Written by The Lazy Music Reviewer

This is the latest review by the Lazy Music Reviewer. He is too busy listening to and promoting lots of awesome music (ahem and has a full time job) that he simply doesn’t have time to do an in-depth review (or maybe he is just not a good enough writer to write one – you decide) but he still wants to “review”.

So, the way he works is he will sum up each song in just a few words (sometimes even one word – he’s just that lazy) and then also link via other people’s words to other more in depth reviews (because he’s wicked and he’s lazy) for your reading pleasure because it’s always good to get more than one person’s opinion, right?

Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta (born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She is known for her unconventionality and provocative work as well as visual experimentation.

Joanne is the fifth studio album by American singer Lady Gaga. It was released on October 21, 2016, by Streamline and Interscope Records. The album’s production was led by Gaga with Mark Ronson and BloodPop, alongside a variety of collaborators including Kevin Parker, Emile Haynie, Jeff Bhasker and Josh Homme. The music of Joanne features “stripped-down” soft rock and dance-pop styles which put emphasis on the singer’s vocal abilities. Lyrically, the album delves on the theme of family and life’s emotions, with the death of Gaga’s aunt, Joanne Stefani Germanotta, having a deep influence on the record.

The album era marked a change in Gaga’s visual appearance, embodying a country-oriented look, consisting of a pink, wide-brimmed hat and usage of pastel colors, evoking 1970s. The singer’s experience working on American Horror Story influenced the creative process of Joanne, and Gaga hearkened back to an authentic and simplistic presentation. In order to promote the record, three singles were released, “Perfect Illusion”, “Million Reasons” and “Joanne”. “Perfect Illusion” was released as the album’s lead single on September 9, 2016, reaching number one in France and Spain, while “Million Reasons” reached number four in the United States. “Joanne” was later released to radio in selected territories, as the album’s third and final single. The supporting Joanne World Tour started on August 1, 2017 and ended on February 1, 2018.

Joanne received generally positive reviews from music critics. Commercially, it became Gaga’s fourth album to reach number one in the United States. It topped the charts in Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, and the international charts of Japan and Korea, while reaching the top ten in over 15 territories, and accumulated certifications in some of the nations. Joanne was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards. Many articles noted the impact of the album in the musical endeavors of artists like Miley Cyrus, Kesha and Justin Timberlake, who all employed the stripped-down approach of Joanne, and the ushering of vocal talents to the forefront.

Lady Gaga will be starting her Las Vegas residency in December and I for one really want to go! In the meantime let’s see what we think of ‘Joanne’.

1 – Diamond Heart

“this is how to open an album”, The Lazy Music Reviewer

“autobiographical opener ‘Diamond Heart’ is Gaga doing The Killers doing Springsteen“, NME

“”a gritty pop rock anthem about surviving rape, The Telegraph

2 – A-YO

“is catchy aye?“, The Lazy Music Reviewer

“a taste of Motown handclaps and dirty talk“, Rolling Stone

“a bluesy rocker squeezed through a hip hop wringer to thrilling effect“, The Telegraph

3 – Joanne

“where’s the fucking tissues?“, The Lazy Music Reviewer

“a touching ballad mourning her deceased aunt“, Rolling Stone

“a leavetaking song of great, simple beauty, more tenderly affecting than anything Gaga’s done before“, NME

4 – John Wayne

“erm, yeeee hah!”, The Lazy Music Reviewer

“a raunchy Westworld robo-romp“, NME

“Gaga wonders where all the cowboys have gone“, Rolling Stone

5 – Dancin’ In Circles

“it’s about playing in the Lady Gaga garden“, The Lazy Music Reviewer

“a clubby paean to self-love with a grody pre-chorus“, Pitchfork

“a country-reggae nod to self-pleasure“, The Guardian

6 – Perfect Illusion

“great but kind of out of place here“, The Lazy Reviewer

“has a propulsive, dizzying quality that feels like a pretty good analogue for the process of completely losing your mind over someone, only to realize later you’ve been hoodwinked“, Pitchfork

“the should’ve-been-bigger banger that most closely cleaves to the frenetic, club-ready Gaga sound“, The Guardian

7 – Million Reasons

“I too bow down, thank you“, The Lazy Reviewer

“an undeniable power ballad Poison would’ve murdered in 1988“, Pitchfork

“a country power ballad that Carrie Underwood would kill for“, The Telegraph

8 – Sinner’s Prayer

“I Am What I Am!“, The Lazy Music Reviewer

“the hands-down highlight“, Rolling Stone

“a brief dip into indie-rock“, Pitchfork

9 – Come To Mama

“knees up, singalong time!“, The Lazy Music Reviewer

“a glammy showtune“, NME

“a belting soul/blues workout that rivals Mariah Carey at her most rhinestoned“, The Guardian

10 – Hey Girl

“smoooth!”, The Lazy Reviewer

“a clash of vocal cords won by Gaga“, The Guardian

“a tribute to Prince in lovesick midtempo mode“, Rolling Stone

11 – Angel Down

“the message is real“, The Lazy Reviewer

“a stately, piano ballad with a mournfully elegant melody and quasi-religious save-the-nation sentiments“, The Telegraph

“an ode to the Black Lives Matter movement“, Pitchfork

12 – Grigio Girls

“can I please join your club?”, The Lazy Reviewer

13 – Just Another Day

“going out in style!“, The Lazy Reviewer

“The punchy synth intro is absolutely brilliant“, Huffington Post

What are your thoughts? Can you sum this album up in one sentence? Go on – be lazy, you know you want to!

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