The highly anticipated “Joanne” was released on Oct. 21, Lady Gaga’s first solo album in over three years. The album cover itself is uncommon for Gaga, featuring a simple, understated photo of the artist herself, rather than her well-known outlandish look.
The first impression of “Joanne” shocks listeners with the vastly different sound as compared to Gaga’s previous albums, “Artpop” (2013) and “Born this way” (2011). The album is named after Gaga’s deceased aunt, Joanne Germanotta, and effortlessly combines catchy pop tunes and electro synth pop in songs such as “Hey Girl” and relaxed ballads like “A Million Reasons” all in one album.
Lady Gaga disclosed in an interview with People Magazine that the album was deeply biographical and about family. “Returning to your family and where you came from, and your history…this is what makes you strong.” “It’s not looking out that’s going to do that- it’s looking in… ‘Joanne’ is a progression for me…It was about going into the studio and forgetting that I was famous,” said Gaga.
While listening to the tracks, it is clear that men have had a big effect on Gaga’s personal development. The first track on the album, “Diamond Heart,” is rumored to be about Gaga’s ex-fiancé, Taylor Kinney. Gaga recently broke off their five-year engagement, previously posting pictures of her six-carat diamond, heart-shaped engagement ring. This track, co-written by Mark Ronson, is sure to be a hit with fans, as it combines a strong, pounding drumbeat with a climatic, electric chorus.
“A-YO” combines a memorable double hand-clapping sequence and chorus with clear country- music influences, not previously heard in Gaga’s other albums. Country influences are also evident in “A Million Reasons,” a high point in the album. In the lyrics, Gaga asks for guidance from above because life is giving her “A million reasons to quit the show.”
The title track “Joanne” earns the label of the most emotional song in the album. The song is totally stripped down, and Gaga sings honestly about the death of her aunt, simply accompanied by acoustic guitar, “And I after love you even if I can’t see you anymore can’t wait to see you soar.”
Another highlight in “Joanne” includes “Hey Girl,” a duet with Florence Welch, the frontrunner of English indie rock band Florence and the Machine. The two distinctly different voices weave together beautifully to create a funky electric pop sound. The message behind the lyrics is female empowerment, and simply sends the message that women can lift each other up, rather than tear each other down, with lyrics such as, “Hey girl, hey girl, we can make it easy if we lift each other.”
“John Wayne” is a punk rock track which refers to the actor John Wayne, as well as Gaga’s previous relationships while including several cowboy references. Shown in her lyrics,”I just love a cowboy I know it’s bad, but I’m, like, can I just hang off the back of your horse and can you go a little faster?”
Biblical references are also included in two tracks, “Sinner’s Prayer” and “Come to Mama.” In “Come to Mama,” for example, Gaga refers to the Old Testament figure Noah to highlight the importance of loving one another, “There’s gonna be no future if we don’t figure this out.”
“Perfect Illusion” is an upbeat pop song that has a growing sense of urgency. It features a building chord sequence and a key change in the final chorus, which was used to build up to Gaga’s finale song.
Famous for her political activism, Gaga’s last track on the album “Angel Down” is a reference to the death of Trayvon Martin, who was killed by Martin Zimmerman, yards away from his front door, in 2012. This track leaves the album hanging on a raw and emotional note, describing the song in an interview with Beats One Radio as a protest song about “The epidemic of young African-Americans being murdered in this country.” As there are apparent references to the shootings in the lyrics, such as “Shots were fired on the street, by the church where we used to meet.”
The favorite track on this album would be “Just another day,” as it is the most uplifting and catchy track on the album. In fact, the piano accompaniment creates a sound like one heard on The Beatles’ album “Abbey Road,” released in the 1960s. The foot-tapping piano ostinato keeps the song moving and features a horn solo by highly acclaimed New York City jazz musician, Brian Newman.
“Joanne” is certainly different but already proving to be a success, featuring Gaga at number 1 on the Billboard Charts. Gaga will continue to gain more fans if her future albums feature more stripped-down songs which focus on her incredible voice and sheer talent rather than her stage image and the façade that follows it.
