"Abracadabra" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Lady Gaga for her studio album, Mayhem (2025). It was written and produced by Gaga, Andrew Watt, and Cirkut, with additional songwriting credits to members of Siouxsie and the Banshees, as it incorporates elements from their 1981 single "Spellbound". Musically, it is a dance, dance-pop, electropop, synth-pop, and acid techno track with electronic, industrial, house, and psychedelic influences. The song's lyrics, according to Gaga, reflect on facing life's challenges and finding a sense of magic in them. "Abracadabra" was released through Interscope Records on February 3, 2025, as the album's second single.
An accompanying music video, co-directed by Gaga, Parris Goebel, and Bethany Vargas, depicts a dance battle between two contrasting personas of the singer and premiered on February 3, following a teaser which aired during a commercial break at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards. Critics praised its theatrical style and cinematography, drawing favorable comparisons to her earlier work. Gaga performed "Abracadabra" on Saturday Night Live, The Howard Stern Show, the MTV Video Music Awards 2025 and the 2026 Grammy Awards. She also sang it as part of the opening act for some concerts promoting Mayhem, including during the Mayhem Ball tour, and incorporated a remix of the track by French producer Gesaffelstein as a show interlude, which was released on digital platforms. Gaga also performed a reimagined version of the song for Mayhem Requiem.
"Abracadabra" received critical acclaim, with reviewers praising its production, rhythm, songwriting and chorus, and various critics ranked it among the best songs of 2025. Commercially, the song topped the charts in Hungary and Lithuania, while reaching the top ten in Austria, Brazil, Croatia, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and on the Billboard Global 200. "Abracadabra" also charted within the top twenty in Australia, Belgium, Canada, Costa Rica, France, New Zealand, the Philippines, Taiwan, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States. It also received diamond certifications in Brazil and France as well as platinum certifications in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, the Czech Republic, Greece, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, and the United Kingdom. At the 68th Annual Grammy Awards, "Abracadabra" was nominated for Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Dance Pop Recording, and—for its Gesaffelstein remix—Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical, winning the latter two.
Development and release
Gaga first spoke about her new music in March 2024, when she said she was "writing some of my best music in as long as I can remember", and later explained that the Chromatica Ball tour in 2022 strongly shaped her creative process for the new material. In late July of that year, she performed at the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics and, while in the city, surprised fans by sharing snippets of two unreleased songs intended for her upcoming album. According to Billboard, the previews featured thumping beats and bass-heavy keyboards. Shortly after Gaga announced on January 27, 2025 that her next studio album would be titled Mayhem (2025), it was revealed she would premiere a new single and video during the 67th Annual Grammy Awards on February 2.
"Abracadabra" was released for digital download and streaming platforms on February 3, 2025, through Interscope Records. It was subsequently serviced to Italian radio, followed by contemporary hit radio in the United States on February 11, 2025.
Writing and recording
During an episode of the Song Exploder podcast, Gaga explained that she and her collaborators were initially working on a slower song that was ultimately scrapped from Mayhem. When producer Cirkut later played her an instrumental he had been developing, she was drawn to its intensity and decided to begin a new song, which became "Abracadabra". The first line she wrote was "Like a poem said by a lady in red, you hear the last few words of your life", which she intended to evoke the preparation of a spell in a ritual. This was followed by the creation of the chord progression, which Cirkut incorporated into the track to form the chorus. Song engineer Paul Lamalfa compiled a selection of words to shape the song's stuttering post-chorus, including "amor" and "morta", Latin for "love" and "death", respectively.
In an interview with The Howard Stern Show, Gaga said the song came together quickly, with the track, verses, and chorus taking about 30 minutes to complete. She contrasted this with other songs from Mayhem, which sometimes took longer to finalize. Producer Andrew Watt described the recording sessions as "spontaneous", explaining that she immediately responded to the instrumental by grabbing the microphone and beginning to freestyle. He noted that once the initial idea emerged, she would move to the piano to shape the song's chord structure, after which the arrangement was further developed through layered synthesizers and iterative recording between the control room and live room.
Composition and production
"Abracadabra" was written and produced by Gaga, Andrew Watt, and Cirkut. Additionally, Siouxsie and the Banshees members Susan Janet Ballion, Peter Edward Clarke, Steven Severin, and John McGeoch received songwriting credits, as it incorporates elements from their 1981 single "Spellbound". The track features lead vocals and keyboards by Gaga, with additional instrumentation by Watt and programming by Cirkut. It was recorded at Shangri-La Studios in Malibu and later mixed and mastered by Serban Ghenea and Randy Merrill, respectively.
The song is a fast-tempo dance, dance-pop, electropop, synth-pop, and acid techno track with electronic, industrial, house, and psychedelic influences. Sheet music published by Musicnotes denotes the song in common time and in the key of F Dorian. Gaga's vocal range spans from the low-note of B♭3 to the high-note of F5. The song is structured around multiple verses and builds toward a chorus, followed by a post-chorus where Gaga repeats the title in "broken syntax". It blends electronic and house-influenced production with piano and bass layers, built around a rhythmic synth foundation. Gaga's vocal delivery in the song has been described as "dramatic" and "full-throated", although she also employs a more "ethereal" tone during the song's bridge.
Gaga described the instrumental as deliberately challenging due to its dense and chaotic structure, recalling that Watt initially questioned how to write over such a "busy" beat. This complexity was precisely what drew her in, as she felt connected to its sharp, frenetic energy and approached the track through improvised vocal freestyling before formal lyrics were written. She explained that much of the song's early structure emerged organically, with chord progressions developed on piano and guitar to resolve the tension of Cirkut's atonal basslines. The production went through several iterations, which Gaga explained amounted to "like, three different versions of production", before ultimately settling into a house-influenced arrangement. She described the decision as "emotional" and "full circle", explaining that it felt right because everything for her "always went back to the dance floor".
Lyrically, the term abracadabra is used throughout the song to represent magic. The words appear in the song's chorus – "Abracadabra, amor-ooh-na-na, abracadabra, morta-ooh-ga-ga" – and also include the Latin words "amor" and "morta" ("love" and "death"). In addition, the term "abracadabra" is incorporated into the song's post-chorus, albeit with "broken syntax". In the song's refrain, a "lady in red" is mentioned, which Gaga described as representing every individual's "internal monologue" asking if they are good enough. She further explained that the song explores resilience and perseverance, using the dance floor as a metaphor for confronting self-doubt and pushing oneself to grow rather than merely survive. Writing for InStyle, Jonathan Borge wrote that the song "explores the duality of an artist battling the desire to constantly evolve sonically, aesthetically, and as a human, while facing extraordinary creative pressure". Gina Wurtz of Screen Rant described the song's message as "deeper than it appears on the surface", interpreting its lyrics as an encouragement to ignore negative voices and stay focused on one's own path. Elite Daily theorized that the use of the word "amor" could also serve as a hidden nod to "Bad Romance", as its reverse spelling ("roma") is a recurring word in that chorus. Many journalists have compared the song's dark and theatrical style to Gaga's earlier songs, including those from The Fame Monster (2009) and Chromatica (2020).
Critical reception "Abracadabra" received universal acclaim upon its release, with critics commending it for its production, energy, and catchy chorus. Many compared it to Gaga's early works, noting its influence from late-2000s dance-pop, as well as its continuation of the dark electronic sounds explored in "Disease". Larisha Paul of Rolling Stone noted that Gaga is "always drawing upon her knowledge of the history of music" and described the song as "a showcase of her return to dark pop that pays homage to the influences that shaped her career". Kyle Denis of Billboard described the track as an "explosive new dance-pop single" highlighted its "high intensity", while pointing out that it builds upon the dark electronic elements introduced in her previous release, "Disease", while Stephen Daw felt that the song reworks familiar elements from Gaga's earlier albums and ultimately "casts a spell to create an absolute pop smash". Lindsay Zoladz of The New York Times described it as a nostalgically charged return to form, comparing its infectious hook to "Bad Romance" (2009) and its bold electronic edge to Gaga's early work. Maria Sherman of the Associated Press described "Abracadabra" as "life-affirming dance music", while Abby Jones of Stereogum called it "quintessentially Lady Gaga".
Robin Murray of Clash described "Abracadabra" as "a thrilling piece of pop music that moves from light to shadow with expert control". L'Officiel editor Alessandro Viapiana complimented the song's piercing rhythm, pulsating synthesizers, and hypnotic vocal delivery. The Independent Adam White wrote that the song initially feels like an exaggerated version of a typical Gaga track, but described its intensity as a major return to form. Writing for DIY, Daisy Carter described the song as an unrestrained dancefloor anthem that recalls Gaga's The Fame Monster era, pointing to its nonsensical yet catchy chorus. Gina Wurtz of Screen Rant similarly regarded it as her strongest single in years, viewing it as a return to her "authentic dark pop" sound. Pitchfork Walden Green remarked that Gaga had not released a single this strong since 2013's "G.U.Y.", noting its tight hook and the blend of influences from across her career. Bustle referred to the track as "a dancefloor smash tailor-made for her fans", adding that "as the title suggests, Gaga casts a spell with her new single, commanding listeners to dance all night".
A Vulture article in 2025 ranked it as Gaga's eighth best song, describing it as a distinctive and life-affirming entry in her discography. HuffPost Daniel Welsh called it an "infectious" track that recalls the energy of The Fame (2008) and Born This Way (2011), while Marie Claire dubbed it a "vampiric dance anthem". Writing for GO, Abbie Thompson emphasized its "catchy chorus, vibrant house beats and piercing rhythm", predicting it would become a staple in queer nightlife.
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