I've been a fan of Lady Gaga ever since she performed "The Sound of Music" tribute at the Oscars in 2015. At the time, I was skeptical that a pop artist would be paying tribute to one of my favorite musical movies, but I tuned in out of curiosity. That was the first time I'd ever heard her sing something other than her usual, albeit catchy, pop songs. It gave me newfound admiration for her singing, and respect for her musicality. It's now been three years since Lady Gaga last released a solo studio album, and with this new work of art from her, my fandom has been thoroughly rejuvenated.

I've noticed that popular artists in the music industry tend to follow one of two patterns: Either their music starts out authentic and raw and, gradually, they sell out to pop drivel, or their music starts out as very poppy and, gradually, they release more experimental, personal music. Lady Gaga definitely falls into the latter category, which makes complete sense to me. I've read a lot of criticism that she's "lost her sound" or "isn't relevant anymore," but by releasing this album after she's had massive success with "poppier" music in the past, she now has the stature and freedom to confidently release songs that are truly meaningful to her. That's not saying that she wasn't as personally connected to her past music, which obviously I can't judge. But while listening to "Joanne" and hearing her voice with no noticeable autotune or affectations, I feel that perhaps this is an album she's been waiting to make for a while. It genuinely sounds like a "release" in the truest sense of the word.

I also love how musically diverse this album sounds. There's fewer electronic music influences here than on her past albums and many more nods to classic rock, country, and folk in the songs' melodies and instrumentation. I definitely love her popular songs that have few discernible instruments, but perhaps I'm an old soul because I really do love to hear actual instruments in pop music, like an acoustic guitar. That's so much of what makes a song interesting to me. I suppose I had better crawl back into my 1960s time capsule now...

Though this album does showcase un-adorned vocals and actual instruments, the songs themselves are catchy enough to not be too "experimental" or "off the wall" to turn people off. They may not be traditional pop, but I've been humming them all consistently since I first listened to the album. There are still elements of Gaga's past musical releases here, like her tendency to talk-sing some parts of her songs a la Madonna, but it's all-together a departure from most of her previous albums. And definitely in a good way.

While Lady Gaga's previous albums feature many songs that I enjoy dancing to, this album is one that I really enjoy just listening to and noticing of its different elements. There's a perfect mix of fast and slow songs here that keep the album interesting, and they're all well-written and feel complete. Are they all "danceable"? No. But is that the only quality of songs that matters? Also no.

I always wonder at people who claim be huge fans of an artist, yet they slam them whenever the artist releases something different from their past albums. To me, music is all about evolution and experimentation, and if you really want the "old Gaga" back, just go listen to her older songs. They still exist. This album is meant to be different, and it should be judged as an individual album in that sense, not as a sequel to her past works. I even wonder at the critics who approach this and other albums from the perspective of "bring the old [insert artist here] back, because this doesn't have our toes tapping right away and who has the patience for that?" I don't think an artist should be punished for thinking outside the box if it results in an engaging, good quality product.

I have incredible respect for Lady Gaga for truly taking a step forward in her musical career with this album and adding another dimension to the current pop music landscape. I have faith that she'll continue to release music that is fun, interesting, and thoughtful, and I can't wait for her next album.