Mayhem

Frank Lebon transformed Lady Gaga into a haunting figure for her album Mayhem, creating one of 2025's most visually arresting cover images. The photographer captured Gaga with disheveled black hair and her face distorted behind shattered glass, establishing the gothic tone that would define the entire era.

The concept emerged from Gaga's own metaphorical description of the album as "reassembling a shattered mirror." She explained that even when pieces can't be put back together perfectly, something beautiful and whole can emerge in a new form. This philosophy became the literal visual foundation for Lebon's striking photographic interpretation.

Lebon, a London-born artist known for his analogue photography techniques, shot the album artwork at multiple sessions. The photographer created what sources described as "the portrait of an edgy, introspective and mature woman," moving away from Gaga's more colorful previous eras toward something darker and more contemplative.

For the main cover shoot, Lebon worked with stylist HARDSTYLE to create textures evocative of dark goth and horror imagery. Gaga wore an intricate blazer dress from Central Saint Martins graduate Mia Coco Chambers' 2024 collection, featuring baroque-inspired motifs crafted from molded rubber with cascading teardrop beads by Simone Rocha.

The technical execution involved traditional photographic methods, reflecting Lebon's specialty in analogue processes. Born in London in 1993, Lebon works across animation, photography, drawing and film, bringing a distinctly tactile quality to his images that digital photography often lacks.

Gaga completed her cover look with custom pieces from emerging designers: a black elongated collar by Iris Yang, striped mesh opera gloves by Wing & Weft Gloves, and Victorian-style lace-up leather boots by Mexican brand Cruda. Each element contributed to the overall gothic aesthetic Lebon was crafting.

The standard edition cover maintains a strict black-and-white color scheme, with the album title "Mayhem" appearing in a distorted, aggressive font on the back cover. Lady Gaga appears below in classic typeface, with the first "A" inverted - a subtle detail that reinforces the album's themes of chaos and transformation.

Critical reception praised Lebon's vision as capturing Gaga's return to her darker artistic roots. Vogue's Christian Allaire described the visual concept as "a twisted fashion fantasy, equal parts glamorous and grotesque," highlighting the photographer's ability to balance beauty with unsettling elements.

The photoshoot extended beyond the main cover image, with Lebon creating an entire visual narrative for the album. Additional images featured Gaga in custom designs by ILONA and Seth Pratt, including a white dress with leather harness details and a custom gimp mask made from vintage coin purses by HARDSTYLE.

Lebon's use of shattered glass as a visual metaphor proved prophetic for the album's commercial success. The imagery perfectly captured the fractured, genre-blending nature of Mayhem's 14 tracks, which span synth-pop, industrial dance, electro, disco, funk, and rock elements.

The cover's stark monochrome palette influenced the entire Mayhem era aesthetic, from music videos to tour visuals. The shattered glass motif appeared throughout promotional materials, creating a cohesive visual identity that reinforced the album's themes of duality and transformation.

Multiple retail editions featured alternate versions of Lebon's photography: Target's exclusive showed Gaga surrounded by mirror shards reflecting different expressions, while Amazon's version presented a close-up with smeared black paint. Each variation maintained the photographer's core vision while offering collectors different perspectives.

The Mayhem cover stands as a testament to Lebon's ability to distill complex artistic concepts into a single, powerful image. By literally fracturing Gaga's reflection, he created a visual representation of an artist reconstructing herself through music - imperfect perhaps, but undeniably compelling in its raw honesty.