Harlequin

Lady Gaga made Harlequin as a companion to her role in Joker: Folie à Deux, drawing on familiar standards while giving them a restless theatrical setting. Her voice moves easily from carefully held phrases to rougher, more forceful singing, so the performances rarely feel like straightforward recreations.

“That's Life” and “Get Happy” bring the songbook connection into focus. The arrangements can swing, swell or become deliberately unruly around her. Hearing those changes together makes the album feel like a sustained performance of character rather than a conventional soundtrack collection.