Singer, songwriter, actress, and global superstar Lady Gaga is back with her newest album Mayhem, her first new pop record since Chromatica in 2020. The artist’s new album blends genres of art pop, dance music, disco, and emotional ballads seamlessly, while showcasing Gaga’s incredible vocals. The album was released on Mar. 7, with solid praise from critics and fans alike.
“I personally love the new Lady Gaga album! The range of styles she uses is interesting, and I’ve had tracks from it on loop ever since it came out. I also love the album visuals, especially the music videos that have come out so far. There’s a lot of cool, self-referential moments, as well as just overall stunning cinematography and styling in the music videos,” said senior Chiara Amodeo.
Lady Gaga began teasing a new album with the release of “Die With a Smile” with Bruno Mars in summer 2024, which became a chart-topping hit, peaking at number one on the Billboard Hot 100. She confirmed her seventh album on Instagram on Sept. 3, 2024, by posting a photo of a paper with many dates on it, but fans took notice of one line: “XX October: LG7 first single.” Gaga then released a companion album to her film Joker: Folié a Deux in Sept., called Harlequin, which features covers of many popular jazz and classical pop standards.
In Oct., Gaga released a pop single titled “Disease,” which was technically her second single for Mayhem, confirming what she wrote on the paper in her previous Instagram post.
After waiting patiently for months, fans received the third single, as well as a music video, “Abracadabra,” announced at the Grammy Awards at the beginning of March. “Abracadabra” peaked at number five on the Billboard Global 200 and quickly became a fan favorite, as it sounds like the classic feel-good Lady Gaga dance-pop ballad. The song also has catchy choreography from its music video, which many creators and dancers on social media have attempted to recreate in a viral dance trend.
“Lady Gaga has not released any new music in a long time, but I am so glad she did, because I love her new album. Her best song on the album is definitely ‘Abracadabra.’ It has been very popular all over social media, and you can see why-it has a good beat and catchy lyrics. I hope I will be able to get tickets for her tour,” said sophomore Helene Burke.
Some favorites from the new album are “Vanish Into You,” “Zombieboy,” and “Garden of Eden.” Those three songs perfectly capture the essence of the album, and Lady Gaga’s musicianship as a whole. “Zombieboy” and “Garden of Eden” both sound like they could be off of an older Lady Gaga album, such as The Fame or Artpop, and have the classic Lady Gaga song vibe that fans know and love. “Vanish Into You” has a groovy baseline which takes the listener back to the disco hits of the ‘70s and ‘80s, which is something exciting and different for Gaga. The three songs also were produced amazingly, and listeners can hear all of the hard work and care that was put into creating this album.
Lady Gaga announced that she will be going across the globe with the songs of Mayhem on “The Mayhem Ball Tour” which will kick off in Las Vegas in July. “The Mayhem Ball Tour” will be an arena tour, which is different from her last tour in 2022, which was a stadium tour. When explaining the reason for the switch, Gaga explained that she wanted to create a more intimate and special experience for her fans.
“I think that Lady Gaga’s new album is a work of art, and she is a very inspiring and powerful artist. I love her music and I’m excited to see what’s in store for her music and acting career in the future,” said sophomore Sam Harnden.
Fans are excited to see what’s next for Gaga, with her tour coming this summer and her upcoming guest role in Netflix’s Wednesday in store for the rest of 2025. Mayhem marks another pop masterpiece from Lady Gaga, and its songs are modern classics that will continue to climb the streaming charts.