You might think you know what a hat is, but Lady Gaga manages to locate the edges of that definition, build something there, and then put that something on her head faster than you can navigate to the Wikipedia page for “Hat.

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.