By Grace Koennecke, Managing Editor

[Interscope Records; 2025]

Rating: 8/10

Back in October, Lady Gaga ominously dropped “Disease,” which would later be announced as the lead single off her new album, Mayhem. Since its release, the singer has stayed relatively quiet on its follow-up, focusing more so on the press tour for her starring role as Harley Quinn in Todd Phillip’s Joker: Folie à Deux and releasing a companion album alongside the film, Harlequin.

However, Mother Monster is finally returning to her signature form with the newest single off Mayhem, “Abracadabra.” Released with an accompanying music video during the 67th Grammy Awards, the single is reminiscent of Gaga’s past albums like 2009’s The Fame Monster and 2011’s Born This Way, making it a refreshing and invigorating change in tone from Harlequin’s jazz-infused covers.

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The song itself has hints of techno, disco and hyperpop, most notably heard in the chorus, and it also samples Siouxsie and the Banshees’ “Spellbound.” The beat’s intense crescendos paired with Gaga’s high soprano also is why this song trumps “Disease,” as on first listen it’s clear that the singer put more creative effort into the overall production of the track.

In terms of lyricism, Gaga discusses overcoming her own battles with self-doubt and self-hatred, using her music to dance through the pain and suffering that comes with self-inflicted wounds. In the music video and the song, she references “a lady in red,” which is a common figure in many folklore tales, often depicted as a victim of violence, a scorned lover or someone consumed by vanity. The image is prevalent throughout the song and video, with Gaga using it to tell listeners that she is reclaiming the image to use as a guiding presence.

She sings, “Like a poem said by a lady in red / You hear the last few words of your life / With a haunting dance, now you’re both in a trance / It’s time to cast your spell on the night,” and the song references her previous work, such as “Marry the Night,” another song about reclaiming one’s power and autonomy to live a more fulfilling and empowering life after experiencing trauma.

The only faults of this song could lie in its lack of a meaningful chorus, as Gaga repeatedly sings the word “abracadabra” followed by some “ooh-na-na’s,” thus not giving off the same catchiness as some of her other past lead singles. Its lyricism is also not the most special from Gaga, and you can tell that the song will probably be one of the most lacking lyrically throughout the record, which is what was also heard on “Disease.”

However, lead singles, at least for Lady Gaga, usually don’t convey the deeper meaning of a project, and Gaga is always intentional with what she keeps hidden from listeners until the time is right. I think the lead singles from Mayhem so far have a stronger energy and aesthetic than her last solo project, 2020’s Chromatica, and it’ll be exciting to see Lady Gaga return to her dark, industrial roots next month.

Mayhem by Lady Gaga drops March 7 via Interscope Records.

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