ELLY GRIMM
• Leader & Times
I’ve been a fan of Lady Gaga’s since I was in college, and hearing almost any song of hers will help put me in a good mood.
Since then, she’s ventured into acting projects, including the upcoming “Joker: Folie à Deux” as Harley Quinn and when I heard she was releasing a companion album to the movie, titled “Harlequin,” I knew I’d have to give it a listen. I recently read how, at the film's premiere in London, she said "When we were done with the movie, I wasn't done with [Harley Quinn]. Because I'm not done with her, I made ‘Harlequin.’” She also said the album is supposed to be "indicative of a complex woman that wants to be whoever she wants to be at any given moment," and that’s definitely the vibe I got as I listened, because I heard happiness, fun, sadness, obsession, and everything in between throughout the album’s 13 songs.
The album features songs from the upcoming “Joker: Folie à Deux” soundtrack and some original songs, and showcases multiple genres, including jazz, rock, and gospel, among others.
The album begins with standards “Good Morning” and “Get Happy,” both of which are just classic jazz and really let Lady Gaga’s vocals shine in another genre besides the pop she’s more known for, and she sounds amazing. The instrumental arrangements are so, so well done, and I could tell Lady Gaga wanted to show these songs the proper respect while making them her own.
The album then continues with “Oh When the Saints,” which ended up being one of my overall favorites. Lady Gaga sounds like she’s having an absolute blast singing this, and like the preceding songs, the instrumental arrangement is really well done, sticking with a more jazzy sound while adding just a hint of a pop/rock tone to make it interesting. There’s also a guitar solo at the end that’s really neat, and overall, it’s just a really good arrangement.
The album then continues with “World On a String,” which I found to be very soulful and jazzy and sweet, and I was wondering if her recent engagement had something to do with how she performed it. I can easily see this song in the background of a love scene or something similar because of the overall arrangement, and it absolutely works.
Later on in the album is “That’s Entertainment,” which has that pure old-school Broadway, which, if you know me well enough, you’ll know I have absolutely no problem with. Given how this song is arranged, I can’t help but wonder if, at some point, Lady Gaga would be interested at all in participating in a Broadway production. The album’s first full-on ballad is the classic “Smile,” and Lady Gaga’s voice is absolutely gorgeous in this song because it allows her to use her higher register, and it’s absolutely amazing.
One of the original songs on the album is “The Joker,” and I would say this is tied with “Oh When the Saints” when it comes to my favorite song on the album. It seems like a song that would go on a regular Lady Gaga album, and it’s a major departure from the jazzy standards that comprise most of the album. It’s got a driving beat and melody and almost reminds me of a song that would come from Pat Benatar or Heart or some other similar artist. I truly hope this becomes a radio single, and I could also see it being a good song for dance routines.
Another original song on the album is “Folie à Deux,” which, even though it’s a song for the upcoming movie, feels and sounds like a legit jazz classic, and carries a bit of an obsessive/downward spiral tone. I could definitely see this as part of a fantasy sequence or something similar with how it’s arranged.
The album’s penultimate song, “Happy Mistake,” is another one I ended up particularly liking because it really painted a picture. There’s an interview where Lady Gaga says about this song, "Playing a strung-out girl my whole career was a way for me to split off from my true self, but, it's all me. Basically, that song says if I was ever going to find joy or happiness in my life, it would probably feel like an accident. Where I was in my life for a long time, I was on a path that was pretty futile because I was so split off from reality. My dedicated fans know this about me, that playing a persona had a price, and it has a price for Lee and her love of Joker. There's definitely a way that I address that on this record,” but I imagine this song could also be about either dealing with the aftermath of a breakup or dealing with some type of addiction. This song is almost a darker version of Lady Gaga’s single “Applause,” and for me, it totally works.
If there is one complaint I have about this album is I wish it would have featured more original songs, because I know Lady Gaga is a talented enough songwriter to make it happen. Make no mistake, the songs are performed really well, and the arrangements show a high level of respect for the songs she covers, but I feel like if the album had been more of an original work, it would have been WAY more impactful.
Overall, I enjoyed Lady Gaga’s new “Harlequin” album, and I would give it a “B-plus” grade. Lady Gaga’s vocals are allowed to be an absolute powerhouse on this album, and I absolutely loved the instrumental arrangements on all the songs. The album also highlights multiple genres, which makes it a really fun listen. However, I feel like the album would have a lot more of that “OOMPH” factor if it had been a fully original album. If you’re a fan of any of Lady Gaga’s other work, I highly recommend cueing up “Harlequin” wherever you stream your music.
