2 minutes ago, pablozedd said:

It has dark moments though… I don't agree it ends right after PC, Killah is a fun and all but she sings about being a murderer in desguise, bleeding, bedroom demon, being hungry for a homicide I could go on, then theres Zombieboy thats a goofy campy song still fitting the dark theme, TDD and Kill For Love same as Zombieboy, agree about LoveDrug and How Bad not being dark, and then theres Dont Call Tonight while is not fully dark the bridge has a dark vibe, SOAM is not dark either, but The Beast is very dark imo. BoG and DWAS are the classic Gaga ballads on a album. DWAS despite being a lighty song it is about the possibity of the world ending so its kind of a bittersweet/happy sad song if that makes sense lol even Vanish Into You has that feeling.

100%. Mayhem is a dark album, not "depressing", but is thematically dark. It's an October album.

@OP I am so eggsitid for this album. Like, I've always wanted her to explore this sound and I absolutely love love love what I'm hearing and reading.

32 minutes ago, Miracle said:

Lyrics are tho...

I don't know, to me, singing about zombieboys etc isn't necessarily dark

If this is the direction she's going in for lg8 I don't think I'm ready for the slayage good lord

Random reminder that Disease is amazing.

12 minutes ago, pablozedd said:

It has dark moments though… I don't agree it ends right after PC, Killah is a fun and all but she sings about being a murderer in desguise, bleeding, bedroom demon, being hungry for a homicide I could go on, then theres Zombieboy thats a goofy campy song still fitting the dark theme, TDD and Kill For Love same as Zombieboy, agree about LoveDrug and How Bad not being dark, and then theres Dont Call Tonight while is not fully dark the bridge has a dark vibe, SOAM is not dark either, but The Beast is very dark imo. BoG and DWAS are the classic Gaga ballads on a album. DWAS despite being a lighty song it is about the possibity of the world ending so its kind of a bittersweet/happy sad depressing song if that makes sense lol even Vanish Into You has that feeling.

I agree though that the Requiem photoshoot wouldn't fit the album too..

Oh, don't get me wrong, it definitely has its darker moments!

I just personally see "dark" as something more obscure or ominous. Killah has a lot of dark imagery like you mentioned, but it doesn't really use it in a dark-feeling way… if that makes sense.

Weirdly enough, DCT feels darker to me than some of the others.

I will make an harsh comparison but just to express easily what I mean, MAYHEM'a 2nd half is as dark as Disney's Hocus Pocus.

(This is just a conversation about my perception of "dark", MAYHEM is incredible and Killah is one of my fav from the album)

Edited May 12May 12 by opbranden

Gaga is still a pop star, so there's honestly limits to how dark she's going to go since she's still expected to sell for her label. I think Disease musically and video wise are the darkest she's ever gone for a single.

Also not the covid album dominating my top 5 most listened to songs eeeek. I guess I had a lot of time on my hands in 2020

Just now, hausofbryan said:

Gaga is still a pop star, so there's honestly limits to how dark she's going to go since she's still expected to sell for her label. I think Disease musically and video wise are the darkest she's ever gone for a single.

And that's why Disease is the best song ever

Her Batman 89 serve

Not to resurrect 2023/4 conversations but Prince was on the moodboard for the album and his work for the companion Batman album was also inspired by a lot of synth pop/new wave/funk sounds. I'm rambling but this is such a good photoshoot

Edited May 12May 12 by Edonis

Speaking of incredible songs...

8 minutes ago, hausofbryan said:

Gaga is still a pop star, so there's honestly limits to how dark she's going to go since she's still expected to sell for her label. I think Disease musically and video wise are the darkest she's ever gone for a single.

I don't think the self-imposed limits on how "dark" her music can get are driven by being in a pop box or commercial field though, I think she just wanted to make vampy pop music inspired by her idols that has spooky lyrics and metaphors.

Put all the thumbnails in, guys

The way I'm kinda mad we're not getting alt versions of some of her other songs tho. PI and Replay could've fit in so well and easily replaced the taylor cosplay song and that one about grass.

2 hours ago, SweetOreosOfHeaven said:

Yes! Apparently Killah also has elements of Closer by NIN, and Zombieboy is heavy on the vocoder. Some of these versions might be quite different from the regular ones.

Yessss this is amazing, Gajesus is coming

AM USA Pop Albums

90. MAYHEM (+1)

The live performance being what I expected the original album to be..................... THIS IS GONNA SERVE

Also the promo photoshoot being one of her best in years??????? It's gorgeous

1 minute ago, technoprayer said:

Also the promo photoshoot being one of her best in years??????? It's gorgeous

Gaga is giving your avi nn

187. Runway (+56)

3 minutes ago, Almodusa said:

Gaga is giving your avi nn

Exactly! I think that's why I love it! NNN

34 minutes ago, Edonis said:

Her Batman 89 serve

Not to resurrect 2023/4 conversations but Prince was on the moodboard for the album and his work for the companion Batman album was also inspired by a lot of synth pop/new wave/funk sounds. I'm rambling but this is such a good photoshoot

Not to mention Zombieboy could've been a Batman soundtrack. Prince had funk-pop all over that soundtrack.

22 minutes ago, Edonis said:

I don't think the self-imposed limits on how "dark" her music can get are driven by being in a pop box or commercial field though, I think she just wanted to make vampy pop music inspired by her idols that has spooky lyrics and metaphors.

For what it's worth, both the album and the tour thematically called this album cycle an exploration of "Gothic Dreams". That includes the spooky imagery that is associated with her nightmares but also synthy dreamscapes and sillier incorporations of her earlier sounds and concepts. I think it's a little deeper than just playing with vampy pop or dark music.

The album and Requiem both ending with Die With a Smile's "I just woke up from a dream" kind of bring us out of those night terrors and into the real world. In a way, she's completed this era's autopsy of her career and the approach to pop music that she had expressed was a terrifying endeavor to return to.

So, thematically Mayhem is dark by design but not aggressively so IMO. In ways it mirrors that balance she found on The Fame Monster between fear and euphoria, monster and lover, dream and nightmare. I'm SO excited for what comes next now that she's proved to herself that over two decades later, she can still make the kind of music that created her iconic sound and launched her career.

BRING ON THE FUNERAL LET'S DO THIS ONE LAST TIME DIVAS

Edited May 12May 12 by bucketsofnuggets

Gaga really served VISUALS for us this era:

Edited May 12May 12 by hausofbryan

Gaga work ethic is unmatched, the way she managed to do this mid-tour is crazy