Lady Gaga’s Video for “Disease” Marks a Return to Her Roots

“Disease” explores themes of self-doubt, fear, and acceptance. The video’s message of fighting inner demons echoes her work from “Chromatica,” particularly the single “911,” where Gaga addressed her internal struggles by singing: “My biggest enemy is me, pop a 911.” In “Disease,” she delves deeper, visually and emotionally, illustrating a battle with herself through eccentric choreography, entrancing cinematography, and a narrative that underscores both the beauty and terror of accepting all aspects of yourself.

Gaga has had an eventful year, making headlines throughout 2024. She released a duet with Bruno Mars, “Die With a Smile,” which quickly rose to the top of the Billboard charts, capturing audiences with its blend of Gaga's and Mars’s powerhouse vocals. The song’s success helped sustain her visibility across pop culture, setting high expectations for her next moves. Shortly afterward, she starred in the Joker: Folie à Deux, though the film was met with lukewarm reviews. Gaga, however, continued to showcase her versatility, releasing a companion album titled “Harlequin,” filled with jazz standards and two original songs, adding her unique touch to the project and expanding on her character.

With “Disease,” Gaga returns to a familiar yet evolved sound. Along with its music video, the song is steeped in the moody, dark-pop aesthetic that catapulted her to fame. Fans have eagerly anticipated the return of this side of Gaga, and “Disease” delivers on that front, both musically and visually. The video’s storyline follows her confronting and accepting parts of herself she once sought to escape. Through vivid imagery of running, dancing, and eventually embracing her dark side, Gaga paints a narrative of strength through acceptance. The visuals are undeniably captivating, filmed on classic analog film, adding eeriness to the video’s already haunting visuals. “Disease” was released alongside a live rendition video of her Bruno Mars duet, “Die With a Smile,” performed in Las Vegas.

Key creative collaborators helped bring Gaga’s vision to life. Longtime makeup artist Sarah Tanno crafted a look that balances beauty with horror, featuring exaggerated eye makeup and dark, smudged accents highlighting Gaga’s raw emotions. Styled by Peri Rosenzweig and Nick Royal, Gaga’s evil version rocks a zippered gimp mask, black silk-taffeta gown, and a ruffled coat, while her innocent version is wearing a floral-print nightgown. Choreographer Parris Goebel, known for her iconic work with Rihanna and Justin Bieber, created an intense, fluid dance routine that captures the internal battle Gaga sings about.

The video also hints at what’s to come from Gaga’s highly anticipated seventh album. In one scene, the evil version of Gaga is shown sitting in a car, listening to the radio, where a snippet of an unreleased song plays faintly in the background before gearing up to run over the innocent version of herself. Gaga has teased that the upcoming album is scheduled for a February 2025 release, adding to the excitement and anticipation among fans who have missed her pop releases.

With the release of “Disease,” Lady Gaga has once again proved she is a master of reinvention, returning to a style her fans have long awaited while pushing her art into deeper, more complex territory. Fans are left eager to see what the rest of the album will sound like. The stage is set for an explosive start to 2025, and Gaga, as always, is up for the challenge.