middle of Mayhem but its ideas about how relationships affect ones identity tie into earlier tracks such as Vanish Into You.
This song has an overly electronic, upbeat sound contrasting Lady Gaga’s desperation. There is a dichotomy between Lady Gaga’s “bad girl” image and her softer side as she confesses her intense feelings.
How Bad Do U Want Me is an appealing song that anyone could enjoy, especially if you like Gaga’s more recent works.
Don’t Call Tonight
Don’t Call Tonight is almost a reaction to How Bad Do U Want Me, beginning with Lady Gaga exclaiming “I can’t believe all the things I just said.” Gaga reflects on the more negative aspects of her relationship with the return of her more strong vocals and retro electronic backing.
Don’t Call Tonight is an emotional acme of Mayhem which feels perfect for car Karaoke.
Shadow of a Man
Lady Gaga returns to a more self confident, upbeat sound in Shadow of a Man, where she is determined to be a more true version of herself. Gaga explains “I won’t be used for my love and left out to cry”. Here, Gaga reaffirms her message that love is powerful, like in Disease, however now she is less concerned with appealing to an other, whether it be a partner or the audience.
Shadow of a Man is musically similar to Don’t Call Tonight as the two songs flow perfectly together with fun instrumental bits.
The Beast
Lady Gaga’s use of percussion in The Beast highlights the song’s intensity. She gets creative with the use of guitars, raindrop sounds, and vocal layering/ distortion.
Lady Gaga talks about letting free, a truer self that might be a monster or beast. The beast in a religious context could be referring to the devil, or the more negative side of Gaga’s character.
I don’t have much to say about The Beast as it is not my style musically, but the track works to wrap up Mayhem’s themes in a semi-satisfying manner.
Blade of Grass
Blade of Grass is a sentimental track where Gaga asks someone to love her unconditionally, even if this love isn’t substantiated by physical objects (“I’ll be your queen without a crown”). This is almost an act of healing as unlike in How Bad Do U Want Me, Lady Gaga isn’t begging to be with her lover. Rather Gaga is offering her love in a less desperate fashion as she now knows better who she is/ what she wants.
This song is a break from the electronic sounds of Mayhem, where you can hear acoustic guitar sounds and Gaga’s more raw voice.
I appreciate this track as a satisfying conclusion of Gaga’s emotional arc and struggle with identity and relationships.
Die With A Smile
With over two billion streams, Die With A Smile featuring Bruno Mars was a smash hit first released as a single. This joyful ballad balances the two artist’s voices to create a pop track that can be played endlessly.
I think I’ve heard this song one too many times unfortunately. Although I can appreciate why the song got so popular, I think it’ll be a long time before Die With A Smile ends up on a playlist of mine.
Final Thoughts
With its various genres, themes, and sounds Mayhem is a unique part of Lady Gaga’s journey as an artist. Each track is varied enough to where there is a song on here for anyone. Although many call Mayhem a return to “Old Gaga”, most songs off of the album fit right into the modern, maximalist, woman dominated music scene. I’d recommend giving the album a shot, especially if you like Lady Gaga’s hits because tracks like Garden of Eden and Zombie Boy don’t disappoint.
