Joanne - track by track - cherishing thread

[Nessun Dorma 214]

Hello Monsters! I feel like Joanne doesn’t get all the love it deserves. So I invite you to praise this marvelous album! Come on Joanners, I know you’re out there!  What are your impressions on each track? I’m curious to know! 

For me, Joanne took Gaga’s artistic ability to another level. The way she channeled pain, grief, sadness and tragedy to put this album together was magical. It flows so perfectly well between country, jazz, soft rock and R&B! She can truly sing anything! So without further ado: heeeere we go! 

Diamond Heart: the production and the instrumentation are the highlights. The line I’m not be flawless but I got a diamond heart is iconic! Some asshole broke me in / wrecked all my innocence always gets me 

A-YO: one of my favorites from Joanne! LOVE everything about it: her vocals, the lyrics, the handclaps, the guitar solos! A must-listen! 

Joanne: the fact that she made a tribute to her family’s tragedy is so moving! Every part of my aching heart needs you more than the angels do is so relatable to anyone who has experienced grief. The acoustic guitar instrumentation blends perfectly with her vocals. 

John Wayne: the drum beats makes it such a enjoyable song! And the intro where she screams can you go a little faster raises my spirit every time! The MV was the best from this era. 

Dancin’ In Circles: her whispering tune, the double entendre, I can’t! Also It was cool she got to work with Beck, one of her biggest idols. I think it was one of those moments in her career when she got to think “I made it!” 

Perfect Illusion: an underrated anthem! The punk-rock influence, the production and the vocals are the highlights. My guessing game is strong / way too real to be wrong / caught up in your show yeah at least now I know. Love the rhyme quality! 

Million Reasons: I’m a ballad girl, so this is one of my favorites from her discography. Gaga + piano is everything to me! She nailed it with her vocal powerhouse! Can’t say I’m a fan of the MV though. 

Sinner’s Prayer: also an underrated song yet so pleasing to the ears! The intro serves that western, folky swing matching the main visual for the era (the famous pink hat). I really like the lyricism of it. The register change in the final chorus is my favorite part of the song. 

Come to Mama: I simply love the fact she calls herself mama in this one. Tell me who hurt you gives such a maternal vibe, almost an ode to little monsters! The lyric addresses important matters but at the same time it gives a cheerful feeling. The energy the drums and the sax brings to the song is life giving! 

Hey Girl: I’m a huge fan of Florence Welch so this duet has my heart! The vocals blend together beautifully and the lyrics are meaningful and relevant. The hey girl, if you lose your way just know that I got you sums up what sisterhood means to me! 

Angel Down: I love when she uses her voice and her art to address important matters, claiming for political and social improvements. A beautiful yet tragic ballad. Again, Gaga + piano is the best combo. 

Grigio Girls: such a cheerful tune that ended up being a farewell. Glad that Sonja got to be honored and celebrated with this song while she was still alive. 

Just Another Day: Finally, my favorite track from Joanne! LOVE that jazzy atmosphere, the lyrics which I can relate so much, her stunning vocals, the trumpet, the instrumental bridge! Makes me crave for a Gaga solo jazz album! 

Honorable mention: the visuals for the era! I loved seeing this raw version of Gaga, it made me feel more connected and relatable to her. That was when I truly became a fan! 

[Starmie25 9,558]

For the 10th anniversary I need a remaster/deluxe 

Joanne made me a fan of Gaga, NOT ALICE !

[Nessun Dorma 214]

19 minutes ago, Starmie25 said:

For the 10th anniversary I need a remaster/deluxe 

Joanne made me a fan of Gaga, NOT ALICE !

That would be a dream indeed! 

[A Real Panda 1,034]

I'm just gonna mention a few songs.

Joanne, the grammy-winning title track is my favorite song from the album. 

Perfect Illusion, lately I've been listening to this song, rewatching the MV and finding new appreciation for this song. I now understand why it was chosen as the lead single.

Million Reasons, the little engine that could. This song holds a special place in my heart, I loved this song from the moment I heard it. Oh, I remember the days when people wanted to scrap this as the 2nd single because it wasnt charting and fellow fans were pretending to be soccer moms and requesting the song on radio, getting it playlisted on Spotify. Gaga pushing the song with so many performances (AMA, SNL, Royal Variety, many radio show performances and interviews). I thought Gaga's charting days were over until the Superbowl effect where we all rejoiced as it shot up to #4 securing Gaga a hit for the Joanne era.

Come To Mama, Just Another Day, Grigio Girls, Hey Girl, A-YO are feel good songs I can listen to and sing-along while doing other things.

John Wayne, Dancin in Circles, the closest thing to Pop Gaga we got from the album.

Angel Down has such a beautiful message and Gaga's voice is just amazing especially the switch from the "angry" chorus to the sad ooh-oohs sounds so beautifully haunting.

[ARTPOPKISS 1,578]

@PartySick

[2School4Cool 5,375]

One of my favorite albums! Severely underrated, but it has some of her most touching music. I've always been a fan of when artists strip things down and just sit with an acoustic guitar or a piano, so moments like Joanne and Million Reasons were instant standouts to me. Angel Down is also one of the highlights of her catalogue for me.

Edited Sunday at 07:15 PM by 2School4Cool

[GagaGame 1,234]

I love Grigio Girls and Dancin in Circles 

[Anderson123 32,525]

A beautiful album that came out at the right time. I don't love it as much as the others but still come back to it every now and then.

Perfect Illusion, John Wayne, Sinner's Prayer, Angel Down and of course Million Reason are my favorites. Just Another Day is also a cute part of it.

[GagaGame 1,234]

Although I think that the production is basic and rushed, I love the album (it's not my favorite tho)

[BabylonChristmas 4,832]

In the past, I used to have a little trouble listening to this album because I was going through so much at the time, but I've appreciated it a little more each day over the years. Joanne (piano version), A-Yo, John Wayne, Million Reasons, Come to Mama, Angel Down, and Just Another Day are probably my top songs from Joanne. They're just so healing to me  I can't help but cry when I listen to the piano version of Joanne though.

[ryansamonster 1,427]

Loved A-yo and Sinner’s Prayer since the first dive bar performance! They remain favorites off the album. Also A-yo on SNL is probably one of my fav performances from the era. Dancin in Circles, John Wayne, and of course DIAMOND HEART are standouts. Joanne and Million Reasons are very moving and beautiful. 

I also especially loved seeing Gaga go a little more natural, and fully embraced the band t and jeans kinda gal, since that’s usually my everyday look too. I felt even closer to Gaga because of this era! My Grandma was named Joanne and I also have an Aunt Joanne so by the name alone I instantly felt connected. 

 

[Plastic Flower 2,357]

Not my favorite album but it gave me some of my favorite Gaga songs ever: Just Another Day, Diamond Heart and Joanne.

[PartySick 138,698]

Shall I rewrite my short thesis on Joanne as a narrative?

Lemme copy+paste from my notes app.

Spoiler

Diamond Heart: Literally, it's about a breakup and Gaga exclaiming she knows her own worth and her heart is strong despite her flaws and pain. However, narratively, I consider this to be her immediate response to a painful situation. She stands defiant but clearly damaged. I also find the lyric "you want a good thing? put the money down first" interesting. It's almost as though she herself doesn't believe this new "person" will be there for her in the long term. Or rather, she doubts her own self worth. She gets the "money" up front because she believes when the man gets the "product" she's "selling", he'll be dissatisfied.

A-Yo: In this song, Gaga shrugs off the experience and acts playful and joyous. There's a darker feeling beneath the silly lyrics and boppy music though. It almost feels like she's in denial. This song is her "I'm fine!" statement.

Joanne: This song means three different things to me. First and most obviously, it's a tribute song to her aunt. Second, it's a song about herself (her own middle name is Joanne) and transformation. At my JWT date, she brought me to tears explaining how she felt she never knew her true dad because the pain of losing his sister changed him so dramatically that he became another person. Third, this could be seen as the bargaining stage. "Heaven's not ready for you / where do you think you're going?". It's a Gaga that's not ready to let go.

John Wayne: After bargaining comes anger, which itself has multiple phases and flavors. In this song, Gaga experiments with self destruction and self medication. "Baby, let's get high / I'm strung out on John Wayne".

Dancin' in Circles: The apathy and isolation phase of anger. Here, Gaga indulges in herself while shunning others, opting to imagine a perfect scenario and please herself rather than rely on somebody else for pleasure or happiness.

Perfect Illusion: Finally the anger stage in its pure form. Not much to say about this one other than it's (the painful situation) finally hit her and she feels cheated, angry, and maybe even powerless. So she rages.

Million Reasons: As cathartic as anger is, it leaves you feeling empty. The penultimate stage of pain/grief is depression. Gaga's sullen, she's longing for a happiness she's lost, and she feels hollow inside. All it would take is one glimmer of false hope to pull her backwards on this journey, one "good one to stay", but she's smart enough to know better.

Sinner's Prayer: The tears have dried but Gaga remains stoic and cold. That is, until she sees her sister in a similar situation she was in way back in Diamond Heart. She imparts her wisdom onto her sister and by helping her, she comes to a realization herself and finds a bit of peace and, finally, healing. The "baby sister who looks just like me" could also be her reflecting on her past, tracing her mistakes, and learning her lessons.

Come to Mama: The altruism expands in this song and she realizes that pain begets pain. Hurt people have a propensity to hurt people. Here, she finally speaks to the listener directly for the first time, offering the chance to share their pain and lean on her for support.

Hey Girl: A continuation of CTM, but more mutual. Now, she's not only offering to lift up another, she's realizing that she, too, needs support to continue healing.

Angel Down: In my narrative, I like to imagine this as the second painful experience. Rather than immediately jumping to anger, denial, and immature reactions or habits, she laments but in a healthy and intelligent way. Demanding action over reaction.

Grigio Girls: She's not alone this time. She has a support system to help keep her lifted. She knows she's able to cry and experience these negative emotions but unlike before, rage doesn't invade her mind. She processes the emotions, carries them, and moves on.

Just Another Day: The true antithesis of the first half of this album. She's been hurt again but she won't fall back to destructive ways. Instead, she breathes deep, she's easier on herself, and she smiles because she knows even though her heart aches, the world is beautiful and life is a gift. She's able to adjust and adapt to changing situations. She's found an inner peace and stability that she didn't have before. She's learned to let herself heal.

Deserved to be a visual narrative album tbh

[Auralegends 3,128]

And the best staging/visuals of her tours with JWT

[The Fame 3,915]

I'm not going to get into a whole thing, but I just wanted to say that Diamond Heart from that album is my favorite Gaga song literally EVERRRR.