Gaga wrote and produced "Killah" with
Andrew Watt,
Cirkut, and
Gesaffelstein. Paul Lamalfa recorded the track at
Shangri-La Studios in
Malibu, California; Marco Sonzini provided additional engineering, while Tyler Harris worked as the assistant engineer. "Killah" was
mixed by
Serban Ghenea at Mixstar Studios in
Virginia Beach, Virginia, and
mastered by
Randy Merrill at
Sterling Sound Studios in
Edgewater, New Jersey. Gaga, Watt, and Cirkut played keyboards;
Chad Smith played drums; and Cirkut and Gesaffelstein played synthesizer and provided drum and bass programming. Watt additionally played electric guitar. Bryce Bordone worked as the assistant mixing engineer, and Marc VanGool served as the studio technician. The song encompasses electro-funk, industrial, and dance genres and has been compared to the sound of
David Bowie,
Nine Inch Nails and
Prince due to its use of dense synthesizers, heavy bass, and aggressive electronic rhythms. Structurally, the track builds on what some media outlets have described as "a hypnotic groove," with whispered verses that gradually intensify until culminating in a high-energy chorus. Various reviews noted that Gesaffelstein's production influence becomes particularly evident in the second half of the song, where the instrumentation breaks into a distorted techno interlude before returning to the chorus with greater impact. Gaga described “Killah” as one of her favorite tracks on the album and highlighted her collaboration with Gesaffelstein, calling him the creative force behind the production. In an interview with
Rolling Stone, she stated it was one of the songs that most pushed her out of her comfort zone during the album's recording, affirming: "I love the production of Killah. The only live instrumentation on the entire album is a guitar, and it's so much fun. It has so much confidence. I've never worked with a rhythm and groove like this before. The truth is, I'm not always that confident. I'm someone who can feel deeply insecure, but in this track, it's like my ultimate confidence. And that's part of the journey of
Mayhem as a big night out. If you think of the album as a full night, this is that moment where you feel on top of the world." == Critical reception ==