The prolific singer-songwriter returns to pop music with her best lead single in years.
On Oct. 25, Lady Gaga released the lead single “Disease” for her unnamed upcoming studio album known simply as “LG7.” The album is set to release in February of next year.
The album will be the singer’s first pop album since 2020’s Chromatica, an EDM-inspired album. “Disease” already sounds like a departure from Chromatica’s generally bright sound and aesthetics, entertaining darker production choices and melodies that harken back to tracks like “Government Hooker,” “Bloody Mary” and “Heavy Metal Lover” of the Born This Way era. In an interview with HBO she confirmed the upcoming project will explore darker themes, stating “there is a lot of pain associated with this adventure.”
It’s been well established by now that Gaga is an artistic chameleon. Her career has been founded on fearlessly pushing boundaries while also wearing her heart on her sleeve. Her ventures into numerous acting roles, including an Academy Award nomination for her role in A Star is Born have made her an exciting, multi-talented artist to follow.
If Gaga’s discography has proven anything, it’s that she is more than comfortable moving between genres. From her origins in dark synth-pop, country-inspired Joanne and numerous jazz collaborations with the late jazz icon Tony Bennett, Gaga has worn genres as a mask, never settling for one giving her artistry an ever-expanding mosaic quality.
In late September she released Harlequin, a companion album to Joker: Folie À Deux compiled of classic jazz hits and a few original songs. Regardless of the film’s reception, Harlequin further exemplifies Gaga’s ease of understanding the groove of different genres.
There’s a familiar quality on “Disease” that echoes her approach to pop music from the early 2010s. She makes the song’s root chord progression known in the opening bars, giving the listener an immediate sense of what is to come. This approach is prevalent across her discography. Her now 15-year-old hit single “Bad Romance,” does this in its opening bars as well with thundering synths nailing home the progression while Gaga’s voice sources over them.
The airy, reverb synths and Gaga’s distant-sounding vocals in the introductory bars are quickly contrasted by a grimy synth bass instrumental, hitting you at full force. Her vocal delivery over the verses is commanding and mysterious, building into the pre-chorus before erupting into the bombastic chorus characteristic of her hits.
For now, “LG7” is still a project shrouded in mystery. Gaga promoted her album at the Gaga Chromatica Ball concert film premiere, stating “it’s nothing like anything I’ve ever made before.” The seeds for an exciting album rollout have been planted, “Disease” is only the beginning. It’s a declarative statement of a track that showcases a refreshing return to pop music while embodying the formulas and sounds of her past. While she may be years into her career, Gaga still proves that when pop music experiences fatigue, she has the antidote.