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JOANNE/REVIEW


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Joanne review

1.            “Diamond Heart” (9/10)

I love DH so much. It’s very throwback to her Red & Blue, with the lyrical content, and very early The Fame era mixed with rock, production wise. I love the beat, the lyrics are very autobiographical and the reference to her days as a go-go dancer.

A great choice for an album opener, but maybe not single material. More likely a fan-appreciated song. Also, props to Gaga for trolling us into thinking it would be a track dedicated to her engagement to Taylor.

2.            “A-YO” (7.5/10)

I’m in two minds about this song. I love at the kind of “MANiCURE”-meets-country vibes, the vocals are great but at parts it feels as if she’s re-treading old water with this track. But at the same time, it’s very catchy but there isn’t much substance to this song. I’m not going to disregard it yet, it does have a lot of potential to be a grower.

Possible single material, the production is very appealing and catchy.

3.            “Joanne” (8.5/10)                                               

Now this song is definitely heart breaking. I cried both times I’ve listened to it so far. The simple production goes well with Gaga’s amazing, yet minimalistic vocals, and you can really hear the pain in her voice. It also shows a new side to Gaga we haven’t seen before, very vulnerable. The chorus is definitely the best part, simple, yet beautiful.

4.            “John Wayne” (10/10)

Now this is definitely my favourite song on the album. Meet the better, more concise twin of “Mary Jane Holland” (which happens to be one of my favourite songs on ARTPOP). The beat is catchy as **** and the chorus hook will get stuck in your head, “Baby, let’s get high. John Wayne”. Her vocals are great, the production is great. I can see myself dancing to this in clubs. It’s also the most throwback WeridGa so far, in a good way.

Could work as a single, I would love to hear this on the radio, but at the same time it’s not very radio friendly.

5.            “Dancin’ in Circles” (8/10)

I got kind-of Shakira vibes from the production, but maybe it’s just me. Her vocals on this album are definitely at their best. It’s very dance-y, very moody and atmospheric. This “Americano” meets dark country-rock.

This would definitely be my choice for the next single, I feel like it is the most radio-friendly, taking into account in the current musical trends.

6.            “Perfect Illusion” (9.5/10)

Now, I love this song so much. I’ve listened to this song on repeat for the past five weeks. In my opinion, it was definitely the best choice as lead single. The opening guitar gives me eargasms and her vocals are exquisite and attention-grabbing. The key-change works without being cheesy, and I can’t wait to see it live in concert. My only issue is that the chorus, while catchy, doesn’t have much substance. I feel like it could’ve been expanded into something even better, but it is still definitely one of my favourite songs on the album.

7.            “Million Reasons” (9/10)

This song is just amazing. It feels very much like “Speechless” meets “Dope”, as in it’s very relatable but at the same time minimalistic and the vocals a beautiful. I shed a tear the first time I heard this song. Although it’s very simple, it still has a Gaga-ness to it, “cut through all this worn-out leather”.

I feel like this could do well as a single, it’s the complete opposite to “Perfect Illusion”, and could be the catalyst to all the PI-hate from the public.

8.            “Sinner’s Prayer” (8/10)

The production on SP is absolutely Gaga. The “hey”-s mixed with the country/soft-rock works very well to keep your attention. I love Gaga’s vocals on this track, and the lyrics, again, are very autobiographical. The Natali references show another side to Gaga, as she has said, “her father’s daughter, her sister’s sister” etc.

9.            “Come to Mama” (7.5/10)

This song, while very cheesy, is very catchy. The problem is the lyrics feel quite cliché and worn out. But it’s definitely a guilty pleasure. I feel like this song is the only song on the album that feels out of place. But the chorus definitely the best part of the song, and I can just imagine Gaga sat with her child in this song.

10.         “Hey Girl” (ft. Florence Welch) (8/10)

The production of this song is very different to what I imagine, but I kind of like it. Gaga and Florence’s voices work together quite well, and I love the message. It definitely will grow on people. At the moment I feel like I need to make a more informed opinion on the song, but I’ve got high hopes from what I’ve heard.

11.         “Angel Down” (9/10)

Definitely the only choice as an album opener. I love the social commentary and the production is very dark and moody. The vocals are exquisite. I literally can’t even. I can’t wait to hear the difference with the work tape, but I love this song so much. I cried so much at this.

It would work well as an era-closing single, much like “Marry the Night” or what “Gypsy” should’ve been.

Conclusion

So, while the album isn’t the pop return many hoped for, it’s so much better than that, and so much more Gaga. While there are a few little stumbles, the high's are ridiculously good. Her vocals are at her best, you can hear her passion in her lyrics and the music, and it’s a more interesting take and character development in Gaga’s music. Instead of re-doing The Fame era, she gave us something new, interesting, autobiographical and lyrically different. It’s still the same Gaga, but, just like we all do, she’s grown and that’s a good thing, for all of us.

I can’t wait to see the critical and public reaction to the album, but I have a feeling (or hope) that it will be overwhelmingly positive. She’s done Joanne, her family, her fans, but most importantly, herself, proud.

Single choices

“John Wayne”, “Dancin’ in Circles”, “A-You”, “Angel Down”

Top 5 tracks

“John Wayne”, “Perfect Illusion”, “Diamond Heart”, “Angel Down”, “Dancin’ In Circles”

 

***4.5 STARS***

Hiiieee
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Rockets

I'm so happy to see I'm not the only one who gave ridiculously high ratings to all the songs lol

it's so good yayyyyy today is a good day :wub:

The only girl I've ever loved was born with roses in her eyes
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