Lady Gaga’s newest album, “Joanne,” depicts her and her music in a much more mature and serious way than her past albums did. After launching her career as one of the most controversial and electric pop stars of the day, she has drastically toned down her image and sound, from meat dresses and pop, to light pink floppy hats and a folk country sound. The cover art depicts Gaga as much more innocent with light make-up, the baby pink hat, natural-looking blonde hair and a bland sky-blue background. It seems she is trying to change her image with this picture. It is so different from her past covers with bright lipstick, big sunglasses and drastic haircuts. Her sound also has matured from her past hits such as “Telephone,” “Just Dance” and “Poker Face.” Like this simplified music, she addresses some controversial and personal issues through her lyricism. For example, Gaga named the album “Joanne,” after her aunt, a sexual assault victim who died at the age of 19. In “Angel Down,” Gaga addresses the Black Lives Matter Movement and sings, “Angels down, why do people just stand around?” After listening to the album, I take Lady Gaga more seriously than before and find her a more professional artist than the party girl pop star. Her sound, image and lyrics show she is ready to make music that provokes thought in listeners, instead of her typical club music ideas and performance. I am excited to see what else Lady Gaga has in store for us in her upcoming works.
