Two Big ’90s Rock Bands Inspired Lady Gaga’s New Album ‘Mayhem’

Two big ’90s rock bands inspired Lady Gaga’s upcoming new album Mayhem, as well as some rock icons from other decades.Gaga has explored many different sounds and styles throughout her discography, and while the songs she’s released from Mayhem so far sound pretty close to her dance pop roots, she said the record was inspired by several artists from the rock world.According to Louder, the singer noted that Nine Inch Nails’ “Closer” served as a big inspiration for the sound of Mayhem during a recent broadcast on her SiriusXM channel Gaga Radio.It would be interesting to hear Trent Reznor’s reaction to that, especially considering he recently told an interviewer that his favorite song of 2024 was Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso” and has also praised Dua Lipa’s songwriting.Regardless, Gaga spoke more in depth about some of her other musical influences during an interview with Elle. “There was industrial inspiration with a lot of the sounds. There’s a transitional moment on the album that’s rooted in ’90s music. A sort of electro grunge defiance,” she explained.”That era in music which was a response to the music that came before it. And then David Bowie theatrical rock, Prince, Radiohead. I was inspired by so much music that has grown roots in my veins.”READ MORE: 15 Rockers Who Are Huge Fans of Pop StarsThe vocalist elaborated that there are times where she only listens to one particular style of music, and there are others where she listens to a little bit of all of her favorite styles. Thus, the title Mayhem reflects how chaotic blending all of those different sounds together is.Mayhem will be out tomorrow (March 7).Lady Gaga’s Rock BackgroundYears before making it big as a pop star, Lady Gaga was in a Led Zeppelin cover band. She sang a brief bit of the song “Black Dog” during an interview with Howard Stern back in 2016, which you can see below. Additionally, there’s footage of her band playing “D’yer Mak’er” underneath.Lady Gaga Sings Led Zeppelin’s ‘Black Dog’Lady Gaga, ‘D’yer Mak’er’ (Led Zeppelin Cover)25 Awesome Celebrity MetalheadsThese celebrities love metal.