Lady Gaga 'Joanne' Album Review
It would be foolish to dismiss Lady Gaga as a novelty artist, hypnotising her ‘little monsters’ with a bag of musical and aesthetic tricks over years past. Sure, her ever-changing appearance intrigues, and her songs are incredibly catchy, but when Gaga first arrived on our radios and television screens, many subliminally doubted that such a focus on costume and theatrics meant artistic longevity.
In 2016, Lady Gaga’s public façade is inextricably irrelevant upon the release of her sixth studio album ‘Joanne’ – a musically unadulterated addition to follow the success of her former pop releases. As if anticipating the question of her altering visual character, Stefani Germanotta has moved further away from ‘Gaga’ and nearer to the ‘Lady’ title she deserves as an all-round respected performer in the music industry today. ‘Joanne’ gives fans a stripped back, organic album to sink their teeth into – and has broadened her devoted fan-base in the process.
‘Joanne’ is an album of truth, honesty and raw relatability. Popular track ‘Million Reasons’ begins with Gaga’s calming, introspective piano chords that melt the heart before coupling with the gentle strumming of guitar. The ambiguous second-person lyrics “You’re giving me a million reasons to let you go” sung in melancholy manner dig deep, instantly achieving real-world-experience status in the hearts of listeners, who immediately apply feelings of wonder and introspection to their own situations.
Interestingly, Americana is a much-reflected theme on the album that works to secure Gaga’s place as not only an entertainer, but also one with a message. ‘Angel Heart’ opens with a slight warping of the electric guitar, its imagery alluding to a dystopian society. Sure enough, Gaga’s confession “I am lost / in the age of the social” cleverly conveys disappointment in the broken societal state, while “it’s chaos / where are our leaders?” complements the notion. With references to war and dying patriotism, it’s perfectly inline with the U.S. political climate following the controversy-clad election of 2016.
Similarly, ‘Diamond Heart’ explores American endurance through oxymoronic situations of jarring sensitivity. Interestingly, one can almost liken its Americana with the likes of Bruce Springsteen in the way Gaga captures her homeland in its most scatological state. “Girls playin’ bad ‘cause’ it doesn’t pay to be good” boldly banded with the less confronting “C’mon baby, do you have a girlfriend?” of the song’s chorus. In short, relativity and edgy pop = surefire hit.
Wisely, ‘A-YO’ works to balance the album’s voice of seniority with a relaxed ‘let loose’ persona. The funky beat loosely reminiscent of a seventies hit is what drives this song, while Gaga’s exceptional vocal control from the soft and alluring to the raucous callouts of the catchy chorus appeal to the party-goer in each of us.
It is ‘Perfect Allusion’ however that remains the obvious choice for the album’s first single release. ‘Perfect Allusion’ reminds fans of Gaga’s pop appeal whilst inducting listeners to her artist reinvention in a more natural and candid state. “It wasn’t love / it was a perfect allusion / mistaken for love” may raise the ‘post-break-up’ alarm, but it is in her honest lyrics and strong delivery that Lady Gaga fortifies the vilified lover’s self-confidence, providing them with the much-needed anthem they’ve been searching for.
Enabling her fans to rise like a phoenix from the ashes is what Gaga does best, and let it be known that her latest album release does exactly that. ‘Joanne’ is available on Spotify and iTunes now.
Released through Interscope Records (2016).
