Change is inevitable, especially if you’re a Lady Gaga fan.
Last week, the pop chameleon released her fifth album titled Joanne, which feels eons away from her synth-heavy disco days of The Fame and Born This Way. On top of that, the debut music video for the first single off of the album, “Perfect Illusion”, shows a stripped down version of Gaga that most of us aren’t familiar with — the singer sports simple cut off jean shorts, a T-shirt, some eyeliner and a basic ponytail while throwing herself into the dirt in the desert (at least some things don’t change).
This refined, almost tame version of Lady Gaga seems to be throwing most people for a loop; The New York Times criticized the album for being a “confused” attempt at ingenuity, while other sources are (yet again) claiming she’s doing nothing more than ripping off Madonna and pop legends before her.
The album, best described by Rolling Stone as an “old-school nineties soft-rock album” opens up with one of its catchiest tracks, “Diamond Heart.” In this track, Gaga sets the mood of heartbreak that transpires throughout the remainder of the album; she belts out a story of an “asshole” that “stole her innocence” over Josh Homme playing guitar, which makes you feel like you’re driving an old Chevy pickup with a Budweiser in between your legs.
The country feel continues with “AY-YO,” a track that echoes with handclaps and simple melodies; while the beginning of the album does feel a bit slow, gems like “Dancin’ In Circles,” and “Just Another Day” bring back more familiar pop beats and synth and less acoustic guitar; her sultry whispering vocals are reminiscent to her 2009 song “Dance In The Dark”, and the piano chords on the latter take you back to her 2013 “Dope” days.
“Joanne,” an intimate ballad dedicated to her late aunt for which the album is named, is a highlight of the album. For an artist who built her fame upon wanting to take a ride on your disco stick, it’s refreshing to hear that she actually can be candid and raw.
While the album is strong in most parts, it can be agreed that it feels like some just don’t fit; “Perfect Illusion” is an edgy and heavily produced (by Mark Ronson) track, making it a stark contrast from the rest of the western-inspired ones. Although this perhaps that was the one track Gaga agreed to throw to the sharks of the mainstream, it ruins the tempo and storyline of the record.
Overall, Gaga is clearly doing whatever the hell she wants these days; this album feels like a cross between pop, country and rock. While it may take some time to digest (and yes, I truly do miss the lavender blonde Gaga days), it’s important to remember that this is, yet again, just another pit stop on the journey of Stefani Germanotta’s persona, the made up character that has made us all scratch our heads throughout the past decade — and that being said, Joanne proves that she’s right on track.
(Critic's rating: 3.5/5 stars)
This article appears in Oct 20-27, 2016.