Hi, my name is Matty Lamp, and welcome to Footnotes, my new series of album reviews posted exclusively on The Trumpet!
Every month, I will pick a new album released during that month to give my thoughts on each song, as well as the overall album.
For March, I decided to review the highly-anticipated Mayhem by Lady Gaga. The album is full of danceable tracks with robust electronic instrumentals. But, every so often, Gaga loves to throw you a curve-ball, whether in the form of a heartbreaking ballad or a wildly imaginative concept song.
Without further ado, let’s dive in!
Disease:
A solid opener to the album that throws you into the deep end. The instruments has a heavy, industrial club feel with a lot of bass. It’s a very stark way to set the tone for the album, but it completely fits. The chorus is incredibly catchy, and the song showcases her impressive vocals with a lot of bite.
Abracadabra:
This is the song that made me say “I’m so glad Weird Gaga is back!” You can she took a lot of inspiration from EDM music in this song, a call-back to earlier works of hers like Artpop. That being said, the lyrics are vivid and more story-focused than Disease, but all you want to do is hit the dance floor. Listening to the post-chorus especially makes you find the moves.
Garden of Eden:
A noticeable difference from “Disease” and “Abracadabra” with its softer, more melodic tone, but you get the impression after listening that this is Gaga’s wonderfully creepy club album. With the its structure and chord progression, this song would easily fit with a Rihanna feature, or maybe one from TWICE, which I would love. I’m also reminded a bit of Gaga’s “Paparazzi” with the general vibe, and it’s easily one of my favorites off the album.
Perfect Celebrity:
The song starts slow with a more stripped-back instrumental, but it morphs into a industrial metal-infused breakdown for the chorus that reminds me of Nine Inch Nails (which, I would adore Gaga on a metal track in the future. She has the perfect growl to pair with her crystal-clear range.) She explains her bitter and sarcastic feelings towards being a celebrity in lines that I will keep thinking about for the rest of the week: I look so hungry but looks so good/tap on my veins, suck my diamond blood/choke on the fame and hope it gets you high/Sit in the front row, watch the princess die.”
Vanishing into You:
The song highlights Gaga’s angelic vocals paired with a light and inspiring version of the disco instrumentals we heard in previous songs. It’s a nice break from the heaviness of the first bit of the album.
Killah:
This song definitely feels like the most experimental of the album, and I wasn’t expecting the dark twist on a 70s funk track. It feels like she’s playing a separate character in this song. You can almost imagine yourself walking down the street to it like Peter Parker in that scene in Spider-Man 3. That being said, I am very glad Gaga is going back to her roots as an artist and letting her creativity run rampant.
Zombieboy:
Keeping up with the 70s funk and disco theme, this song is like a spooky version of “Uptown Funk” or “Dance the Night Away.” It is extremely catchy, and I know for a fact that I will be playing this in the car. Again, Gaga loves to write visual lyrics, which lends itself to enthralling stage performances. I am excited to see if she ends up doing a music video or other performance work for this song (I would eat it up like brains.)
LoveDrug:
Moving forward a decade, LoveDrug has a thumping synth and guitar line with a reverbed drum that really brings you into her desperate 80s plea. This song is another, lighter break from the chaos of the other songs. It is very pleasant.
How Bad Do U Want Me:
I can’t disagree with the comments online saying that this song sounds like an unreleased track from Taylor Swift’s 1989. Not to say that it isn’t good, but compared to her other songs from this album, this song sadly feels boring. I’m sure other people will love this song because it sounds like their fave, but I personally feel it’s the weakest song on this album. Although, the bridge of the song reminds me of some of her work off of Born this Way with the deep spoken phrases and the isolated, hopeful vocals.
Don’t Call Tonight:
Another groovy, snappy 80s track. The instrumental is very deep, and the chorus possesses you like a haunted doll to sing it. I also enjoy the muffled, robotic backing vocals that add texture to this otherwise very clean track.
Shadow of a Man:
Going from “Don’t Call Tonight” to “stop calling, stop calling,” this song feels like if you gave her 2009 hit “Telephone” featuring Beyoncé a Michael Jackson-inspired spin. With fast-paced, heavily-punctuated vocal lines, it is reminiscent of Jackson’s “Wanna Be Startin’ Something,” and you can tell Gaga did her homework while still giving the song her own artistic spin.
The Beast:
Listening to this song, I feel like a heroine in an 80s movie confronting her boyfriend about him being a werewolf (although, this isn’t a far stretch from the actual lyrics of the song.) Gaga’s interesting production and penchant for the dramatics aids this ballad in a way that pushes it past boring, past mediocre, and even past just plain “good.” I need to listen to this song on the biggest speaker imaginable.
Blade of Grass:
Heart-wrenching. Gaga was really in her feels when she wrote this song. There is no break from each cutting line, and between the beautifully haunting chord progression and her yearning vocal delivery, I might even shed a tear writing this review.
Die with a Smile:
Acting as a partner to “Blade of Grass,” the album ends with the mega-hit “Die with a Smile” featuring Bruno Mars. If Gaga and Bruno have no fans, I’m dead. In my humble opinion, the song deserved every bit of success it received. It is incredibly moving, and Gaga and Bruno’s voices fit together like a puzzle I didn’t even know was incomplete. It was also a graceful way to end the album, which solidifies Mayhem as a very complex work with many different avenues you can explore.
Last thoughts
This album was such a treat, and I have thoroughly enjoyed every performance that spawned from it so far. If you are a fan of club music, goth music, industrial metal, funk, Bonnie Tyler, and almost everything in between…this album is definitely for you. Personally, I will be giving it a 7.5/10.
