# Mayhem (Lady Gaga album)

Mayhem is a studio album by American singer Lady Gaga. It was released on March 7, 2025, through Streamline and Interscope Records. During the creation of the album, Gaga collaborated with producers such as Andrew Watt, Cirkut and Gesaffelstein, resulting in an album that has a "chaotic blur of genres", mainly synth-pop, with industrial dance influences, and elements of electro, disco, industrial pop, rock and pop rock. Lyrically, it explores themes of love, chaos, fame, identity, and desire, using metaphors of transformation, duality, and excess. Its lyrics delve into the impact of celebrity, the struggle between public image and personal self, as well as euphoria and recklessness as forms of escape."
The album was recorded at Rick Rubin's studio Shangri-La, in Malibu, California. The album was preceded by the release of two singles. Its lead single, "Disease", was released on October 25, 2024. "Abracadabra" followed as the second single on February 3, 2025, peaking at number five on the Billboard Global 200 and number thirteen on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. Mayhem also includes the Bruno Mars collaboration "Die with a Smile" which won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards. Mayhem was a commercial success, debuting at number one in 19 countries, including Australia, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Norway, the United States, Italy, the United Kingdom, and Switzerland, while also reaching the second position in France, the Netherlands, and Sweden. It also recorded the biggest debut for a female album on Spotify in 2025 and achieved the largest week of the year for a female album in the United States.
Mayhem received critical praise with reviewers deeming it a strong return to form to Gaga's pop roots, specifically The Fame (2008), becoming her most critically acclaimed album, according to Metacritic. Reviewers highlighted the production, stylistic diversity, album cohesion and noted musical inspirations from pop artists such as David Bowie, Michael Jackson, Prince, Siouxsie and the Banshees and Blondie.

## Background

In 2022, Lady Gaga toured several countries as part of the Chromatica Ball and began working on new material. For several months prior to the album's announcement, Gaga shared photographs on social media of herself in a recording studio. In March 2024, Gaga spoke publicly about the project for the first time, stating in an interview that she was "writing some of the best songs I can remember."
The following May, she released the concert film Gaga Chromatica Ball, which contained a snippet of new music at the end. Gaga has said that the upcoming pop album was made "from a place of happiness". Her fiancé Michael Polansky recommended that she create a pop album and "lean in to the joy of it". In mid-2024, Gaga began offering additional teasers for her new project. In July, she surprised fans by playing snippets of two unreleased songs after her performance at the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympics. During a December 2024 interview with the Los Angeles Times, Gaga announced her duet with Bruno Mars, "Die with a Smile", would be part of the album.

## Development

According to Gaga, the inspiration for the album stemmed from a period of deep introspection and personal challenges. Gaga, Andrew Watt and Polansky are listed as the executive producers of Mayhem. She described the album as "a transgressive journey through genres" that reflects her diverse musical influences and life experiences. In an interview with Rolling Stone on December 10, 2024, Gaga characterized the project as an eclectic work that amalgamates various genres, styles, and emotions, all guided by her profound love of music. She elaborated:
   The album is imbued with my love for music: a diversity of genres, styles, and dreams. It leaps from one genre to another in a manner that feels almost corrupt, and it culminates in love. That's my answer to all the chaos in my life: I find peace in love. Every song I wrote emerged from surrendering to different dreams tied to my past, almost like a recollection of all the bad decisions I've made throughout my life. There are moments where we sonically push the sound to extremes, and others where everything revolves around love. That, to me, represents true chaos. It's sometimes difficult to see the light, but I think what makes inner chaos more challenging is when you occasionally catch a glimpse of the sun. For this reason, the album offers a bit of everything. It's a complete experience.
Regarding her inspiration, the artist stated, "The album started as me facing my fear of returning to the pop music my earliest fans loved," further comparing the creative process to "reassembling a shattered mirror: even if you can't put the pieces back together perfectly, you can create something beautiful and whole in its own new way."
Gaga has called the album, which was inspired by industrial dance music, "chaotic" and "genre-bending". An unspecified song from the record has been described by Jonathan Van Meter of Vogue as "intense and ominous... old-school Gaga banger, unsettling but also buoyant". French DJ and record producer Gesaffelstein collaborated on the album. The album was recorded at Rick Rubin's studio Shangri-La, in Malibu, California, where Gaga also made Joanne (2016) and the soundtrack to A Star Is Born (2018).
In May 2024, during a Q&A session following the premiere of her special Gaga Chromatica Ball, Gaga revealed that she was deeply immersed in writing and recording the album. She described the material as "completely different from anything I've done before" and emphasized her exploration of breaking musical genres and incorporating new creative influences. Gaga explained that each song is a reflection of her own internal chaos, presented with a celebratory tone aimed at connecting with audiences in various settings, from a party to an intimate moment at home.

## Artistic direction

The Mayhem era was defined by a dark, avant-garde aesthetic with gothic influences. Throughout the album's promotion, Gaga wore monochromatic outfits that reinforced this concept, blending references from cyberpunk, modern goth, and high fashion. This style has drawn comparisons to her Born This Way (2011) era, albeit with a more minimalist and futuristic approach. Gaga described the aesthetic as "something anxious at its core, yet with a poetic and visually striking approach despite its darkness." She also noted that the artistic direction of the project was influenced by the anxiety she experiences while creating music—a feeling that, according to her, permeates the entire process until her ideas take tangible form. In an interview with InStyle, she stated that this sensation was also reflected in the album’s visual construction, adding:
   "From a color perspective, I was really excited at first to explore things that were bold, but also maybe a little anxiety-inducing, because there is an anxiety I feel when I make music."
In the music videos, this duality is materialized through characters representing different facets of Gaga’s identity. For the video costumes, she collaborated with various designers. In "Disease", she wore creations by Peri Rosenzweig, Nick Royal, Charles de Vilmorin, and Comme des Garçons, while in "Abracadabra", the outfits were designed by Olivier Theyskens and Sam Lewis, with hats by Stephen Jones and Maximilian Gedra, and accessories from Chrome Hearts and Dosisg6c. For the latter video, Gaga emphasized that she worked with her team to minimize the environmental impact of the wardrobe, repurposing materials such as old wedding dresses and discarded fabrics from previous projects. The artistic direction of Mayhem's music videos has been compared to The Fame Monster (2009) era for its dark and theatrical aesthetic. Vogue described the visual concept as "a twisted fashion fantasy, equal parts glamorous and grotesque," highlighting its avant-garde costumes and makeup. Other outlets, including Rolling Stone, Billboard, and Pitchfork, praised the meticulous fusion of art and high fashion, drawing comparisons to "Bad Romance" (2009) and emphasizing its strong conceptual and cinematic quality.
In February 2025, during events like the 67th Annual Grammy Awards and the FireAid Concert, Gaga maintained a cohesive image with dramatic black dresses, structured silhouettes, and striking details such as her mini-bob haircut and bleached eyebrows. At the Grammys, she wore a Victorian-inspired black ensemble by Samuel Lewis, paired with a vintage Tiffany & Co. necklace designed under Louis Comfort Tiffany’s direction. A month later, for her Saturday Night Live performance on March 8, she continued this theatrical aesthetic with two contrasting outfits: a structured red ensemble for "Abracadabra", echoing its music video imagery, and a purple outfit for "Killah", which Variety noted as a nod to Prince and glam rock. The magazine described her stage presence as "hyperkinetic," praising both her energy and the meticulous visual direction. After the show, Gaga was spotted wearing a Victoria's Secret bodysuit paired with a headpiece by Spanish designer Betto García, a look that, according to Vogue, showcased "her ability to seamlessly integrate avant-garde fashion into her artistic image."

## Composition

According to Gaga, Mayhem is a tribute to her "love for music, bringing together a wide variety of genres, styles, and different dreams." In an interview with Los Angeles Times, Gaga stated that the album is heavily influenced by industrial music, stemming from her interest in exploring various facets of electronic music. She explained, "I loved learning about industrial music and the different areas of electronic music," and emphasized her ongoing pursuit of blending genres, saying, "I've probably been judged for not sticking to just one thing, but not doing so is my life force." Regarding its musical approach, she described it as "utter chaos" that "breaks a lot of rules and is a lot of fun." The artist cited influences including "'90s alternative, electro-grunge, Prince and David Bowie melodies, guitar and attitude, funky bass lines, French electronic music, and analog synthesizers." From a genre perspective, she added, "It just feels good. It sounds good. It's about following your own chaos to wherever in life it may take you." Slant Magazine stated that Mayhem trades almost entirely in 1980s synth-pop, especially in its middle stretch, from "Zombieboy", a tribute to Rick Genest, to the groovy, David Bowie-esque "Killah". Rolling Stone described the album as a tribute to the genres and artists that influenced Gaga, featuring a 'chaotic and ever-changing' sound that traverses multiple musical styles."
The singer stated that during the creation of Mayhem, she wrote and recorded over 50 songs, selecting 14 for the standard edition. She described the album as "a return to an earlier process," emphasizing her love for "the mixture of live instrumentation and programming." She added, "That's really fun, especially when you start experimenting with different ways of playing with analog instruments. You can just make really interesting, unique, and never-before-heard sounds." In an interview with Vogue, Gaga revealed that her partner, Michael Polansky—who also co-wrote some tracks—played a key role in inspiring her return to pop music. "Michael told me, 'Baby, I love you. You need to make pop music,'" she said, marking a turning point in the creative process. She stated that, unlike Chromatica (2020), which was conceived from a place of darkness, Mayhem represents "a renewed happiness." Gaga mentioned that her relationship with Polansky helped her reconnect with her artistry and find a balance between her personal life and career. She explained that a conversation with him about how she would like to be proposed to inspired her to write "Blade of Grass," referencing a spontaneous phrase she said at that moment and the grass in her garden. In another interview, Gaga revealed that she had considered excluding "How Bad Do U Want Me" from the album, but Polansky convinced her to keep it, assuring her that her fans "would love it." During a conversation with Apple Music, the singer stated that, unlike her previous albums, with Mayhem she sought to move away from defining a specific stylistic concept, avoiding 'dressing the music in an outfit.' In an interview with Elle, Gaga described the album as 'a personal rediscovery' where she confronted struggles and learned self-acceptance, stating:
   "While making this album, I truly learned to love myself through all of it. Part of the message, even in the first song on the album, is that your demons are with you at the beginning and at the end. And I don’t say that in a dark way. Maybe we can become friends with this reality sooner, instead of constantly running away from it."
Producer Cirkut told Billboard that the goal with Mayhem's lead single, "Disease," was to capture "the unmistakable essence of Gaga" while maintaining a contemporary sound. He described the track as "bold and aggressive," highlighting the challenge of balancing familiarity with innovation. Alongside Watt, they incorporated dramatic and theatrical elements, aiming for a powerful sound that, according to Cirkut, "immediately impacts the listener." Watt described the recording process as "spontaneous," noting that "Gaga hears something, grabs the microphone, and flows." In particular, he mentioned that "Abracadabra" came together naturally, with Gaga developing the melody on the spot and structuring it on the piano. Regarding her collaboration with Mars, Gaga shared that one night, while working on the album, she received a call from him, and they decided to meet at a nearby studio. That same night, they completed "Die with a Smile," drawing inspiration from 1970s harmonies and collaborations like Carole King and James Taylor. Watt detailed that the session was entirely live, with Gaga jotting down chords and bass lines while Mars played guitar. Although initially not intended for the album, Gaga stated that the song became the "missing piece" that tied together the album's central themes: love, chaos, and reconciliation. Watt, in turn, affirmed that the track was always meant to be part of Mayhem.

### Music and lyrics

Musically, Mayhem spans genres such as dance-pop, industrial music, and EDM, incorporating elements of synth-pop, house music, funk, and soft rock. The album marks Gaga's return to a bolder and more experimental sound, moving away from the aesthetics of Chromatica (2020) and reclaiming the eclectic style that defined her early career. According to the artist, Mayhem is a tribute to her "love for music, bringing together a wide variety of genres, styles, and different dreams." In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, she explained that the project is heavily influenced by industrial music, reflecting her interest in exploring different facets of electronic music, and emphasized her constant pursuit of blending genres: "Some may have criticized me for not sticking to a single musical direction, but that’s exactly what gives me life."
Sonically, Mayhem fuses influences from electro-grunge, theatrical rock, and funk, creating a varied yet cohesive production. Rolling Stone described it as "a fusion of her electronic roots with an overwhelming energy," while The Guardian highlighted her ability to blend industrial, house, and disco without losing relevance. NME and Clash agreed that the album represents a return to the artist’s "maximalist pop," featuring memorable hooks and production that ranges from eurodance and 1970s funk to sonic experimentation. Meanwhile, The Independent noted that Mayhem stands out for its controlled chaos, merging the intensity of her early work with a polished and modern production.
The singer also emphasized that ballroom culture has been a constant influence on her art, noting that from a young age she was inspired by "the grace, freedom, and expression" of the scene, which she discovered in New York through Paris Is Burning (1990). Beyond its stylistic diversity, Mayhem is also characterized by an unconventional structure, where each song functions as a chapter within the album's overarching concept. According to Gaga, her intention was to "break away from the idea of a single sound" and explore different emotions through music. She told Rolling Stone, "I wanted to revisit old paths while opening new ones, something I think is difficult to do. There are moments on the album where some people might say, ‘Oh, that reminds me of this,’ because I have a style, but I’ve made a musical effort to take myself somewhere new." The artist has described the album as "a series of gothic dreams where dance-pop energy, industrial darkness, and rock theatricality coexist."

### Songs

The main themes within Mayhem revolve around fame, identity, desire, and chaos, explored through metaphors of transformation, duality, and excess. The songs address the impact of celebrity, the internal struggle between public image and personal identity, as well as euphoria and debauchery as forms of escapism. The album opens with "Disease", a track that blends dance-pop, EDM, and industrial music, along with elements of pop, rock, dance, and rage. In it, Gaga expresses the desire to heal her lover, with an obsessive undertone about being the only one capable of curing their illness. Her vocal performance, particularly in the chorus, has been described as "rock-infused and guttural," while its raw energy has drawn comparisons to punk rock tracks. The second song, "Abracadabra," is a dance-pop, electropop, and dark pop track with house and europop influences. It incorporates elements from "Spellbound" by Siouxsie and the Banshees, which resulted in songwriting credits for Siouxsie Sioux, Budgie, John McGeoch, and Steven Severin. According to Gaga, the lyrics are about "facing the challenges of life and the night and finding magic in all of it." The third song, "Garden of Eden," merges 2000s pop sounds with an electronic foundation and a distorted chorus reminiscent of Gaga’s early dance music. Its structure features oscillating synthesizers and an uptempo beat, with a chorus where the artist invites listeners to lose themselves in an artificial paradise of excess. Some critics noted that the track blends euphoria and darkness, evoking the atmosphere of an underground club rave.
In the fourth track, "Perfect Celebrity", Gaga explores society’s obsession with fame and public image, using an electro-grunge sound that has been compared to "Never Enough" (1990) by the Cure. The song offers a sharp critique of celebrity culture, with lyrics like "I've become a notorious being, find my clone, she's asleep on the ceiling," reflecting the duality between the real person and their media persona. Mayhem continues with "Vanish into You," which blends glam rock and experimental pop with David Bowie influences. Its melody is marked by harmonized choruses and an immersive synthesizer line, while its lyrics describe total surrender in a romantic relationship. The sixth track, "Killah", a collaboration with producer Gesaffelstein, features electro-funk industrial production with elements inspired by Nine Inch Nails. Its lyrics depict a femme fatale oscillating between desire and danger, with lines such as "I’m a murderer in disguise," while its rhythm shifts between dark techno and an electronic breakdown crafted by the French producer. The seventh song, "Zombieboy," is a tribute to Rick Genest, known as Zombie Boy, who appeared in the "Born This Way" (2011) music video. The track fuses funk and disco with an upbeat percussion structure and lyrics narrating a night of excess. Meanwhile, "LoveDrug" incorporates arena rock influences, with a sound inspired by bands like Boston and Foreigner. Its lyrics play with the metaphor of love as an addiction, particularly in the chorus: "I just need a dose of the right stuff / I just need a hit of your love drug."
The ninth track, "How Bad Do U Want Me," shifts the album’s atmosphere with a synth-pop production inspired by 1980s sounds, drawing influence from Depeche Mode's Vince Clarke era and the musical foundation of Yazoo's "Only You". The song explores the dichotomy between the "bad girl" image and her lover’s expectations, offering a lighter moment within Mayhem’s overall chaos. The next track, "Don’t Call Tonight," returns to a denser sound with funk and europop influences. Its verses narrate uncertainty and self-deception in a toxic relationship, while a talk box-enhanced bridge reinforces its retro aesthetic. Mayhem continues with "Shadow of a Man", a song addressing sexism and the expectations imposed on women in the music industry. With a disco and electropop foundation, Gaga critiques the disparity of opportunities and the double standards she faces, emphasizing in the chorus that she is ready to "dance in the shadow of a man." The following track, "The Beast," plays with themes of transformation and desire, narrating the story of a lover hiding their true nature—or perhaps the artist herself revealing her wildest side. Its production includes a guitar solo that, according to critics, enhances its dramatic effect. The album proceeds with "Blade of Grass," an introspective ballad inspired by a conversation with her fiancé, where Gaga imagined accepting a marriage proposal with nothing but a blade of grass on her finger. According to various reviews, its minimalist instrumentation and gradually building melody heighten its emotional weight. Mayhem closes with "Die with a Smile", a ballad that blends pop and soft rock with soulful undertones. Its lyrics describe the unconditional love of a couple who would find happiness even at the end of the world, as long as they are together.

## Release
### Title and artwork

During promotion for Joker: Folie à Deux (2024), Gaga confirmed that the album's lead single would be released in October 2024, with the album originally set to follow in February the following year. On January 21, 2025, Gaga launched a countdown on her website set to end on January 27. Each day, the website showcased artwork inspired by her previous material, beginning with The Fame (2008) and continuing with The Fame Monster (2009), Born This Way (2011), Artpop (2013), Joanne (2016), Chromatica (2020) and Harlequin (2024). When the countdown ended, the album's official album cover and March 7 release date were revealed. Prior to the official announcement, promotional posters appeared in New York City, featuring a black-and-white photograph of Gaga accompanied by the album's title and release date written in red at the bottom. The standard edition cover features Gaga with disheveled black hair and her face slightly distorted behind a shattered glass. The back cover maintains the black-and-white scheme, with Mayhem written in a distorted and aggressive font, while Lady Gaga appears below in a more classic typeface, with the first "A" inverted. The photoshoot was overseen by Frank Lebon.
In an interview with Elle, Gaga revealed that the album's title corresponds to a character whose presence is felt throughout the fourteen tracks: Mayhem. In the music video for "Disease", Mayhem—portrayed by Gaga, dressed in black with long nails—appears as a blood-eyed figure driving a car. Regarding the choice of title, Gaga stated that "the album was called Mayhem to memorialize a piece of me and a piece of life that is not always easy to accept." She further elaborated:
   It was hard at first to name the album Mayhem because I so much don't want that feeling to be real. I am also a hopeful person. I'm also somebody that is a dreamer, but what I think I ultimately arrived at is; it's all of the fractures of who we are and the fractures in the world and the mayhem of that brokenness that ultimately teaches us the power of joy, and dancing and crying and laughing and listening to music and holding your friends and your family and repeat! This album is fun and I enjoyed the contrast of a fun album that's also called Mayhem.

## Promotion

Hot Ones, a YouTube series, released an episode featuring an interview with Gaga on February 13. An appearance on the Vanity Fair "Lie Detector Test" web series followed on February 19. On March 5, in collaboration with ESPN, Gaga revealed a preview of "Garden of Eden", which was selected as the official song for their 2025 Formula One season. Spotify hosted a "Little Monster Press Conference" on March 6, during which Gaga answered questions from her fans.

### Singles

On October 25, 2024, the lead single "Disease" was released. An electropop and dark-pop song, it received mainly positive reviews and reached the top thirty in multiple countries, including the United States and United Kingdom. "Disease" was accompanied by the release of two acoustic versions: "The Antidote", performed on piano, on November 13, and "The Poison", performed on electric guitar, on November 20.
On February 2, 2025, Gaga attended the 67th Annual Grammy Awards and debuted the music video for "Abracadabra" during a commercial break as part of a partnership with Mastercard. The track was released as the second single the following day. The song's dance-pop energy and theatrical visuals drew comparisons to her earlier works, and it became the second top ten—and top five entry from Mayhem and of Gaga's career on the Billboard Global 200 chart following "Die with a Smile".

### Live performances and concerts

On December 15, Gaga performed "Disease" and "Die with a Smile" during a Christmas special of Carpool Karaoke, released on Apple TV+. On Saturday Night Live's March 8 episode, Gaga took on "double duty" for the second time in her career, appearing as both the host and musical guest for the night. She performed "Abracadabra" and "Killah" live for the first time. On March 11, she performed acoustic versions of "Abracadabra" and "Perfect Celebrity" live on The Howard Stern Show.
Gaga is slated to headline Coachella on April 11 and 18, 2025. She is set to perform two stadium concerts at Mexico City's Estadio GNP Seguros on April 26 and 27, a free-entry concert on May 3 on Rio de Janeiro's Copacabana Beach, and four further stadium shows at Singapore's National Stadium on May 18, 19, 21, and 24.

## Critical reception

Professional ratings :
| Aggregate scores ||
| Source | Rating |
| AnyDecentMusic? | 7.4/10 |
| Metacritic | 84/100 |
| Review scores ||
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | |
| Evening Standard | |
| The Guardian | |
| The Independent | |
| The Line of Best Fit | 7/10 |
| MusicOMH | |
| NME | |
| Pitchfork | 8.0/10 |
| Rolling Stone | |
| Slant Magazine | |
Mayhem was met with critical acclaim upon its release, with several critics highlighting it as a return to form for Gaga. According to the review aggregator Metacritic, Mayhem received "universal acclaim" based on a weighted average score of 84 out of 100 from 23 critic scores. It became the highest-rated album of her career. The review aggregator site AnyDecentMusic? compiled 24 reviews and gave the album an average of 7.4 out of 10, based on their assessment of the critical consensus.
Rolling Stone's Brittany Spanos described Mayhem as "the strongest pop release of the year" and praised Gaga's authenticity. The Guardian's Alexis Petridis praised Mayhem's fusion of electronic, house, and disco with memorable hooks. The Times' Ed Potton described the album as "a triumphant return to the pop that originally made her famous". The Daily Telegraph's Neil McCormick praised Gaga's song structure and hooks, noting inspiration from 1980s icons such as David Bowie, Madonna, Blondie and Siouxsie and the Banshees. Variety's Steven J. Horowitz noted the callbacks to her debut album The Fame (2008) and noted it as being "distinctly Gaga." Pitchfork's Rich Juzwiak rated Mayhem an 8 out of 10, calling it "a massive attack of good vibes" and "a reminder of why fans fell in love with Gaga in the first place." He highlighted its exploration of inner conflict, stating that "duality, fatality, and religious imagery form the existential threads that hold the album together."
Los Angeles Times's Mikael Wood described the album as "brash, squirmy, full of detailed grooves and expertly crafted hooks," emphasizing the production work of Cirkut, Watt, and Gesaffelstein. Wood concluded that Mayhem is "more melodic, more cohesive, and undeniably more fun" than her recent works. The New York Times's Lindsay Zoladz described the album as "a bright, sleek, and fully polished pop record," stating that "Gaga sounds fully committed" to her artistic vision, with "overflowing energy and a maximalist approach." The Independent's Adam White gave it a five-star review, highlighting Mayhem as a return to her pop sound after a decade of exploring other genres. NME's Nick Levine noted it as a "great Gaga album because it's just so much fun." Rolling Stone UK's Richard Burn noted Mayhem had "the very DNA that made her previous records The Fame and Born This Way a success." Evening Standard's India Block also gave it a five-star review calling it "music to dance to all night", noting the "dancefloor bangers" in the first half of the album and the "pure 80s synth" in the back end.
MusicOMH's Donovan Livesey gave Mayhem 4.5 out of 5 stars, describing it as "an exhilarating, high-energy riot of sound" being her "best album in years." The Quietus's CJ Thorpe-Tracey described the album as a satisfying return to form and a revisiting of her thematic roots. AllMusic's Neil Z. Yeung praised the album, highlighting the "influence of industrial sounds" and the "fusion of funk and disco" throughout the album, representing a refreshing artistic freedom for Gaga. Consequence's Mary Siroky praised Mayhem as "a work that balances homage and originality," highlighting Gaga's ability to channel her influences through her own artistic identity. The Arts Desk's Joe Muggs called Mayhem "a ton of fun," praising Gaga for "sticking to what she does best." Sputnikmusic's Dakota West Foss described it as "Gaga’s most direct album to date" and "her happiest and most creative in years," emphasizing its "carefree sense of fun and exploration."
In more mixed reviews, The Line of Best Fit's David Cobbald called it "an inspired album rather than an inspiring one". While praising its production and nostalgic nods, he noted that it lacked the chaos promised in its campaign and concluded that this time Gaga "stuck to the rules instead of reinventing them". Clash's Robin Murray praised the "exciting return to dark pop" and Gaga's "forceful, unavoidably theatrical" return, but noted that the transition to its softer moments felt awkward. Slant Magazine's Alexa Camp wrote a mixed three-star review, praising the single choices but referring to the album overall as "kind of boring", noting that it doesn't return to the sound of her former albums and called it a "bait and switch that's likely to leave many fans disappointed. In a similar view, Financial Times' Ludovic Hunter-Tilney described Mayhem as "losing its way" and described the album overall as "routinised, risk-averse and not-at-all chaotic."
Vulture's Craig Jenkins highlighted that Mayhem, along with Justin Timberlake's Everything I Thought It Was and Katy Perry's 143, represent "a survey of past selves and sounds trying to remain astride modern trends", noting that the album had the potential to "scan as a tacit musical autobiography" if Gaga had not spent the latter half "disappearing into her peers' signature moves". Jenkins drew comparisons to Taylor Swift, particularly on tracks such as "How Bad Do U Want Me" and "The Beast", describing the former as "role-reversing" Swift's "good-girl-meets-bad-boy" songwriting style, while concluding that Mayhem's versatility "starts to feel like the artist second-guessing her own musical tics". In contrast, Business Insider's Callie Ahlgrim noted that Mayhem was heavily marketed with "avant-garde imagery" and that the album's singles hinted at a comeback to Gaga's previous sound, earning comparisons to her early "provocative pop". However, she concluded that the singles are overall outliers and that the album is "not what fans or critics were primed to expect". Ahlgrim described the album as being "lively and melodic", but stated that it only briefly fulfills its promise of "dark, pulsing pop", while arguing that the "return to form" narrative is "very tempting" but can also be "infantilizing and restrictive".

## Commercial performance

Mayhem debuted with 45.7 million global streams on Spotify in its first day, becoming Gaga's highest debut on the service for an album. Various reports indicated that the album's vinyl editions 'sold out quickly,' successfully debuting at number one on vinyl charts in countries such as Australia, the United States, Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Spain and Sweden, among others.
In the United States, Mayhem debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 with 219,000 album-equivalent units sold, becoming Gaga's seventh album to reach the top of the chart. Of that total, 136,000 units came from physical sales, allowing it to debut at number one on the Top Album Sales chart, while 108 million streams gave Gaga the biggest streaming week of her career and secured the top spot on the Top Streaming Albums chart. With these results, Mayhem recorded the biggest week for a female album in 2025 and the highest debut by a female artist in over six months. Additionally, from its first-week sales, 74,000 copies were on vinyl, marking the biggest vinyl sales week of Gaga's career. Mayhem also debuted at number one on the Top Dance Albums chart, becoming her eighth album to reach that position.
In the United Kingdom, Mayhem debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart with 55,577 album-equivalent units, 36,159 of which were physical copies, becoming Gaga's six album to reach the top of the chart. According to Music Week, the album outsold the rest of the top five combined, while delivering her highest first week sales in the UK since 2013, when Artpop debuted at number one with consumption of 65,608 units. In Germany, the album debuted at number one on the German Albums Chart, becoming her third chart-topper in the country and first in 14 years since Born This Way (2011). In Spain, the album debuted at number one on the Top 100 Álbumes chart by Promusicae, becoming the singer's first album to reach the top of the ranking. In Austria, Belgium, Scotland, Italy, Ireland, and Switzerland, the album debuted at number one on their respective official charts, while in France and the Netherlands, it reached the second position. Within the Nordic countries, Mayhem debuted at number one in Finland and Norway, while it peaked at number two in Sweden, number three in Denmark and number six in Iceland. In the Baltic states, the album debuted at number three in Lithuania.
In Japan, the album debuted at number fourteen on the Oricon Albums Chart during the week of March 17, 2025. On the Billboard Japan Hot Albums chart, the album debuted at number 81 during the week of March 12, 2025, with three days of tracking due to its release on March 7. In Australia, the album debuted at number one on the Australian Albums Chart, becoming her fifth chart-topper in the country and her thirteenth album to reach the top 50. It also reached number one in New Zealand, where it became her fifth album to top the Official Top 40 Albums chart.

## Track listing

All tracks are produced by Lady Gaga, Andrew Watt, and Cirkut, except where listed.
Notes
* "Abracadabra" contains an interpolation of "Spellbound" (1981), written by Susan Ballion, Peter Edward Clarke, John McGeoch and Steven Severin, as performed by Siouxsie and the Banshees.

## Personnel
### Musicians

* Lady Gaga – lead vocals (all tracks), synth pads (track 1), keyboards (2–12), piano (5, 13, 14), Rhodes (7), synthesizer (11)
* Andrew Watt – electric guitar (all tracks), drums (tracks 1–5, 7–13), bass (1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 10, 11), percussion (1, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, 11, 13); synthesizer, bass programming (1); keyboards (2–13), drum programming (2), acoustic guitar (4, 8, 13), drum machine (12)
* Cirkut – keyboards, synthesizer (tracks 1–13); drums, programming (1); drum programming (3–13), bass programming (3, 5–12)
* Gesaffelstein – drum programming, keyboards, synthesizer (tracks 6, 7)
* Chad Smith – drums (track 6)
* Bruno Mars – lead vocals, electric guitar (track 14)
* D'Mile – bass, drums (track 14)

### Technical

* Randy Merrill – mastering
* Serban Ghenea – mixing
* Paul Lamalfa – engineering
* Charles Moniz – engineering (track 14)
* Bryce Bordone – additional mixing
* Marco Sonzini – additional engineering
* Tyler Harris – additional engineering
* Tommy Turner – additional engineering (tracks 1, 9, 10)
* Nick Hodges – additional engineering (track 5)
* Alex Resoagli – additional engineering (track 14)

## Charts

Chart performance for Mayhem :
| Chart (2025) | Peak position |
| Australian Albums (ARIA) | 1 |
| Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria) | 1 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) | 1 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) | 1 |
| Canadian Albums (Billboard) | 1 |
| Czech Albums (ČNS IFPI) | 1 |
| Danish Albums (Hitlisten) | 3 |
| Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) | 2 |
| Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista) | 1 |
| French Albums (SNEP) | 2 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) | 1 |
| Greek Albums (IFPI) | 13 |
| Hungarian Albums (MAHASZ) | 1 |
| Icelandic Albums (Tónlistinn) | 6 |
| Irish Albums (OCC) | 1 |
| Italian Albums (FIMI) | 1 |
| Japanese Albums (Oricon) | 14 |
| Japanese Combined Albums (Oricon) | 17 |
| Japanese Hot Albums (Billboard Japan) | 81 |
| Lithuanian Albums (AGATA) | 3 |
| New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) | 1 |
| Norwegian Albums (VG-lista) | 1 |
| Scottish Albums (OCC) | 1 |
| Slovak Albums (ČNS IFPI) | 1 |
| Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE) | 1 |
| Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) | 2 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) | 1 |
| UK Albums (OCC) | 1 |
| US Billboard 200 | 1 |
| US Top Dance/Electronic Albums (Billboard) | 1 |