John Wayne (song)
"John Wayne" | |
---|---|
Song by Lady Gaga | |
from the album Joanne | |
Studio |
|
Genre | Pop rock |
Length | 2:55 |
Label | Interscope |
Songwriter(s) | |
Producer(s) |
|
Music video | |
"John Wayne" on YouTube |
"John Wayne" is a song recorded by American singer Lady Gaga, for her fifth studio album, Joanne (2016). Gaga co-wrote and co-produced the track with Mark Ronson and BloodPop, with additional writing from Josh Homme who also played guitar. "John Wayne" is a pop rock song that features elements of country, disco, funk, and house music. It derives its name from American actor John Wayne, who was known for his roles in Western films. The lyrics talk about Gaga's romantic craving for a wild, blue-collar man and smoking cannabis. Some critics felt that "John Wayne" might portray Gaga's relationship with her ex-fiancé Taylor Kinney.
Reviewers noted the song's tongue-in-cheek lyrics, and some of them criticized its musical composition. The song had minor chart placements in Hungary and the United Kingdom.
Recording and composition
Lady Gaga recorded "John Wayne" at four locations in the United States. She began recording at Shangri-La Studios, in Malibu, California, with Joshua Blair, assisted by David Covell. They also recorded the song at Pink Duck Studios in Burbank, California, with Justin Smith. He continued recording at Electric Lady Studios in New York City, assisted by Barry McCready. Recording concluded at Dragonfly Recording Studios, in Malibu, assisted by Charley Pollard. Tom Elmhirst mixed the song at Electric Lady Studios, with assistance from Joe Visciano and Brandon Bost. Other personnel included Mark Ronson, who played bass and guitar for the song, BloodPop, who processed the rhythm track and synthesizers and Josh Homme, who played drums and guitar.[1] Homme added a guitar part to the song after Ronson reached out to him.[2]
"John Wayne" is composed in the key of
The track's lyrics allude to smoking
Critical reception
While reviewing Joanne,
Daniel Welsh of
Mike Schiller of
Music video
Development and synopsis
The song's music video, directed by Jonas Åkerlund, premiered on Apple Music on February 8, 2017.[27] Gaga had previously worked with Åkerlund on the "Paparazzi" (2009) and "Telephone" (2010) music videos, and wanted to work with him again. She enlisted him to direct "John Wayne" thinking the song "perfect" for them to work on together. Gaga said, "[Åkerlund] got from me the visions on the song, like falling off the back of a horse but I hold on and carry on enjoying it, or a scene with a guy and me in a car and being reckless to see how reckless love can be. He has a very cinematic approach but doesn't forget to make it a music video."[28]
Serial Pictures production company created the video with Violaine Etienne as executive producer, assisted by Scott Pourroy and Michel Waxman. Åkerlund was helped by Andy Coffing as first assistant director. Other personnel who worked on the video include: Par Ekberg as cinematographer, Emma Fairley as production designer, Matt Nee as the editor and Chimney Pot for the post-production scenes.[29]
The "John Wayne" video begins with a clip from the end of the music video for "Million Reasons".[30] Gaga wears her characteristic Joanne-era outfit: a pale pink suit and matching cowboy hat. Shortly after the video begins, she removes that clothing in favor of more-revealing cowgirl-inspired clothing.[31] It continues with scenes of fast driving in cars and on motorcycles.[5] The video cuts among a variety of exaggerated set pieces, and shots of Gaga dancing and singing.[4] At the end of the video, Gaga is seen firing bullets from the heels of her thigh-high boots.[32] The singer did her own stunts in most of the scenes, including jumping in high-heels from the top of a truck onto the cars.[33]
Reception and analysis
Several critics noted that the video was comparable to Gaga's earlier music videos. Hunter Harris of New York magazine wrote that the video was "like something from Gaga's The Fame Monster or Born This Way (2011) eras".[34] Andrew Unterberger of Billboard said that the music video for "John Wayne" was like the video for "'Telephone' ... if it used the Grindhouse double-bill as its primary Tarantino influence instead of Natural Born Killers."[4] Kaitlyn Tiffany of The Verge considered the video an "entire B movie in under three minutes". She also felt the video was inspired by 1980s monster movies, the action film Mad Max (1979), as well cowboy films starring Wayne. Tiffany compared the dance sequences to those in Michael Jackson's Thriller (1984), while another writer Lizzie Plaugic recommended watching the last sequences of the video, with all scenes mashed together.[35]
Amy Phillips of
Live performances
Gaga first performed "John Wayne" live at the Satellite in October 2016, which was the third stop of her Dive Bar Tour, a brief promotional tour of dive bars in the United States.[37] She next performed the song along with "A-Yo" during the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in November 2016.[38] The singer wore a glittering, black bodysuit with a big leather belt, high platform boots and a black, Swarovski-crystal-embellished hat for "John Wayne".[39] Near the end of the performance, two women came on stage, putting a white leather jacket on the singer, with angel-wing-like white feathers attached to it.[40] The wings enlarged when Gaga walked the runway during the end of the performance.[41]
"John Wayne" was part of Gaga's set list at the 2017
Credits and personnel
Management
- Stefani Germanotta P/K/A Lady Gaga (BMI) Sony ATV Songs LLC/ House of Gaga Publishing, LLC / BIRB Music (ASCAP)
- All rights administered by BMG Rights Management / Songs of Zella (BMI)
- Recorded at Shangri-La Studios, Dragonfly Recording Studio (Malibu, California), Pink Duck Studios, (Burbank, California), Electric Lady Studios (New York City)
- Mixed at Electric Lady Studios (New York City)
- Mastered at Sterling Sound Studios (New York City)
Personnel
- Lady Gaga – vocals, production
- Joshua Blair – recording
- BloodPop – rhythm track, synthesizer, production
- Brandon Bost – mixing assistant
- David Covell – recording assistant
- Tom Elmhirst – mixing engineer
- Josh Homme – drums, guitar
- Barry McCready – recording assistant
- Charley Pollard – recording assistant
- Mark Ronson – bass, guitar, production
- Justin Smith – recording assistant
- Joe Visciano – mixing assistant
Credits adapted from Joanne liner notes.[1]
Charts
Chart (2016–2017) | Peak position |
---|---|
Hungary (Single Top 40)[46] | 34 |
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[47] | 180 |
Certifications and sales
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[48] | Gold | 30,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
References
- ^ a b Joanne (CD). Lady Gaga. United States: Streamline/Interscope Records. 2016. 2580102.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ Rettig, James (October 18, 2016). "Mark Ronson Details Kevin Parker, Father John Misty, Josh Homme, & Beck Roles On Lady Gaga's Joanne". Stereogum. Archived from the original on February 11, 2017. Retrieved July 31, 2017.
- ^ "Lady Gaga 'John Wayne' Sheet Music". Musicnotes.com. Archived from the original on August 20, 2017. Retrieved February 9, 2017.
- ^ a b c Unterberger, Andrew (February 8, 2017). "Lady Gaga Releases Eye-Popping, Action-Packed New Video for 'John Wayne'". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 9, 2017. Retrieved February 8, 2017.
- ^ a b c Bruner, Raisa (February 8, 2017). "Watch Lady Gaga Go for a Wild Ride in the Video for 'John Wayne'". Time. Archived from the original on February 9, 2017. Retrieved February 9, 2017.
- ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas (October 21, 2016). "Joanne: Review". AllMusic. Archived from the original on October 22, 2016. Retrieved July 29, 2017.
- ^ a b c Wood, Mikael (October 20, 2016). "Goodbye, meat dress. Hello, blue jeans: Lady Gaga goes classic rock on 'Joanne'". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on October 22, 2016. Retrieved October 20, 2016.
- ^ Welsh, Daniel (October 21, 2016). "Lady Gaga 'Joanne' Review: Our Track-by-Track Guide to Her New Album". HuffPost. Archived from the original on October 24, 2016. Retrieved February 8, 2017.
- ^ a b Finger, Bobby (October 21, 2016). "Lady Gaga Gets a Little Bit Country and a Little Bit Messy on Joanne". Jezebel. Archived from the original on August 27, 2017. Retrieved July 28, 2017.
- ^ a b "Lady Gaga – 'Joanne' album review". Time Out. October 20, 2016. Archived from the original on July 29, 2017. Retrieved July 28, 2017.
- ^ Blistein, Jon (September 15, 2016). "Lady Gaga Details New Album 'Joanne'". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on November 4, 2016. Retrieved October 3, 2017.
- ^ Bowman, Sabienna (October 26, 2016). "Who Is John Wayne In Lady Gaga's 'Joanne' Song? The Western Hero Is The Singer's Fantasy". Bustle. Archived from the original on August 1, 2017. Retrieved July 31, 2017.
- ^ Sheffield, Rob (October 21, 2016). "Review: Lady Gaga's Soft-Rock Turn 'Joanne' Is Her Best in Years". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on November 6, 2016. Retrieved July 31, 2017.
- ^ Richin, Lesie (October 26, 2016). "How Artists Pay Homage to 'Cowboy' John Wayne: Lady Gaga, Billy Idol and More". Billboard. Archived from the original on August 27, 2017. Retrieved July 31, 2017.
- ^ Unterberger, Andrew (October 21, 2016). "7 Most Personal Lyrics on Lady Gaga's 'Joanne'". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 24, 2017. Retrieved February 8, 2017.
- ^ Atkinson, S. (October 21, 2016). "Is Lady Gaga's "John Wayne" About Taylor Kinney? The Song Has Universal Appeal". Bustle. Archived from the original on August 1, 2017. Retrieved July 31, 2017.
- ^ Kornhaber, Spencer (October 21, 2016). "Lady Gaga's Joanne Has More Gimmicks Than Guts". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on February 4, 2017. Retrieved February 8, 2017.
- ^ Gill, Andy (October 19, 2016). "Album reviews: Lady Gaga - Joanne". The Independent. Archived from the original on October 20, 2016. Retrieved October 2, 2017.
- ^ McDermott, Maeve (October 21, 2016). "Review: Lady Gaga's 'Joanne' is a revealing triumph". USA Today. Archived from the original on October 26, 2016. Retrieved October 25, 2017.
- ^ Welsh, Daniel (October 21, 2016). "Lady Gaga 'Joanne' Review: Our Track-By-Track Guide To Her New Album". HuffPost. Archived from the original on October 22, 2016. Retrieved September 12, 2017.
- ^ Cinquemani, Sal (October 18, 2016). "Lady Gaga - Joanne". Slant Magazine. Archived from the original on October 8, 2017. Retrieved October 28, 2017.
- ^ "Lady Gaga - "John Wayne" (Singles Going Steady)". PopMatters. February 15, 2017. Archived from the original on July 29, 2017. Retrieved July 28, 2017.
- ^ a b Gaca, Anna (February 8, 2017). "Video: Lady Gaga – 'John Wayne'". Spin. Archived from the original on February 18, 2017. Retrieved July 28, 2017.
- ^ Kot, Greg (October 21, 2016). "Lady Gaga's latest reinvention on 'Joanne' a retro drag". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on July 28, 2017. Retrieved July 28, 2017.
- ^ Rodriguez, Mathew (October 20, 2016). "Lady Gaga 'Joanne' Review: 'Joanne' fixes all the wrong problems with Gaga's music". Mic. Archived from the original on February 11, 2017. Retrieved July 28, 2017.
- ^ Hanlon, Eoin (November 30, 2016). "Lady Gaga - Joanne Album Review". Contactmusic.com. Archived from the original on July 28, 2017. Retrieved July 28, 2017.
- ^ a b Phillips, Amy (February 8, 2017). "Watch Lady Gaga's Wild 'John Wayne' Video". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on February 11, 2017. Retrieved February 8, 2017.
- ^ Kaufman, Gil (February 8, 2017). "Lady Gaga Talks 'Amazing' Super Bowl Performance, 'A Star is Born' & Metallica". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 20, 2017. Retrieved October 28, 2017.
- ^ "Official Video / John Wayne / Out Now / Lady Gaga". LadyGaga.com. Archived from the original on October 28, 2017. Retrieved October 28, 2017.
- ^ Noelfi, Joel (February 9, 2017). "Lady Gaga debuts rollicking 'John Wayne' music video". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on August 29, 2017. Retrieved October 28, 2017.
- ^ Roth, Madeline (February 8, 2017). "Lady Gaga Breaks About 100 Traffic Laws in 'John Wayne' Video". MTV News. Archived from the original on February 11, 2017. Retrieved February 9, 2017.
- ^ "Lady Gaga Is Having a Very Good Week". Vogue. February 9, 2017. Archived from the original on October 2, 2017. Retrieved October 1, 2017.
- ^ Geffen, Sasha (February 9, 2017). "Lady Gaga Did Her Own Stunts (in Heels) in the 'John Wayne' Video". MTV News. Archived from the original on February 11, 2017. Retrieved February 9, 2017.
- ^ Harris, Hunter (February 8, 2017). "Watch Lady Gaga Shoot Bullets From Her 12-Inch Heels in the Wild 'John Wayne' Music Video". New York. Archived from the original on February 11, 2017. Retrieved February 9, 2017.
- ^ Tiffany, Kaitlyn; Plaugic, Lizzie (February 10, 2017). "One Video: 'John Wayne' by Lady Gaga". The Verge. Archived from the original on October 28, 2017. Retrieved October 28, 2017.
- ^ "Lady Gaga Serial Pictures". Clio Awards. September 19, 2017. Archived from the original on October 13, 2017. Retrieved September 19, 2017.
- ^ Nolfi, Joey. "Lady Gaga Dive Bar Tour: Singer changes Angel Down lyrics to Trayvon Angel". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on October 31, 2016. Retrieved October 28, 2016.
- ^ Briones, Isis (December 5, 2016). "Lady Gaga Performs "A-Yo" and "John Wayne" at the VS Show 2016". Teen Vogue.
- ^ Deen, Sarah (December 1, 2016). "Lady Gaga rocked some eye-watering shoes in her Victoria's Secret performance". Metro. Archived from the original on December 21, 2016. Retrieved September 10, 2017.
- ^ Holt, Bethan (November 30, 2016). "Lady Gaga was the most conservatively dressed woman at the Victoria's Secret show". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on December 1, 2016. Retrieved September 10, 2017.
- ^ Fasanella, Allie (November 30, 2016). "Lady Gaga Wears Wings for Her VS Show 2016 Performance". Teen Vogue. Archived from the original on September 10, 2017. Retrieved September 10, 2017.
- ^ Wood, Mikael (April 16, 2016). "Lady Gaga's Coachella performance was an absolute thrill — until it wasn't". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on April 17, 2017. Retrieved September 10, 2017.
- ^ Stedman, Alex (August 9, 2017). "Concert Review: Lady Gaga Embraces Every Era of Her Career at the Forum". Variety. Archived from the original on August 16, 2017. Retrieved September 10, 2017.
- ^ Fisher, Lauren Alexis (August 10, 2017). "Lady Gaga's Joanne Tour Costumes Include Swarovski Crystals, Leather Fringe, and Cowboy Hats". Harper's Bazaar. Archived from the original on November 16, 2017. Retrieved September 10, 2017.
- ^ Baillie, Katie (August 2, 2017). "Lady Gaga gives Beyonce a run for her money with oodles of costume changes during first gig of Joanne world tour". Metro. Archived from the original on September 10, 2017. Retrieved September 10, 2017.
- ^ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Single (track) Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
- ^ Jones, Alan (October 28, 2016). "Official Charts Analysis: Elvis tops the albums chart again". Music Week. Archived from the original on August 17, 2017. Retrieved October 28, 2016.
- ^ "Brazilian single certifications – Lady Gaga – John Wayne" (in Portuguese). Pro-Música Brasil. Retrieved April 18, 2024.
External links
- "John Wayne" (music video) on YouTube
- "A-Yo" / "John Wayne" medley on YouTube