The Heartfelt Collective: MAYHEM Album Review
PAWS UP mode activated
date: March 15th, 2025
status update: ready for MAYHEM
It’s currently 8:07am on March 15th and I am finally getting a chance to sit down and listen to MAYHEM by Lady Gaga in full, no interruptions, with headphones on, while reading lyrics. The album came out last Friday but I was away on a work event, and then I worked 12 days total in a row (yesterday was day 12). So I have not been in the proper headspace to absorb the album. I did listen to it in the car to and from work - but that’s not the same as being able to read the lyrics to fully get a grasp of each song. So this blog post is going to be my initial thoughts while sitting down and listening to the full album.
Right now, my favourite songs would be: Abracadabra, Die With A Smile, Blade of Grass, Killah, and Vanish in To You. Let’s see what that looks like after the full album listen.
Also, sorry I did not post a blog last week, I was not very proud of what I had started writing + got focused on my work event so I just didn’t post anything.
MAYHEM REVIEW
The way I like to do my album reviews (although I’ve only done two with my blog before) is to listen to the song once, then again while reading the lyrics. Afterwards I write down my thoughts on the song. Sometimes it’ll be a longer description, sometimes it’ll be shorter. It’s just going to be my initial thoughts.
I feel like I should also describe my love for Lady Gaga - I remember exactly where I was when I first heard “Just Dance”. It was playing on Much Music in my friend at the time’s basement on the day of her pool party. I was captivated! When I got home I immediately ran down to the basement computer to look it up on YouTube. That quickly turned in to me begging my mum to take me to the mall to get the album. I had it playing on the little CD playerI had beside my bed on repeat. The rest is history.
I told my mum I didn’t want to do anything one morning while we were on vacation in New York City because I wanted to wait for Lady Gaga and Beyoncé to release the Telephone video. I was at my cousin’s for a week in the summer and waited for the Yoü and I music video to drop. I bought TWO physical CDs of ARTPOP album + the digital copy on iTunes. I wanted to make sure I got the foil wrapped edition of the CD. I still have it unopened. We listened to Perfect Illusion on our Disney College Program where Jack dubbed it sounding like an “iTunes Bonus Track”. Chromatica was a staple for the beginning of COVID lockdown. Now it’s time to see what impact MAYHEM has on me.
Ranking System:
On Repeat - Songs I will be having on repeat
Hit - Songs I like on initial listen
Need more time - Songs I think I will appreciate the more I listen to them
Miss - songs that just do not do it for me
Track One: Disease
I will be honest, I was not a fan of this like everyone else was when it first came out. I didn’t hate it, I just wasn’t in to it as much as I have been for other Gaga songs. However once Abracadabra came out, I could see more of the direction of where the album could be headed, and I started appreciating it more in that context. I think she sounds really good on the track and it’s a nod to what we refer to as “Old Gaga” while still being reinvented. It’s very much “I can change him” vibes, which I think a lot of people can relate to. The way I interpret it is that she is dating someone who may not be so kind but Gaga loves them so much, she thinks she can cure him from the way that he is. Maybe I’m reading too much in to it in that sense, that’s just what I got from it. I haven’t listened to anything she’s said about the album either, so if she explains things I don’t know a thing.
Album I think it could fit on: The Fame Monster or Born This Way
Ranking: Need more time (based on when she first released the single).
Track Two: Abracadabra
I feel like this song was better than Disease, and I was more receptive to it upon a first listen. It’s just classic dance music with a dark undertone. Basically even though everything is falling apart, there is still the option to dance with someone. Forget everything. Chose a love for life. Abracadabra being the spell to put everyone in to a trance to dance the night away.
Album I think it could fit on: Born This Way
Ranking: Hit (based on when she first released the single)
Track Three: Garden of Eden
I kept trying to listen to the full album while I was driving but I only kept reaching Garden of Eden until I reached my destination, so I have listened to this a few more times than the rest of the album. But I really liked it! It felt like Gaga that we know and love! It’s giving dark pop energy. I feel like it’s a sister song to Disease in the sense of Disease was about someone who may not have been the best for Gaga, in this song, I take it as Gaga is the one who is the one who might be a little of a bad influence on the other person. We all know the story of Adam, Eve, the Snake, and the apple in the Garden of Eden. And look where that landed us.
Album I think it could fit on: ARTPOP
Ranking: On Repeat
Track Four: Perfect Celebrity
I really enjoy the sound of this song, and Gaga sounds so hauntingly beautiful. Overall I enjoy the song, however I just don’t know who Gaga is singing to in this song. Is she singing to her fans? Paparazzi? The Media? A Lover? Maybe all of the above. Anyways I have a concept for a music video - basically Gaga would be walking the catwalk with Ru, Michelle, Carson, and the Hilrious Ross Matthews and they’re just staring at her with a blank stare. And basically we have tortured Gaga walking down the catwalk, slowly deteriorating away. And whenever it says “Perfect Celebrity”, it changes to show her when being a celebrity is fun (getting her photos on the red carpet, money, fame etc). It’ll be all black and white except when it’s the “happy moments”. Obviously I can see it more than I can type it out, but you get the gist.
Album I think it could fit on: The Fame Monster or ARTPOP
Ranking: Need more time
Track Five: Vanish Into You
I am obsessed with this song! It reminds me so much of Bloody Mary. I think it’s perfect dark pop energy that I think I wanted the album to deliver. And it does it effortlessly. It also reminds me of Bad Romance when she’s saying “Can I-I-I-I-I vanish in to you”. The song to me is about reminiscing of an old lover, even if it didn’t work out in the end. I feel like this is a sequel to Disease. Once she realized she couldn’t “cure” the other person, they had to part ways. However she still loves this person and is always thinking about them and their time together. I think this could make a beautiful music video and even more beautiful live performance.
Album I think it could fit on: Born This Way
Ranking: On repeat
Track Six: Killah
This is such a groovy track! It reminds of 90s but also 80s funk. It has such a fun sound and I feel like it would make a great club track. I feel like it’s an antithesis to “Monster”, where that song was about her being with a man who took advantage of her and is essentially a “monster”, I feel like this song is about her seeing a person she likes at the club and wants to have a wild night with them. I feel like this would be a good song for the Countess (a character she played in American Horror Story: Hotel). You can take the “Killah” part literally or figuratively. In the literal sense, I feel like she’s getting revenge on the boy who is the monster in Monster, in the figurative sense, I think she’s just describing the crazy night she wants to have with her person of choice for the night.
Album I think it could fit on: ARTPOP or maybe a Dawn of Chromatica Remix
Ranking: On Repeat
Track Seven: Zombieboy
This song also gives me funk/disco vibes! I do like the she referenced her friend who passed away, Zombie Boy. This is the kind of song I want to dance to at a Lady Gaga concert. I think the main story of the song is Gaga seeing a boy at a club and she is infatuated with him at first sight. Again, a song just talking about her wild night she’s about to have with this hot man she saw across the room and liked his vibe. However at the end she knows this guy isn’t right for her and says she’ll see him in her dreams.
Album I think it could fit on: Born This Way or ARTPOP
Ranking: On Repeat
Track Eight: LoveDrug
Another break up song, she doesn’t want to be dealing with any of her emotions so she’s going to do what makes her feel best - dance the night away. However, she feels like she just needs to see her ex once more so she can get a “hit” of the LoveDrug and feel slightly better. I think a lot of people have been there, whether it be romantic or platonic relationship - sometimes someone who isn’t right for you is the one thing you need to make yourself feel better after you parted ways. It’s not my favourite on the album, it’s also not my least favourite. It just seems a little more simple in terms of depth compared to some of the other songs. I think it would make a great single for the radio though.
Album I think it could fit on: The Fame Monster or Born This Way
Ranking: Need more time
Track Nine: How Bad Do U Want Me
The Taylor Swift song of the album. My friend Zack posted about how it sounded like a TS song but with Gaga vocals and that is 100% accurate. It just seems so high school vibes. Think Avril Lavinge’s Sk8tr Boi or Taylor Swift’s You Belong With Me. I really thought it was going to be a sequel/sister song to Do What U Want and I was disappointed. The one skip of the album I fear.
Album I think it could fit on: Any Taylor Swift album
Ranking: Miss
Track Ten: Don’t Call Tonight
A song about betrayal. Lady Gaga is singing about how she doesn’t want to hear from this ex, he lies and betrays her trust constantly. Even if he does try to rekindle their relationship, she knows he’s just going to leave again. However, once again, she still loves him. She says she’s “addicted to his lies”. That doesn’t mean she loves the lies, but she is “addicted” to the man himself. Again, I think this is a sequel to Disease. Once she realized there’s nothing that is going to change him, she knows she has to cut him off.
Album I think it could fit on: Born This Way
Ranking: Hit
Track Eleven: Shadow Of a Man
This song is when Gaga finds her voice, her self worth. She sings about how even if the man is trying to keep her in his shadow, she is going to continue to dance. She is not going to let a man ruin her life or use her anymore. She is not going to be taken advantage of anymore. Love that for her. I think this is such a good song now that I have read the lyrics. I feel like this is a song a lot of people can relate to but also need to hear. I really enjoy the beat to this song, it’s giving pop but a little bit of disco or funk. There is also a song it reminds me of, but I don’t know what the lyrics are so can’t look it up.
Album I think it could fit on: The Fame Monster or Born This Way
Ranking: Hit
Track Twelve: The Beast
I’m not sure if The Beast is a good thing or a bad thing for Gaga, but I do know she wants to see it for herself. I love a good stripped down Gaga song, but not sure how I feel about the story of the song. But maybe that’s the point, she doesn’t know if it’s going to turn out good or bad, but she’s willing to give it a go. I don’t have much more to say beyond this because I’m still trying to figure it out.
Album I think it could fit on: Joanne
Ranking: Need more time
Track Thirteen: Blade of Grass
I love this song so much. I think it’s so romantic and how everyone wants to feel after feeling like the world is against them. It’s giving a sister song to Speechless, but coming from a more raw and desperate and thankful place. I think this song could also do really well on the radio. I think it’s a really good ballad from Gaga and something that a lot of people would be able to relate to. Gaga has felt so lonely and now that she has found her person, she never wants to let them go.
Album I think it could fit on: The Fame Monster, Joanne, or A Star Is Born
Ranking: On Repeat
Track Fourteen: Die With A Smile
This song has been all over the radio, I could barely avoid it even if I wanted to. I love this song and I love that it comes after Blade of Grass on the track list. She has her man, now they can just live together forever, in love. Bruno and Gaga’s voices compliment each other so well. And I love that we get the male perspective of Blade of Grass now. Gaga has said her part in Blade of Grass and Bruno is singing the other side and how he feels about her. And then halfway through the song, we get to hear them sing together and it completes the circle. It’s just pure true love. We love to hear it.
Album I think it could fit on: A Star is Born or Joanne
Ranking: On Repeat
Final Thoughts
Well there you have it, a review of MAYHEM. I’m not really sure why she named the album that, but I guess I could see the mayhem that is caused by rocky relationships, heartbreak and trying to find your person. There were a few miss’s, a lot of hits and on repeat. I think this may be the Lady Gaga album I’ve warmed up to this quickly since Born This Way. This will most likely be my most listened to album this year. I know we have a deluxe version of eternal sunshine coming out but other than that, I don’t think any of my favourite artists are coming out with anything this year (as of yet) since they all released last year. Anyways, love Gaga. Paws up little monsters.
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Shannon