On October 21st, Lady Gaga released Joanne, her fifth studio album. After experiencing some disappointment after listening to her last album, Artpop, my expectations for this album were not high. However, I was pleasantly surprised as I began to listen to one song and the next, truly enjoying not only a new sound, but a new style of music. Unlike her previous albums that have been heavily influenced by pop and electronic music, this album seems to be a change to more complex, authentic and real vocals and truly raw, honest and meaningful lyrics.
Don’t get me wrong, I love mostly all of Lady Gaga’s music. She is one of my favorite music influences in my own life— I sincerely loved listening to the album Fame all throughout my childhood. Overall, it’s been quite the interesting transformation over time to witness how she continually evolves and alters her image, her music, and how she creates this form of art. All I can say at this point is that this album is different in all the right ways. It’s so distinct, unique and well put together, that I can see its potential to become her most successful album yet.
After listening to the entire album, a few of my favorites include “Joanne,” “Dancin’ in Circles,” “Diamond Heart,” “Sinner’s Prayer,” and “Grigio Girls.” With so many genres included throughout the entire album, there truly is a song for everyone. It’s a wonderful thing to be able to hear such a variety and also to realize that Lady Gaga poured her heart and soul into this album. With the level of diversity and inguenuity that it contains, it’s evident that this album was created so that each song could stand on its own, yet at the same time all the songs can come together, complementing each other to construct one beautiful masterpiece.
If there are any songs I don’t like, I would have to say I’m not the biggest fan of “Perfect Illusion.” While it could have something to do with the fact that it was extremely overplayed once it became popular as a single, I also don’t love the lyrics and sound of it. That’s just an individual opinion, so don’t let it deter you from listening to the song by any means – you could end up loving it. Overall, I have little-to-no complaints regarding the entire album. I’m very excited to see how well it does, and also to see any music videos for this album as they come out!
TL; DR: I highly recommend checking the album out on Spotify and seeing what you think. Listen with an open mind and accept the beautiful experience that is the new, yet always authentic, Lady Gaga.
When Ron Burgundy (aka Will Ferrell) is doing it, you know it must be good– Jumping for Joanne!