Lady Gaga has entered a new era with the release of “Disease,” her first single from her seventh solo album.
The Grammy winner, 38, dropped the song on Friday, October 25, which features lyrics about healing.
“I could play the doctor I can cure your disease,” Gaga sings, adding, “If you were a sinner I could make you believe. Lay you down like 1, 2, 3.”
The dark pop lyrics continue, “Eyes roll back in ecstasy / I can smell your sickness I can cure ya / Cure your disease.”
Earlier this week, Gaga teased that her first single from her upcoming seventh album was set to come out on Friday. She initially left hints about the song’s title by capitalizing select letters in her other song titles on streaming platforms, eventually spelling out “Disease.” She also published a playlist on her Spotify account, with tracks arranged in order to spell “Gaga Disease.” The website gagadisease.com then led fans to a series of websites that appeared to reveal some of the single’s lyrics.
Gaga eventually confirmed the release after her label Universal Music shared streaming pre-saves for “Disease” on a pop-up site. “DISEASE 10.25,” she captioned a Monday, October 21, Instagram photo that listed the times that the song would drop in various cities around the world.
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Gaga followed up the date announcement with a teaser video shared via Instagram on Tuesday, October 22. The clip showed her being chased by someone driving a car as she ran down a street filled with a row of houses.
Throughout the year, Gaga has hinted about her upcoming seventh album. She first dropped a clue about the project when she shared Instagram photos of herself in a recording studio in January.
Amid her birthday celebrations in March, Gaga alluded to the release date of her upcoming record. “Today has been so special,” she wrote via Instagram at the time. “I can’t remember a time I was so happy on my bday. I am in love with my best friend, my family and friends are loving and kind and healthy. I feel like my heart is bursting with gratitude for my own health and music. I am writing some of my best music in as long as I can remember…”
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Gaga then expressed her appreciation for her fans. “Thank you thank you thank you for loving me the way you do and for having such a real love for my songs,” she continued. “I’ve been writing pop songs since I was a little girl. I can’t believe I still get to do what I love.”
She concluded: “This year will be an important and meaningful year for us I know. Music changes people’s lives. I’m so honored I get to be a part of that in this life.”
In July, Gaga offered a glimpse into her work behind the scenes. “Just me in the studio — happy as ever making music 
feel so grateful, heart is peaceful. It’s like meditation,” she captioned an Instagram post. “I can’t wait for you to hear what I’m working on.”
Ahead of her seventh solo album, Gaga surprised fans with her “Die With a Smile” duet with Bruno Mars in August and her Joker: Folie à Deux companion record, Harlequin, in September. The Joker sequel soundtrack consisted of covers, including “Get Happy” and “World on a String.”
