The past two months have seen hit after hit in terms of new album releases. With Lady Gaga releasing her sixth studio album “Mayhem” and LISA releasing her first studio album “Alter Ego,” each of these artists has taken leaps and bounds, the former bolstering a well-established musical discography, and the latter establishing her first solo album.
Gaga has been a striking icon of the early 2000s and late 2010s. She is most popular for songs including “Poker Face,” “Bad Romance” and “Bloody Mary.” Starting as a college dropout from New York University, Gaga has steadily become a cultural icon in the industry. She has gained a resurgence in popularity recently, with her popular single “Die With a Smile,” featuring Bruno Mars, being streamed over two billion times on Spotify. Gaga is commonly seen breaking norms, whether it be through strikingly crafted costumes or bold stage presence.
Gaga’s recent album, “Mayhem,” released on March 7 and is a return to form compared to her more experimental, jazz-like 2024 album “Harlequin.” The album is inspired by rock, moving away from her techno roots — resembling a sequel to her 2009 album “The Fame Monster.”
“Music is the medicine of my mayhem,” Gaga said in an Apple Music interview with Zane Lowe. “When I don’t have my bearings on what I’m good at, what I suck at, what’s the right or wrong answer, it is music and the real relationships in my life that center me.”
“Disease” and “Abracadabra,” two already-released singles, start off the album strong, each extenuating Gaga’s passionate lyricism and composition. She utilizes a well-recognized tactic to enhance the listener’s experience by using fun and exciting pop tunes to keep the album engaging throughout the whole listen.
Every song of the album transitions nicely into another, though there aren’t many standout songs. The album is what you come to expect from Lady Gaga’s music, combined with her signature musical bravado. Some notable songs from her albums are “Garden of Eden,” “LoveDrug,” “ZombieBoy,” “How Bad Do U Want Me” and “Shadow of a Man.” Her new songs range from a variety of styles from slow-dance music to customary pop songs; every person can find something to enjoy in Gaga’s new album. The album’s lyrics evoke memories of a nightclub, especially “Garden of Eden,” where Gaga uses biblical allusions to analogize herself as the Serpent of Eden, playing into the character of tantalizing sin as means for artistic expression.
Broadly, this album was met with positive reviews. Reviewers appreciated her experimentalism and boldness in lyricism and production. Having Lady Gaga back filled many people with a sense of comforting nostalgia. Moreover, central themes like inner conflict touched the hearts of many, making it a relatable listen. This album has been extremely successful in garnering streams, as “Mayhem” launched at #1 of the Billboard 200, with the biggest first-week sales for a female artist in the year 2025.
This new Lady Gaga album satisfied an initial void that was left behind by previous works of hers. The album is just fun, and sometimes fun is what you look forward to. The lyrics and vibes of this album make us want to “start to squeal” in excitement. Lyrics such as “I could be your girlfriend for the weekend, you could be my boyfriend for the night,” are quintessentially Gaga, exuding and paralleling similar feelings felt when listening to “Poker Face” — especially “I’ll get him hot, show him what I got.” Both lyrics give off a hint of raciness and seduction. Although some may dislike the album, like pointed out in Perfect Celebrity, this album is a culmination of Lady Gaga’s evolution as an artist, and we highly recommend giving “Mayhem” a thorough listen.
Rating: 4/5 stars
On Feb. 28, 2025, LISA, or Lalisa Manoban debuted her solo album, “Alter Ego.” This is LISA’s first big musical project outside of previously released singles and her works with the Korean pop group Blackpink. As a former Blackpink member and rapper, this album marks a critical turning point in her career, signifying newfound independence for her future musical endeavors.
LISA was the second member to join Blackpink as one of the two rappers of the group. Being a complete foreigner to the Korean language and customs, she endured countless hours of linguistic training in order to foster a rhythmic, energetic musical personality. Because of her will and persistence, she surfaced as YG Entertainment’s first foreign debut star. In her album “Alter Ego”, she reflects on different aspects of her personality, as a culmination not just her dynamic rise to fame, but also her thoughts and emotions.
“We just set five characters—there’s Roxy, Kiki, Vixi, Sunni and Speedi”, Manoban said in an interview with the Wall Street Journal. “I feel related with them as well, it feels like I can express myself in a different version of me.”
As a first step toward musical independence, “Alter Ego” was released under Lloud and RCA records upon her departure from YG entertainment. As her first solo album project, LiSA incorporates a mixture of rap tunes reminiscent of her Blackpink music, while also demonstrating a surprising side of her vocal prowess.
This album features 15 tracks, featuring prolific international artists including Doja Cat, Raye, ROSALÍA, Future, Megan Thee Stallion and Tyla. When opening up this playlist, the first thing that I noticed were the song titles directly correlating to the theme of the album: her many alter egos.
The beginning track “Born Again,” behind a funky pop beat and a bass background, could represent LISA’s newfound independence from YG Entertainment, describing a bold, unapologetic persona. Though lyrically, this song represents an ex-boyfriend that could have put more effort into their relationship, I do believe that LISA’s aforementioned leave from YG Entertainment also signifies her career as an artist being “Born Again.” The rest of the songs each have a title that represents more of LISA’s “Alter Ego’s,” each experimenting with different styles of her music personality.
Throughout this album, we particularly enjoyed LISA’s playful lyricism. Though at times simple, she includes a variety of pop culture references, while also conveying who she is as a person. In particular, the lyrics “Flex so hard, think I am elastic, swipe so fast like I’m made of plastic, twist you around like Mr. Fantastic” in “Elastigirl” stood out to me. I found her reference to Mr. Fantastic of the Fantastic Four to be a playful reach to the comic-lover niche. However, the line “Swipe so fast like I’m made of plastic” also represents her stance on the reality of modern dating culture, addressing the struggles of maintaining body image. LISA pulls no breaks and raps in honest, yet bold intent.
Overall, this album was met with mixed reviews online. Many critics noted that LISA’s production modified her real voice heavily, bringing into question her ability as a singer. People loved her diverse cast of features and even sometimes claim that these features outshone LISA in her own songs. However, despite the generally negative critiques, we believe that this song is a hot pick for the general public, as it debuted at No. 7 of the Billboard top 200, making it a popular, radio-easy AUX pick.
As people who don’t actively listen to Korean pop, we thoroughly enjoyed “Alter Ego” as a solid start. Both new and returning listeners will definitely recognize LISA’s musical expression of her self-discovery. If you’re a fan of all things EDM, pop and rap, this album could be for you.
Overall rating: 4.1/5 stars
