"Alice" is a song by American singerLady Gaga recorded for her fifth studio album,Chromatica (2020). It appears as the album's second track, preceded by a string arrangement titled "Chromatica I". Written by Lady Gaga,BloodPop,Axwell,Justin Tranter, and Johannes Klahr, with production credits by BloodPop, Axwell, and Klahr, "Alice" is ahouse anddance-pop song withelectronica influences. It referencesLewis Carroll's 1865children's novelAlice's Adventures in Wonderland, and talks about the singer's willingness to keep trying despite difficulties.
"Alice" received generally positive critical reception, with reviewers praising its dance-pop energy, theatrical vocals, and house-inspired production, though some criticized its lyrics and stylistic choices. In the United States, it appeared at theBillboardHot Dance/Electronic Songs listing at number 7, while charting in a dozen other countries, including a peak of number 29 in the United Kingdom. A remix version byLsdxoxo was released as part of Gaga's remix album,Dawn of Chromatica (2021). Gaga performed "Alice" live onThe Chromatica Ball stadium tour (2022).
Axwell(pictured) co-wrote and produced "Alice", with one of his solo works informing the team's creative direction.
"Alice" was written by Lady Gaga,BloodPop,Axwell,Justin Tranter, and Johannes Klahr, and produced by BloodPop, Axwell, and Klahr.[1][2] Gaga explained that the song grew out of difficult conversations she had with BloodPop about her outlook on life, expressing both her doubt about enduring and her resolve to keep trying.[3]
BloodPop noted that Axwell's solo track "Nobody Else" influenced the creative direction, particularly its driving energy and crisphouse-music punch, qualities they wanted to capture for "Alice" and another song, "Free Woman".[4] The team also incorporated classicdance-music elements to achieve that atmosphere; for instance, they used theKorg M1 organ bass—an instrument heard throughout early house records. BloodPop explained that its harmonic, warm-sounding bassline fit seamlessly with Gaga's vocal delivery and anchored the track's club-ready feel.[4]
Prior the song's release on the albumChromatica (2020), there had been online speculation that it might be named after Gaga's childhood dog, Alice, who died in 2013.[5] The track references the fictional characterAlice and the imaginary realm ofWonderland fromLewis Carroll's 1865children's novelAlice's Adventures in Wonderland,[6] starting with the chorus "My name isn't Alice, but I'll keep looking for Wonderland".[7] The motif serves as a metaphor for the difficulty of attaining personal peace.[8] Gaga further elaborated on the song's background onSpotify:
In order to do hard things, we have to be willing to try. Sometimes trying involves dreaming. Some of us, I to be certain, must be able to imagine the greatness that's revealed within us when we overcome obstacles. Otherwise, what's the point? When we are sad this is more difficult, but I recall that there's always Wonderland...[9]
A 26-second sample of "Alice" highlighting itshouse-driven production as well as the "ahhs" and "oh ma-ma-ma" ad-libs that prompted comparisons to Gaga's 2009 single "Bad Romance".
"Alice" is a house anddance-pop song[10] withelectronica influences, built aroundkick drums, shimmeringsynths, and an upper-register vocal performance.[11][12][13] Journalists noted its strong foundation in classic house music:The Wall Street Journal highlighted its "kinetic" composition marked by offbeathigh-hats and cyclical neo-Latinkeyboard lines,[14] while others pointed to its "throbbingelectronicpop beat"[15] and its evocation of1990s chart house.[16] Several reviewers drew stylistic parallels to earlier dance tracks—Vulture noted the "booming, chopped-up" vocals in the chorus, comparing them to vocal house standards such asAly-Us's "Follow Me" (1992),[17]W Magazine heard echoes ofHaddaway's "What Is Love" (1993),[18] andThe Observer likened it to tracks like Ken Doh's "Nakasaki" (1996) andUltra Naté's "Free" (1997).[16] Elements of the chorus, including the"'ahhs' and an 'oh ma-ma-ma' stutter", were also viewed as reminiscent of the melodyc hooks of Gaga's own "Bad Romance" (2009).[7] Lyrically, the song reflects a restless mind searching for clarity and a place to belong, summarized by one journalist as a need for a "symphony" to break through the noise.[19][20]
"Alice" is preceded by anorchestral interlude called "Chromatica I", which opensChromatica and transitions directly into the track. As Gaga wanted to highlight that the album has three distinct acts, she recruited musicianMorgan Kibby to produce interludes for the album, with the help of a 26-person orchestra who performed thestring arrangements.[4] Kibby was brought into the studio after submitting thedemo that would eventually become "Chromatica I".[23] With the long string runs at the beginning of this composition, Kibby pursued to recall "the majesty and grandeur" ofDonna Summer andGloria Gaynor. She also aimed to reference classic scores from films such asTHX 1138 andOutland.[4] In an interview withZane Lowe onApple Music'sBeats 1, Gaga talked about the background of "Chromatica I":
The beginning of the album symbolizes for me the beginning of my journey to healing. It goes right into this grave string arrangement, where you feel this pending doom that is what happens if I face all the things that scare me. That string arrangement is setting the stage for a more cinematic experience with this world — that is how I make sense of things.[3]
Callie Ahlgrim ofInsider praised how effortlessly "Chromatica I" transitions into "Alice", while Courteney Larocca from the same outlet remarked that it has the feel of afantasy film opening.[24]Vulture's Kristen S. Hé also found it cinematic, noting it evokes a range of images and emotions, from windswept landscapes to human achievements and the passage of time.[10] Canadian singer and producerGrimes was set to remix the interlude forDawn of Chromatica, as well as "Chromatica II" and "Chromatica III"; however, her contributions did not make the final cut.[25]
Insider's Callie Ahlgrim observed that, despite being a common pop-music reference, theAlice in Wonderland imagery aligns well with Gaga's portrayal and the themes ofChromatica.
Stephen Daw ofBillboard ranked "Alice" as the sixth best track onChromatica, comparing its sound to the "deliriously entertaining"post-rave dance music of the early 2000s.[26] Jason Lipshutz, also writing for the magazine, described the song as a "post-rave triumph".[27] Quinn Moreland ofPitchfork considered the lyrics "Maestro, play me your symphony/I will listen to anything/Take me on a trip, DJ, free my mind" one ofChromatica's "wild lyrical clunkers".[28]USA Today's Patrick Ryan described the song as "hypnotic".[29]Vulture's Kristen S. Hé felt track served as the "perfect catalyst" for Gaga to reconnect with the dance-pop she had long avoided, noting that it features her giving in to the allure of a shuffling house beat.[10] Spencer Kornhaber fromThe Atlantic listed "Alice" as one of the standout moments ofChromatica with its "gasping chorus."[19] Lindsay Zoladz ofThe New York Times noted the song's strong replay value, while fellowTimes critic Caryn Ganz described "Alice" as possessing a "glittery hopefulness".[30]
Alessa Dominguez ofBuzzFeed News said thatChromatica opens strongly with "Alice", noting Gaga's "glam-theatrical fervor". She added that the track captures the album's house-inspired sound and escapist themes, complemented by Gaga's operatic vocal theatrics, and remarked that when she sings "Take me home", the listener is compelled to follow her "down the rabbit hole".[31]Insider's Callie Ahlgrim praised the song as "classic Lady Gaga in all her blood-pumping, bass-thumping glory", noting that althoughAlice's Adventures in Wonderland "has become an oft-used reference in pop music", she appreciated how it reflects and enhances the album's themes, envisioning Gaga as a "wide-eyed, curious Alice type and 'Chromatica' as a surrealist third space in between earth and escapism."[24]Slate's Carl Wilson felt the song pulls listeners into the album's "Wonderland", centered on the dance floor, noting its "brisk house workout" and "downshifted vocal effects", and remarked that while it might not "stick in your head", it still "sets the mood".[32]
On a more critical note, Patrick Gomez ofThe A.V. Club argued that the song's production "becomes sleepy" due to its reliance on a generic '90s dance-floor beat.[33] Evan Sawdey ofPopMatters called it "pleasant if middling", and the "least memorable track" offChromatica.[34] Adam White ofThe Independent desribed the "take me… home!" post-chorus shriek a "blast", but felt the track overall was "oddly impersonal".[35] Dan Weiss fromSpin thought that theAlice in Wonderland metaphors "are sadly notfar enough from the shallow".[36]
In 2022, Gaga performed "Alice" live atThe Chromatica Ball stadium tour as the first song of Act One of the show.[50] Similarly to the album, the song was preceded by the instrumentals of "Chromatica I" as an intro, accompanied by visuals of embryos and eggs.[51][52] Gaga appeared on stage lying on an operating table while singing the song.[53] She was wearing a blood-red gown with peak-shoulders – designed by her sister, Natali Germanotta – along with black leather boots and fingerless gloves.[54][55][56]
In his concert review, David Cobbald ofThe Line of Best Fit thought the sequence had "undertones of rebirth", with Gaga lying on what appeared to be a "morgue slab".[52]NME's Nick Levine described the performance as a slightly shocking presentation that emphasizes the subtle mental anguish in the lyrics, highlighting Gaga's pleading lines: "Where's my body? I'm stuck in my mind."[53]
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