The Story Behind The Release Of Lady Gaga's Latest Album, Harlequin

Lady Gaga for 'Harlequin' (Instagram @ldygaga)

JAKARTA - When fans look forward to the album LG7, Lady Gaga unexpectedly released the 'Harlequin' first, the soundtrack album inspired by the character Harley Quinn in the Joker: Folie Deux film which will premiere on Friday, October 4.

The so-called 'Harlequin', dubbed the album LG6.5, was fully produced by Lady Gaga and Michael Polansky, bringing listeners on a journey to challenge the genre that captures the essence of one of the iconic characters.

The album was created, featured, and recorded betweenwasloss and a Palms studio in Las Vegas, as Gaga completed her Jazz & airshed in the summer of 2024.

Gaga and Polansky put together a list of musicians, collaborators, and world-class broadcasters selected themselves to make an album by capturing Harley Quinn's spirit in every tone.

The Harlequin is described as the exploration of the emotional complexity of a woman who thrives in chaos, with forces that oppose infeasible genres.

Like Harley Quinn, Gaga's work on this album is unpredictable, full of contrast, and brave without regrets.

In particular, Harlequin marked Lady Gaga's first jazz-inspired album, since Tony Bennett's death on June 21, 2023.

This album is seen as a step forward in bringing classic standards to a modern era, as if the eternal songs are envisioned again through the lenses of all the music that follows them.

Gaga tries to blow a new life into her songs, incorporating her deep love of jazz with the Avant-garde approach, and respecting the past while pushing it into areas that have not been mapped.

What makes the unique 'Harlequin' is the way it 'floating' easily among all musical styles. It's an album made in a pure sense, reminiscent of a time when musicians only make the recording they want to make. An album that is meant to be heard from start to finish.

The album also features new interpretations of "If My Friends Could See Me Now" and "That's Entertainment", with striking contrasts to vocal appearances highlighting the naughty side of Harley.

"Smile" is turned into a song that haunts self-awareness and irony, while the song "The Joker" dives into the famous Harley relationship with Joker, giving listeners a glimpse of their complicated, but deep ties.

Original songs such as "Happy Mistake" and "Folie Laughs Deux" became the emotional core of this album, which combines vulnerabilities with chaotic energy, which is reflected in the struggle of a woman between her sense of identity and her fall into madness.