MAYHEM, an album that touched me more than I had originally anticipated. As a young girl, I listened to many of her popular singles like Paparazzi and Just Dance which evoked the dancer in me. But as a teen I listened to songs like Applause and started to understand her style. Lady Gaga is a dance-pop queen. In my eyes she has always been this way. Someone I could turn on while getting ready for a party and have the time of my life. But with MAYHEM the outcome was very different. As this is the first album I have listened to entirely from Lady Gaga, my view of her as a dance-pop icon has changed drastically.
Her tracklist consists of many differing genres but seamlessly flows together. We go from Disease which is more of a grungy rock feel to Blade of Grass which is a very soft loving ballad. With all of the different feels, some may be turned off. Most of the time, I am this person. I am not a fan of completely different styles of song next to each other in an album. But the emotion is what carries through, not the style. Emotion is the key word to this album. Lady Gaga has stated in multiple interviews that this album is a homage to her true self. The good, bad, and the ugly. Three big examples of this from the tracklist are “Perfect Celebrity”, “Abracabra”, and “Blade of Grass”. Each song has such a strong emotional message but are all portrayed in different ways. “Perfect Celebrity” has an angry tone that gives a rock sense to it. At the same time, it feels genuine. Usually angry songs from Lady Gaga are extremely chaotic. So hearing the anger be genuine is refreshing. It is like you can hear her growth in herself in one song. Abracadabra is what I would call Lady Gaga’s typical sound. Yet at the same time, the message of this song is a lot stronger than surface level. When I first listened to this song on the day of the Grammys, I was so encapsulated in the fact that it had a private release along with stunning choreography that I did not fully understand the message of the song. From what I understood, this song is a call to herself within the music industry. Music is the way people create art or relax and it should not have limits. Therefore it is her anthem to keep creating no matter the consequences. With “Blade of Grass”, it took me by surprise. Although Lady Gaga is used to singing ballads especially in the jazz genre, this song had such a slap in the face feel to my emotions. Hearing Lady Gaga sing about her love and how even though she has this persona, she is deserving of love. Even if it is not perfect. I love how this song was a ballad. In interviews for her press tour, she discusses how this album is a list of songs with sad meanings to hype instrumentals. Blade of Grass is the only song that does not feel that way. It actually made me cry.
Something about an artist finally prioritizing themselves through their music makes me feel amazing heading into this industry. Lady Gaga has been and will be an icon in the music industry for many years to come. But this album will stick with people forever. Watching Lady Gaga say “screw the norm” with this album put a huge smile on my face. That smile widens knowing that this album means that much to HER. I am a huge believer in authenticity, no matter the audience. And MAYHEM is a huge example of that.
My note to Lady Gaga,
MAYHEM is a record that will never leave me. As someone sprouting in this industry, you have set a standard for me that will stick forever. Musicians at any time of fame deserve to make music for themselves. The industry has knocked down many amazing souls and I plan to create a safe place for musicians like those who want to flourish within themselves. Not for fans, labels, or anyone else.
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