What did Gaga finally nail with Mayhem Ball?

[gagzus 23,137]

26 minutes ago, Starmie25 said:

I don't exactly agree with this take. Despite what fans say, her late aunt's passing clearly had a huge impact on her life (particulary via the lens of her father)

This type of album was inevitable in way or another.

While I agree it affected her and her family, she even had Joanne’s poem in The Fame, the way in which she promoted her image and the album screams damage control. She was originally going to work with her original collaborator to make music like she used to (which would’ve also been damage control) but I think they learned how sick the public were of her antics, music and holier than thou mentality. 

ARTPOP’s response and Joanne’s era were clearly humbling experiences for her.

[DESTROY UR DISEASE 19,764]

me - to the wall

[DESTROY UR DISEASE 19,764]

but now seriously - she showed that she is still THE Lady Gaga that we all know and that makes great music and puts on the best show of all time and that she can do all those things while being happy and pain-free at the same time 

[princedeeblebleble 3,642]

1 hour ago, gagzus said:

Id argue none of her eras at all before this one were REALLY what she wanted. Because her label was pushing for a new single with BBB before Bad Romance, they wanted DITD and she wanted Alejandro as a single, they wouldn’t let her put out MTN as the lead single for BTW or release Scheiße even though she pushed hard for it up until late 2012.
 

ARTPOP was a cluster f*ck and we saw them change her single plans on the fly until they decided to not fund another single for the era after DWUW disappeared from existence. Joanne’s era opened with the most Pop sounding song on the album, that also lent itself to the public breakup she was having with Taylor, which she denied in every interview at the time trying to make the song about social media, then she clearly wanted A-Yo as a single but the label pushed for a balled because ballads were big at the time. The Super Bowl was all her own idea, but even in 5F2 some of her team like Richy were changing things without her knowledge. Then Joanne’s tour was cut short because of her performing too hard and in heels, plus her mental health, causing her fibro to flair up.

We all know about Chromatica and how she had to be dragged into the recording booth. Then the tour finally started giving her back her old self. Just in time for Harlequin and Mayhem which both feel like projects she really wanted to do and now Michael is both her fiancé and creative partner with Parris too, she’s finally got the right team for her.

 

Huh I had no idea about that part of her career :o TFM and BTW seemed very on her terms.. you learn something new every day 

1 hour ago, Starmie25 said:

I don't exactly agree with this take. Despite what fans say, her late aunt's passing clearly had a huge impact on her life (particulary via the lens of her father)

This type of album was inevitable in way or another.

I mean.. yea, but the way she did it was just throwing her entire carrer and references outta the window to be that girl next door, like she didn't spend 7 years being the enigma popstar who's a mistery alien only to cosplay an indie coutnry singer.

Edited Monday at 02:09 PM by princedeeblebleble

[Taumaturg0 1,355]

1 hour ago, gagzus said:

and now Michael is both her fiancé and creative partner with Parris too, she’s finally got the right team for her.

 

This is very important too, she finally has a creative team that respects her vision and understands her

[Starmie25 22,573]

45 minutes ago, princedeeblebleble said:

Huh I had no idea about that part of her career :o TFM and BTW seemed very on her terms.. you learn something new every day 

I mean.. yea, but the way she did it was just throwing her entire carrer and references outta the window to be that girl next door, like she didn't spend 7 years being the enigma popstar who's a mistery alien only to cosplay an indie coutnry singer.

Joanne was more a mix of all 3

STEFANI/GAGA/JOANNE

JW, Dancin in Circles, Perfect illusion was the GAGA side.

[VelvetVenus 164]

I think the biggest accomplishment of the mayhem ball (mayhem era in general) was Gaga remembering how great for her mind and health is to have her artistic vision being translated into her work

And I think it reminded her how amazing it is to release a song and it becoming a hit, so everybody sings it at the concert (DWAS, Abra)

[doppelganger 4,021]

5 hours ago, ChromaticaBoy said:

Was watching some videos about MBT. A little nostalgic about the era. What do you think Gaga was finally able to accomplish fully with this tour?

In my opinion, stage was perfection. I’m very technical about stage production and it was honestly top tier. The structure, the backdrop, the moving elements and of course the cage dress. Something that really amazed me and I wasn’t really expecting was the led panel catwalk. I love this kind of details. And every date even got led bracelets for the entire venue. Boy does this make a big difference. It was just so immersive. Even the lighting was perfection. Act 1 felt like a rave party in an opera house with fire and pyros

Another big thing is the huge amount of dancers. I think that Gaga already understood this during the Chromatica Ball, but this time I believe there were even more dancers. Especially for a smaller stage. They are a fundamental part of the scenery and having so many is what sets the difference between a school recital and a big ass production. Truly reminded me of MJs concerts.

I know I’m in the minority here also enjoying stadium concerts (even tho I’m so grateful I could also go to see Gaga in a smaller venue with the latest tour), but I think Gaga is now ready for a huge mega big ass stage for a stadium tour alà Beyoncé. I would love so much to see such a tour. The Chromatica Ball was so special for me and so was The Mayhem Ball. So if she ever combines these concerts elements together, I think it could be so incredibly special.

What do you think?

The Mayhem Singapore stadium shows were amazing too. I know people complain about the size of the stage vis-a-vis the stadium, but it made the presentation more focused, more immersive, and you always know where to look. I'll take this any day over sprawling stage designs that remain empty most of the time. Loved the circular LED. The B stage is perfect too. 

[ChromaticaBoy 1,137]

1 hour ago, doppelganger said:

The Mayhem Singapore stadium shows were amazing too. I know people complain about the size of the stage vis-a-vis the stadium, but it made the presentation more focused, more immersive, and you always know where to look. I'll take this any day over sprawling stage designs that remain empty most of the time. Loved the circular LED. The B stage is perfect too. 

Agreed, only thing that would’ve made it better could’ve been larger backdrop screen and longer and larger catwalk, but it worked for the purpose of those shows. If I recall correctly there were two extra big screens at the sides of the main stage and for act 1 they digitally extended the opera house even further and kind of morphed it into a taller size towards the sides. I think it looked incredible

[VTV 13,928]

She is finally happy and satisfied. May not be as great as her old show but at least u can tell she is proud of it and not so uptight about making a mess etc. No toxic molds around her team anymore.

[NightcallSmile 137]

5 hours ago, VelvetVenus said:

I think the biggest accomplishment of the mayhem ball (mayhem era in general) was Gaga remembering how great for her mind and health is to have her artistic vision being translated into her work

And I think it reminded her how amazing it is to release a song and it becoming a hit, so everybody sings it at the concert (DWAS, Abra)

She's had pretty big hits for every tour so I don't think she needed reminding... although DWAS and Abracadabra were both bigger hits than she'd gotten in her last 2 album pop cycles, if we exclude ASIB. 

Edited Monday at 08:32 PM by NightcallSmile

[Kelly Atlantic 296]

performing without pain. I know she also did that with TCB, but that was a show that ran for about 1:50:00, and 22 songs. THIS show was 30 SONGS, 2 and a HALF hours and she performed having the time of her life with a debilitating chronic illness that tore her apart 10 years ago. All of the pain she's suffered throughout the years paid off, as now, shes dancing and singing to the album she wanted to write. 

I saw her at DC N1, and I could tell she had let go of a lot of things.

Watching shows from the final leg of BTWB or ArtRave or JWT, you can see she's stiff and a little in pain but trying not to show it. There was electric energy floating thru the arena when I saw her and she did so great and I could tell the whole concept was EXACTLY what she wanted to do. She has her dream life and is in a better mental place now that she has coped with a lot of trauma and grown up and understood it. 

One last thing is the scheduling. She had mostly three shows per city, and in between each city she'd get a break to rehearse and relax. She never really got to do that like ten years ago, and was constantly performing. This is what she needed and she is doing great.

[DeWeav 80]

Finally getting through a tour that was demanding physically without fibromyalgia affecting you

[MACATL 2,128]

*deleted*

Edited Tuesday at 07:28 PM by MACATL

[Ziggy 14,040]

On 7/27/2026 at 9:01 AM, princedeeblebleble said:

Huh I had no idea about that part of her career :o TFM and BTW seemed very on her terms.. you learn something new every day 

I mean.. yea, but the way she did it was just throwing her entire carrer and references outta the window to be that girl next door, like she didn't spend 7 years being the enigma popstar who's a mistery alien only to cosplay an indie coutnry singer.

Tbf TFM is her era lbr. Just bc the label wanted otherwise…gaga still won every single conversation and had off the wall videos with big budgets and a landmark tour that was basically her and her team’s concepts. That’s probably why Mayhem feels similar: similar circumstances of having music she loves that isn’t pigeon-holed by insecurity, a team that gets her and can do their ****, and a label that isn’t giving too much input .