Lady Gaga hopes Mayhem shows the world can 'learn from queer people about love'

Lady Gaga has turned the spotlight onto The Fame and confronted its Monster, examined truth in Born This Way and artifice in ARTPOP, traveled inwards for the Joanne roots and to outer galaxies for the Chromatica cosmos. For her seventh act, the superstar and shapeshifter regards the shape of her own stardom: Mayhem.

"The album, to me, is a lot of gothic dreams," Gaga tells Out. "I've realized that's been a part of my music since early in my career."

In the age of encyclopedic continuities and algorithmic timelines, Gaga updates her own mythology by manipulating Mayhem on her own terms. "As a 38-year-old pop star, I want to be able to celebrate the parts of myself that I know will carry me forward," she says, sitting comfortably under a blanket and basking in the sun from a nearby window. "Tony Bennett used to always tell me to stick with quality. If the thing that I focus on for the rest of my career is my musicianship, that will be a way for me to move forward, and with confidence."

Lady Gaga in the 'Disease' music video.Interscope Records

Gaga has solidified herself not only as the poster-child of an entire generation of pop culture enthusiasts, but as a multihyphenate artist who is well-regarded and popular just like the idols who inspired her growing up.

"I'm not sure if people know that I've been producing all my albums my whole career. I've always been a co-producer and writer on my records. I just feel more comfortable talking about it now," she explains. "I'm also really proud of this music. I'm very proud of the production on this album."

In 2025, artists, politicians, corporations, and consumers all coexist in a singular social feed incentivized by engagement, rage, and discourse — a theme tackled (and tickled) by Gaga twelve years ago in 2013's ARTPOP. But after winning a Grammy Award for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance with "Die With a Smile," a romantic but still eerie track that closes Mayhem, Gaga used her already limited time in an acceptance speech to speak on behalf of the trans community.

Bruno Mars and Lady Gaga in the 'Die With a Smile' music video.Interscope Records

That same evening, Gaga shook the gay world yet again by dropping a brand-new song, "Abracadabra," and its music video, during an ad break in the Grammys telecast. When asked about the palpable excitement from her queer fans about this new era, Gaga rejoices. "It means the absolute world to me. I can't even begin to tell you how grateful I am, and what it means to be supported by a community that I respect so much. A community that is responsible for so much great art for thousands of years."

She adds, "It really means a lot, and I hope that I made something that the LGBTQ+ community felt was also indicative of the resilience that I see in queer people all the time."

Some would argue that allies still have an unspoken bond with the queer community, and that their support is implicit. Gaga, instead, continues to voice her support in speeches, in interviews, and even in the instantly iconic "Abracadabra" command that "the category is: dance… or die."

Lady Gaga in the 'Abracadabra' music video.Interscope Records

When asked about her unbroken and very much spoken connection to queer people, Gaga tells Out, "I just want to say that I love you so much. And I thank you for your endless amounts of love, inspiration, and strength. Thank you for teaching the world how to be kind, and to love. And know that I'm going to have the back of the LGBTQ+ community every single day."

Gaga pauses, briefly, and then resumes:

"Actually, I think my message wouldn't necessarily be to the queer community. It would be to everyone else: You can learn a lot from the queer community about love."

Lady Gaga's new studio album, Mayhem, is now available on all music streaming services — as well as physical copies on LadyGaga.com.