‘Joanne’ shows new Lady Gaga

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Lady Gaga’s latest album, “Joanne,” was a bit experimental in comparison to what the pop singer is typically recognized for. “Joanne” is Gaga’s fifth studio album, and it was just released last Friday with the album’s leading single, “Perfect Illusion,” already receiving radio airplay.

It features 14 tracks, with collaborators including producer Mark Ronson, the mind behind the breakout hit “Uptown Funk” with Bruno Mars, and singer Florence Welch from Florence and the Machine. But although Gaga’s vocals are as strong as ever, the main thing that makes this album so unique is how distinctly different it is to her previous music, genre-wise.

Many of the tracks are considered to be heavily influenced with a country-rock sound, but characterizing the album as a country album would be pretty far off. These songs are composed with a lot of guitar and piano, with a certain twang that many Gaga fans may find quite surprising. This is showcased very well on the album’s title song, “Joanne,” an acoustic ballad written as a tribute to her late aunt. But this was exactly Gaga’s goal, as she said in an interview: She wanted the sound of this album to be unexpected.

“Perfect Illusion” and “Hey Girl,” a boldly vocal duet with Florence Welch, may be the two biggest exceptions to this inexplicable new sound of Gaga’s, as they stray pretty far from the country-like theme of other songs.

As an artist, this album just adds to the list of different paths that Lady Gaga has taken her career in recent years.

From singing with traditional pop singer Tony Bennett on a collaborative album back in 2014, to diving into her acting debut and earning a Golden Globe award for her role in Season 5 of “American Horror Story,” it is clear that Gaga takes pride in pushing herself as an artist and that her artistry is constantly evolving.

At Super Bowl 50, she was fortunate enough to sing the national anthem, and afterwards she was praised for her performance, sparking a flurry of positive online feedback by fans and celebrities alike. Beforehand, she said she considered it “one of the highest honors of my career.”

On top of this, it was recently announced that Gaga will perform at the Super Bowl 51 (officially, it’s the roman numerals, LI) halftime show, an equally prestigious honor.

All accolades aside, looking at the album solely by itself, those who aren’t as familiar with the creative nature of Lady Gaga may be a little put off by these songs. The sound is a far cry from her previous releases. But, that’s not to say the pop figure won’t return to her origins in making more pop hits in the future. It’s not uncommon for artists who have found success to take part in more artistic and experimental projects, and “Joanne” is a very good example of this concept.

Advocate Staff