Perfect Celebrity

Last updated
"Perfect Celebrity"
Song by Lady Gaga
from the album Mayhem
ReleasedMarch 7, 2025 (2025-03-07)
Studio Shangri-La (Malibu, CA) [1]
Genre
Length3:49
Label Interscope
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Lady Gaga
  • Henry Walter
  • Andrew Watt
Official audio
"Perfect Celebrity" on YouTube

"Perfect Celebrity" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Lady Gaga, released as the fourth track from her studio album Mayhem (2025). An electropop and trip hop song which has been stylistically compared to songs by Nine Inch Nails, the song was produced by Gaga, Cirkut, and Andrew Watt, and was composed by the latter two alongside Gesaffelstein. "Perfect Celebrity" was first previewed on February 24, 2025, and was released on the album on March 7. The track received generally positive reviews from music critics, who praised its sound and deemed it as a standout on the album despite its "tired" subject matter.

Contents

Background and release

Lady Gaga began writing the studio album Mayhem after her fiancé Michael Polansky convinced her to make a new pop album. [2] Gaga noted that the song was inspired by the band The Cure and their song "Never Enough", [3] and that she felt like the song "had been inside of me for 15 years". [4] After having finished the song, she had briefly considered turning the entirety of Mayhem into a grunge album, before being persuaded against the idea by Polansky. [5] The song was originally announced as the fourth track of the album on February 18, 2025. [6] It was subsequently previewed on February 24, 2025, during an interview for InStyle . [7]

Composition and lyrics

"Perfect Celebrity" is an electropop, [8] trip hop, [9] and arena rock song, [10] described as being "electro-grunge" by Stephen Daw of Billboard [11] and "alt-goth" by Robert Moran of The Sydney Morning Herald . [12] Instrumentally, the song consists of heavy synthesizers, [9] keyboards, [13] and an "onslaught of lashing guitars". [14] Multiple critics have stylistically compared the song to those by Nine Inch Nails, [a] while Alim Kheraj of Dazed additionally compared the song to those by Van Halen [20] and Ed Potton of The Times likened Gaga's vocal performance to that of Madonna. [21] Gaga described "Perfect Celebrity" as being "probably the most angry song" on the album. [22]

Lyrically, the song focuses on Gaga's relationship with fame, [23] [24] with Richard Burn of Rolling Stone UK writing that it "speaks of a star that has felt a lot of torture and pressure because of said stardom". [25] Gaga additionally stated that the song touched on the duality between the personal and public sides of a celebrity. [26] Dylan Kickham of Nylon observed many references to other songs by Gaga in the lyrics of "Perfect Celebrity", including nods to the Chromatica song "Plastic Doll" and the unreleased song "Princess Die". [27] Steven Horowitz of Variety also noted similarities between the lyrics of "Perfect Celebrity" and "Paparazzi", [28] while CJ Thorpe-Tracey of The Quietus instead commented how Gaga had already "mined the topic [of fame] to death" on Born This Way . [29]

Critical reception

"Perfect Celebrity" received generally positive reviews from music critics. Both Daw and Chris Hedden of Screen Rant declared it as the best song on Mayhem in their rankings of the album's tracks, with the former citing its rock sound and concluding that "there really isn't much to hate on this glorious song". [11] [19] Mary Siroky of Consequence similarly considered it a standout on the album, [16] while Marcus Wratten of PinkNews called the song the "nucleus" of Mayhem, praising its lyrical vividness. [30] Stephen Ackroyd of Dork praised the song for embodying "the kind of wry pop satire only Gaga can pull off", [31] while Joey Nolfi of Entertainment Weekly lauded the song as a "defiant middle finger to those who still think, after two decades, that they can put [Gaga] in a box". [32] However, Alexa Camp of Slant criticized the song for "lack[ing] invention", despite praising its catchiness. [33] Lindsay Zoladz of The New York Times similarly lauded the song as a "sonic highlight" of Mayhem, yet called its subject matter "tired". [34]

Live performances

On March 11, 2025, Gaga performed an acoustic version of "Perfect Celebrity" live on The Howard Stern Show . [35] It was part of her headlining set at Coachella 2025, performed as the first song of "Act II". [36] A dance-battle scene set to "Poker Face" ended with the "Mistress of Mayhem" pushing "Light Gaga" to her death. [36] [37] The latter then re-emerges from her grave in a corseted white dress for the performance of "Perfect Celebrity", surrounded by dancers wearing skull masks. [36] [38]

Credits and personnel

Credits are adapted from Apple Music. [39]

Charts

Chart performance for "Perfect Celebrity"
Chart (2025)Peak
position
Brazil (Brasil Hot 100) [40] 89
Canada (Canadian Hot 100) [41] 76
France (SNEP) [42] 126
Global 200 ( Billboard ) [43] 67
Greece International (IFPI) [44] 45
New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ) [45] 7
Portugal (AFP) [46] 93
UK Singles Downloads (OCC) [47] 89
UK Singles Sales (OCC) [48] 94
UK Streaming (OCC) [49] 65
US Billboard Hot 100 [50] 81

Notes

  1. ↑ Attributed to Jaeden Pinder of Pitchfork , [9] Brittany Spanos of Rolling Stone , [15] Mary Siroky of Consequence , [16] Neil Yeung of AllMusic, [17] Mikael Wood of the Los Angeles Times , [18] and Chris Hedden of Screen Rant . [19]

References

  1. ↑ Gaga, Lady (2025). Mayhem (vinyl liner notes). Interscope Records. 602475451099.
  2. ↑ Spanos, Brittany (January 24, 2025). "Everything We Know About Lady Gaga's Seventh Album 'Mayhem'" . Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on March 7, 2025. Retrieved March 9, 2025.
  3. ↑ Calfee, Joel (March 8, 2025). "Lady Gaga's "Perfect Celebrity" Explores the Downfalls of Living in the Public Eye". Harper's Bazaar . Archived from the original on March 9, 2025. Retrieved March 9, 2025.
  4. ↑ Allaire, Christian (March 6, 2025). ""I Didn't Want to Box Myself In": On Mayhem, Lady Gaga Crafts Perfect Pop for a Chaotic World" . Vogue . Archived from the original on March 6, 2025. Retrieved March 9, 2025.
  5. ↑ Marchese, David (March 8, 2025). "Lady Gaga's Latest Experiment? Happiness" . The New York Times . Archived from the original on March 8, 2025. Retrieved March 9, 2025.
  6. ↑ Garcia, Thania; Aswad, Jem (February 18, 2025). "Lady Gaga Reveals 'Mayhem' Tracklist". Variety . Archived from the original on March 7, 2025. Retrieved March 9, 2025.
  7. ↑ Daw, Stephen (February 24, 2025). "Lady Gaga Teases 2 New Songs & Explains How the 'Joy' of Ballroom Culture Inspired 'Mayhem'". Billboard . Archived from the original on February 24, 2025. Retrieved March 9, 2025.
  8. ↑ Ahlgrim, Callie (March 7, 2025). "Lady Gaga bait-and-switched fans with her new album 'Mayhem' giving them something unpredictable". Business Insider . Archived from the original on March 9, 2025. Retrieved March 9, 2025.
  9. 1 2 3 Pinder, Jaeden (March 7, 2025). "6 Takeaways From Lady Gaga's New Album MAYHEM". Pitchfork . Archived from the original on March 8, 2025. Retrieved March 9, 2025.
  10. ↑ West Foss, Dakota (March 10, 2025). "Review: Lady Gaga - Mayhem". Sputnikmusic . Archived from the original on March 11, 2025. Retrieved March 11, 2025.
  11. 1 2 Daw, Stephen (March 7, 2025). "Every Song From Lady Gaga's 'Mayhem' Album, Ranked". Billboard . Archived from the original on March 9, 2025. Retrieved March 9, 2025.
  12. ↑ Moran, Robert (March 7, 2025). "Lady Gaga imitating Lady Gaga is still better than most things in this sad world" . The Sydney Morning Herald . Archived from the original on March 7, 2025. Retrieved March 9, 2025.
  13. ↑ Brown, Helen (March 7, 2025). "On Lady Gaga's Mayhem, Mother Monster is back in all her shock-horror-bop glory". The Independent . Archived from the original on March 9, 2025. Retrieved March 9, 2025.
  14. ↑ Levine, Nick (March 7, 2025). "Lady Gaga – 'Mayhem' review: queen of pop bombast dials everything up to eleven". NME . Archived from the original on March 9, 2025. Retrieved March 9, 2025.
  15. ↑ Spanos, Brittany (March 7, 2025). "Lady Gaga's 'Mayhem' Is More Than Just a Return to Her Pop Roots" . Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on March 9, 2025. Retrieved March 9, 2025.
  16. 1 2 Siroky, Mary (March 7, 2025). "In Mayhem, Lady Gaga Is Refracted and Reborn: Review". Consequence . Archived from the original on March 9, 2025. Retrieved March 9, 2025.
  17. ↑ Yeung, Neil (March 7, 2025). "MAYHEM Review by Neil Z. Yeung". AllMusic. Archived from the original on March 9, 2025. Retrieved March 9, 2025.
  18. ↑ Wood, Mikael (March 10, 2025). "On 'Mayhem,' Lady Gaga is a monster reborn". Los Angeles Times . Archived from the original on March 10, 2025. Retrieved March 11, 2025.
  19. 1 2 Hedden, Chris (March 7, 2025). "Lady Gaga's New Album: Every Song On Mayhem Ranked". Screen Rant . Archived from the original on March 10, 2025. Retrieved March 10, 2025.
  20. ↑ Kheraj, Alim (March 10, 2025). "With Mayhem, Lady Gaga returns to her freaky roots". Dazed . Archived from the original on March 11, 2025. Retrieved March 11, 2025.
  21. ↑ Potton, Ed (March 6, 2025). "Lady Gaga: Mayhem review — dancefloor bangers are the diva at her best". The Times . Archived from the original on March 6, 2025. Retrieved March 8, 2025.
  22. ↑ Jones, Damian (March 6, 2025). "Lady Gaga's new "electro, grunge song" 'Perfect Celebrity' was "inspired by The Cure"". NME . Archived from the original on March 6, 2025. Retrieved March 8, 2025.
  23. ↑ Viswanath, Jake (March 7, 2025). "Lady Gaga's "Perfect Celebrity" Lyrics Explore The Dark Side Of Fame". Bustle . Archived from the original on March 7, 2025. Retrieved March 7, 2025.
  24. ↑ Prance, Sam (March 7, 2025). "Lady Gaga reveals "angry" meaning behind her 'Perfect Celebrity' lyrics". Capital FM . Archived from the original on March 10, 2025. Retrieved March 10, 2025.
  25. ↑ Burn, Richard (March 7, 2025). "Lady Gaga 'Mayhem' review: An all-out pop microcosm of her career so far". Rolling Stone UK. Archived from the original on March 9, 2025. Retrieved March 9, 2025.
  26. ↑ Gordon, Arielle (March 6, 2025). "Lady Gaga Finds Magic In The Mayhem". Stereogum . Archived from the original on March 8, 2025. Retrieved March 9, 2025.
  27. ↑ Kickham, Dylan (March 7, 2025). "Lady Gaga's "Perfect Celebrity" Lyrics, Explained". Nylon . Archived from the original on March 7, 2025. Retrieved March 8, 2025.
  28. ↑ Horowitz, Steven (March 6, 2025). "Lady Gaga Returns to Her Dance Floor Roots — and Has a Blast — on 'Mayhem': Album Review". Variety . Archived from the original on March 7, 2025. Retrieved March 9, 2025.
  29. ↑ Thorpe-Tracey, CJ (March 7, 2025). "Lady Gaga - Mayhem". The Quietus . Archived from the original on March 9, 2025. Retrieved March 9, 2025.
  30. ↑ Wratten, Marcus (March 7, 2025). "Lady Gaga Mayhem review: 'Bold, versatile and never boring, Mayhem is a return to form'". PinkNews . Archived from the original on March 9, 2025. Retrieved March 9, 2025.
  31. ↑ Ackroyd, Stephen (March 7, 2025). "Lady Gaga – Mayhem". Dork . Archived from the original on March 9, 2025. Retrieved March 9, 2025.
  32. ↑ Nolfi, Joey (March 7, 2025). "Lady Gaga stakes a firm claim on reheating her nachos with Mayhem: 'My nachos are mine, and I invented them'". Entertainment Weekly . Archived from the original on March 9, 2025. Retrieved March 9, 2025.
  33. ↑ Camp, Alexa (March 6, 2025). "Lady Gaga 'Mayhem' Review: A Pop Comeback That Fails to Live Up to Its Title's Promise". Slant . Archived from the original on March 8, 2025. Retrieved March 9, 2025.
  34. ↑ Zoladz, Lindsay (March 10, 2025). "On 'Mayhem,' Lady Gaga Wants You to Party Like It's 2009" . The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 10, 2025. Retrieved March 11, 2025.
  35. ↑ "Lady Gaga Performs 'Perfect Celebrity' and 'Abracadabra' on 'The Howard Stern Show'". SiriusXM. March 11, 2025. Archived from the original on March 16, 2025. Retrieved March 15, 2025.
  36. 1 2 3 Olson, Samantha (April 12, 2025). "Lady Gaga's Headlining Coachella Set Gave Little Monsters an Epic First Taste of the Mayhem Ball". Cosmopolitan . Archived from the original on April 12, 2025. Retrieved April 12, 2025.
  37. ↑ Frank, Jason P. (April 12, 2025). "Lady Gaga Played Chess with Her 'Poker Face' at Coachella". Vulture . Archived from the original on April 12, 2025. Retrieved April 12, 2025.
  38. ↑ Mier, Tomás (April 12, 2025). "Lady Gaga proves why she's a once-in-a-generation pop icon during Coachella set". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on April 12, 2025. Retrieved April 12, 2025.
  39. ↑ "Perfect Celebrity — Song by Lady Gaga — Apple Music". Archived from the original on March 12, 2025. Retrieved March 12, 2025.
  40. ↑ "Lady Gaga Chart History (Brasil Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved March 19, 2025.
  41. ↑ "Lady Gaga Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved March 17, 2025.
  42. ↑ "Top Singles (Week 11, 2025)" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved March 17, 2025.
  43. ↑ "Lady Gaga Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard. Retrieved March 17, 2025.
  44. ↑ "Official IFPI Charts − Digital Singles Chart (International) − Εβδομάδα: 11/2025" (in Greek). IFPI Greece. Archived from the original on March 19, 2025. Retrieved March 19, 2025.
  45. ↑ "NZ Hot 40 Singles". Recorded Music NZ. March 14, 2025. Retrieved March 14, 2025.
  46. ↑ "Top 200 Singles Semana 11 de 2025" (PDF). Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa. March 20, 2025. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 20, 2025. Retrieved March 20, 2025.
  47. ↑ "Official Singles Downloads Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 14, 2025.
  48. ↑ "Official Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company . Retrieved March 14, 2025.
  49. ↑ "Official Streaming Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company . Retrieved March 14, 2025.
  50. ↑ "Lady Gaga Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved March 17, 2025.
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