Metacritic score now 84, with 23 reviews

[AgusPop 4,121]

84 now!! 

[Born2BeBrave 36]

Best score for her best album… fight me.

[MonsterofFame 1,783]

On 3/12/2025 at 12:27 PM, eifulien said:

My aim isn't to be a Debbie Downer, but just look at an excerpt from PopMatters' review:

  Hide contents

However, while the music on Mayhem is good, it also feels somewhat perfunctory. Very little on the record reaches her best work’s emotional or sonic highs. The songs feel slightly rote and paint-by-numbers, especially in this current pop market ruled by singers like Ariana Grande, Charli XCX, and Sabrina Carpenter. These artists took cues from Gaga’s sounds and imagery and ran with them, and it felt as if Gaga was somewhat left behind. She sounds diminished.

...

These tracks are worthy entries in Lady Gaga’s oeuvre, but they don’t stack up to her classic hits like “Telephone”, “Paparazzi”, or “Bad Romance”. The problem with Mayhem is that it’s merely a good record. It isn’t ambitious or all that innovative, nor does it push Gaga’s artistry.

...

It’s hard to be a trailblazing pop pioneer. Just ask Madonna, a pop legend constantly battling the burdensome expectations of her near-perfect past. Gaga is an artist who owes a lot to Madonna, and like the Michigan-born icon, Gaga is trapped in an unenviable race against herself. Such a song as the perfectly serviceable MTV-pop “Shadow of a Man” sounds like warmed-over 1980s dance-pop karaoke. “LoveDrug” has a lot of promise as a 2020s take on 1980s diva new wave rock, but lacks the delirious camp that defines Gaga’s best musical moments. Her return to Bowie/Prince “Zombieboy” sounds shockingly dull and rote.

Though Lady Gaga hasn’t hit 40 yet, she seems to have enjoyed several careers. Pop star. Movie Star. Actress. Activist. The problem is Mayhem doesn’t have the hallmarks of an envelope-pushing Gaga but merely one who is adapting to the pop landscape around her. The result is a record that will remind listeners of her remarkable past but also point to a somewhat disappointing present. Mayhem shines a glaring spotlight on a wildly creative artist who finds herself behind the times, following trends instead of setting them and seeming out of step.

Like WHAT THE ACTUAL F*CK?!?!?! The autor proceeds to award it a 7, but COME ON, BE REAL. So yeah, guys, as I was convinced by the backlash during ARTPOP, reviews aren't worth it, if you like it something, don't seek validation outside yourself for it. The critics are full of mierda. For reference, this guy awarded Kylie's Tension 2 an 8 and.... 143, a 6. One point lower than MAYHEM. 

Future Nostalgia was praised to heavens for it's throwback feel, MAYHEM is apparently problematic and dull. For ARTPOP she was constantly blamed for trying to reinvent the wheel, for MAYHEM, she's called unambitious... 

 

The only thing that matter is that Gaga has given us a great piece of craftsmanship with MAYHEM. Let's celebrate it. 

It’s clear from the review you quoted that the critic is a Madonna fan. They’re probably still bitter at Gaga for the whole Express Yourself/BTW feud.

[monstertoronto 9,137]

On 3/13/2025 at 4:22 PM, StrawberryBlond said:

Of course it would've been awesome for her to win but I would've found it very bittersweet if she won for a covers album, honestly. It would forever feel that it wasn't truly "her" win as she didn't create it, shared the credit and so many people would say she only won it because it was announced to be Tony's final album, he was ill and was most likely not to going to live much longer, so it would be seen as the sympathy vote. 

I didn't know Chappell's score was only based on 7 reviews as there's 9 on the Wikipedia page but I guess not all of them counted towards MC. I always thought you needed at least 10 reviews to be considered for MC scoring. It is a bit wild that albums with 7 reviews are counted because then their ratio isn't fair compared to those who got their score based on 20+ critics. I definitely think it's crazy that Sabrina Carpenter has an album scored in the 80's when that album was just cute pop songs, average at best. I sometimes think critics forget how good music can sound so they end up giving outrageous scores like this, they rate albums like it's the first time they've ever heard music. The vast amount of artists getting high scores these days is such a contrast to the old days when critics were so much harsher. I don't know where the turn-around came from and I also don't know if it's good or bad. 

I hear you. I know the narrative wouldn’t have been the best for her to win for L4S, but I just really want her to finally win a general field award, and also I honestly love that album a lot so I did think it deserved. Far more than the album that actually won that had zero impact. 

Ya if you go to the metacritic page for Chappell it’s like 7 reviews. It’s def not fair. 
 

[Gagaism 10,679]

Is there any other review left or that’s all?

[OMF 3,338]

On 3/13/2025 at 2:01 AM, RAMROD said:

May it hits 90

Should had been 90 already at least. 

[monstertoronto 9,137]

31 minutes ago, Gagaism said:

Is there any other review left or that’s all?

I feel the window has passed where outlets would review it. It’s been a week. They should be reviewing this weeks new releases now, so hopefully this is it. 

[Rat Boy 42,356]

1 hour ago, monstertoronto said:

I feel the window has passed where outlets would review it. It’s been a week. They should be reviewing this weeks new releases now, so hopefully this is it. 

Incorrect. My Mayhem review will be published next week.

[Killa 16,746]

On 3/13/2025 at 3:53 AM, monstertoronto said:

I feel Love For Sale should have won AOTY that year. It was well reviewed, and it was Tony Bennett’s final album. I don’t think that Jon Batiste album was well known then and it certainly hasn’t had any longevity or lasting legacy. But L4S will always be Tony’s last album and it’s too bad they didn’t honor it. 

unrelated, I was looking at how Chappell and Sabrina already both have “universal acclaim” albums. I love Chappells album, and it has an 85, so higher than any Gaga album, but that’s from only 7 reviews. Gaga also had 85 after 7 reviews. It’s much harder to maintain with a much larger sample size of opinions.  But people will be able to say Chappell already has outscored any Gaga album because of that. 
 

 

 

Love for sale? Jon batiste Is AN incredible musician. Like Genius he deserves all the grammys

[Future Lovers 6,629]

You all have a very strange relationship with critics. They are a necessary part of a healthy entertainment ecosystem, but that doesn't mean that you have to defend people you like against them. Like what you like, disagree with them, that's the point of critical discussion of art. But it isn't so serious that every time an album drops we have to sit here and wax poetic about critical reviews and debate the authors and their intentions and all of that. It's just part of the process of making and consuming art, but if you don't like it, you don't have to stay this plugged into it. It's not worth getting mad over. 

Edited Sunday at 07:46 AM by Future Lovers

[Future Lovers 6,629]

On 3/12/2025 at 10:53 PM, monstertoronto said:

I don’t think that Jon Batiste album was well known then and it certainly hasn’t had any longevity or lasting legacy. 
 

 

That should not disqualify something from winning AOTY. Maybe it wasn't a well known project commercially, but it's a creative, innovative, and intelligent body of work that was made by an incredibly gifted musician. An American songbook album--and not a particularly notable one beyond the fact that it was Tony's last--was never going to win it, and it shouldn't have either. We don't need to award something just because it was a legend's final project if there were more impressive bodies of work it was nominated alongside. The nomination itself was the honor because had he not passed, it most certainly would not have been nominated. 

Edited Sunday at 07:49 AM by Future Lovers

[InTheCloset 18,184]

43 minutes ago, Rat Boy said:

Incorrect. My Mayhem review will be published next week.

better give it a 10. You owe her. You lived and thrived in her dad's restaurant for years

[Rat Boy 42,356]

1 hour ago, InTheCloset said:

better give it a 10. You owe her. You lived and thrived in her dad's restaurant for years

Yes 10/100

just kidding daddy Joe! 

 

[InTheCloset 18,184]

3 hours ago, Rat Boy said:

Yes 10/100

just kidding daddy Joe! 

 

[Haldy 1,215]

7 hours ago, Gagaism said:

Is there any other review left or that’s all?

I'm holding out for DIY Magazine still just because they are often very generous. Otherwise, there's only a few left at this stage. Entertainment Weekly, Beats Per Minute, No Ripcord, etc.