Mayhem (Lady Gaga album)

Mayhem
Black-and-white photo of Gaga's face near a piece of glass
Studio album by
Lady Gaga
ReleasedMarch 7, 2025
Studio
GenrePop
Label
Producer
Lady Gaga chronology
Joker: Folie à Deux
(2024) 		Mayhem
(2025)
Singles from Mayhem
  1. "Disease"
    Released: October 25, 2024

Mayhem is the upcoming eighth studio album by American singer Lady Gaga. It is slated to be released on March 7, 2025,[4][5] by Streamline and Interscope Records.[6] She collaborated with producers such as Andrew Watt, Cirkut and Gesaffelstein on Mayhem.

The album was recorded at Rick Rubin's studio Shangri-La, in Malibu, California. Its lead single "Disease" was released on October 25, 2024. Mayhem also includes "Die with a Smile", a duet with Bruno Mars, which was released in August 2024 and spent eight weeks atop the Billboard Global 200 and four weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100. Initially intended as a standalone single, it was later revealed to be featured on the album.

Development

In 2022, Lady Gaga toured several countries as part of the Chromatica Ball and began working on new material.[7][8] For several months prior to the album's announcement, Gaga shared photographs on social media of herself in a recording studio.[9] In March 2024, Gaga spoke publicly about the project for the first time, stating in an interview that she was "writing some of the best songs I can remember."[10]

In May 2024, she released the concert film Gaga Chromatica Ball, which contained a snippet of new music at the end.[11] Gaga has said that the upcoming pop[12] album was made "from a place of happiness".[6] Her fiancé Michael Polansky recommended that she create a pop album and "lean in to the joy of it".[13] In mid-2024, Gaga began offering additional teasers for her new project. In July, she surprised fans by playing snippets of two unreleased songs after her performance at the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympics.[14] Later, in September, the singer revealed on social media that the lead single from the album was scheduled for release in October 2024. That same month, she granted an interview to Vogue, where she spoke about the album, her excitement about returning to pop music, and provided a preview of the lead single.[13] During a December 2024 interview with the Los Angeles Times, Gaga confirmed that her duet with Bruno Mars, "Die with a Smile", would be part of the album.[15]

On January 21, 2025, Gaga launched a countdown on her website set to end on January 27.[16] Each day, the website showcased artwork inspired by her previous material, beginning with The Fame (2008) and continuing with The Fame Monster (2009), Born This Way (2011), Artpop (2013), Joanne (2016), Chromatica (2020) and Harlequin (2024).[17] Details about the album were revealed on January 27.[18] On February 2, 2025, Gaga is expected to attend the 67th Annual Grammy Awards and reveal the second single with a music video during a commercial break.[19]

Composition

Gesaffelstein in 2012

According to Gaga, the inspiration for the album stemmed from a period of deep introspection and personal challenges.[20] Gaga, Andrew Watt and Michael Polansky are listed as the executive producers of Mayhem.[21] She described the album as "a transgressive journey through genres" that reflects her diverse musical influences and life experiences.[22][23] In an interview with Rolling Stone on December 10, 2024, Gaga characterized the project as an eclectic work that amalgamates various genres, styles, and emotions, all guided by her profound love of music. She elaborated:

The album is imbued with my love for music: a diversity of genres, styles, and dreams. It leaps from one genre to another in a manner that feels almost corrupt, and it culminates in love. That's my answer to all the chaos in my life: I find peace in love. Every song I wrote emerged from surrendering to different dreams tied to my past, almost like a recollection of all the bad decisions I've made throughout my life. There are moments where we sonically push the sound to extremes, and others where everything revolves around love. That, to me, represents true chaos. It's sometimes difficult to see the light, but I think what makes inner chaos more challenging is when you occasionally catch a glimpse of the sun. For this reason, the album offers a bit of everything. It's a complete experience.[24]

Regarding her inspiration, the artist stated, "The album started as me facing my fear of returning to the pop music my earliest fans loved," further comparing the creative process to "reassembling a shattered mirror: even if you can't put the pieces back together perfectly, you can create something beautiful and whole in its own new way."[25]

Gaga has called the album, which was inspired by industrial dance music,[26] "chaotic" and "genre-bending".[27] An unspecified song from the record has been described by Jonathan Van Meter of Vogue as "intense and ominous… old-school Gaga banger, unsettling but also buoyant".[28] French DJ and record producer Gesaffelstein collaborated on the album.[26] The album was recorded at Rick Rubin's studio Shangri-La, in Malibu, California, where Gaga also made Joanne (2016) and the soundtrack to A Star Is Born (2018).[29]

In May 2024, during a Q&A session following the premiere of her special Gaga Chromatica Ball, Gaga revealed that she was deeply immersed in writing and recording the album. She described the material as "completely different from anything [she's] done before" and emphasized her exploration of breaking musical genres and incorporating new creative influences. Gaga explained that each song is a reflection of her own internal chaos, presented with a celebratory tone aimed at connecting with audiences in various settings, from a party to an intimate moment at home.[22]

Title and artwork

The cover art for Mayhem was unveiled on January 27, 2025, through Gaga's official website and platforms.[30] Prior to the official announcement, promotional posters appeared in New York City, featuring a black-and-white photograph of Gaga accompanied by the album's title and release date written in red at the bottom.[4] The standard edition cover features Gaga with disheveled black hair and her face slightly distorted behind a shattered glass.[30] The back cover maintains the black-and-white scheme, with Mayhem written in a distorted and aggressive font, while Lady Gaga appears below in a more classic typeface, with the first "A" inverted.[31] The photoshoot was overseen by Frank Lebon.[4]

Promotion

On December 15, Gaga performed "Disease" and "Die with a Smile" during a Christmas special of Carpool Karaoke released on Apple TV+.[32] Gaga is slated to headline Coachella in April 2025.[26]

Singles

The album's lead single "Disease" was released on October 25, 2024.[33][34] It received mainly positive reviews from critics and reached the top-forty in fifteen countries, including number seven in the United Kingdom and number twenty-seven in the United States.[35]

According to Variety, Gaga is set to debut the upcoming third single during a commercial break at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards on February 2, 2025.[19]

Track listing

Mayhem standard edition tracklist[36]
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Disease"
3:49
14."Die with a Smile" (with Bruno Mars)
  • Mars
  • D'Mile
  • Gaga
  • Watt
4:11

References

  1. ^ Die with a Smile (CD booklet). United Kingdom: Interscope Records, Streamline. 2024.
  2. ^ a b "Disease by Lady Gaga". Qobuz. Retrieved November 4, 2024.
  3. ^ a b "Lady Gaga on Coachella, LG7 and the 'slightly subversive' 'Die With a Smile'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 26, 2025.
  4. ^ a b c "Lady Gaga Announces New Album 'Mayhem': Here's When It Arrives". Billboard. Billboard Media. January 27, 2025.{cite magazine}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  5. ^ "MAYHEM: saiba quando estreia o novo álbum de Lady Gaga" [MAYHEM: find out when Lady Gaga's new album will be released] (in Brazilian Portuguese). Alpha FM. January 23, 2025. Retrieved January 27, 2025.
  6. ^ a b "Lady Gaga Reveals Why Taylor Swift & Chappell Roan Make Her Cry". Bustle. September 6, 2024. Archived from the original on September 10, 2024. Retrieved September 10, 2024.
  7. ^ Lutkin, Aimée. "All About Lady Gaga's Next Album, 'LG7'". Elle. Retrieved January 26, 2025.
  8. ^ Paul, Larisha. "Lady Gaga Teases New Single 'Disease' With Cryptic Website and Playlist". Rolling Stone. Retrieved January 26, 2025.
  9. ^ Aswad, Jem (September 3, 2024). "Lady Gaga to Drop First Single From New Album in October". Variety. Archived from the original on September 3, 2024. Retrieved September 10, 2024.
  10. ^ Griffiths, George. "Everything we know about Lady Gaga's new album LG7: Release date, lead single, tracklist and more". OCC. The Official UK Charts Company. Retrieved January 26, 2025.
  11. ^ Smyth, Tom (May 25, 2024). "No Joke(r), Lady Gaga Teases Her New Album". Vulture. Archived from the original on May 26, 2024. Retrieved May 26, 2024.
  12. ^ Kaufman, Gil (October 21, 2024). "Lady Gaga Announces the Release of Her New Single 'Disease'". Billboard. Retrieved October 22, 2024.
  13. ^ a b Van Meter, Jonathan (September 5, 2024). "Lady Gaga on Joker: Folie à Deux, Getting Engaged, and the Joy of Making Pop Music Again". Vogue. Archived from the original on September 5, 2024. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
  14. ^ Kaufman, Gil. "Lady Gaga Surprises French Fans By Blasting Snippets of Two New LG7 Songs on Street". Billboard. Retrieved January 26, 2025.
  15. ^ Wood, Mikael. "Lady Gaga on Coachella, LG7 and the 'slightly subversive' 'Die With a Smile'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 26, 2025.
  16. ^ Lopez, Julyssa. "Lady Gaga Seems to Tease 'LG7' With a Mysterious Countdown Clock on Her Website". Rolling Stone. Retrieved January 26, 2025.
  17. ^ Kaufman, Gil. "Lady Gaga Posts Mysterious Countdown, Hinting At 'LG7' Album News". Billboard. Retrieved January 26, 2025.
  18. ^ Spanos, Brittany (January 24, 2025). "Everything We Know About Lady Gaga's Seventh Album". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on January 24, 2025. Retrieved January 25, 2025.
  19. ^ a b Aswad, Jen; Garcia, Thania (January 27, 2025). "Lady Gaga's Next Album, 'Mayhem,' Due March 7". Variety. Retrieved January 28, 2025.
  20. ^ Jeffs, Lotte. "Lady Gaga Makes Some Mayhem". Elle. Retrieved January 28, 2025.
  21. ^ Sanchez, Chelsey. "A Complete Guide to Lady Gaga's New Album, Mayhem". Harper's Bazaar. Hearst Communications. Retrieved January 29, 2025.
  22. ^ a b Spanos, Brittany. "Everything We Know About Lady Gaga's Seventh Album". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on January 24, 2025. Retrieved January 25, 2025.
  23. ^ Dailey, Hannah. "Lady Gaga dice que su nuevo álbum es un 'recuerdo' de sus 'malas decisiones'". Billboard. Retrieved January 26, 2025.
  24. ^ Millman, Ethan; McEwan, Liam. "How Lady Gaga Embraced 'Exercises in Chaos' to Make New Single 'Disease'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved January 26, 2025.
  25. ^ Monroe, Jazz. "Lady Gaga Announces New Album Mayhem". Pitchfork. Retrieved January 27, 2025.
  26. ^ a b c "Lady Gaga's new album is inspired by industrial dance music, features Gesaffelstein". DJ Mag. December 30, 2024. Archived from the original on January 14, 2025. Retrieved January 2, 2025.
  27. ^ Dunworth, Liberty (November 22, 2024). "Lady Gaga teases "chaotic" and "genre-bending" new album: "It's very fun"". NME. Archived from the original on December 13, 2024. Retrieved December 17, 2024.
  28. ^ Kaufman, Gil (September 5, 2024). "Lady Gaga Reveals LG7 Release Date, Describes Fiancé's Marching Orders: 'You Need to Make Pop Music'". Billboard. Retrieved September 10, 2024.
  29. ^ Curto, Justin (September 5, 2024). "Lady Gaga's Fiancé Told Her to Make Pop Music Again". Vulture. Archived from the original on September 6, 2024. Retrieved September 10, 2024.
  30. ^ a b Spanos, Brittany; Paul, Larisha. "LG7: Lady Gaga Sets Release Date for New Album 'Mayhem'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved January 27, 2025.
  31. ^ "Lady Gaga - MAYHEM Standard CD". Lady Gaga. Interscope Records. Retrieved January 30, 2025.
  32. ^ Zemler, Emily (December 16, 2024). "Lady Gaga, Dua Lipa, Chappell Roan Appear in 'Carpool Karaoke' Holiday Episode". Rolling Stone Australia. Archived from the original on December 16, 2024. Retrieved December 18, 2024.
  33. ^ Paul, Larisha (September 5, 2024). "The First Single From Lady Gaga's New Pop Album Will Arrive Next Month". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on September 7, 2024. Retrieved September 10, 2024.
  34. ^ Monroe, Jazz (September 5, 2024). "Lady Gaga Says New Album Is Out in February 2025". Pitchfork. Retrieved September 10, 2024.
  35. ^ "Lady Gaga - Biography, Music & News - Billboard". Billboard. Retrieved January 27, 2025.
  36. ^ "Mayhem Standard CD". Lady Gaga Official Shop. Retrieved January 28, 2025.