Lady Gaga is no stranger to belting out powerhouse vocals, but when it came to her latest role in Joker: Folie à Deux, things took an unexpected turn. Known for pushing creative boundaries, her co-star Joaquin Phoenix, who previously sang as Johnny Cash in Walk the Line, encouraged her to sing—well, badly.
You'd think a singer of Gaga's caliber, with Grammys under her belt, would find this advice baffling. However, Phoenix had a deeper reasoning. “I asked her to sing without vibrato,” Phoenix shared with Vogue. “Her vibrato is stunning, but too perfect for Harley Quinn.” For Gaga, shedding her technical prowess meant tapping into the chaotic nature of Harley Quinn, giving the character a raw, childlike voice. This creative shift allowed Gaga to deliver a performance that's far from polished pop star territory.
The decision to sing live on set added another layer of unpredictability. Both Phoenix and Gaga insisted on performing without prerecorded tracks or click tracks, creating a more authentic energy. Each take was fresh and unique, with the actors working alongside live musicians during filming. Phoenix said, “Every part of the recording was live…each take was a different version of the song.”
This dedication to authenticity is set to bring a new dimension to Gaga's portrayal of Harley Quinn, offering audiences a glimpse into a version of the character that's deeply unrefined, unpredictable, and emotionally vulnerable. Joker: Folie à Deux, directed by Todd Phillips, releases on October 4th, 2024, and promises a mind-bending blend of psychological thriller and musical extravaganza.
For those familiar with Gaga's A Star is Born performance, prepare for something drastically different—an unpolished, almost childlike rendition of Harley Quinn's internal chaos, wrapped in the madness of Gotham City.
