Dante Laird – The Stanford Daily https://stanforddaily.com Breaking news from the Farm since 1892 Tue, 30 Jan 2018 01:08:20 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 https://stanforddaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/cropped-DailyIcon-CardinalRed.png?w=32 Dante Laird – The Stanford Daily https://stanforddaily.com 32 32 204779320 What’s next for Halsey? A look at her latest single, ‘Now or Never’ https://stanforddaily.com/2017/04/27/halsey-now-or-never/ https://stanforddaily.com/2017/04/27/halsey-now-or-never/#respond Thu, 27 Apr 2017 07:35:28 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1126572 It’s been over a year since Halsey released her debut album, “Badlands,” in the U.S., and the music industry has seen her come a long way since then. But even with “Badlands” going platinum and several of its tracks achieving RIAA certifications of their own, Halsey’s upshot to stardom would have taken a very talented […]

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What's next for Halsey? A look at her latest single, 'Now or Never'
(Courtesy of Deshaun Craddock)

It’s been over a year since Halsey released her debut album, “Badlands,” in the U.S., and the music industry has seen her come a long way since then. But even with “Badlands” going platinum and several of its tracks achieving RIAA certifications of their own, Halsey’s upshot to stardom would have taken a very talented fortune-teller to predict. After the success of her megahit “Closer,” which she created with The Chainsmokers and promptly sent to the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 (where it stayed for 12 consecutive weeks), many Halsey fans and curious non-fans alike were left wondering how she might take advantage of her newfound visibility.

The answer comes in the form of “Now or Never,” a new electropop song released on April 4. Acting as her newest single, the song is rapidly climbing pop radio charts — and it’s no wonder why. While staying true to the darker electronic sound featured on “Badlands,” “Now or Never” nevertheless manages to stand out as a new direction for the singer. Melding electronic production with a vocal delivery similar to Rihanna’s in her smash-hit “Needed Me,” the result is a pleasing, uber-replayable track that blends in seamlessly with the recent popularity of “chill” music.

The video is an equally spectacular experience; Halsey teased that her new album, titled “Hopeless Fountain Kingdom,” is a modern-day telling of Romeo and Juliet. Delivering pleasing visuals and aesthetics, the music video for “Now or Never” sees two rival gangs ruling a city where love seems to be either very rare or outlawed — and — surprise, surprise — Halsey and her love interest from the enemy gang have got it.

If any of that sounds good to you, check it out. Halsey’s newest album will be out on June 2, 2017.

 

Contact Dante Laird at dlaird2 ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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Selena Gomez comes back with a new hit in ‘It Ain’t Me’ https://stanforddaily.com/2017/02/23/selena-gomez-it-aint-me/ https://stanforddaily.com/2017/02/23/selena-gomez-it-aint-me/#respond Thu, 23 Feb 2017 09:15:20 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1123509 Last week, Selena Gomez made a soft comeback to the pop music scene with producer Kygo, releasing the feel-good, chant-heavy tropical house song “It Ain’t Me.” The song starts out with happy, simple strums from a guitar — so happy that simply by hearing them, you know a euphoric song is on the way. Gomez enters lightly […]

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Selena Gomez comes back with a new hit in 'It Ain't Me'
(Alex Goykhman, Wikimedia Commons)

Last week, Selena Gomez made a soft comeback to the pop music scene with producer Kygo, releasing the feel-good, chant-heavy tropical house song “It Ain’t Me.” The song starts out with happy, simple strums from a guitar — so happy that simply by hearing them, you know a euphoric song is on the way. Gomez enters lightly atop the arrangement with subdued vocals, singing, “I had a dream / We were sipping whiskey neat / Highest floor of The Bowery / Nowhere’s high enough.” But the contented lyrics quickly go awry, signaling a change in Gomez’s perception of her relationship — “Somewhere along the lines, we stopped seeing eye to eye” — a relatable, albeit safe theme and story that sets the true tone for the song.

The chorus and breakdown, however, are where this new track truly shines. Chanting a declaration of freedom from the binds of a poisonous relationship, Gomez channels the band fun.’s 2012 smash hit “We Are Young.” And afterwards, Kygo drops the mother of all breakdowns. It’s a simple bit of production, really, with luminescent, jumping synths — but what makes it spectacular are Gomez’s distorted vocals playing over it. Another chant of ahs comes through, accentuated and spaced out by elongated versions of the words that began the song — “Ah, ah, ah-ah, (Bowery) / Ah, ah, ah-ah (Whiskey neat) / Ah, ah, ah-ah (Grateful) … ” It’s one of those vocal arrangements that sounds iconic even when it hits the ears for the first time, also reminiscent of fun.’s hit in that it evokes images of youth, freedom and more than few good feelings.

 

Contact Dante Laird at dlaird2 ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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Heating up: Pop hits on the rise in February 2017 https://stanforddaily.com/2017/02/16/pop-hits-february-2017/ https://stanforddaily.com/2017/02/16/pop-hits-february-2017/#respond Thu, 16 Feb 2017 10:17:49 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1123083 “Party Monster” – The Weeknd Attention: The Weeknd has crafted yet another smash hit. After his massive success with “Earned It,” “Can’t Feel My Face” and “The Hills,” The Weeknd returned earlier this year with his lead single “Starboy,” from his album of the same name. And, as it turns out, his “Starboy” era is shaping […]

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Heating up: Pop hits on the rise in February 2017
The Weeknd. (Kayla Johnson, Wikimedia Commons)

“Party Monster” – The Weeknd

Attention: The Weeknd has crafted yet another smash hit. After his massive success with “Earned It,” “Can’t Feel My Face” and “The Hills,” The Weeknd returned earlier this year with his lead single “Starboy,” from his album of the same name. And, as it turns out, his “Starboy” era is shaping up to be even more successful than his last. “Party Monster” is an appropriate name for this track, because, well … you’re going to be hearing it at a lot of parties. At this point, that’s typical with any The Weeknd single. Here, The Weeknd continues cultivating his own sound in pop music by blending pop, electronic and hip-hop with a heavy dose of nostalgia and mysticism. Get ready to hear it everywhere.

“Make Me (Cry)” – Noah Cyrus & Labrinth

This recently released collaboration between multi-talented musician and vocalist Labrinth and Noah Cyrus (who is Miley Cyrus’s younger sister) is your run-of-the-mill electropop track. It’s nothing groundbreaking, that’s for sure — not likely to gain the kind of popularity her sister’s singles “We Can’t Stop” and “Wrecking Ball” did. But her first foray into the pop music world is a sure step; in this duet between Cyrus and Labrinth, the two have crafted a pop song with simple yet relatable lyrics and spare yet masterful production. Hard to do — and a perfect formula for a new pop artist coming onto such a crowded scene.

“Chained to the Rhythm” – Katy Perry f/ Skip Marley

As Katy Perry’s first single since late 2014, it would be a bit awkward if her comeback smash didn’t raze the airwaves — and that’s exactly what this horribly infectious disco track is going to do. The only thing that may hinder its radio-friendly, catchy hooks from climbing to the top of the charts is the song’s decidedly, if subtly, political nature. From the very first verse to the last chorus, every line is a thinly veiled criticism of ignorance and inequality. Which, to some people, is a great thing. To others, not so much. Regardless of your mindset, it’ll be hard not to dance when this hits the deck at a party.

“Scared To Be Lonely” – Dua Lipa and Martin Garrix

Erring from the house and hip-hop sounds dominating radio right now, Martin Garrix reels things back to the early portion of the decade with a simple, albeit catchy electronic song. While the breakdown is a bit uneventful and tired, vocalist Dua Lipa, an upcoming European popstar, contributes stellar vocals, making great use of her unique tone. If you had any love for the many mainstream electronic songs featuring female vocalists that graced the music scene earlier this decade, you’ll likely be a fan of this song.

“Run Up” – Major Lazer f/ PARTYNEXTDOOR, Nicki Minaj

After several smash hits, Major Lazer is back with an uplifting dancehall song that sits comfortably along the boundary between casual and party. With a beat that’s incredibly easy to move to and bright, smooth vocals from Canadian artist PARTYNEXTDOOR, “Run Up” would be a great song even without Nicki Minaj’s guest verse. In her unfortunately short appearance, Minaj drops the lines, “He call me queen, he know ‘Nicki’ is the moniker / He want a mix between Hillary and Monica,” which is reason enough to give this future hit a listen.

“Down” – Marian Hill

Electronic music duo Marian Hill have been around for a fairly short time, with their debut album “ACT ONE” only releasing last year. One of their songs off this album, “Down,” recently gained traction as a result of being featured in a commercial for Apple, and has been rocketing up both radio and iTunes charts ever since. And Marian Hill’s sparse, hard-hitting style is unique enough to stand out amongst the crowded airwaves, meaning this hook-heavy track that combines piano with electronic production could be the single with which they make a name for themselves.

 

Contact Dante Laird at dlaird2 ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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Katy Perry gets pop-litical in new single, ‘Chained to the Rhythm’ https://stanforddaily.com/2017/02/14/katy-perry-chained-to-the-rhythm/ https://stanforddaily.com/2017/02/14/katy-perry-chained-to-the-rhythm/#respond Tue, 14 Feb 2017 18:33:22 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1122912 It’s been over three years since pop superstar Katy Perry released her last album, “Prism,” and ever since, fans have been clamoring for new music. On Friday, February 10, it finally arrived in the form of “Chained to the Rhythm,” the lead single from Perry’s forthcoming LP. Musically, the song doesn’t diverge too much from […]

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Katy Perry gets pop-litical in new single, 'Chained to the Rhythm'
(Ali Shaker, Wikimedia Commons)

It’s been over three years since pop superstar Katy Perry released her last album, “Prism,” and ever since, fans have been clamoring for new music. On Friday, February 10, it finally arrived in the form of “Chained to the Rhythm,” the lead single from Perry’s forthcoming LP. Musically, the song doesn’t diverge too much from Perry’s past music. A bouncing, disco-inspired beat and a fabulous feature from Skip Marley carry the song, working to make sure that it’s a hit at clubs and parties around the world.

But even more interesting are the lyrics to the pop veteran’s newest single. While some of Perry’s lyrics have accrued social relevance in the past, such as the infamous opening line to her #1 hit “Firework” (“Do you ever feel/Like a plastic bag”), “Chained to the Rhythm” features lyrics of a political nature — albeit rather subtly. In the song’s lyric video, the lyrics are spelled out across the screen while small rodents (hamsters, maybe?) are seen living in a tiny model of a human house; human hands reach in to prepare food for the hamsters and light fires to keep them warm.

The song’s political nature becomes obvious as soon as it starts, with Perry singing, “Are we crazy? / Living our lives through a lens,” followed by pre-chorus lyrics where she preaches, “So comfortable we’re living in a bubble, bubble / So comfortable, we cannot see the trouble, trouble.” The chorus masterfully blends a radio-friendly sound with highly politicized lyrics, featuring a chant of “Turn it up, it’s your favorite song / Dance, dance, dance to the distortion.” Essentially, Perry is calling out people’s propensity to ignore serious issues in the world and to continue living their rhythmic and routine lives. She’s calling out people who mirror the hamsters in the video, who consume whatever the hands reach down to give them. For instance, she might be calling attention to the socialization that entreats people to see many members of different racial, sexual and religious groups in a negative manner. Perry was a big Clinton supporter during the most recent presidential election cycle, and has spoken out about these issues many times before on her Instagram, so the message shouldn’t come as a surprise to those who follow her; for casual fans, it may come as a shock.

This might be starting to sound a bit like a research paper, but Perry’s message here is important. We’re all “chained to the rhythm,” affected by the issues and hugely imbalanced power structures of the world — to varying degrees, of course — and while some of us can live our lives without noticing them, many of us are not so fortunate. She’s also calling attention to the apathy people often demonstrate concerning these matters and even to people who take advantage of social structures such as racial and gender inequality. Regardless of whether you’re apathetic or deplorable, you’re still dancing to the distortion, and ultimately contributing to it. “Chained to the Rhythm” is not only sure to be a hit, it’s also sure to inspire conversation. Hopefully, it will inspire people who take notice of the lyrics to look deeper into the themes behind them and educate themselves.

 

Contact Dante Laird at dlaird2@stanford.edu.

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Future Hits https://stanforddaily.com/2016/11/30/future-hits/ https://stanforddaily.com/2016/11/30/future-hits/#respond Thu, 01 Dec 2016 01:07:58 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1120536 “Party Monster” – The Weeknd Attention: The Weeknd has crafted yet another smash hit. After his massive success with “Earned It,” “Can’t Feel My Face” and “The Hills,” The Weeknd returned earlier this year with his lead single “Starboy” from his album of the same name. And as it turns out, the “Starboy” era is […]

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“Party Monster” – The Weeknd

Attention: The Weeknd has crafted yet another smash hit. After his massive success with “Earned It,” “Can’t Feel My Face” and “The Hills,” The Weeknd returned earlier this year with his lead single “Starboy” from his album of the same name. And as it turns out, the “Starboy” era is shaping up to be even more successful than his last. “Party Monster” is an appropriate name for this track, because, well … you’re going to be hearing it at a lot of parties. At this point, that’s typical with any The Weeknd single. Here, The Weeknd continues cultivating his own sound in pop music, blending pop, electronic music and hip-hop with a heavy dose of nostalgia and mysticism.

“Chantaje” – Shakira (feat. Maluma)

Although I fulfilled Stanford’s undergraduate language requirement with accelerated Spanish classes last year, I’m lost to what Maluma and Shakira sing about on this track. But damn if it isn’t completely infectious. Something about the beat and the sexy, slick vocals from both singers make this song addictive. Apparently the title translates to “Blackmail,” although I’m not sure what the gist of the song is. Because it’s almost entirely in Spanish, it may not blow up in America – but “Chantaje” is destined to set the rest of the world aflame.

“No Lie” – Sean Paul & Dua Lipa

Oh, wow. I’ve only just listened to this – it dropped Nov. 18 – but I can’t believe this is what Sean Paul decided to come back with, or that he tapped budding pop artist Dua Lipa to collaborate. My incredulity isn’t a bad thing; quite the opposite, in fact. I won’t be memorizing the many lyrics to Sean Paul’s crowded verses, but the beat behind them begs you to move regardless. Dua Lipa contributes sparse vocals to the chorus, her uniquely accented voice melodic and hypnotizing on this ode to having a good time. I hope to hear this at many parties. It fits in perfectly with the dancehall sound dominating much of U.S. radio right now.

“Make Me (Cry)” – Noah Cyrus & Labrinth

This recently released collaboration between multi-talented musician and vocalist Labrinth and Noah Cyrus, who’s … Miley Cyrus’s younger sister, is your run-of-the-mill electropop track. Noah’s starting her music career with this track, which is presumably her first official single. It’s nothing groundbreaking, that’s for sure – not likely to gain the kind of popularity her sister’s singles “We Can’t Stop” and “Wrecking Ball” did. But Noah’s first foray into the pop music world is a sure step; in a duet between her and Labrinth, the two have crafted a pop song with simple yet relatable lyrics and spare yet masterful production. Hard to do – and a perfect formula for a new pop artist coming into such a crowded scene.

“Love On the Brain” – Rihanna

So Rihanna finally released the album track she’s been performing at award shows since “ANTI” dropped. Hurray! And what a track it is. Full of soul and emotion, this uplifting, powerful ballad features drum-heavy, orchestral production complimented by a charged vocal performance by Rihanna. Lamenting and lauding both the good and bad sides of love, she sings, “Must be love on the brain/That’s got me feeling this way.” This is about to take over the airwaves, along with every Christmas song that’s ever been written.

“Trust Nobody” – Cashmere Cat, Selena Gomez & Tory Lanez

In the vein of a modern “Take Care,” this Cashmere Cat-produced song features tropical yet icy production laced with light vocals that almost feel like snow settling over the instrumental. Gomez takes most of the song with a catchy refrain, while Lanez hops on for a verse in which he sings, “You’ve got a body like Selena in them jeans.” Maybe not the most inventive lyricism, but hey, it’s infectious.

“Slumber Party” – Britney Spears & Tinashe

Honestly, I’m a bit reluctant to even include this song solely because Britney hasn’t had a hit in years, but it’s just too good not to. This sexy, slippery pop gem blends Tinashe and Britney together perfectly, seeing them sing together on later choruses and get very physical in the brand new music video. It’s exactly this video, which I think will help the song take flight; the video is a sleek, colorful fun-fest packed with sapphic tension. And really, when doesn’t controversy sell? Just look at the election. (Insert screaming here.)

“Bad Things” – Machine Gun Kelly & Camilla Cabello

Fifth Harmony member Camilla Cabello ventures out of the group for this candy-coated pop song, a collaboration with rapper Machine Gun Kelly. This song began to fall off the charts after its debut week, but it’s recently begun climbing pop radio and Spotify charts. Given Machine Gun Kelly’s past luck with singles success, it’s likely this song’s traction is due to Cabello’s contribution. The verses contributed by Kelly aren’t anything to listen to twice, but Cabello’s hook is addictive.

Contact Dante Laird at dlaird2 ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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Lady Gaga’s ‘Joanne’ is different but no less striking https://stanforddaily.com/2016/11/07/ladygaga-joanne-album-review/ https://stanforddaily.com/2016/11/07/ladygaga-joanne-album-review/#respond Mon, 07 Nov 2016 09:40:35 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1119336 This past Friday night, I was sitting in my room with my friends, music blaring out of my knock-off speakers and “Grey’s Anatomy” silently playing on the TV – with subtitles, of course. Fergie’s “Glamorous” was about to end, and I frantically scrolled through my Spotify library for another song. Before I could find one, […]

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This past Friday night, I was sitting in my room with my friends, music blaring out of my knock-off speakers and “Grey’s Anatomy” silently playing on the TV – with subtitles, of course. Fergie’s “Glamorous” was about to end, and I frantically scrolled through my Spotify library for another song. Before I could find one, an advertisement started.

Now, normally when an ad interrupts my Spotify listening experience, I sigh and grumble about how cheap I am, promising myself I’ll subscribe to Spotify Premium soon (disclaimer: I probably never will). This time, though, I jumped about a foot in the air and felt like slapping myself upside the head. Because somehow, I’d forgotten that Lady Gaga was releasing her fifth studio album “Joanne” that same day.

Without hesitating, I followed the advertisement to the album’s streaming page and pressed play. Within five minutes, I was shocked – and completely positive of one thing: The Lady Gaga on “Joanne” is not the out-of-this-world persona we’ve come to know.

  1. “Diamond Heart”
    “Joanne” opens with an energetic bang in the form of “Diamond Heart,” a self-empowerment anthem that bridges the gap between pop music and the folk-ish, Americana vibes that comprise the body of this album. It signals an abrupt switch from the superstar that crafted electropop masterpieces like “Bad Romance” and “Poker Face,” but retains the big, anthemic melodies Gaga is known for. In the fashion of lead single “Perfect Illusion,” Gaga’s vocals are sparsely produced, at their rawest and most powerful. Overall, as my friend aptly put it Saturday night, it’s “the kind of song that you listen to while speeding down the interstate with the top down late at night.” In other words – get out your coolest sunglasses and cowboy boots, if you have ‘em.
  1. “A-YO”
    The title of this song embodies exactly what it is: good, simple fun. It’s easy to see why it was released as the second promotional single from the album — Gaga starts the song with a raspy “Heeere we go!” and from then on, you can’t help but move your body along as she encourages you to join her in “smokin’ ‘em all.” A twangy guitar line bounces throughout the song, and a sing-along chorus mostly composed of Gaga chanting the word A-YO (is that really a word?) over and over again stands out here; it’s a funky, wonderful addition to any party playlist.
  1. “Joanne”
    The vibe of the album takes a turn with the first ballad, a raw, emotional ode to Gaga’s late aunt. She’s spoken at length about how much her aunt’s death affected her father and family, and it shows in her touching vocal delivery – which, by the way, was recorded in just one take. Grab some tissues if you’re easily moved to tears, because this’ll do it.
  1. “John Wayne”
    In a spoken word intro that’s just as gritty and fun as the rest of this track, Gaga tells, “It’s like, I just love a cowboy, you know? I’m just like, I just, I know it’s bad, but I’m just like – can I just like, hang off the back of your horse, and can you go a little FASTER?” (That’s four “likes” and five “just”s, if you were curious.) The song certainly lives up to these words, with a rock-and-country-infused energy that almost makes me wish I lived in the country, where I too could toss beer cans off the back of my own John Wayne horse – never mind the fact that I had to google who John Wayne even is, or that Gaga is actually from New York City.
  1. “Dancin’ in Circles”
    Let me preface this by saying that I expected a dance song here. Not to say that I didn’t get one – “Dancin’ in Circles” is perfectly danceable, and you should definitely bring this one to your shower playlist if you like dancing in the shower as much as I do. But with lyrics like, “In the fire I call your name out/Up all night, tryna rub the pain out,” it’s fairly clear Gaga isn’t singing about dancing. That’s right up my alley – I love a good taboo song, even if it’s not as cleverly done as something like Hailee Steinfeld’s “Love Myself” – but it’s not everyone’s cup of tea. Regardless, this song retains the funky, low-key thumping fun seen in many songs on “Joanne,” so maybe pretend Gaga isn’t singing about her Lady and just dance if that isn’t your thing.
  1. “Perfect Illusion”
    Ah, yes. “Perfect Illusion” – the polarizing first taste of “Joanne” that alienated half of Lady Gaga’s fan base and had radio stations hesitating to play one of her lead singles for the first time ever. I loved this song from the beginning, but it remains polarizing; her vocals are very loud and can become grating after a bit, but the production behind the song is truly immaculate. It’s one of the weaker tracks on the album, but it’s still a solid pop track.
  1. “Million Reasons”
    There’s not much to say about this track, in all honesty. It’s a beautiful, heart-wrenching ballad lamenting a lover’s inability to compromise carried by a gentle piano melody. Gaga’s never been known for her ballads, but this could change that – released as the first promotional single from the album, it’s performing well enough that her label would be foolish not to at least consider making it the second official single from “Joanne.”
  1. “Sinner’s Prayer”
    “Sinner’s Prayer” starts with a killer bass line and dark lyrics, but slumps at the chorus. It’s an easy-listening song with clear country and western influences, and it’s executed well, but it’s a bit hard to remember among so many other standout tracks.
  1. “Come to Mama”
    Lady Gaga gets slightly political with “Come To Mama,” a foot-tapping, happy little track that finds the songstress lamenting the divisiveness of our modern world. With lyrics like, “the only prisons that exist are ones we put each other in,” Gaga gives us a glimpse into her philosophy of love and coexistence – and wouldn’t it be nice if the world was as wonderful as the one Gaga asks for here.
  1. “Hey Girl”
    One of the most anticipated tracks from “Joanne,” “Hey Girl” finds Lady Gaga singing back and forth with Florence Welch, the magnificent voice and principal songwriter behind Florence + The Machine. The track continues the theme started in “Come to Mama,” encouraging female empowerment and solidarity. Unsurprisingly, the song’s sound is just as amazing as its message – something straight out of the ’60s/’70s that manages to sound both nostalgic and current.
  1. ” Angel Down”
    “Shots were fired on the street, by the church where we used to meet/Angel down, angel down, but the people just stood around,” Gaga croons on this glittering, somber ballad, which she recently revealed on Twitter was inspired by the tragic death of Trayvon Martin. Its message about unnecessary and unpunished violence (read: police brutality) is profoundly important and heartbreaking, and it’s one of the most beautiful tracks on this album – which is saying something.

By the end of “Joanne,” I was still shocked, and still completely positive that the Lady Gaga on “Joanne” is not the same woman who changed the face of pop music late last decade. She’s still the same person, of course – but now, she’s stripped back the theatrics and costumes to reveal the girl she’s always been underneath it all. Who is that girl? To me, she’s an ambitious, supremely talented and strong woman from Manhattan who’s grown to a point where she can make personal music and put it out into the world. To you, it may be someone else. But objectively, this is a raw, honest album made by a woman who was at one point the most famous person in the world – now aged 30, having received nearly every accolade for being an all-around outstanding musician. And that shows in the music. This is an album with no expiration date, with themes that resonate personally and relay important messages. In some ways, it’s exactly what you’d expect from Lady Gaga five studio albums into her impressive career – and in others, it’s exactly the opposite.

 

Contact Dante Laird at dlaird2 ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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