Stripped-down album ‘Joanne’ showcases Lady Gaga like you’ve never seen her before

Lady Gaga is shying away from the meat-dress-wearing phase of her career and developing a more mature image and sound. Since the release of “ARTPOP” in 2013, Gaga’s music has significantly shifted away from the sexualized, crazy, dance-pop music, to a softer, more acoustic collection of songs. With her most recent release, “Joanne,” Lady Gaga has proven to audiences just how raw and soulful her music can be.

The album’s opening track, “Diamond Heart” begins with Lady Gaga’s isolated voice over a soft piano track; the total opposite of the synth-filled hits that made up her previous works. The emotional title track, “Joanne,” is inspired by Gaga’s aunt who died from Lupus at a young age. The song is soft, simple, and full of sentiment and soul. While other songs, such as “Perfect Illusion,” the first single to be released from the album, and “Dancing in Circles” stay true to Gaga’s pop sound, both offer a unique twist to her well-known style.

“Joanne” has a country-rock feel, which is a totally different from anything Gaga has ever released. The album contains some ballads, which is something we’ve previously never seen from Gaga. While the album doesn’t have as many dance-pop jams, “Joanne” combines traditional elements of different genres with pop in order to achieve Lady Gaga’s unique sound.

Although “Joanne” may depart from what fans are used to, it is most definitely still Lady Gaga. Gaga is scheduled to perform at the 2017 Super Bowl halftime show, so it will be interesting to see the new ballads—or the old pop hits—she will perform for the whole nation.