Genre Country Label Interscope | Length 3:17 | |
Released October 21, 2016 (2016-10-21) Writer(s) Stefani Germanotta
Mark Ronson Producer(s) Lady Gaga
Mark Ronson
BloodPop | ||
"Joanne" is a song recorded by American singer Lady Gaga, for her fifth studio album, Joanne (2016). "Joanne" was written by Gaga and Mark Ronson. The track was produced by Gaga, Ronson, and BloodPop. Musically, it is a country song, which pays homage to Gaga's deceased paternal aunt of the same name. "Joanne" charted in France and the UK.
Contents
Composition
"Joanne" is an acoustic country ballad. The song pays homage to Gaga's paternal aunt of the same name, who died at the age of 19 due to lupus, before Gaga was born. In 2011, Gaga said, "I never met her, but she's been one of the most important figures in my life." Gaga has called the song "the true heart and soul of the record".
Critical reception
NME's Emily Mackay wrote about the song, saying it was "a leavetaking song of great, simple beauty, more tenderly affecting than anything Gaga's done before, showcasing the emotive power rather than the force of that great voice." Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine gave the track a positive review in comparison to other ballads on the album, stating that the song "boasts a sublime hook and a relatively restrained vocal performance". Patrick Bowman from Idolator said, "Joanne” is definitely the best example of the “real and personal” aesthetic Gaga has been talking up ahead of the album’s release, full of pretty guitar picking and arguably her best vocal."
Live performances
Gaga has performed "Joanne" on her Dive Bar Tour, a brief three-date promotional tour of dive bars in the United States. She has also performed the song on News Zero in Japan.
Charts
"Joanne" debuted and peaked at number 190 in France, according to the National Syndicate of Phonographic Publishing. Elsewhere, it reached number 154 on the United Kingdom's Singles Chart, and number 45 on the United States' Pop Digital Songs component chart.