POPSUGAR

Here's the Skinny on Lady Gaga's Fifth Studio Album, Joanne

Oct 4 2016 - 2:20pm

It's been nearly three years since the release of Lady Gaga [1]'s last solo album, Artpop. To say that we're hungry for new music from the pop star would be a tragic understatement. And up until last month, things had been pretty quiet; Gaga hadn't really said anything about her album since she spoke about it at the Golden Globes [2]. Then, suddenly, it was August, and she had announced her new single, "Perfect Illusion." Before we knew it, the single had dropped [3], and Lady Gaga followed up the release with a whole slew of new information about her fifth studio album. Don't worry, we've packaged all the information up for you, with a neat little bow.

  1. The album is called Joanne, and it has a special meaning. The title comes from Lady Gaga's late Aunt Joanne, who passed away at a young age [4]. Gaga said the album is "all the toughness of the pain that happened as a result of losing her that made us all strong and made us all who we are. And, so, she is the woman of my past that is becoming and helping me bring more of my honest-woman self in the future."
  2. It's one of her most personal albums yet. "Every single song . . . every one of those is extremely autobiographical. And all about me as my father's daughter and me as my mother's daughter. You know, just an Italian-American city girl that's venturing off into new territory.
  3. A handful of songs have been confirmed. During an interview with Zane Lowe at Apple Music's Beats 1 Radio [5], Gaga gave a brief track breakdown. "I think there's going to be 11 songs on the main record and then 14 on the deluxe," she said. "Joanne" will be a titular track, and "Perfect Illusion" is included as well. Gaga said "John Wayne" is "a song about my incessant need to run after wild men, and that somehow, I get bored of the same old John." Also, "Sinner's Prayer," with Father John Misty, which is "about singing to a man, just telling him, 'Look, I just don't want to break the heart of any other man but you, but I know that I'm a sinner.'"
  4. There's a huge name on the album. Gaga revealed on The Radio 1 Breakfast Show with Nick Grimshaw that her album would feature a duet with Florence Welch [6] of Florence and the Machine.
  5. There are a few other fun contributors as well. Songwriter Hillary Lindsey contributed to the album. She's from Nashville, and she wrote "Jesus Take the Wheel," y'all. Giorgio Moroder confirmed that he'd worked on the album [7], and there are also contributions from Tame Impala's Kevin Parker and Beck.
  6. The sounds and references in the music are rather eclectic. "There's a tinge of [country writing] in the album," Gaga revealed, speaking of the aforementioned Lindsey. And then, "There's also some Bollywood reference in one, there's a sitar."
  7. The release date has been set. Joanne will be released on Oct. 21.
  8. Gaga has posted the full track list. You can finally see all the songs you're in for, because Lady Gaga posted the full list on her social media accounts! The snap below shows the deluxe edition. The standard edition ends at "Angel Down."
  9. Gaga will promote the album on a "dive bar" tour. The pop star announced a small, three-date tour [8] in October. The dates are Oct. 5, Oct. 20, and Oct. 27, and the venues have not yet been disclosed. Be on the lookout; you never know if she'll end up right next door.


Source URL
https://www.popsugar.com/entertainment/Lady-Gaga-New-Album-Joanne-Information-42403478