Mayhem: Honest thoughts so far

[Tony31511 276]

This might be my own fault, but I am so connected to The Fame Monster and Born This Way. If she releases music that doesn’t live up to the standard of those 2 albums, I become disappointed. It’s just how it’s always been for me - I can’t help it.

When Disease came out, I was sooo excited for Mayhem. I thought “wow, she’s finally going to bring back dark pop with heavy production and soaring choruses”. I also felt reassured when she kept releasing imagery/photos that reflect a dark/gothic aesthetic. Then the album came out and none of the other songs met my expectations. It’s almost like Disease was meant to be put on a different record (and that’s the record I want).

But all in all, it’s an impressive pop album. I just haven’t felt totally connected to any of the songs. Maybe with more listens I will…

[PartySick 150,415]

3 hours ago, Reginald 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 

The "M" in "Mayhem" might as well stand for "Michael Jackson"  his whole vibe is dripping off this album. I would really, really love to chat with her about MJ some day tbh. Like, if I ever used the few connections modding here has given me, it'd be for that

I just wanna stan out with her

[march35th 120]

It's rapidly becoming my second favourite Gaga record (Born This Way will forever be #1). Every song is insanely catchy and the tracklist arrangement is perfect. The bonus tracks are very good as well. The Bowie/Prince influences mix very well with the 90s alternative flavour.

Now I REALLY want her to do a full-on metal album with her growling and screaming on it next

[Ziggy 11,054]

It feels honest. It feels like every song she hasn't released in the past bc they weren't GAGA as we know and came to know her to be, but that leaked in unreleased versions. So I love that as Day 1 fan. I can't say it's her best or not but that's not really what I listen for. At the end of the day, it feels so honest to her which I appreciate and love. I hear stuff like No Way, Posh Life, Earthquake, pre-Fame '07-Ga. It's gorgeous and so nostalgic not just for the eras its referencing but for longtime fans.

[Lucas 25,335]

Kind of mixed feelings for me. 

I absolutely love the first 7 songs, all 10/10 slays with interesting instrumentals and vocals. Gaga having a lot of fun in the studio using different voices and singing techniques, so great!

Then things go a bit downhill with songs 8 to 10 that feel extremely uninteresting compared to the other songs on the album. I always find myself losing interest on the album when those songs play.

Then we move onto Shadow Of A Man which is an absolute bop, probably my favorite song on the album currently.

Then we go downhill again with The Beast which I find a little too minimalistic. Not catchy, not interesting production or vocals, little too minimalistic.

Love the 2 ballads at the end, her vocals and the lyrics on Blade of Grass are amazing and DWAS is such a hit.

 

[Essence 224]

Pure pop perfection. I love how the through line is POP. She is a uniquely skilled pop writer/singer/producer/performer and it's ok for her to reclaim her territory. I love how she indulged her musical influences and impulses. The result is so free and fun. She has the rest of her career to be experimental. Right now, she deserves to be happy and give that gift to others, too.

[Decodekid 27,708]

A ****ing 10/10

[chromaticainmyhead 6,512]

I with the bonus tracks were included on the main album

[Orly D 321]

A lot of the lyricism on this album feels clunky. The AABB rhyming is predictable, using the most obvious word choices, and she delivers them with such conviction—like they’re meant to be profound. Lines like "‘Cause even though the church burned down / I’ll be your queen without a crown” or "You panic in your sleep / And you feel like such a creep” stand out in that way. Maybe she’s aiming for a pure, earnest persona, but it doesn’t feel intentional enough to come across as self-aware.

Compare that to Hair from Born This Way: "I just wanna be free / I just wanna be me / And I want lots of friends that invite me to their parties.” That simplicity works because it’s clear what she’s going for. With MAYHEM, she could have leaned into the “so-bad-it’s-good” lyricism of late '90s and early 2000s pop-punk/grunge as a deliberate stylistic choice, but it doesn’t feel fully committed, making it a missed opportunity.

The ’80s throwback trend in pop also feels overdone—it’s been a decade, and at this point, it could use a rest. Some tracks (Zombieboy, Shadow of a Man) put a unique spin on it, but others (Don’t Call Tonight, Kill for Love) feel more like straightforward rehashes without much new to offer.

In her Apple Music interview, she mentioned that after recording Perfect Celebrity, she was tempted to rework the album in a grunge direction, but Michael advised against it. I really wish she had gone for it—at least to explore the possibilities. Even if she ended up sticking with the original versions, there's no telling if experimenting with alternative takes could have added new dimensions or uncovered something even stronger.

Glad that Gaga's in a happier place now with Michael, but I couldn’t help but notice that literally every song that didn’t land for me (Disease, Vanish Into You, LoveDrug, How Bad Do U Want Me, Don't Call Tonight, The Beast, Blade of Grass) has Michael credited 

Edited 5 hours ago by Orly D

[AVeryGagaHolyDick 22,774]

I prefer her five first albums so far, but MAYHEM has been growing on me for the last two/three days.

There’s no way it will ever top The Fame/The Fame Monster/Born This Way/ARTPOP but if it keeps growing on me, it might surpass Joanne quite soon for me.

It’s much better than Chromatica.

[juicyjuicy 1,975]

My absolute honest opinions:

- I do really like EVERY song on the album (except Vanish Into You), but think I had very high expectations so am a bit disappointed

- I also believe the aesthetics and lead singles were misleading

- It's a grower, but in no way better than her previous albums, even Joanne (there, I said it) - I feel like it was more of a passion project and I'm so happy that she enjoyed the process and is in as good of a place as she's ever been, but there are no 'standout', iconic tracks other than Abracadabra

- My favourite tracks on the album are Disease, Perfect Celebrity, DWAS, Garden of Eden, Abra and Zombieboy - and they feel like they are in a league of their own, then the rest of the album tracks are still good, but not OMFG AMAZING. They feel either unfinished, need editing (some songs have too many lyrics and are difficult to understand sometimes) or too generic for Gaga standards (i.e. How Bad Do U Want Me, LoveDrug, Don't Call Tonight) 

- I'm not a fan of albums that are not sonically or thematically cohesive - I feel like MAYHEM was a way to 'force' the tracks to work together in one single project (like ARTPOP), and I'm not sure it works

- I was DESPERATE for a grungy, rock/metal or industrial album - we got a small taste of that and the aesthetics to match, but wish she had gone all the way

- Genuinely, I do think if she had more collabs / features with some of the music legends that have inspired her (or similar artists today inspired by those legends), it would have challenged her a bit and made the album even better

- All in all, I'd give it a 7.5/10 

[Diamond Fart 212]

Truly the Disco Album (at least partly) I have been wanting her to release since day 1. There are some skips though and kill for love should have been on the main album, by far one of the fave’s!

Edited 5 hours ago by Diamond Fart

[Mother of Puppies 36,092]

I think this album is a big grower... the biggest grower out of all her albums

 

I like it better every day! Every tine an album is released I only focus on the songs that are new to me to that point, because I've already listened to the singles so much, that I leave these out of the equation... meaning: Die with a smile, Disease and Abra are also on that album, but I didn't take these into consideration while rating the album, because I've listened to them soooo much now for months...

Does anyone know what I mean? lol

 

It's really stupid actually..  I love it more every day (I just wish they would've taken a different the album cover - like the lady in red would've been awesome... or a mix - The one we have + the other half with the lady in red

 

 

[hpmcmill 1,963]

LOVE the album (except the beast), so happy!

[GovernmentHookah 893]

Good album, however, I thought Disease and Abracadabra were indicative of what the entire album was going to sound like. I pictured a dark industrial house sound for Mayhem particularly with Gesaffelstein on board which was surprising that most of the songs sound like late 70s/80s funk. I love the songs, I just wish they sounded more like the singles that were released.