Lady Gaga, an artist that has been making music since she was just 13, when she made a piano ballad called, “To Love Again.” Known for her most iconic songs such as, “Poker Face,” “Bad Romance” and “Judas,” Lady Gaga has a very specific and unique style of music that she created in the late 2000s. Recently, she just released her new album, “MAYHEM” in 2025 that sticks to the same type of style.
“MAYHEM” begins with a song called, “Disease,” which is quite catchy with the beat and the tone of the song being satisfying to listen to. The lyrics are quite suggestive, following Lady Gaga’s style and personality. There are themes of self sabotage and turmoil, as revealed in the music video that stems from her own fears and worries, as the lyrics explore the idea of a disease being cured by love. She adds the innuendo that she can, “be the doctor,” insinuating that her love could cure whoever the song is written to.
Similar in suite, “Abracadabra” follows “Disease” in the story as an empowering and transformative piece. The title itself refers to magic, continuing to expand on the idea that one is able to change and be oneself, even under societal pressures and expectations. After “Abracadabra,” the next song, “Garden Of Eden” comes on, which is a biblical reference to none other than the Garden Of Eden, or what is also known as the setting for the story of Adam and Eve. This song talks about indulging into desire, similar to how Eve was tempted with the apple.
Following, “Garden of Eden” is a song called, “Perfect Celebrity,” which explores the downsides to fame, talking about the hate she’s received and how beauty standards are so messed up nowadays, referencing the idea that models have to be stick thin to be able to be in the industry. “Vanish Into You” is a little more pop than the rest of the album so far, exploring themes of seeking comfort and belonging.
“Killah (Feat. Gesaffelstein)” strays a little bit away from the deeper meanings of the other songs and talks about Lady Gaga embodies a seductive, powerful and possibly dangerous persona. “Zombieboy” is a tribute to the model Rick Genest, who was featured in her music video for “Born This Way.” In her own way, she hypes him up and calls him attractive.
Tying back to the theme of love, “LoveDrug” explores the idea of love being addictive, and how damaging it can be to a person. Following up, “How Bad Do U Want Me” discusses how she wants to be perceived as a ‘bad girl’ and that a potential partner might be attracted to her more rebellious side even though they have a preference for the ‘good girl’ type.
“Don’t Call Tonight” tells the story of a toxic relationship, specifically a push and pull relationship. Referencing the fact that they keep breaking up and that “tomorrow you’ll desert me” (Don’t Call Tonight, 0:56). “Shadow Of A Man” draws inspiration from artists such as Micheal Jackson, talking about how her identity can truly shine after she steps out of the shadow of a man.
Although it’s less intense than the rest of the album, “The Beast” still follows the theme of embracing one’s true self and letting out animalistic desires of the human. “Blade Of Grass” is a reference to her proposal by her fiance, Michael Polansky, who simply wrapped a blade of grass from their backyard around her finger.
Last but not least, “Die With A Smile,” featuring Bruno Mars, is a tragic and romantic song about two lovers spending their last moments together. All in all, the album is great, starting off very independent and ending very romantic.
