As a long-time pop fan and Lady Gaga listener, I was excited for the “MAYHEM” album release since she announced it at this year’s Grammys along with a video for the song “Abracadabra.” The visuals were the first thing that caught my eye, but her focus on unique choreography and electronic pop sound in the video made me curious about what this new album would be. This album is all I could ask for as a big pop and Lady Gaga fan.
Lady Gaga is one of the most renowned pop artists of all time. Her ever-changing sound and aesthetic have made her a continuously interesting artist to keep up with. She creates a new persona for each project she undertakes, and “MAYHEM” is no exception.
She has gone back to her alternative pop roots reminiscent of the “The Fame” and “Born this Way” albums, both in sound and visuals. This album feels like a continuation of these previous works, and that it was tailor made for fans of those albums.
With the rise in electronic and house music over the past year, Lady Gaga has embraced that trend with the songs “Abracadabra” and “Garden Of Eden.”
However, this album is still distinctly pop. The songs “Vanish Into You,” “Zombieboy,” “LoveDrug,” “How Bad Do U Want Me,” “Don’t Call Tonight,” and “Shadow Of A Man” are all songs that remind me of Gaga’s music in the 2010s with the production and lyrics.
She does have some songs with rock influences, like “Perfect Celebrity” and “Killah”; and as she had in her previous album “Joanne,” the songs “Blade of Grass” and “The Beast” are very singer/songwriter leaning in their sound.
With only two collaborations with “Die With A Smile” with Bruno Mars, fellow pop artist, and “Killah” featuring Gesaffelstein, a French producer, the album feels and sounds like a Lady Gaga production.
This album is cohesive, with some derivation to other genres, but is still very based on Gaga’s previous works. It was made for fans of her previous work and feels like a continuation of the legacy Lady Gaga has created for herself.
I would recommend this album to anyone who loves pop and has longed for some 2010s pop music nostalgia, which this album delivers on.
