No – Lady Gaga did not release her album Mayhem early on YouTube. She instead decided to both cause chaos and delight with her fans and beyond, and it’s all a bit confusing unless you’re in the know so for those who are stumped here’s what’s gone down.

It is as complete a statement about who Lady Gaga is in 2025 as anything could be. MAYHEM repositions Gaga as a dance diva heavily indebted to the icons who came before her to an audience as likely to know her for wearing a meat dress as for performing with Tony Bennett.

It’s time to gobble up the last of those Chromatica Oreos, because a new Lady Gaga era is upon us. That’s right, the singer and actress has finally announced her long-awaited seventh album Mayhem, set to drop on March 7.