TOTAL MAYHEM: Everything We Think We Know

[Ladle Ghoulash 29,973]

So given Gaga’s used the phrase “total MAYHEM” once again, I figured I’d create a compilation thread with all of the speculative evidence that there may be a deluxe reissue of MAYHEM called “Total MAYHEM” on the way.

The origin:

During Gaga’s Roblox campaign in the lead up to the release of Wednesday (and the soft re-issue of MAYHEM featuring TDD, KFL, and CSTH), she said this:

While “total mayhem” as a phrase is somewhat common, the conspicuous detail is that it’s in all caps and the only other words in all caps are THE DEAD DANCE (a single which, at the time, had not been officially announced), which potentially signifies that they’re both titles.

Another few potential Easter eggs:

As many of you remember, in the run up to the release of MAYHEM, Gaga teased many lyrics from the album on her website. However, once the album came out, fans also noticed that there were lyrics that were being teased that were seemingly parts of songs that had not yet been released, for example:

As we now know, “like the words of a song [I hear you call]” are lyrics featured in TDD, however the other two lines pictured above seem to be from songs that have not yet been released.

 

Jumping ahead: at a Wednesday premiere event when TDD was officially announced, Gaga wore a black dress with *four* keyhole embellishments.

 

As we now know, days later when TDD dropped, MAYHEM was soft re-issued on streaming platforms, featuring *three* previously unreleased/largely non-streamable songs (KFL, TDD, CSTH). Since we now know that TDD’s lyrics were teased beforehand on her website and has now been released along three “new tracks,” is it possible that the four keyholes represent all of the songs to be added to MAYHEM post-release and does that mean the last remaining lyrics from her site are from the final remaining song?
 

And to those who think it’s a stretch that Gaga would be teasing music via fashion this era, lest we forget her teasing the Disease single art + MV at the Chromatica Ball premiere 5 months before the song/video:

Media + press clues:

Gaga also mentioned in her recent interview with Zane Lowe that she wrote around 50 songs during the MAYHEM sessions. TMZ also cited MAYHEM as “Gaga’s first album this year” (implying there may be another). There has also been speculation that Gaga is releasing/promoting a song for a new album coming out in early spring 2026 alongside TDWP2, which some fans theorize is potentially connected to a MAYHEM re-issue.

Rumors have also been circulating that Gaga is planning a 2026 stadium tour, which could very well be in support of TOTAL MAYHEM. 

Now, some of you may be asking: isn’t the reissue the deluxe? I would be inclined to agree, except it appears that Gaga’s team specifically wanted to avoid labeling the soft re-issue as a deluxe, which begs the question: why? Could it be that they want to leave that label open for TOTAL MAYHEM?

 

Gaga also recently used the phrase “total MAYHEM” again while hosting a Halloween party in Barcelona:

Gaga also appeared to tease unheard lyrics during two separate acoustic performances of Marry the Night:

In a December 2024 LA Times interview, gaga mentioned a “fragile ballad” that almost made the cut for the album that she might release at a later date. Is it possible that the unused lyrics on her site and the song she’s been teasing on the piano on tour are potentially the same song? And does her teasing this song signify that TOTAL MAYHEM is coming soon?

Also, apparently a demo snippet that had been circulating since the beginning of this year (speculated title: Sunroof, apparently from the MAYHEM sessions) just recently started receiving copyright strikes when users on Twitter were sharing it and speculating about TOTAL MAYHEM:

Lest we forget: copyright strikes were how we figured out that both the leaked snippets of Garden of Eden and The Dead Dance were real and it seems to me that the label only generally issues copyright strikes if it’s material the artist intends to release in the future 👀

Sunroof snippet below for anyone who is interested/hasn’t heard it:

What do you think? Is TOTAL MAYHEM real or is it a perfect illusion? Is it a deluxe reissue? An EP? A remix album? A double LP?

Discuss!

Edited November 10 by Ladle Ghoulash

[RBNLM 1,643]

She also teased she may comeback during the Italian stop of the tour this could imply a new release + tour extension which is rumoured already before that 

[Roughhouse Dandy 12,167]

No clue about anything and I refuse to get my hopes up, but if something does drop and we get more grunge/rock songs a la Disease and Perfect Celebrity? Y'all are gonna have to give me some grace bc I'd be INSUFFERABLE about it. 

[lilboyblue 5,773]

During the release of the bonus tracks and TDD, LGN also seemed to go out of its way to clarify that this is NOT to be considered a deluxe edition of MAYHEM 

[Cpeer 4,782]

Honestly I think it’s planned. 
Gaga is name dropping Total Mayhem on every chance she gets 

My theory: It’s planned to be released on the 1 year anniversary of Mayhem release. 
And she’ll add more stadium tour dates after

[Heygirl22 1,407]

I would be so stoked !!!

always happy for more Gaga music 

[weed 75,184]

I think it exists and I'm excited but I feel like the 4 keyholes must be for something else or maybe plans changed since the 3 songs have been released together already, wouldn't feel like a new song is particularly attached to them

unless a fourth song would complete the "total mayhem" and there's nothing else added and I hate that concept lol

Edited October 31 by weed

[MountainMonster 1,107]

It’s coming. Also on the unused lyrics note, isn’t “a drug to last a lifetime” also unused? I’ve tried to Google it to make sure I’m not missing it in any song on MAYHEM, but it doesn’t appear anywhere. 

[Ladle Ghoulash 29,973]

1 minute ago, MountainMonster said:

It’s coming. Also on the unused lyrics note, isn’t “a drug to last a lifetime” also unused? I’ve tried to Google it to make sure I’m not missing it in any song on MAYHEM, but it doesn’t appear anywhere. 

Could’ve been a demo version of LoveDrug (“thought we’d last a lifetime”), but also 👀

[MountainMonster 1,107]

3 minutes ago, Ladle Ghoulash said:

Could’ve been a demo version of LoveDrug (“thought we’d last a lifetime”), but also 👀

I thought that too, but it seems a little wild to put the incorrect lyric on her own website. 
 

but regardless, there’s no doubt in my mind that TOTAL MAYHEM is on the horizon. 

[zevthepaparazzo 831]

So we can expect a deluxe with maximum 7 more songs (Losing control, sunroof, maybe the fragile ballad, maybe frankensteined, try so hard to sing, worried that im lost and tdwp2 song)

(I say the first two cuz its weird that 2 scrapped songs would leak with the album and not 2 finished songs for a deluxe)

The fourth keyhole could be the next single before the deluxe drops, so each represents added songs after the album has been released

the tdwp2 song could be that last keyhole

there might be another to make it 8 and she could release an ep like Tfm

Edited October 31 by zevthepaparazzo

[Linus Gaga 8,365]

could be release on Mayhem release anniversary or as soon as Halloween 

[NUTELLA 13,935]

1 hour ago, Ladle Ghoulash said:

I figured I’d create a compilation thread with all of the speculative evidence that there is indeed some deluxe reissue of MAYHEM called “Total MAYHEM” on the way.

[Ladle Ghoulash 29,973]

2 minutes ago, NUTELLA said:

Genuinely how I felt writing this. Feeling very seen, Ms. Nut 

[Sepsami 19,403]

I hate y'all for planting this in my brain because I want to be able to be lowkey about this but I literally just can't  this is going to be rentfree on my mind from now until the GRAMMYs