Lady Gaga Releases New Album, 'Harlequin'

Just three days after its official announcement, Lady Gaga has released her new album, “Harlequin.” 

HARLEQUIN OUT NOW 🛟 https://t.co/86Y4cI4M2N pic.twitter.com/0wVuWFJPUW

— Lady Gaga (@ladygaga) September 27, 2024

The project serves as a companion piece to the film “Joker: Folie à Deux,” in which Gaga stars as Harleen “Lee” Quinzel opposite Joaquin Phoenix. 

While “Harlequin” includes 11 covers featured in the film and its soundtrack, Gaga re-recorded the songs with new and reimagined production, plus two original songs, “Folie à Deux” and “Happy Mistake.” 

In an interview with press at the London premiere of “Joker: Folie à Deux,” Gaga spoke to the inspiration behind creating the album, citing her “really, really personal” experience with her character, Lee.

“When we were done with the movie, I just wasn’t done with her,” Gaga said. “So, because I’m not done with her, I made ‘Harlequin.’ ”

Lady Gaga talks about the inspiration behind her new project "Harlequin": "When we were done with the movie I wasn't done with her, so because of that I made Harlequin. The record has many genres with original productions that are indicative of a complex woman that wants to be… pic.twitter.com/F7eFj7j9ou

— Lady Gaga Now 🃏 (@ladygaganownet) September 25, 2024

The idea of duality between Gaga and Lee manifests in "Happy Mistake," one of the album's original compositions. 

“I wrote ‘Happy Mistake’ as a reflection on and a celebration of all the darkness that has healed me before, and all the dual identities I’ve carried,” Gaga told fans at an exclusive listening party in London ahead of the album’s release. 

At the listening party, Gaga played the album twice through as she danced with fans just hours after “Joker: Folie à Deux" premiered. 

VIDEO: Lady Gaga dancing to her version of "Oh, When The Saints" at the Harlequin listening party in London. pic.twitter.com/XuLsv1ef73

— Lady Gaga Now 🃏 (@ladygaganownet) September 25, 2024

In an interview with Zane Lowe, Gaga described the album as “vintage pop,” though the album contains influences of jazz, gospel, showtunes, soul and pop standards. 

Gaga is expected to release a music video for "The Joker," originally performed by Shirley Bassey, as she posted a clip of herself dancing to the track at the Louvre Museum in Paris. Earlier this month, she was photographed at the museum as a film crew set up outside. 

There’s always a Joker. #FiguresDuFou #Louvre #JokerMovie pic.twitter.com/bEYHE59p40

— Lady Gaga (@ladygaga) September 25, 2024

Gaga first teased "Harlequin" with a series of cryptic Instagram posts, each with a phrase against a plain background: "I'm ready for my interview," "Don't tell me what to wear," "No duct tape no mission," "Moondust gets everywhere" and "Still not October," the latter being a reference to a post she made at the 81st Venice International Film Festival that revealed the lead single of LG7 is coming in October. 

On Monday, Sept. 23, mysterious billboards alluding to "LG6.5" appeared in New York City and Los Angeles. The next day, Gaga formally announced the album.

“Harlequin” marks Gaga’s first artistic collaboration with her fiancé Michael Polansky, who is credited as a writer on four songs. 

Each song is produced by Lady Gaga and her frequent collaborator Benjamin Rice, with the exception of "Happy Mistake," produced by Rice, Lady Gaga and BloodPop, and "That's Life," produced by Lady Gaga, David Campbell and Jason Ruder. 

Check out the album's writing credits below: 

“Good Morning”

Written by Arthur Freed, Lady Gaga, Michael Polanksy and Nacio Brown.

“Get Happy (2024)”

Written by Harold Allen, Lady Gaga, Michael Polansky and Ted Koehler.

“Oh, When the Saints”

Traditional.

“World on a String”

Written by Harold Allen and Ted Koehler. 

“If My Friends Could See Me Now”

Written by Cy Coleman, Dorothy Fields, Lady Gaga and Michael Polansky. 

“That’s Entertainment”

Written by Arthur Schwartz and Howard Dietz.

“Smile” 

Written by Charlie Chaplin, John Turner and Geoffrey Parsons. 

“The Joker”

Written by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley

“Folie à Deux”

Written by Lady Gaga.

“Gonna Build a Mountain”

Written by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley.

“Close to You”

Written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David.

“Happy Mistake”

Written by Michael Tucker (BloodPop) and Lady Gaga. 

“That’s Life”

Written by Dean Kay and Kelly Gordon.

Vinyl and CD copies of "Harlequin" can be purchased here. 

“Joker: Folie à Deux" will be in theaters internationally on Oct. 4, 2024. Its soundtrack can be preordered on vinyl here.