Today, Lady Gaga’s ARTPOP morphed into jazz with the release of “Anything Goes,” her duet with Tony Bennett. In the press for the single, Gaga keeps harping about how much she loves jazz and has been singing jazz since she was 13. She’s even said it was “easier” to record this album than her pop music, claiming it comes more naturally to her.
It works. It’s believable. When the song opens, an unsuspecting listener probably wouldn’t guess it’s Lady Gaga singing. She sounds fantastic and authentic. Tony Bennett of course provides a stellar performance as well. Here’s my only issue: the two of them together doesn’t work that well.
Something about it is endearing, yes, but not exactly in the best way. It’s more like I’m at a wedding and my grandpa and my cousin just took the microphone to do karaoke (except, neither of my grandfathers nor cousins can sing as well as Tony and Gaga). It just seems like an odd combination. And, while it’s cute, I’d rather hear them singing solo than with each other. Hopefully, one day Gaga will release an album of jazz standards alone, because she sounds right at home.
As for this project, titled Cheek to Cheek, due out September 23rd, I am not sure how to feel. I will definitely be giving it a listen, but whether it’ll become a staple in my music collection is to be determined.