The soundtrack in the latest Joker movie, Joker: Folie a Deux, is a love letter to the ’40s and ’50s of American music. A time of slaphappy rhythm with toe-tapping swing, the golden era of musicals, and Sinatra sing-alongs… this collection of oldies helped to build on the themes of the movie both in earnest and through a layer of irony by placing the dual clowns into situations that can be anything but upbeat. That being said, Harlequin, Lady Gaga’s newest album released on September 27, 2024, is in a similar vein to this soundtrack. Without a doubt inspired by the movie, upon release, she stated that it was a companion album to the film, an attempt to give more insight into the character of Gagas more human Harleen Quinzel.
Looking back, 2019’s Joker received booming reviews thanks to Director Todd Philips who took the sadistic madman and molded him into someone a little more human. In this New York City retelling, the clown prince of crime story has a new personality riddled with realistic mental issues. Of course, the next best step for this character is for him to meet his love interest. This is where Gaga comes in as Harley Quinn. Like a mouse trap waiting at the base of the front door, we all know there is nothing good ahead. Despite this, we still root for Arthur Fleck and Harleen Quinzel wincing at their unfortunate decision-making every time.
An album that did not have a formal announcement or months of promotion, Harlequin is comprises mostly covers from an earlier time in American music, as mentioned, similar to what the film’s soundtrack takes from. Many of the songs – “World on a String,” “That’s Entertainment,” “Get Happy,” “If My Friends Could See Me Now,” “Folie a Deux,” “The Joker,” “Gonna Build a Mountain,” “Close to You” and “That’s Life” – are taken from the film’s soundtrack directly. Tracks that best define the Harley Quinn character in Joker: Folie a Deux, the big band music builds up an unbreakable spirit entranced with the art of entertainment. A smiling face ready and warming with the comfort of fanfare. She is not human, but instead a performer on a grand stage full of soul and jazzy undertones.
These undertones make up the infrastructure of Gaga’s Harlequin. Scatting into the limelight with an empowered Jazz voice after “Love for Sale” and “Cheek to Cheek” with Tony Bennett, Gaga is relaxing and light here, like a cloud hugging the plains in the morning. She has an effortless flow on these tracks and is a woman with experience who knows her vocal power. With that in mind, she does not give “That’s Life” the same spunky attack as Sinatra in the original, but she still sings with enough gusto and poise to make the track a worthy rendition. There is inspiration from Jazz all over the album, pushing it to the Pop intersection with Jazz itself. The instruments in each track taste the melody of Gaga’s singing and react accordingly with proper emotion and desire. Furthermore, the horn in the intro of “Oh, When the Saints” feels like it has lived its own life already.
Out of all the songs, the three-in-a-row split of “That’s Entertainment,” “sMILE,” and “The Joker” are the meat of the conceptual purpose of this album. Starting with the ironic Ars Poetica that makes up the Bandwagon show tune, the upbeat sound turns into the most emotional piece on the album. This is while “sMILE” is an optimist in the dusk of their worst nightmare. It is about searching for happiness inside, despite any external consequences. The song serves as a foil to the first half of Harlequin and connects back to the distressed character in Joker: Folie a Deux. It shows not only the cracks in the façade of Harley Quinn but also the impossibly productive attitude that keeps looking forward with joy. Ending this triad is “The Joker”; a cover of a song originally sung by Joaquin Phoenix’s character Arthur Fleck. This song is the view from the other side, it announces a new perspective on the performer’s lifestyle. The angered jester relents and accepts the fact of their life. As Harley, Gaga is claiming the story for herself, denying her role as a side character, and accepting the dilemma she is in. No longer is Harley Quinn the manipulated damsel in the hopeless grasp of mad love, through this, she has become her own mad villain.
Separate from Joker: Folie a Deux, Harlequin is a soulful, fun, jazzy, and enigmatic album of covers that riffs off of the Golden Age of Musicals. When filtered into the tragic love story of Harley Quinn and The Joker, the message gets a little bit ironic and a lot tragic. Either way, Lady Gaga has created a smooth collection of creamy music, showcasing her talent as a singer and paying homage to the past. For this reason, Cryptic Rock gives Harlequin 4.5 out of 5 stars.
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