Lady Gaga Filmed a Video in Xochimilco: Why Is This ‘Terrifying’ Place in Mexico a Favorite Among Musicians & Filmmakers?

Lady Gaga, "The Dead Dance" Courtesy Photo Lady Gaga and Tim Burton chose an island built using pre-Hispanic farming methods in Xochimilco, a tourist area in the south of Mexico City, as the setting to seal a new collaboration between the pop superstar and the famed film director. The project combines dark, gothic and fantastical elements, characteristic of the theatricality that defines both artists work. Related Lady Gaga Gets All Dolled Up for Tim Burton-Directed The Dead Dance Video Lady Gaga Set to Light Up the Stage at the 2025 MTV VMAs Lady Gaga Plays Roblox to Promote Wednesday Song (Yes, It Was Actually Her!) The result is the music video for the song The Dead Dance, released on Wednesday (Sep. 3), which is part of the second season of Netflixs series Wednesday. In it, Gaga also stars as Rosaline Rotwood, a deceased instructor from Nevermore Academy who helps Wednesday Addams (played by Jenna Ortega) in her mission to save her family and friends. (Gaga also recently released a deluxe edition of her Mayhem album this week, with Dead Dance as one of three new bonus tracks.) The Dead Dance takes place on the Island of the Dolls, surrounded by vegetation, a crumbling house, and hundreds of old dolls of all sizes. Over time, exposure to the elements has left the dolls dirty and worn, with peeling paint on their faces, tattered clothing, missing eyes, and no hair, creating a chilling and eerie atmosphere. Trending on Billboard Filmed in black and white, the clip features choreography reminiscent of Michael Jacksons Thriller, where Gaga emerges from the mist, rises, and begins to move and sway to the rhythm of the music. *Reporting by Billboard.*