On Mayhem, Lady Gaga flexes her credentials as a rock — not pop — star, with references spanning many decades and genres.

For those who have wanted the old Gaga back, her new album is a nostalgia trip that completes the journey after the 2020’s pandemic-plagued “Chromatica.”

In true return to form, Lady Gaga continues to create the experimental, edgy and endlessly catchy music that has garnered her icon status since the beginning of her career. Featuring 14 songs, “Mayhem” enters a maximalist space of dark pop and disco beats,