Mayhem” is the love child of Mother Monster’s two most commercially successful albums, 2008’s “The Fame” and 2011’s “Born This Way.”

The Abracadabra singer is throwing it back to her early years on her new album. But critics can't seem to decide whether that's a good thing.

The Contenders is a midweek column that looks at artists aiming for the top of the Billboard charts, and the strategies behind their efforts. This week, for the upcoming Billboard 200 dated Mar. 22, we look at whether the latest album from one of the century's greatest pop stars will return her to the top of the chart for the first time in five years.