Lady Gaga’s Mayhem: Track By Track Review
This past Friday March 7th, Lady Gaga had released her highly anticipated eighth studio album “Mayhem.’ With a sound similar, but yet different, to her earlier albums this new release is currently dominating the charts. Now that this album has been released for a few days now, and I have had the chance to listen to it numerous times, here is a breakdown of every track.
Disease is considered the debut single for this new era of Gaga’s. It’s a dark-pop song that had set the tone for the album in its entirety. In my opinion, I think Abracadabra should have been the first release from this era, but this track did create lots of hype about Gaga’s comeback to the music industry. Having this be the opening track was a great choice “...I can be your doctor, I can cure your disease.” It grabs the listeners attention making them wonder what is going on in this toxic love story.
Abracadabra being the next track is a great way to continue with the dark-pop aesthetic she started out with. Although compared to everything else on the album, this is the song that makes me want to get up and dance. The backing track has a great beat that brings in energy and excitement. Her SNL performance also proved that, and it also built more excitement for her possible tour.
Garden of Eden had stuck out to me, due to how much it sounded like an unreleased song from the “Born This Way” era. This song was the only one that could follow Abracadabra as the introduction has the dance pop vibe. This track is straight from the early 200’s with the synth in the backtrack and the lyrics referring to meeting someone at a club.
Perfect Celebrity reminds me of a Nine Inch Nails song in the best way possible. Gaga herself had stated that many musicians and bands had been the inspiration for this album, and this is when we begin to see this. The lyrics of this one are straightforward but yet so incredibly important. The way us as a society views celebrities is not healthy, and Gaga gives us her own insight into this topic.
Vaish Into You is another track where we hear inspiration from other artists. This one being David Bowie without a doubt. The electro backing track and the way she sings the chorus is something similar to many songs from the 1980’s.
Killah (Ft. Gesaffelstein) stays within that 1980’s inspired track range but gives us a different approach to it. The introduction is where that is most present, but the vocals effects on the chorus also play into the 80’s aesthetic as well. Watching her perform this song on SNL changed my perception of it, and I think the live performance was better then the recorded version.
Zombieboy or as I like to call it; Hollaback Girl completely reimagined. This track effortlessly combines those 80’s synths we have seen the past few songs, with early 2000’s elements making this an interesting listen. I'll admit, this one is not my most favorite on the album, but the approach and production to this is unique and does make it a fun listen.
LoveDrug has more of a pop-rock feel compared to the dance and synth pop vibe that we have seen throughout the course of this album. This feels like a classic Gaga song, blending in with a lot of her previous work. This song seems to have an interesting meaning and I can't wait for Lady Gaga to go more in depth about the inspiration for these songs.
How Bad Do U Want Me has been talked about alot, due to fans speculating that Taylor Swift is featured in the backing vocals. Even if that is true or not, fans are also saying that this seems like it belongs in a vault track for ‘reputation.’ This track has a slower tempo compared to others but that techno-pop backing track is still consistent with the other track. It's relatable to so many listeners, including me, and it is so catchy.
Don’t Call Tonight has me realizing that this album has a different aesthetic then the way Gaga described it. Compared to the other songs that seem to be about craving and having love, this one seems to highlight a more toxic relationship she may have experienced. Her vocals remain unmatched and she has showcased how great of a singer she is in numerous different ways during the course of this album.
Shadow Of A Man brings us back to the dance pop sounding feel we heard at the start of the album. This time drawing inspiration from Michael Jackson. The fast pace of the chorus seems similar to the one in Smooth Criminal, but doing a great job at taking a unique sounding approach to it.
The Beast brings us back to the slower pace, this one being an electro-ballad in a way. The placement of this song helps signify that we are reaching the end of the album due to how different this track is compared to everything else. Although Gaga has an incredible vocal performance in this song, this is one that doesn't stick out to me.
Blade Of Grass plays off of The Beast with the slower paced ballot, this one not including the electro back track. This song is another one that focuses on a relationship, but this one being with her fiance. This track with Die With A Smile following brings a sweet end to this album.
Die With A Smile (Ft. Bruno Mars) is the nice melodic duet to wrap this album up. The two both have incredible voices, and they complement each other very well. When Gaga first said that this song was going to be on the album I was confused as it didn't seem to fit the aesthetic, but in reality it does. Throughout the course of this album Gaga sings a lot about relationships, both good and bad alike. At the end of the day, if the world were to be ending who else would you want next to you besides somebody who you value alot.
