Lady Gaga just unleashed a surprise album titled, Harlequin, inspired by her role in the new Joker sequel, Joker: Folie À Deux, slated to hit theaters this fall.
According to a press release, the “Bad Romance” songstress produced the unexpected, yet much-welcomed record exclusively with fiancé Michael Polansky, and drew influence from Harley Quinn, the character she portrays in the highly-anticipated film.
Gaga took to social media earlier this week to announce and tease the project, referring to it as a “companion album” to the movie. Alongside the reveal, the artist gifted shocked fans the album cover, featuring herself in the shower with a white dress and life jacket on, and a photo of a used milk carton next to a pot of coffee, pill cup, and mask.
In addition to the album cover, the “Paparazzi” artist shared a visual for the track depicting a walk through the Louvre in Paris, giving the iconic Mona Lisa a mustache (channeling Quinn) as she belts out “The Joker”.
Harlequin, affectionally referred to as “LG6.5”, explores the complexity behind Gaga’s character in the forthcoming film, highlighting the vibrant chaos entangled within a mind that simply cannot be contained or silenced. The record also stands out as the star’s first jazz-inspired project since the death of beloved friend and fellow icon, Tony Bennett.
The album, musically interpreting Harley Quinn’s emotional highs and lows, features a handful of standout tracks including originals, “Happy Mistake,” and “Folie À Deux”, in addition to reimagined classics, “Good Morning,” and “Get Happy,” to name only a few.
Listen to Harlequin in its entirety on iHeartRadio now to prepare for the release of Joker: Folie À Deux, out October 4th!