Do you know what... after declaring I'd listen to it once and never again before release, it turns out I quite like this. It kind of reminds me of David Bowie, taking a pretty distinctive voice and just throwing yourself into a completely different style and persona - I wouldn't want another album of it but, if she continues down that route, she'll presumably switch it up again for the next album.

 

The ballads in particular are miles better than any she's previously inflicted upon us, Million Reasons continues to grown on me with each listen whilst Angel Down is a really effective closer, Joanne is also really nice and the vocal in the chorus is lovely. Even A-YO and Perfect Illusion sound significantly better in the context of the album.

Edited October 24, 20168 yr by dandy*

Got my copy from HMV just now :wub:

 

Also rumours she'll be doing Glastonbury~

 

"When NME asked her about said rumours, she refused to deny them when she replied: “Glaaaastonbury! I don’t have permission to say anything about that” – with her tight-lipped response suggesting that sworn to secrecy until an announcement."

*.*

 

And this to calm some of the purer fans down a bit:

 

With regards to her more stripped-back recent live shows, Gaga added that future tour dates were likely to return to her more extravagant ways.

 

“What I would say to those who are terrified that I’ll never again embrace absurdity or the avant-garde is ‘think again’,” she told NME. “Because that is my favourite thing.”

 

 

This album is amazing. A-Yo, Million Reasons, Joanne, Diamond Heart, John Wayne, Dancin' In Circles, Perect Illusion and Angel Down are all SO GOOD.

 

Not what I expected nor even what I wanted from Gaga, but I'm glad she's doing the music that she loves. Plus, I love it 10x more than I ever hoped to given the vibe she's vying for this era.

I have gone from being uninterested, to disappointed, to actually really quite liking this.

 

It's a much better album than Artpop, not that they're really comparable.

Edited October 25, 20168 yr by blacksquare

It's a much better album than Artpop, not that they're really comparable.

It's early days but I do think I'll find this album preferable to ARTPOP too. As you say, they're very different albums, but this one feels less try hard and there's such beauty in its simplicity and I feel that's much closer to Gaga's music, even if her visual style is usually more grand and unconventional.

54 Lady Gaga Million Reasons

 

Big boost for this after Carpool, it's climbing faaaast. :cheer:

Echo the whole wasn't interested at all but now it is all growing on me quite fast. Not amazing by any means but definitely better than ARTPOP and there are some real lovely moments.

 

Think Joanne (that chorus is so stunning & sounds like it should be soundtrack to indie movie) is my ultimate favourite at this point.

 

My rate after a week in:

 

05.0 Diamond Heart

07.0 A-YO

09.0 Joanne

08.5 John Wayne

08.0 Dancin' In Circles

03.0 Perfect Illusion

08.5 Million Reasons

07.5 Sinner's Prayer

06.0 Come To Mama

06.5 Hey Girl

08.5 Angel Down

06.0 Grigio Girls

07.5 Just Another Day (reminds me of 'Summerboy')

06.0 Angel Down (Work Tape)

 

I would happily return to 'Joanne', 'John Wayne', 'Dancin In Circles', 'Million Reasons', 'Sinner's Prayer', 'Angel Down', 'Just Another Day' and possibly 'AYO'. So basically most of the album. Comparing that to ARTPOP, the only tracks that had replay value for me were 'Aura', 'Applause', 'Do What U Want', 'Gypsy' and 'G.U.Y.' at a push.

i know most people might not agree with me at ALL but i'm starting to think that gaga is becoming incapable of releasing an album project without some sort of a costume / strong and binding theme throughout it, like this album for most people seems to be the 'stripped back gaga!!1' but she's basically adopted this anti-popstar grassroots sort of vibe with the dive bars, the not-so-subtle use of country hats and costumes and stereotypes running through?? it's almost like we can't have an album that isn't one great big metaphor or obvious nod to something else, it has never rly felt authentic but at least with the grandiose sort of costumes you can get swallowed up in that, strip it back and what rly is there?

 

although saying that tho i definitely think 'perfect illusion' is the most HER and natural thing shes put her name to in ages much like 'the edge of glory' (even tho i'm not a fan of that exactly)

I'm actually enjoying this album now. :heehee: Don't get me wrong, there are a few duds on here and it's nowhere as good as 'Glory' but her voice is AMAZING and I love John Wayne, A-Yo, Dancing In Circles, Million Reasons, Sinner's Prayer, Come To Mama, Angel Down & Just Another Day.

i know most people might not agree with me at ALL but i'm starting to think that gaga is becoming incapable of releasing an album project without some sort of a costume / strong and binding theme throughout it, like this album for most people seems to be the 'stripped back gaga!!1' but she's basically adopted this anti-popstar grassroots sort of vibe with the dive bars, the not-so-subtle use of country hats and costumes and stereotypes running through?? it's almost like we can't have an album that isn't one great big metaphor or obvious nod to something else, it has never rly felt authentic but at least with the grandiose sort of costumes you can get swallowed up in that, strip it back and what rly is there?

 

although saying that tho i definitely think 'perfect illusion' is the most HER and natural thing shes put her name to in ages much like 'the edge of glory' (even tho i'm not a fan of that exactly)

 

You say that an artist having a concept and theme for an album is a bad thing :lol: I personally find them much more interesting because I'm quite a visual person

^ I also prefer a concept or theme tieing an album together. Makes it more of an experience for me.

 

The album debuts at #1 in Japan! :cheer:

^ I also prefer a concept or theme tieing an album together. Makes it more of an experience for me.

 

The album debuts at #1 in Japan! :cheer:

I think you mean #10 :lol:

OMG!

 

^^Thats got to be fake?! :D

I'd love it if it was real. Fake account though.

Maybe, although Cher's Twitter account is pretty crazy and parody-like so I wouldn't be surprised if it was real. :D

its just the fact shes trying to make something so very her but its got so much reverence for others experiences, its the same thing that bothers me about lana del rey

 

i do enjoy a concept album but i just like a little more interpretation in music too n i think the only reason it pisses me off w gaga is shes v smart so i think shes capable of something so much more

From the sales report:

 

A-Yo (No.66, 8,332 sales) is the third track from Lady Gaga's new album Joanne, to make the Top 75. Seven other songs from the album are in the Top 200, including Million Reasons, which peaked at No.48 as an instant grat. track, and now rallies 102-85 (6,565 sales) and first single Perfect Illusion, a No.12 hit in September, that now climbs 106-95 (6,087 sales). The rest: Angel Down (No.152, 3,838 sales), Joanne (No.154, 3,789 sales), Diamond Heart (No.155, 3,753 sales), John Wayne (No.180, 3,481 sales) and Dancin' In Circles (No.186, 3,382 sales). They bring the number of Gaga entries to the Top 200 to 43 in a career that stretches back to 2009.

 

Destined to become her fourth No.1 in America when their next chart shows up on Tuesday, Lady Gaga's latest, Joanne, makes a more conservative No.3 debut here on sales of 26,694 copies. Arriving in the wake of the brief chart career of first single Perfect Illusion, which debuted and peaked at No.12 but dipped out of the Top 40 the following week, Joanne easily surpasses the 2014 No.10 debut and peak on sales of 10,469 copies that Cheek To Cheek - her collaboration with octogenarian crooner Tony Bennett - achieved.. Her first album The Fame sold 25,228 copies when debuting at No.3 in 2009 - it reached number one 11 weeks later - but follow-up Born This Way sold 215,639 copies when reaching No.1 on its debut in 2011, and her most recent solo album, Artpop, debuted at number one on sales of 65,608 copies in 2013. If Joanne has debuted at No.1, Gaga would have become the first female solo artist to top the chart with her first four studio albums. Instead, her run is likely to end at three, alongside Avril Lavigne, Susan Boyle and Adele, who could, of course, still move ahead of the rest as and when she next releases an album.

 

 

Already three songs charting from the album in top 75, very good. Million Reasons should return to top 75 next week too

 

Cher's official twitter is just @cher but that's sort of funny still :D

Edited October 28, 20168 yr by SKOB

From the sales report:

Shame there was not any official album totals there - pretty sure Born This Way is all but confirmed as a million seller.