Nostalgia is a powerful thing. Whether we like it or not, it holds a lot of influence over us.
Which is why I knew I would love Lady Gaga’s newest album “MAYHEM” the second it was announced. Because listening to it, I felt the same way I did when I was 10 years old at a summer fair in Croatia, while “Poker Face” blasted around me (yes it was very popular in those places back in the day).
“MAYHEM” can only be described as Gaga’s return to her roots, with both the style and aesthetics of this album.
Featuring 14 tracks that Gaga describes as “utter chaos,” “MAYHEM” is a mixture of music styles and vibes that truly bring back the Mother Monster.
Gaga first teased her comeback by releasing the opening track “Disease” back in October, accompanied by a music video that, frankly, transported me back to when I was hooked on “Born This Way.”
After that, it was only a matter of time before the album announcement came on Jan. 27.
Gaga chose to give her fans another taste of what was to come with her debut of the music video for the second track “Abracadabra” during the 67th Grammy Awards on Feb. 2. All I’m going to say about this song is that as someone who used to listen to “Applause” on repeat, I am a big fan of this track as well.
However, the charm of this album doesn’t end with Gaga just bringing her old work to life once again. Gaga is an award-winning artist with a soul of the poet, and the rest of the album reflects that.
“We are all asked to define who we are and explain ourselves,” Gaga said in an interview with Vogue. “I’ve had a really hard time with that in my career. I’ve found it really hard to answer those questions. So, I allowed myself to be lots of contradictory things. Whether it was this genre or that genre, I took whatever came out, and made it all come together to be wholly me.”
Gaga definitely wasn’t afraid to call anything or anyone out, and the track “Perfect Celebrity” not only proves that, but also gives “Paparazzi” vibes in a way.
Lyrics like “I’m made of plastic like a human doll/ You push and pull me, I don’t hurt at all, “You love to hate me/ I’m the perfect celebrity/ So rip off my face in this photograph/ Perfect Celebrity/ You make me money I’ll make you laugh” and “I look so hungry but I look so good/ Tap on my veins suck on my diamond blood/ Choke on the fame and I hope it gets you high/ Sit in the front row watch the princess die,” reflect the change that Gaga went through in her relationship with fame and how she reacts to it now, compared to when she was 20.
One of my favorites is definitely “How Bad Do U Want Me,” a song that half of the internet has taken to calling a lost Taylor Swift’s “Reputation” vault track, and honestly, I can see it. It’s the most ‘pop’ song on the album, and it’s incredibly catchy. If this was released as a single, I could see it doing some serious numbers.
And as a fan of both artists, I would not mind a collaboration, is all I’m saying.
“Die With A Smile,” a grammy-winning duet with Bruno Mars, wraps the album line-up. When I first saw the song list, I was confused to see she decided to include this song as well. But after listening to the entire album as a whole, it started to make sense.
As the album goes, the tempo of the songs slows down a bit, which is most noticeable with “The Beast” and “Blade of Grass,” two of the songs before “Die With A Smile.” The more melancholic tones complement the last track nicely and brings it into the album as a whole.
Gaga really poured all of her artistry into this album. It’s a golden mixture of feelings like lust, anger, frustration, shame, pride, love and acceptance wrapped up in black chaos that feels both new and incredibly familiar at the same time.
Whether you want to dance, cry, scream or just vibe, I promise I can find you a song on this album that will be just what you need.
Mother Monster just knows what she’s doing.
