Speaking of “Abracadabra,” Lady Gaga may have pulled off the ultimate “Saturday Night Live” magic trick during her two musical numbers in this week’s episode: dancing furiously and singing live. That combination is not for every “SNL” musical guest,

Mayhem technically concludes with its juggernaut hit “Die With A Smile,” but its true farewell comes in the piano ballad “Blade of Grass.” Inspired by a conversation with her now fiancé about proposals, the track imagines how wrapping a blade of grass around her finger would be enough.

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.