Lady Gaga’s Mayhem Ball Tour extension came as zero surprise to music insiders, who know the Gaga machine is exactly that. Can anyone remember a time when Gaga wasn’t touring? What’s more, this machine has major lady cajónes.
Her added dates, announced in September, aren’t going down in thimble-sized venues on the Lower East Side—she’s filling stadiums, thrice over. This means the demand is there. And maybe, the extension has been part of the plan ever since releasing her sixth studio album Mayhem back in March. The truth is it doesn’t matter. If The Mayhem Ball keeps earning, Gaga keeps going.
What makes her different from the rest of the pop circuit is that she’s not selling the idea of old iterations or, as the kids say, “eras.” Gaga’s selling endurance. With multiple dates from Japan to Australia, the Mayhem Ball is proof of concept. 15 years in, she’s still bending every genre that tried to box her in. The show feels alive, unpredictable, a little manic, and this suits most people. In fact, Lady Gaga is one of the few acts Baby Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z can all agree on.
From Monsters To Mayhem, Touring Always Wins
Touring remains the only sure bet for major artists, but Gaga’s turned it into performance art economics. Her merch is limited-edition fashion, her visuals cinematic, her message loud: be it “monsters