October 21^st, 2016 was certainly an exciting day for Stefani Germanotta fans around the world. Her highly anticipated album, Joanne, dropped in the music world. Without a doubt, it was stripped of dance beats and glitzy production and focused on personal lyrics, acoustic melodies, and storytelling. The title track of the album included some of the best lyrics on the album, as Stefani pleaded, “Take my hand, stay Joanne/ Heaven’s not ready for you/ Every part of my aching heart/ Needs you more than the angels do.” Truly, this tribute to her late aunt’s tragic death was emotional and poignant, and Gaga mastered it in a very respectable manor. With a 14 track deluxe album, Lady Gaga certainly didn’t disappoint with her new sound.

Indeed, Joanne ranks among one of Lady Gaga’s best albums she’s ever put out. She backed away from mainstream sounds and channeled inner emotions and memories to create this fifth LP. Some of my favorite songs included the lead single, Perfect Illusion, the edgy rock-infused Diamond Heart, the empowering duet featuring powerhouse vocalist, Florence Welch, titled Hey Girl, and the emotional ode to one of Gaga’s friend battling breast cancer, Grigio Girls. In the end, Joanne marked a new feat in Gaga’s career, as she showed the world her true self by ditching the pop sound to replace it with a more authentic one. Overall, I can firmly say that Joanne was my favorite album of 2016.

Rating: 4.5/5