Album Review: Lady Gaga - Joanne

Album cover

Joanne is the fifth studio album by American singer Lady Gaga. It was released on October 21st, 2016. It has two version, the standard with 11 tracks and the deluxe with two bonus tracks and one demo of one of the songs from the album.

Lady Gaga has finally returned with a country pop rock album, where we can hear her with more freedom and being more honest than never before. I have to say that, Lady Gaga is one of the greatest artists nowadays and her albums are always very controvercial. 

Joanne musically, is a mixture between country and pop, but there are also a little bit of rock and punk. Lyrically, there are songs about being alone, breakups, love, death, freedom, and other issues.

Diamond Heart is the first track in the album, which sets the tone for the album. This song is referencing to her engagement ring from her fiancé Taylor Kinney, who gave her a heart-shaped ring. Followed by the promotional single A-YO, a song against the haters, where Gaga sounds having fun while singing the song and it has a pretty cool pop country rhythm. The third track is the title track off of Lady Gaga’s album, Joanne. Personally, this country ballad has two meanings: one is for her aunt, died of Lupus in a very young age. The chorus can also be understood with a second meaning. In the part where she sings "Where do you think you're goin' Goin', girl?", Gaga might be talking to herself, asking about her future and what she is going to do.

In this part of the album, after three tracks, Joanne becomes a little bit more danceable and it sounds more Gaga, because is when John Wayne, Dancin' in Circles and Perfect Illusions come out. These three tracks are those songs that will make you dance and sing, because are the most catchy songs. In John Wayne, Gaga is fantasizing for a cowboy-type lover. While, Dancin' in Circles (my favorite song) is for me, the song that most remind me to Lady Gaga's past songs, because in the part where she makes her voice sweeter saying "Tap down those boots while I beat around, Funk me downtown", she reminded me to one the tracks from her debut album called Summerboy. Furthermore, it is the most sexual song, talking about female masturbation.

"I lay around, touch myself to pass the time

I feel down, I wish you were mine

I close my eyes

Take a breath and I picture us in a place

I can't recognize"

From now on, the songs become almost acapella songs, because are slower and have less instruments. Million Reasons is the first ballad from this part and I really like this song, because she sounds amazing and the lyrics are beautiful. Sinner's Prayer has a great guitar sound and Come to Mama has a strong country rhythm, with a little bit of jazz because of the trumpets. Talking about the collaboration with Florence Welch called Hey Girl, I really was expecting something better, because it sounds like the demo of the song, not like the real one. The album ends with a dramatic ballad called Angel Down, which was "inspired by the tragic murder of African-American teenager Trayvon Martin in 2012." On the other hand, the two bonus tracks follow the same country vibe. However, Grigio Girls and Just Another Day have a strong Gaga's vibe, I mean, these two songs reminded me to the songs from Disco Heaven (an unreleased album). 

I have to be honest and tell you that, I liked this album. However, I was not expecting this country vibe, I know that  Lady Gaga always explore new music genres and that stuff, but I feel like she risked too much with this album. There is one expression that says: Nothing ventured, nothing gained; which is one of Lady Gaga's best characteristics. However, this time for me Joanne was not enough.

Lady Gaga - Joanne: ★★★★

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