Fans Are Convinced Taylor Swift Makes a Secret Appearance on Lady Gaga’s ‘Mayhem’
Is Taylor Swift singing on Lady Gaga’s new song “How Bad Do U Want Me”?
After the release of Gaga’s seventh studio album, Mayhem, on Friday (March 7), fans quickly began to speculate that the 35-year-old pop superstar may have secretly contributed vocals to the project’s ninth track, “How Bad Do U Want Me.”
More from Billboard
Although Swift is not credited on the dreamy tune, fans took to social media to share their theories. One user on X wrote, “how bad do u want me being a straight up taylor swift song,” while another wondered, “why was gaga playing in taylor’s vault,” suggesting that the song could be part of the singer’s unreleased music collection.
On “How Bad Do U Want Me,” which interpolates the 1982 song “Only You” by Yazoo, Gaga moves away from the darker pop sounds featured on earlier Mayhem tracks. Instead, she embraces a sugary, ’80s-inspired synth-pop sound, singing from the perspective of the “bad girl” being loved by a man who typically prefers “good girls.”
Another fan on X suggested that Swift “secretly wrote” the song, noting, “the production? the vocal style? the lyrics?? it’s screaming 2014-2019 Taylor so bad.”
One fan chimed in, writing, “I always hear Taylor when I listen to this song.” And another argued that it was “clearly” Gaga singing on the track, but the comparisons to Swift’s style persisted.
Another X user shared a post combining Gaga’s Mayhem cover with a photo from Swift’s Reputation album shoot, writing, “THERES TAYLOR SWIFT BACKGROUND VOCALS ON HOW BAD DO YOU WANT ME BY LADY GAGA #MAYHEM.” Another person agreed, adding, “Wait, why does how bad do u want me by lady gaga sound like a taylor swift song??? i was so convinced it was hers i had to check the credits. is just me????”
Despite the ongoing fan theories, sources confirmed to Rolling Stone that Swift does not appear on Gaga’s “How Bad Do U Want Me.” Billboard confirmed this and has reached out to Gaga’s representatives for further comment.
Mayhem arrives following a successful 2025 for Gaga, marked by her chart-topping collaboration with Bruno Mars, “Die With a Smile.” The song reigned atop the Billboard Hot 100 chart for five weeks, making it her second-longest-running No. 1 hit after 2011’s “Born This Way.” Gaga also won a Grammy for best pop duo/group performance alongside Mars.
Her new album features an eclectic mix of production collaborators, including Andrew Watt, Cirkut, and Gaga’s fiancé, Michael Polansky. In a recent interview with Billboard, Gaga discussed the creative process behind Mayhem, explaining that the album’s chaotic vibe was intentional.
“There have been times in my career where I had an idea in terms of how to conceptually approach a record. But I would say that this album, from start to finish, was like pieces coming together,” she said. “I did not want to turn it into anything artificial, I really wanted to allow myself to just follow the music. By doing that, it started to slowly remind me of my earlier work.”
Best of Billboard
Sign up for Billboard's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Solve the daily Crossword
