Lady Gaga: Magic, Mischief, and MAYHEM
A song-by-song review of Lady Gaga’s latest studio album.
Lady Gaga’s fame and prevalence in pop culture is so constant that she doesn’t need to make comebacks. In fact, she just won a Grammy with Bruno Mars last month. Still, almost five years after the release of Chromatica in 2020, Lady Gaga’s newest studio album, MAYHEM, was released on March 7th. Sonically, the album is reminiscent of Gaga’s 2000s dance pop but also contains a variety of other genre influences. This spectrum of sound, as well as thematic content, results in a chaotic but consistent exploration of “Mayhem” as a concept and as a character guiding the listening experience.
Disease
The lead single of the album, “Disease” has a spooky dance pop sound. It opens with a distorted vocal, followed by heavy synths and electronic beats. The pre-chorus has spoken background vocals underneath the melody that evoke Gaga’s early signature style. After the breakdown at the end of the song, her vocal prowess really shines on all of her “cure your disease” ad libs. The song plays on the metaphor of being exactly what someone needs—the cure to their disease: “I could be your antidote tonight.” As a concept for a song, this is quite similar to her 2017 single “The Cure,” albeit with a much darker sound and twist on the lyrics.
Abracadabra
The second single that was released ahead of the album, with a music video debut during the Grammys, is “Abracadabra.” The song opens with a rhythmic chant on the word “abracadabra” that is then reflected in the beat as well. As the title suggests, it is a song imbued with magic, trances, and spells surrounding some of life’s biggest questions. The chorus, with the Latin “amor” and “morta,” defines the themes of love and death: “In her tongue she said, ‘death or love tonight.’” The mixing of words with syllabic nonsense in this spell recalls the intro to “Bad Romance.”
Garden of Eden
“Garden of Eden” is a dance pop track that details the impulse to make a “bad decision” out at a club. The lyrics delve into the Biblical symbol of the Garden of Eden in its representation of temptation: “Poison apple, take a bite.” The speaker takes on the role of the serpent in her attempt to seduce someone on the dance floor. The electronic instrumentation is juxtaposed by the grungy electric guitar sounds that come in on the post-chorus chant: “I’ll t-t-take you to the Garden of Eden.”
Perfect Celebrity
The next song, “Perfect Celebrity,” is a critique of fame and the position that the music industry puts artists in. Lyrically, I found this song to be the most affecting on the album, with the tagline: “You love to hate me / I’m the perfect celebrity.” When the chorus hits, the instrumentation ramps up, with the squeak of electric guitar, drums banging, and Gaga’s voice raw with passion and expression. She says so many brutally honest things about fame and consumerism in the song: “I look so hungry but I look so good / Tap on my vein, suck on my diamond blood / Choke on the fame and hope it gets you high” (The Fame, anyone?). In the bridge, she employs musical contrast to emphasize the lyrics, with the instrumentation falling out on words like “without a sound” and “ghost town.”
Vanish Into You
“Vanish Into You” opens with the triumphant-sounding chorus that immediately showcases Gaga’s higher vocal range. As the first verse comes in, the song slips into a retro disco sound, complete with a groovy bass line and dark, echoey vocals. The production grows throughout the song, with layered instruments and vocal harmonies building energy in this reflective love song. The speaker imagines becoming a singular entity with her partner and even being together in death as ghosts.
Killah
Although it is not the only track on the album produced by Gesaffelstein, “Killah” is the only one to credit him as a feature. The funk-infused song has multiple instrumental riffs that work with the descending chromatic melody to create an alluring canvas of sound (the instrumental section at the end also goes so hard). This song is the first of a few on the album to toy with sexual metaphors of violence and monstrosity. The speaker describes herself as the wielder of power in the relationship and brags about it: “I’ll be your fantasy / I’m a killah.”
Zombieboy
Following “Killah,” “Zombieboy” switches roles and designates the muse as the dangerous creature, in this case a zombie. The song opens with a cheer-esque chant and claps before leading into an intro that establishes its disco sound with an eclectic bass line and sparkly high synths. The verses are both spoken, emphasizing the melodies in the musical accompaniment. This upbeat dance number is another seduction song, with the “zombie bite” being the force of attraction.
LoveDrug
“LoveDrug” opens with a synthy intro but then makes way for a very clear vocal in the verses that is more reminiscent of Gaga’s stripped down music. This earnest sound complements the theme of suffering after a breakup that the speaker is trying to ignore and “dance until I feel alright.” The symbol of love as a drug, however, indicates that she is feeling withdrawal from the relationship now that she is alone. In the chorus, the song becomes a mid-tempo dance track, with multiple musical elements and instrumental choices at play.
How Bad Do U Want Me
“How Bad Do U Want Me” has a retro electronic sound with a clear pop chorus and chord progression (this is the one that the internet says sounds like a Taylor Swift song). Thematically, the song explores the good girl/bad girl dichotomy, with the speaker proud of her bad girl reputation. The open chorus showcases Gaga’s clear, soaring vocals, the lighthearted sound contrasting the lyrical content. Still, the end of the bridge is classic Gaga with the processed spoken lines: “That girl in your head ain’t real / How bad do you want me for real?”
Don’t Call Tonight
The next song takes a darker sonic turn again with the dance sounds of “Don’t Call Tonight.” It describes a cyclical toxic relationship from the perspective of a speaker aware of the situation but worried that she cannot escape the pattern: “I’m so addicted to your lies.” The funky electric guitar and raspy powerful vocal in the chorus highlight her attempts to keep her partner away so that she won’t get hurt again.
Shadow Of A Man
“Shadow Of A Man” is another song with a theme of defiance, this time using the symbol of light and darkness in the context of the patriarchy. The speaker embraces a positive attitude despite her fears of being overshadowed by men in her industry and career. Instead of shrinking in the presence of men who feel superior, she chooses to “dance in the shadow of a man.” Musically, this is another song with a great funky bass and chorus showcasing Gaga’s vocals through a call and response with herself.
The Beast
Another monster fantasy song, “The Beast” invokes a werewolf narrative to articulate the speaker’s attraction to her muse: “I wanna feel the beast inside.” Although Gaga uses the term “beast,” the wolf comparison is evidenced by the concept of “turning” and the second verse: “You got your hands on Little Red” (Riding Hood). This is a slower song with mostly minor electronic sounds, but it takes on more of a rock feeling towards the end with the addition of the electric guitar.
Blade of Grass
Out of the whole album, “Blade of Grass” is the most like a piano ballad, although more instruments are added in throughout the song to create a production of more epic proportions. Lyrically, this is a love song about making a future out of nothing, with the “blade of grass” representing nature’s wedding ring: “wrap that blade of grass / Around my finger like a cast.” The speaker’s focus is solely on the muse, without worries about material possessions: “I’ll be your queen without a crown.”
Die With A Smile
To close out the album, Gaga included her collaboration with Bruno Mars, “Die With A Smile.” This song has been out for a while—it just won the Grammy for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance. It’s an apocalyptic love song, which makes it a nice album closer, although I am surprised that Gaga put it on her solo album since it was released before any of her singles. Ultimately, it’s a great collaboration that was a long time coming; their voices are excellent together and also work wonderfully with this soft rock genre.
MAYHEM is a display of an array of human emotions and musical sounds that is both classic Gaga and entirely new. Upon first listen, my standout songs are “Abracadabra,” “Perfect Celebrity,” “Zombieboy,” “How Bad Do U Want Me,” and “Die With A Smile.” Let me know your thoughts and favorites in the comments, as well as any other insights into the album!
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