Joanne is the fourth solo studio album by American singer-songwriterLady Gaga and her fifth overall.[a] It was released on October 21, 2016, by Streamline andInterscope Records. Gaga,Mark Ronson andBloodPop handled its production. Other collaborators includeKevin Parker,Emile Haynie,Jeff Bhasker andJosh Homme. Musically,Joanne is a stripped-down,dance-pop,soft rock andAmericana record withcountry elements, with a focus on Gaga's vocals. Lyrically, the album delves into the theme of family and life's emotions; the death of her aunt, Joanne Stefani Germanotta, deeply influenced the record. The singer's experience acting on the television seriesAmerican Horror Story also influenced its creative process.
Joanne topped the album charts in Brazil, Mexico, and the United States while reaching the top five in Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Canada, the Czech Republic, Finland, Greece, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Scotland, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Three singles were released: "Perfect Illusion", "Million Reasons" and thetitle track. "Perfect Illusion" was released as the album's lead single on September 9, 2016, and reached number one in France, while "Million Reasons" reached number four in the United States. A piano version of the title track was released to radio in selected territories as the album's third single. The album received generally favorable reviews from critics, who praised Gaga's musical direction, vocals, production and lyrical content. However, some critics found that the album lacked cohesiveness.Joanne was nominated forBest Pop Vocal Album at the60th Annual Grammy Awards. "Million Reasons" and "Joanne" were nominated forBest Pop Solo Performance in separate years, for which the latter won the award.
The release and promotion of the album marked a softening of Gaga's image, who took on a more singer-songwriter oriented look in promotional materials, wearing a pink, wide-brimmedcowgirl hat, vintage denim and pastel colors, evoking the 1970s. She promoted the album with herDive Bar Tour, a promotional concert indive bars in the United States, and theJoanne World Tour, which began in August 2017 and ended in February 2018. Gaga also did some television appearances, and headlined theSuper Bowl LI halftime show and the 2017Coachella Festival. That same year, she released adocumentary film, titledGaga: Five Foot Two, showing the production of the album and her halftime performance.
Lady Gaga's third studio albumArtpop was released in November 2013 to mixed reviews.[2] It debuted atop theBillboard 200 chart, and had sold 2.5 million copies as of July 2014.[3][4] Gaga split from her longtime managerTroy Carter in late 2013.[5] By June 2014, she and new manager Bobby Campbell had joined Artist Nation, the artist management division ofLive Nation Entertainment.[6] Gaga confessed toNME that she had considered quitting music altogether because she felt depressed about herself and "wasn't able to see my own ability or my own talent".[7] The ambivalent reception toArtpop, controversies surrounding the album andBorn This Way (2011) and negative press reactions led Gaga's management to come up with an image change for her.[8] Along with a more subdued appearance in the media, Gaga emphasized her vocal prowess. A tribute to the 50th anniversary ofThe Sound of Music at the87th Academy Awards, where she sang a medley of songs from the film, was critically lauded.[6][9] She andTony Bennett also releasedCheek to Cheek, an album ofjazz duets, in September 2014 to generally favorable reviews.[10] It debuted atop theBillboard 200, becoming Gaga's third consecutive number-one album in the United States,[11] and won aGrammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album.[12]
According to Gaga, she wanted "fans to be surprised [by the album] ... it's a wonderful, soul-searching experience. And it's very unlike [Artpop] in that way".[18] In an interview withBillboard, producer RedOne said the singer was mentally in a "cleaner" state of mind, hearkening back to her earlier days, which he felt was beneficial.[6] Gaga and Ronson served asJoanne's executive producers.[19] The two grew up near each other on theUpper East Side of New York City, and had collaborated onWale's song "Chillin" (2009). They reunited in late 2015, when Gaga presented the song "Angel Down" to Ronson at a studio in London. Later, the duo worked for six months inRick Rubin's Shangri-La recording studio in Malibu, while he was between projects. On Gaga and Ronson's first day at Shangri-La, they wrote the song "Joanne". Ronson encouraged Gaga to "write [lyrics] about whatever was happening in her life or on her mind".[20]
Recording continued until the album's finalmastering session.[20] Gaga was involved in the technical aspects of recording. "She loves just sitting at a piano and barking orders at a drummer and she has an incredible voice", Ronson said.[21] He later said that the music recorded with Gaga was "some of my favorite music I've really ever worked on. It's incredible – I love it. ... I can't wait until you can hear it because the music speaks for itself".[22] Ronson also hinted at the involvement ofKevin Parker, frontman for the Australianpsychedelic rock bandTame Impala, whichBBC Music later confirmed.[23]
Florence Welch (pictured) is a featured vocalist on "Hey Girl".
Many prominent musicians make guest appearances onJoanne. Gaga invitedFather John Misty to play drums on the record. Ronson invitedJosh Homme to play guitar on the song "John Wayne" because of his work for the bandQueens of the Stone Age; in addition, Homme drummed and was a co-producer. Ronson also invitedBeck to collaborate on the album, resulting in the song "Dancin' in Circles". Gaga, a longtime fan of Beck's, was initially starstruck at working with him. Gaga andFlorence Welch developed the concept of their duet, "Hey Girl", during a meeting at New York'sElectric Lady Studios.[20] According to Gaga, the song's theme demanded a female collaborator. She selected Welch, calling her "if not the best, one of the greatest vocalists in the world".[24][25]
Ronson crafted the album's organic sound by recruiting musicians he had previously worked with on projects forRufus Wainwright andAmy Winehouse. He credited producerBloodPop with bringing the album "into the modern era".[20] During the album's production, Gaga collaborated withElton John; their sessions resulted in a song titled "Room in My Heart", which did not make the album's final cut.[17] In 2017, Gaga released her documentary filmGaga: Five Foot Two onNetflix, which included scenes of the singer and Ronson shot during the album's recording sessions.[26]
"Returning to your family and where you came from, and your history ... this is what makes you strong. It's not looking out that's going to do that—it's looking in ...Joanne is a progression for me. It was about going into the studio and forgetting that I was famous."
Family is an underlying theme onJoanne. Gaga explained that the album "goes through all of [life]'s emotions".[28] While crafting it, she envisioned a girl in the middle of the country, who would understand the singer's lyrics and find a human connection. To achieve that, Gaga said in an interview withE! that she decided to encompass an assortment of genres, including "[crossing] betweencountry andfunk,pop,dance,rock,electronic music, [and]folk". The death of Gaga's aunt, Joanne Germanotta, contributed to the emotional content of the songs, as well as to their lyrics. Along with identity, feelings such as loss, heartbreak, frustration, desire and nostalgia also influenced the album. The singer clarified that withJoanne she wanted to go "out into the world ... bringing with me its deepest stories that I have of my life and turning them into songs that I hope will touch people in a deep and meaningful way about their own lives and their own stories".[29]
The singer's experience working onAmerican Horror Story influencedJoanne's creative process. Gaga said: "I have returned to something I've believed in so much, which is the art of darkness."[30] Being on the show also impacted her vocals. She explained that she would "listen" more to the music and then write. She added thatJoanne would talk less about her painful time during theArtpop era and would have more clarity: "Now I'm thinking more about what it is I want to say and what I want to leave on Earth. It's less an expression of all my pain."[17] The album became an outlet for the singer to relieve herself of the "pain and anguish" she was feeling.[31]
Other influences came from the men in Gaga's life, including her father Joe Germanotta and ex-fiancéTaylor Kinney. She said that using her "rebellious spirit", she wanted to understand the different relationships she had gone through, saying thatJoanne was not a "sad album. It's an album that is very revealing of me as a woman."[32] According to Kevin Fallon ofThe Daily Beast: "The act of being Lady Gaga had drowned out the brilliant music, and the importance of Lady Gaga had somehow muddied the simple pleasure of being her fan: It was her authenticity, in all of its strangeness and lofty artistic pursuit, that spoke to us. That seemed to have gone missing." He felt that withJoanne, Gaga was able to eliminate that redundancy and present herself as an "evolved performer", who could "lay bare" emotions in the songs, rather than "mask" them inelectronic music beats.[33]
The tattoo on Gaga's left biceps displays the date her aunt Joanne died between lines from a poem byRainer Maria Rilke.[34]
Gaga named the album after Joanne Stefani Germanotta, her father's sister. She died on December 18, 1974, at age 19, due to complications arising fromlupus.[35] Gaga, whose middle name is Joanne (Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta), recognized her aunt's death had had a profound effect on her family[36] and her work. The booklet in her debut album,The Fame (2008), contained a poem titledFor a Moment written by Joanne.[35]
Gaga credits Joanne with helping her overcome addiction problems, and dedicatedThe Fame Ball Tour (2009) to her. The singer tattooed the date of Joanne's death on her left biceps, "between lines of a verse from a poem byRainer Maria Rilke". The singer's parents opened a restaurant called Joanne Trattoria in New York in 2012. Gaga has often said that although she never met her, Joanne was "one of the most important figures in my life".[35] After she wrote the song "Joanne" with Ronson, they decided to use the name as the album's title as a tribute to her aunt.[36]
Along with revealing the album's title, Gaga also unveiled the cover artwork. It consists of an image of the singer's left profile, with her wearing a pink, wide-brimmed hat, against a blue background.[37] The hat was designed bymillinerGladys Tamez, who revealed it was another source of inspiration behind the overall direction ofJoanne.[38] The milliner explained toThe Daily Beast that one of the hats was inspired by English singerMarianne Faithfull. She said that "Gaga was the first to ever request this hat in pink", stating it is the singer's favorite color. Tamez also named it "Lady Joanne" and added that Gaga had her change the shape, color and the ribbon on the hat. While designing the cover and the overall image, Tamez and Gaga spoke of using morepastel colors, inspired by the aesthetics of the 1970s.[39]
Dominique Redfearn ofBillboard noted that the cover appeared simpler compared to those forBorn This Way (2011) andArtpop (2013).[37]Billboard's Andrew Unterberger described it as "thoughtfully composed", adding it was an indication that the album's music was much more straightforward than her earlier work.[40] The standard version of the album contains 11 songs; the deluxe edition includes three additional tracks – two bonus songs and a demo. The booklet includes Gaga and her father's pictures, and Joanne's driving license and handwriting.[41] Gaga felt it was "nice to include family heirlooms that carry meaning to me still today", as well as "a Polaroid of me and [Ronson] in the studio".[42]
Journalists have describedJoanne as adance-pop,[43]soft rock[44] andAmericana album,[45] with elements of country music.[46] According toRolling Stone, Gaga "didn't give much thought to genre" while creatingJoanne, which ranges "from thedance-rock of [its] lead single[,] 'Perfect Illusion'[,] to the introspective country songwriting of the title track". Gaga stated she professed a fascination with all aspects of country music, which in turn influenced the album.[47] In terms of production and composition,Joanne continued the "stripped-down" approach to music Gaga had taken followingArtpop, emphasizing her vocals and the songwriting.[33] Gaga toldRolling Stone that the tracks consisted of "stories about my family, my sister, my father and his sister. My mom's family. My relationships with men, my failures".[28]
Gaga performingthe title track on theJoanne World Tour. The song marks the first time the general tempo of the album drops. The singer called it the "true heart and soul of the record".[48]
Joe Lynch ofBillboard describedJoanne as "a stylistically eclectic collection of swaggering rock, introspectiveballads and soulful, danceable grooves".[49] It opens with the track "Diamond Heart". Hearkening back to her earlier works,[50] this autobiographical song talks about Gaga's time as ago-go dancer in New York. "Diamond Heart" varies from a moody vibe in the verses, to a drum-oriented pre-chorus, and finally a rock-EDM chorus, with Homme playing guitar.[51] The second track, "A-Yo", has "touches of country", and is reminiscent of the music played indive bars, with double hand claps.[50] Lyrically, it is a metaphor for having sex. The repetition of the same two chords in the song's instrumentation is complemented by BloodPop's "background shouts and synth" elements.[51] As the title track starts, the generaltempo drops. Accompanied by an acoustic guitar and minimal percussion, Gaga sings lyrics about her late aunt Joanne.[50] The singer described the track as "the true heart and soul of the record".[48]
The electronic "John Wayne" is more "tongue-in-cheek" lyrically, with Gaga including "cowboy references" in the lyrics: "I just love a cowboy, I know it's bad, but I'm, like, can I just hang off the back of your horse and can you go a little faster?".[50] Gaga's vocals are accompanied by Homme's guitar,[19] and the track talks about her constant need to chase wild men, with comparisons to actorJohn Wayne.[49][48] The Beck-composed track "Dancin' in Circles" is a pop song with influences ofreggae,[52] consisting of a dance beat, a spoken-wordbridge and lyrics about having a good time by oneself.[50] It was described byBillboard' Lynch as an "ode to masturbation".[49] The lyrics find Gaga, dancing alone late at night, "fantasizing about a past lover" and masturbating: "I lay around, touch myself to pass the time / I feel down, I wish you were mine".[49][53]
An 18-second sample of "Perfect Illusion", which illustrates the chorus of the song. The track presents a guitar-and-vocal breakdown, as well is a mixture of guitar and "grumbling" synths.
According to Mark Savage ofBBC Music, "Perfect Illusion" is adisco-rock song, composed around a "building chord sequence", which he felt leads to a "compelling sense of urgency".[54] The singer's vocals are kept "raw" and "untreated", "eschewingAuto-Tune".[54] The composition consists of "pulsing verses" and a "guitar-and-vocals breakdown before the final chorus", where Gaga sings the title multiple times. Around the two-minute mark, there is akey change for the final chorus.[55] In "Million Reasons" Gaga talks about love which does not last, uttering "several variations" of the title in the verses.[50] The composition consists of a simple, country-oriented piano and guitar instrumentation. In the chorus Gaga sings, "You're giving me a million reasons to let you go / You're giving me a million reasons to quit the show".[56] Tom Rasmussen ofVice feels "Million Reasons" has the strongest country music influence of all the songs onJoanne.[51]
"Sinner's Prayer" is a mixture of country music,R&B and pop.[51] The "Father John Misty-assisted track" finds a "vulnerable" Gaga wanting her man to love her true self.[50][57] The lyric, "Her love for him ain't cheap / But it breaks just like a knockoff piece from Fulton Street" referencesFulton Street in Manhattan, New York, where cheap trinkets are available.[49] In the 1970s-inspired "Come to Mama", Gaga sings about loving and accepting one another in an affected voice, elongating her vowel enunciation.[50][57] The song has biblical references, with Gaga alluding to both theOld andNew Testaments. The lyric about "aforty-day flood" referencesNoah's Ark, while "stop throwin' stones at your sisters and your brothers" is taken from one ofJesus' aphorisms: "Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her."[49]
"Hey Girl" features guest vocals by Welch and its lyrics are an ode to feminism. Reviewers observed the inspiration on Elton John's 1974 single "Bennie and the Jets".[50][58] The eleventh track, "Angel Down", is a "torch song" that was inspired by thedeath of Trayvon Martin, who was shot dead byGeorge Zimmerman in 2012.[51] The song includes lyrics regarding the shooting, such as: "Shots were fired on the street, by the church where we used to meet."[50] Deluxe edition bonus track "Grigio Girls" was written for Sonja Durham, creative coordinator of her team, the Haus of Gaga, who had breast cancer. The song's lyrics include, "I was 23 / She was 35 / I was spiralin' out / And she was so alive".[59] The second bonus track, "Just Another Day" was inspired byglam and the work ofDavid Bowie.[60]
Gaga's manager Bobby Campbell confirmed the album would not be released until the latter half of 2016; Elton John said it would not be released until 2017.[6][61] In September 2016, Gaga updated her official website announcing the new album and revealed the title of the lead single, "Perfect Illusion". On September 15, the singer appeared onApple Radio's Beats 1 and announced the album was titledJoanne and its release date would be October 21, 2016. She also confirmed that within the next 48 hours, the recording would be finished.[62] Gaga confessed that finally announcing the album's name and release date was a bittersweet moment for her, acknowledging "this isn't the end just the end of this moment. It's also the beginning of this moment."[36]
During the same interview, the singer confirmed that, unlike recent releases, the album would not be available exclusively on streaming services likeApple Music orTidal. "I told my label that if they signed those contracts with Apple Music and Tidal, I'd leak all my own new music", she explained to host Zane Lowe. Gaga was opposed to these services having exclusive streaming rights to an artist's releases.[63] Before its release, the album wasleaked several times. OnAmazon, the album was listed for pre-order,[64] but using Amazon'sEcho speaker allowed listeners to preview 30 second snippets of each track that if they instructed it to "playJoanne by Lady Gaga".[65] Amazon later disabled previews for the whole album.[66] Three days prior to the official release date of October 21, the album was mistakenly put out for sale in shops in Belgium, leading to additional leaks.[67]
Chris Willman ofBillboard wrote that the promotional "blitz" forJoanne "felt like something from a bygone era" due to the traditional route taken by Gaga and her team, in place of surprise album launches.[68] During her interview onThe Howard Stern Show, Gaga confirmed that she wanted to promoteJoanne in the "old-school style".[68] The events leading up to the release were described by Willman as "the most culturally ubiquitous rollout sinceTaylor Swift's1989 two years ago".[68] He theorized that after the perceived commercial disappointment withArtpop, Gaga's management wanted to make sure of a comeback withJoanne. Adding to this was the musical and stylistic change that Gaga underwent with the release, which would have confused her core audience and fans without promotion. Willman concluded that the promo would "provide a pre-Super Bowl primer to Middle America –that somewhere between themeat dress and the Tony Bennett collaboration, Gaga has settled into a middle path".[68]
Gaga performing "Million Reasons" in her characteristicJoanne pink hat during the Joanne World Tour
"Perfect Illusion" was released as the album's first single on September 9, 2016.[69] It received mixed to positive reviews from music critics, many of whom complimented its catchiness, the song's key change and Gaga's vocal delivery.[70][71] Others deemed it a disappointing choice as a lead single compared to the singer's previous releases.[72] The song debuted at number one in France[73] while reaching a peak of number 15 on theBillboard Hot 100.[74]
This was followed by the release of two promotional singles – "Million Reasons" on October 6[75] and "A-Yo" on October 18, 2016.[76] "A-Yo" was initially chosen as the second single of the album, but "Million Reasons" proved to be more successful commercially and was released first.[77] The song debuted at number 76 on theBillboard Hot 100, initially peaking at number 54. However, after Gaga's Super Bowl performance, it re-entered the chart at number four, becoming her fourteenth top-ten in the nation. The placement was aided by the song reaching number one on theDigital Songs Chart with sales of 149,000 copies, 7.6 million US streams and 15 million radio airplays.[78] Most critics reacted positively to the song, highlighting its simple nature and the lyrics.[79] It was certified Platinum by theRecording Industry Association of America (RIAA).[80] For further promotion, both singles were accompanied by music videos, with the clip for "Million Reasons" being a continuation of "Perfect Illusion".[81] The loose narrative contained in the two clips was continued later in a video for "John Wayne".[82][83]
"Joanne" was released as the third single from the album in Italy on December 22, 2017, and a piano version of the song as well as its music video (dedicated to her deceased aunt Joanne) was released as a digital download worldwide on January 26, 2018.[84][85]
Gaga during the performance of "A-Yo" at her 2017Coachella set
Promotional activities forJoanne began with the announcement of "Perfect Illusion" as the album's lead single. Gaga performed it live for the first time at Moth Club in London, on September 10, 2016.[86] She featured "Perfect Illusion" in a trailer forAmerican Horror Story: Roanoke (2016).[87] Gaga released a number of commercials forApple Music featuring the track. She gave interviews toGood Morning America andThe New York Times, and appeared at aBest Buy in Manhattan to purchaseJoanne for unsuspecting customers.[68]
The singer performed "A-Yo" and "Million Reasons" onSaturday Night Live on October 22, 2016, assisted by Ronson and Lindsey.[88] On October 25, 2016, Gaga appeared onThe Late Late Show with James Corden in the Carpool Karaoke segment singing her previous singles, along with "Perfect Illusion" and "Million Reasons".[89] Later, she sang "A-Yo" on the main stage ofThe Late Late Show.[90] The following week Gaga headed to Japan to promoteJoanne.[91] She performed a piano version of "Perfect Illusion" onSukkiri, "Joanne" onNews Zero and a medley of "Million Reasons", "Perfect Illusion" and "A-Yo" onSMAP×SMAP.[92][93][94] Gaga sang "Million Reasons" at the 2016American Music Awards and theAli Forney Center, anLGBT pride center.[95][96] Album tracks "Come to Mama" and "Angel Down" were performed at presidential candidateHillary Clinton'sfinal campaign stop inRaleigh, North Carolina.[97]
Gaga was the headliner of the Super Bowl LI halftime show, where along with past material, she performed "Million Reasons" on the piano.[103] She was also a main headliner at the 2017Coachella Festival. Her setlist included "John Wayne", "A-Yo" and "Million Reasons" from the album.[104] In 2018, Gaga performed "Joanne" and "Million Reasons" on the piano at the60th Annual Grammy Awards, where she was joined on stage by Mark Ronson, who played guitar.[105]
Shortly before the release of the album, Gaga announced herDive Bar Tour, sponsored byBud Light. The 3-date long concert series saw her visitdive bars in the United States on October 5, 20 and 27, 2016. Her performances werelive streamed on Bud Light's Facebook page.[106][107][108] Gaga described the dive bar sets as an opportunity to return to her roots, and said that she aimed to make a closer connection with her audience after her stadium and arena shows.[108][109] She added the venues would accentuate the "raw Americana vibe" of the album.[109]
On February 5, 2017, Gaga announced she would embark on theJoanne World Tour to support the album. It began on August 1, 2017, and ended on February 1, 2018.[110] Gaga postponed the European leg of the tour due to severe pain caused byfibromyalgia and was forced to cancel the last 10 shows.[111] The tour's concerts were deemed "more minimalist" compared to previous tours, but received praise for its visuals, Gaga's singing abilities and her connection with the audience.[112] The tour ultimately grossed $95 million from sales of 842,000 tickets.[113]
According to the review aggregatorMetacritic,Joanne received "generally favorable reviews" based on aweighted average score of 67 out of 100 from 27 critic scores.[115] AnyDecentMusic? summed up the critical consensus as 6.4 out of 10.[114] British music journalistNeil McCormick gave the album 4 out of 5 stars inThe Daily Telegraph, stating "for all its bravura exuberance and pop slickness it is old fashioned to its core".[118]Stephen Thomas Erlewine ofAllMusic gave it 3.5 out of 5 stars, writing that unlike Gaga's previous endeavors, where she appeared as a "high-wire act",Joanne was more "earth-bound" and is a "record made by an artist determined to execute only the stunts she knows how to pull off. ... Gaga's feet remain firmly planted indance-pop even when she brings in a number of collaborators."[43]Rolling Stone'sRob Sheffield also awarded the album 3.5 out of 5 stars, and described the release as an "old-school Nineties soft rock album, heavy on the acoustic guitar".[44] He complimented the understated production by Ronson and the other producers.[44]
Writing forThe A.V. Club,Annie Zaleski commended the "genre fluidity" ofJoanne.[116] Rating it a "B", Zaleski said that "Diamond Heart", "John Wayne", "Sinner's Prayer" and "Hey Girl" were the album's best tracks and highlighted Gaga's vocal prowess.[116] In a 3 out of 5 star review forSlant Magazine, Sal Cinquemani criticized the album for its oversung ballads and lack of stronghooks, but deemed it more consistent and focused thanArtpop.[52] Maeve McDermott ofUSA Today complimented Gaga for "expanding her artistic vision and toying with different genres [on the album], while still recording the customary pop tracks listeners have come to expect".[122] Andy Gill gave the album 3 out of 5 stars in a review forThe Independent. Gill commended the album's rock-leaning tracks, and Homme's work on "A-Yo" and "John Wayne" as highlights, but called "Perfect Illusion" dull.[119]
The Guardian's Caroline Sullivan consideredJoanne a "brave move" for Gaga and rated it 3 out of 5 stars. She explained that "Gaga's huge voice adds a self-protective veneer, as does the presence of the other musicians, but at least she's done the groundwork for future albums that might show her with true transparency".[58]Digital Spy's Lewis Corner wrote: "Joanne is clearly Gaga's most personal album, popping aside the synthetic personas for something more honest and, well, human. Mother Monster may be retired for now, but Lady Gaga's sheer musical brilliance still shines through."[123] For Evan Sawdey ofPopMatters, the album—with its "flaws and all"—was a correct musical step for Gaga, which he believed would make "fans and observers once again rethink what they know about the daring diva".[124] Similarly,Amanda Petrusich ofPitchfork remarked how Gaga explored an alternative path musically, diverging from the "visual provocations" that had permeated most of her career.[121]
Mikael Wood of theLos Angeles Times felt that most songs on the album "lacked strong stories" and were "mere stylistic exercises" on Gaga's part.[125] Rich Juzwiak, who reviewedJoanne forSpin, did not find the musical evolution that Gaga presented on the album authentic.[126] Rating the album 2 out of 5 stars, journalistGreg Kot wrote in theChicago Tribune that "[Gaga] sounds like she's just trying too hard" withJoanne.[117] He also criticized the social commentary-filled lyrics on songs like "Come to Mama" and "Angel Down".[117] Jon Caramanica ofThe New York Times noted the album's elemental sound did not come as a surprise and felt that it was not "daring or radical—it's logical, a rejoinder to her past and also to the candy-striped pop that surrounds her".[127]
In the United States,Joanne debuted at number one on theBillboard 200, moving 201,000album-equivalent units of which 170,000 were pure sales, according toNielsen SoundScan. It became Gaga's fourth album to top the chart followingBorn This Way (2011),Artpop (2013), andCheek to Cheek (2014). It was 2016's second-highest debut for an album by a woman in the US afterBeyoncé'sLemonade opened with 653,000 copies. As a result, Gaga became the first woman to have four US number one albums in the 2010s.[128] The album-equivalent units forJoanne consisted of 135,000 song sales and 26 million streams along with 170,000 traditional album sales.[129]Joanne's debut helped Gaga rise to number one on theBillboard Artist 100, which measures artist activity across the publication's most influential charts.[130] The album's sales dropped by 70% to 61,000 units in the second week, with it falling to number five on theBillboard 200.[131] Following Gaga's Super Bowl halftime show performance,Joanne rose from number 66 to number 2 on theBillboard 200, selling 48,000 copies and 74,000 album-equivalent units.[132] It has sold 649,000 units as of February 2019 in the United States and was certified Platinum in October 2017 by theRecording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for selling over a million equivalent units in the country.[133][134]
Joanne debuted at number two on theCanadian Albums Chart with 17,500 album-equivalent units, behindLeonard Cohen'sYou Want It Darker. According to the Canadian SoundScan, the album had the third-higheston-demand streams in the country.[135] On November 4, 2016, the album was certified Gold byMusic Canada for shipments of 40,000 copies in the country.[136] Like in the United States, the Super Bowl performance also had an impact in Canada, whereJoanne vaulted from number 54 to number 2 on the album chart, with a 524 percent gain in album-equivalent units.[137]
In the United Kingdom,Joanne debuted at number three on theUK Albums Chart, with first-week sales of 26,694 copies, behindElvis Presley's posthumous release,The Wonder of You, andMichael Bublé'sNobody but Me.[138] On theUK Album Downloads Chart,Joanne entered the chart at number one. It also reached number two on theOfficial Albums Streaming Chart and number five on the Official Physical Albums Chart.[139][140][141] The following week it dropped to number 14, with sales of 9,602 units.[142] Following the Super Bowl performance, the record rose from number 88 to number 11 on the chart with sales increasing to 5,289 copies.[143] As of June 2020, the album has sold 168,564 copies in the UK and has been certified Gold by theBritish Phonographic Industry (BPI).[144][145]Joanne debuted at number three on theIrish Albums Chart.[146] The album's debut failed to meet expectations in France, where it entered the album chart at number nine, with sales of just over 8,000 copies. Pure Charts theorized that the moderate performance of the lead single, "Perfect Illusion", and the absence of Gaga in the media during the album's release week contributed to the album's low sales.[147] By year end, they deemedJoanne one of the commercially disappointing albums in France, achieving total sales of only 12,000 copies.[148] Two years after its release, the album earned a Gold certification for selling 50,000 equivalent units there.[149]
Joanne's impact was observed in the subsequent musical releases of artists such asMiley Cyrus (left) andKylie Minogue (right). Both singers pictured performing during their country phase.
Joanne was ranked in several publications' year-end lists.Billboard ranked it as the 32nd best album of 2016, stating that the "kitchen-sink pop album" had an "instant-classic breakup ballad" in "Million Reasons", which enabled Gaga to reclaim "her sweet spot withJoanne".[155] Digital Spy's Lewis Corner placed the record at number nine, believing that "simplicity" was the key to the album's success.[156]Joanne wasNME magazine's 20th best album of the year, with the publication highlighting how it hearkened back to the stripped down sound employed by Gaga in her early years as an artist.[157] ForRolling Stone, the album was the seventh best pop release of 2016, stating that "Gaga's soft-rock transformation takes the pop star into a new direction without losing her flair for the dramatic and penchant for the kitschy."[158] The album was nominated for theGrammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album at the60th Annual Grammy Awards, while "Million Reasons" was nominated forBest Pop Solo Performance.[159] "Million Reasons" was one of the award-winning songs at theBMI Awards.[160] The piano version of the title track won Best Pop Solo Performance at the61st Annual Grammy Awards.[161]
While reviewingKesha's third studio album,Rainbow (2017), Spencer Kornhaber ofThe Atlantic noted the use of analogue instruments in lieu of electric ones as had been done with the songs onJoanne. Kesha also tamed down her image like Gaga, but kept her distinct personality.[162] In aVanity Fair article, Josh Duboff wrote that singerJustin Timberlake's "countryfied" musical endeavors with hisMan of the Woods (2018) album era recalledJoanne.[163] Kornhaber and Billy Nilles fromE! News identifiedMiley Cyrus's sixth studio albumYounger Now (2017) andKylie Minogue's fourteenth studio albumGolden (2018) as part of a trend of pop singers going through a country phase, which they compared to Gaga's work onJoanne.[164][165]
Brittany Spanos ofRolling Stone observed thatJoanne served as singerNoah Cyrus's "muse", leading her to incorporate the country-themes of Gaga's endeavor.[166] InBillboard, Gary Trust noted that with the release of "Million Reasons", Gaga had brought her vocal abilities to the forefront. He interviewed radio programmers who theorized that releasing the song was part of a bigger musical picture and believed that the musical scene was "entering a new era of traditional ballads and big vocals".[167]
* Sales figures based on certification alone. ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. ‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.
^Joanne is Gaga's fifth studio album when including her collaborative album withTony Bennett,Cheek to Cheek. Occasionally, her debut albumThe Fame (2008) and its reissueThe Fame Monster (2009) are counted separately, which would makeJoanne her fifth solo album.[1]
^"レディー・ガガ、11/4放送の日本テレビ に生出演することが決定" [News Zero: Lady Gaga Sings 'Joanne'].NME (in Japanese). November 4, 2016.Archived from the original on January 21, 2017. RetrievedNovember 6, 2016.
^Tuch, Paul (February 13, 2017)."On the Charts... This Week". FYI Music Canada.Archived from the original on February 14, 2017. RetrievedFebruary 14, 2017.
^"Top Stranih [Top Foreign]" (in Croatian). Top Foreign Albums. Hrvatska diskografska udruga. Retrieved November 9, 2016.
^"Czech Albums – Top 100".ČNS IFPI.Note: On the chart page, select43.Týden 2016 on the field besides the words "CZ – ALBUMS – TOP 100" to retrieve the correct chart. Retrieved October 31, 2016.
^"Jaaroverzichten 2016 Albums" [Annual overviews 2016 Albums] (in Dutch). Hung Medien.Archived from the original on December 29, 2016. RetrievedDecember 28, 2016.
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