In 2013, Lady Gaga entered the most troubled phase of her career with the release of the underrated “ARTPOP.” At the time, Gaga was slaughtered by pundits and audiences alike, both rediscovering the groundbreaking power of the album in question nearly a decade later. However, even though ‘ARTPOP’ is now treated as something of a cult classic due to its importance to the electronic music scene, Gaga decided to completely change her imagery to find herself and explore corners of show business that she never imagined exploring. . .
A year later, the legendary musician would reunite with Tony Bennett for the acclaimed “Cheek to Cheek” collaboration, demonstrating her affection for the jazz genre and even winning a Grammy Award statuette. In 2016, her own phase will take on a new chapter as she ventures into country and rock (having already tasted both genres a few years earlier) and adopts a reserved, intimate and introverted persona, reflecting all the pain that she feels. made itself felt in beautiful compositions which will be consecrated in the ‘Joanne’ compilation. Despite earning the top spot on the Billboard 200 and securing solidly positive reviews, most fans didn’t identify with what Gaga brought to her career, while some people characterized the new era as a “failure.” .
Like it or not, “Joanne,” like all of Mother Monster’s other forays, was a game-changer in her career. After all, she had never delved into personal themes – in previous inflections the main theme revolved around fame, fear, creativity and sex, but never pain itself. On the one hand, we have nostalgic statements that take shape in the powerful “Million Reasons”, in the title track (one of the most moving in his discography) and in “Grigio Girls”; on the other, the romantic suffering of “Perfect Illusion” and the country-rock of “John Wayne”; and, finally, we have the familiar embrace of social criticism in “Angel Down” and “Hey Girl.” Interpolating them, other underrated tracks that bit by bit won the hearts of audiences and proved that Gaga is one of the most multifaceted artists of all time and knows what she’s doing in each scrapbooks.
While some comment on the work’s lack of cohesion (a nonsense argument, because it doesn’t hold up), it functions, as a whole, as a performer’s messenger to herself, to begin to understand what she feels about the performer. , what he means to his millions of fans and what he has the potential to be. “Diamond Heart” is accompanied by the phrase “I may not be perfect, but you know I have a diamond heart”, reversing the self-sabotage he felt (and which would be explored in “Chromatica”, four years later ) in passionate proprioception; “Dancin’ in Circles” builds on the same premise, swept up in flawless vocals and the optimistic understanding that she’s a complete woman and can live her way.
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It’s no surprise that, like previous productions, ‘Joanne’ has a significant impact on the music industry – and is diminished by people who, in fact, don’t have an iota of knowledge. . The iconic Kylie Minogue, shortly after the release of Gaga’s album, took the opportunity to shed her dance-pop and electro-pop roots in favor of a more delicate and relatable setup – bringing the “Golden” to life. also underrated and to tracks like 2018’s ‘Dancing’ and ‘Stop Me From Falling’; Harry Styles, who became a streaming and sales monster, capitalized on the resurgence of glam-rock on the mainstream scene to bring her debut solo album, ‘Sign of the Times’ to life; Miley Cyrus also shed a more rebellious personality for a measured foray with ‘Younger Now’; and Kesha, for the ‘Rainbow’ album, gave way to important discussions of her feelings and followed in her countrywoman’s footsteps to a more faith-based and personal place (a change that began to take shape as soon as Gaga decided to go against the grain).
The second half of the 2010s was strongly marked by trap music, R&B and bubblegum pop, as seen with artists such as Beyoncé, Ariana Grande, Fifth Harmony and so many other representatives of the phonographic field of the era. It involved big sound productions, epic instrumentals, and a constant dialogue between vocals and progression. Contrary to what the rules dictated, Gaga decided to put her vocals front and center, taking advantage of the elements she had (and a competent team of producers and lyricists) to build a more minimalist musical body, without the explosion electronics of ‘Born This Way’ and without the artistic synthesizers of ‘The Fame Monster’. It’s for this reason that the clean aesthetic grabs our attention, considering that distortions are minimal and the line between studio and live performance is blurred as a way of proving the singer’s authenticity.
‘Joanne’ started a trend that would allow fans to see who their idols really were, in a raw construction that moved away from the untouchable archetypes perpetuated by the entertainment industry and deconstructed the divine image we had of him. The album allowed Gaga to make mistakes and rise, inspiring many celebrities to do the same – and it’s a legacy that belongs to almost no one else.
