Lady Gaga concert in Singapore: A theatrical masterpiece

On Sunday night (May 18), Mother Monster made her grand return to Singapore with the first of her four Asia-exclusive shows at Singapore’s National Stadium. Lion City Mayhem was Lady Gaga’s first reunion with Little Monsters here in 13 years, and anticipation was high even before the start of the show as fans roused each other, throwing the venue into thunderous applause.

The concert kicked off in grand fashion at about 8.15pm, with Lady Gaga wheeling in atop a towering cage filled with dancers as she launched into Bloody Mary.

It is the kind of ostentatious display fans have come to expect – and love.

In fact, I would go so far as to say that Lion City Mayhem was not a concert; it was a polished theatrical production that spotlighted the 39-year-old’s monumental growth as an artiste – one who is now also a respected actress and an Academy Award winner.

Set in five acts, Lion City Mayhem was, at its core, a gothic opera that used Lady Gaga’s repertoire of songs to further its plot, as opposed to being a “Night Of Lady Gaga’s Best Hits”. 

Lady Gaga Lion City Mayhem in Singapore setlist:

Bloody Mary
Abracadabra
Judas
Scheiße
Garden Of Eden
Poker Face
Perfect Celebrity
Disease
Paparazzi
Alejandro
The Beast
Killah
Zombieboy
Die With A Smile
How Bad Do U Want Me
Shadow of A Man
Born This Way
Blade Of Grass
Shallow
Vanish Into You
Bad Romance

The result was 120 minutes of Gaga continuously upping the ante, delivering captivating performances amidst haunting set pieces.

Despite the theatrical-esque production, Lady Gaga still managed to set aside a small section of her show to interact with fans during the song Vanish Into You, which proved to be one of the night's highlights.

Seeing fans of different nationalities burst into tears just by being in the presence of Lady Gaga was a testament to the impact she's had in the world and in pop culture.

Conversely, the gothic set-up also led to a few unwittingly funny moments like her singing the power ballad Die With A Smile – one of the most romantic songs in modern history – dressed as a devil playing a piano, blanketed with human skulls. 

But hey, that’s Gaga for you.

While Lady Gaga and the production itself scored full marks in my book, I would be remiss if I didn’t warn potential attendees, especially those seated in the floor section, that due to the relatively small stage size, you’ll pretty much have to stand throughout the entire show just to see what’s going on on stage.

And even then, be prepared to have your view blocked by a sea of phones. Which, of course, isn’t due to any fault of Gaga herself. But just be mentally prepared to stare at the giant screens throughout the show.

All in all, Lion City Mayhem was a reassurance that despite Lady Gaga’s numerous achievements, she is still who she is at heart: A monster performer.

Lady Gaga will perform three more shows in Singapore – May 19, 21 and 24.