The Contenders is a midweek column that looks at artists aiming for the top of the Billboard charts, and the strategies behind their efforts. This week, for the upcoming Billboard 200 dated Mar. 22, we look at whether the latest album from one of the century's greatest pop stars will return her to the top of the chart for the first time in five years.

Two big ’90s rock bands inspired Lady Gaga‘s upcoming new album Mayhem, as well as some rock icons from other decades. Gaga has explored many different sounds and styles throughout her discography, and while the songs she’s released from Mayhem so far sound pretty close to her dance pop roots,

She dances on the line between clever self-referentiality and less inspired rehashing on her new LP, committing to the over-the-top excess that first made her a star.