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Special Event: atrlcritic | Ed Sheeran's new songs after the upgrade
Member Since: 5/27/2016
Posts: 5,091
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Yeah, Starboy sounds good. And maybe Perfect Illusion also.
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Member Since: 1/1/2014
Posts: 43,331
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Hmm, we could do 1R's new album if people are here for that.
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Member Since: 5/27/2016
Posts: 5,091
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Should we start the reviews for Joanne?
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Member Since: 1/1/2014
Posts: 43,331
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Member Since: 1/1/2014
Posts: 43,331
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My review for Joanne will be up in a few days. 
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Member Since: 9/1/2013
Posts: 6,762
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Can I join the review for the fist time? I really want to review Joanne and I will be completely honest about it.
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Member Since: 5/27/2016
Posts: 5,091
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Quote:
Originally posted by alexanderao
My review for Joanne will be up in a few days. |
Perched 
So will mine. I just need the dust to settle a bit so I can be as objective as possible.
Quote:
Originally posted by The Unforgiving
Can I join the review for the fist time? I really want to review Joanne and I will be completely honest about it.
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Yeah, anybody can review! Just make sure it meets the requirements for an album review 
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Member Since: 9/1/2013
Posts: 6,762
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JOANNE
At first I had a hard time deciding whether I like this album or not. This album is very different from anything Gaga has ever done. It completely gives us a new dimension to look at when we think of her. One of the reasons why I love Gaga is how she always surprises us. She's very unpredictable and in this album in particular she shocks us even more.
1. Diamond Heart
This song is a great opener in my opinion. It's fun to listen to it and easily enjoyable. It's a carefree tune that you could bop to while driving your car. The vocals in the bridge takes this song up to the next level. Simply one of the best tracks in the album.
2. A-YO
I am not a very big fan of this song. I do not think it's a smart choice for a single, but it might help push the album. The chorus of the song is very
Catchy. I found it to be similar to MANiCURE from ARTPOP. The vibe is very energetic.
3. Joanne
Joanne is probably the most emotional song on the album. It's not your typical "goodbye, rest in peace, I love you" type of reminiscent song. The chorus give it a chilling but heartwarming feel, which is unique and incredible. The catchiness of the song really grabs the listeners. I can safely say that it's one of Gaga's best ballads to date.
4. John Wayne
One of my absolute favorites of the album. The opening of the song might sound odd but it really sets the tone for the rest of the song. The chorus flow nicely and smoothly. It lifts the listeners up and makes want to dance. While the verses and the bridge is a bit toned down which gives the listener a chance to breathe. Overall it's an excellent track.
5. Dancin' In Circles
This song might just be a fan favorite. What's really great about this one is that it pays homage to her older songs. The rhythm of this song is very addictive and eargasmic. While the message of this song might seem disturbing at first listen, the lyrics can be relatable to a lot of people. She really brought her old sound with her in this song while keeping in with the theme of this album
6. Perfect Illusion
The first and possibly the worst choice for a first single. While it might not be very enjoyable to listen to, this song gets better with time. The problem with the song is repetitive lyrics and the unstable vocals in the chorus. The song sits in the middle of the album trying to blend in, and while it definitely doesn't speak for the whole album, it is average at best, it does belong where it is.
7. Million Reasons
The lyrics of this track is powerful and well done and very frank. I love how she drives the melody of the song with her vocals. It makes it catchy and effectively sends a message to the listeners. It's one of those tracks that give Joanne a meaning and cohesiveness. Gaga really did pour her heart out in this song.
8. Sinner's Prayer
A country inspired track with a western feel into it. The atmosphere of this song is polarizing. I have a problem with the lyrics. It's unusual and very riddling. It's mysterious but very understandable at the same time.
9. Come to Mama
The song begins with a subtle verse and then increases in speed as the chorus strikes. It has a retro vibe into it that makes it out of this world. I find it to be very underrated by monsters. It's classy and uplifting at the same time.
10. Hey Girl (feat. Florence Welch)
This song Is very casual and chilled-back. The vocals in this song by both Florence and Gaga are just perfect. Not too loud and subtle at the same time. Gaga's voice reminds me of her The Fame days. Her soft crackly voice goes very well with Florence's powerful angelic voice. There's a perfect contrast between them in this song that complements each other.\
11. Angel Down/(Work Tape) version.
Easily one of my top 3 in this album. It's so far one of the best ballads Gaga has ever done in her entire career. My second favorite ballad after Speechless. Everything about this song is excellent. The lyrics are powerful and very emotional. It really speaks to the listeners' hearts and souls. There's pain and sadness in Gaga's voice here. And in the Work Tape version, Gaga raises her voice to show anger and frustration. The song closes with humming stuttering that gives the song a perfect closure. It reminds me of one of Evanescence's ballads from Fallen called Hello, which is a good thing. The melody of the songs grabs you on tight and makes you want to listen to it again and cry your heart out.
12. Grigio Girls
While it might not look like it, but Grigio Girls is yet another emotionally driven track masquerading as a "feel-good" jam. It's probably the most empowering song on the Deluxe version of the album. It has a therapeutic message behind it that makes it incredibly meaningful. While it might not be relatable to most of her fans, the concept of the song is very clear.
13. Just Another Day
This one is a great track to bop to. The instrumental of the song is elegantly exquisite. It's more about the music in this song than anything else. It shows the creativity of the team behind the album by giving them a shout out.
In conclusion, I found something missing from this song. I think it needs that extra beat to spice it up and give it a boost. The album feels bland and very ordinary at best. It needs that extra something to kick it up a notch. Perhaps she should have added something extra to bring this album to life. But as is, the album is simple and authentic. It was made from a woman's perspective and delivers us an emotional open letter in the form of music.
SCORE: 7.5 out of 10
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Member Since: 3/7/2012
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Lady GaGa - Joanne
Following her last pop album ARTPOP which rather underperformed commercially and then a duet jazz album with Tony Bennett, it was not easy to guess right where Lady Gaga would head on her new album. When the cover of her newest album „Joanne“ was revealed, it featured a surprisingly normal looking Gaga posing against simple light blue background. No human-motorcycle things, no sculptures, no flesh costumes. It seemed like this album would be a great change from the old theatrical, attention-seeking and controversy-at-all-costs Gaga. And it really is. And it surprisingly works.
The album was preceeded by its lead single Perfect Illusion. It showed Gaga trying to be edgy, cool and indie and my expectations and excitement for the album fell immediately zero. And that happened even before I got to the ear-hurting key change and the following minute of yelling of „illusion, illusion, it was a perfect illusion“. But fortunatelly for the listeners and for Gaga's reputation, Perfect Illusion is one of the weakest and worst songs on the album. After listening to the whole album, it seems clear that it was included only for its slightly higher potential commercial appeal.
When it comes to the rest of the album, it sounds surprisingly (yes, that's the third time I used the word in this review and that's because the word „surprise“ describes the album the best) fresh and even authentic. It is welcomed changed from the current mainstream music, breeze of fresh air. The whole album has some kind of classic feel about it. Really. Even after the first listens some of the songs like for example Come To Mama sound familiar and instantly hummable. The songs feel elaborated but not overproduced.
Gaga seems to have a sixth sense to find great melodies. This has been true ever since her debut album and this talent of hers shines brightly on this album. And another thing that has been true for Gaga since the start of her career are her lyrics. And I can't help it but most of her lyrics are just somewhere in between basic, cheesy and at minimum highly abstract. What could get lost in her pop anthems, that is painfully obvious on this album. If you manage to listen to the songs without hearing the lyrics, good for you because it's the lyrics what represents a very ugly ink stain on this otherwise a very pretty picture.
This album is not a commercial pop. It is far from it. Forget about everything you've ever heard about Gaga and by Gaga. Because this is a whole new level. In fact it seems quite improbable that the woman who created this album is the same person as the girl who years ago took the world by storm with Just Dance and Poker Face. Leave your prejudices at the door and try this album with an open mind. It's very possible that you will like it even despite some of the lyrics. In fact, had the album had a slightly better lyrics, an 8/10 would a fiting score.
Songs to skip: Perfect Illusion, Million Reasons
Songs worth trying: Dancin' In Cirles, Come To Mama, Angel Down
Score: 7/10
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Member Since: 3/14/2013
Posts: 37,294
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Will probably do Joanne
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Member Since: 5/27/2016
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Lady Gaga – “Joanne” Album Review
“I might not be flawless, but you know I got a diamond heart.”
Joanne is the fifth studio album by pop star Lady Gaga. After 2013 bought us the experimental and genre-hopping ARTPOP, Gaga went seemingly quiet on the solo music front, instead opting to focus on other creative outlets such as acting in American Horror Story and recording a jazz duet record with Tony Bennett. Throughout the years, it seemed as through Lady Gaga began to trade out the meat dresses for simple and stunning ones, instead focussing on the substance instead of the theatrics. It was the beginning of a more demure Stefani and it comes as no surprise that it has translated into her music and has birthed Joanne.
A reference to her late aunty, Joanne features music of a more subdued and refined nature than its predecessors. Instead of brashly and brazenly exclaiming that “you’re just a pig inside a human body” as she did on ARTPOP track “Swine”, she has opted for subtlety in her lyrics without reducing the impact and gravity of her message. This subtlety ultimately makes it easier to connect with Lady Gaga’s emotion, and the record is all the better for that (a fundamental problem with ARTPOP). On tracks such as “Joanne” and “Grigio Girls”, the relative delicateness in terms of vocal delivery makes sure that the emotion remains the focus, remaining authentic and earned. This can be contrasted to tracks such as “Angel Down” and “Million Reasons” where she progressively becomes more aggressive in her vocals, but this serves the same effect, especially considering the topics. She is not attempting to create faux sentiments by haphazardly overstepping in terms of her vocals (which some lamented for example, on her ARTPOP track “Dope”). However, her vocals are still the highlight of this album. On the Florence-assisted “Hey Girl”, she effortlessly intertwines her voice with her counterpart to create vocal nirvana (This reviewer agrees with Spectrum Pulse that it would have lifted this song further if the two singers harmonised more often, not only to showcase their vocals, but to support the subject matter of the song).
The production on the album, handled mainly by Mark Ronson, cannot be understated either. On “John Wayne”, the production takes on a cool Western vibe to create a true album highlight. The build-up to the chorus of “Diamond Heart” is also another triumph, and is ultra-effective as an album opener and overall, Ronson rarely missteps throughout the album.
As the initial quote in this review, extracted from the chorus of the track “Diamond Heart” suggests, whilst this album might showcase Gaga’s powerful sentiments, it does not do so without flaws. Tracks such as “Just Another Day” seem tacked on without contributing much more than a way to fill up space. “Come To Mama” also seems redundant given that it has a similar subject matter to that of the superior “Hey Girl”, just with more universality. However, these minor faults are more than made up for by songs such as the unique “Perfect Illusion” which sees Gaga’s crescendo into full blown realisation that it was not love all along, but merely a figment and “Dancin’ In Circles” which coyly pulls in back during the chorus, keeping the listener wanting more.
Overall, Joanne is a triumph. It does not conform to the stereotypical archetype that Gaga has previously created for herself. She needed this album to happen for her to finally feel in control and she takes the wheel confidently. By reining herself in, she has been able to refine her message, whether that is personal, political or otherwise. Joanne does not merely feel like a costume. Even if that is what Gaga intended, she has worn it so well that it seems to naturally fit into her trajectory without seeming like a phase. Through both initial subtlety and subsequent powerhouse vocals, Gaga's diamond heart shines brightly and she is able to incite real emotion in the listener without the listener questioning its authenticity.
OVERALL: 88/100
Favourite Tracks: Diamond Heart, Joanne, John Wayne, Dancin’ In Circles, Perfect Illusion, Angel Down, Grigio Girls
Least Favourite Tracks: Just Another Day, Come To Mama
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Member Since: 8/19/2013
Posts: 19,167
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"JOANNE"
LADY GAGA
While "Artpop" is a total fail attempt to reach both listeners and critics, throughout the three years, Lady Gaga has wowed us with a lot of amazing performances. And that's why we are here, anticipating her next album, "Joanne," will it reach her standard, or will she once again, disappointing?
1. Diamond Heart : I'd say that it's a pretty good introduction to the album because it includes almost every material of the album, some rock n' roll, little country, and Gaga's edgy personality. But that's also the problem; the track includes too much that might make people confuse. 6.5/10
2. A-Yo : I still kind of misunderstand the country route Gaga is going, if she thinks country music is all about repetitive and uncreative like this, she shouldn't go with this concept. However, I admire its catchiness. 6/10
3. Joanne : .I had real high expectation for the title track because it must have been real special for the artist to sync it together, but Joanne is an another sad attempt. This song sounds like a lullaby. I don't know who she was trying to lull, but definitely, not me. 5/10
4. John Wayne : I don't get why she was talking at the beginning, it was unnecessary. However, it's an excellent track. It gives me a dance vibe, a clear direction that Gaga was going. And it flows pretty well. 9.5/10
5. Dancin' In Circles : I somehow think the pre-chorus, while catchy, kills the vibe of the song. I wish she could've gone straight forward because it would've been a real great track. 8/10
6. Perfect Illusion : The lead single off the album. And I think it was a huge mistake to choose this song. It's great, but it's a grower type of track while with lead single, you want people to click on the song immediately . 9/10
7. Million Reasons : Probably the best song from the album, and one of the best of her career. Laid back, straight forward, touch my heart. 11/10
8. Sinner's Prayer : After "Million Reasons," Gaga starts building back the fast-paced momentum with this country track. And it serves as a middle and filler track, so I won't say I have high expectation. 6.5/10
9. Come To Mama : The song starts off with a nice retro vibe and cute lyrics. But all of the sudden, Gaga decides to shout "Come to mama" repetitively at the end of the track, and she sounds like she was out of breath. 6.5/10
10. Hey Girl (featuring. Florence Welch) : This and "Come To Mama" somehow has the same topic, the difference is from a mom to a friend. But then, Florence really saves the track, and the contrast helps this song. 8/10
11. Angel Down : It's a good ballad, I must say. She pours her heart and soul out with this one. 8/10
12. Grigio Girls : To me, this somehow turns to a filler, but a good one. It is very empowering and fits well in the album. 7.5/10
13. Just Another Day : A The closure track, and it serves great. It sums up the whole journey Gaga has gone through. Never stop making music, being creative every day. It's fun, it's great, and it's one of the have-to-listen. 10/10
14. Angel Down (Work Tape) : This touches my heart once again. The work tape somehow shines well, even better than the official. 9/10
With this album, Gaga has earned my respect. She dares to change. Nothing on this album sounds the same with her in the past. Unpredictable, Creativity. Although there are low-points, some of them really make up for the others.
__________________________
7.9/10
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Member Since: 1/1/2014
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Member Since: 1/1/2014
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JOANNE - LADY GAGA
Hi! We all know Joanne, Lady Gaga's aunt and her 5th studio album, and yes The Fame Monster is a standalone album. Joanne is the follow-up from her last effort ARTPOP which was a let down causing a major backlash on Gaga's image, Gaga's brand, and her discography. On the record, Gaga explores the genres of rock, country, jazz, funk, ballad, and of course, pop. It is a pop album after all.
Green = 8 - 10
Yellow = 5 - 7
Red - 0 - 4
 Track - by - Track Review:
1. Diamond Heart - A rock-influenced track which tackels about her adventurous ways when she was a go-go dancer in NYC. I like this song a lot. The vocals on the verses sounds angry but in a sweet way. I like her delivery. The chorus is not explosive which is good. The bridge elevates the whole track to a whole new level but then again, it didn't build a moment for the upcoming climax which is the final chorus. A good opener!
2. A-YO - A fun track that is about haters. I didn't notice it first, but the way she sings some parts of the verses are really good. It's like a mix of spoken words but crunchy. The whole vibe is very enthusiastic. The only part I didn't like here is that it felt dragged down but yet just the right track length for a song full of repetitive chants of "A-YO!" -
3. Joanne - I love the simplicity of this song. The chorus is very soothing which is necessary after the 1-2 energetic punch of the first two tracks. Simply written but touching.
4. John Wayne - The first time I listened to this, THAT intro caught me off guard. It's insane. The production is nice, it's rock and roll and country. The build-up to the chorus is great, it's just that the actual chorus is not.
5. Dancin' In Circles - I like this song a lot. Very tongue and cheek. Obviously this is done by Bloodpop. The song goes nowhere though until that scream part. A good dance track.
6. Perfect Illusion - this song is very underrated. Though with a great vocal delivery, the whole song felt short. It's a great track, yes, but not as much as good as a standout song.
7. Million Reasons - the standout track on the album. A great Gaga ballad. Though a bit basic, it still screams Gaga because of that repetitive lines during the verses. I like the rawness feel, the lyrics, and her vocal performance.
8. Sinner's Prayer - One of the Father John Misty penned track. This is a track for all the wild cowboys and cowgirls out there. The lyrics are the highlight of this track. The bridge and outro elevates the song by a a step or two.
9. Come to Mama - Also a FJM penned track. The sound gives off that "Peace on Earth" vibe sound. It feels like a filler track that's dragged down to make an excuse to make a song.
10. Hey Girl - The Florence Welch collaboration which takes you nowhere to be honest... which is the best aspect of the song. It is a chill and calm song. It's harmless yet it has a feminist message. I like the fact that they are not out-singing each other on this track because otherwise, they are contradicting the message. It sounds like that Elton John track Bennie and the Jets which I also love.
11. Angel Down/Work Tape - An emotional track that conveys a strong message. The lyrics are the song's highlight with Gaga's vocal performance as well. Very moving.
12. Grigio Girls - I love this song. A. LOT. It's not your typical Gaga song to bop to but regardless, it's still a bop.It's about her friend Sonja which is battling a Stage-4 cancer which has been Gaga's friend for years. A happy song with a sad undertone theme.
13. Just Another Day - A throwback Gaga song from her roots. Listening to this makes me so happy and Mark and Brian's solos are great as well.
At the end of the day, this is that Lady Gaga album that doesn't require you to be in some certain mood to be in just to listen to it. A step-up from her previous effort.
Highlight - A-YO, Million Reasons, Angel Down, and Dancin' In Circles
8.5/10 - A solid album!
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Member Since: 6/10/2012
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Lady Gaga, Joanne
What seems, now, a long time ago, Lady Gaga was the epitome of an over-the-top, frequently offensive, and theatrical pop music phenomenon that established her own unique cultural movement, and woven into this movement were nuances of very distinct influences that formed a perfect pop artist, pushed into the mainstream spotlight at the perfect time. Her mildly unconventional dance-pop music found the perfect balance of embracing the outlandish and, yet, appealing to the interest of a casual listener. In essence, her career was established on the platform of unconventionality and theatricality, and then pushed for controversy at the expense of alienating a great proportion of her casual fan base. Indeed, it appeared that she was not mildly concerned by the prospect of self-depreciation as long as she stayed true to her sense of theatricality and artistry. This persona culminated in ARTPOP, a testament to her musical style that was true to all her aforementioned qualities, unapologetic, and impudent.
In recent years, it seems that she has regressed from the attitude which largely defined Gaga as the biggest and most famous pop star in the world. Donning a simple, elegant white dress at the Academy Awards in 2015, she performed an unexpectedly lovely tribute to the Sound of Music that not only earned her a coveted standing ovation, but broke the internet in the process. This was the beginning of an artistic overhaul of sorts that is very rarely seen so drastically in popular culture, mostly because so few in history have, in the first place, ever embraced the degree of eccentricity she has. This reinvention was good for highlighting her musical prowess rather than her costume of choice, solidifying her regard as a vocal talent rather than a popular shock artist. Her latest album, Joanne, is the hallmark and symbolic culmination of this redefinition, shockingly simple at times, almost completely devoid of electronic pop influence, but, interestingly, retains many of the elements and quirkiness of a classic Gaga album.
The album begins with an alt-rock banger, Diamond Heart, that serves as an excellent overture to the album, and a highlight of the album. The lines “young, wild, American, head full of Jameson” and “a cruel king made me tough, daddy’s girl’s never good enough” are reminiscent of the naivety of youth and the learning curve of integrating into a world where dreams must be hard won. Yet, through the struggle of adversity, she finds her heart intact, diamond against the weather of the world. Indeed, it feels like Joanne is a progression of this message that looks toward the innermost experience of the artist and her life, what has challenged her, what has shaken her core, and yet emphasizing the values she continues to hold near, as she sings sincerely on Come to Mama, a Motown-Beatles-esque brass-backed jam that purports that we should just love each other because there’s enough love to go around and enough hate to last us a lifetime. She does this with an intense swagger, leaving the casual listener wondering where this Lady Gaga came from. Indeed, she exudes a certain versatility in her style, experimenting intensely, largely without referring to her style of old.
There is a sort of reminiscent taste that reminds you that this, contrary to most evidence, is still the Gaga we’ve come to know over the past decade. She still stays true to her tradition of singing about masturbation and sexual self-pleasure (see So Happy I Could Die and Sexxx Dreams) on Dancing In Circles, a collaboration with Beck, that features some interesting guitar and electronic riffs and incorporates tropical influences into its repertoire. Playing right off is Perfect Illusion, the lead single, that reads like a song about a mistaken love. Although harsh and unpleasant a song it is, it rightfully boasts a raw, rage-full energy that you cannot help but feel and wonder what particularly drove her to write this.
A-YO, which until recently was going to be sent to radio as the second official single, is an uptempo eclectic pop single that projects confidence, giving the finger to her haters and pushing on to continue doing what she does best. She sings “A-YO, A-YO, we smokin’ them all” and “I can’t wait to rev you up, faster than you cans ay ferrari”, with the energy and enthusiasm we know her for. If they were to push for another single off of the album, this would be a great contender. It, unfortunately, doesn’t seem to add much to the album and plays as quite a stale contribution to the track listing. Hey Girl, on the other hand, is a stand-out on the album. It features Florence Welch, and together they provide a seamless vocal on an 80s-inspired mid-tempo that is likely a reflection of the forced conflict that occurs between female musicians in popular culture. They sing “hey girl, we can make it easy if we lift each other”, a great lyric reminiscent of pop girl feuds and the benefits that would be created simply by mutual support, girl-for-girl. Of the tracks on this album, this would be one I would be the most comfortable referring to as “brilliant”.
Much of what remains of the album is slow-paced and frankly very beautiful. Ballads have been particularly lacking in her discography, and it seems like she had quite a few key, high-quality stand-outs to put forward after all. Joanne, the title track, is a wonderful country-inspired track that reads about the loss of a loved one, her late Aunt Joanne after whom the album was named, and about the connection you feel and will continue to feel after they are gone. The lines “girl, where do you think you’re going” and “every part of my aching heart, needs you more than the angels do” provide some of the greatest and most refined lyricism I have seen written by her, backed by a simple production that lends its aid to highlighting the written poetry. She does this again in Million Reasons, a similar and equally strong track where she belts powerfully: “you’re giving me a million reasons to walk away, but baby I only need one good one to stay”, which is again one of the lyrical centrepieces of the album.
What I enjoyed the most about this album, particularly, was that it is the first in her discography to emphasize her prowess as an introspective musician rather than a pop culture phenomenon. She does little to undermine the underlying purpose of releasing an album of this kind, which is namely to, truly, give a simple and relatable telling of her thoughts. It is not, by any means, a distinguished effort, and her previous musical efforts as an electronic-pop titan were comparably far more exceptional, but you cannot help but appreciate the album and the moments where you do see it shine. This being Lady Gaga, there’s literally no telling where she will set her sights on next, musically, but we can always count on it to be interesting and worth a listen.
Individual Track Scores
Diamond Heart - 8.2
A-YO - 6.9
Joanne - 8.0
John Wayne - 6.7
Dancing in Circles - 6.9
Perfect Illusion - 5.9
Million Reasons - 7.8
Sinner’s Prayer - 7.4
Come to Mama - 7.6
Hey Girl (ft. Florence Welch) - 8.2
Angel Down - 6.2
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Member Since: 3/14/2013
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Joanne, where do you think you're going?
 | With a career full of ups and downs, Lady Gaga has finally released, after 8 years since her debut, what she claims to be her most personal album to date. The record was born after the counter reaction from the general public to her fourth studio album, "ARTPOP", a record that was claimed to be very, well, artistic and out there, with huge electronic beats and synthesizers, however it all fell flat when most of us have listened to it. Gaga claims that acting in American Horror Story has helped her write this new record, exploring "darkness" again.
After having performed at the Oscars twice, releasing a jazz album with Tony Bennett, winning a Golden Globe award and performing the National Anthem at Superbowl, Gaga has put out a very interesting record to say the least. The main theme is family and Gaga growing up in it, developing her own values and opinions from her own experiences. The title of the album, "Joanne" has a double entendre as it represents both her middle name and her aunt's first name, to whom she was very close. Her death has determined her to write the title track, "Joanne" which was recorded in one take, making it one of Gaga's most personal songs to date. The main line "Girl, where do you think you're going" suggests, simply, her desire to be close to her aunt due to the fact that the singer has never met her, however her life had a significant impact on Gaga's life.
The album, however, does not, sadly, in my opinion, only show a personal, emotional side of Gaga's. There is a wide range of themes explored by Gaga while making this record along with the main producer of the record Mark Ronson. The singer speaks, unsurprisingly given her past, about sex or masturbation in songs like "A-YO" or "Dancin' In Circles", but also about feminism and friendship in songs like "Hey Girl" or "Come to Mama". Gaga works with Mark Ronson, Queens of the Stone Age's Josh Homme, Hillary Lindsey, BloodPop, Beck, Tame Impala's Kevin Parker, Father John Misty, Thomas Brenneck, Emile Haynie, RedOne and Jeff Bhasker, along with Florence Welch who is featured on "Hey Girl", to give the entire album the country and rock vibe with which Gaga has played around in some parts of her career, without exploiting them at fullest.
Sonically wise, Gaga and Ronson have both focused more on the music, than the lyrics, which is visible, given the huge amount of repetitiveness in this record, especially on the tracks "A-Yo", "Perfect Illusion" or "Come to Mama". They emphasize the record mostly with simple production full of guitars, drums and piano instead of obvious synthesizers (that however don't miss completely given BloodPop's contribution to the record). Gaga wanted to focus on introspecting on this record, making it a "soul-searching" experience according to her. For example, the opening of the record, the amazing "Diamond Heart", while it provides a perfect transition from the previous "ARTPOP" to this new record, given its poppier production in comparison to the other tracks, features her story of being a go-go dancer before being famous. I am glad she transmits her message quite obviously, and without using too many collaborators to take away from her personality. The pace of the record is slow and perfect for this new state in which we find Gaga, way different from her past eras.
In conclusion, as much as I have wanted a change in this direction from Gaga, I feel that at times it feels quite unsatisfactory. I wish she would have focused more on her break-up more, for example, rather than general themes like friendship or sex which have already been explored by her. I admire tracks like "Angel Down" though, in which she reacts to Trayvon Martin's death or the feminism theme explored throughout this whole record, but I just think that we could have done without tracks like "A-YO" or the filler track "Sinner's Prayer". Overall, the experience is one worth listening, full of very good moments, and is definitely Gaga's most personal record, although the change felt a bit too swift from "ARTPOP" to this.
Recommended for the listeners of: Ariana Grande, Kesha, Rihanna, Tove Lo, Britney Spears (as suggested by last.fm) |
Score: 8.5/10
Track by Track review
1.Diamond Heart - I think this was meant to be a transition from "ARTPOP" to this record as it seems the poppiest song on "Joanne"; I love the bold vocals as well as the theme of this song
2.A-YO - a way too repetitive song, which just feels annoying since the beginning
3.Joanne - probably the most personal song on the album, due to the fact that it is about Gaga's aunt, a significant figure in her life
4.John Wayne - probably my favourite track on the entire record; I love the "glitchy" chorus and the construction of the song lyrically
5.Dancin' In Circles - while I didn't like this initially, it grew on me; I guess it's nice that we have something of the old Gaga on this album too, even though I am not particularly fond of the theme on a personal record
6.Perfect Illusion - my guilty pleasure; it is definitely a pretty tragic song, and her vocal delivery is very off, but I guess it's a grower |
7.Million Reasons - one of the most personal tracks and definitely one of the most emotional ones
8.Sinner's Prayer - pretty much a filler, I am not attracted to this song at all
9.Come to Mama - although it seems like a classic, I think that the repetition of the phrase "Come to Mama" becomes a bit too redundant
10.Hey Girl - one of the most anticipated songs that does not fail to disappoint as both singers deliver their best on this track
11.Angel Down - definitely one of the most the most heart-wrenching tracks, addressing the international problem of racism
12.Grigio Girls - although this track is about one of her friends, I think it falls kind of flat, not being as emotional as her other tracks |
13.Just Another Day - I love how laid back this track is, just a normal day in the studio, writing a song; very nice track Other reviews
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Member Since: 1/1/2014
Posts: 43,331
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I forgot that I have midterms, so I won't write a Joanne review. The review period will end on Friday.
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Member Since: 8/19/2013
Posts: 19,167
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I'd love to do the three UK acts, Emeli, Nathan Sykes, and Olly Murs. 
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Member Since: 1/1/2014
Posts: 43,331
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Lady Gaga - Joanne
Members
Score 78
6 reviews (6 positive)
Top Critics
Score 85
1 review (1 positive)
Overall Score
79.0
7 reviews (7 positive)
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Member Since: 1/1/2014
Posts: 43,331
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Just a few ideas for what we can do next:
Singles
Don't Wanna Know
24K Magic
Fake Love
Albums
Here
Lady Wood
Nightride
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