“I’ve become a notorious being,” Lady Gaga sings on “Perfect Celebrity,” a track from her newest album “Mayhem” that’s infused with musings on her fame mirroring her earlier hit “Paparazzi.” Although Gaga presents her notoriety as a new development, she was arguably always “a notorious being,” infamous for her eccentric and sometimes provocative lyricism, avant-garde fashion, theatrical performances, and fluid persona that reinvents with her every era.
“Mayhem,” which released on March 7 to a surge of positive reviews, is yet another of Gaga’s many reinventions, bringing listeners back to a nostalgic 2010s pop feel with occasional hints of Michael Jackson and even 1989-era Taylor Swift.
The opening track, “Disease,” was released in the October of. 2024, debuting at No. 14 on the Billboard Global 200 chart and quickly gaining traction on social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok. “I can smell your sickness/I can cure your disease,” Gaga belts in the refrain. While love songs that lean on illness metaphors often risk falling flat, the infectious synth-pop melody and irresistibly catchy chorus of “Disease” far compensate for any uncomfortable lyricism.
While “Disease” is fondly reminiscent of 2010s Katy Perry, the disjointed chorus of “Abracadabra” somehow feels new and “brat”-inspired while also featuring an older disco beat. Though the hammering refrain gets exhausting by the end, and its hyperpop vibes fall out of place amongst the rest of the album, the yearning vocals of the bridge almost make the whole song worth it.
“Garden of Eden” and “Perfect Celebrity” both reference different aspects of Gaga’s past, from her iconic nine-inch heels to her unreleased ballad, “Princess Die.” Among the tracks on the album, these two showcase Gaga’s distinctive lyricism most. “So rip off my face in this photograph,” she sings on “Perfect Celebrity,” the album’s fourth track. “You make me money/I’ll make you laugh.”
“Vanish Into You” is undoubtedly the album’s finest track. Gaga’s rich, smooth vocals bring the desperation of the lyrics alive and render it distinctly unique from preceding tracks. Every component—from the verse to the pre-chorus, chorus, and harmonies in the outro—is executed flawlessly. While the pining chorus begs, “Can I vanish into you?,” the song is far too memorable to “vanish into” anything.
The same cannot be said for the album’s following tracks. “Vanish Into You” preceding “Killah” and “Zombieboy” justifies the album’s promise of chaos. “Killah,” featuring French DJ Gesaffelstein, and “Zombieboy,” which, like “Disease,” uses eccentric metaphors—here comparing love to a zombie bite—blend into the background and don’t fulfill the catchy promise of their predecessors. “Killah” struggles to hold the listener’s attention as there is no definite crux or shout chorus, devolving into uneventful repetition and vague screaming in the background. Although “Zombieboy” has a promising build-up, it still fails to stand out. Its lone redeeming factor might be the backing guitar. Both tracks are tolerable but easily skippable when surrounded by more interesting songs like “Disease” and “Vanish Into You.”
“LoveDrug” brings the album back to the tone of earlier tracks with a powerful, belting chorus typical of “Mayhem” so far. Like “Killah” and “Zombieboy,” it doesn’t leave a lasting impression, but at least it integrates into the cohesive tone of the album more than the aforementioned songs do. In contrast, the subsequent song, “How Bad Do U Want Me,” immediately captures the listener’s impression, featuring well-written lyrics and a welcome return to the captivating melodies of the first five tracks. That said, the song almost seems stolen right from Taylor Swift’s 1989 vault, from the “Style”-inspired lyrics to the echoing vocals and pulsing background beat. “Cause you like my hair, my ripped up jeans,” Gaga sings. “You like the bad girl I got in me.” Some fans even theorized they could hear Swift in the backing vocals. It’s not implausible.
The following two tracks, “Don’t Call Tonight” and “Shadow of a Man,” continue the patterns established in “LoveDrug” and “Garden of Eden,” including the heavy use of synthesizer and strong belted vocals. “Don’t Call Tonight,” the 10th track, delves into a toxic relationship and features an addictive bridge that has a fresh sound while still relying on her traditional repetition of lines. On the other hand, “Shadow of a Man” is deeply personal. According to Gaga’s Apple Music interview with Zane Lowe, “Shadow of a Man” addresses the experience of feeling overlooked as the only woman in a room. “That song is so much a response to my career,” she said. “I learned how to dance in that shadow.” The track evokes Michael Jackson’s hesitant, breathy style and the lyrical depth of Taylor Swift’s “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart.” It has quickly become a fan favorite since the album’s release.
“The Beast” follows a Cinderella-esque story in which a man transforms into a beast at midnight. “I know you’re hungry, ready to bite,” Gaga sings in the chorus. “I wanna watch you turn tonight/I wanna feel the beast inside.” The song has a magic of its own, with compelling storytelling and a much slower tempo. It preserves its uniqueness while still adhering to the same production style and vocal intensity as the previous songs, ensuring the album’s consistency.
The penultimate track, “Blade of Grass,” deserves a higher placement on the tracklist. With a Lana Del Rey-esque drawl, the song’s romanticism and simplicity is refreshingly different and welcome. The piano brings an acoustic touch and keeps the track softer than its predecessors, echoing Gaga’s past hits like “Shallow” and “Always Remember Us This Way.”
The album ends with “Die With A Smile,” a dramatic ballad featuring Bruno Mars, which simply has no place in the high-energy, electric, techno-pop world of “Mayhem.” While Mars and Gaga’s harmonies were pleasant as a standalone single, they don’t fit with the rest of the album’s industrial synth-driven sound.
For an album titled “Mayhem,” Gaga’s curation of songs manages to be mostly cohesive while still retaining enough chaotic individuality to justify its title. “Do you see me now?” Gaga asks in “Vanish Into You.” With the artistic brilliance behind “Mayhem,” it’s impossible not to.