Very few artists could open with 3 songs as iconic as Gaga did for her Chromatica ball; ‘Bad Romance’, ‘Just Dance’, and ‘Poker Face’ all defining the late 00s. Dressed in custom Gareth Pugh (a grey ensemble matching her "museum of brutality" stage) throughout the opening act Gaga emerges from layers of the outfit, ready to tell her story.

Following a further visual interlude (including the Chromatica I audio) Gaga emerges in a red dress with extreme shoulder peaks designed by her sister Natali, introducing the narrative of Chromatica with the iconic House Chromatica album opener ‘Alice’ sung from an operation table. The exploration of pain is continued in the performance of ‘Replay’ (with a reveal of a blood-splattered latex look) followed by a slightly more campy yet still macabre performance of The Fame Monster classic ‘Monster’. This act showcases Gaga’s vocal talents alongside her stage presence and story-telling abilities. 

Act II opens with the iconic Chromatica II to ‘911’ transition at the end of its interlude, with the final chords of Chromatica II being repeated to extend the tension (and eventual satisfaction) of this transition. Completing the act with bops ‘Sour Candy’, ‘Telephone’, and ‘LoveGame’, Gaga transitions away from the Chromatica exploration of mental pain towards a more optimistic show focussing on healing and present joy.

Opening the next act with Chromatica closer ‘Babylon’, Gaga executes flawlessly camp and vogue-inspired choreography, marking a transition in the show. ‘Free Woman’ sees Gaga performing joyfully, making her way through the crowd to a smaller annexed stage for a piano (then studio) performance of 2011 hit ‘Born This Way’. The transition to gold in costuming signifies the pure joy of this act; it is easy to feel here that Gaga is, in fact, having fun tonight. 

Following the finest visuals of the video interludes (dressed in two different couture wedding gowns from the Christian Lacroix archive), Gaga emerges in a bug-inspired latex outfit for a stripped-back set performed solo with only her piano as an accompaniment. Although the vocal performance was stellar throughout the night, here Gaga’s voice really shone. The performance of ‘Enigma’ closes the act on an upbeat high, with the solo performance showing her command of the stage. 

The Gaga-ness and quirkiness of Gaga is highlighted in the recital of a poem for the final video interlude which precedes the high-energy performances of Chromatica hits ‘Stupid Love’ and ‘Rain On Me’. Whilst these performances with amazing choreography and vocals show Gaga as the greatest living pop star, the encore performance of the Top Gun: Maverick ballad ‘Hold My Hand’ shows Gaga really is “just a rockstar”; complete with spotless vocals, perfect command of the stage, and on stage flames, Gaga closes the show in style.

Throughout the night Gaga not only performs flawlessly but also maintains a connection with the audience through a variety of mini speeches dotted throughout the show. The narrative of the setlist and the storytelling of the show further allow Gaga’s happiness on stage to be highlighted. The Chromatica Ball (so far) has demonstrated that Gaga is still one of the greatest performers and artists ever, with many waiting in anticipation for what will happen next in her career.

10/10