"Zombieboy" is a song by

Lady Gaga Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta (born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her image reinventions and versatility across the entertainment industry, she is an influ ...

, released on her 2025 studio album ''

Mayhem Mayhem most commonly refers to: * Mayhem (crime), a type of crime Mayhem may also refer to: People * Monica Mayhem (born 1978), Australian pornographic actress * Jason "Mayhem" Miller, American mixed martial arts fighter * Mayhem Miller (dr ...

''. The

disco Disco is a music genre, genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the late 1960s from the United States' urban nightclub, nightlife, particularly in African Americans, African-American, Italian-Americans, Italian-American, LGBTQ ...

song is a tribute to model

Rick Genest Rick Genest (August 7, 1985 – August 1, 2018), also known as Zombie Boy, was a Canadian artist, actor, fashion model, and musician. He held a Guinness World Records, Guinness World Record for his full-body tattoos. Personal life Genest was b ...

. It was written and produced by Lady Gaga, Andrew Watt and

Cirkut Henry Russell Walter (born April 23, 1986), known professionally as Cirkut, is a Canadian record producer and songwriter. He has co-produced and co-written commercially successful singles, often in tandem with American record producer Dr. Luke ...

, with

James Fauntleroy James Edward Fauntleroy II (born May 16, 1984) is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer from Inglewood, California. He is best known for his songwriting work and guest performances on songs by high-profile artists including Travis ...

providing additional songwriting. "Zombieboy" was mixed by

Serban Ghenea Serban Ghenea () is a Canadian audio engineer and mixer. He has been nominated for a Grammy Award a total of 45 times and has won 21 times. Early life and education Ghenea was born in Romania, and in 1976 he moved to Montreal with his family. H ...

and

mastered Mastering is a form of audio post production which is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device called a master recording, the source from which all copies will be ...

Randy Merrill Randy Merrill is an American mastering engineer who has worked with international artists including Blink-182, DAY6, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Maroon 5, Harry Styles, One Direction, Adele, Imagine Dragons, Beck, Liam Gallagher, Jonas Brothers, Muse ...

. The track received positive reviews from critics, who praised its disco style and described it as one of the album’s standout moments. It reached number 76 on the ''Billboard'' Global 200 and also charted in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Brazil, France, Greece, and Portugal. The song has inspired a dance trend on social media.

Production and composition

wrote and produced "Zombieboy" with Andrew Watt and

, while

provided additional songwriting. Paul Lamalfa recorded the track at

Shangri-La Studios Shangri-La is a recording studio in Malibu, California, currently owned by record producer Rick Rubin. Originally a ranch property with a bungalow owned by actress Margo, it was leased by The Band in the 1970s and converted to a recording studi ...

Malibu, California Malibu ( ; ; ) is a beach city in the Santa Monica Mountains region of Los Angeles County, California, about west of downtown Los Angeles. It is known for its Mediterranean climate, its strip of beaches stretching along the Pacific Ocean coa ...

; Marco Sonzini provided additional engineering, while Tyler Harris worked as the assistant engineer. "Zombieboy" was mixed by

at Mixstar Studios in

Virginia Beach, Virginia Virginia Beach (colloquially VB) is the most populous city in the U.S. commonwealth of Virginia. The city is located on the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay in southeastern Virginia. It is the sixth-most populous city in the ...

, and

Sterling Sound Studios George Marino (April 15, 1947June 4, 2012) was an American mastering engineer known for working on albums by rock bands starting in the late 1960s. Biography Marino was born on April 15, 1947, in the New York City borough The Bronx. He attended ...

Edgewater, New Jersey Edgewater is a borough located along the Hudson River in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 14,336, an increase of 2,823 (+24.5%) from the 2010 census count of 11,5 ...

. Gaga additionally played

Rhodes piano The Rhodes piano (also known as the Fender Rhodes piano) is an electric piano invented by Harold Rhodes, which became popular in the 1970s. Like a conventional piano, the Rhodes generates sound with keys and hammers, but instead of strings, th ...

and keyboards; Watt played drums, percussion, bass guitar, electric guitar, and keyboards; and Cirkut played synthesizer and keyboards and provided drum and bass programming. Bryce Bordone worked as the assistant mixing engineer, and Marc VanGool served as the studio technician. "Zombieboy" is 3 minutes and 33 seconds long. It is a tribute to model

(1985–2018), who appeared in the music video for Gaga's 2011 song " Born This Way". ''

Pitchfork A pitchfork or hay fork is an agricultural tool used to pitch loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. It has a long handle and usually two to five thin tines designed to efficiently move such materials. The term is also applie ...

'' described the track as a "glitzy disco bop" with a "double dutch chant". ''

Paper Paper is a thin sheet material produced by mechanically or chemically processing cellulose fibres derived from wood, Textile, rags, poaceae, grasses, Feces#Other uses, herbivore dung, or other vegetable sources in water. Once the water is dra ...

'' magazine said it "sounds like a long-lost '80s New York club classic". ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

'' described "Zombieboy" as "groovy". ''

Stereogum ''Stereogum'' is a daily Internet publication that focuses on music news, reviews, interviews, and commentary. The site was created in January 2002 by Scott Lapatine. ''Stereogum'' was one of the first MP3 blogs and has received several awar ...

'' believed that it has a "swaggering bassline and shimmering synths" and "sounds like a post-apocalyptic roller disco as Gaga begs for the affection of a man who's long gone".

Autostraddle Autostraddle is a queer and trans-owned online magazine and social network for lesbian, bisexual, and queer women ( cis and trans), as well as non-binary people and trans people of all genders. The website is a "politically progressive queer fem ...

called it "disco-guitar" and "foot-tappingly percussive".

Hypebeast Hypebeast may refer to: * Hypebeast culture, a contemporary youth culture focused on clothing styles *Hypebeast (company) Hypebeast is a Hong Kong–listed company that focuses on contemporary culture and lifestyle. It was originally founded in 2 ...

said the song adds "disco-driven energy" to the album. According to the ''

Campus Times The University of Rochester is a private university, private research university in Rochester, New York, United States. It was founded in 1850 and moved into its current campus, next to the Genesee River in 1930. With approximately 30,000 full ...

'', the song "brings back Lady Gaga's sexual prowess through her trademark references to monsters. Gaga requests that her zombie boy puts his 'paws all over me,' which is a callback to previous works in which she uses 'paws' to reference hands, especially noticeable in 'Born This Way', and '

Monster A monster is a type of imaginary or fictional creature found in literature, folklore, mythology, fiction and religion. They are very often depicted as dangerous and aggressive, with a strange or grotesque appearance that causes Anxiety, terror ...

', and has remained in the linguistic repertoire of her fan base."

Critical reception

''Billboard'' Stephen Daw ranked “Zombieboy” as the third-best track on ''Mayhem'', describing it as “the campiest possible disco number” with “groovy guitars,” a “clap-along drum beat,” and speak-sung vocals that channel the hedonism of Gaga’s early work. ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...

'' Brittany Spanos described “Zombieboy” as “a little ''

Artpop ''Artpop'' is a studio album by American singer Lady Gaga. It was released on November 6, 2013, by Streamline and Interscope Records. Gaga began planning the project in 2011, shortly after the launch of her second effort, '' Born This Way''. Wor ...

'' meets ''

The Fame ''The Fame'' is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter Lady Gaga. It was released on August 19, 2008, by Interscope Records. After joining KonLive Distribution and Cherrytree Records in 2008, Gaga began working on the album with di ...

'',” calling it “a cute and sexy track” and one of ''Mayhem''’s “surprisingly funky moments.” ''

Out Out or OUT may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films *Out (1957 film), ''Out'' (1957 film), a documentary short about the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 *Out (1982 film), ''Out'' (1982 film), an American film directed by Eli Hollander *O ...

'' Taylor Henderson said the song was "instantly iconic". ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

'' Alexis Petridis said "the Chic-style disco of 'Zombieboy' is unexpectedly disrupted by a widdly-woo hair metal guitar solo. Equally, it is smart enough to marshal its star's diversity". ''

Minnesota Daily The ''Minnesota Daily'' is the campus newspaper of the University of Minnesota, published Monday and Thursday while school is in session, and published weekly on Wednesdays during summer sessions. Published since 1900, the paper is currently the ...

'' Sommer Wagen said the song has a "sparkling disco melody" and opined, "The track stands apart from the rest of the album and is by far its most exciting non-single track." ''Pitchfork'' Jaeden Pinder called "Zombieboy" a "glitzy disco bop", highlighting the lyric "Put your paws all over me, you zombie boy" as one of the album's standout "Gaga-isms". ''

Vogue Vogue may refer to: Business * ''Vogue'' (magazine), a US fashion magazine ** British ''Vogue'', a British fashion magazine ** '' Vogue Adria'', a fashion magazine for former Yugoslav countries ** ''Vogue Arabia'', an Arab fashion magazine ** ' ...

'' Christian Allaire said the song and "

Garden of Eden In Abrahamic religions, the Garden of Eden (; ; ) or Garden of God ( and ), also called the Terrestrial Paradise, is the biblical paradise described in Genesis 2–3 and Ezekiel 28 and 31.. The location of Eden is described in the Book of Ge ...

" are "sexy pop bangers certain to be hits in all the gay clubs". ''

The Observer ''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. First published in 1791, it is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper. In 1993 it was acquired by Guardian Media Group Limited, and operated as a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' ...

'' Caroline Collins said "Zombieboy" is Gaga "at her most hypnotic, blending horror and romance into a seductive anthem" and opined, "the track feels like a successor to 'Monster' from ''

The Fame Monster ''The Fame Monster'' is a reissue of American singer Lady Gaga's debut studio album, ''The Fame'' (2008). It was released on November 17, 2009, by Interscope Records, Streamline Records, KonLive Distribution, and Cherrytree Records. Initially ...

''." ''

NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...

'' Nick Levine described "Zombieboy" as a "disco-rap banger", noting that Gaga "sounds a bit like a musical theatre kid channelling Blondie’s

Debbie Harry Deborah Ann Harry (born Angela Trimble, July 1, 1945) is an American singer, songwriter and actress, best known as the lead vocalist of the band Blondie (band), Blondie. Four of her songs with the band reached on the US charts between 1979 and 1 ...

– but just about gets away with it." A ''

Vulture A vulture is a bird of prey that scavenges on carrion. There are 23 extant species of vulture (including condors). Old World vultures include 16 living species native to Europe, Africa, and Asia; New World vultures are restricted to Nort ...

'' article opined it's the one ''Mayhem'' track that actually could have appeared on ''The Fame'' exactly as it is — give or take Andrew Watt's

Van Halen Van Halen ( ) was an American rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1973. Credited with restoring hard rock to the forefront of the music scene, Van Halen was known for their energetic live performances and the virtuosity of their guit ...

–inspired shredding. It's hard to shake the feeling that this is a retread, but a little nostalgia is welcome when it sounds this smooth.

Commercial performance

"Zombieboy" entered several national charts following the release of ''Mayhem''. The song debuted at number 76 on the ''Billboard'' Global 200, a chart that ranks the most streamed and best-selling songs worldwide. In the United States, it debuted at number 85 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 for the week of March 22, 2025, and reached number six on the

Hot Dance/Pop Songs The Hot Dance/Pop Songs chart has been published weekly by ''Billboard'' beginning in January 2025. A sister chart to their Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart, the creation of the Hot Dance/Pop Songs chart was announced on December 10, 2024. The cha ...

chart. In Canada, it peaked at number 85 on the

Canadian Hot 100 The Canadian Hot 100 is a music industry record chart in Canada for songs, published weekly by ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' magazine. It was launched on the issue dated March 31, 2007 as the standard record chart in Canada; a new chart ...

, while in Brazil it reached number 95 on the

Brasil Hot 100 The ''Billboard'' Brasil Hot 100 is a record chart in Brazil for songs, published weekly by ''Billboard Brasil'' magazine. First launched in October 2009, the chart was initially published monthly and measured the airplay of songs on radio stations ...

. In the United Kingdom, the track debuted at number 76 on the

UK Streaming Chart The Official Audio Streaming Chart (previously the Official Streaming Chart) is a music chart based on plays of songs through audio streaming services (including Spotify, Deezer, Google Play Music, Apple Music and Tidal) in the United Kingdom. ...

for the week of March 20. In France, it entered the top 200 at number 141, and in Greece, it charted at number 42 on the Digital Singles Chart.

Live performances

The first live performance of "Zombieboy" was during Gaga's 2025 promotional concerts for ''Mayhem'', which included a headlining set at

Coachella 2025 Coachella 2025 was a music and arts festival that took place at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California on April 11–13 and April 18–20, 2025. It is the 24th edition of the festival. The headlining performers were Lady Gaga, Green Day, Post ...

, where she and her backup dancers partner-danced with skeletons during the song. ''Rolling Stone'' Tomás Mier felt "Gaga was channeling a

Wednesday Addams Wednesday Friday Addams is a character from the Addams Family multimedia franchise created by American cartoonist Charles Addams. She is typically portrayed as a morbid and emotionally reserved child that is fascinated by the macabre, often ...

-esque narrative" for "Zombieboy". On May 31, 2025, Gaga took part in

Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...

Tudum Tudum: A Global Fan Event, also known as Netflix Tudum or Tudum Festival, is a global pop culture event that covers Netflix's original films and television series held annually in São Paulo, Brazil (except from the 2nd to the 4th editions, which ...

event with a special performance inspired by ''

Wednesday Wednesday is the day of the week between Tuesday and Thursday. According to international standard ISO 8601, it is the third day of the week. In English, the name is derived from Old English and Middle English , 'day of Woden', reflecting ...

'', where she emerged from a coffin bearing the inscription "here lies the monster queen" to perform "Zombieboy" and "

Abracadabra ''Abracadabra'' is a magic word, historically used as an Apotropaic magic, apotropaic incantation on amulets and common today in stage magic. The actual origin is unknown, but one of the first appearances of the word was in a second-century work ...

", accompanied by dancers with a gothic aesthetic reminiscent of

the Addams Family The Addams Family is a fictional family created by American cartoonist Charles Addams. They originally appeared in a series of 150 standalone single-panel comics, about half of which were originally published in ''The New Yorker'' between 193 ...

Credits and personnel

Credits are adapted from the

liner notes Liner notes (also sleeve notes or album notes) are the writings found on the sleeves of LP record albums and in booklets that come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or cassette j-cards. Origin Liner notes are descended from the prog ...

of ''Mayhem''. *

– songwriter, producer, lead vocals, background vocals,

, keyboards * Andrew Watt – songwriter, producer, drums, percussion, bass guitar, electric guitar, keyboards *

– songwriter, producer, synthesizer, keyboards, drum programming, bass programming *

– songwriter *Paul Lamalfa –

recording engineer An audio engineer (also known as a sound engineer or recording engineer) helps to produce a recording or a live performance, balancing and adjusting sound sources using equalization, dynamics processing and audio effects, mixing, reproducti ...

–

mixing engineer A mixing engineer (or simply mix engineer) is responsible for combining ("mixing") different sonic elements of an auditory piece into a complete rendition (also known as "final mix" or "mixdown"), whether in music, film, or any other content of a ...

*Randy Merrill –

mastering engineer Mastering is a form of audio post production which is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the Audio mixing (recorded music), final mix to a data storage device called a master recording, the source ...

*Marco Sonzini – additional engineer *Tyler Harris – assistant engineer *Bryce Bordone – assistant mixing engineer *Marc VanGool – studio technician

Charts

References

{{Lady Gaga songs 2025 songs American disco songs Commemoration songs Lady Gaga songs Song recordings produced by Andrew Watt (record producer) Song recordings produced by Cirkut Song recordings produced by Lady Gaga Songs written by Andrew Wyatt Songs written by Cirkut Songs written by James Fauntleroy Songs written by Lady Gaga