Lady Gaga says her new album Mayhem is for the mothers.
During a new interview, Mother Monster talked about where she Drew inspirations for her upcoming album Mayhem, including an important part of queer history.
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In the beginning of the music video for the single "Abracadabra" — which was released during a commercial break at the 2025 Grammy Awards, Gaga declared: "The category is… dance or die." Not only was that perceived as a reference to ballroom categories, but the video also featured dancing styles inspired by vogueing and other ballroom staples.
When asked by InStyle about that opening line, Gaga was happy to credit the ballroom scene with inspiring the "Abracadabra" song and music video, as well as this new album overall. "I grew up in New York City and I also was a student of Paris Is Burning when I was really, really young," Gaga explained. "I was always inspired by the tremendous amount of grace, freedom, expression, and joy of ballroom culture."
Gaga continued:
"I was lucky enough to be around some dancers that were a part of that life. Being a part of the dance community is a privilege. There are these spaces in the world where there's an ability for the community to express and experience joy, even when life is not treating them that way."
"And I am still so inspired by it and to this day," she pop star went on. "It felt like a relevant thing to bring up in the video because it's about resilience. I can't think of a place where I've seen more resilience than in a ballroom."
Another music superstar, Beyoncé, also paid tribute to the groundbreaking ballroom scene with the Renaissance album.
Queen Bey made sure that Renaissance featured legendary ballroom artists like Kevin Aviance, DJ MikeQ, Moi Renee, Honey Djon, and Kevin JZ Prodigy. She also dedicated the album to her late uncle Johnny, who was a gay man.
"He was my godmother and the first person to expose me to a lot of the music and culture that serve as inspiration for this album," Beyoncé explained at the time. "Thank you to all of the pioneers who originate culture, to all of the fallen angels whose contributions have gone unrecognized for far too long. This is a celebration for you."
Huh, it's almost like everything is leading up to the recently teased Telephone sequel collab between Gaga and Beyoncé, isn't it?
Beyoncé's Renaissance is available on all music streaming services. Lady Gaga's Mayhem drops Friday, May 7 on all music streaming services.
