Some Thoughts on Theme and Such From Last Night

[Lee Ng 1,494]

19 hours ago, anomdepllume said:

Hey all! I'm not usually one to start topics, but I have some thoughts on last night that I haven't really seen other people discussing around here, so I thought I'd go for it

I wasn't there, but I did get to see most of the show live, and caught the rest of it this morning through various video. (To everyone in the Rabbit stream that I accidentally disconnected from, my internet connection was in and out last night, I'm sorry I didn't get to see the rest of it with y'all!).

-During the pre-show music, there was an funeral-esque organ playing Million Reasons. This to me was beyond strange when I first heard it, but it kind of informs the rest of my thoughts on how the show works as a cohesive whole.

People are having a really hard time reconciling the pink-hatted-hippie-styled Joanne aesthetics that have been in place pre-Coachella, and the darker interludes we've been getting SINCE Coachella. Especially after the (absolutely stunning) interludes and performances we got last night, on the surface level there is a lot of disconnect. 

One thing that we absolutely cannot forget is that Joanne (the album, the namesake, the song itself, all of it) has ALWAYS had a darker side. This is a family member that died tragically and very young, and as Gaga said last night, that unshakable grief that gets passed down through the generations. Joanne is a reflection of grief, styled different ways. But it's also about overcoming grief and reaching out to others around you to be strengthened (especially focusing on female relationships a la Grigio Girls, Hey Girl).

I mean, bops as they may be, Perfect Illusion, Sinner's Prayer, and especially Diamond Heart are raw and dark and deal with EXTREMELY personal things in Gaga's life. (The bravery, honesty, and strength it takes to open your world tour with a song that almost right off the bat refers to one of the darkest moments in your life is astounding). 

The show is both a mourning period and a celebration of life and love.

This also takes on a new meaning with the recent passing of Sonya, as Gaga said last night, the first time she has ever had to deal with the passing of a very close friend. All of that happening while in the middle of a creative and commercial renaissance must raise some conflicting feelings.

As for the much talked about interludes, I think they all represent hard choices and obstacles Gaga had to face to get to where she is that night (and I mean recently). The car and the pink smoke to me represents being stuck in a cycle (well hey, would you look at that, it's a lyric!), that is clearly going nowhere, and is on the verge of breaking down. The pink smoke represents the fleeting thoughts and emotions that would come to comprise the Joanne era (also, it looks really b!tchin). Getting out the car, stopping the cycle. 

The inhalation mask one (my favorite!) as brought up by somebody else, to me was a representation of the fears and dark sides of going back to being Lady Gaga, bold popstar, as opposed to Lady Gaga, jazz songstress, or Lady Gaga, actress. In the end, she does it, because it is a part of her, and what she loves the most. But it comes with pain and loss and fear.

The walls closing in in different colors was interesting, and I was sure what to make of it at first (other than that, again, it looked awesome). Perhaps the creative restrictions and doubts that people may have had in coming back to Gaga, and putting out a record like Joanne. The first verse of Perfect Illusion comes to mind during this one.

The Rhino one is definitely a little more obvious, aimed at all the ink spilled on her face and various changes. But it also could go the other way, no matter what she's still gonna be Gaga, as strange or ugly as it might look to other people. OR (this one is really up for interpretation),  the horns are physical manifestation of personal pain and the toll it has taken. The world can see it, and it ain't going away..

I don't really have one for the bald-melty thing yet, because there's no HD version yet for me to dissect.

So this tour definitely highlights the darker side even as it is full of that color and light of the surface of the Joanne era. And it is all in remembrance of the actual Joanne, and Gaga's strange and unbreakable connection to this woman, and a reflection of both her grief and the audiences, overcoming it, working through it, etc. 

Anyway, tldr, this tour works, feel free to chime in and disagree/agree, I love hearing what y'all have to say!

The walls closing one is just greattttt. It probably shows how the industry tried to limit her and use her as a money machine. The Rhino one, to me, represents the " Black lives matter" when she holds another black hand. All in all, the deeper we go exploring, the deeper we understand the flow of the show