If Born This Way and ARTPOP had a baby its name would be Joanne.
Take the pop rock sound from Born This Way, add a dash of ARTPOP craziness and sprinkle with a pinch of country and blues. The sound that combination produces is a stripped back, rethought, version of the popstar we know and love, something that should have been done years ago.
Joanne is understated in places yet so gloriously Gaga it’s overwhelming. Gaga, real name Stefani Germanotta, has returned to her roots. The music she performed in dive bars on the Lower East Side of Manhattan nearly ten years ago is at the heart of this new album, emphasized by the low-key three-stop ‘Dive Bar Tour’ she’s currently performing to promote the record. Of course there will be an impressive all-singing-all-dancing world tour at some point, her fans would destroy her if there wasn’t, but for now it’s just Gaga and her piano and guitar, allowing the raw musical talent that’s been hidden under layers of meat and glitter and lobster wigs for the last eight years to finally take centre stage.
There’s something new woven into Joanne though, a sound Gaga’s only dabbled in in the past: country.
It shouldn’t work but it does.
Opening with ‘Diamond Heart’, the vocals are bright and the lyrics hopeful about a love that might come her way: “young wild American, c’mon baby, do you have a girlfriend?... Oh, I might not be flawless but you know I’ve got a diamond heart.” The electric acoustic guitar with a rock beat behind it creates a catchy and cheerful musical combination with Gaga’s vocals lilting in that infamous country twang.
It’s a complete contrast to ‘A-YO’, the second single in this new era. It’s a fun party anthem that is reminiscent of ‘Manicure’ from her previous record but better, almost as though her ARTPOP style has been refined and matured ever so slightly. It could be said that ‘A-YO’ is everything ARTPOP was aspiring to be.
The title track, ‘Joanne’, is the first ballad of the album and it’s nothing short of gorgeous. It’s just a guitar and her vocals, raw and emotional as she sings of her late aunt which the album, and Gaga herself for that matter, is named after. “Girl, where do you think you’re going?” She laments, pleading with her to stay before accepting that she can’t and knowing she’ll see her again one day when she joins her in heaven.
Rock-pop belter ‘John Wayne’ and jazz-bar worthy ‘Sinner’s Prayer’ are other highlights. ‘John Wayne’ is heavy and seedy; dark undertones of sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll flow throughout and it’s typical Gaga that screams ‘Born This Way’ era. Think ‘Bloody Mary’. ‘Sinner’s Prayer’ is smoky and seductive, creating images of Gaga sat on a stool in a cowboy bar, guitar on her lap and cigarette between her lips.
The storytelling throughout the album is impressive. Gaga’s always been an impressive songwriter, it’s what she’s known for – other than the crazy clothes – and she certainly doesn’t skimp on this album. If anything, her abilities have improved tenfold. The country feeling running throughout has given her the perfect opportunity to really get gritty and personal with the lyrics.
‘Angel Down’ is one of the true gems. It closes both versions of the album and is nothing short of ethereal. It’s pure, with a cathedral-esque sound, and the lyrics tell a tale of wanting to save an angel who has been mercilessly gunned down in front of a church – the theme of death mixed in with religion a poignant and sadly relevant topic in today’s society.
My true favourite is on the deluxe edition – Grigio Girls. It’s a fun and catchy pop track that is a fantastic driving song, written for Gaga’s long-time friend Sonja who is suffering from cancer. It’s a song about friendship and love and just forgetting about everything and hanging out with and being there for the friends who love you. The vocals are bright and cheerful with a slightly solemn undertone but it makes you want to stand up and dance and sing with your girlfriends.
Gaga may be on to something truly special here, and it’s certainly one of her best records to date. I can’t wait for the tour.
