About eight years ago, there were only a handful of words we could have used to describe Lady Gaga’s demeanour. An avant-garde, fashion-crazed hyper-diva, perhaps? Or maybe the ultimate red-carpet queen? Regardless of the way we viewed her, we liked the idea of uncertainty that surrounded her revolutionary style.
As a new year approaches, so does a new version of Gaga. She released her new album, Joanne, on October 21 and it certainly turns heads. Though, some may be disappointed with the artistic decisions Gaga made in this album. It presents a new sound that drastically differs from her traditional experimental pop.
Nonetheless, the album does provide something for a new wave of fans. Indie-pop fanatics will be treated to Florence Welch’s appearance in the song, “Hey Girl”, which is an ode to female empowerment.
If you’re under the impression that Joanne sounds a bit jumpy, chances are you’re not used to the retro vibes that come from Gaga’s producer, English DJ, Mark Ronson. He stripped this album of Gaga’s previous experimental flair, creating a new sound altogether. The only traditional aspect that remained is Gaga’s element of surprise.
The rawness of Gaga’s newfound flavour isn’t the only aspect that contributed to the realness of her sound. The affection that she embeds within this album is a result of its title. Gaga named the album after her aunt, who died of lupus at 19. This album is arguably so ground-breaking because of the personal touch that Gaga infuses into its songs. Joanne is a dedication to everything we have yet to hear from Gaga. It’s time for us to decide whether we like Gaga as an artist, or if we like the illusion of how we interpret her instead.
