Collection of jazz standards arrives on Friday
That’s life! Lady Gaga will drop Harlequin, a companion album to Joker: Folie à Deux, out Sept. 27.
Harlequin will contain jazz standards like “Oh, When the Saints” (made famous by Louis Armstrong) and “Get Happy” (Judy Garland), and marks her first jazz release since the death of her collaborator Tony Bennett (the duo released 2014’s Cheek to Cheek and 2021’s Love for Sale). It’s a fitting companion to Todd Phillips’ Joker sequel, out Oct. 4, which is reported to be a jukebox musical.
Harlequin is undoubtedly the “surprise project” Gaga spoke to Vogue about in her September cover story. She recorded the upcoming album this year at Rick Rubin’s Shangri-La studio in Malibu. In addition, she also cut a new pop album — dubbed “LG7” — slated to arrive in February.
“What I want my fans to know is that I’m just, like, so happy,” she told Vogue. “I’m healthy. I feel like the last time they heard from me — in this way — was Chromatica, and that album was about an absolutely horrible time for me with my mental health. I was in a really dark place … I feel like this new album, in a lot of ways, is about that time but from a place of happiness instead of misery.”
Harlequin follows “Die With a Smile,” Gaga’s duet with Bruno Mars. “Watching fans from all over the world celebrate this music has meant so much to me,” Gaga said. “To see the words of the song touch your heart and the video provoke this huge wave of dancing and fun is beautiful to watch and I’m so grateful.”
Harlequin Track List
1. Good Morning
2. Get Happy (2024)
3. Oh, When the Saints
4. World on a String
5. If My Friends Could See Me Now
6. That’s Entertainment
7. Smile
8. The Joker
9. Folie à Deux
10. Gonna Build a Mountain
11. Close to You
12. Happy Mistake
13. That’s Life
