Harlequin is an companion album by Lady Gaga to the film Joker: Folie à Deux, in which Gaga plays Harley Quinn opposite Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker. It was released on September 27, 2024 through Lil Monsters LLC, under exclusive license to Interscope Records.
The album draws inspiration from her role and the themes of the film, blending a mix of jazz standards and original compositions that reflect the chaotic and romantic nature of Harley Quinn and Joker’s relationship. The tracklist includes songs like "Get Happy", "That's Entertainment", and "That's Life", along with original tracks like "Folie à Deux", and "Happy Mistake".
The project was teased under the codename "LG 6.5" before its official announcement, hinting at its position between her sixth studio album, Chromatica (2020), and her anticipated seventh studio album.
Background and inspiration
After the success of her 2020 album Chromatica, Lady Gaga embarked on several projects, including The Chromatica Ball and her starring roles in House of Gucci (2021) and Joker: Folie à Deux (2024), in which she portrays as Harleen "Lee" Quinzel / Harley Quinn opposite Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker. Following The Chromatica Ball in 2022, Gaga took a hiatus from social media and public life to focus on personal healing and creative projects. On June 16, 2023, she revealed that she was working on a concert film, Gaga Chromatica Ball, and preparing her role as Harley Quinn. She also hinted creating music for a "special project". Throughout the remainder of 2023 and into 2024, she intermittently teased new music on social media, posting images from studio sessions and offering insights into her creative process.
Harlequin draws heavily from Gaga’s portrayal of Harley Quinn. It reflects the chaotic and deeply romantic dynamic between Harley Quinn and the Joker, blending themes of love, madness, and dark humor. Musically, Harlequin fuses jazz standards with original compositions, embodying the theatrical and sometimes surreal tone of Harley Quinn's world. The album consists of 13 tracks, including titles like "Get Happy", "That's Entertainment", and "That's Life", some tracks are pulled directly from Joker: Folie à Deux, while others were created specifically for the album, reflecting Harley Quinn's unique mindset.
Gaga has referred to Harlequin as "LG6.5," indicating it as a bridge between her previous studio album Chromatica and her upcoming seventh studio album, set for release in 2025.
In September 2024, Gaga has promoted the album through cryptic social media posts. Starting on September 20, Gaga shared posts on Instagram featuring phrases such as "I’m ready for my interview," "don’t tell me what to wear," "no duct tape no mission," "moon dust gets everywhere," and "still not October" three of which contained sound, prompting speculation among fans that the material was related to her seventh studio album or the upcoming musical thriller film. In an interview clip shared on September 22, when asked about the teasers, Gaga simply stated, “It’s a secret.” On September 23 various billboards with the message "LG6.5" have appeared in New York City and Los Angeles marking Harlequin as a bridge between Chromatica (2020) and her next musical era.
On September 24, 2024, Gaga later confirmed the title of the album as Harlequin and revealed the cover artwork, which features Gaga in a theatrical pose, dressed in white with a flotation device around her neck, a nod to the theatrical and unpredictable nature of her character. An alternate cover used for an exclusive vinyl shows her in a messy bedroom lying on the bed facing the ceiling. She sports orange hair once again while items present in the shot reference previous moments in her career, including her collaborations with Tony Bennett and her concert tour Joanne World Tour. The back artwork shows a chaotic bedroom scene, featuring a prominent painting by Polish artist Jan Matejko, further highlighting the artistic depth of the project. The photograph was taken by Scarlett Carlos Clarke.
- Photography by Scarlett Carlos Clarke.
Visualizers
On Harlequin album release day September 27, 2024, Gaga released visualizers for each track on YouTube. Each visualizer mirrors the aesthetic of the Harlequin album’s photoshoot taken by Scarlett Carlos Clarke.
Track list and editions
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Good Morning" | 02:47 |
| 2. | "Get Happy" (2024) | 03:12 |
| 3. | "Oh, When the Saints" | 03:43 |
| 4. | "World on a Sting" | 02:37 |
| 5. | "If My Friends Could See Me Now" | 02:44 |
| 6. | "That's Entertainment" | 04:10 |
| 7. | "Smile" | 03:42 |
| 8. | "The Joker" | 02:52 |
| 9. | "Folie à Deux" | 03:00 |
| 10. | "Gonna Build a Mountain" | 02:52 |
| 11. | "Close to You" | 02:44 |
| 12. | "Happy Mistake" | 04:06 |
| 13. | "That's Life" | 03:04 |
| Total length: | 41:20 |
CDs
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Label: Interscope Format: Jewel case Released: September 27, 2024  Barcode: 0602475066491 Photography: Scarlett Carlos Clarke Design: mt.la studio |
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Track listing:
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Good Morning" | 02:47 |
| 2. | "Get Happy" (2024) | 03:12 |
| 3. | "Oh, When the Saints" | 03:43 |
| 4. | "World on a Sting" | 02:37 |
| 5. | "If My Friends Could See Me Now" | 02:44 |
| 6. | "That's Entertainment" | 04:10 |
| 7. | "Smile" | 03:42 |
| 8. | "The Joker" | 02:52 |
| 9. | "Folie à Deux" | 03:00 |
| 10. | "Gonna Build a Mountain" | 02:52 |
| 11. | "Close to You" | 02:44 |
| 12. | "Happy Mistake" | 04:06 |
| 13. | "That's Life" | 03:04 |
| Total length: | 41:20 |
Vinyls
|
Label: Interscope Format: 12" Red LP (Gatefold) Released: September 27, 2024 Barcode: 0602475052876 Photography: Scarlett Carlos Clarke Design: mt.la studio |
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Label: Interscope Format: 12" White LP (Gatefold) Released: September 27, 2024 Barcode: 0602475066484 Photography: Scarlett Carlos Clarke Design: mt.la studio |
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Label: Interscope Format: 12" Black LP (Gatefold) Released: October 11, 2024 (Target, JB Hi-Fi AU & Fnac Exclusive)   Barcode: 0602475212201 Photography: Scarlett Carlos Clarke Design: mt.la studio |
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Track listing:
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| Side A | ||
| A1. | "Good Morning" | 02:47 |
| A2. | "Get Happy" (2024) | 03:12 |
| A3. | "Oh, When the Saints" | 03:43 |
| A4. | "World on a Sting" | 02:37 |
| A5. | "If My Friends Could See Me Now" | 02:44 |
| A6. | "That's Entertainment" | 04:10 |
| A7. | "Smile" | 03:42 |
| Side B | ||
| B1. | "The Joker" | 02:52 |
| B2. | "Folie à Deux" | 03:00 |
| B3. | "Gonna Build a Mountain" | 02:52 |
| B4. | "Close to You" | 02:44 |
| B5. | "Happy Mistake" | 04:06 |
| B6. | "That's Life" | 03:04 |
| Total length: | 41:20 | |
Merchandise
- Main article: Official Merchandise
Release history
| Region | Date | Format | Catalog # | Barcode | Label |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
September 27, 2024 | Digital download • streaming | N/A | Interscope | |
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CD | 0602475066491 | |||
| 12" Red LP | 0602475052876 | ||||
| 12" White LP (Webstore exclusive) | 0602475066484 | ||||
  
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October 11, 2024 | CD | 0602475066491 | Universal | |
| 12" Red LP | 0602475052876 | ||||
| 12" White LP (Webstore exclusive) | 0602475066484 | ||||
|
|
12" Black LP (JB Hi-Fi AU & Fnac Exclusive) | 0602475212201 | |||
|
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12" Black LP (Target Exclusive) | 0602475066477 | |||
Credits
| Executive Producers | Lady Gaga and Michael Polansky |
| Produced by | Lady Gaga and Benjamin Rice |
| Mixed by | Serban Ghenea at Mixstar Studios, Virginia Beach, VA
|
| Mastered by | Randy Merrill at Sterling Sound, Edgewater, NJ
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| A&R Admin | Marta Navas and Montana Pulver |
| Contractors | JoAnn Tominaga and Ivy Scoff |
| Creative Direction and Design | mt.la studio |
| Photography | Scarlett Carlos Clarke |
| Production Design | Ava Villafañe |
| Hair | Evanie Frausto |
| Makeup | Marco Campos |
| Styling | Chloe & Chenelle Delgadillo |
Special Thanks
| “ | This project would not have been possible without the unwavering commitment and support of the families of our musicians, arrangers, and crew members. Family is the unsung hero behind everything and we're grateful to you for providing us with stability and warmth during the recording process.
We would also like to thank the city of Las Vegas. We made this album at the Palms over three unbearably hot summer weeks and found inspiration in the entertainers and performers who make Las Vegas so extraordinary. We are grateful to the singers, the burlesque dancers, the magicians, the comedians, the craftspeople, the artisans — each with their own unique talent. Thank you to the bartenders, the servers, the chefs, and all the hospitality personnel who keep these traditions alive for the world to experience. A special thank you to our MGM family for being our home away from home. Michael and I had our first date at Bavette's the night before one of my jazz shows, and since then we've spent many nights there making friends and dreaming about the future. Thank you to the Palms crew for welcoming us into your studio. We would also like to thank Jackie Petri, Stacey Quinn, Lindsay Shane, Mark Thompson, Justin Tapia, Kevin Williams, Thomas Pead, Bobby Campbell, Sonya Guardo, Orin Snyder, John Janick, Steve Berman, Bryan Lourd, Warner Brothers, and DC Comics for their support of our project. And most of all thank you to Little Monsters, both young and old, jazz fans and not, thank you for embracing art, music, rule-breaking, risk-taking, and the genre-bending that keeps our spirits alive and creativity on fire. |
” |
—Lady Gaga via Harlequin album liner notes, 2024 | ||
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