Lady Gaga’s new album release live review: Harlequin, songs, Joker 2...

So there we have it. 13 songs from which 11 are covers of old film classics with a big nod to Judy Garland in the song selection.

Gaga fans will lap this up as, after all it's Lady Gaga but there is also a part of me thinking ...why.... sure, the vocals are excellent and the production second to none but do we need her renditions of 'Close to You', 'That's Life' etc....

Maybe this is an exercise in musical education in bring these classic to a new generation ....I'm not sure.

What I do know is that the cover of The Joker is stunning and easily the best track on the record by a country mile. 

Happy Mistake is also excellent and these are two songs I can see myself coming back to time and time again.

As for the rest, decent renditions of classics that have been covered to death over the years and there does seem to be a hint of self indulgence about the record.

But hey, this is Lady Gaga and she's certainly earned the right for a trip down memory lane and throughout the album, her vocals are stunning.

Cheers for joining us for the album playback and hope to catch you all soon. 

Tack 13: That's Life

So the final track and it's another classic.

Made famous by Frank Sinatra with his 1966 version, the song has been covered from a wide range of artists including the likes of David Lee Roth, Van Morrison and Michael Bolton.

Another big jazz-esque production to close Harlequin with once again the vocals being the selling point of the song.

Track 12: Happy Mistake

The other track on the album that is a non cover and has been specially recorded by Gaga for Harlequin.

Happy Mistake was co-written with album producer Michael Tucker and is a slow paced semi-acoustic number with plenty of references to the character in the movie.

'My head is filled with broken mirrors, so many I can't look away'.

Another stunning vocal performance form the 38-year-old and another of the standout tracks on the album.

Track 11: Close to You

Close to You is a classic from the pen of Burt Bacharach and Hal David and made famous by The Carpenters in 1970. when it reached No.1 in the USA Billboard charts.

Over time the likes of Dusty Springfield and Gwen Guthrie have offered their versions.

A real late 60's feel at times with a trumpet solo but at the same Gaga manages to deliver an overall contemporary feel to the classic. 

Track 10: Gonna Build a Mountain

Another track made famous by Anthony Newley, originally recorded  in 1961 and covered by the likes of Bing Crosby and Dusty Springfield.

A track that skips along with a crisp jazz feel and is not a million miles away from 'When the Saints'.

Track 9: Folie à Deux

One of the two tracks on the album that are not cover versions.

A very Parisian feel to the track, a slow jazz infused rhythm with Gaga's vocals again adding the 'piece de resistance' .

She really is one of the most versatile artists in contemporary popular music. 

Love her or hate her, no-one can deny her adventurous nature in music. 

Track 8: The Joker

"The Joker" was originally written by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley and was taken from the 1964 musical The Roar of the Greasepaint – The Smell of the Crowd.

Sergio Mendes and Shirley Bassey have also covered the track but none come close to the Gaga version which is absolutely stunning.

A song that is so suited to her voice and the simple arrangement is excellent too. 

Great vocals and a pounding guitar accompany Gaga's soaring vocals. Wow...  

Superb!

Track 7: Smile

Smile is a song based on the theme song used in the soundtrack for Charlie Chaplin's 1936 film Modern Times.

Famous renditions have been performed by the likes of Nat King Cole and Michael Jackson (on History album).

Westlife and Barbra Streisand and Judy Garland have also offered their versions of this melancholy song.

Gaga delivers a sultry vocal over a nice 'jazz club' style arrangement and is one of the album highlights to date.

Track 6: That's Entertainment

"That's Entertainment!" was published in 1952 and was written especially for the 1953 MGM musical film The Band Wagon.

The song is performed in the film by Jack Buchanan supported by Fred Astaire, Nanette Fabray, and Oscar Levant but is another song associated with Judy Garland.

"A clown with his pants falling down
Or the dance that's a dream of romance
Or the scene where the villain is mean
That's entertainment!"

Another big band production direct from music hall with a solid vocal performance from Gaga.

Track 5: If my Friends Could See me Now

With lyrics by Dorothy Fields, If my Friends could see Me Now is a song from the 1966 Broadway musical Sweet Charity.

It became a cult disco classic in 1978 with the Linda Clifford version and has also been covered by likes of Three Degrees and Dusty Springfield.

Gaga goes ragtime rather than disco for her interpretation and this is classic music hall with a big horn section production. 

Track 4: World on a String

"I've Got the World on a String" is a 1932 popular jazz song composed by Harold Arlen with lyrics written by Ted Koehler. It was written for the twenty-first edition of the Cotton Club series which opened in 1932.

Michael Buble, Rod Stewart, Peggy Lee and Diana Krall have all offered their own versions of the song over time.

Gaga's version features a reggae dub type bass drive with plenty of guitar effects. 

The first track on the album that she's made her own deviating considerably from the original.

Track 3: Oh When the Saints

Another super well known classic that initially originated as a Christian hymn and has been covered by the likes of Elvis Presley, Louis Armstrong and Judy Garland.

Over time, the song has become something of a soccer anthem with fans of Southampton (England). St Johnstone (Scotland) and Ireland's St Patricks Athletic using the song to rally their team.

This version has a contemporary feel with electric guitar solo to boot

Another track with a big, big production sound.

Track 2: Get Happy

A track most associated with Judy Garland who performed the song in her 1950 MGM movie Summer Stock.

The song has been covered countless times with the likes of: Irene Cara, Sam Smith, Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby just a few of the artists who have interpreted Get Happy. 

Another uptempo classic with a big punchy production with Gaga's vocals soaring and adding a unique personality to the iconic song.

Track 1: Good Morning

Originally performed in 1939 by Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney in the film 'Babes in Arms'.

Also made famous in 1952 when used in Singin' in the Rain performed by Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds and Donald O'Connor.

The 2024 Harlequin version is very faithful to the original with that ragtime, jazz and blues feel. Very up and positive way to start the new album.

Ok, strap yourselves in and get ready to delve into the new Lady Gaga Harlequin album... here we go !

Harlequin excitement building

Gaga fans are also counting down towards the album release with less than ten minutes left before we have Harlequin lift off !

With it's 13 tracks, Harlequin clocks in at a playing time of just over 40 minutes. 

Gaga on Harlequin

The singer explains to the media ahead of the film premiere as to why she was motivated to release Harlequin. 

... and the movie Joker: Folie à Deux,

Joker: Folie à Deux, starring Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga, had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival in early September, debuting to a 12-minute ovation and gets a worldwide release on 4 October.

Joker: Folie à Deux OST

The official soundtrack with a score by Icelandic composer Hildur Guðnadóttir gets a world wide release on 4 October with Gaga's Harlequin a 'companion album' as the artist herself describes the record.

The 42-year-old Reykjavik native composed the OST for the first Joker soundtrack and has also provided the score for the likes of Chernobyl and Mary Magdalene. 

LG7 coming in early 2025

For any Gaga fans wondering when her next new studio material will be released, we'll there's good news with LG7 set for a February 2025 launch.

The album is set to be preceded by at least one new single with the singer posting recently on social media that a new song will be out in October. 

Harlequin release details

Harlequin can be preordered now from Lady Gaga’s official website store and goes on general release on Friday 27 September with all orders shipping out on that date. The album is available in various different formats: standard black vinyl ($33), red vinyl ($33), CD ($14), as a download ($10) - and for the diehards, on exclusive limited edition silver-grey vinyl, gatefold sleeve and alternate cover art ($33).

Streaming will be available from the usual providers: Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer and Amazon Music.

More about Harlequin

Harlequin also sees Gaga return to jazz standards, with covers of classics such as The Saints, I’ve Got the World on a String and Get Happy.

She recorded the album, which also features duets with Joker co-star Joaquin Phoenix, at Shangri-La in Malibu - the same studio where she recorded her 2016 album, Joanne. “I’ve developed a relationship with this place,” she confesses. “Almost like a person. When I’m here at this studio, I’m relaxed and I am able to face my demons and what’s remarkable is -that’s the music. I’m able to hear it back”.

So how does this instant reaction live review work, we hear you ask.

Easy, upon the album's release, we'll go through each song, track by track for our live assessment and offer our honest opinion in an objective music critique capacity. 

Obviously, Harlequin is not a traditional new Gaga studio album and with the bulk of the songs being cover versions, there won't be that element of surprise but we are certainly curious to hear her take on some iconic classics.

UK premiere of the film Joker: Folie A Deux in London

Lady Gaga was in London last night (Thursday) for the premiere of The Joker (2) and after the film's premiere in London, Gaga and her record company Universal Music hosted a "secret" intimate listening party where a select few of lucky fans and industry members got a chance to listen the soundtrack album.

If there is one artist that crops up as a common inspiration for the tracks that compose Harlequin it's that of Judy Garland with the former actress having covered much of the repertoire that Gaga has used on Harlequin.

Tracks such as Good Morning, Get Happy and Smile have all been made famous by their interpretations by 'Dame Judy'.

Harlequin: tracklisting

These are the 13 songs that compose Harlequin:

Good Morning

Get Happy (2024)

Oh, When The Saints

World On A String

If My Friends Could See Me Now

That's Entertainment

Smile

The Joker

Folie à Deux

Gonna Build A Mountain

Close To You

Happy Mistake

That's Life

Harlequin cover

This is the front cover to the album which is set for general release on all streaming platforms with a series of physical formats of Harlequin also set to hit the stores.

Look closely and you'll see the tracklist on the side of the milk carton.

The album is set to drop in an hour and is set to be Gaga's third venture into the world of soundtracks following A Star is Born (2018) and Top Gun in 2022.

13 tracks await with two original pieces and the other 11 songs being cover versions of classics.

Hello and welcome to our live review of Lady Gaga's new album, Harlequin. 

The release has been described by the artist as a “companion album” to Joker: Folie à Deux, the new movie in which she stars as Harley Quinn.