Tim Burton brings gothic flair to Lady Gaga’s new video ‘The Dead Dance’

Lady Gaga has dropped a new single, "The Dead Dance", accompanied by a Tim Burton–directed video that blends the macabre and the playful in true Burton fashion. The release coincides with her guest role in the second season of Netflix's "Wednesday", which premiered yesterday.

The video opens with Gaga perched on a wall surrounded by eerie baby dolls. As the track kicks in, she launches into her "dead dance," rousing the dolls to life. Soon, masked backup dancers join in, while the dolls nod along to the beat as day turns to night. Costume design comes from Oscar-winner Colleen Atwood, choreography from Parris Goebel and Corey Baker, with Gaga herself producing alongside Michael Polansky, Burton, and Natalie Testa.

"The Dead Dance" appears on an extended edition of Gaga's album "Mayhem", now available on streaming platforms, alongside two fresh tracks, "Can't Stop the High" and "Kill for Love", Speculation about the video first surfaced in July, when Gaga was spotted filming with Burton at Mexico City's haunting Island of the Dolls. At Spotify and Netflix's "Wednesday" Graveyard Gala last week, she confirmed both the single and her cameo on the show.

"I had a wonderful time working on 'Wednesday' season two, even just being a small part of the show," Gaga told fans. "I loved working with Tim Burton and Jenna and everyone here—it's so incredible. Thank you. I'm also here to confirm my song 'The Dead Dance' is coming."

Produced with Andrew Watt and Cirkut, the song was written specifically for "Wednesday," according to the show's music supervisors. The now-iconic dance sequence was originally filmed with a placeholder track of the same tempo, held under wraps for over a year until Gaga's song was unveiled.

"It's not 'Bloody Mary,' and it's not a remix," music supervisor Jen Malone told Tudum. "It's a brand-new Gaga song. She's an icon, a once-in-a-lifetime artist—and this is exactly what the fans want."

The release adds another chapter to Gaga's ongoing "Mayhem Ball" tour, which launched in July at Las Vegas' T-Mobile Arena. She is slated to perform at the MTV Video Music Awards this Sunday before the tour resumes across North America and overseas.