A chaotic collision of industrial grit and analog warmth. This record finds the pop icon embracing internal disorder through heavy synths and raw, live energy.
It's like she took a sledgehammer to a disco ball and then glued it back together with vintage synthesizers.
A high-octane celebration of personal disorder and the search for connection amidst the noise.
Released in March 2025, MAYHEM marks Lady Gaga's seventh studio album and a significant sonic pivot toward a more raw, analog-influenced sound. Recorded primarily at Rick Rubin's Shangri-La Studio, the project benefits from a 'back-to-basics' approach that emphasizes live drums and vintage synthesizers over purely digital production. Collaborators like Andrew Watt and Gesaffelstein bring a unique tension to the record, blending classic rock sensibilities with cold, industrial electronics. The album's 14 tracks were culled from over 50 written during the sessions, resulting in a tightly curated narrative of 'internal chaos.' Critics have noted the influence of David Bowie and Siouxsie and the Banshees, praising Gaga's ability to integrate these darker, avant-garde textures into a mainstream pop framework. The record culminated in her highest critical scores to date, signaling a successful maturation of her art-pop persona.
Put this on for
sweat-slicked club floor at 3amneon signs blurring through a cab windowvolume maxed to drown out a panic attacklast dance before the world endsstaring at the mirror before a confrontationdriving too fast on a desert highwayheadphones on in a crowded subway car
Moments worth waiting for
The aggressive, distorted vocal hook of 'Disease' that sounds like a siren warning of a breakdown.
The sudden shift from industrial techno beats to a warm, 70s-inspired soul duet on 'Die With a Smile'.
The way the analog synthesizers on 'Killah' seem to physically vibrate against the live drum kit.
Sounds like
2025s production with a 2020s soul
Sits beside
The Downward Spiral - Nine Inch Nails, Night Time, My Time - Sky Ferreira, Post - Björk, Oil of Every Pearl's Un-Insides - SOPHIE
Lyrical territory
identity, love_romantic, existential
03Deviation
MAYHEM · vs · Lady Gaga
Artist
This Album
Identity
Lyrics · ↓ −4% less than usual
On this album, identity sits about 4% less prominent than across the rest of the artist's catalogue.
