On Sept. 27, Lady Gaga released her eighth studio album, "Harlequin" (though she describes it as “LG 6.5,” hinting it is not her next full-length studio album yet). Serving as a companion album to the upcoming "Joker" sequel, "Joker: Folie à Deux", Gaga’s new album is a mix of soft jazz, funk, gospel, and swing. In an Apple Music interview with Zane Lowe, she describes her album as “vintage pop,” referencing a style of music that was once considered “pop”. She recorded the album while finishing her jazz and piano residency over the summer, which ran from June 19 through July 6.
The album features 13 tracks: “Good Morning,” “Get Happy (2024),” “Oh, When The Saints,” “World On A String,” “If My Friends Could See Me Now,” “That’s Entertainment,” “Smile,” “The Joker,” “Folie à Deux,” “Gonna Build A Mountain,” “Close To You,” “Happy Mistake,” and “That’s Life.” All but two songs, “Folie à Deux” and “Happy Mistake,” are covers. The album contains similar remnants of the two albums she produced with the late Tony Bennett, distinguishing itself from her mainstream pop albums like “The Fame” and “Chromatica.”
“Harlequin” opens with a slow jazz melody, accompanied by male backing vocalists. After a stretched-out opening, the tempo picks up with the drums and syncopated rhythms. Gaga sings, “Good morning, good morning / Been up the whole night through,” her voice bright and energetic.
Similarly, “Get Happy (2024)” provides the same happy-go-lucky upbeat tune. However, mirroring the Joker and Harley Quinn’s relationship, there’s something twisted about the happiness they share—it’s delusional: “You call the doctor, he says, ‘Get happy’ / When your delusions are getting low”. Given the circumstances of the movie, the song goes hand-in-hand with the Joker’s madness and his love affair with Quinn. As Gaga plays the role of Harley Quinn, she aims to take on the challenging perspective of literally being “crazy in love.”
The third track, “Oh, When The Saints,” is a cover of “When the Saints Go Marching In,” a traditional Christian hymn about the desire to go to heaven. With multiple dramatic key changes throughout and an over-the-top guitar solo at the end of the end, the track doesn’t stand out in any particular manner. However, the tie between religion and love is interesting. What Joker and Quinn have is so loyal; they are so devoted to each other that it imitates religion and worship.
Originally recorded by Cab Calloway in 1932, “World On A String” is a jazz piece that, again, emphasizes the love that Joker and Quinn feel for each other, particularly Quinn toward Joker.
“If My Friends Could See Me Now” is a jazz show tune, enhanced with improved scatting. It was originally from the 1966 Broadway Musical “Sweet Charity”, and revolves around the reflection of fame’s impact on the narrator’s life. Similarly, “That’s Entertainment”, a song originally written for the 1953 musical film “The Band Wagon”, shares the same theme, as if the character is feeling on top of the world. Just like how Harley Quinn feels with Joker, it is as if she is on top of the world and they are the only two people on earth.
“Smile,” “The Joker” and “Folie à Deux” directly refer to common images about the film (Joker’s iconic and off-putting smile, for instance) and their romance. The most romantic out of the three is undoubtedly “Folie à Deux,” the second part of the film’s title and a translation meaning “madness of two.” Not only that but “folie à deux” is a medical term referring to a psychiatric syndrome in which two people in close association share the same delusion or mental illness. Knowing this, it’s a perfect subtitle for a film about a failed comedian with his crazed lover.
“Gonna Build A Mountain,” similar to “Oh, When The Saints,” contains gospel elements, but is also a show tune like “If My Friends Could See Me.” It is originally written for the 1961 musical “The Roar of the Greasepaint — The Smell of the Crowd”.
“Close To You,” a cover of the Carpenters' hit, remains a pleasant addition to the album. It’s followed by “Happy Mistake,” an original on the album. Unlike the others on the album, it feels deeply personal to Gaga. She describes it as “a reflection of every album I’ve ever made and all the songs I’ve ever written.” She goes on to say, “I feel like throughout my music and all of the art that I’ve made, there’s always been portraits of a broken girl. Playing a broken girl has been something that has not always served me well.” The most heart-wrenching line of all remains “How’d I get so addicted to the love of the whole world?” Finally, the album ends with “That’s Life,” which was originally recorded in 1963 by Marion Montgomery. Thus, the album begins on the same note as it began: overly happy and optimistic that it’s bordering psychotic.
After releasing the hit “Die With A Smile” with American singer-songwriter Bruno Mars, Lady Gaga is coming strong back into the spotlight. The success of the single, along with “Harlequin”, reemphasizes Gaga’s hold on the music industry. Her new album is available to stream on all platforms.