Lady Gaga is making waves again with her seventh album, Mayhem, a distillate of energy and experimentation that marks a turning point in her career. After years of transformations and metamorphoses, the artist seems to have decided to look at herself and recognize who she is, no longer needing masks. The result is an opus that embodies her most authentic spirit, capable of blending the past and present in an explosion of sounds and sensations.
In an exclusive interview with the Italian newspaper Il Corriere Della Sera, the pop icon –whose real name is Stephanie Germanotta – was asked, “what is Italian about your album?”. “Me! I am the artist and I am Italian. I repeat it because I want everyone to know: I am Italian and proud of it,” she said. “I love my family. I love to cook. I love to prepare food for the people I love. In my and Michael’s home, the most important place is the kitchen.” She went on to tell the storied Italian daily that her go-to plate is pasta with fennel, a family classic passed down from her nonna.
Lady Gaga’s latest work represents a sort of nocturnal journey between nightmares and redemption. The musician describes it as a tale of resistance, where facing inner disorder becomes the only way to regain control and peace. In a historical period marked by uncertainties, the singer sees music as a refuge capable of bringing serenity.
Recorded at Shangri-La Studios, near her home in Malibu, California, Mayhem is a project consisting of 14 tracks, including the singles “Disease,” “Abracadabra,” and “Die with a Smile.” She took care of the executive production alongside Michael Polansky and Andrew Watt, collaborating with prominent producers like Cirkut and Gesaffelstein. The creative process, according to the composer, was comparable to reassembling a shattered mirror: even though the pieces don’t fit perfectly, they can create something new and captivating.
The album cover is melancholic and introspective, displaying the artist in black and white next to broken glass. However, listening to the album reveals unexpected sounds, recalling the past but with a renewed spirit, featuring a mix of tracks that oscillate between soft rock and disco-funk, enriched by electronic elements and impactful choirs.
Mayhem also features tributes to musical icons who have influenced her, such as Prince, Michael Jackson, and Yazoo. The multifaceted artist stated that she has never felt so in tune with her own personality as she did during the creation of this work. Fifteen years into her career, the pop star seems to have rediscovered the pure pleasure of making music, with the freedom to simply be herself.
