Album: "Joanne"
Released: Oct. 21
Label: Interscope Records
Rating: B
Best Songs: “Diamond Heart,” “Perfect Illusion,” “Angel Down,” “Grigio Girls”
Worst Songs: “John Wayne,” “Dancin’ in Circles,” “Hey Girl”
With every new album, Lady Gaga emerges as a reincarnation. Her latest hat is a dusty rose one that pays homage to her rock 'n’ roll roots. “Joanne,” the fifth album from Gaga, seems to be the most authentic. Where we got a pop princess in “The Fame Monster” and an experimental musician in “ARTPOP,” we get a bluesy, honest Gaga in “Joanne.”
Gaga’s quest to create an honest and authentic album somehow led her to a mix of electronic and country. At times, it absolutely does not work, but other times it does. In “Sinner’s Prayer,” it seems off-putting at first to hear a country twang to Gaga’s voice, but the fun melody and lyrics give the song a timeless feel rather than a Southern one.
“A-YO,” gives Joanne a characterization. It’s a fun party anthem that would have fit nicely on Gaga’s earlier works if it had a purely pop arrangement, but the electric guitar and EDM production is purely “Joanne.” “Dancin’ in Circles” is another attempt to create the unique vibe of “A-YO,” but it's less successful as a crowded sound and subpar lyrics cause the track to fail.
The first single off “Joanne” is “Perfect Illusion,” a high-energy banger co-produced by Mark Ronson and Kevin Parker of Tame Impala. The electric guitar and constant screaming threaten to drown out the rest of the song, but Gaga’s powerful presence holds it together. “Perfect Illusion” is a powerful anthem on losing what you thought was real.
The second single, “Million Reasons,” falls flat where “Perfect Illusion” soars. The ballad utilizes Gaga’s impressive voice well, but the repetitive reasons make the song feel tiresome and unnecessary.
Luckily, the missteps are mended by songs like “Come to Mama” and “Diamond Heart,” which are two of the album’s biggest successes. These are songs Gaga could either wail at a dive bar in Nashville or perform on her inevitable arena tour, and they would fit in both scenarios. “Diamond Heart” is a tone-setting opener, encapsulating everything Gaga strove to achieve with “Joanne." It’s rock but EDM, honest but theatrical and completely self-aware.
“John Wayne” and “Grigio Girls” are tributes to two American classics — cowboys and wine. But while Gaga’s tribute to the Wild West is confusing with its lyrical meaning and decidedly urban production, “Grigio Girls” is a paean to friendship and learning how to cope with heartache.
The most poignant song on the album, “Angel Down,” was written about the death of Trayvon Martin. Like with the heartbreaking sexual assault reflection “Till It Happens To You” last year, the importance of this song is clear. Gaga’s plea to end the violence is powerful and understated, a haunting reflection on the recent deaths of black men across America.
Gaga’s only duet is with Florence + The Machine singer Florence Welch. “Hey Girl” has a '70s vibe that feels like a less energetic “Bennie and The Jets,” but that’s where the classic feel ends. The potential of this song was immense; Welch and Gaga are both powerhouse vocalists who are firm in their beliefs. But the messy production and somehow juvenile lyrics sell both artists short.
“Just Another Day” closes the album and is the perfect goodbye note to listeners — an unapologetic and carefree track that tells the world exactly who Gaga is under her many hats. It feels like a send-off song, an ode to Gaga’s classic roots and oddball taste. “Just Another Day” feels like a swan song, but Gaga is at the beginning of her next chapter as Joanne.
After years of waiting, “Joanne” feels like coming home to a rougher, self-assured Lady Gaga. The awkward and clumsy moments of “Joanne” should hold Gaga back, but her quirky sensibilities are what she defines herself by and what has led her to carve out a place in pop history.