Lady Gaga released "Abracadabra" on February 3rd, proving the pop star persona we've missed is back. The singer cemented herself as one of the biggest stars of the 2010s with her early albums The Fame and Born This Way. However, as her career progressed, she branched out to expand her artistic limits. Before his 2023 death, Lady Gaga released two collaborative albums with jazz singer Tony Bennett. She also went Americana with Joanne, a 2016 tribute to her late aunt Joanne Stefani Germanotta. She'd then go on to take a break from music and delve into the acting world.

When Lady Gaga tries something new, she pours her heart and soul into it, so it's no surprise that her acting career has been a success. The singer received rave reviews for her performances in American Horror Story and the most recent adaptation of A Star Is Born. She even won the Golden Globe for Best Actress in AHS: Hotel and an Oscar for Best Original Song for "Shallows." While Gaga would return to pop in 2020 with Chromatica, the album still felt different from her early music. Luckily, with "Abracadabra," Lady Gaga is ready to reclaim her pop star crown.

I'm Already Obsessed With Lady Gaga's "Abracadabra" Video

Gaga's Iconic Choreography Is Back

In Lady Gaga's early career, the star was known for her intense choreography. Her music videos for songs like "Lovegame" and "Judas" showcased her love for dance. However, as she transitioned into different genres, her style changed. "Abracadabra" marks Gaga's return to the kind of choreography that contributed to her most memorable music videos. While the video is fairly simple, I was impressed by how the choreography and fashion made it so interesting.

In the past, Gaga's music and videos were quite controversial, often receiving backlash for portrayals of Christianity. However, Gaga's unusual and controversial artistic style is what set her apart and made her so iconic. In the "Abracadabra" music video, Gaga and her dancers are dressed in all white in one scene and then red and black in another. The color choices seem connected to Christianity, with the white outfits representing purity and the red and black costumes representing the devil.

Gaga's exploration of herself, whether her good aspects or her bad, is what her music has always been about.

Gaga is utilizing religion to showcase an inner battle between her dark side and her more pure side, and I've always found Gaga was at her best when she was diving into religion through an artistic lens. Gaga's exploration of herself, whether her good aspects or her bad, is what her music has always been about, and it's thrilling to see her come back to herself.

"Abracadabra" Is Lady Gaga's Strongest Single In Years

Gaga's New Single Is A Return To Dark Pop

While Lady Gaga has always outdone herself in of expanding her art, "Abracadabra" is arguably her best single in years. Since her Born This Way era, music has shifted quite a lot. In the later years of the 2010 decade, pop music was not as favored as it was when Gaga debuted. Rap and more trap styles were on the rise, inspiring pop stars like Gaga to go in a different direction.

While Chromatica was a success, with "Rain on Me" winning the Grammy for Best Pop Duo Performance, it still wasn't the same. Luckily for pop fans, the genre is having its revival with stars like Chappell Roan and Sabrina Carpenter at the forefront. "Abracadabra" feels like authentic, dark pop Lady Gaga, as she has returned to the star that I and so many other little monsters fell in love with.

"Like a poem said by a lady in red

You hear the last few words of your life

With a haunting dance, now you're both in a trance

It's time to cast your spell on the night."

Lady Gaga's recent duet with Bruno Mars, "Die with a Smile," took home a Grammy at the 2025 award ceremony, but her other single, "Disease," didn't have much of an impact. At first, it seemed like her return to pop wouldn't make much noise, but "Abracadabra" proves that Lady Gaga is back in full force. Not only does the song have the fun dance-pop sound of her early singles, but its lyrics and message also match Gaga's old musical style. As Monokuma_Koromaru on Reddit put it, "It feels like an accumulation of everything she's done so far."

What "Abracadabra" Says About Lady Gaga's Mayhem Album

Mayhem Is A Return To Classic Gaga

So far, Gaga has released three singles off her Mayhem album. Aside from "Abracadabra," "Disease" and "Die with a Smile" will also be on the tracklist. While "Disease" also matches Gaga's famous dark pop sound, her Bruno Mars duet is much more stripped down. However, it's not unusual for Gaga to have an outlier on her albums. "Abracadabra" suggests that Mayhem will be a return to her old sound and that the singer may be diving into her inner demons. Lady Gaga has never been shy about her struggles with self-acceptance, and she'll likely continue her vulnerability with Mayhem.