Lady Gaga Debuts Song From 'Joker: Folie à Deux' Companion Album 'Harlequin'

The artist revealed an intense song, which appears to be named "The Joker," on social media before the album launches.

Lady Gaga has shared a sneak peek of a track from her upcoming album, Harlequin, which is set to release on September 27. This album serves as a companion to her movie Joker: Folie à Deux, which is a musical in which she portrays Harley Quinn.

Gaga posted a video on Instagram featuring her intense new song, accompanied by footage filmed at the Louvre in Paris, where her character alters the Mona Lisa with red lipstick. In the caption, she mentioned, “There’s always a Joker.” While she didn't specify the song's name, it seems to be called “The Joker.”

Harlequin will showcase classic jazz tunes such as “Oh, When the Saints,” popularized by Louis Armstrong, and “Get Happy,” made famous by Judy Garland. This album marks her first jazz project since the passing of her long-time partner Tony Bennett, with whom she collaborated on 2014’s Cheek to Cheek and 2021’s Love for Sale. The album serves as a perfect addition to Todd Phillips’ upcoming Joker sequel, releasing on October 4, which is said to be a jukebox musical.

Harlequin is certainly the unexpected project that Gaga mentioned in her September cover story for Vogue. She worked on the new album earlier this year at Rick Rubin’s Shangri-La studio in Malibu. Alongside this, she also recorded another pop album called “LG7,” which is expected to be released in February.

"I want my fans to understand that I’m really happy right now," she shared with Vogue. "I’m in a good place health-wise. The last time I communicated like this was during the release of Chromatica, which reflected a really tough period for me and my mental health. I was going through a very difficult time... This new album, in many ways, addresses that same period but comes from a place of joy rather than sadness."

Harlequin comes after "Die With a Smile," which is Lady Gaga's collaboration with Bruno Mars. Gaga expressed her feelings, saying, "Seeing fans around the globe come together to enjoy this music means a lot to me. It’s wonderful to witness how the lyrics resonate with you and how the video inspires such an incredible outpouring of joy and dancing. I feel truly thankful for all of it."

"Joker: Folie à Deux" will be released in theaters on October 4. Directed by Todd Phillips, the film stars Gaga alongside Joaquin Phoenix, who reprises his role as Arthur Fleck, also known as the Joker. The story takes place two years after the events of the first film. Arthur is currently at Arkham, a psychiatric facility, as he awaits trial for brutally murdering talk show host Murray Franklin, played by Robert De Niro. While grappling with his complex identity, he encounters his romantic counterpart, Harleen "Lee" Quinzel, better known as Harley Quinn. The movie features the couple singing together, as showcased in a recent trailer.