She dances on the line between clever self-referentiality and less inspired rehashing on her new LP, committing to the over-the-top excess that first made her a star.

Instead, she’s made one of her most sonically challenging and uniform albums yet: a mix of Nine Inch Nails, David Bowie, Prince and her Fame Monster -era self, rolled into the year’s strongest pop release yet.

Lady Gaga made her name bringing a touch of strangeness to whatever she does, and on Saturday Night Live last night, where she played the host and musical guest, she delivered with over-the-top costumes and theatrical choreography in performances of songs off her new album,

The singer made the ill-fated sequel the butt of her jokes after the film royally bombed among critics and at the box office.

With Lady Gaga serving as both the evening’s host and musical guest, Mother Monster had free rein to wreck creative havoc. For Lady Gaga’s first performance of the evening, she unleased true mayhem with latest album’s track “ Abracadabra .”