We are hours away from Lady Gaga’s Apple Music Live show, ‘MAYHEM Requiem,’ and we thought it would be in our best interests to take a look back through one of the most jam-packed eras we have been a part of in years. So let’s grab our black roses and lay them aside for ‘MAYHEM.’
Let’s kick it off with one of the most insane music video surprise drops ever. Lady Gaga surprised the world by premiering the Abracadabra music video at the 2025 GRAMMYs during a commercial break. I remember so clearly watching the GRAMMYs, just waiting for the Mastercard logo to appear. It had been leaked that the music video would air during a commercial break in collaboration with Mastercard, just minutes before the GRAMMYs had started. Nothing, and I mean nothing, would have prepared my Little Monster heart for what I was about to witness unfold before my very eyes. That first shot of Lady Gaga in the red latex outfit with the iconic spiked hat and cane, followed by all the choreography – choreographed by the talented Parris Goebel – left me watching with my jaw firmly on the floor, not even having words. Just noises, and maybe a scream or two. I was truly speechless.
Watch the music video here
The next thing that springs to mind when thinking of the most iconic moments from the MAYHEM era is Lady Gaga’s performance at the 2025 Netflix Tudum event, where she performed a medley of songs, including Zombieboy, Abracadabra, and Bloody Mary. That whole performance was a MAYHEM highlight for me, especially the Abracadabra performance on the long dining table with none other than Jenna Ortega sitting at one end. I loved the huge blonde wig, the sculpted red dress that enhanced her hips and shoulders, and the creepy Wednesday-esque vibes of the setup. A 10/10 performance. And did anyone else think about The Countess from American Horror Story: Hotel the entire time? Okay, so we both did.
Watch the performance here
Then there was Lady Gaga pulling double duty on SNL in 2025. From her monologue to the hilarious skits, the night was unforgettable. We also can’t forget the two performances she delivered – Abracadabra and Killah. Both were standout moments, especially Killah, which gave us a hybrid of Prince and David Bowie. It was truly spectacular.
Watch the Monologue here
Watch Abracadabra Live at SNL here
Watch Killah Live at SNL here
One of my personal favourite moments from the MAYHEM era is, of course, The MAYHEM Ball Tour. I was lucky enough to attend, and I suppose you could say I won the Ticketmaster war. On a serious note, I have seen Lady Gaga live four times in total, from the Born This Way Ball to the MAYHEM Ball, and this show was unlike anything I have ever experienced. From the visuals to the storytelling of the album, to the dancers and the lights. Everything was incredibly well thought out and beautiful to witness. The MAYHEM Ball went on to become Lady Gaga’s highest-grossing tour, bringing in a whopping $419.5 million and selling just under 2 million tickets. It also became one of the top 10 highest-grossing tours by a female artist ever (via Billboard).
Lady Gaga at this year’s GRAMMYs – what a night. From her stunning black feathered red carpet look to walking away with two GRAMMYs: One for Best Pop Vocal Album for MAYHEM and one for Best Dance Pop Recording for Abracadabra. Her collaborator Gesaffelstein also took home Best Remixed Recording for the Abracadabra (Gesaffelstein Remix). This makes MAYHEM one of her most acclaimed albums ever, with Die With A Smile having also won a GRAMMY in 2025 for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance. Can we also talk about Lady Gaga’s iconic performance of Abracadabra at the 2026 GRAMMYs? I wasn’t expecting anything like that at all – which is exactly why she is one of the greatest living performers. Who would have thought she’d perform Abracadabra head to toe in Alexander McQueen, standing at a piano, delivering a gritty rock version of a dance song? You’d expect a massive production with set pieces and dancers. But with Lady Gaga, you simply have to expect the unexpected.
Watch Lady Gaga’s Grammy acceptance speech here
Watch Abracadabra Live at The Grammys here
Finally, the top highlight of Lady Gaga’s MAYHEM era for me was the brilliant, record-breaking Copacabana live show that took place on 3rd May 2025. Marking Gaga’s first return to Brazil since 2012, the occasion made it all the more emotional to watch via livestream, knowing that Gaga and her Brazilian fans had waited patiently for 13 whole years for a performance in the country. I have never heard a louder crowd at any concert, ever. You could hear every single person singing every single word right back to Gaga. The show marked the biggest female concert ever, with between 2.1 and 2.5 million fans in attendance.
Now we wait to watch the final act in Lady Gaga’s MAYHEM era with her Apple Music Live show, MAYHEM Requiem, starting at 8PM PT tonight.
Written by Jake Mellor for Pop Autopsy.
