When Lady Gaga finished filming her third film – the upcoming sequel to Joker: Folie à Deux – realized she wasn't ready to part with the character she plays, Harleen “Lee” Quinzel, aka Harley Quinn. “I had a deep relationship with Lee,” he tells Rolling Stone. “And when I finished shooting the film, I still wasn't ready to let her go.”
With the help of boyfriend Michael Polansky, the superstar recorded Harlequina companion album to the film which mainly contains brilliant reinterpretations of great classics (see the review at this link), his first experience of the genre after the death of Tony Bennett. Over the course of 13 songs Gaga interprets classics such as Get Happy (made famous by Judy Garland) and That's Life (Frank Sinatra), giving them a modern touch. The 1932 piece by Harold Arlen and Ted Koehler I've Got the World on a String is transformed into a perfect rock to introduce new generations to these great classics.
During a Zoom call from London, Gaga spoke to us about Harlequinhis genre-defying style, and what fans can expect from his next pop album.
What were your goals for this album?
We wanted to create an album that celebrated Harley's complexity through the filter of much of the music featured in the film, as well as original pieces, that explored her vastness as a woman – her darkness, her chaos, her vibrancy, her nature maniacal – and to create a modern reinterpretation of vintage pop.
You describe the album as LG6.5. Do you consider it more of a Harley album or a Gaga album?
Both, actually. It's my album, it's a Lady Gaga album, but it's also inspired by my character and my vision of what a woman can be. That's why the album doesn't stick to just one musical genre. I called it 6.5 because it's not my new studio pop album, but it falls somewhere in the middle, blurring the boundaries of pop music. As you know Tony Bennett, who is no longer with us, was young when he sang this music. Back then it was simply pop music. I found the choice of songs for this film very interesting. I wanted to explore what this music might mean today through Harley's lens.
You talked about Joker as metamodern and how difficult it is to frame it in just one genre. That's how I see this album too. Jazz is at the center, but there are many different sounds.
Thank you. I would say that metamodernism has really influenced our approach in the studio. I co-produced the album with Ben Rice. Michael also played a very important role. We talked a lot about how she's a person you can't define, because she's unpredictable and rare. We used genres as a way to convey rarity, not sticking to just one and pushing very far into the avant-garde. I'm basically saying, “As a woman, I choose to be whatever or who I want to be at all times, regardless of how I feel. And regardless of what you want from me, I will be myself. Thank you. Love, Harlequin” (laughs).
In the film you had to unlearn how to sing and moderate your technique. And on the album? Did you just do Gaga without holding back?
On the record I did both. There are moments when I tune into Lee's voice and his childish immaturity while singing. There is this naivety. You can imagine that she has heard the song a couple of times and is humming it to herself, because she is uncomfortable and wants to calm down. This aspect made it into the album. For example, at the beginning of That's Entertainment It's almost like hearing a thirteen year old in a school play. And since it's a 38-year-old woman, it's a little disturbing. But then the voice in That's Entertainment it becomes much softer, it has something nostalgic. And I worked a lot on this too.
I played with the voice like I had never done even with Tony. So there's a bit of Lee's voice and a new voice of mine in the more jazz-inspired songs. And then I explored. How would I sing a surf punk song? And a waltz? How it might sound Smile in the context of the film? And then with Happy Mistake there's this raw fragility that's totally Gaga, but it's also maybe a way of singing that I've never used on a record before. So I would say that the voice, like the album, is not conventional, it doesn't fit within genres. It's a little schizophrenic, but it makes sense for Harley Quinn. And that was part of the joy of making the album: the freedom.
It's the first time you've recorded classics without Tony. Have you thought about him? I imagine it was an emotional moment.
Yes. This was my first time without Tony, but there was nothing sentimental about it in the way you may be thinking. It wasn't sad. He was with us in a way. And it was funny too, if I had put some rock'n'roll chords in a production I did with Tony years ago, I don't know how he would have taken it. Tony didn't like rock 'n' roll, but he would say, “Wow, that's great.” He loved that I was bold and different, and I always thought he was amazing. He was 60 years older than me and was less scandalized than the young people I met. People saying, “Why is she dressed like that? Why does he sing like that? Why is his performance on stage so theatrical?”. Tony didn't bat an eye. He was simply a compassionate and inclusive person. So he was definitely with us in the studio, but especially with me.
As a female producer and singer, I feel I have earned the ability to showcase my mastery of this music. And it was exciting, because it's also something that I love to share with young people who listen to these songs. Some date back to the 1930s. It's nice to be able to show how these things can be reworked, going beyond the notes and the style in which they were written. What would happen if you tore up the book, set it on fire, and remade it in a completely new way? I wanted it to be fun.
It's a great album to listen to at home. I want to put this on while I cook.
I always say it: Michael and I are here for your crazy dinners.
Your pop album will be released in February. Can you tell me how this is different from Chromatica and what can fans expect?
The pop album has nothing to do with Chromatica. It's completely different. I don't know if I'm ready to talk about it yet, but it's coming out soon and I will. What I can say is that it's all for me. It is meant to be experienced as a moment in my life. I'm very excited about this idea that I don't have to stick to an era if I don't want to. I can experience several eras at the same time. It seems a little crazy to me (laughs) and more like me or Harley. Or anyone.
From Rolling Stone US.
