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Almost a decade ago, in 2017, Lady Gaga headlined Coachella — but not on purpose. The superstar stepped in to replace Beyoncé, who had then-just revealed her pregnancy to the public. Beyoncé returned to headline the festival in 2018 but tonight, on the first night of Coachella 2025, it was Gaga’s turn. And this time, everything was intentional.

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On Friday, April 11, Gaga celebrated “Mayhem In the Desert” — as her own on-site merchandise pop-up teased — with a spellbinding and ominous set. Titled “The Art Of Personal Chaos,” the two-hour show may have been disguised as a concert, but what took place was nothing short of a carefully crafted commentary on fame and performance – and the toll of keeping both up.Or, as two Gagas from different eras said on screens bookending the stage, staring at one another but speaking to the masses: “This is the manifesto of mayhem.” 

It’s a fitting concept for a headlining show that follows an album of the same name; Gaga’s Mayhem arrived in March and debuted atop the Billboard 200. And for an artist like Lady Gaga, it’s a concept that is rich in inspiration. It seems she was so inspired, in fact, that the only way to clearly organize and present her ideas was through five distinct acts, including an anticipated finale — but all seamlessly woven together thanks to stunning and challenging choreography from Parris Goebel. And, of course, Gaga’s catalog. 

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Her set naturally leaned heavy on new matieral — especially since her Coachella gigs across the festival’s two weekends unofficially kick-off her upcoming The Mayhem Ball tour. But the way in which Gaga reimagined or perhaps recontextualized some of her older hits made them feel impressively fresh and forced fans to reexamine the idea of fame – all the while spotlighting Gaga’s genius. 

Fame is a concept that has long fascinated the artist — hell, she named her debut album The Fame. And it featured breakout hit “Paparazzi.” It doesn’t get more on-the-nose than that. While Mayhem dives back into the familiar subject, it does so in an unfamiliar fashion by bringing a gritty and industrial edge to Gaga’s electro-pop. 

That sonic universe came to life on Coachella’s main stage, with an expansive set design that depicted an opera house — though it looked just as much like a medieval castle hosting a demonic rave (feeding into another of Gaga’s taglines for the weekend: “Dance or die”). 

The entire performance felt like a living, breathing entity — in large part because Gaga wore a headset, which captured each and every controlled breath she took. But also because of the storyline, which across its five acts revisited various Lady Gagas of the past — all of whom, as the show proved, are still very much alive in Gaga despite being dormant. Or, in the case of this performance, despite being left for dead.

In Act 1: Velvet and Vice, fans are greeted by present-day Gaga wearing a black bob. And yet, she opens with “Bloody Mary,” a song off 2011’s Born This Way. The rest of the act continued to balance old and new, sandwiching “Judas” between Mayhem tracks “Abracadabra” and “Garden of Eden” before ending with The Fame standout “Poker Face.” For the lattermost’s performance, Gaga simulated a high-stakes chess game — one that felt reminiscent of the infamous Wizard’s Chess scene from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Only here, Gaga is playing against herself — and its present-day Gaga who prevails. 

After declaring, “off with her head,” to a fallen blonde Gaga of decades past, her vision for this show snaps into focus as the acts that follow examine the darker sides of fame. In Act 2: And She Fell Into a Gothic Dream, the slain blonde Gaga is seen buried among skeletons — only she’s very much alive. Both she and the corpses next to her slowly come alive — including another past Gaga, this one from 2009 wearing a red lace bodysuit reminiscent of the one she wore to the Video Music Awards that year. 

Act 2 fittingly opens with “Perfect Celebrity,” which is followed by “Disease” and a stunning, stripped back rendition of “Papparazi” that serves as the emotional arch of the entire set – sensing the theme? “Sometimes I feel like I went into a dream when I was 20 years old…and I didn’t know if I wanted to wake up, because what if you weren’t there?” Gaga asked of her fans, still as her blonde self.

Her question begged another: Is fame the byproduct of a co-dependent relationship between artist and fan?

Enter Act 3: The Beautiful Nightmare That Knows Her Name. Accompanied by Mayhem collaborator Gesaffelstein, Gaga ripped into “Killah” and “Zombieboy,” tossing in a condensed “Die With a Smile” (her chart-topping collaboration with Bruno Mars) before returning to more recent releases with “How Bad Do U Want Me.” In Act 4: To Wake Her Is To Lose Her, Gaga returns to her new form, black bob and all.

Before performing the lively “Born This Way” – which felt like it could be the finale, complete with a firework display  – Gaga told the crowd: “You are who you choose to be, you always will be.” And as Gaga showed all night long, each and every version of herself got here where she stands today – they are all her. And they always will be. But that doesn’t mean she chooses them any more.

As a parting gift, for a set that prioritzed new music and storytelling over the hits, Gaga performed the soaring “Shallow” alone at the piano, positioned at the end of the stage’s runway. As she surveyed the packed field, she mused, “As far as I can see, there’s people everywhere….I hope one day I’ll just vanish right into you.” She then performed “Vanish Into You” while walking alongside fans pressed against the barricades, stopping to hold hands and even sing into their faces as she made her way back to the stage. And true to her word, she soon after disappeared. 

Minutes passed and the stage lights remained dim – but on. As some attendees started to peel off, the majority remained firmly planted, trusting Mother Monster wouldn’t leave them like that. Sure enough, after five minutes it was time for the final act: Finale: Eternal Aria Of the Monster Heart. 

“We are monsters – and monsters never die,” said Gaga, before ending with an extended version of “Bad Romance.” And after the last two hours of such high-value, intentional performance art, the song took on new meaning. “I want your love,” sang Gaga, as she had so many times before. Only tonight, it felt like a direct plea to her fans. “You know that I want you, you know that I need you,” she continued.

And while at times fame, and all that comes with it, may feel like Gaga is stuck in a bad love story, tonight she made it her own. Tonight, she delivered a poignant and entertaining take on what it means to be a superstar – and did so while further solidifying her own role as one of the biggest.