I don't know if it's cuz I'm high but I just was thinking about that whole era and how random it was. Like, aside from the title track, it was kind of like a mish mash of random country-esque pop songs that didn't really say much. But it was marketed like some sort of tribute to her dead aunt that she never met? Also she went from being the queen of music videos to literally mailing them in. Million Reasons, which was the only radio friendly song, could've been a way bigger hit if the video wasn't so poo.

 

I love Gaga, like — easily one of my favorite artists of all time, but what was this era? Was she just creatively constipated?

A mess. Anyways, the old team she had during her prime that parted ways with her throughout Born This Way & ARTPOP were clearly the driving force behind her peak. It's sad to say and I'm not trying to be shady. 

 

All the iconic visuals, defining fashion, edgy music, unique personality, etc just literally evaporated overnight and it's clear that it was because the team behind it left. It's just been mostly anti-depressant personality and safe middle America imagery ever since because I don't think she has much of the drive or mastermind that was behind the earlier eras. 
 

Joanne was her desperately coming off as authentic in order to get public respect & success back, but it ultimately has no real message nor theme. 

After ARTPOP and dance pop "fail" she wanted to change her image. She started it with jazz with Tony. Natural step was to release new studio album under her name with new image

About a dead aunt she never met 

It gave us the John Wayne video so I can't be mad at it 

54 minutes ago, iHype. said:

It's just been mostly anti-depressant personality and safe middle America imagery ever since

I remember you being a little monster way back, the way y'all turn into her biggest/dumbest haters or doubters is so funny to me.

The safe middle America imagery in question:

 

Joanne is her dead Bouquet 

She did it as a reset and it laid the foundation for stuff like ASIB

1 hour ago, BlueBlue said:

After ARTPOP and dance pop "fail" she wanted to change her image. She started it with jazz with Tony. Natural step was to release new studio album under her name with new image

Factually, a Jazz album with Tony was in the works before ARTPOP was even conceived. 

People give a lot of **** for Toucanne, but people take inspiration from figures they never met all the time. Its not crazy to think she felt inspiration or some kind of connection after reading a bunch of letters or heard stories about her aunt.

 

Million Reasons gave her a cute moment after the downwards spiral of her original vision, it is clearly what the GP want from her.

I think retrospectively, it was clearly her trying to acclimatise people to this different sound in preparation for ASIB - and it worked 

7 minutes ago, Kuntmonster said:

I think retrospectively, it was clearly her trying to acclimatise people to this different sound in preparation for ASIB - and it worked 

 

25 minutes ago, Illuminati said:

She did it as a reset and it laid the foundation for stuff like ASIB

Yup AISB soundtrack followed soon after and it was a smash,so it did achieve it's purpose. Don't get me wrong, it was direction less and a mess, and the music was pretty weak

The only correct answer here is…

Spoiler

FLOP

 

41 minutes ago, Mariano said:

Factually, a Jazz album with Tony was in the works before ARTPOP was even conceived. 

Yeah but she did the full promo with this album with tour even. It was just a side album at first just like her first collab with Tony 

Edited December 28, 20241 yr by BlueBlue

She was trying to deconstruct the over the top Lady Gaga persona that was built on gimmicks and constantly trying to top herself which was unsustainable and had become extremely irritating to the public so she could be seen as a human and an artist again. Her instincts were right, I just wish the music was better. I never go back to any songs off Joanne, I even revisit ARTPOP more.

Edited December 28, 20241 yr by Jay07

It was an attempt at re-invention that did succeed in the sense that it primed the public for ASIB. At this time she also tried to prove that she's a conventionally talented singer/songwriter that doesn't *have to* rely on gimmicks (think C2C, her Oscar performance, and then Joanne and ASIB) 

 

The music videos from that era were whatever but she did promote MR relentlessly so I respect the hustle. Perfect Illusion deserved better

A cringe cowgirl country era, just like Cowboy Carter.

 

Never connected to it because it felt artificial.

On BTW she was deemed to be too close in style to Madonna.

 

She reacted to that on "Art Pop" by being experimental which came off as un-commercial.

 

On "Joanne" she reacted to being perceived as un-commercial but she was also afraid to return to dance-pop (at that time) out of a fear of again being accused of being too similar to Madonna.

 

So, she instead attempted to make a less experimental and more commercial collection of songs than "Art Pop" whilst still refusing to embrace dance/ pop which led to her embracing an amalgamation of rock and country.

 

On "Chromatica", she finally thought "F___ the critics".

 

Edited December 28, 20241 yr by Dante Silva

it was definitely one of the eras that happened 

It was a truly iconic Y2K fever dream flop. Get into Joanne. 
 

 

It was a ploy to get booked for the Super Bowl half time show to relaunch her career 

 

Joanne is her most American focused album. It's middle age men genres mixed with pop. In her documentary she mentioned that the organizers of the Super Bowl half time show got to listen to the album early. After ARTPOP shenanigans she needed to show that she is not too wild to appeal to middle class America 

 

Joanne may not be her best album, but sonically it stands out the most in her catalogue. Also, Million Reasons is one of her best written songs to date 

It was kinda like coming down off a summer of partying and deciding to start going to go to church so your MAGA parents don't kick you out. 

Joanne was Gaga's failed attempt at trying to rebrand herself as this traditional country-ish AC artist. Joanne was a mess tho, that album tanked harder than Titanic. ASIB saved her career, ASIB soundtrack album was everything she wanted Joanne to be. 

It was damage control

I love her but this album is unlistenable trash