Lady Gaga debuted a new song and music video from her upcoming album, “Mayhem,” during Sunday night’s 2025 Grammys Awards − and she also used her time during music’s biggest night to send a message of solidarity to trans people.

The surprise song aired during a commercial break rather than in an official Grammys slot, but opened with a nod to the awards show. “The category is dance… or die,” Gaga announced sinisterly.

“Abracadabra” is a fast-tempo dance track, reminiscent of Gaga’s innovative dark pop hits from the aughts and early 2010s. 

Fans react to Lady Gaga’s surprise new song

The track swiftly made waves on social media, with fans already calling it the “song of the decade.”

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“lady gaga weird again??? REAL POP MUSIC IS BACK,” one fan posted on X. “this is the best Lady Gaga single on first listen since G.U.Y,” wrote another, referencing the “ARTPOP” single released in 2013. 

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A press release described the video as portraying “a dance battle between the light and dark sides of Gaga.” Utilizing color and sharp dance choreography, Gaga and her dancers create an energetic swarm of white, though Gaga occasionally appears in crimson red – a lyrical reference to the “lady in red.” The visual aesthetic darkens two and a half minutes in, with Gaga adorning another crimson outfit and her dancers swapping strappy white outfits for full-length black robes and canes. 

The video was co-directed by Lady Gaga, Paris Goebel and Bethany Vargas. Gaga and Goebel worked together on the choreography for a team of 40 dancers, and Peri Rosenzweig and Nick Royal tackled the styling and costuming, including what the official announcement described as “an upcycled white cape crafted from vintage wedding dresses.”

“Abracadabra” is the third single from the forthcoming 14-track album, “Mayhem,” which will be released on March 7.  

Lady Gaga has a message for trans people

Gaga and collaborator Bruno Mars took home a Grammy for best pop duo with the album’s leading single, “Die With A Smile,” which was released last August. On stage, Gaga took the opportunity to show her solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community. 

“Trans people are not invisible,” she said. “Trans people deserve love. The queer community deserves to be lifted up.”

In a press announcement last week, Gaga said the album represents her “reassembling a shattered mirror” and is a return to “the pop music my earliest fans loved.”

“Even if you can’t put the pieces back together perfectly, you can create something beautiful and whole in its own new way,” she said.