Going gaga for Gaga’s new tunes
By Sophia Muroff (’18)
From day one, Lady Gaga has gone against the status quo of Pop music. Gaga has created her own unique style of clothing and music since even before she stepped onto the red carpet in a meat dress. Gaga’s repeated, earnest rejection of anything normative is empowering for anyone who feels like someone who doesn’t fit into the common mold.
Lady Gaga’s evolution of music style reaches its point in her most recent album, Joanne. Lady Gaga began her career with technopop and dance-pop styles in her first albums, The Fame and The Fame Monster. Evolving into her third album, Born This Way, she stems from the styles of her first two albums and begins to incorporate electronic rock and techno. Her fourth album, Artpop, is described by Gaga herself as an exploration of the “reverse Warholian” phenomenon in popular culture.
Gaga’s evolution as an artist reaches its peak in her latest album, Joanne. In it she explores many genres including soft rock and dance-pop styles to emphasize her vocal abilities. A local “Little Monster” Casey Kroll (‘17), agrees. He says that he sees her evolution in each album. He says, “Joanne is a great example of what makes her a unique and honest artist; she is able to grow.” Lyrically, Joanne explores the theme of family and life’s emotions. The death of her aunt, Joanne Stefani Germanotta, had an obvious influence on the album.
As a former “Little Monster,” I really enjoyed listening to Joanne. It was interesting too see how the Gaga I listened to sixth grade has evolved into a stronger, more honest artist. There were still traces of her original style in some of her new songs, and it was nice to hear that familiar sound a few years since I had last tuned in.
My favorite song on the album was definitely A-YO. It has a very fun, groovy beat that makes the listener want to dance. I also really loved Angel Down. The lyrics were written in response to Trayvon Martin’s death and were a tearful commentary on society as a whole.
Overall, I really enjoyed listening to Joanne. The large mix of genres throughout the albums were explored beautifully. Days after I first listened, I found myself still dancing to her lyrics. I highly suggest that everyone takes a listen to Joanne, whether they identify as a fan or not.
The Lions' Den 