Just a short while after assisting Bruno Mars in a tribute to Los Angeles with a solemn “California Dreamin’” cover, Lady Gaga revealed her bombastic new dance-pop single, “Abracadabra.”
Unveiled through a MasterCard commercial, Gaga treated her high-octane new single to an artsy music video that trades primarily in red, black and white hues. “The category is: dance or die,” Gaga proclaimed at the visual’s onset — donning an oversized red studded hat — before launching into a series of tight Parris Goebel-choreographed scenes that recall the armies of dancers that routinely flanked her during her Born This Way era. Complete with 40 dancers, Gaga’s trademark facial dramatics and her penchant for jaw-dropping high fashion, the “Abracadabra” clip also evoked her timeless “Bad Romance” music video in its meticulous display of the intersection of several different modes of art.
“Abracadabra” is the third of three Mayhem songs Gaga has revealed so far. Last summer, she debuted the Mars-assisted “Die With a Smile,” which topped the Billboard Hot 100 this year and earned Grammy nominations for song of the year and best pop duo/group performance. Two months later, Mother Monster dropped “Disease,” a dark electro-pop banger that reached No. 27 on the Hot 100.
On Jan. 27, Gaga confirmed that Mayhem, her newest studio album, would arrive March 7. Though the LP will mark Gaga’s first original full-length pop album since 2020’s Grammy-winning Chromatica, the “Shallow” singer hasn’t been completely musically absent in the interim. In 2021, she won two Grammys alongside the late Tony Bennett for their Love for Sale joint album, and last year she topped Jazz Albums with Harlequin — a soundtrack album inspired by her character from 2024’s box office-topping Joker: Folie à Deux, for which she earned a Razzie nod for worst actress.
It’s been a busy weekend for Gaga. On Thursday (Jan. 30), she closed FireAid with a brand new song, and Saturday Night Live confirmed that she’ll headline the Saturday Night Live 50th Anniversary Concert on Feb. 14 alongside Miley Cyrus and Bad Bunny. Come April, Gaga will also have headlined Coachella for a second time.
Watch Lady Gaga’s new “Abracadabra” music video below.