“Abracadabra”

Like the twin Ladies Gaga in its music video—premiered during last night’s Grammy Awards ceremony—I’m split in two over “Abracadabra.” That Gesaffelstein industrial sound hasn’t been fresh or cool since, like, 2015, one side grumbles, and I know Gaga has a better claim to it than most, but why does it feel like every pop artist right now wants to do that “ballroom commentator” thing? As a holistic creative product, “Abracadabra” looks a whole lot like a Frankenstein’s Monster of older, better Gaga songs: the gibberish chorus of “Bad Romance,” the pearlescent bodysuits and shuddering choreography of… also “Bad Romance.” But then my other half steps in with an equally valid question: When’s the last time Gaga released a single this good?

It’s been a while. If “Shallow” counts, that’s still six years ago, and if not, we’d have to go all the way back to “G.U.Y.,” the killer final single from 2013’s much-maligned Artpop. What “Abracadabra” offers upfront is hook after Latex-sticky hook, in the Born This Way mode, though closer inspection reveals traces of the decade-plus of artistic reinvention since: a hint of Chromatica in the bubbly house piano, a full-throated vocal turn that’s clearly the product of some serious theatrical training. Mayhem, Gaga’s forthcoming seventh studio album, seems to be honing in on that duality: The videos for “Abracadabra” and its predecessor “Disease” both feature Gaga squaring off against other versions of herself—each an impeccably costumed, high-concept affair. She’s still a cut above the average pop star; her real competition is the ghosts of Gagas past.