Lady Gaga's Mayhem Album: Unpacking EVERY Musical Reference

Disease

More than just paying homage to other artists, Mayhem sees Lady Gaga pulling off the ultimate musical flex: referencing herself. Or as the kids might put it, reheating her very own nachos. This self-referential tribute is glaring on the album opener which, as the lead single, also served as everyones introduction to Gagas latest sonic universe. Disease resurrects the pulsating techno and house-infused dance-pop of Bad Romance, while spinning a tale of love as both an affliction and a cure. The track also swerves into heavy gothic and industrial rock territory, borrowing unapologetically from the playbook of Nine Inch Nails. And if that squelching synth line in the intro sounds familiar, you might have heard something similar in George Michaels 2002 single Freeek!

Abracadabra

The dark electronic sounds of Disease bleed seamlessly into Abracadabra, the albums second track. The most blatant tribute here comes in the form of a direct interpolation of Siouxsie and the Banshees 1981 classic Spellbound. But listen closely and youll catch a few more subtle winks. Gaga has shown shes not afraid to draw inspiration from those who have been inspired by her, as the synthesized bassline here evokes that of Charli XCXs Von Dutch. Then theres the operatic mid-section, which throws listeners right back to the 80s with undeniable traces of ABBA. Yet, the true magic of Abracadabra lies in the hypnotic gibberish of its chorus and the music videos entrancing choreography, both of which carry a whiff of Bad Romance.

Garden of Eden

While the first two tracks on the album cleverly nod to her excellent discography, Garden of Eden is where Gaga really cranks up the heat on her old nachos. The song is an amalgamation of the unmistakable sound Gaga carved out at the start of her career, alongside producers like RedOne. To the casual listener, Garden of Eden is a playful wink to her past work. But die-hard fans know that it is basically a polished rewrite of Private Audition, an unreleased demo Gaga recorded with renowned producer Rodney Darkchild Jerkins sometime in the late 2000s. Just another reminder that Gagas music has always been ahead of its time.

Perfect Celebrity

Fame has been a recurring theme throughout Lady Gagas career, and she never runs out of creative ways to explore it. She tackled the medias obsession with celebrities in Paparazzi and confessed her relentless need for fan adoration in Applause. With Perfect Celebrity, Gaga found yet another innovative angle. At its conception, this song was inspired by the band The Cure, particularly their song Never Enough. But listening to the fully realized song, you cant help but pick up on other influences. The electro-grunge sounds and wall of guitars practically worship at the altar of Nine Inch Nails, a band that Gaga has admitted to being a superfan of. Then theres her vocal delivery here, which many have likened to the one artist who probably shaped her career the most: Madonna.

Vanish into You

On Vanish into You, Lady Gaga sings about wanting to merge completely into another person. In real life, thats her fiancé, Michael Polansky, but musically, the only person Gaga vanishes into on this track is David Bowie. With its groovy bassline and glam rock flair, Vanish into You once again transports listeners straight back to the 80s, channeling the spirit of Bowies 1983 hit single Lets Dance. On paper, it might seem like this song and Bad Romance have nothing in common, but with the way the chorus stretches out its vowels, itll almost have you humming caught in a bad romance. Finally, as the last instrumental break swells, you might also pick up hints of ABBAs Winner Takes It All.

Killah (feat. Gesaffelstein)

The first collaboration on the album, Killah pairs the signature electro-industrial sound of French producer Gesaffelstein with Gagas campy, theatrical edge. The result is a bold fusion of their distinct styles, as well as that of music legends past. Killah opens with a funky electronic groove thats unexpected from Gaga, but feels strangely familiar. Thats probably because it channels the sounds of names weve already heard David Bowie, Nine Inch Nails and one we havent yet Prince. The aggressive combination of synthesizers, bass and electronic rhythms harken back to Nine Inch Nails Closer, and Gagas vocal delivery is pretty similar to that of Prince in Sign o' the Times. Its a modern-day high-voltage remix of their greatest hits; like if St. Vincent went pop.

Zombieboy

Youd be hard pressed to find a line more quintessentially Gaga on this album than Put your paws all over me, you Zombieboy. That lyric alone makes Zombieboy the perfect choice to close the first half of Mayhem. A tribute to model Rick Genest, who appeared in the Born This Way video and tragically passed away in 2018, Zombieboy is a dazzling disco delight with chunky guitar riffs that instantly call to mind Chics endlessly sampled Good Times. While the main chorus is riddled with shimmering synths that are damn near impossible to not dance to, it quickly devolves into a double-dutch-style chant of a post-chorus, the likes of which we havent heard since Gwen Stefanis Hollaback Girl.

How Bad Do U Want Me

Lady Gaga has collaborated with some of pops biggest names including Beyoncé, Ariana Grande and Bruno Mars. Fans hoping to see Taylor Swift join that list may not have gotten their wish on this album, but they got the next best thing: How Bad Do U Want Me. Since its release, this song has drawn such strong comparisons to Swifts work that some listeners are convinced she secretly recorded backing vocals for it. The track also seems to borrow heavily from Yazoos 1982 hit Only You, with a synth line so distinctive it might have been directly sampled or interpolated. Still, its strongest resemblance is to Swifts Blank Space and Gorgeous, both of which feature the same yearning in their vocals, lyrics and melodies.

Dont Call Tonight

After a whirlwind tour through music history over the prior few songs, Gaga takes one last glance in the mirror for the disco and europop-influenced Dont Call Tonight. Right from the first few notes, the track echoes her 2010 hit single Alejandro. That influence is front and center, but perhaps less obvious is the vocoder-enhanced bridge, which cleverly nods to Electric Light Orchestras Mr. Blue Sky and just about any song in Daft Punks discography. Even more, if you keep the chorus of Dont Call Tonight on repeat, which you probably will given how infectious it is, you might just catch a melodic resemblance to Tina Turners 1984 comeback single What's Love Got to Do with It.

Shadow of a Man

If youre wondering what inspired Shadow of a Man, look no further than the closing segment of the 2024 HBO special Gaga Chromatica Ball. As Gaga wraps up and heads backstage, a snippet of the song plays, and she strikes a pose reminiscent of Michael Jackson. On the track, Gaga fully embodies the King of Pop as she sings about breaking free from the shadows as a female artist to carve out her own legacy. From the undeniable swagger of her cadence to the irresistible disco and electro-pop synths, this song bleeds with the manic energy of the tracks on Michael Jacksons Thriller, while retaining Gagas signature theatricality. Its a masterclass in duality; Gaga seamlessly embodies another icon but remains unmistakably herself. Not that anyone could ever cast a shadow big enough to eclipse her anyway.

So, are you a fan of reheated nachos? Or do you prefer original ones created from scratch? Whats your final verdict on Lady Gagas Mayhem? Let us know in the comments below.