15 Thoughts I Had While Listening to Lady Gaga’s New Concept Album, ‘Harlequin’

Little Monsters is currently in progress fed. Not only will Lady Gaga play a starring role in the upcoming film Joker: Folie à Deuxin which she plays Harley Quinn opposite Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker, but she has also just released a concept album in honor of the film. Title Harlequinthe surprise disc, composed of songs featured in the film, was entirely produced by Gaga and her fiancé, Michael Polansky.

So, to celebrate the new release, who better than a serious Gaga stan(me) to react to the album in real time? Below are my 15 takeaways from Harlequin.

1. Before diving in, it’s worth defining Gaga’s role in Joker a little bit. She plays Lee Quinzel, a deranged Joker fan who falls in love with him. A press release described the film as an “exploration of the raw and emotional complexity of a woman who thrives in chaos, a genre-defying force that cannot be contained.” I predict the music will delve into this twisted love story – the story of two lonely souls coming together. But who knows!

2. The first track is “Good Morning,” a cover of the Nacio Herb Brown and Arthur Freed song written for the 1939 Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney film. Babies in armsbut popularized by Gene Kelly, Donald O’Connor and Debbie Reynolds in 1952 Singing in the rain. I am greeted by a soft jazz piano sound. I think we have Gaga jazz on this record, a sound she has explored on her albums Cheek to cheek And Love for sale with Tony Bennett.

3. She looks awesome. As, Really great. She changed some of the lyrics of the song. “When the inmates started to sleep, the stars were shining,” she sings. “Now that the guard is on his way, it’s too late to say goodnight.” In the film, she and the Joker meet as inmates at Arkham Asylum; That must be what’s going on during their meet-cute!

4. Next up is “Get Happy,” another Garland classic, this one from Summer stock. Interesting: are all the album covers?

5. “All you sinners, come together,” she croons. “All you sinners, follow me. Forget your troubles, go, be happy; prepare yourself for the day of judgment. I can definitely see her singing this to some of her glamorous asylum friends. But the song is very swinging – the kind of song you’d want to hear in a fancy ballroom while dancing with a man in a tuxedo.