Music

“Thank you, mother!”: Fans react to Lady Gaga’s Joker 2 companion album Harlequin

By Jordan Robledo

24th September 2024

Lady Gaga has announced her music return, and fans (including us) are going absolutely wild.

Over the last few years, Little Monsters worldwide have been waiting with bated breath for the Grammy winner to release a new album.

Her last solo record, Chromatica, dropped in 2020 and was well-received by fans and critics alike.

While Gaga hasn’t been a total stranger from the music sphere – releasing hit singles like ‘Hold My Hand’ and the Bruno Mars duet ‘Die With A Smile’ – the pop icon has taken a noticeable step back from music to focus on other ventures, like her upcoming film Joker: Folie À Deux.

Fortunately for fans, the Gaga album drought has come to an end. Over the last week, the ‘Born This Way’ singer has teased her new music era by uploading five cryptic quotes to her social media channels.

One of the posts read, “I’m ready for my interview,” while another read “Still Not October.”

The Gaga album anticipation rose to new heights when mysterious billboards stating, “LG SIX.FIVE.LG6.5” popped up around New York and Los Angeles.

On 24 September, the mystery came to an end when the beloved talent finally announced her new project, Harlequin.

 

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Described as a “companion album” to the highly anticipated Joker sequel, the record is set to feature 13 songs.

The tracklist is as follows: ‘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,‘ ‘Happy Mistake,‘ and ‘That’s Life.‘

While further information about the album has been kept under wraps, fans have already started to share their theories and excitement for Harlequin, which is set to drop on 27 September.  

One fan on X, formerly known as Twitter, wrote: “I’m excited AF, but I’m wondering if it’ll sound more like a soundtrack album or if it’ll be like a regular Gaga album.“

Another Little Monster tweeted: “Can’t believe you’ve been pregnant with lg 6.5 and managed to hide it this entire time.”

A third fan added: “Album of the year, song of the year, another Oscar award song. Oh, what an artist you is.”

Harlequin is set to arrive a week before Joker: Folie À Deux hits theatres.

Directed by Todd Phillips, the film picks up after the events of Joker, and sees Auther Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) “institutionalized at Arkham awaiting trial for his crimes”. 

The synopsis adds: “While struggling with his dual identity, Arthur not only stumbles upon true love, but also finds the music that’s always been inside him.”

 

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Gaga is set to play fellow Arkham inmate and Arthur’s love interest, Lee Quinzel, aka Harley Quinn.

The film is also set to be a musical. Whether tracks from the Harlequin album will appear in the movie has yet to be announced.

In addition to Gaga and Phoenix, the film features Zazie Beetz reprising her role as Sophie Dumond, Catherin Keener as Maryanne Stewart, Harry Lawtey as Harvey Dent, and Steve Coogan as Paddy Meyers.

See more fan reactions to Gaga’s Harlequin album below.