Mayhem: Honest thoughts so far

[GAGASEXUAL 3,636]

Album shouldn't have gone too pop in the middle.

The Beast should be a single.

Killah could use more production.

Garden Of Eden should be the next single.

Shadow Of A Man should have been a darker song.

Don't Call Tonight sounds like an Ava Max reject, it's the worst song on the album. 

Disease is her best single and yes better than Bad Romance.

Abracadabra is the best song on the album.

Perfect Celebrity is one of her best songs ever, it's the Heavy Metal Lover of the album. 

Her vocals sound too nasal on Blade Of Grass even though it's a great song. 

 

[PartySick 150,363]

Honest thoughts? This album showed how much my own taste doesn't vibe with this fanbase's taste  

Been sick of stans for so long but the nonsense "she misled us" narrative and the discourse over "dArK pOp" just shows how stupid stans really are  

[HorusRa2 4,992]

6 minutes ago, PartySick said:

Honest thoughts? This album showed how much my own taste doesn't vibe with this fanbase's taste  

Been sick of stans for so long but the nonsense "she misled us" narrative and the discourse over "dArK pOp" just shows how stupid stans really are  

Honestly the reason why I barely even log on here anymore. Some of the stans that are still here after all these years are just less dramatic versions of Nicole (iykyk).  This is really the reply and the rest is more general thoughts lol. 
 

I don’t think any Gaga album will match BTW in the sense of the “moment” in time that era came for people who have been fans since the beginning. Having said that MAYHEM has more consistency to me. The maturity and evolution is very evident. 
 

the way I interpret the album is that Gaga has actually shown us for what feels like the first time who she really is as an artist. The entire album feels like all of the artists she takes inspiration from through her unique lens. I also feel like when she says she’s been focused on being a student of music really shows with what she delivered. 
 

I was surprised by what we got because it’s not what I envisioned it might be but im beyond happy with what we got. 
 

OH and it’s also important to note that on this project I feel the fun she had making it more than any other record since BTW. It’s something you can’t really dispute with records like Chromatica or Joanne. Our girl has been through a lot and you can see some of the repeating themes from her entire career come up again and again but this time it feels like maybe those themes are reconciled. There was a post where someone said something like wanting her to explore new things and I would say art is based on experience and as an artist I feel like finally she may be able to do that because Gaga really found some peace of mind. 
 

tldr; I loved it. 

[Massive Monster 4,927]

Incredible production.

The dynamics, variations and instrumental breaks are so well crafted.

This album is loud and the complete opposite of flat.

When it goes into funk and more 80s influence it's so surprising and so well done.

Currently the standouts for me are:

Garden Of Eden - this is pure Gaga pop perfection and it needs to be a single with MV. Paparazzi-esque in it's chorus. In some ways it's also the MANiCURE we never had, but better constructed and produced.

Perfect Celebrity - I didn't think Gaga would go this hard. It's the darkest track and perhaps most mature in a way. Incredible dynamics and progression. This song is art and an absolute journey. That outro with the lyrical conclusion "I've become a notorious being" is an incredible flex. 

Killah - I did not expect it. Obvious hommage to Bowie and Prince. Sounds incredibly cool. The instrumental segment with Gaga coming back with a "Killah" made me gasp. What a moment.

Lovedrug - this is in my opinion the best 80s sound of the album. It's moody and it feels like driving a car in the evening or night, maybe in the summer. Very atmospheric and it speaks to me! 

 

 

Edited 10 hours ago by Massive Monster

[princedeeblebleble 1,045]

I honestly love it, I play it with the two bonus tracks as they appear on the website tracklists and I added happy mistake before Vanish into you cause I feel like we need a bit of a breather before she goes into the romantic tracks.
It's kinda my fave since Born this way, in the sense that there is NO skips, like the whole album is a pretty perfect piece of music, whereas ARTPOP got a bit hindered by the R,HowAboutNO collab and Jewels and drugs. 
Love the productions, love how the album shifts and changes through the tracklist, I do wish there was a Perfect celebrity moment somewhere in the second half, but Shadow of a man does it in it's own way. But also that would be kinda exausting at the same time, so yeaaa.. it's purrrfect as it is. Like I find it hard to listen to any other albums at the moment cause it's so ****ing good, like what MusicDrug did they put into this?! 

For now I'm waiting for someone like Haus of Afrodita to maybe make both How bad do you want me and The beast a bit heavier, cause The beast delivery scream for a bolder production while I feel like HBDYWM needs a guitar in the mix to sonically match how ****ed up the lyrics are 

Overall I love it, I'm so happy she dared to tap into her quirky, sarcastic, tongue in cheek way of writing, the insanely cooky vocal deliveries and to include so many delicious guitar moments, like she really had fun with it and she should be proud of herself. After a decade of kinda mediocre, not on her level projects this is just beautiful. Thank you Michael for making her realise she's a precious being who should follow her musical instincts! 

Keep on slaying Gaga, you're doing wonderful! 

[DISZKO 744]

Love love love!

wish the 2 bonus tracks were part of the ending of the album to give it some more fuel before the wind down.

I absolutely adore the songs and I am very satisfied and proud of her!
great job, well done 👏 

[velliqjv 31]

I absolutely love it. Zero skips. Best album since Born This Way 100%. 

It's basically everything I wanted from a Gaga album in 2025: colorful, sugary, funky, major '70s/'80s/'90s influence, lots of harmonies/melodies, expensive sounding production that doesn't sound like it's trying to blow your ears out, summery but with a little edge. It's beautiful and she sounds like she had a blast making it. 

[NUTELLA 5,448]

Her 3rd best album, behind BTW & TFM.

The big 7 songs for me are:

1) Shadow Of A Man (the best song),
2) LoveDrug (the most memorable surprise),
3) Perfect Celebrity (most MAYHEM-sounding),
4) Can’t Stop The High (one of the best pre-choruses),
5) Vanish Into You (best post-chorus),
6) Zombieboy (catchiest & cutest),
& 7) Garden Of Eden (classic LG)

First half of album is stronger than the second half.
Has stood out to me more production-wise than lyrically.

My only big complaints are:

the album should’ve included Can’t Stop The High & Kill For Love,

removed Killah & Die With A Smile (without the bridge, Killa would just be the most forgettable song to me- with that bridge, though… it stood out as easily the most annoying),

& maybe sped up The Beast (or fixed the awkward verses/pre-chorus).

 

I am so happy with MAYHEM… & so happy to be genuinely excited by new LG music again.

(Imaging sitting on SOAM for this long & not going insane from keeping it a secret, playing it cool but knowing one of your best songs ever is coming)

Edited 9 hours ago by NUTELLA

[chun li 2,836]

The music is amazing, aoty for sure. Nothing to complain about the actual body of work there. 

But each of her albums is POP+one different genre and that is SUCH A FLEX I don't understand why she didn't embrace the fact that this album is disco funk bringing one more medal to the bunch.

Spoiler

the fame: electronic pop

the fame monster: darkwave pop

born this way: pop rock

ARTPOP: pop edm

joanne: pop country

chromatica: pop house

mayhem: pop disco

I wish she had embraced it instead of baiting the album being dark goth.

I hate the cover and I don’t like the photoshoot, it's a stain on her beautiful album covers that reflect the album vibe for each. She could have saved this aesthetic for later. This album's souls is not grunge. And I hate the multiple covers it weakens the art aspect of it. It confuses me a lot like... what is the cover supposed to be then? 

 

Also...mayhem? Sorry ma'am but the album is very cohesive... nothing chaotic there, you're being too hard on yourself

[LeafBug 8,092]

6 hours ago, Starmie25 said:

I'll be completely honest.......I don't like it.

 

.... I love it*

REPORTE- …

 

Nevermind. 

[TheSine 6,149]

MAYHEM is FIRE! 

Screw the singles, I can't get enough of Perfect Celebrity and Shadow Of A Man. I'm sorry, but "You make me money, I make you laugh" goes so hard you have no idea. And when she says "Tap on my vein, suck on my diamond blood." Stop playing.  I can't get enough of the production in Perfect Celebrity either, everything is layered so perfectly. It sounds amazing on a good speaker or some headphones. Each synth scratches my brain perfectly and I find myself trying to catch every little detail and that says a lot. 

As much as I love those two though, Blade of Grass has to be another one of my favorite songs. I like her ballads, but sometimes I'd get bored of them. Something about this one feels so different though, I love it so much and it's been on repeat. Makes me feel like skipping in a field of flowers holding hands.
 

The era just started, so there's much more to be expected from her...I hope! I feel truly inspired. 

[Haldy 1,194]

Fantastic. It easily sits in the Top 3 of Lady Gaga's discography, which I would rank as:

1) Born This Way
2) Mayhem
3) The Fame Monster

I think the track run from Disease - LoveDrug is absolutely incredible, her strongest string of songs to date and perfectly captures the ecclectic chaos of Mayhem with its experimentation, difference in sounds, and extremely high quality vocals, songwriting and production throughout. If you add in 'Can't Stop The High' it would have remained just as strong (if not stronger!) which makes it crazy to think the song was cut from the standard edition as it fits so well in the album structure. The front-half of Mayhem is truly career best Lady Gaga music.

The second half does lose its momentum for me. It remains good, but not excellent. Shadow of a Man and Die With A Smile are both incredible still (particularly SOAM), and The Beast and Blade of Grass are good tracks, but overall the stretch just isn't as powerful, ecclectic and buzzing with visceral energy. Still, it doesn't detract greatly from Mayhem, which I would confidently say is her best output since Born This Way and would come close to beating it in a track-to-track battle.

I'd give it a 10/10. It has made me so, so happy and I will be enjoying this album for years. Cannot wait for more music videos, performances, content etc.

[dynamite 52,000]

The album is very good and I like almost every song, but it becomes a bit too much of the same thing around the How Bad / Don't Call Tonight mark. It's also the first album where every other song makes me think "this reminds me of ____" which never really happened before. Everything felt familiar already. 80s funk etc style has never been my thing but I give it a chance for her hehe

I also prefer the two faced colour album cover, not a fan of the main one.

But Abracadabra is 10/10 my favourite song since BTW era so that song alone saves everything...

[Reginald 13,840]

3 hours ago, PartySick said:

 

PartySick! I just know you're a SOAM stan  I get a little emotional listening to it because it's like she's truly possessed by his spirit on this track. Miss his music so much, I wish we could have gotten one more album but this song is incredible 

[rinasawachanta 2,797]

It is a great album. I think the disappointment it may have generated in some little monsters (for not being 'dark' enough) necessarily dissipates when one realizes how GOOD the songs are. I mean: they are excellent pop songs, masterfully composed and executed. The album contains possibly the best choruses of her entire career. However, as I said in another post, I think the album could benefit A LOT if the songs were ordered differently, including the bonus tracks (two of the strongest tracks on the album) and excluding HBDUWM and possibly Don't Call Tonight (a song that I like but feel pales in comparison to the others, and for some reason is usually left out of most reviews or simply forgotten). I think if the tracklist were organized differently, the album would flow a lot more and wouldn't feel like it 'falls off' in the second half (something many critics objected to). Beyond that, it seems to me a solid, mature work, and one that would have much more longevity than if it were an album full of 'dark bops' ala Abracadabra. It manages to be contemporary and nostalgic at the same time, combining all the elements that make Gaga the artist she is, paying homage to her references (Bowie, Prince, MJ) and to herself, and honoring her beginnings in music as Stefani. In my opinion, a 10 out of 10.

Edited 3 hours ago by rinasawachanta