Editor’s Note: This article is a review and includes subjective thoughts, opinions and critiques.

I am not what one might call a Lady Gaga stan by any stretch of the imagination. The era of “ARTPOP” and “Born This Way,” now considered the golden age of her signature sound — when she said her name in every hit song and her flamboyant music videos sent shivers down the spines of conservative parents everywhere — was right before I was allowed access to YouTube. Like many of Lady Gaga’s critics, I didn’t really get it: I brushed her sound off as grating, strange, weird.

But importantly, this defiantly wacky space Lady Gaga has curated has long been called home by fans of all backgrounds and ages who have been made to feel different. Flying directly in the face of social norms, Lady Gaga has long stuck her neck out to speak up on sociopolitical issues: Recently, she advocated for trans rights at the 2025 Grammy Awards. Considering how  the rights of queer (and especially trans people) are threatened and eroded with each news cycle, Lady Gaga’s continued support and release of “MAYHEM” — an album that is unabashedly self-expressive — both come at a crucial time.

With this album, I finally began to get what Lady Gaga is all about. Characterized by thumping beats and eerie vocal runs, she isn’t afraid to be caught trying, to be caught growling, screeching and making a silly noise on repeat just because it sounds cool. Art, to Lady Gaga, is pure earnestness. 

This sound is on display in “Abracadabra.” Between a gibberish-sounding spell and what feels like only a handful of different lines on repeat, the single is delightfully weird. You hardly notice its repetitiveness amid the absolute fun she’s having. Rapid synth bass lines on a powerful pulse of drumbeats are the foundation over which Lady Gaga chants her spell. No one has ever sounded so confident — so good — singing “oo-ga-ga” over and over again. But then again, no one uses their voice as an instrument quite how Lady Gaga does. 

“Garden of Eden” and “Perfect Celebrity” have cemented themselves as absolute favorites of mine. From the first time I heard Lady Gaga blend her loud sincerity with what can only be described as pop perfection, I was hooked. Line and sinker. “Garden of Eden,” predictably, considers temptation —  only with Lady Gaga serving as temptress in a 2000s club. Laced with irresistible nostalgia, she stutteringly seduces the object of her desire to make a string of bad decisions. 

“Perfect Celebrity” is catharsis filtered through the sieve of songwriting — here, Lady Gaga’s voice verges on uncontrolled. A heartbreaking culmination of decades of vitriol being slung at the pop star, the simplicity of her lyricism makes this track all the more impactful. “You love to hate me / I’m the perfect celebrity,” Lady Gaga screams. In an interview with Zane Lowe, she revealed much of the anger expressed in the song is directed inwards at herself as she chases perfection.

“How Bad Do U Want Me” is near-laughably out of place in this project. With a bright sound seemingly lifted from Taylor Swift’s Notes app, it has none of Lady Gaga’s usual flair. Perhaps crafted as a Lady Gaga gateway drug of sorts, it sounds strikingly flat sandwiched between “Lovedrug” and “Don’t Call Tonight.” Lady Gaga’s delivery lacks the vocal dynamics peppering these other tracks, leaving her sounding oddly restrained. Nevertheless, coming from a tireless consumer of mindless pop, I can’t bring myself to hate it. The song is undeniably catchy. 

Lady Gaga seems incapable of producing truly bad songs. Clichéd? Of course. Repetitive? Sure. But all of it adds to her charm and the strength of her distinctive sound. After many years of growing her now critically acclaimed acting career with projects like “A Star is Born” and “House of Gucci,” pop music should be entirely grateful to have Lady Gaga back to making albums. 

With “MAYHEM,” she has single handedly injected new vibrance into the music industry, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see even more artists emulating her sound soon. 

One thing’s for certain: With “MAYHEM,” Lady Gaga has made a fan out of me.