Lady Gaga’s ‘90s Grunge Album Inspired Her New Baby Bangs

Although Lady Gaga has barely taken a moment off from making music since her first studio album was released in 2008, fans have been starving for something new. The Grammy-winning artist has been experimenting from her usual dance-pop genre over the past few years, dipping her toe into everything from jazz standards (inspired by her role in Joker: Folie à Deux) to power ballads from mega movie soundtracks. With the seventh solo album, Mayhem, she’s back to her punky-pop roots for the first time since 2020’s Chromatica — but this time expect a moodier sound and look to match. The LP officially comes out on February 2, but she’s already given a sneak peek to the visual aspect via Elle’s latest issue, in which the cover star debuts a set of ‘90s-inspired baby bangs that hint at the sound her Little Monsters can expect.

In the editorial shoot, shot by Gray Sorrenti and styled by Pau Avia, Gaga poses in a series of goth-glam looks by the likes of Rick Owens, Valentino, Issey Miyake, and Alexander McQueen — think lots of layers with textures of tulle and lace to create a sort of grunge glam effect. And upon reading the accompanying interview, this aesthetic wasn’t randomly chosen. When playing a song from the new album, she tells author Lotte Jeffs that she was inspired by “’90s alternative, electro-grunge.” Additionally, the first video, “Disease,” harkens back to alt staples from the decade like Nine Inch Nails’ “Closer” or Soundgarden’s “Black Hole Sun.” All that said, the nostalgic eyebrow-grazing fringe she sports in the magazine is right on cue with the new musical direction.

Like all the most iconic pop stars, Gaga has always been intentional about connecting the aural and visual aspects of her projects. For example, for Harlequin she donned a bright red bob and a series of Harley Quinn-inspired looks and for the folky Joanne, she switched up her style to be significantly more stripped down. In approaching Mayhem, the singer tells Jeffs that she’s finally found the boundary between living a happy personal life and making dark and moody music — and this balance is reflected in her Elle look, with bleached brows (another ‘90s throwback), long dark auburn waves, and of course her baby bangs that harken back to the era’s It girls like Shannyn Sossamon.

Gaga’s hair was styled by Akki Shirakawa at Art Partner, and while it looks so distinctly different on the Born This Way singer, it’s actually not the first time she’s dabbled in micro fringe. During press for House of Gucci, the star debuted wispy platinum baby bangs. And at last year’s premiere of premiere of her Gaga Chromatica Ball, she showed off a barely there black set with a more futuristic feel. By contrast, her latest hair transformation feels more goth-y and grunge-y yet a little romantic — and its seems like that’s exactly how you might describe Gaga’s next so-called “chaotic” musical chapter.