Her new album is a work of self-citation, rummaging around in Gaga’s own past for inspiration. It’s also, somehow, the freshest collection of songs she has released in years.

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.

"How Bad Do U Want Me" has quickly become a fan-favorite track from Lady Gaga's new album, Mayhem, but she nearly left the song on the studio floor. "I almost didn't put that on the album," the pop star,