MAYHEM included on Paste Magazine's "Best Albums of 2025 So Far"

[lastpopicon 28,483]

https://www.pastemagazine.com/music/best-albums/the-40-best-albums-of-2025-so-far

When Lady Gaga says that Mayhem is a “pop album,” she’s using that description loosely. It’s not a sibling of The Fame, or Born This Way, or Chromatica—even though all of those titles have mothered Mayhem into existence. Gaga, who is knocking on the doorstep of 40, has finally drawn from her greatest wellspring of inspiration, be it the chaos of counterculture punk, the panging, crushing metallic walls of Nine Inch Nails, Prince’s output with the New Power Generation or, unequivocally, David Bowie’s discography, namely Fame. She returns to the spaces of Chromatica, pulling from boogie and French house; she restores the sleazy, crooked divinity of The Fame with a potent dose of sex, power and resistance. “Vanish Into You” is her best song since “Judas”; “Zombieboy” welds a stupefying, Chic-like, four-on-the-floor rhythm with a head-splitting, angular guitar stroke; “How Bad Do U Want Me” summons the synths of Vince Clarke; power-balladry lights a fire within “Blade of Grass”; “Garden of Eden” soothes Gaga’s pleasured, bad-romantic soul after her slow-dance with sinners on “Disease”; the fist-pumping “Perfect Celebrity” calls back to her 2009 VMAs performance, where she bled from her stomach while singing “Paparazzi”—leaving a lot of people asking the same question then that I have now, as I listen to Mayhem front-to-back: How the hell did she pull this off? This is some of the most joy Gaga has felt making music, all but confirmed not just by her tone of voice when speaking to me about Mayhem, but in “Vanish Into You”‘s emphatic, “We were happy just to be alive” chorus. And it’s going to make a lot of her longtime fans happy too. Just like how her unpredictable outfits during the awards show cycle of 2010/2011 kept everyone guessing, the songs of Mayhem are just as capricious, strange and rewarding. —Matt Mitchell 

Edited June 6 by lastpopicon

[lastpopicon 28,483]

Who's next? 

[andy232000 11,233]

Another one thank you!!!

They are starting the FYC Grammy campaign. This is wonderful and intelligent. They’ll probably do a second publication later on the year with a more definitive “best albums of 2025”, instead of “Best albums of 2025 so far”. Which works cause it provides something for now AND when actual Grammy voting begins.

[lastpopicon 28,483]

and they sing so much praise, as they should, but it's nice to see 

MAYHEM is really the strongest album of the year, the Grammy voters need to see that. 

[Gagaplayer315 13,941]

Oh we love to see the praise 

[lastpopicon 28,483]

MAYHEM also included on consequence's list of top 2025 albums  

https://consequence.net/list/30-best-albums-of-2025-so-far/

 

And vulture included Perfect Celebrity in the best songs of 2025 

https://www.vulture.com/article/best-songs-2025-new-music.html

[Ladle Ghoulash 22,110]

AOTY did that 

[River 114,864]

"we were happy just to be alive" it's her best lyrics of all time.

fight me.

[andy232000 11,233]

I wrote a full think piece myself that I was going to post about how Interscope Records has AOTY in the bag with either Kendrick or Gaga, and how they will campaign harder for Gaga because their strategy will be to widen the lead between her and other nominees, but NOT surpass Kendrick, hence Kendrick would get a more lowkey and whisper campaign while Gaga an offensive and very visible campaign. These articles are not coincidences, it’s part of a very airtight and massive set up the Interscope is making. They have the leading man and lady ready to go.
 

I was going to post it here but then I thought “ya’ll don’t care about my thoughts lololol”. But it seems this is exactly what is happening. 

If my theory is correct, we will see a spike of Gaga content and promo starting October all the way through December. In contrast, we won’t see much of Kendrick because they are avoiding voter fatigue. 

Edited June 6 by andy232000

[andy232000 11,233]

Harper Bazaar, Consequence and even Pitchfork just praised the album too! They are going ALL out

Edited June 6 by andy232000

[Ladle Ghoulash 22,110]

1 hour ago, River said:

"Gonna make the curtains cream, believe me” is her best lyric of all time.

fight me.

TEAAAAAA

Edited June 6 by Ladle Ghoulash

[pachinko 10,332]

Grammy’s Album of the Year incoming! 

[Tranquil 72]

On 6/6/2025 at 2:58 PM, andy232000 said:

Interscope Records has AOTY in the bag with either Kendrick or Gaga, and how they will campaign harder for Gaga because their strategy will be to widen the lead between her and other nominees

Wait, this so interesting and make me optimistic that Gaga might snatch the AOTY. Aside from the magazine reviews, any other signals that make you think this? 

[monstertoronto 9,675]

I had wanted her to win AOTY when she was nominated with Tony, because she deserved, it was his last album, and she would finally have a general field Grammy. But it would always have an asterisk because it was a joint album and people would point to the story of it being Tony’s last album as the reason. 
if she wins AOTY for Mayhem it will be so glorious because the album is truly a synthesis of all of her past inspirations and eras and it would be so incredible to have her rewarded for an album that’s truly all her. I really hope it happens! 

[andy232000 11,233]

43 minutes ago, Tranquil said:

Wait, this so interesting and make me optimistic that Gaga might snatch the AOTY. Aside from the magazine reviews, any other signals that make you think this? 

Yes! There was a new publication today that ranked Abra as the #2 song of the year. Gaga’s mysterious GMA interview and the TV spot in Japan are also little things that keep her in the public eye. My guess is that they will push for Gaga to win SOTY and Kendrick AOTY. 
 

and overall, Gaga will get a very aggressive “offensive” strategy with lots of more high profile appearances, publications, performances near the voting period, along with wide For Your Consideration packages and billboards. This is because Gaga is at #2 odd of winning, so they’ll want to increased her lead to either get to #1 (to Interscope it doesn’t matter if Gaga or Kendrick takes it cause in the end both are sign to them), or to widen the gab between #2 and #3. That way they can make sure the AOTY stays in Interscope. 
 

In contrast, Kendrick will probably get a very lowkey strategy, because if they campaign too hard for Kendrick they risk cannibalizing Gaga, when they need her to grow. Also Kendrick is already the front runner, so he need less resources. And also that way they avoid voter fatigue. Kendrick won 5 Grammys last year (including ROTY and SOTY). So if they go a little too hard with Kendrick, the voters might be put off. Kendrick will get a classical “whisper” campaign where they’ll try to persuade voters under the table or at industry only events.

in essence, It’s like Gaga will be the main headliner for everyone to see and Kendrick the surprise guest at the VIP after party where only the high executives go. 
 

This is just my prediction though. It’s what I think makes sense of the goal is to make sure the 2 fist artists to be more likely to win are from Interscope without dumping one or the other. And like I mentioned, Kendrick need to play it very safely if he doesn’t want to generate overexposure. And judging with how much promo Gaga did this time around, it just make sense from a strategic pov to have them adapt this frame of work. 

Edited Tuesday at 03:25 AM by andy232000