Confused about Joanne

[ApplauseftAdele 4,682]

Im honestly a bit confused about "Joanne" and heres why -

Gaga's albums / eras have always been unique compared to other artists because they all represent a concept. The Fame was about the glamour of Fame, TFM was about the darker sides of Fame, Born This Way was about being who you are, ARTPOP was about unleashing your creativity. Many other artists fail to do this, as their albums capture a sound or aesthetic, but never have a central meaning as Gaga's albums.

But then we have Joanne. This album is supposed to be a personal, biographical album, which is a bit different from Gaga's other far-fetched album concepts. I find this confusing because,

1) The album is called "Joanne". While it IS Gaga's middle name, the name here represents her late aunt who died before she was born. Im a bit confused here because the album is supposed to be biographical but Joanne and her life/death dont exactly cross with Gaga's life... Has anyone else found it weird that Gaga named her biographical album after someone she's never met?  Maybe "Diamond Heart" would have been a better name IMO. "Joanne" just seems like its about someone else, which is completely contradictory to the album.

2) The song Joanne. Gaga sings to her late aunt to stay with her, and how much she misses her... but she's never really met her, and I always just found this slightly odd.

3) The pink hat & country aesthetic. Gaga's aesthetic and fashion never fail to capture the era - from the glittering fashion of The Fame, to the art inspired alien-like ARTPOP outfits. But for Joanne, Gaga's main aesthetic revolves around a stripped down, almost country theme, centering around a pink cowboy hat. I was honestly surprised because I expected a more rock and roll aesthetic like PI or her LA dive bar show. but instead the theme is country? Gaga was raised in New york... she was a stripper... I honestly dont see the correlation between her country fashion and honestly even the country/folk sound relating to her life. Isn't it supposed to be autobiographical? It just feels slightly random, is all. Like if I didnt know her, I would expect her to be some country girl who made it as a popstar and is now going back to her roots, which isn't the case.

4) Dancing in Circles. Ok this one is kind of a reach, maybe it's just a bop she wanted to put on the album... but a song about masturbation a biographical album named after your aunt is just... 

So yeah, im not hating on the Joanne era because so far it has served me some major highlights, I'm just confused as to why Gaga chose to do these things 

[TropicOfCANCER 6,292]

"Joanne" (the song) is sung from the perspective of her father.

The pink hat isn't even a cowboy hat, btw. it would be more curved on the side if so. it's just a large-brimmed hat.

Anyways, my advice is: don't let the contradictions bother you. There's been discrepancies in every album cycle and it's partially what makes it so fun--to see how gaga's vision plays out and challenges what we think we know. 

 

[Squeeshy Keety 9,908]

She wasn't lying when she said the album was about herself and her family. It's an album about Stefani. I see a lot of themes tying back to before she was Gaga.

Remember when she said that she feels Joanne's spirit coursing through her. I think this is why naming it "Joanne" is still autobiographical (beyond it being her middle name), because she feels so connected to her. 

[Reality 70,129]

1) Joanne's always been a special part of Gaga's life. Even before she made Joanne, she'd always yell "Joanne!" with her crew backstage before a concert or performance. While it may seem odd that Gaga has really created this whole homage for someone's she's never met before, she's really creating it for her family, her friends, her fans, but more specifically, I think, her father. Her father's always been an important part of her life, and while she definitely didn't write this album just for him, he certainly was a gigantic inspiration for her during its creative process. I mean, she's always talking about how she "never got to know her real father", so perhaps Joanne (the album) is a way of connecting with him more. 

However, it's also about showing a more "traditional" side of her. During the T Magazine interview, she said that she has two sides of her: the rebellious side, and the side that's her "father's daughter", and while she's still very much a rebellious person, this album definitely shows more of the latter.

2) I believe the song's written from her father's perspective.

3) I was sort of stunned about this too. I was honestly really expecting this era to be more "rock" inspired, at least, from an aesthetic perspective. First, though, her signature hat isn't necessarily a cowboy hat. While it has a lot of similarities, it's not a cowboy hat. That being said, there's no denying a "country" aesthetic influence for this era. I was actually very surprised to hear that country was a type of genre that inspired her, we've never really heard that before. It's puzzling, but maybe it's just Gaga's way of "going simpler".

4) I thought a song about masturbation was pretty weird too  At first, it never crossed my mind that Dancin' In Circles was about masturbation until someone had pointed it out. Guess I don't pick up on things well

[takemetovenus 4,826]

I feel like Joanne makes total sense in her career honestly. Her aunt has always been an inspiration and has talked about her in the past. Given the pain she had during the ARTPOP era, I feel like she relied on her religion and family to help her through and I feel like this is what sparked the whole "concept" of Joanne maybe. In the sense of the album, Joanne is the spirit of humanity and healing.

[ApplauseftAdele 4,682]

2 minutes ago, takemetovenus said:

I feel like Joanne makes total sense in her career honestly. Her aunt has always been an inspiration and has talked about her in the past. Given the pain she had during the ARTPOP era, I feel like she relied on her religion and family to help her through and I feel like this is what sparked the whole "concept" of Joanne maybe. In the sense of the album, Joanne is the spirit of humanity and healing.

omg ur right 

[Seeka 12,372]

1. Joanne has always been a special part of Gaga's life AND her creer. Even from teh Fame days, maybe even before, Joanne has been a part of Gaga's career. hell, one of Joanne's poems is in the PHYSICAL version of the Fame Booklet. Even one of Gaga's projects (a tour, an album, something) was called Joanne in secret.

not to mention, the dead can always be a part of your life. Have you r parents ever dwelled on someone close to them who was dead? Tell you stories as if they were still alive? Like at any minute you could imagine that person walk right through that door?

Joanne is probably that for Gaga.

2. Joanne is written from her father's point if view.

3. Gaga has roots in Americana and folky music. Gaga never had roots in pop. She's a metalhead. She sings jazz. I'd be more surprised if she didn't have some country influences down the line. Plus also, some of Gaga's fav bands probably had some country-inspired rock at sometime or another.

Joanne is the closest collection of work Gaga has released the even resembles Red and Blue/Words.

4. The song was originally "Driving in Circles" so we can not say absolutely for sure if this was the product Gaga intended for release. I sense executive meddling so teh song wouldn't be so sad, as Driving in Circles was probably about suicide and depression.

However, a woman admitting she masturbates, takes a lot of courage. Since women masturbating is a rather taboo subject that must be kept behind closed doors.

[Joshie S 5,735]

I think that it's just music and instead of worrying about everything else that is coming off of it, just focus on her as an artist wanting to show a different side to us, just enjoy the music and enjoy the time we have with Gaga while it lasts.

[Wolf 1,328]

Gaga always believed that she has two hearts, one of which is Joanne's. 

I think Gaga feels that she is Joanne's reincarnation. Iirc, gaga said that her purpose in life is to continue what joanne is supposed to do, and that is being an artist. Joanne was a painter and a poet.

Call me nuts but in a way, Joanne and Gaga are the same person. 

[NIghtmareElm 2,606]

The idea of the album is really odd but Gaga is still really strange.  I'm just glad the album wasn't super mellow and gloomy.  That's what I was worried about.  The only two sad songs is Joanne and Angel Down.  Even though Gaga has been really corny lately I don't think the actual album is corny.  It's still has that classic Gaga attitude.