Why do people say Joanne is country and not pop

[SeasonOfTheWitch 3,789]

17 minutes ago, SKANK said:

Since this subject is discussed all the time I’ll just copy and paste my post from the last time...

 

Gaga cited Garth Brooks, Johnny Cash, and her Mother's southern roots as being inspiration for the album.

There wasn't a single review of Joanne that didn't mention its country influences. Rolling Stone called it her Shina Twain fantasy. NME said Joanne was Gaga's "lets-get-a-bit-country-road" moment.

She enlisted Hillary Lindsey, a song writer who was best known for writing for Little Big Town and Carrie Underwood, to write AYO - a song Rolling Stone called "Country-Pop." Hillary also co-wrote A Million Reasons - a song drenched in the melodrama typical of country music.

In the lyrics for the song John Wayne - a song written about the definitive cowboy icon - she sang, "I just love a cow boy...you know hang off the back of your horse...hollerin' over, rubber spinnin'...big swig, toss another beer can." 

There are many influences when it comes to the music on Joanne, but Country is certainly one of its major defining genres. Which is clear in both the music, and the entire way she chose to present the era visually.

It’s not ridiculous for fans to consider Joanne a country album, when she was happy to go full Annie Oakley...

Again I’m not doubting there’s country influence on the album. But like I said with BTW- why do people refer to Joanne as “Country” based off imagery and 3 songs but not BTW as “Rock” based off imagery and multiple songs? Also, There’s hardly any country influence on A-YO, which is basically a 60s surfer song on acid, John Wayne is the epitome of a dance Pop Star trying their hardest to be “country” and like I said, Million Reasons, Sinners Prayer, and Grigio Girls are the only songs on the album that deserve to be referred to as mainly country in my opinion. But then again what do I know, I’ve only lived in the south my whole life and grew up on country music.  Anyway CountryGa is amazing, especially when she actually puts soul into her voice (Diggin My Grave) and I hope we get an actual country album from her one day, once she decides to ditch her pop fusion formula she loves doing on her solo music/records. 

[McYves 1,612]

I mean, it's a pop record with a FEW country influences. But you know, the hat. 

[Spartacus 4,485]

1 hour ago, Mer Boy said:

Because they don't actually know what country music is. It has country influences but is not a country album. 

I've said this from day1 about every "country" Taylor Swift album.

 

OT: It's the pink "country" hat.   If she'd worn a sombrero instead, Trump would've sent her and Joanne back to Mexico.

[Anderson123 38,458]

Because the gays only know Electro Pop, Synth Pop and dArK pOp. 

[SKANK 14,288]

18 minutes ago, SeasonOfTheWitch said:

Again I’m not doubting there’s country influence on the album. But like I said with BTW- why do people refer to Joanne as “Country” based off imagery and 3 songs but not BTW as “Rock” based off imagery and multiple songs? Also, There’s hardly any country influence on A-YO, which is basically a 60s surfer song on acid, John Wayne is the epitome of a dance Pop Star trying their hardest to be “country” and like I said, Million Reasons, Sinners Prayer, and Grigio Girls are the only songs on the album that deserve to be referred to as mainly country in my opinion. But then again what do I know, I’ve only lived in the south my whole life and grew up on country music.  Anyway CountryGa is amazing, especially when she actually puts soul into her voice (Diggin My Grave) and I hope we get an actual country album from her one day, once she decides to ditch her pop fusion formula she loves doing on her solo music/records. 

 

I agree that Joanne isn't Country album.

When people refer to it as a "Country album" they are referring to her over all concept during that era. When you factor in the Dive Bar tour, horses, cowboys, beer, cowgirl boots, gun and lasso choreography, Hillary Lindsey, music videos with her playing a guitar on a dirt country road, etc. she was obviously trying to evoke Americana tropes that are most prevalent in Country music. The single image most associated with the album is a pink cowgirl hat that she placed prominently on the cover. There are a lot of influences on Joanne, but the genre she most leaned into as a way of presenting the era was Country.

I think it's understandable for casual fans of music to call Joanne a Country album, even if it strictly isn't.

 

[alextruper17 8,908]

They're crazy. This is clearly vaporwave

[JohnWayne92 2,175]

For me, Joanne is more Classic Rock infused, back when there wasnt "country" or "rock." There are country influences in some of the songs, there is no denying that, but back in the day that's just how "rock" sounded. People would lump Elvis and Johnny Cash in the same category back then. That's kinda where the album lies for me. 

[AJRocketMan 2,684]

18 minutes ago, JohnWayne92 said:

For me, Joanne is more Classic Rock infused, back when there wasnt "country" or "rock." There are country influences in some of the songs, there is no denying that, but back in the day that's just how "rock" sounded. People would lump Elvis and Johnny Cash in the same category back then. That's kinda where the album lies for me. 

Well, to be fair, Rock and roll was inspired by country music.

[Guest]

Idk... the melodies & vocal style are pop, the only thing country about it is the production lol

[Diamond heart99 5,262]

Because you can’t fix stupid. 

[NCgaga 4,324]

It's not country, at all. People that say that it is country, have no idea what real country is. NOw there are are a couple songs on the album that are influenced by country, but it's defintetely not country. 

[CautiousLurker 19,469]

It's the hat  

[doppelganger 3,933]

It's heavily influenced by  Americana but Country music it is not

[VOLANTIS 16,406]

Why do people think Cheek to Cheek is a jazz cover album and not heavy metal? 

When Gaga said “dancing cheek to cheek” I felt my cheeks dancing therefore that can’t be jazz because my cheeks personally doesn’t groove along to jazz music. 

 

OT: why do you guys get so offended for having to like a country album? Diamond Heart, A-Yo, John Wayne, Title track, DIC, PI, Million Reasons, Sinners Prayer, Come to Mama, Hey Girl, Grigio Girls and Just Another Day all have one common element and it’s country influence. 

[derpmonster 22,412]

37 minutes ago, VOLANTIS said:

Why do people think Cheek to Cheek is a jazz cover album and not heavy metal? 

When Gaga said “dancing cheek to cheek” I felt my cheeks dancing therefore that can’t be jazz because my cheeks personally doesn’t groove along to jazz music. 

 

OT: why do you guys get so offended for having to like a country album? Diamond Heart, A-Yo, John Wayne, Title track, DIC, PI, Million Reasons, Sinners Prayer, Come to Mama, Hey Girl, Grigio Girls and Just Another Day all have one common element and it’s country influence. 

Cheek to Cheek is literally ragtime and jazz as they're defined.  Listen to jazz. C2C is that. It's got piano, trumpet, syncopation, jazz arrangements, jazz STANDARDS, there's literally no doubt.

Joanne is not country. Joanne has a country influence but other influences are far greater. The only three songs that come close to country are Million Reasons (also a pop ballad), Sinner's Prayer (more like Americana folk but close to country), and Grigio Girls (the only actual country pop ballad). The rest are rock, electro, funkish inspired with country imagery (John Wayne) but not sound. There's a lot of non country folk (like CTM). Just Another Day is the farthest from country. It's a jazzy pop song. Half of ASIB is more country than Joanne. 

Maybe you don't have exposure to much country music. Sometimes things sound the same when you haven't heard enough of it. Happens with me too. 

It isn't about being "offended" by liking country... What gave you that idea? I actually do like some country music. And I love Joanne. They're not the same though. Joanne's overarching genre is pop, followed by folk.