With the possible exception of the Super Bowl, commercial breaks during televised cultural events are typically mute-worthy, and I don’t find myself screaming in shock and excitement over advertisements for MasterCard –– until last night. During the primetime broadcast of the 67th Annual Grammy Awards on Feb. 2, Lady Gaga released “Abracadabra,” her second single from her forthcoming seventh solo album “MAYHEM.” Presented with support from MasterCard in between live Grammy segments, “Abracadabra” and its accompanying music video is a full-fledged evolution of the dark pop roots which solidified Gaga in her early years as a creative and musical force to be reckoned with. If a commercial partnership with MasterCard was what it took for “Abracadabra” to drop unexpectedly, I’ll take it.

It’s no secret that over the course of her nearly 20-year career, Lady Gaga has perfected the art of creating entire visionary universes for each of her albums. Fans (“Little Monsters”) danced underage in gay bars for “The Fame” and “The Fame Monster,” wrapped pride flags and medieval chains around shoulders for “Born This Way,” screamed in the face of unimpressed critics for “ARTPOP,” cried country tears for “Joanne,” boarded hot pink flights to outer space for “Chromatica,” and for “MAYHEM,” who knows? But if the “Abracadabra” video –– co-directed by Parris Goebel, Bethany Vargas, and Gaga herself –– gives us any hint, it’s to get a headstart on any and all caffeine consumption. 

Arguably the highest-energy club anthem Gaga has released in over a decade (except perhaps “Stupid Love” or “Rain on Me,” the releases of which were thwarted by the COVID-19 pandemic), “Abracadabra” is a nearly-monochromatic, vaguely-Catholic, and absolutely Camp dance battle to the death between the lightest and darkest parts of Gaga herself.

“Mayhem is utter chaos!” Gaga told Lotte Jeffs for her cover feature in Elle last month. “[It] just felt good to me. It sounds good. It breaks a lot of rules and has a lot of fun.” 

‘“Good”’ is perhaps an understatement, but ‘“chaos”’ hits the bullseye. Over the course of four and a half minutes, Gaga treats viewers strapped in for “Abracadabra” to choreography reminiscent of “Judas” and “Bad Romance”; 2010s Gaga classics which combine heavy beats, haunting and sometimes operatic vocals, and dance of the highest queer standard. Yet along with multiple homages to prior eras of her artistry, “Abracadabra” offers something new for newborn and ancient fans alike: an evolving and thriving Lady Gaga who is the happiest and healthiest she’s been in years. Newly married to Harvard-educated tech investor Michael Polansky, Gaga expressed in Elle her love for her current life, and to the music which surrounds and sustains it.

“I’m so grateful,” she said. “Because I found a sense of happiness and joy that is true to me. The chaos I thought was long gone is fully intact and ready to greet me whenever I’d like. Part of the message of [MAYHEM] is that your demons are with you in the beginning and they are with you in the end, and I don’t mean it in a bleak way. Maybe we can make friends sooner with this reality instead of running all the time.” 

The music video for MAYHEM’s lead single “Disease,” released in October 2024, saw Gaga sprinting away from several iterations of partially demonic Gaga clones. By the end, it’s unclear if she makes it out alive. In “Ab

racadabra” however, Gaga looks the “Lady in Red,” her alter ego, right in the eye. Leaning on her army of angel-esque bodies for support, the Gaga in “Abracadabra” is defiant to the end, yes, but also, perhaps a bit more brave. 

“MAYHEM” is set to release worldwide on March 7. Buckle up, Little Monsters.

Contact the editor responsible for this story: Norah Catlin