Ever since the release of Joanne in 2016, internationally-renowned pop icon Lady Gaga has slowly been phasing out the off-kilter, electronic powerhouses and strange outfits that defined her early releases with slow, somber ballads. Obviously, Chromatica was welcome return back to her familiar peculiarities, but with the popularity of A Star is Born’s soundtrack and her recent, soulful collaboration with Bruno Mars, it seemed as though she was growing steadily less attuned to her fun, pop roots.
So, to many, the release of Gaga’s newest single, “Disease,” was a wonderful surprise, as it embraces all of the crazy or, well, gaga qualities that made her a favorite to communities all over the world. The booming bass and angelic synths are back in full force, at once transporting listeners back to her beloved Born This Way era, as beautiful now as her music’s ever been.
Given the song’s instant success, it only makes sense that a music video would come out to accompany it. So, when Gaga posted teaser for the music video on Instagram three days prior to its official release, fans were, naturally, hyped.
The video, much like its song, has an eerie, uncanny feel to it. In it, Gaga plays at least four different characters, each, according to her, representing the inner demons that she’s had to fight for years. Some are more extravagantly dressed than others, but they all seem to be violently working to gain dominance over those around them.
In an Instagram post following the video’s release, Gaga expanded on “Disease”’s mission statement, explaining that the song is ultimately about, “facing myself and my inner darkness, and realising that sometimes I can’t win or escape the parts of myself that scare me. That I can try and run from them but they are still part of me and I can run and run but eventually I’ll meet that part of myself again, even if only for a moment.”
As mentioned by NME, the video was directed by Tanu Muino, a Ukrainian director and editor of music videos. Over the past few years, she’s made a name for herself with her influential music videos for Lil Nas X’s “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” and Harry Styles’ “As It Was.” In her own post about the video, she expressed her excitement for the project, stating, “Working with [Lady Gaga] was raw art, pure freedom.”
You can watch the video for yourself below:
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