Lady Gaga Unleashes ‘Mayhem’ in Her Triumphant Return to Pop

Mother Monster is officially back. Lady Gaga has finally released her seventh studio album, Mayhem, after teasing it over the past year. It marks the star's triumphant return to pop and entrance into an era that feels like an ode to her earlier days breaking onto the scene.

The 14-track album includes her Grammy Award-winning duet with Bruno Mars “Die With a Smile” and a new one titled “Killah” featuring French DJ Gesaffelstein. Many fans have pointed out influences from those like Michael Jackson, David Bowie, and even Taylor Swift. As a whole, Mayhem is very much classic and nostalgic Lady Gaga. The record is characterized by the best aspects from her previous works, all melded into something new. In her latest work, the 38-year-old's continued innovation and preservation of her artistry is evident. 

Teases and music video releases leading up to the album release foreshadowed what was to come on Gaga’s latest body of work. Lead single “Disease” arrived in October of last year along with a music video, and the song is sonically reminiscent of her 2011 album, Born This Way. Fast tempo dance track, “Abracadabra” and its music video dropped during the 2025 Grammy Awards. Each track, from the sound to the theatrics involved with their visuals, had everything you’d expect from Gaga, but they’re the perfect extension of her musical legacy.

For over 15 years, Lady Gaga has been renowned for her experimental, genre-bending approach to music and Mayhem is no exception to this. Amidst the electropop and dark pop sounds too lies multiple references to her personal development five years since Chromatica. She became engaged to her fiancé Michael Polansky last April, which she later confirmed at the Olympics that July. Polansky notably serves as an executive producer on the album and has songwriting credits on multiple tracks.

As for touring plans? In lieu of a formal headlining tour announcement, Gaga has confirmed plans to perform her first show in Mexico in 13 years and a "Mayhem on the Beach" event at Copacabana Beach in Brazil sometime this year. She’s also currently rumored to be headlining Coachella in April 2025. But fans won’t have to wait too long to see Gaga perform tracks from the album live, as she’s set to be on double duty tomorrow on Saturday Night Live. In the meantime, we can all immerse ourselves in the eccentric world of Mayhem, now streaming on all platforms.