By AARON KREIN
Arts Editor
Round Five is in full motion. Lady Gaga released her fourth solo studio album, “Joanne,” last Friday after a two-year hiatus from the pop world. After releasing a jazz duets album with Tony Bennett and starring in the fifth season of “American Horror Story,” Gaga unveiled her first single, “Perfect Illusion,” earlier last September.
Since then, she has partnered with Bud Light for a dive bar tour in which she has revealed a few of the album’s tracks. As of this weekend, we have the collection of songs in its entirety. The pop songstress enlisted a variety of sought-after writers and producers such as Mark Ronson, Hillary Lindsay, Bloodpop and Beck.
One thing to keep in mind, especially before a first listen, is to be completely open-minded. This album is utterly different from her pasts albums, which experimented with pop music that was influenced by dance, rock and jazz. “Joanne” has more of a folk and country vibe meets adult contemporary sound, which could turn many of her fans off instantly. However, if you ready for yourself that this isn’t “Artpop” part 2, than you’ll be more likely to give this album a fair chance.
“Diamond Heart” opens the album with a Pat Benatar-like vocal delivery over a pop-rock melody. It’s about Gaga meeting someone who seems to have everything going for them when she feels like she is the absolute opposite. She admits to her flaws but puts forward that her heart. It’s one of those tracks, like “Perfect Illusion,” that takes you out of your element and makes you get lost in the groove. An amazing choice for an introductory track and definitely one of the bigger earworms on the set.
“A-YO” brings the funk, a folk rock anthem filled with drug analogies to having sex with an unforgettable beat. It’s one of the many tracks on the album that is a joy to play while driving, especially if you are in a rural area during this fall season. I could totally see this being played at a Sadie Hawkins Dance with its irresistible honkytonk-rock flair.
The title track, “Joanne,” is an ode to her influential aunt who passed away unexpectedly when she was young. Gaga’s father chose “Joanne” as her middle name in her memory. The guitar-driven tune highlights the process of grieving and how even years and years later, mourning isn’t something that ever ceases. It’s very simplistic with its lyrics but one of her most raw and straightforward songs ever released.
“John Wayne” centers on Gaga’s need for a strong man with various cowboy stereotypes and double entendres mixed in. Just like “A-YO,” it’s definitely a foot-stomper but not as catchy and memorable. There are certain moments in the chorus that are undecipherable unless you look up the lyrics online.
On “Dancin’ In Circles,” Gaga sings about a man she misses that she yearns to come back in her life. It’s definitely another song about sex but it’s hard to completely understand what she’s talking about on this track. The exotic beats and sensual vocals remind me of “Americano” from the “Born This Way” album despite only being midtempo.
The ’80s-synth rocker, “Perfect Illusion,” oddly stands out from the bunch considering it’s one of its kind. This is definitely the most uptempo song on the album, with its dance-meets-glam-rock production. “Joanne” is a perfect example of an album whose first single doesn’t define the full album. This is familiar with Beyoncé’s 2011 single, “Run The World (Girls)” which was nothing like the resulting album, “4.” Perhaps, this was a way Gaga felt she could appetize us with something expected before shocking us with this country-folk singer/songwriter era.
The current single, “Million Reasons,” is an adult contemporary-esque piano ballad that could easily take over radio if promoted properly. It details the struggle of a relationship and how Gaga would easily stay if he gave her “one good reason.” In the vein of “Speechless” and “Dope,” this is a perfect example of how Gaga can make great work other than over-produced uptempo and experimental tracks.
“Sinner’s Prayer” is her plea to her man for things that she has done wrong over a Johnny Cash-like guitar rhythm. It’s similar to “Diamond Heart” but unlike that tune, Gaga doesn’t defend her flaws. It was one of the few she performed at her first dive bar show but the live version was much slower. The end of the chorus is a bit redundant but it’s something that can be easily forgiven. It’s the closest Gaga comes to being pure throwback country on the album.
A family feud takes center stage on “Come to Mama,” which calls for resolution with the antagonist. The doo-wop production and vocal delivery is one of the clear standouts with its positive message of resolving conflicts with other people. The delivery of the chorus gives musical theater vibes especially with the complimentary background vocals. It gives off a happy-go-lucky and peaceful feeling, which is new for Gaga who has so many rebellious and depressing tracks in her discography.
The much-anticipated duet with Florence Welch, “Hey Girl,” follows a similar message to the preceding track. However, it focuses more on dissolving conflicts between women and reinforcing mutual support. It’s a refreshing tune considering it’s the direct opposite of hit singles like Taylor Swift’s “Bad Blood,” which promote public beef.
Despite a strange arrangement for her voice, Welch shines along side Gaga and easily becomes one of the latter’s best collaborations to date. The one thing that sticks out is its production, which sounds similar to the Elton John classic, “Benny and the Jets.” These are two songs in a row with similar key elements so I would’ve downgraded one of them to a bonus track so we could have something different.
It wouldn’t be a Lady Gaga album without at least one politically charged and society-aware ballad. Following the steps of “Hair” and “Do What U Want,” “Angel Down” details the innocent victims of gun violence and call for action. Gaga has publicly stated that the track was influenced by 2012 shooting of Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Florida.
It’s interesting to note that this is her reunion collaboration with RedOne, who was responsible for co-writing and producing many of her early hits. Her haunting vocals over the stirring arrangement make for a bittersweet ending to the standard edition of “Joanne.”
The deluxe edition begins with a tune dedicated to the alcoholic beverage pino grigio. Gaga tells the story of a friendship on “Grigio Girls” she had with a woman whom she would open up to over drinks. The chorus is very catchy but makes me question whether we should be celebrating a song that endorses drinking for overcoming problems. Whether it’s clear that this serves as the intent for the tune is a mystery but makes for a great sing-along jam.
The last full track, “Just Another Day,” is perhaps the only track reminiscent to some of Gaga’s past work. The vocal delivery and production is similar to some of the tracks, most notably “Brown Eyes,” on her debut album, “The Fame.” The trumpet solo by Brian Newman is the only thing that separates this track from her debut era’s work. The song focuses on her aggression and the usual problems one would face in a relationship on a daily basis. It’s similar to the meaning of P!nk’s “True Love” in a sense since they both accept that they love and hate their partners respectively. Both of these deluxe tracks are two of my favorites on the album and make me wonder why on earth these were not on the final track listing.
The work tape version of “Angel Down” concludes the deluxe edition with the addition of guitars to the track. However, compared to the original, it sounds unmastered and lasts just over two minutes. It’s something we didn’t necessarily need but still serves as a pleasant listen.
Overall, after a couple listens, “Joanne” is a solid piece of work. Gaga’s experiments with a variety of genres and vocal stylings over the subjects of relationships, sex, coming together, and world awareness. Many people believed that “Artpop” was an album geared toward her dedicated fan base.
Though many of her fans are upset with this album, I believe this album is more personal and aimed toward the general public. She has said publicly in interviews that she wants to introduce her fans to different kinds of music on this album and I think she accomplished that.
“Joanne” is not Gaga’s biggest triumph. Some of the subjects repeat and the track listing order feels jumbled. There isn’t a clear flow from beginning to end, which “Born This Way” executed nearly perfectly. A personal song like “Joanne” that deals with mourning a loved one should not be sandwiched in between two sex songs.
I understand many people listen to the album on shuffle by purchasing digital downloads or listening on a streaming service. However, there are still people out there like myself who like to listen to an album chronologically on a physical copy.
For those who are skeptical about this album because you want the dance-pop Gaga of yesteryear, please give this a chance. If you can listen to this kind of music by Rachel Platten, Colbie Callait and Sia, then why wouldn’t you like it from this Manhattan native? I tip my hat to her for trying something new like Kelly Clarkson did with her rocker edge of 2006’s “My December.” Not everyone is going to be a fan of the work and that’s fine. However, there is a difference between not being a fan of an album and making assumptions that it’s terrible.
I hope that one day as a musical society, we can accept that artists have the right to change their musical direction for expression purposes. As Gaga once famously said, “stop the drama, start the music.”
