All while honoring Tony Bennett, embracing her Lower East Side roots, and proving that traditional pop can still feel dangerously rebellious.
Christmas Eve will finally allow the world to witness what approximately a thousand fans experienced 15 months ago at the Belasco: Gaga performing with wild abandon in a dingy apartment setting, ripping open pillows and throwing feathers, dancing frantically while maintaining perfect pitch.
All while honoring Tony Bennett, embracing her Lower East Side roots, and proving that traditional pop can still feel dangerously rebellious.
Christmas Eve will finally allow the world to witness what approximately a thousand fans experienced 15 months ago at the Belasco: Gaga performing with wild abandon in a dingy apartment setting, ripping open pillows and throwing feathers, dancing frantically while maintaining perfect pitch.
All while honoring Tony Bennett, embracing her Lower East Side roots, and proving that traditional pop can still feel dangerously rebellious.
Her approach has evolved from the Method immersion of her twenties to something more sustainable, allowing creative space between projects without losing intensity during performances.
Christmas Eve will finally allow the world to witness what approximately a thousand fans experienced 15 months ago at the Belasco: Gaga performing with wild abandon in a dingy apartment setting, ripping open pillows and throwing feathers, dancing frantically while maintaining perfect pitch.
All while honoring Tony Bennett, embracing her Lower East Side roots, and proving that traditional pop can still feel dangerously rebellious.
Her approach has evolved from the Method immersion of her twenties to something more sustainable, allowing creative space between projects without losing intensity during performances.
Christmas Eve will finally allow the world to witness what approximately a thousand fans experienced 15 months ago at the Belasco: Gaga performing with wild abandon in a dingy apartment setting, ripping open pillows and throwing feathers, dancing frantically while maintaining perfect pitch.
All while honoring Tony Bennett, embracing her Lower East Side roots, and proving that traditional pop can still feel dangerously rebellious.
Currently touring with her Mayhem Ball—which resumes January 21 in Osaka before wrapping at Madison Square Garden in April—Gaga continues writing new material. She’s set up recording equipment in every hotel room, capturing inspiration whenever it strikes.
Her approach has evolved from the Method immersion of her twenties to something more sustainable, allowing creative space between projects without losing intensity during performances.
Christmas Eve will finally allow the world to witness what approximately a thousand fans experienced 15 months ago at the Belasco: Gaga performing with wild abandon in a dingy apartment setting, ripping open pillows and throwing feathers, dancing frantically while maintaining perfect pitch.
All while honoring Tony Bennett, embracing her Lower East Side roots, and proving that traditional pop can still feel dangerously rebellious.
Currently touring with her Mayhem Ball—which resumes January 21 in Osaka before wrapping at Madison Square Garden in April—Gaga continues writing new material. She’s set up recording equipment in every hotel room, capturing inspiration whenever it strikes.
Her approach has evolved from the Method immersion of her twenties to something more sustainable, allowing creative space between projects without losing intensity during performances.
Christmas Eve will finally allow the world to witness what approximately a thousand fans experienced 15 months ago at the Belasco: Gaga performing with wild abandon in a dingy apartment setting, ripping open pillows and throwing feathers, dancing frantically while maintaining perfect pitch.
All while honoring Tony Bennett, embracing her Lower East Side roots, and proving that traditional pop can still feel dangerously rebellious.
More importantly, she confirmed what fans hoped to hear: this isn’t her final jazz record.
This project for me is a really special way to gave my fans some insight into who I want to become, as a jazz musician. This will not be my last jazz record. So it’s just exciting to keep going. And I do feel no matter where music takes me, it’s the one thing that’s pretty insatiable in me — it will never be enough.
Currently touring with her Mayhem Ball—which resumes January 21 in Osaka before wrapping at Madison Square Garden in April—Gaga continues writing new material. She’s set up recording equipment in every hotel room, capturing inspiration whenever it strikes.
Her approach has evolved from the Method immersion of her twenties to something more sustainable, allowing creative space between projects without losing intensity during performances.
Christmas Eve will finally allow the world to witness what approximately a thousand fans experienced 15 months ago at the Belasco: Gaga performing with wild abandon in a dingy apartment setting, ripping open pillows and throwing feathers, dancing frantically while maintaining perfect pitch.
All while honoring Tony Bennett, embracing her Lower East Side roots, and proving that traditional pop can still feel dangerously rebellious.
More importantly, she confirmed what fans hoped to hear: this isn’t her final jazz record.
This project for me is a really special way to gave my fans some insight into who I want to become, as a jazz musician. This will not be my last jazz record. So it’s just exciting to keep going. And I do feel no matter where music takes me, it’s the one thing that’s pretty insatiable in me — it will never be enough.
Currently touring with her Mayhem Ball—which resumes January 21 in Osaka before wrapping at Madison Square Garden in April—Gaga continues writing new material. She’s set up recording equipment in every hotel room, capturing inspiration whenever it strikes.
Her approach has evolved from the Method immersion of her twenties to something more sustainable, allowing creative space between projects without losing intensity during performances.
Christmas Eve will finally allow the world to witness what approximately a thousand fans experienced 15 months ago at the Belasco: Gaga performing with wild abandon in a dingy apartment setting, ripping open pillows and throwing feathers, dancing frantically while maintaining perfect pitch.
All while honoring Tony Bennett, embracing her Lower East Side roots, and proving that traditional pop can still feel dangerously rebellious.
Despite competing alone on paper, Gaga doesn’t view it that way.
I’m not in the category alone, I don’t feel, because I guess I’ll always feel like Tony is with me in the category — and also all these musicians that I’ve been making music with for the last two decades are with me.
More importantly, she confirmed what fans hoped to hear: this isn’t her final jazz record.
This project for me is a really special way to gave my fans some insight into who I want to become, as a jazz musician. This will not be my last jazz record. So it’s just exciting to keep going. And I do feel no matter where music takes me, it’s the one thing that’s pretty insatiable in me — it will never be enough.
Currently touring with her Mayhem Ball—which resumes January 21 in Osaka before wrapping at Madison Square Garden in April—Gaga continues writing new material. She’s set up recording equipment in every hotel room, capturing inspiration whenever it strikes.
Her approach has evolved from the Method immersion of her twenties to something more sustainable, allowing creative space between projects without losing intensity during performances.
Christmas Eve will finally allow the world to witness what approximately a thousand fans experienced 15 months ago at the Belasco: Gaga performing with wild abandon in a dingy apartment setting, ripping open pillows and throwing feathers, dancing frantically while maintaining perfect pitch.
All while honoring Tony Bennett, embracing her Lower East Side roots, and proving that traditional pop can still feel dangerously rebellious.
Despite competing alone on paper, Gaga doesn’t view it that way.
I’m not in the category alone, I don’t feel, because I guess I’ll always feel like Tony is with me in the category — and also all these musicians that I’ve been making music with for the last two decades are with me.
More importantly, she confirmed what fans hoped to hear: this isn’t her final jazz record.
This project for me is a really special way to gave my fans some insight into who I want to become, as a jazz musician. This will not be my last jazz record. So it’s just exciting to keep going. And I do feel no matter where music takes me, it’s the one thing that’s pretty insatiable in me — it will never be enough.
Currently touring with her Mayhem Ball—which resumes January 21 in Osaka before wrapping at Madison Square Garden in April—Gaga continues writing new material. She’s set up recording equipment in every hotel room, capturing inspiration whenever it strikes.
Her approach has evolved from the Method immersion of her twenties to something more sustainable, allowing creative space between projects without losing intensity during performances.
Christmas Eve will finally allow the world to witness what approximately a thousand fans experienced 15 months ago at the Belasco: Gaga performing with wild abandon in a dingy apartment setting, ripping open pillows and throwing feathers, dancing frantically while maintaining perfect pitch.
All while honoring Tony Bennett, embracing her Lower East Side roots, and proving that traditional pop can still feel dangerously rebellious.
“Harlequin” earned Gaga a Grammy nomination for best traditional pop vocal album, marking her first solo entry in the category after two wins with Bennett. Her other recent album, “Mayhem,” collected seven additional nominations heading into the February 1 ceremony.
Despite competing alone on paper, Gaga doesn’t view it that way.
I’m not in the category alone, I don’t feel, because I guess I’ll always feel like Tony is with me in the category — and also all these musicians that I’ve been making music with for the last two decades are with me.
More importantly, she confirmed what fans hoped to hear: this isn’t her final jazz record.
This project for me is a really special way to gave my fans some insight into who I want to become, as a jazz musician. This will not be my last jazz record. So it’s just exciting to keep going. And I do feel no matter where music takes me, it’s the one thing that’s pretty insatiable in me — it will never be enough.
Currently touring with her Mayhem Ball—which resumes January 21 in Osaka before wrapping at Madison Square Garden in April—Gaga continues writing new material. She’s set up recording equipment in every hotel room, capturing inspiration whenever it strikes.
Her approach has evolved from the Method immersion of her twenties to something more sustainable, allowing creative space between projects without losing intensity during performances.
Christmas Eve will finally allow the world to witness what approximately a thousand fans experienced 15 months ago at the Belasco: Gaga performing with wild abandon in a dingy apartment setting, ripping open pillows and throwing feathers, dancing frantically while maintaining perfect pitch.
All while honoring Tony Bennett, embracing her Lower East Side roots, and proving that traditional pop can still feel dangerously rebellious.
“Harlequin” earned Gaga a Grammy nomination for best traditional pop vocal album, marking her first solo entry in the category after two wins with Bennett. Her other recent album, “Mayhem,” collected seven additional nominations heading into the February 1 ceremony.
Despite competing alone on paper, Gaga doesn’t view it that way.
I’m not in the category alone, I don’t feel, because I guess I’ll always feel like Tony is with me in the category — and also all these musicians that I’ve been making music with for the last two decades are with me.
More importantly, she confirmed what fans hoped to hear: this isn’t her final jazz record.
This project for me is a really special way to gave my fans some insight into who I want to become, as a jazz musician. This will not be my last jazz record. So it’s just exciting to keep going. And I do feel no matter where music takes me, it’s the one thing that’s pretty insatiable in me — it will never be enough.
Currently touring with her Mayhem Ball—which resumes January 21 in Osaka before wrapping at Madison Square Garden in April—Gaga continues writing new material. She’s set up recording equipment in every hotel room, capturing inspiration whenever it strikes.
Her approach has evolved from the Method immersion of her twenties to something more sustainable, allowing creative space between projects without losing intensity during performances.
Christmas Eve will finally allow the world to witness what approximately a thousand fans experienced 15 months ago at the Belasco: Gaga performing with wild abandon in a dingy apartment setting, ripping open pillows and throwing feathers, dancing frantically while maintaining perfect pitch.
All while honoring Tony Bennett, embracing her Lower East Side roots, and proving that traditional pop can still feel dangerously rebellious.
When one enthusiastic fan suggested Gaga arrive at her wedding in Volantis—her legendary 2013 flying dress—the singer laughed off the idea as simply “dangerous.”
Grammy Recognition And Future Jazz
“Harlequin” earned Gaga a Grammy nomination for best traditional pop vocal album, marking her first solo entry in the category after two wins with Bennett. Her other recent album, “Mayhem,” collected seven additional nominations heading into the February 1 ceremony.
Despite competing alone on paper, Gaga doesn’t view it that way.
I’m not in the category alone, I don’t feel, because I guess I’ll always feel like Tony is with me in the category — and also all these musicians that I’ve been making music with for the last two decades are with me.
More importantly, she confirmed what fans hoped to hear: this isn’t her final jazz record.
This project for me is a really special way to gave my fans some insight into who I want to become, as a jazz musician. This will not be my last jazz record. So it’s just exciting to keep going. And I do feel no matter where music takes me, it’s the one thing that’s pretty insatiable in me — it will never be enough.
Currently touring with her Mayhem Ball—which resumes January 21 in Osaka before wrapping at Madison Square Garden in April—Gaga continues writing new material. She’s set up recording equipment in every hotel room, capturing inspiration whenever it strikes.
Her approach has evolved from the Method immersion of her twenties to something more sustainable, allowing creative space between projects without losing intensity during performances.
Christmas Eve will finally allow the world to witness what approximately a thousand fans experienced 15 months ago at the Belasco: Gaga performing with wild abandon in a dingy apartment setting, ripping open pillows and throwing feathers, dancing frantically while maintaining perfect pitch.
All while honoring Tony Bennett, embracing her Lower East Side roots, and proving that traditional pop can still feel dangerously rebellious.
When one enthusiastic fan suggested Gaga arrive at her wedding in Volantis—her legendary 2013 flying dress—the singer laughed off the idea as simply “dangerous.”
Grammy Recognition And Future Jazz
“Harlequin” earned Gaga a Grammy nomination for best traditional pop vocal album, marking her first solo entry in the category after two wins with Bennett. Her other recent album, “Mayhem,” collected seven additional nominations heading into the February 1 ceremony.
Despite competing alone on paper, Gaga doesn’t view it that way.
I’m not in the category alone, I don’t feel, because I guess I’ll always feel like Tony is with me in the category — and also all these musicians that I’ve been making music with for the last two decades are with me.
More importantly, she confirmed what fans hoped to hear: this isn’t her final jazz record.
This project for me is a really special way to gave my fans some insight into who I want to become, as a jazz musician. This will not be my last jazz record. So it’s just exciting to keep going. And I do feel no matter where music takes me, it’s the one thing that’s pretty insatiable in me — it will never be enough.
Currently touring with her Mayhem Ball—which resumes January 21 in Osaka before wrapping at Madison Square Garden in April—Gaga continues writing new material. She’s set up recording equipment in every hotel room, capturing inspiration whenever it strikes.
Her approach has evolved from the Method immersion of her twenties to something more sustainable, allowing creative space between projects without losing intensity during performances.
Christmas Eve will finally allow the world to witness what approximately a thousand fans experienced 15 months ago at the Belasco: Gaga performing with wild abandon in a dingy apartment setting, ripping open pillows and throwing feathers, dancing frantically while maintaining perfect pitch.
All while honoring Tony Bennett, embracing her Lower East Side roots, and proving that traditional pop can still feel dangerously rebellious.
Gaga’s fiancé Michael Polansky shares creative director and executive producer credits on the film. She described their working relationship as essential to maintaining artistic purity.
One of the things I love about working with Michael is that he has this closeness with me where he sees my artistry and my musicianship in its infancy, in its raw form. So whether I want to overthink it or someone else wants to overthink it, or somebody wants to come in and go, ‘What does it all mean? What’s the strategy behind it? How will we market it?,’ he will help in every possible way to make sure that the purity of it is not destroyed.
When one enthusiastic fan suggested Gaga arrive at her wedding in Volantis—her legendary 2013 flying dress—the singer laughed off the idea as simply “dangerous.”
Grammy Recognition And Future Jazz
“Harlequin” earned Gaga a Grammy nomination for best traditional pop vocal album, marking her first solo entry in the category after two wins with Bennett. Her other recent album, “Mayhem,” collected seven additional nominations heading into the February 1 ceremony.
Despite competing alone on paper, Gaga doesn’t view it that way.
I’m not in the category alone, I don’t feel, because I guess I’ll always feel like Tony is with me in the category — and also all these musicians that I’ve been making music with for the last two decades are with me.
More importantly, she confirmed what fans hoped to hear: this isn’t her final jazz record.
This project for me is a really special way to gave my fans some insight into who I want to become, as a jazz musician. This will not be my last jazz record. So it’s just exciting to keep going. And I do feel no matter where music takes me, it’s the one thing that’s pretty insatiable in me — it will never be enough.
Currently touring with her Mayhem Ball—which resumes January 21 in Osaka before wrapping at Madison Square Garden in April—Gaga continues writing new material. She’s set up recording equipment in every hotel room, capturing inspiration whenever it strikes.
Her approach has evolved from the Method immersion of her twenties to something more sustainable, allowing creative space between projects without losing intensity during performances.
Christmas Eve will finally allow the world to witness what approximately a thousand fans experienced 15 months ago at the Belasco: Gaga performing with wild abandon in a dingy apartment setting, ripping open pillows and throwing feathers, dancing frantically while maintaining perfect pitch.
All while honoring Tony Bennett, embracing her Lower East Side roots, and proving that traditional pop can still feel dangerously rebellious.
Gaga’s fiancé Michael Polansky shares creative director and executive producer credits on the film. She described their working relationship as essential to maintaining artistic purity.
One of the things I love about working with Michael is that he has this closeness with me where he sees my artistry and my musicianship in its infancy, in its raw form. So whether I want to overthink it or someone else wants to overthink it, or somebody wants to come in and go, ‘What does it all mean? What’s the strategy behind it? How will we market it?,’ he will help in every possible way to make sure that the purity of it is not destroyed.
When one enthusiastic fan suggested Gaga arrive at her wedding in Volantis—her legendary 2013 flying dress—the singer laughed off the idea as simply “dangerous.”
Grammy Recognition And Future Jazz
“Harlequin” earned Gaga a Grammy nomination for best traditional pop vocal album, marking her first solo entry in the category after two wins with Bennett. Her other recent album, “Mayhem,” collected seven additional nominations heading into the February 1 ceremony.
Despite competing alone on paper, Gaga doesn’t view it that way.
I’m not in the category alone, I don’t feel, because I guess I’ll always feel like Tony is with me in the category — and also all these musicians that I’ve been making music with for the last two decades are with me.
More importantly, she confirmed what fans hoped to hear: this isn’t her final jazz record.
This project for me is a really special way to gave my fans some insight into who I want to become, as a jazz musician. This will not be my last jazz record. So it’s just exciting to keep going. And I do feel no matter where music takes me, it’s the one thing that’s pretty insatiable in me — it will never be enough.
Currently touring with her Mayhem Ball—which resumes January 21 in Osaka before wrapping at Madison Square Garden in April—Gaga continues writing new material. She’s set up recording equipment in every hotel room, capturing inspiration whenever it strikes.
Her approach has evolved from the Method immersion of her twenties to something more sustainable, allowing creative space between projects without losing intensity during performances.
Christmas Eve will finally allow the world to witness what approximately a thousand fans experienced 15 months ago at the Belasco: Gaga performing with wild abandon in a dingy apartment setting, ripping open pillows and throwing feathers, dancing frantically while maintaining perfect pitch.
All while honoring Tony Bennett, embracing her Lower East Side roots, and proving that traditional pop can still feel dangerously rebellious.
Director of photography Marcell Rév, who also shot Gaga’s “Disease” video, created intimate cinematography throughout. Gaga described their collaborative process as instinctive rather than calculated.
It’s not the relationship where I go, ‘Oh, the camera’s here, so I’m gonna point my face like this, because that’s a good angle.’ I don’t think about it that way. It’s more like we’re doing a dance, and we’re in it together.
Michael Polansky’s Creative Partnership
Gaga’s fiancé Michael Polansky shares creative director and executive producer credits on the film. She described their working relationship as essential to maintaining artistic purity.
One of the things I love about working with Michael is that he has this closeness with me where he sees my artistry and my musicianship in its infancy, in its raw form. So whether I want to overthink it or someone else wants to overthink it, or somebody wants to come in and go, ‘What does it all mean? What’s the strategy behind it? How will we market it?,’ he will help in every possible way to make sure that the purity of it is not destroyed.
When one enthusiastic fan suggested Gaga arrive at her wedding in Volantis—her legendary 2013 flying dress—the singer laughed off the idea as simply “dangerous.”
Grammy Recognition And Future Jazz
“Harlequin” earned Gaga a Grammy nomination for best traditional pop vocal album, marking her first solo entry in the category after two wins with Bennett. Her other recent album, “Mayhem,” collected seven additional nominations heading into the February 1 ceremony.
Despite competing alone on paper, Gaga doesn’t view it that way.
I’m not in the category alone, I don’t feel, because I guess I’ll always feel like Tony is with me in the category — and also all these musicians that I’ve been making music with for the last two decades are with me.
More importantly, she confirmed what fans hoped to hear: this isn’t her final jazz record.
This project for me is a really special way to gave my fans some insight into who I want to become, as a jazz musician. This will not be my last jazz record. So it’s just exciting to keep going. And I do feel no matter where music takes me, it’s the one thing that’s pretty insatiable in me — it will never be enough.
Currently touring with her Mayhem Ball—which resumes January 21 in Osaka before wrapping at Madison Square Garden in April—Gaga continues writing new material. She’s set up recording equipment in every hotel room, capturing inspiration whenever it strikes.
Her approach has evolved from the Method immersion of her twenties to something more sustainable, allowing creative space between projects without losing intensity during performances.
Christmas Eve will finally allow the world to witness what approximately a thousand fans experienced 15 months ago at the Belasco: Gaga performing with wild abandon in a dingy apartment setting, ripping open pillows and throwing feathers, dancing frantically while maintaining perfect pitch.
All while honoring Tony Bennett, embracing her Lower East Side roots, and proving that traditional pop can still feel dangerously rebellious.
Director of photography Marcell Rév, who also shot Gaga’s “Disease” video, created intimate cinematography throughout. Gaga described their collaborative process as instinctive rather than calculated.
It’s not the relationship where I go, ‘Oh, the camera’s here, so I’m gonna point my face like this, because that’s a good angle.’ I don’t think about it that way. It’s more like we’re doing a dance, and we’re in it together.
Michael Polansky’s Creative Partnership
Gaga’s fiancé Michael Polansky shares creative director and executive producer credits on the film. She described their working relationship as essential to maintaining artistic purity.
One of the things I love about working with Michael is that he has this closeness with me where he sees my artistry and my musicianship in its infancy, in its raw form. So whether I want to overthink it or someone else wants to overthink it, or somebody wants to come in and go, ‘What does it all mean? What’s the strategy behind it? How will we market it?,’ he will help in every possible way to make sure that the purity of it is not destroyed.
When one enthusiastic fan suggested Gaga arrive at her wedding in Volantis—her legendary 2013 flying dress—the singer laughed off the idea as simply “dangerous.”
Grammy Recognition And Future Jazz
“Harlequin” earned Gaga a Grammy nomination for best traditional pop vocal album, marking her first solo entry in the category after two wins with Bennett. Her other recent album, “Mayhem,” collected seven additional nominations heading into the February 1 ceremony.
Despite competing alone on paper, Gaga doesn’t view it that way.
I’m not in the category alone, I don’t feel, because I guess I’ll always feel like Tony is with me in the category — and also all these musicians that I’ve been making music with for the last two decades are with me.
More importantly, she confirmed what fans hoped to hear: this isn’t her final jazz record.
This project for me is a really special way to gave my fans some insight into who I want to become, as a jazz musician. This will not be my last jazz record. So it’s just exciting to keep going. And I do feel no matter where music takes me, it’s the one thing that’s pretty insatiable in me — it will never be enough.
Currently touring with her Mayhem Ball—which resumes January 21 in Osaka before wrapping at Madison Square Garden in April—Gaga continues writing new material. She’s set up recording equipment in every hotel room, capturing inspiration whenever it strikes.
Her approach has evolved from the Method immersion of her twenties to something more sustainable, allowing creative space between projects without losing intensity during performances.
Christmas Eve will finally allow the world to witness what approximately a thousand fans experienced 15 months ago at the Belasco: Gaga performing with wild abandon in a dingy apartment setting, ripping open pillows and throwing feathers, dancing frantically while maintaining perfect pitch.
All while honoring Tony Bennett, embracing her Lower East Side roots, and proving that traditional pop can still feel dangerously rebellious.
Afterward, she’s visibly teary.
That song, ‘Happy Mistake,’ was very much inspired by a time and an era in my life where… it felt like being happy would be an accident, it felt so impossible. And a lot of my decision-making for all the projects that I was taking on during this time came from a really deep, soulful attraction to wanting to help tell that story of what it feels like to be someone that’s misunderstood in that way.
Dancing With Cameras
Director of photography Marcell Rév, who also shot Gaga’s “Disease” video, created intimate cinematography throughout. Gaga described their collaborative process as instinctive rather than calculated.
It’s not the relationship where I go, ‘Oh, the camera’s here, so I’m gonna point my face like this, because that’s a good angle.’ I don’t think about it that way. It’s more like we’re doing a dance, and we’re in it together.
Michael Polansky’s Creative Partnership
Gaga’s fiancé Michael Polansky shares creative director and executive producer credits on the film. She described their working relationship as essential to maintaining artistic purity.
One of the things I love about working with Michael is that he has this closeness with me where he sees my artistry and my musicianship in its infancy, in its raw form. So whether I want to overthink it or someone else wants to overthink it, or somebody wants to come in and go, ‘What does it all mean? What’s the strategy behind it? How will we market it?,’ he will help in every possible way to make sure that the purity of it is not destroyed.
When one enthusiastic fan suggested Gaga arrive at her wedding in Volantis—her legendary 2013 flying dress—the singer laughed off the idea as simply “dangerous.”
Grammy Recognition And Future Jazz
“Harlequin” earned Gaga a Grammy nomination for best traditional pop vocal album, marking her first solo entry in the category after two wins with Bennett. Her other recent album, “Mayhem,” collected seven additional nominations heading into the February 1 ceremony.
Despite competing alone on paper, Gaga doesn’t view it that way.
I’m not in the category alone, I don’t feel, because I guess I’ll always feel like Tony is with me in the category — and also all these musicians that I’ve been making music with for the last two decades are with me.
More importantly, she confirmed what fans hoped to hear: this isn’t her final jazz record.
This project for me is a really special way to gave my fans some insight into who I want to become, as a jazz musician. This will not be my last jazz record. So it’s just exciting to keep going. And I do feel no matter where music takes me, it’s the one thing that’s pretty insatiable in me — it will never be enough.
Currently touring with her Mayhem Ball—which resumes January 21 in Osaka before wrapping at Madison Square Garden in April—Gaga continues writing new material. She’s set up recording equipment in every hotel room, capturing inspiration whenever it strikes.
Her approach has evolved from the Method immersion of her twenties to something more sustainable, allowing creative space between projects without losing intensity during performances.
Christmas Eve will finally allow the world to witness what approximately a thousand fans experienced 15 months ago at the Belasco: Gaga performing with wild abandon in a dingy apartment setting, ripping open pillows and throwing feathers, dancing frantically while maintaining perfect pitch.
All while honoring Tony Bennett, embracing her Lower East Side roots, and proving that traditional pop can still feel dangerously rebellious.
Afterward, she’s visibly teary.
That song, ‘Happy Mistake,’ was very much inspired by a time and an era in my life where… it felt like being happy would be an accident, it felt so impossible. And a lot of my decision-making for all the projects that I was taking on during this time came from a really deep, soulful attraction to wanting to help tell that story of what it feels like to be someone that’s misunderstood in that way.
Dancing With Cameras
Director of photography Marcell Rév, who also shot Gaga’s “Disease” video, created intimate cinematography throughout. Gaga described their collaborative process as instinctive rather than calculated.
It’s not the relationship where I go, ‘Oh, the camera’s here, so I’m gonna point my face like this, because that’s a good angle.’ I don’t think about it that way. It’s more like we’re doing a dance, and we’re in it together.
Michael Polansky’s Creative Partnership
Gaga’s fiancé Michael Polansky shares creative director and executive producer credits on the film. She described their working relationship as essential to maintaining artistic purity.
One of the things I love about working with Michael is that he has this closeness with me where he sees my artistry and my musicianship in its infancy, in its raw form. So whether I want to overthink it or someone else wants to overthink it, or somebody wants to come in and go, ‘What does it all mean? What’s the strategy behind it? How will we market it?,’ he will help in every possible way to make sure that the purity of it is not destroyed.
When one enthusiastic fan suggested Gaga arrive at her wedding in Volantis—her legendary 2013 flying dress—the singer laughed off the idea as simply “dangerous.”
Grammy Recognition And Future Jazz
“Harlequin” earned Gaga a Grammy nomination for best traditional pop vocal album, marking her first solo entry in the category after two wins with Bennett. Her other recent album, “Mayhem,” collected seven additional nominations heading into the February 1 ceremony.
Despite competing alone on paper, Gaga doesn’t view it that way.
I’m not in the category alone, I don’t feel, because I guess I’ll always feel like Tony is with me in the category — and also all these musicians that I’ve been making music with for the last two decades are with me.
More importantly, she confirmed what fans hoped to hear: this isn’t her final jazz record.
This project for me is a really special way to gave my fans some insight into who I want to become, as a jazz musician. This will not be my last jazz record. So it’s just exciting to keep going. And I do feel no matter where music takes me, it’s the one thing that’s pretty insatiable in me — it will never be enough.
Currently touring with her Mayhem Ball—which resumes January 21 in Osaka before wrapping at Madison Square Garden in April—Gaga continues writing new material. She’s set up recording equipment in every hotel room, capturing inspiration whenever it strikes.
Her approach has evolved from the Method immersion of her twenties to something more sustainable, allowing creative space between projects without losing intensity during performances.
Christmas Eve will finally allow the world to witness what approximately a thousand fans experienced 15 months ago at the Belasco: Gaga performing with wild abandon in a dingy apartment setting, ripping open pillows and throwing feathers, dancing frantically while maintaining perfect pitch.
All while honoring Tony Bennett, embracing her Lower East Side roots, and proving that traditional pop can still feel dangerously rebellious.
Except for the opening 30 seconds, the entire performance consists of one continuous take. Cameras circle around Gaga as she delivers lyrics drawn from deeply personal experience, bangs hanging over her eyes.
Afterward, she’s visibly teary.
That song, ‘Happy Mistake,’ was very much inspired by a time and an era in my life where… it felt like being happy would be an accident, it felt so impossible. And a lot of my decision-making for all the projects that I was taking on during this time came from a really deep, soulful attraction to wanting to help tell that story of what it feels like to be someone that’s misunderstood in that way.
Dancing With Cameras
Director of photography Marcell Rév, who also shot Gaga’s “Disease” video, created intimate cinematography throughout. Gaga described their collaborative process as instinctive rather than calculated.
It’s not the relationship where I go, ‘Oh, the camera’s here, so I’m gonna point my face like this, because that’s a good angle.’ I don’t think about it that way. It’s more like we’re doing a dance, and we’re in it together.
Michael Polansky’s Creative Partnership
Gaga’s fiancé Michael Polansky shares creative director and executive producer credits on the film. She described their working relationship as essential to maintaining artistic purity.
One of the things I love about working with Michael is that he has this closeness with me where he sees my artistry and my musicianship in its infancy, in its raw form. So whether I want to overthink it or someone else wants to overthink it, or somebody wants to come in and go, ‘What does it all mean? What’s the strategy behind it? How will we market it?,’ he will help in every possible way to make sure that the purity of it is not destroyed.
When one enthusiastic fan suggested Gaga arrive at her wedding in Volantis—her legendary 2013 flying dress—the singer laughed off the idea as simply “dangerous.”
Grammy Recognition And Future Jazz
“Harlequin” earned Gaga a Grammy nomination for best traditional pop vocal album, marking her first solo entry in the category after two wins with Bennett. Her other recent album, “Mayhem,” collected seven additional nominations heading into the February 1 ceremony.
Despite competing alone on paper, Gaga doesn’t view it that way.
I’m not in the category alone, I don’t feel, because I guess I’ll always feel like Tony is with me in the category — and also all these musicians that I’ve been making music with for the last two decades are with me.
More importantly, she confirmed what fans hoped to hear: this isn’t her final jazz record.
This project for me is a really special way to gave my fans some insight into who I want to become, as a jazz musician. This will not be my last jazz record. So it’s just exciting to keep going. And I do feel no matter where music takes me, it’s the one thing that’s pretty insatiable in me — it will never be enough.
Currently touring with her Mayhem Ball—which resumes January 21 in Osaka before wrapping at Madison Square Garden in April—Gaga continues writing new material. She’s set up recording equipment in every hotel room, capturing inspiration whenever it strikes.
Her approach has evolved from the Method immersion of her twenties to something more sustainable, allowing creative space between projects without losing intensity during performances.
Christmas Eve will finally allow the world to witness what approximately a thousand fans experienced 15 months ago at the Belasco: Gaga performing with wild abandon in a dingy apartment setting, ripping open pillows and throwing feathers, dancing frantically while maintaining perfect pitch.
All while honoring Tony Bennett, embracing her Lower East Side roots, and proving that traditional pop can still feel dangerously rebellious.
Except for the opening 30 seconds, the entire performance consists of one continuous take. Cameras circle around Gaga as she delivers lyrics drawn from deeply personal experience, bangs hanging over her eyes.
Afterward, she’s visibly teary.
That song, ‘Happy Mistake,’ was very much inspired by a time and an era in my life where… it felt like being happy would be an accident, it felt so impossible. And a lot of my decision-making for all the projects that I was taking on during this time came from a really deep, soulful attraction to wanting to help tell that story of what it feels like to be someone that’s misunderstood in that way.
Dancing With Cameras
Director of photography Marcell Rév, who also shot Gaga’s “Disease” video, created intimate cinematography throughout. Gaga described their collaborative process as instinctive rather than calculated.
It’s not the relationship where I go, ‘Oh, the camera’s here, so I’m gonna point my face like this, because that’s a good angle.’ I don’t think about it that way. It’s more like we’re doing a dance, and we’re in it together.
Michael Polansky’s Creative Partnership
Gaga’s fiancé Michael Polansky shares creative director and executive producer credits on the film. She described their working relationship as essential to maintaining artistic purity.
One of the things I love about working with Michael is that he has this closeness with me where he sees my artistry and my musicianship in its infancy, in its raw form. So whether I want to overthink it or someone else wants to overthink it, or somebody wants to come in and go, ‘What does it all mean? What’s the strategy behind it? How will we market it?,’ he will help in every possible way to make sure that the purity of it is not destroyed.
When one enthusiastic fan suggested Gaga arrive at her wedding in Volantis—her legendary 2013 flying dress—the singer laughed off the idea as simply “dangerous.”
Grammy Recognition And Future Jazz
“Harlequin” earned Gaga a Grammy nomination for best traditional pop vocal album, marking her first solo entry in the category after two wins with Bennett. Her other recent album, “Mayhem,” collected seven additional nominations heading into the February 1 ceremony.
Despite competing alone on paper, Gaga doesn’t view it that way.
I’m not in the category alone, I don’t feel, because I guess I’ll always feel like Tony is with me in the category — and also all these musicians that I’ve been making music with for the last two decades are with me.
More importantly, she confirmed what fans hoped to hear: this isn’t her final jazz record.
This project for me is a really special way to gave my fans some insight into who I want to become, as a jazz musician. This will not be my last jazz record. So it’s just exciting to keep going. And I do feel no matter where music takes me, it’s the one thing that’s pretty insatiable in me — it will never be enough.
Currently touring with her Mayhem Ball—which resumes January 21 in Osaka before wrapping at Madison Square Garden in April—Gaga continues writing new material. She’s set up recording equipment in every hotel room, capturing inspiration whenever it strikes.
Her approach has evolved from the Method immersion of her twenties to something more sustainable, allowing creative space between projects without losing intensity during performances.
Christmas Eve will finally allow the world to witness what approximately a thousand fans experienced 15 months ago at the Belasco: Gaga performing with wild abandon in a dingy apartment setting, ripping open pillows and throwing feathers, dancing frantically while maintaining perfect pitch.
All while honoring Tony Bennett, embracing her Lower East Side roots, and proving that traditional pop can still feel dangerously rebellious.
While the concert features beloved standards like “That’s Entertainment,” “That’s Life,” and “When the Saints Go Marching In,” the film’s emotional peak arrives during “Happy Mistake”—one of two original songs Gaga wrote for “Harlequin.”
Except for the opening 30 seconds, the entire performance consists of one continuous take. Cameras circle around Gaga as she delivers lyrics drawn from deeply personal experience, bangs hanging over her eyes.
Afterward, she’s visibly teary.
That song, ‘Happy Mistake,’ was very much inspired by a time and an era in my life where… it felt like being happy would be an accident, it felt so impossible. And a lot of my decision-making for all the projects that I was taking on during this time came from a really deep, soulful attraction to wanting to help tell that story of what it feels like to be someone that’s misunderstood in that way.
Dancing With Cameras
Director of photography Marcell Rév, who also shot Gaga’s “Disease” video, created intimate cinematography throughout. Gaga described their collaborative process as instinctive rather than calculated.
It’s not the relationship where I go, ‘Oh, the camera’s here, so I’m gonna point my face like this, because that’s a good angle.’ I don’t think about it that way. It’s more like we’re doing a dance, and we’re in it together.
Michael Polansky’s Creative Partnership
Gaga’s fiancé Michael Polansky shares creative director and executive producer credits on the film. She described their working relationship as essential to maintaining artistic purity.
One of the things I love about working with Michael is that he has this closeness with me where he sees my artistry and my musicianship in its infancy, in its raw form. So whether I want to overthink it or someone else wants to overthink it, or somebody wants to come in and go, ‘What does it all mean? What’s the strategy behind it? How will we market it?,’ he will help in every possible way to make sure that the purity of it is not destroyed.
When one enthusiastic fan suggested Gaga arrive at her wedding in Volantis—her legendary 2013 flying dress—the singer laughed off the idea as simply “dangerous.”
Grammy Recognition And Future Jazz
“Harlequin” earned Gaga a Grammy nomination for best traditional pop vocal album, marking her first solo entry in the category after two wins with Bennett. Her other recent album, “Mayhem,” collected seven additional nominations heading into the February 1 ceremony.
Despite competing alone on paper, Gaga doesn’t view it that way.
I’m not in the category alone, I don’t feel, because I guess I’ll always feel like Tony is with me in the category — and also all these musicians that I’ve been making music with for the last two decades are with me.
More importantly, she confirmed what fans hoped to hear: this isn’t her final jazz record.
This project for me is a really special way to gave my fans some insight into who I want to become, as a jazz musician. This will not be my last jazz record. So it’s just exciting to keep going. And I do feel no matter where music takes me, it’s the one thing that’s pretty insatiable in me — it will never be enough.
Currently touring with her Mayhem Ball—which resumes January 21 in Osaka before wrapping at Madison Square Garden in April—Gaga continues writing new material. She’s set up recording equipment in every hotel room, capturing inspiration whenever it strikes.
Her approach has evolved from the Method immersion of her twenties to something more sustainable, allowing creative space between projects without losing intensity during performances.
Christmas Eve will finally allow the world to witness what approximately a thousand fans experienced 15 months ago at the Belasco: Gaga performing with wild abandon in a dingy apartment setting, ripping open pillows and throwing feathers, dancing frantically while maintaining perfect pitch.
All while honoring Tony Bennett, embracing her Lower East Side roots, and proving that traditional pop can still feel dangerously rebellious.
While the concert features beloved standards like “That’s Entertainment,” “That’s Life,” and “When the Saints Go Marching In,” the film’s emotional peak arrives during “Happy Mistake”—one of two original songs Gaga wrote for “Harlequin.”
Except for the opening 30 seconds, the entire performance consists of one continuous take. Cameras circle around Gaga as she delivers lyrics drawn from deeply personal experience, bangs hanging over her eyes.
Afterward, she’s visibly teary.
That song, ‘Happy Mistake,’ was very much inspired by a time and an era in my life where… it felt like being happy would be an accident, it felt so impossible. And a lot of my decision-making for all the projects that I was taking on during this time came from a really deep, soulful attraction to wanting to help tell that story of what it feels like to be someone that’s misunderstood in that way.
Dancing With Cameras
Director of photography Marcell Rév, who also shot Gaga’s “Disease” video, created intimate cinematography throughout. Gaga described their collaborative process as instinctive rather than calculated.
It’s not the relationship where I go, ‘Oh, the camera’s here, so I’m gonna point my face like this, because that’s a good angle.’ I don’t think about it that way. It’s more like we’re doing a dance, and we’re in it together.
Michael Polansky’s Creative Partnership
Gaga’s fiancé Michael Polansky shares creative director and executive producer credits on the film. She described their working relationship as essential to maintaining artistic purity.
One of the things I love about working with Michael is that he has this closeness with me where he sees my artistry and my musicianship in its infancy, in its raw form. So whether I want to overthink it or someone else wants to overthink it, or somebody wants to come in and go, ‘What does it all mean? What’s the strategy behind it? How will we market it?,’ he will help in every possible way to make sure that the purity of it is not destroyed.
When one enthusiastic fan suggested Gaga arrive at her wedding in Volantis—her legendary 2013 flying dress—the singer laughed off the idea as simply “dangerous.”
Grammy Recognition And Future Jazz
“Harlequin” earned Gaga a Grammy nomination for best traditional pop vocal album, marking her first solo entry in the category after two wins with Bennett. Her other recent album, “Mayhem,” collected seven additional nominations heading into the February 1 ceremony.
Despite competing alone on paper, Gaga doesn’t view it that way.
I’m not in the category alone, I don’t feel, because I guess I’ll always feel like Tony is with me in the category — and also all these musicians that I’ve been making music with for the last two decades are with me.
More importantly, she confirmed what fans hoped to hear: this isn’t her final jazz record.
This project for me is a really special way to gave my fans some insight into who I want to become, as a jazz musician. This will not be my last jazz record. So it’s just exciting to keep going. And I do feel no matter where music takes me, it’s the one thing that’s pretty insatiable in me — it will never be enough.
Currently touring with her Mayhem Ball—which resumes January 21 in Osaka before wrapping at Madison Square Garden in April—Gaga continues writing new material. She’s set up recording equipment in every hotel room, capturing inspiration whenever it strikes.
Her approach has evolved from the Method immersion of her twenties to something more sustainable, allowing creative space between projects without losing intensity during performances.
Christmas Eve will finally allow the world to witness what approximately a thousand fans experienced 15 months ago at the Belasco: Gaga performing with wild abandon in a dingy apartment setting, ripping open pillows and throwing feathers, dancing frantically while maintaining perfect pitch.
All while honoring Tony Bennett, embracing her Lower East Side roots, and proving that traditional pop can still feel dangerously rebellious.
Co-producer Benjamin Rice witnessed Gaga’s unconventional recording methods firsthand. Her approach to reimagining Great American Songbook standards involved literal deconstruction.
When we were in the studio, I was like, ‘Ben, why don’t you bring in some trash cans and we’ll use them as a drum kit?’ It was like, what were the ways that we could kind of break the music? Because we were thinking about comic books and jazz, and how could we think about this with humor and with fun in an almost childlike way — almost immature, or, yeah, a little bit bonkers.
The Most Personal Moment
While the concert features beloved standards like “That’s Entertainment,” “That’s Life,” and “When the Saints Go Marching In,” the film’s emotional peak arrives during “Happy Mistake”—one of two original songs Gaga wrote for “Harlequin.”
Except for the opening 30 seconds, the entire performance consists of one continuous take. Cameras circle around Gaga as she delivers lyrics drawn from deeply personal experience, bangs hanging over her eyes.
Afterward, she’s visibly teary.
That song, ‘Happy Mistake,’ was very much inspired by a time and an era in my life where… it felt like being happy would be an accident, it felt so impossible. And a lot of my decision-making for all the projects that I was taking on during this time came from a really deep, soulful attraction to wanting to help tell that story of what it feels like to be someone that’s misunderstood in that way.
Dancing With Cameras
Director of photography Marcell Rév, who also shot Gaga’s “Disease” video, created intimate cinematography throughout. Gaga described their collaborative process as instinctive rather than calculated.
It’s not the relationship where I go, ‘Oh, the camera’s here, so I’m gonna point my face like this, because that’s a good angle.’ I don’t think about it that way. It’s more like we’re doing a dance, and we’re in it together.
Michael Polansky’s Creative Partnership
Gaga’s fiancé Michael Polansky shares creative director and executive producer credits on the film. She described their working relationship as essential to maintaining artistic purity.
One of the things I love about working with Michael is that he has this closeness with me where he sees my artistry and my musicianship in its infancy, in its raw form. So whether I want to overthink it or someone else wants to overthink it, or somebody wants to come in and go, ‘What does it all mean? What’s the strategy behind it? How will we market it?,’ he will help in every possible way to make sure that the purity of it is not destroyed.
When one enthusiastic fan suggested Gaga arrive at her wedding in Volantis—her legendary 2013 flying dress—the singer laughed off the idea as simply “dangerous.”
Grammy Recognition And Future Jazz
“Harlequin” earned Gaga a Grammy nomination for best traditional pop vocal album, marking her first solo entry in the category after two wins with Bennett. Her other recent album, “Mayhem,” collected seven additional nominations heading into the February 1 ceremony.
Despite competing alone on paper, Gaga doesn’t view it that way.
I’m not in the category alone, I don’t feel, because I guess I’ll always feel like Tony is with me in the category — and also all these musicians that I’ve been making music with for the last two decades are with me.
More importantly, she confirmed what fans hoped to hear: this isn’t her final jazz record.
This project for me is a really special way to gave my fans some insight into who I want to become, as a jazz musician. This will not be my last jazz record. So it’s just exciting to keep going. And I do feel no matter where music takes me, it’s the one thing that’s pretty insatiable in me — it will never be enough.
Currently touring with her Mayhem Ball—which resumes January 21 in Osaka before wrapping at Madison Square Garden in April—Gaga continues writing new material. She’s set up recording equipment in every hotel room, capturing inspiration whenever it strikes.
Her approach has evolved from the Method immersion of her twenties to something more sustainable, allowing creative space between projects without losing intensity during performances.
Christmas Eve will finally allow the world to witness what approximately a thousand fans experienced 15 months ago at the Belasco: Gaga performing with wild abandon in a dingy apartment setting, ripping open pillows and throwing feathers, dancing frantically while maintaining perfect pitch.
All while honoring Tony Bennett, embracing her Lower East Side roots, and proving that traditional pop can still feel dangerously rebellious.
Co-producer Benjamin Rice witnessed Gaga’s unconventional recording methods firsthand. Her approach to reimagining Great American Songbook standards involved literal deconstruction.
When we were in the studio, I was like, ‘Ben, why don’t you bring in some trash cans and we’ll use them as a drum kit?’ It was like, what were the ways that we could kind of break the music? Because we were thinking about comic books and jazz, and how could we think about this with humor and with fun in an almost childlike way — almost immature, or, yeah, a little bit bonkers.
The Most Personal Moment
While the concert features beloved standards like “That’s Entertainment,” “That’s Life,” and “When the Saints Go Marching In,” the film’s emotional peak arrives during “Happy Mistake”—one of two original songs Gaga wrote for “Harlequin.”
Except for the opening 30 seconds, the entire performance consists of one continuous take. Cameras circle around Gaga as she delivers lyrics drawn from deeply personal experience, bangs hanging over her eyes.
Afterward, she’s visibly teary.
That song, ‘Happy Mistake,’ was very much inspired by a time and an era in my life where… it felt like being happy would be an accident, it felt so impossible. And a lot of my decision-making for all the projects that I was taking on during this time came from a really deep, soulful attraction to wanting to help tell that story of what it feels like to be someone that’s misunderstood in that way.
Dancing With Cameras
Director of photography Marcell Rév, who also shot Gaga’s “Disease” video, created intimate cinematography throughout. Gaga described their collaborative process as instinctive rather than calculated.
It’s not the relationship where I go, ‘Oh, the camera’s here, so I’m gonna point my face like this, because that’s a good angle.’ I don’t think about it that way. It’s more like we’re doing a dance, and we’re in it together.
Michael Polansky’s Creative Partnership
Gaga’s fiancé Michael Polansky shares creative director and executive producer credits on the film. She described their working relationship as essential to maintaining artistic purity.
One of the things I love about working with Michael is that he has this closeness with me where he sees my artistry and my musicianship in its infancy, in its raw form. So whether I want to overthink it or someone else wants to overthink it, or somebody wants to come in and go, ‘What does it all mean? What’s the strategy behind it? How will we market it?,’ he will help in every possible way to make sure that the purity of it is not destroyed.
When one enthusiastic fan suggested Gaga arrive at her wedding in Volantis—her legendary 2013 flying dress—the singer laughed off the idea as simply “dangerous.”
Grammy Recognition And Future Jazz
“Harlequin” earned Gaga a Grammy nomination for best traditional pop vocal album, marking her first solo entry in the category after two wins with Bennett. Her other recent album, “Mayhem,” collected seven additional nominations heading into the February 1 ceremony.
Despite competing alone on paper, Gaga doesn’t view it that way.
I’m not in the category alone, I don’t feel, because I guess I’ll always feel like Tony is with me in the category — and also all these musicians that I’ve been making music with for the last two decades are with me.
More importantly, she confirmed what fans hoped to hear: this isn’t her final jazz record.
This project for me is a really special way to gave my fans some insight into who I want to become, as a jazz musician. This will not be my last jazz record. So it’s just exciting to keep going. And I do feel no matter where music takes me, it’s the one thing that’s pretty insatiable in me — it will never be enough.
Currently touring with her Mayhem Ball—which resumes January 21 in Osaka before wrapping at Madison Square Garden in April—Gaga continues writing new material. She’s set up recording equipment in every hotel room, capturing inspiration whenever it strikes.
Her approach has evolved from the Method immersion of her twenties to something more sustainable, allowing creative space between projects without losing intensity during performances.
Christmas Eve will finally allow the world to witness what approximately a thousand fans experienced 15 months ago at the Belasco: Gaga performing with wild abandon in a dingy apartment setting, ripping open pillows and throwing feathers, dancing frantically while maintaining perfect pitch.
All while honoring Tony Bennett, embracing her Lower East Side roots, and proving that traditional pop can still feel dangerously rebellious.
This rawer aesthetic extends to wardrobe choices—one band member performs in a sleeveless tuxedo, tattoos fully visible. What would Tony Bennett think?
Tony loved ‘Artpop,’ so I know Tony would’ve gone, ‘Wow. Yeah.’ Or, someone would’ve gotten fired!
Breaking Music With Trash Cans
Co-producer Benjamin Rice witnessed Gaga’s unconventional recording methods firsthand. Her approach to reimagining Great American Songbook standards involved literal deconstruction.
When we were in the studio, I was like, ‘Ben, why don’t you bring in some trash cans and we’ll use them as a drum kit?’ It was like, what were the ways that we could kind of break the music? Because we were thinking about comic books and jazz, and how could we think about this with humor and with fun in an almost childlike way — almost immature, or, yeah, a little bit bonkers.
The Most Personal Moment
While the concert features beloved standards like “That’s Entertainment,” “That’s Life,” and “When the Saints Go Marching In,” the film’s emotional peak arrives during “Happy Mistake”—one of two original songs Gaga wrote for “Harlequin.”
Except for the opening 30 seconds, the entire performance consists of one continuous take. Cameras circle around Gaga as she delivers lyrics drawn from deeply personal experience, bangs hanging over her eyes.
Afterward, she’s visibly teary.
That song, ‘Happy Mistake,’ was very much inspired by a time and an era in my life where… it felt like being happy would be an accident, it felt so impossible. And a lot of my decision-making for all the projects that I was taking on during this time came from a really deep, soulful attraction to wanting to help tell that story of what it feels like to be someone that’s misunderstood in that way.
Dancing With Cameras
Director of photography Marcell Rév, who also shot Gaga’s “Disease” video, created intimate cinematography throughout. Gaga described their collaborative process as instinctive rather than calculated.
It’s not the relationship where I go, ‘Oh, the camera’s here, so I’m gonna point my face like this, because that’s a good angle.’ I don’t think about it that way. It’s more like we’re doing a dance, and we’re in it together.
Michael Polansky’s Creative Partnership
Gaga’s fiancé Michael Polansky shares creative director and executive producer credits on the film. She described their working relationship as essential to maintaining artistic purity.
One of the things I love about working with Michael is that he has this closeness with me where he sees my artistry and my musicianship in its infancy, in its raw form. So whether I want to overthink it or someone else wants to overthink it, or somebody wants to come in and go, ‘What does it all mean? What’s the strategy behind it? How will we market it?,’ he will help in every possible way to make sure that the purity of it is not destroyed.
When one enthusiastic fan suggested Gaga arrive at her wedding in Volantis—her legendary 2013 flying dress—the singer laughed off the idea as simply “dangerous.”
Grammy Recognition And Future Jazz
“Harlequin” earned Gaga a Grammy nomination for best traditional pop vocal album, marking her first solo entry in the category after two wins with Bennett. Her other recent album, “Mayhem,” collected seven additional nominations heading into the February 1 ceremony.
Despite competing alone on paper, Gaga doesn’t view it that way.
I’m not in the category alone, I don’t feel, because I guess I’ll always feel like Tony is with me in the category — and also all these musicians that I’ve been making music with for the last two decades are with me.
More importantly, she confirmed what fans hoped to hear: this isn’t her final jazz record.
This project for me is a really special way to gave my fans some insight into who I want to become, as a jazz musician. This will not be my last jazz record. So it’s just exciting to keep going. And I do feel no matter where music takes me, it’s the one thing that’s pretty insatiable in me — it will never be enough.
Currently touring with her Mayhem Ball—which resumes January 21 in Osaka before wrapping at Madison Square Garden in April—Gaga continues writing new material. She’s set up recording equipment in every hotel room, capturing inspiration whenever it strikes.
Her approach has evolved from the Method immersion of her twenties to something more sustainable, allowing creative space between projects without losing intensity during performances.
Christmas Eve will finally allow the world to witness what approximately a thousand fans experienced 15 months ago at the Belasco: Gaga performing with wild abandon in a dingy apartment setting, ripping open pillows and throwing feathers, dancing frantically while maintaining perfect pitch.
All while honoring Tony Bennett, embracing her Lower East Side roots, and proving that traditional pop can still feel dangerously rebellious.
This rawer aesthetic extends to wardrobe choices—one band member performs in a sleeveless tuxedo, tattoos fully visible. What would Tony Bennett think?
Tony loved ‘Artpop,’ so I know Tony would’ve gone, ‘Wow. Yeah.’ Or, someone would’ve gotten fired!
Breaking Music With Trash Cans
Co-producer Benjamin Rice witnessed Gaga’s unconventional recording methods firsthand. Her approach to reimagining Great American Songbook standards involved literal deconstruction.
When we were in the studio, I was like, ‘Ben, why don’t you bring in some trash cans and we’ll use them as a drum kit?’ It was like, what were the ways that we could kind of break the music? Because we were thinking about comic books and jazz, and how could we think about this with humor and with fun in an almost childlike way — almost immature, or, yeah, a little bit bonkers.
The Most Personal Moment
While the concert features beloved standards like “That’s Entertainment,” “That’s Life,” and “When the Saints Go Marching In,” the film’s emotional peak arrives during “Happy Mistake”—one of two original songs Gaga wrote for “Harlequin.”
Except for the opening 30 seconds, the entire performance consists of one continuous take. Cameras circle around Gaga as she delivers lyrics drawn from deeply personal experience, bangs hanging over her eyes.
Afterward, she’s visibly teary.
That song, ‘Happy Mistake,’ was very much inspired by a time and an era in my life where… it felt like being happy would be an accident, it felt so impossible. And a lot of my decision-making for all the projects that I was taking on during this time came from a really deep, soulful attraction to wanting to help tell that story of what it feels like to be someone that’s misunderstood in that way.
Dancing With Cameras
Director of photography Marcell Rév, who also shot Gaga’s “Disease” video, created intimate cinematography throughout. Gaga described their collaborative process as instinctive rather than calculated.
It’s not the relationship where I go, ‘Oh, the camera’s here, so I’m gonna point my face like this, because that’s a good angle.’ I don’t think about it that way. It’s more like we’re doing a dance, and we’re in it together.
Michael Polansky’s Creative Partnership
Gaga’s fiancé Michael Polansky shares creative director and executive producer credits on the film. She described their working relationship as essential to maintaining artistic purity.
One of the things I love about working with Michael is that he has this closeness with me where he sees my artistry and my musicianship in its infancy, in its raw form. So whether I want to overthink it or someone else wants to overthink it, or somebody wants to come in and go, ‘What does it all mean? What’s the strategy behind it? How will we market it?,’ he will help in every possible way to make sure that the purity of it is not destroyed.
When one enthusiastic fan suggested Gaga arrive at her wedding in Volantis—her legendary 2013 flying dress—the singer laughed off the idea as simply “dangerous.”
Grammy Recognition And Future Jazz
“Harlequin” earned Gaga a Grammy nomination for best traditional pop vocal album, marking her first solo entry in the category after two wins with Bennett. Her other recent album, “Mayhem,” collected seven additional nominations heading into the February 1 ceremony.
Despite competing alone on paper, Gaga doesn’t view it that way.
I’m not in the category alone, I don’t feel, because I guess I’ll always feel like Tony is with me in the category — and also all these musicians that I’ve been making music with for the last two decades are with me.
More importantly, she confirmed what fans hoped to hear: this isn’t her final jazz record.
This project for me is a really special way to gave my fans some insight into who I want to become, as a jazz musician. This will not be my last jazz record. So it’s just exciting to keep going. And I do feel no matter where music takes me, it’s the one thing that’s pretty insatiable in me — it will never be enough.
Currently touring with her Mayhem Ball—which resumes January 21 in Osaka before wrapping at Madison Square Garden in April—Gaga continues writing new material. She’s set up recording equipment in every hotel room, capturing inspiration whenever it strikes.
Her approach has evolved from the Method immersion of her twenties to something more sustainable, allowing creative space between projects without losing intensity during performances.
Christmas Eve will finally allow the world to witness what approximately a thousand fans experienced 15 months ago at the Belasco: Gaga performing with wild abandon in a dingy apartment setting, ripping open pillows and throwing feathers, dancing frantically while maintaining perfect pitch.
All while honoring Tony Bennett, embracing her Lower East Side roots, and proving that traditional pop can still feel dangerously rebellious.
Late-night conversations in Las Vegas with her band members, following 1 a.m. club shows by trumpeter Brian Newman, led to fresh creative directions.
We actually found our way into ‘Harlequin,’ I think, through guitar and our shared love of surf punk. And we sort of said, ‘You know, what if we were to kind of guide some of these productions in that direction?’
This rawer aesthetic extends to wardrobe choices—one band member performs in a sleeveless tuxedo, tattoos fully visible. What would Tony Bennett think?
Tony loved ‘Artpop,’ so I know Tony would’ve gone, ‘Wow. Yeah.’ Or, someone would’ve gotten fired!
Breaking Music With Trash Cans
Co-producer Benjamin Rice witnessed Gaga’s unconventional recording methods firsthand. Her approach to reimagining Great American Songbook standards involved literal deconstruction.
When we were in the studio, I was like, ‘Ben, why don’t you bring in some trash cans and we’ll use them as a drum kit?’ It was like, what were the ways that we could kind of break the music? Because we were thinking about comic books and jazz, and how could we think about this with humor and with fun in an almost childlike way — almost immature, or, yeah, a little bit bonkers.
The Most Personal Moment
While the concert features beloved standards like “That’s Entertainment,” “That’s Life,” and “When the Saints Go Marching In,” the film’s emotional peak arrives during “Happy Mistake”—one of two original songs Gaga wrote for “Harlequin.”
Except for the opening 30 seconds, the entire performance consists of one continuous take. Cameras circle around Gaga as she delivers lyrics drawn from deeply personal experience, bangs hanging over her eyes.
Afterward, she’s visibly teary.
That song, ‘Happy Mistake,’ was very much inspired by a time and an era in my life where… it felt like being happy would be an accident, it felt so impossible. And a lot of my decision-making for all the projects that I was taking on during this time came from a really deep, soulful attraction to wanting to help tell that story of what it feels like to be someone that’s misunderstood in that way.
Dancing With Cameras
Director of photography Marcell Rév, who also shot Gaga’s “Disease” video, created intimate cinematography throughout. Gaga described their collaborative process as instinctive rather than calculated.
It’s not the relationship where I go, ‘Oh, the camera’s here, so I’m gonna point my face like this, because that’s a good angle.’ I don’t think about it that way. It’s more like we’re doing a dance, and we’re in it together.
Michael Polansky’s Creative Partnership
Gaga’s fiancé Michael Polansky shares creative director and executive producer credits on the film. She described their working relationship as essential to maintaining artistic purity.
One of the things I love about working with Michael is that he has this closeness with me where he sees my artistry and my musicianship in its infancy, in its raw form. So whether I want to overthink it or someone else wants to overthink it, or somebody wants to come in and go, ‘What does it all mean? What’s the strategy behind it? How will we market it?,’ he will help in every possible way to make sure that the purity of it is not destroyed.
When one enthusiastic fan suggested Gaga arrive at her wedding in Volantis—her legendary 2013 flying dress—the singer laughed off the idea as simply “dangerous.”
Grammy Recognition And Future Jazz
“Harlequin” earned Gaga a Grammy nomination for best traditional pop vocal album, marking her first solo entry in the category after two wins with Bennett. Her other recent album, “Mayhem,” collected seven additional nominations heading into the February 1 ceremony.
Despite competing alone on paper, Gaga doesn’t view it that way.
I’m not in the category alone, I don’t feel, because I guess I’ll always feel like Tony is with me in the category — and also all these musicians that I’ve been making music with for the last two decades are with me.
More importantly, she confirmed what fans hoped to hear: this isn’t her final jazz record.
This project for me is a really special way to gave my fans some insight into who I want to become, as a jazz musician. This will not be my last jazz record. So it’s just exciting to keep going. And I do feel no matter where music takes me, it’s the one thing that’s pretty insatiable in me — it will never be enough.
Currently touring with her Mayhem Ball—which resumes January 21 in Osaka before wrapping at Madison Square Garden in April—Gaga continues writing new material. She’s set up recording equipment in every hotel room, capturing inspiration whenever it strikes.
Her approach has evolved from the Method immersion of her twenties to something more sustainable, allowing creative space between projects without losing intensity during performances.
Christmas Eve will finally allow the world to witness what approximately a thousand fans experienced 15 months ago at the Belasco: Gaga performing with wild abandon in a dingy apartment setting, ripping open pillows and throwing feathers, dancing frantically while maintaining perfect pitch.
All while honoring Tony Bennett, embracing her Lower East Side roots, and proving that traditional pop can still feel dangerously rebellious.
Late-night conversations in Las Vegas with her band members, following 1 a.m. club shows by trumpeter Brian Newman, led to fresh creative directions.
We actually found our way into ‘Harlequin,’ I think, through guitar and our shared love of surf punk. And we sort of said, ‘You know, what if we were to kind of guide some of these productions in that direction?’
This rawer aesthetic extends to wardrobe choices—one band member performs in a sleeveless tuxedo, tattoos fully visible. What would Tony Bennett think?
Tony loved ‘Artpop,’ so I know Tony would’ve gone, ‘Wow. Yeah.’ Or, someone would’ve gotten fired!
Breaking Music With Trash Cans
Co-producer Benjamin Rice witnessed Gaga’s unconventional recording methods firsthand. Her approach to reimagining Great American Songbook standards involved literal deconstruction.
When we were in the studio, I was like, ‘Ben, why don’t you bring in some trash cans and we’ll use them as a drum kit?’ It was like, what were the ways that we could kind of break the music? Because we were thinking about comic books and jazz, and how could we think about this with humor and with fun in an almost childlike way — almost immature, or, yeah, a little bit bonkers.
The Most Personal Moment
While the concert features beloved standards like “That’s Entertainment,” “That’s Life,” and “When the Saints Go Marching In,” the film’s emotional peak arrives during “Happy Mistake”—one of two original songs Gaga wrote for “Harlequin.”
Except for the opening 30 seconds, the entire performance consists of one continuous take. Cameras circle around Gaga as she delivers lyrics drawn from deeply personal experience, bangs hanging over her eyes.
Afterward, she’s visibly teary.
That song, ‘Happy Mistake,’ was very much inspired by a time and an era in my life where… it felt like being happy would be an accident, it felt so impossible. And a lot of my decision-making for all the projects that I was taking on during this time came from a really deep, soulful attraction to wanting to help tell that story of what it feels like to be someone that’s misunderstood in that way.
Dancing With Cameras
Director of photography Marcell Rév, who also shot Gaga’s “Disease” video, created intimate cinematography throughout. Gaga described their collaborative process as instinctive rather than calculated.
It’s not the relationship where I go, ‘Oh, the camera’s here, so I’m gonna point my face like this, because that’s a good angle.’ I don’t think about it that way. It’s more like we’re doing a dance, and we’re in it together.
Michael Polansky’s Creative Partnership
Gaga’s fiancé Michael Polansky shares creative director and executive producer credits on the film. She described their working relationship as essential to maintaining artistic purity.
One of the things I love about working with Michael is that he has this closeness with me where he sees my artistry and my musicianship in its infancy, in its raw form. So whether I want to overthink it or someone else wants to overthink it, or somebody wants to come in and go, ‘What does it all mean? What’s the strategy behind it? How will we market it?,’ he will help in every possible way to make sure that the purity of it is not destroyed.
When one enthusiastic fan suggested Gaga arrive at her wedding in Volantis—her legendary 2013 flying dress—the singer laughed off the idea as simply “dangerous.”
Grammy Recognition And Future Jazz
“Harlequin” earned Gaga a Grammy nomination for best traditional pop vocal album, marking her first solo entry in the category after two wins with Bennett. Her other recent album, “Mayhem,” collected seven additional nominations heading into the February 1 ceremony.
Despite competing alone on paper, Gaga doesn’t view it that way.
I’m not in the category alone, I don’t feel, because I guess I’ll always feel like Tony is with me in the category — and also all these musicians that I’ve been making music with for the last two decades are with me.
More importantly, she confirmed what fans hoped to hear: this isn’t her final jazz record.
This project for me is a really special way to gave my fans some insight into who I want to become, as a jazz musician. This will not be my last jazz record. So it’s just exciting to keep going. And I do feel no matter where music takes me, it’s the one thing that’s pretty insatiable in me — it will never be enough.
Currently touring with her Mayhem Ball—which resumes January 21 in Osaka before wrapping at Madison Square Garden in April—Gaga continues writing new material. She’s set up recording equipment in every hotel room, capturing inspiration whenever it strikes.
Her approach has evolved from the Method immersion of her twenties to something more sustainable, allowing creative space between projects without losing intensity during performances.
Christmas Eve will finally allow the world to witness what approximately a thousand fans experienced 15 months ago at the Belasco: Gaga performing with wild abandon in a dingy apartment setting, ripping open pillows and throwing feathers, dancing frantically while maintaining perfect pitch.
All while honoring Tony Bennett, embracing her Lower East Side roots, and proving that traditional pop can still feel dangerously rebellious.
Perhaps most surprising? Gaga revealed an unexpected influence behind her evolving jazz sound: surf punk.
Late-night conversations in Las Vegas with her band members, following 1 a.m. club shows by trumpeter Brian Newman, led to fresh creative directions.
We actually found our way into ‘Harlequin,’ I think, through guitar and our shared love of surf punk. And we sort of said, ‘You know, what if we were to kind of guide some of these productions in that direction?’
This rawer aesthetic extends to wardrobe choices—one band member performs in a sleeveless tuxedo, tattoos fully visible. What would Tony Bennett think?
Tony loved ‘Artpop,’ so I know Tony would’ve gone, ‘Wow. Yeah.’ Or, someone would’ve gotten fired!
Breaking Music With Trash Cans
Co-producer Benjamin Rice witnessed Gaga’s unconventional recording methods firsthand. Her approach to reimagining Great American Songbook standards involved literal deconstruction.
When we were in the studio, I was like, ‘Ben, why don’t you bring in some trash cans and we’ll use them as a drum kit?’ It was like, what were the ways that we could kind of break the music? Because we were thinking about comic books and jazz, and how could we think about this with humor and with fun in an almost childlike way — almost immature, or, yeah, a little bit bonkers.
The Most Personal Moment
While the concert features beloved standards like “That’s Entertainment,” “That’s Life,” and “When the Saints Go Marching In,” the film’s emotional peak arrives during “Happy Mistake”—one of two original songs Gaga wrote for “Harlequin.”
Except for the opening 30 seconds, the entire performance consists of one continuous take. Cameras circle around Gaga as she delivers lyrics drawn from deeply personal experience, bangs hanging over her eyes.
Afterward, she’s visibly teary.
That song, ‘Happy Mistake,’ was very much inspired by a time and an era in my life where… it felt like being happy would be an accident, it felt so impossible. And a lot of my decision-making for all the projects that I was taking on during this time came from a really deep, soulful attraction to wanting to help tell that story of what it feels like to be someone that’s misunderstood in that way.
Dancing With Cameras
Director of photography Marcell Rév, who also shot Gaga’s “Disease” video, created intimate cinematography throughout. Gaga described their collaborative process as instinctive rather than calculated.
It’s not the relationship where I go, ‘Oh, the camera’s here, so I’m gonna point my face like this, because that’s a good angle.’ I don’t think about it that way. It’s more like we’re doing a dance, and we’re in it together.
Michael Polansky’s Creative Partnership
Gaga’s fiancé Michael Polansky shares creative director and executive producer credits on the film. She described their working relationship as essential to maintaining artistic purity.
One of the things I love about working with Michael is that he has this closeness with me where he sees my artistry and my musicianship in its infancy, in its raw form. So whether I want to overthink it or someone else wants to overthink it, or somebody wants to come in and go, ‘What does it all mean? What’s the strategy behind it? How will we market it?,’ he will help in every possible way to make sure that the purity of it is not destroyed.
When one enthusiastic fan suggested Gaga arrive at her wedding in Volantis—her legendary 2013 flying dress—the singer laughed off the idea as simply “dangerous.”
Grammy Recognition And Future Jazz
“Harlequin” earned Gaga a Grammy nomination for best traditional pop vocal album, marking her first solo entry in the category after two wins with Bennett. Her other recent album, “Mayhem,” collected seven additional nominations heading into the February 1 ceremony.
Despite competing alone on paper, Gaga doesn’t view it that way.
I’m not in the category alone, I don’t feel, because I guess I’ll always feel like Tony is with me in the category — and also all these musicians that I’ve been making music with for the last two decades are with me.
More importantly, she confirmed what fans hoped to hear: this isn’t her final jazz record.
This project for me is a really special way to gave my fans some insight into who I want to become, as a jazz musician. This will not be my last jazz record. So it’s just exciting to keep going. And I do feel no matter where music takes me, it’s the one thing that’s pretty insatiable in me — it will never be enough.
Currently touring with her Mayhem Ball—which resumes January 21 in Osaka before wrapping at Madison Square Garden in April—Gaga continues writing new material. She’s set up recording equipment in every hotel room, capturing inspiration whenever it strikes.
Her approach has evolved from the Method immersion of her twenties to something more sustainable, allowing creative space between projects without losing intensity during performances.
Christmas Eve will finally allow the world to witness what approximately a thousand fans experienced 15 months ago at the Belasco: Gaga performing with wild abandon in a dingy apartment setting, ripping open pillows and throwing feathers, dancing frantically while maintaining perfect pitch.
All while honoring Tony Bennett, embracing her Lower East Side roots, and proving that traditional pop can still feel dangerously rebellious.
Perhaps most surprising? Gaga revealed an unexpected influence behind her evolving jazz sound: surf punk.
Late-night conversations in Las Vegas with her band members, following 1 a.m. club shows by trumpeter Brian Newman, led to fresh creative directions.
We actually found our way into ‘Harlequin,’ I think, through guitar and our shared love of surf punk. And we sort of said, ‘You know, what if we were to kind of guide some of these productions in that direction?’
This rawer aesthetic extends to wardrobe choices—one band member performs in a sleeveless tuxedo, tattoos fully visible. What would Tony Bennett think?
Tony loved ‘Artpop,’ so I know Tony would’ve gone, ‘Wow. Yeah.’ Or, someone would’ve gotten fired!
Breaking Music With Trash Cans
Co-producer Benjamin Rice witnessed Gaga’s unconventional recording methods firsthand. Her approach to reimagining Great American Songbook standards involved literal deconstruction.
When we were in the studio, I was like, ‘Ben, why don’t you bring in some trash cans and we’ll use them as a drum kit?’ It was like, what were the ways that we could kind of break the music? Because we were thinking about comic books and jazz, and how could we think about this with humor and with fun in an almost childlike way — almost immature, or, yeah, a little bit bonkers.
The Most Personal Moment
While the concert features beloved standards like “That’s Entertainment,” “That’s Life,” and “When the Saints Go Marching In,” the film’s emotional peak arrives during “Happy Mistake”—one of two original songs Gaga wrote for “Harlequin.”
Except for the opening 30 seconds, the entire performance consists of one continuous take. Cameras circle around Gaga as she delivers lyrics drawn from deeply personal experience, bangs hanging over her eyes.
Afterward, she’s visibly teary.
That song, ‘Happy Mistake,’ was very much inspired by a time and an era in my life where… it felt like being happy would be an accident, it felt so impossible. And a lot of my decision-making for all the projects that I was taking on during this time came from a really deep, soulful attraction to wanting to help tell that story of what it feels like to be someone that’s misunderstood in that way.
Dancing With Cameras
Director of photography Marcell Rév, who also shot Gaga’s “Disease” video, created intimate cinematography throughout. Gaga described their collaborative process as instinctive rather than calculated.
It’s not the relationship where I go, ‘Oh, the camera’s here, so I’m gonna point my face like this, because that’s a good angle.’ I don’t think about it that way. It’s more like we’re doing a dance, and we’re in it together.
Michael Polansky’s Creative Partnership
Gaga’s fiancé Michael Polansky shares creative director and executive producer credits on the film. She described their working relationship as essential to maintaining artistic purity.
One of the things I love about working with Michael is that he has this closeness with me where he sees my artistry and my musicianship in its infancy, in its raw form. So whether I want to overthink it or someone else wants to overthink it, or somebody wants to come in and go, ‘What does it all mean? What’s the strategy behind it? How will we market it?,’ he will help in every possible way to make sure that the purity of it is not destroyed.
When one enthusiastic fan suggested Gaga arrive at her wedding in Volantis—her legendary 2013 flying dress—the singer laughed off the idea as simply “dangerous.”
Grammy Recognition And Future Jazz
“Harlequin” earned Gaga a Grammy nomination for best traditional pop vocal album, marking her first solo entry in the category after two wins with Bennett. Her other recent album, “Mayhem,” collected seven additional nominations heading into the February 1 ceremony.
Despite competing alone on paper, Gaga doesn’t view it that way.
I’m not in the category alone, I don’t feel, because I guess I’ll always feel like Tony is with me in the category — and also all these musicians that I’ve been making music with for the last two decades are with me.
More importantly, she confirmed what fans hoped to hear: this isn’t her final jazz record.
This project for me is a really special way to gave my fans some insight into who I want to become, as a jazz musician. This will not be my last jazz record. So it’s just exciting to keep going. And I do feel no matter where music takes me, it’s the one thing that’s pretty insatiable in me — it will never be enough.
Currently touring with her Mayhem Ball—which resumes January 21 in Osaka before wrapping at Madison Square Garden in April—Gaga continues writing new material. She’s set up recording equipment in every hotel room, capturing inspiration whenever it strikes.
Her approach has evolved from the Method immersion of her twenties to something more sustainable, allowing creative space between projects without losing intensity during performances.
Christmas Eve will finally allow the world to witness what approximately a thousand fans experienced 15 months ago at the Belasco: Gaga performing with wild abandon in a dingy apartment setting, ripping open pillows and throwing feathers, dancing frantically while maintaining perfect pitch.
All while honoring Tony Bennett, embracing her Lower East Side roots, and proving that traditional pop can still feel dangerously rebellious.
Gaga’s approach to these standards differs significantly from her Bennett collaborations. Where those sessions involved suits, formal presentations, and nervous energy, “Harlequin” embraced rebellion.
Surf Punk Meets Jazz Standards
Perhaps most surprising? Gaga revealed an unexpected influence behind her evolving jazz sound: surf punk.
Late-night conversations in Las Vegas with her band members, following 1 a.m. club shows by trumpeter Brian Newman, led to fresh creative directions.
We actually found our way into ‘Harlequin,’ I think, through guitar and our shared love of surf punk. And we sort of said, ‘You know, what if we were to kind of guide some of these productions in that direction?’
This rawer aesthetic extends to wardrobe choices—one band member performs in a sleeveless tuxedo, tattoos fully visible. What would Tony Bennett think?
Tony loved ‘Artpop,’ so I know Tony would’ve gone, ‘Wow. Yeah.’ Or, someone would’ve gotten fired!
Breaking Music With Trash Cans
Co-producer Benjamin Rice witnessed Gaga’s unconventional recording methods firsthand. Her approach to reimagining Great American Songbook standards involved literal deconstruction.
When we were in the studio, I was like, ‘Ben, why don’t you bring in some trash cans and we’ll use them as a drum kit?’ It was like, what were the ways that we could kind of break the music? Because we were thinking about comic books and jazz, and how could we think about this with humor and with fun in an almost childlike way — almost immature, or, yeah, a little bit bonkers.
The Most Personal Moment
While the concert features beloved standards like “That’s Entertainment,” “That’s Life,” and “When the Saints Go Marching In,” the film’s emotional peak arrives during “Happy Mistake”—one of two original songs Gaga wrote for “Harlequin.”
Except for the opening 30 seconds, the entire performance consists of one continuous take. Cameras circle around Gaga as she delivers lyrics drawn from deeply personal experience, bangs hanging over her eyes.
Afterward, she’s visibly teary.
That song, ‘Happy Mistake,’ was very much inspired by a time and an era in my life where… it felt like being happy would be an accident, it felt so impossible. And a lot of my decision-making for all the projects that I was taking on during this time came from a really deep, soulful attraction to wanting to help tell that story of what it feels like to be someone that’s misunderstood in that way.
Dancing With Cameras
Director of photography Marcell Rév, who also shot Gaga’s “Disease” video, created intimate cinematography throughout. Gaga described their collaborative process as instinctive rather than calculated.
It’s not the relationship where I go, ‘Oh, the camera’s here, so I’m gonna point my face like this, because that’s a good angle.’ I don’t think about it that way. It’s more like we’re doing a dance, and we’re in it together.
Michael Polansky’s Creative Partnership
Gaga’s fiancé Michael Polansky shares creative director and executive producer credits on the film. She described their working relationship as essential to maintaining artistic purity.
One of the things I love about working with Michael is that he has this closeness with me where he sees my artistry and my musicianship in its infancy, in its raw form. So whether I want to overthink it or someone else wants to overthink it, or somebody wants to come in and go, ‘What does it all mean? What’s the strategy behind it? How will we market it?,’ he will help in every possible way to make sure that the purity of it is not destroyed.
When one enthusiastic fan suggested Gaga arrive at her wedding in Volantis—her legendary 2013 flying dress—the singer laughed off the idea as simply “dangerous.”
Grammy Recognition And Future Jazz
“Harlequin” earned Gaga a Grammy nomination for best traditional pop vocal album, marking her first solo entry in the category after two wins with Bennett. Her other recent album, “Mayhem,” collected seven additional nominations heading into the February 1 ceremony.
Despite competing alone on paper, Gaga doesn’t view it that way.
I’m not in the category alone, I don’t feel, because I guess I’ll always feel like Tony is with me in the category — and also all these musicians that I’ve been making music with for the last two decades are with me.
More importantly, she confirmed what fans hoped to hear: this isn’t her final jazz record.
This project for me is a really special way to gave my fans some insight into who I want to become, as a jazz musician. This will not be my last jazz record. So it’s just exciting to keep going. And I do feel no matter where music takes me, it’s the one thing that’s pretty insatiable in me — it will never be enough.
Currently touring with her Mayhem Ball—which resumes January 21 in Osaka before wrapping at Madison Square Garden in April—Gaga continues writing new material. She’s set up recording equipment in every hotel room, capturing inspiration whenever it strikes.
Her approach has evolved from the Method immersion of her twenties to something more sustainable, allowing creative space between projects without losing intensity during performances.
Christmas Eve will finally allow the world to witness what approximately a thousand fans experienced 15 months ago at the Belasco: Gaga performing with wild abandon in a dingy apartment setting, ripping open pillows and throwing feathers, dancing frantically while maintaining perfect pitch.
All while honoring Tony Bennett, embracing her Lower East Side roots, and proving that traditional pop can still feel dangerously rebellious.
Gaga’s approach to these standards differs significantly from her Bennett collaborations. Where those sessions involved suits, formal presentations, and nervous energy, “Harlequin” embraced rebellion.
Surf Punk Meets Jazz Standards
Perhaps most surprising? Gaga revealed an unexpected influence behind her evolving jazz sound: surf punk.
Late-night conversations in Las Vegas with her band members, following 1 a.m. club shows by trumpeter Brian Newman, led to fresh creative directions.
We actually found our way into ‘Harlequin,’ I think, through guitar and our shared love of surf punk. And we sort of said, ‘You know, what if we were to kind of guide some of these productions in that direction?’
This rawer aesthetic extends to wardrobe choices—one band member performs in a sleeveless tuxedo, tattoos fully visible. What would Tony Bennett think?
Tony loved ‘Artpop,’ so I know Tony would’ve gone, ‘Wow. Yeah.’ Or, someone would’ve gotten fired!
Breaking Music With Trash Cans
Co-producer Benjamin Rice witnessed Gaga’s unconventional recording methods firsthand. Her approach to reimagining Great American Songbook standards involved literal deconstruction.
When we were in the studio, I was like, ‘Ben, why don’t you bring in some trash cans and we’ll use them as a drum kit?’ It was like, what were the ways that we could kind of break the music? Because we were thinking about comic books and jazz, and how could we think about this with humor and with fun in an almost childlike way — almost immature, or, yeah, a little bit bonkers.
The Most Personal Moment
While the concert features beloved standards like “That’s Entertainment,” “That’s Life,” and “When the Saints Go Marching In,” the film’s emotional peak arrives during “Happy Mistake”—one of two original songs Gaga wrote for “Harlequin.”
Except for the opening 30 seconds, the entire performance consists of one continuous take. Cameras circle around Gaga as she delivers lyrics drawn from deeply personal experience, bangs hanging over her eyes.
Afterward, she’s visibly teary.
That song, ‘Happy Mistake,’ was very much inspired by a time and an era in my life where… it felt like being happy would be an accident, it felt so impossible. And a lot of my decision-making for all the projects that I was taking on during this time came from a really deep, soulful attraction to wanting to help tell that story of what it feels like to be someone that’s misunderstood in that way.
Dancing With Cameras
Director of photography Marcell Rév, who also shot Gaga’s “Disease” video, created intimate cinematography throughout. Gaga described their collaborative process as instinctive rather than calculated.
It’s not the relationship where I go, ‘Oh, the camera’s here, so I’m gonna point my face like this, because that’s a good angle.’ I don’t think about it that way. It’s more like we’re doing a dance, and we’re in it together.
Michael Polansky’s Creative Partnership
Gaga’s fiancé Michael Polansky shares creative director and executive producer credits on the film. She described their working relationship as essential to maintaining artistic purity.
One of the things I love about working with Michael is that he has this closeness with me where he sees my artistry and my musicianship in its infancy, in its raw form. So whether I want to overthink it or someone else wants to overthink it, or somebody wants to come in and go, ‘What does it all mean? What’s the strategy behind it? How will we market it?,’ he will help in every possible way to make sure that the purity of it is not destroyed.
When one enthusiastic fan suggested Gaga arrive at her wedding in Volantis—her legendary 2013 flying dress—the singer laughed off the idea as simply “dangerous.”
Grammy Recognition And Future Jazz
“Harlequin” earned Gaga a Grammy nomination for best traditional pop vocal album, marking her first solo entry in the category after two wins with Bennett. Her other recent album, “Mayhem,” collected seven additional nominations heading into the February 1 ceremony.
Despite competing alone on paper, Gaga doesn’t view it that way.
I’m not in the category alone, I don’t feel, because I guess I’ll always feel like Tony is with me in the category — and also all these musicians that I’ve been making music with for the last two decades are with me.
More importantly, she confirmed what fans hoped to hear: this isn’t her final jazz record.
This project for me is a really special way to gave my fans some insight into who I want to become, as a jazz musician. This will not be my last jazz record. So it’s just exciting to keep going. And I do feel no matter where music takes me, it’s the one thing that’s pretty insatiable in me — it will never be enough.
Currently touring with her Mayhem Ball—which resumes January 21 in Osaka before wrapping at Madison Square Garden in April—Gaga continues writing new material. She’s set up recording equipment in every hotel room, capturing inspiration whenever it strikes.
Her approach has evolved from the Method immersion of her twenties to something more sustainable, allowing creative space between projects without losing intensity during performances.
Christmas Eve will finally allow the world to witness what approximately a thousand fans experienced 15 months ago at the Belasco: Gaga performing with wild abandon in a dingy apartment setting, ripping open pillows and throwing feathers, dancing frantically while maintaining perfect pitch.
All while honoring Tony Bennett, embracing her Lower East Side roots, and proving that traditional pop can still feel dangerously rebellious.
Though Bennett isn’t physically present, his influence permeates throughout. During the performance of “Smile,” cameras catch something touching at the foot of that dilapidated bed: a tiny black-and-white television playing repeating footage of Bennett himself.
Well, he loved ‘Smile.’ And man, could he sing it, too — Tony’s version of ‘Smile’ was my favorite, after Nat King Cole’s. So, having him there, it was one of those wild moments in a stage performance where you’re bringing in a little bit of the real world, with a little bit of a wink.
Gaga’s approach to these standards differs significantly from her Bennett collaborations. Where those sessions involved suits, formal presentations, and nervous energy, “Harlequin” embraced rebellion.
Surf Punk Meets Jazz Standards
Perhaps most surprising? Gaga revealed an unexpected influence behind her evolving jazz sound: surf punk.
Late-night conversations in Las Vegas with her band members, following 1 a.m. club shows by trumpeter Brian Newman, led to fresh creative directions.
We actually found our way into ‘Harlequin,’ I think, through guitar and our shared love of surf punk. And we sort of said, ‘You know, what if we were to kind of guide some of these productions in that direction?’
This rawer aesthetic extends to wardrobe choices—one band member performs in a sleeveless tuxedo, tattoos fully visible. What would Tony Bennett think?
Tony loved ‘Artpop,’ so I know Tony would’ve gone, ‘Wow. Yeah.’ Or, someone would’ve gotten fired!
Breaking Music With Trash Cans
Co-producer Benjamin Rice witnessed Gaga’s unconventional recording methods firsthand. Her approach to reimagining Great American Songbook standards involved literal deconstruction.
When we were in the studio, I was like, ‘Ben, why don’t you bring in some trash cans and we’ll use them as a drum kit?’ It was like, what were the ways that we could kind of break the music? Because we were thinking about comic books and jazz, and how could we think about this with humor and with fun in an almost childlike way — almost immature, or, yeah, a little bit bonkers.
The Most Personal Moment
While the concert features beloved standards like “That’s Entertainment,” “That’s Life,” and “When the Saints Go Marching In,” the film’s emotional peak arrives during “Happy Mistake”—one of two original songs Gaga wrote for “Harlequin.”
Except for the opening 30 seconds, the entire performance consists of one continuous take. Cameras circle around Gaga as she delivers lyrics drawn from deeply personal experience, bangs hanging over her eyes.
Afterward, she’s visibly teary.
That song, ‘Happy Mistake,’ was very much inspired by a time and an era in my life where… it felt like being happy would be an accident, it felt so impossible. And a lot of my decision-making for all the projects that I was taking on during this time came from a really deep, soulful attraction to wanting to help tell that story of what it feels like to be someone that’s misunderstood in that way.
Dancing With Cameras
Director of photography Marcell Rév, who also shot Gaga’s “Disease” video, created intimate cinematography throughout. Gaga described their collaborative process as instinctive rather than calculated.
It’s not the relationship where I go, ‘Oh, the camera’s here, so I’m gonna point my face like this, because that’s a good angle.’ I don’t think about it that way. It’s more like we’re doing a dance, and we’re in it together.
Michael Polansky’s Creative Partnership
Gaga’s fiancé Michael Polansky shares creative director and executive producer credits on the film. She described their working relationship as essential to maintaining artistic purity.
One of the things I love about working with Michael is that he has this closeness with me where he sees my artistry and my musicianship in its infancy, in its raw form. So whether I want to overthink it or someone else wants to overthink it, or somebody wants to come in and go, ‘What does it all mean? What’s the strategy behind it? How will we market it?,’ he will help in every possible way to make sure that the purity of it is not destroyed.
When one enthusiastic fan suggested Gaga arrive at her wedding in Volantis—her legendary 2013 flying dress—the singer laughed off the idea as simply “dangerous.”
Grammy Recognition And Future Jazz
“Harlequin” earned Gaga a Grammy nomination for best traditional pop vocal album, marking her first solo entry in the category after two wins with Bennett. Her other recent album, “Mayhem,” collected seven additional nominations heading into the February 1 ceremony.
Despite competing alone on paper, Gaga doesn’t view it that way.
I’m not in the category alone, I don’t feel, because I guess I’ll always feel like Tony is with me in the category — and also all these musicians that I’ve been making music with for the last two decades are with me.
More importantly, she confirmed what fans hoped to hear: this isn’t her final jazz record.
This project for me is a really special way to gave my fans some insight into who I want to become, as a jazz musician. This will not be my last jazz record. So it’s just exciting to keep going. And I do feel no matter where music takes me, it’s the one thing that’s pretty insatiable in me — it will never be enough.
Currently touring with her Mayhem Ball—which resumes January 21 in Osaka before wrapping at Madison Square Garden in April—Gaga continues writing new material. She’s set up recording equipment in every hotel room, capturing inspiration whenever it strikes.
Her approach has evolved from the Method immersion of her twenties to something more sustainable, allowing creative space between projects without losing intensity during performances.
Christmas Eve will finally allow the world to witness what approximately a thousand fans experienced 15 months ago at the Belasco: Gaga performing with wild abandon in a dingy apartment setting, ripping open pillows and throwing feathers, dancing frantically while maintaining perfect pitch.
All while honoring Tony Bennett, embracing her Lower East Side roots, and proving that traditional pop can still feel dangerously rebellious.
Though Bennett isn’t physically present, his influence permeates throughout. During the performance of “Smile,” cameras catch something touching at the foot of that dilapidated bed: a tiny black-and-white television playing repeating footage of Bennett himself.
Well, he loved ‘Smile.’ And man, could he sing it, too — Tony’s version of ‘Smile’ was my favorite, after Nat King Cole’s. So, having him there, it was one of those wild moments in a stage performance where you’re bringing in a little bit of the real world, with a little bit of a wink.
Gaga’s approach to these standards differs significantly from her Bennett collaborations. Where those sessions involved suits, formal presentations, and nervous energy, “Harlequin” embraced rebellion.
Surf Punk Meets Jazz Standards
Perhaps most surprising? Gaga revealed an unexpected influence behind her evolving jazz sound: surf punk.
Late-night conversations in Las Vegas with her band members, following 1 a.m. club shows by trumpeter Brian Newman, led to fresh creative directions.
We actually found our way into ‘Harlequin,’ I think, through guitar and our shared love of surf punk. And we sort of said, ‘You know, what if we were to kind of guide some of these productions in that direction?’
This rawer aesthetic extends to wardrobe choices—one band member performs in a sleeveless tuxedo, tattoos fully visible. What would Tony Bennett think?
Tony loved ‘Artpop,’ so I know Tony would’ve gone, ‘Wow. Yeah.’ Or, someone would’ve gotten fired!
Breaking Music With Trash Cans
Co-producer Benjamin Rice witnessed Gaga’s unconventional recording methods firsthand. Her approach to reimagining Great American Songbook standards involved literal deconstruction.
When we were in the studio, I was like, ‘Ben, why don’t you bring in some trash cans and we’ll use them as a drum kit?’ It was like, what were the ways that we could kind of break the music? Because we were thinking about comic books and jazz, and how could we think about this with humor and with fun in an almost childlike way — almost immature, or, yeah, a little bit bonkers.
The Most Personal Moment
While the concert features beloved standards like “That’s Entertainment,” “That’s Life,” and “When the Saints Go Marching In,” the film’s emotional peak arrives during “Happy Mistake”—one of two original songs Gaga wrote for “Harlequin.”
Except for the opening 30 seconds, the entire performance consists of one continuous take. Cameras circle around Gaga as she delivers lyrics drawn from deeply personal experience, bangs hanging over her eyes.
Afterward, she’s visibly teary.
That song, ‘Happy Mistake,’ was very much inspired by a time and an era in my life where… it felt like being happy would be an accident, it felt so impossible. And a lot of my decision-making for all the projects that I was taking on during this time came from a really deep, soulful attraction to wanting to help tell that story of what it feels like to be someone that’s misunderstood in that way.
Dancing With Cameras
Director of photography Marcell Rév, who also shot Gaga’s “Disease” video, created intimate cinematography throughout. Gaga described their collaborative process as instinctive rather than calculated.
It’s not the relationship where I go, ‘Oh, the camera’s here, so I’m gonna point my face like this, because that’s a good angle.’ I don’t think about it that way. It’s more like we’re doing a dance, and we’re in it together.
Michael Polansky’s Creative Partnership
Gaga’s fiancé Michael Polansky shares creative director and executive producer credits on the film. She described their working relationship as essential to maintaining artistic purity.
One of the things I love about working with Michael is that he has this closeness with me where he sees my artistry and my musicianship in its infancy, in its raw form. So whether I want to overthink it or someone else wants to overthink it, or somebody wants to come in and go, ‘What does it all mean? What’s the strategy behind it? How will we market it?,’ he will help in every possible way to make sure that the purity of it is not destroyed.
When one enthusiastic fan suggested Gaga arrive at her wedding in Volantis—her legendary 2013 flying dress—the singer laughed off the idea as simply “dangerous.”
Grammy Recognition And Future Jazz
“Harlequin” earned Gaga a Grammy nomination for best traditional pop vocal album, marking her first solo entry in the category after two wins with Bennett. Her other recent album, “Mayhem,” collected seven additional nominations heading into the February 1 ceremony.
Despite competing alone on paper, Gaga doesn’t view it that way.
I’m not in the category alone, I don’t feel, because I guess I’ll always feel like Tony is with me in the category — and also all these musicians that I’ve been making music with for the last two decades are with me.
More importantly, she confirmed what fans hoped to hear: this isn’t her final jazz record.
This project for me is a really special way to gave my fans some insight into who I want to become, as a jazz musician. This will not be my last jazz record. So it’s just exciting to keep going. And I do feel no matter where music takes me, it’s the one thing that’s pretty insatiable in me — it will never be enough.
Currently touring with her Mayhem Ball—which resumes January 21 in Osaka before wrapping at Madison Square Garden in April—Gaga continues writing new material. She’s set up recording equipment in every hotel room, capturing inspiration whenever it strikes.
Her approach has evolved from the Method immersion of her twenties to something more sustainable, allowing creative space between projects without losing intensity during performances.
Christmas Eve will finally allow the world to witness what approximately a thousand fans experienced 15 months ago at the Belasco: Gaga performing with wild abandon in a dingy apartment setting, ripping open pillows and throwing feathers, dancing frantically while maintaining perfect pitch.
All while honoring Tony Bennett, embracing her Lower East Side roots, and proving that traditional pop can still feel dangerously rebellious.
This aesthetic wasn’t random—it connected directly to Gaga’s origins as an artist.
When I met the guys that I made the record with, some of them 20 years ago, I was living in a dingy apartment on the Lower East Side. That’s where I had all my crazy ideas about anything. So that’s how the emotional and raw quality of how we made it made its way into this performance.
Tony Bennett’s Spirit Lives On
Though Bennett isn’t physically present, his influence permeates throughout. During the performance of “Smile,” cameras catch something touching at the foot of that dilapidated bed: a tiny black-and-white television playing repeating footage of Bennett himself.
Well, he loved ‘Smile.’ And man, could he sing it, too — Tony’s version of ‘Smile’ was my favorite, after Nat King Cole’s. So, having him there, it was one of those wild moments in a stage performance where you’re bringing in a little bit of the real world, with a little bit of a wink.
Gaga’s approach to these standards differs significantly from her Bennett collaborations. Where those sessions involved suits, formal presentations, and nervous energy, “Harlequin” embraced rebellion.
Surf Punk Meets Jazz Standards
Perhaps most surprising? Gaga revealed an unexpected influence behind her evolving jazz sound: surf punk.
Late-night conversations in Las Vegas with her band members, following 1 a.m. club shows by trumpeter Brian Newman, led to fresh creative directions.
We actually found our way into ‘Harlequin,’ I think, through guitar and our shared love of surf punk. And we sort of said, ‘You know, what if we were to kind of guide some of these productions in that direction?’
This rawer aesthetic extends to wardrobe choices—one band member performs in a sleeveless tuxedo, tattoos fully visible. What would Tony Bennett think?
Tony loved ‘Artpop,’ so I know Tony would’ve gone, ‘Wow. Yeah.’ Or, someone would’ve gotten fired!
Breaking Music With Trash Cans
Co-producer Benjamin Rice witnessed Gaga’s unconventional recording methods firsthand. Her approach to reimagining Great American Songbook standards involved literal deconstruction.
When we were in the studio, I was like, ‘Ben, why don’t you bring in some trash cans and we’ll use them as a drum kit?’ It was like, what were the ways that we could kind of break the music? Because we were thinking about comic books and jazz, and how could we think about this with humor and with fun in an almost childlike way — almost immature, or, yeah, a little bit bonkers.
The Most Personal Moment
While the concert features beloved standards like “That’s Entertainment,” “That’s Life,” and “When the Saints Go Marching In,” the film’s emotional peak arrives during “Happy Mistake”—one of two original songs Gaga wrote for “Harlequin.”
Except for the opening 30 seconds, the entire performance consists of one continuous take. Cameras circle around Gaga as she delivers lyrics drawn from deeply personal experience, bangs hanging over her eyes.
Afterward, she’s visibly teary.
That song, ‘Happy Mistake,’ was very much inspired by a time and an era in my life where… it felt like being happy would be an accident, it felt so impossible. And a lot of my decision-making for all the projects that I was taking on during this time came from a really deep, soulful attraction to wanting to help tell that story of what it feels like to be someone that’s misunderstood in that way.
Dancing With Cameras
Director of photography Marcell Rév, who also shot Gaga’s “Disease” video, created intimate cinematography throughout. Gaga described their collaborative process as instinctive rather than calculated.
It’s not the relationship where I go, ‘Oh, the camera’s here, so I’m gonna point my face like this, because that’s a good angle.’ I don’t think about it that way. It’s more like we’re doing a dance, and we’re in it together.
Michael Polansky’s Creative Partnership
Gaga’s fiancé Michael Polansky shares creative director and executive producer credits on the film. She described their working relationship as essential to maintaining artistic purity.
One of the things I love about working with Michael is that he has this closeness with me where he sees my artistry and my musicianship in its infancy, in its raw form. So whether I want to overthink it or someone else wants to overthink it, or somebody wants to come in and go, ‘What does it all mean? What’s the strategy behind it? How will we market it?,’ he will help in every possible way to make sure that the purity of it is not destroyed.
When one enthusiastic fan suggested Gaga arrive at her wedding in Volantis—her legendary 2013 flying dress—the singer laughed off the idea as simply “dangerous.”
Grammy Recognition And Future Jazz
“Harlequin” earned Gaga a Grammy nomination for best traditional pop vocal album, marking her first solo entry in the category after two wins with Bennett. Her other recent album, “Mayhem,” collected seven additional nominations heading into the February 1 ceremony.
Despite competing alone on paper, Gaga doesn’t view it that way.
I’m not in the category alone, I don’t feel, because I guess I’ll always feel like Tony is with me in the category — and also all these musicians that I’ve been making music with for the last two decades are with me.
More importantly, she confirmed what fans hoped to hear: this isn’t her final jazz record.
This project for me is a really special way to gave my fans some insight into who I want to become, as a jazz musician. This will not be my last jazz record. So it’s just exciting to keep going. And I do feel no matter where music takes me, it’s the one thing that’s pretty insatiable in me — it will never be enough.
Currently touring with her Mayhem Ball—which resumes January 21 in Osaka before wrapping at Madison Square Garden in April—Gaga continues writing new material. She’s set up recording equipment in every hotel room, capturing inspiration whenever it strikes.
Her approach has evolved from the Method immersion of her twenties to something more sustainable, allowing creative space between projects without losing intensity during performances.
Christmas Eve will finally allow the world to witness what approximately a thousand fans experienced 15 months ago at the Belasco: Gaga performing with wild abandon in a dingy apartment setting, ripping open pillows and throwing feathers, dancing frantically while maintaining perfect pitch.
All while honoring Tony Bennett, embracing her Lower East Side roots, and proving that traditional pop can still feel dangerously rebellious.
This aesthetic wasn’t random—it connected directly to Gaga’s origins as an artist.
When I met the guys that I made the record with, some of them 20 years ago, I was living in a dingy apartment on the Lower East Side. That’s where I had all my crazy ideas about anything. So that’s how the emotional and raw quality of how we made it made its way into this performance.
Tony Bennett’s Spirit Lives On
Though Bennett isn’t physically present, his influence permeates throughout. During the performance of “Smile,” cameras catch something touching at the foot of that dilapidated bed: a tiny black-and-white television playing repeating footage of Bennett himself.
Well, he loved ‘Smile.’ And man, could he sing it, too — Tony’s version of ‘Smile’ was my favorite, after Nat King Cole’s. So, having him there, it was one of those wild moments in a stage performance where you’re bringing in a little bit of the real world, with a little bit of a wink.
Gaga’s approach to these standards differs significantly from her Bennett collaborations. Where those sessions involved suits, formal presentations, and nervous energy, “Harlequin” embraced rebellion.
Surf Punk Meets Jazz Standards
Perhaps most surprising? Gaga revealed an unexpected influence behind her evolving jazz sound: surf punk.
Late-night conversations in Las Vegas with her band members, following 1 a.m. club shows by trumpeter Brian Newman, led to fresh creative directions.
We actually found our way into ‘Harlequin,’ I think, through guitar and our shared love of surf punk. And we sort of said, ‘You know, what if we were to kind of guide some of these productions in that direction?’
This rawer aesthetic extends to wardrobe choices—one band member performs in a sleeveless tuxedo, tattoos fully visible. What would Tony Bennett think?
Tony loved ‘Artpop,’ so I know Tony would’ve gone, ‘Wow. Yeah.’ Or, someone would’ve gotten fired!
Breaking Music With Trash Cans
Co-producer Benjamin Rice witnessed Gaga’s unconventional recording methods firsthand. Her approach to reimagining Great American Songbook standards involved literal deconstruction.
When we were in the studio, I was like, ‘Ben, why don’t you bring in some trash cans and we’ll use them as a drum kit?’ It was like, what were the ways that we could kind of break the music? Because we were thinking about comic books and jazz, and how could we think about this with humor and with fun in an almost childlike way — almost immature, or, yeah, a little bit bonkers.
The Most Personal Moment
While the concert features beloved standards like “That’s Entertainment,” “That’s Life,” and “When the Saints Go Marching In,” the film’s emotional peak arrives during “Happy Mistake”—one of two original songs Gaga wrote for “Harlequin.”
Except for the opening 30 seconds, the entire performance consists of one continuous take. Cameras circle around Gaga as she delivers lyrics drawn from deeply personal experience, bangs hanging over her eyes.
Afterward, she’s visibly teary.
That song, ‘Happy Mistake,’ was very much inspired by a time and an era in my life where… it felt like being happy would be an accident, it felt so impossible. And a lot of my decision-making for all the projects that I was taking on during this time came from a really deep, soulful attraction to wanting to help tell that story of what it feels like to be someone that’s misunderstood in that way.
Dancing With Cameras
Director of photography Marcell Rév, who also shot Gaga’s “Disease” video, created intimate cinematography throughout. Gaga described their collaborative process as instinctive rather than calculated.
It’s not the relationship where I go, ‘Oh, the camera’s here, so I’m gonna point my face like this, because that’s a good angle.’ I don’t think about it that way. It’s more like we’re doing a dance, and we’re in it together.
Michael Polansky’s Creative Partnership
Gaga’s fiancé Michael Polansky shares creative director and executive producer credits on the film. She described their working relationship as essential to maintaining artistic purity.
One of the things I love about working with Michael is that he has this closeness with me where he sees my artistry and my musicianship in its infancy, in its raw form. So whether I want to overthink it or someone else wants to overthink it, or somebody wants to come in and go, ‘What does it all mean? What’s the strategy behind it? How will we market it?,’ he will help in every possible way to make sure that the purity of it is not destroyed.
When one enthusiastic fan suggested Gaga arrive at her wedding in Volantis—her legendary 2013 flying dress—the singer laughed off the idea as simply “dangerous.”
Grammy Recognition And Future Jazz
“Harlequin” earned Gaga a Grammy nomination for best traditional pop vocal album, marking her first solo entry in the category after two wins with Bennett. Her other recent album, “Mayhem,” collected seven additional nominations heading into the February 1 ceremony.
Despite competing alone on paper, Gaga doesn’t view it that way.
I’m not in the category alone, I don’t feel, because I guess I’ll always feel like Tony is with me in the category — and also all these musicians that I’ve been making music with for the last two decades are with me.
More importantly, she confirmed what fans hoped to hear: this isn’t her final jazz record.
This project for me is a really special way to gave my fans some insight into who I want to become, as a jazz musician. This will not be my last jazz record. So it’s just exciting to keep going. And I do feel no matter where music takes me, it’s the one thing that’s pretty insatiable in me — it will never be enough.
Currently touring with her Mayhem Ball—which resumes January 21 in Osaka before wrapping at Madison Square Garden in April—Gaga continues writing new material. She’s set up recording equipment in every hotel room, capturing inspiration whenever it strikes.
Her approach has evolved from the Method immersion of her twenties to something more sustainable, allowing creative space between projects without losing intensity during performances.
Christmas Eve will finally allow the world to witness what approximately a thousand fans experienced 15 months ago at the Belasco: Gaga performing with wild abandon in a dingy apartment setting, ripping open pillows and throwing feathers, dancing frantically while maintaining perfect pitch.
All while honoring Tony Bennett, embracing her Lower East Side roots, and proving that traditional pop can still feel dangerously rebellious.
Gaga and her six-piece band perform in what appears to be a disheveled apartment. Crooked window blinds hang at awkward angles. An unmade mattress sits directly on the floor. Everything feels messy, shadowy, lived-in.
This aesthetic wasn’t random—it connected directly to Gaga’s origins as an artist.
When I met the guys that I made the record with, some of them 20 years ago, I was living in a dingy apartment on the Lower East Side. That’s where I had all my crazy ideas about anything. So that’s how the emotional and raw quality of how we made it made its way into this performance.
Tony Bennett’s Spirit Lives On
Though Bennett isn’t physically present, his influence permeates throughout. During the performance of “Smile,” cameras catch something touching at the foot of that dilapidated bed: a tiny black-and-white television playing repeating footage of Bennett himself.
Well, he loved ‘Smile.’ And man, could he sing it, too — Tony’s version of ‘Smile’ was my favorite, after Nat King Cole’s. So, having him there, it was one of those wild moments in a stage performance where you’re bringing in a little bit of the real world, with a little bit of a wink.
Gaga’s approach to these standards differs significantly from her Bennett collaborations. Where those sessions involved suits, formal presentations, and nervous energy, “Harlequin” embraced rebellion.
Surf Punk Meets Jazz Standards
Perhaps most surprising? Gaga revealed an unexpected influence behind her evolving jazz sound: surf punk.
Late-night conversations in Las Vegas with her band members, following 1 a.m. club shows by trumpeter Brian Newman, led to fresh creative directions.
We actually found our way into ‘Harlequin,’ I think, through guitar and our shared love of surf punk. And we sort of said, ‘You know, what if we were to kind of guide some of these productions in that direction?’
This rawer aesthetic extends to wardrobe choices—one band member performs in a sleeveless tuxedo, tattoos fully visible. What would Tony Bennett think?
Tony loved ‘Artpop,’ so I know Tony would’ve gone, ‘Wow. Yeah.’ Or, someone would’ve gotten fired!
Breaking Music With Trash Cans
Co-producer Benjamin Rice witnessed Gaga’s unconventional recording methods firsthand. Her approach to reimagining Great American Songbook standards involved literal deconstruction.
When we were in the studio, I was like, ‘Ben, why don’t you bring in some trash cans and we’ll use them as a drum kit?’ It was like, what were the ways that we could kind of break the music? Because we were thinking about comic books and jazz, and how could we think about this with humor and with fun in an almost childlike way — almost immature, or, yeah, a little bit bonkers.
The Most Personal Moment
While the concert features beloved standards like “That’s Entertainment,” “That’s Life,” and “When the Saints Go Marching In,” the film’s emotional peak arrives during “Happy Mistake”—one of two original songs Gaga wrote for “Harlequin.”
Except for the opening 30 seconds, the entire performance consists of one continuous take. Cameras circle around Gaga as she delivers lyrics drawn from deeply personal experience, bangs hanging over her eyes.
Afterward, she’s visibly teary.
That song, ‘Happy Mistake,’ was very much inspired by a time and an era in my life where… it felt like being happy would be an accident, it felt so impossible. And a lot of my decision-making for all the projects that I was taking on during this time came from a really deep, soulful attraction to wanting to help tell that story of what it feels like to be someone that’s misunderstood in that way.
Dancing With Cameras
Director of photography Marcell Rév, who also shot Gaga’s “Disease” video, created intimate cinematography throughout. Gaga described their collaborative process as instinctive rather than calculated.
It’s not the relationship where I go, ‘Oh, the camera’s here, so I’m gonna point my face like this, because that’s a good angle.’ I don’t think about it that way. It’s more like we’re doing a dance, and we’re in it together.
Michael Polansky’s Creative Partnership
Gaga’s fiancé Michael Polansky shares creative director and executive producer credits on the film. She described their working relationship as essential to maintaining artistic purity.
One of the things I love about working with Michael is that he has this closeness with me where he sees my artistry and my musicianship in its infancy, in its raw form. So whether I want to overthink it or someone else wants to overthink it, or somebody wants to come in and go, ‘What does it all mean? What’s the strategy behind it? How will we market it?,’ he will help in every possible way to make sure that the purity of it is not destroyed.
When one enthusiastic fan suggested Gaga arrive at her wedding in Volantis—her legendary 2013 flying dress—the singer laughed off the idea as simply “dangerous.”
Grammy Recognition And Future Jazz
“Harlequin” earned Gaga a Grammy nomination for best traditional pop vocal album, marking her first solo entry in the category after two wins with Bennett. Her other recent album, “Mayhem,” collected seven additional nominations heading into the February 1 ceremony.
Despite competing alone on paper, Gaga doesn’t view it that way.
I’m not in the category alone, I don’t feel, because I guess I’ll always feel like Tony is with me in the category — and also all these musicians that I’ve been making music with for the last two decades are with me.
More importantly, she confirmed what fans hoped to hear: this isn’t her final jazz record.
This project for me is a really special way to gave my fans some insight into who I want to become, as a jazz musician. This will not be my last jazz record. So it’s just exciting to keep going. And I do feel no matter where music takes me, it’s the one thing that’s pretty insatiable in me — it will never be enough.
Currently touring with her Mayhem Ball—which resumes January 21 in Osaka before wrapping at Madison Square Garden in April—Gaga continues writing new material. She’s set up recording equipment in every hotel room, capturing inspiration whenever it strikes.
Her approach has evolved from the Method immersion of her twenties to something more sustainable, allowing creative space between projects without losing intensity during performances.
Christmas Eve will finally allow the world to witness what approximately a thousand fans experienced 15 months ago at the Belasco: Gaga performing with wild abandon in a dingy apartment setting, ripping open pillows and throwing feathers, dancing frantically while maintaining perfect pitch.
All while honoring Tony Bennett, embracing her Lower East Side roots, and proving that traditional pop can still feel dangerously rebellious.
Gaga and her six-piece band perform in what appears to be a disheveled apartment. Crooked window blinds hang at awkward angles. An unmade mattress sits directly on the floor. Everything feels messy, shadowy, lived-in.
This aesthetic wasn’t random—it connected directly to Gaga’s origins as an artist.
When I met the guys that I made the record with, some of them 20 years ago, I was living in a dingy apartment on the Lower East Side. That’s where I had all my crazy ideas about anything. So that’s how the emotional and raw quality of how we made it made its way into this performance.
Tony Bennett’s Spirit Lives On
Though Bennett isn’t physically present, his influence permeates throughout. During the performance of “Smile,” cameras catch something touching at the foot of that dilapidated bed: a tiny black-and-white television playing repeating footage of Bennett himself.
Well, he loved ‘Smile.’ And man, could he sing it, too — Tony’s version of ‘Smile’ was my favorite, after Nat King Cole’s. So, having him there, it was one of those wild moments in a stage performance where you’re bringing in a little bit of the real world, with a little bit of a wink.
Gaga’s approach to these standards differs significantly from her Bennett collaborations. Where those sessions involved suits, formal presentations, and nervous energy, “Harlequin” embraced rebellion.
Surf Punk Meets Jazz Standards
Perhaps most surprising? Gaga revealed an unexpected influence behind her evolving jazz sound: surf punk.
Late-night conversations in Las Vegas with her band members, following 1 a.m. club shows by trumpeter Brian Newman, led to fresh creative directions.
We actually found our way into ‘Harlequin,’ I think, through guitar and our shared love of surf punk. And we sort of said, ‘You know, what if we were to kind of guide some of these productions in that direction?’
This rawer aesthetic extends to wardrobe choices—one band member performs in a sleeveless tuxedo, tattoos fully visible. What would Tony Bennett think?
Tony loved ‘Artpop,’ so I know Tony would’ve gone, ‘Wow. Yeah.’ Or, someone would’ve gotten fired!
Breaking Music With Trash Cans
Co-producer Benjamin Rice witnessed Gaga’s unconventional recording methods firsthand. Her approach to reimagining Great American Songbook standards involved literal deconstruction.
When we were in the studio, I was like, ‘Ben, why don’t you bring in some trash cans and we’ll use them as a drum kit?’ It was like, what were the ways that we could kind of break the music? Because we were thinking about comic books and jazz, and how could we think about this with humor and with fun in an almost childlike way — almost immature, or, yeah, a little bit bonkers.
The Most Personal Moment
While the concert features beloved standards like “That’s Entertainment,” “That’s Life,” and “When the Saints Go Marching In,” the film’s emotional peak arrives during “Happy Mistake”—one of two original songs Gaga wrote for “Harlequin.”
Except for the opening 30 seconds, the entire performance consists of one continuous take. Cameras circle around Gaga as she delivers lyrics drawn from deeply personal experience, bangs hanging over her eyes.
Afterward, she’s visibly teary.
That song, ‘Happy Mistake,’ was very much inspired by a time and an era in my life where… it felt like being happy would be an accident, it felt so impossible. And a lot of my decision-making for all the projects that I was taking on during this time came from a really deep, soulful attraction to wanting to help tell that story of what it feels like to be someone that’s misunderstood in that way.
Dancing With Cameras
Director of photography Marcell Rév, who also shot Gaga’s “Disease” video, created intimate cinematography throughout. Gaga described their collaborative process as instinctive rather than calculated.
It’s not the relationship where I go, ‘Oh, the camera’s here, so I’m gonna point my face like this, because that’s a good angle.’ I don’t think about it that way. It’s more like we’re doing a dance, and we’re in it together.
Michael Polansky’s Creative Partnership
Gaga’s fiancé Michael Polansky shares creative director and executive producer credits on the film. She described their working relationship as essential to maintaining artistic purity.
One of the things I love about working with Michael is that he has this closeness with me where he sees my artistry and my musicianship in its infancy, in its raw form. So whether I want to overthink it or someone else wants to overthink it, or somebody wants to come in and go, ‘What does it all mean? What’s the strategy behind it? How will we market it?,’ he will help in every possible way to make sure that the purity of it is not destroyed.
When one enthusiastic fan suggested Gaga arrive at her wedding in Volantis—her legendary 2013 flying dress—the singer laughed off the idea as simply “dangerous.”
Grammy Recognition And Future Jazz
“Harlequin” earned Gaga a Grammy nomination for best traditional pop vocal album, marking her first solo entry in the category after two wins with Bennett. Her other recent album, “Mayhem,” collected seven additional nominations heading into the February 1 ceremony.
Despite competing alone on paper, Gaga doesn’t view it that way.
I’m not in the category alone, I don’t feel, because I guess I’ll always feel like Tony is with me in the category — and also all these musicians that I’ve been making music with for the last two decades are with me.
More importantly, she confirmed what fans hoped to hear: this isn’t her final jazz record.
This project for me is a really special way to gave my fans some insight into who I want to become, as a jazz musician. This will not be my last jazz record. So it’s just exciting to keep going. And I do feel no matter where music takes me, it’s the one thing that’s pretty insatiable in me — it will never be enough.
Currently touring with her Mayhem Ball—which resumes January 21 in Osaka before wrapping at Madison Square Garden in April—Gaga continues writing new material. She’s set up recording equipment in every hotel room, capturing inspiration whenever it strikes.
Her approach has evolved from the Method immersion of her twenties to something more sustainable, allowing creative space between projects without losing intensity during performances.
Christmas Eve will finally allow the world to witness what approximately a thousand fans experienced 15 months ago at the Belasco: Gaga performing with wild abandon in a dingy apartment setting, ripping open pillows and throwing feathers, dancing frantically while maintaining perfect pitch.
All while honoring Tony Bennett, embracing her Lower East Side roots, and proving that traditional pop can still feel dangerously rebellious.
The film’s production design defies everything audiences might expect from traditional jazz performances. Rather than elegant sets reminiscent of her Tony Bennett collaborations or Vegas “Jazz & Piano” residency, viewers will see something dramatically different.
Gaga and her six-piece band perform in what appears to be a disheveled apartment. Crooked window blinds hang at awkward angles. An unmade mattress sits directly on the floor. Everything feels messy, shadowy, lived-in.
This aesthetic wasn’t random—it connected directly to Gaga’s origins as an artist.
When I met the guys that I made the record with, some of them 20 years ago, I was living in a dingy apartment on the Lower East Side. That’s where I had all my crazy ideas about anything. So that’s how the emotional and raw quality of how we made it made its way into this performance.
Tony Bennett’s Spirit Lives On
Though Bennett isn’t physically present, his influence permeates throughout. During the performance of “Smile,” cameras catch something touching at the foot of that dilapidated bed: a tiny black-and-white television playing repeating footage of Bennett himself.
Well, he loved ‘Smile.’ And man, could he sing it, too — Tony’s version of ‘Smile’ was my favorite, after Nat King Cole’s. So, having him there, it was one of those wild moments in a stage performance where you’re bringing in a little bit of the real world, with a little bit of a wink.
Gaga’s approach to these standards differs significantly from her Bennett collaborations. Where those sessions involved suits, formal presentations, and nervous energy, “Harlequin” embraced rebellion.
Surf Punk Meets Jazz Standards
Perhaps most surprising? Gaga revealed an unexpected influence behind her evolving jazz sound: surf punk.
Late-night conversations in Las Vegas with her band members, following 1 a.m. club shows by trumpeter Brian Newman, led to fresh creative directions.
We actually found our way into ‘Harlequin,’ I think, through guitar and our shared love of surf punk. And we sort of said, ‘You know, what if we were to kind of guide some of these productions in that direction?’
This rawer aesthetic extends to wardrobe choices—one band member performs in a sleeveless tuxedo, tattoos fully visible. What would Tony Bennett think?
Tony loved ‘Artpop,’ so I know Tony would’ve gone, ‘Wow. Yeah.’ Or, someone would’ve gotten fired!
Breaking Music With Trash Cans
Co-producer Benjamin Rice witnessed Gaga’s unconventional recording methods firsthand. Her approach to reimagining Great American Songbook standards involved literal deconstruction.
When we were in the studio, I was like, ‘Ben, why don’t you bring in some trash cans and we’ll use them as a drum kit?’ It was like, what were the ways that we could kind of break the music? Because we were thinking about comic books and jazz, and how could we think about this with humor and with fun in an almost childlike way — almost immature, or, yeah, a little bit bonkers.
The Most Personal Moment
While the concert features beloved standards like “That’s Entertainment,” “That’s Life,” and “When the Saints Go Marching In,” the film’s emotional peak arrives during “Happy Mistake”—one of two original songs Gaga wrote for “Harlequin.”
Except for the opening 30 seconds, the entire performance consists of one continuous take. Cameras circle around Gaga as she delivers lyrics drawn from deeply personal experience, bangs hanging over her eyes.
Afterward, she’s visibly teary.
That song, ‘Happy Mistake,’ was very much inspired by a time and an era in my life where… it felt like being happy would be an accident, it felt so impossible. And a lot of my decision-making for all the projects that I was taking on during this time came from a really deep, soulful attraction to wanting to help tell that story of what it feels like to be someone that’s misunderstood in that way.
Dancing With Cameras
Director of photography Marcell Rév, who also shot Gaga’s “Disease” video, created intimate cinematography throughout. Gaga described their collaborative process as instinctive rather than calculated.
It’s not the relationship where I go, ‘Oh, the camera’s here, so I’m gonna point my face like this, because that’s a good angle.’ I don’t think about it that way. It’s more like we’re doing a dance, and we’re in it together.
Michael Polansky’s Creative Partnership
Gaga’s fiancé Michael Polansky shares creative director and executive producer credits on the film. She described their working relationship as essential to maintaining artistic purity.
One of the things I love about working with Michael is that he has this closeness with me where he sees my artistry and my musicianship in its infancy, in its raw form. So whether I want to overthink it or someone else wants to overthink it, or somebody wants to come in and go, ‘What does it all mean? What’s the strategy behind it? How will we market it?,’ he will help in every possible way to make sure that the purity of it is not destroyed.
When one enthusiastic fan suggested Gaga arrive at her wedding in Volantis—her legendary 2013 flying dress—the singer laughed off the idea as simply “dangerous.”
Grammy Recognition And Future Jazz
“Harlequin” earned Gaga a Grammy nomination for best traditional pop vocal album, marking her first solo entry in the category after two wins with Bennett. Her other recent album, “Mayhem,” collected seven additional nominations heading into the February 1 ceremony.
Despite competing alone on paper, Gaga doesn’t view it that way.
I’m not in the category alone, I don’t feel, because I guess I’ll always feel like Tony is with me in the category — and also all these musicians that I’ve been making music with for the last two decades are with me.
More importantly, she confirmed what fans hoped to hear: this isn’t her final jazz record.
This project for me is a really special way to gave my fans some insight into who I want to become, as a jazz musician. This will not be my last jazz record. So it’s just exciting to keep going. And I do feel no matter where music takes me, it’s the one thing that’s pretty insatiable in me — it will never be enough.
Currently touring with her Mayhem Ball—which resumes January 21 in Osaka before wrapping at Madison Square Garden in April—Gaga continues writing new material. She’s set up recording equipment in every hotel room, capturing inspiration whenever it strikes.
Her approach has evolved from the Method immersion of her twenties to something more sustainable, allowing creative space between projects without losing intensity during performances.
Christmas Eve will finally allow the world to witness what approximately a thousand fans experienced 15 months ago at the Belasco: Gaga performing with wild abandon in a dingy apartment setting, ripping open pillows and throwing feathers, dancing frantically while maintaining perfect pitch.
All while honoring Tony Bennett, embracing her Lower East Side roots, and proving that traditional pop can still feel dangerously rebellious.
The film’s production design defies everything audiences might expect from traditional jazz performances. Rather than elegant sets reminiscent of her Tony Bennett collaborations or Vegas “Jazz & Piano” residency, viewers will see something dramatically different.
Gaga and her six-piece band perform in what appears to be a disheveled apartment. Crooked window blinds hang at awkward angles. An unmade mattress sits directly on the floor. Everything feels messy, shadowy, lived-in.
This aesthetic wasn’t random—it connected directly to Gaga’s origins as an artist.
When I met the guys that I made the record with, some of them 20 years ago, I was living in a dingy apartment on the Lower East Side. That’s where I had all my crazy ideas about anything. So that’s how the emotional and raw quality of how we made it made its way into this performance.
Tony Bennett’s Spirit Lives On
Though Bennett isn’t physically present, his influence permeates throughout. During the performance of “Smile,” cameras catch something touching at the foot of that dilapidated bed: a tiny black-and-white television playing repeating footage of Bennett himself.
Well, he loved ‘Smile.’ And man, could he sing it, too — Tony’s version of ‘Smile’ was my favorite, after Nat King Cole’s. So, having him there, it was one of those wild moments in a stage performance where you’re bringing in a little bit of the real world, with a little bit of a wink.
Gaga’s approach to these standards differs significantly from her Bennett collaborations. Where those sessions involved suits, formal presentations, and nervous energy, “Harlequin” embraced rebellion.
Surf Punk Meets Jazz Standards
Perhaps most surprising? Gaga revealed an unexpected influence behind her evolving jazz sound: surf punk.
Late-night conversations in Las Vegas with her band members, following 1 a.m. club shows by trumpeter Brian Newman, led to fresh creative directions.
We actually found our way into ‘Harlequin,’ I think, through guitar and our shared love of surf punk. And we sort of said, ‘You know, what if we were to kind of guide some of these productions in that direction?’
This rawer aesthetic extends to wardrobe choices—one band member performs in a sleeveless tuxedo, tattoos fully visible. What would Tony Bennett think?
Tony loved ‘Artpop,’ so I know Tony would’ve gone, ‘Wow. Yeah.’ Or, someone would’ve gotten fired!
Breaking Music With Trash Cans
Co-producer Benjamin Rice witnessed Gaga’s unconventional recording methods firsthand. Her approach to reimagining Great American Songbook standards involved literal deconstruction.
When we were in the studio, I was like, ‘Ben, why don’t you bring in some trash cans and we’ll use them as a drum kit?’ It was like, what were the ways that we could kind of break the music? Because we were thinking about comic books and jazz, and how could we think about this with humor and with fun in an almost childlike way — almost immature, or, yeah, a little bit bonkers.
The Most Personal Moment
While the concert features beloved standards like “That’s Entertainment,” “That’s Life,” and “When the Saints Go Marching In,” the film’s emotional peak arrives during “Happy Mistake”—one of two original songs Gaga wrote for “Harlequin.”
Except for the opening 30 seconds, the entire performance consists of one continuous take. Cameras circle around Gaga as she delivers lyrics drawn from deeply personal experience, bangs hanging over her eyes.
Afterward, she’s visibly teary.
That song, ‘Happy Mistake,’ was very much inspired by a time and an era in my life where… it felt like being happy would be an accident, it felt so impossible. And a lot of my decision-making for all the projects that I was taking on during this time came from a really deep, soulful attraction to wanting to help tell that story of what it feels like to be someone that’s misunderstood in that way.
Dancing With Cameras
Director of photography Marcell Rév, who also shot Gaga’s “Disease” video, created intimate cinematography throughout. Gaga described their collaborative process as instinctive rather than calculated.
It’s not the relationship where I go, ‘Oh, the camera’s here, so I’m gonna point my face like this, because that’s a good angle.’ I don’t think about it that way. It’s more like we’re doing a dance, and we’re in it together.
Michael Polansky’s Creative Partnership
Gaga’s fiancé Michael Polansky shares creative director and executive producer credits on the film. She described their working relationship as essential to maintaining artistic purity.
One of the things I love about working with Michael is that he has this closeness with me where he sees my artistry and my musicianship in its infancy, in its raw form. So whether I want to overthink it or someone else wants to overthink it, or somebody wants to come in and go, ‘What does it all mean? What’s the strategy behind it? How will we market it?,’ he will help in every possible way to make sure that the purity of it is not destroyed.
When one enthusiastic fan suggested Gaga arrive at her wedding in Volantis—her legendary 2013 flying dress—the singer laughed off the idea as simply “dangerous.”
Grammy Recognition And Future Jazz
“Harlequin” earned Gaga a Grammy nomination for best traditional pop vocal album, marking her first solo entry in the category after two wins with Bennett. Her other recent album, “Mayhem,” collected seven additional nominations heading into the February 1 ceremony.
Despite competing alone on paper, Gaga doesn’t view it that way.
I’m not in the category alone, I don’t feel, because I guess I’ll always feel like Tony is with me in the category — and also all these musicians that I’ve been making music with for the last two decades are with me.
More importantly, she confirmed what fans hoped to hear: this isn’t her final jazz record.
This project for me is a really special way to gave my fans some insight into who I want to become, as a jazz musician. This will not be my last jazz record. So it’s just exciting to keep going. And I do feel no matter where music takes me, it’s the one thing that’s pretty insatiable in me — it will never be enough.
Currently touring with her Mayhem Ball—which resumes January 21 in Osaka before wrapping at Madison Square Garden in April—Gaga continues writing new material. She’s set up recording equipment in every hotel room, capturing inspiration whenever it strikes.
Her approach has evolved from the Method immersion of her twenties to something more sustainable, allowing creative space between projects without losing intensity during performances.
Christmas Eve will finally allow the world to witness what approximately a thousand fans experienced 15 months ago at the Belasco: Gaga performing with wild abandon in a dingy apartment setting, ripping open pillows and throwing feathers, dancing frantically while maintaining perfect pitch.
All while honoring Tony Bennett, embracing her Lower East Side roots, and proving that traditional pop can still feel dangerously rebellious.
Despite minimal rehearsal—just two days before the show—Gaga felt completely prepared. Her secret? Obsessive preparation long before recording.
Before you sing one of these records in the studio, you gotta like really know it. You can’t be learning it. I learned that also from being in the studio one time with Tony and not being prepared. Big mistake! So now, I will sing these songs hundreds of times before I even record them.
Dingy Apartments And Raw Authenticity
The film’s production design defies everything audiences might expect from traditional jazz performances. Rather than elegant sets reminiscent of her Tony Bennett collaborations or Vegas “Jazz & Piano” residency, viewers will see something dramatically different.
Gaga and her six-piece band perform in what appears to be a disheveled apartment. Crooked window blinds hang at awkward angles. An unmade mattress sits directly on the floor. Everything feels messy, shadowy, lived-in.
This aesthetic wasn’t random—it connected directly to Gaga’s origins as an artist.
When I met the guys that I made the record with, some of them 20 years ago, I was living in a dingy apartment on the Lower East Side. That’s where I had all my crazy ideas about anything. So that’s how the emotional and raw quality of how we made it made its way into this performance.
Tony Bennett’s Spirit Lives On
Though Bennett isn’t physically present, his influence permeates throughout. During the performance of “Smile,” cameras catch something touching at the foot of that dilapidated bed: a tiny black-and-white television playing repeating footage of Bennett himself.
Well, he loved ‘Smile.’ And man, could he sing it, too — Tony’s version of ‘Smile’ was my favorite, after Nat King Cole’s. So, having him there, it was one of those wild moments in a stage performance where you’re bringing in a little bit of the real world, with a little bit of a wink.
Gaga’s approach to these standards differs significantly from her Bennett collaborations. Where those sessions involved suits, formal presentations, and nervous energy, “Harlequin” embraced rebellion.
Surf Punk Meets Jazz Standards
Perhaps most surprising? Gaga revealed an unexpected influence behind her evolving jazz sound: surf punk.
Late-night conversations in Las Vegas with her band members, following 1 a.m. club shows by trumpeter Brian Newman, led to fresh creative directions.
We actually found our way into ‘Harlequin,’ I think, through guitar and our shared love of surf punk. And we sort of said, ‘You know, what if we were to kind of guide some of these productions in that direction?’
This rawer aesthetic extends to wardrobe choices—one band member performs in a sleeveless tuxedo, tattoos fully visible. What would Tony Bennett think?
Tony loved ‘Artpop,’ so I know Tony would’ve gone, ‘Wow. Yeah.’ Or, someone would’ve gotten fired!
Breaking Music With Trash Cans
Co-producer Benjamin Rice witnessed Gaga’s unconventional recording methods firsthand. Her approach to reimagining Great American Songbook standards involved literal deconstruction.
When we were in the studio, I was like, ‘Ben, why don’t you bring in some trash cans and we’ll use them as a drum kit?’ It was like, what were the ways that we could kind of break the music? Because we were thinking about comic books and jazz, and how could we think about this with humor and with fun in an almost childlike way — almost immature, or, yeah, a little bit bonkers.
The Most Personal Moment
While the concert features beloved standards like “That’s Entertainment,” “That’s Life,” and “When the Saints Go Marching In,” the film’s emotional peak arrives during “Happy Mistake”—one of two original songs Gaga wrote for “Harlequin.”
Except for the opening 30 seconds, the entire performance consists of one continuous take. Cameras circle around Gaga as she delivers lyrics drawn from deeply personal experience, bangs hanging over her eyes.
Afterward, she’s visibly teary.
That song, ‘Happy Mistake,’ was very much inspired by a time and an era in my life where… it felt like being happy would be an accident, it felt so impossible. And a lot of my decision-making for all the projects that I was taking on during this time came from a really deep, soulful attraction to wanting to help tell that story of what it feels like to be someone that’s misunderstood in that way.
Dancing With Cameras
Director of photography Marcell Rév, who also shot Gaga’s “Disease” video, created intimate cinematography throughout. Gaga described their collaborative process as instinctive rather than calculated.
It’s not the relationship where I go, ‘Oh, the camera’s here, so I’m gonna point my face like this, because that’s a good angle.’ I don’t think about it that way. It’s more like we’re doing a dance, and we’re in it together.
Michael Polansky’s Creative Partnership
Gaga’s fiancé Michael Polansky shares creative director and executive producer credits on the film. She described their working relationship as essential to maintaining artistic purity.
One of the things I love about working with Michael is that he has this closeness with me where he sees my artistry and my musicianship in its infancy, in its raw form. So whether I want to overthink it or someone else wants to overthink it, or somebody wants to come in and go, ‘What does it all mean? What’s the strategy behind it? How will we market it?,’ he will help in every possible way to make sure that the purity of it is not destroyed.
When one enthusiastic fan suggested Gaga arrive at her wedding in Volantis—her legendary 2013 flying dress—the singer laughed off the idea as simply “dangerous.”
Grammy Recognition And Future Jazz
“Harlequin” earned Gaga a Grammy nomination for best traditional pop vocal album, marking her first solo entry in the category after two wins with Bennett. Her other recent album, “Mayhem,” collected seven additional nominations heading into the February 1 ceremony.
Despite competing alone on paper, Gaga doesn’t view it that way.
I’m not in the category alone, I don’t feel, because I guess I’ll always feel like Tony is with me in the category — and also all these musicians that I’ve been making music with for the last two decades are with me.
More importantly, she confirmed what fans hoped to hear: this isn’t her final jazz record.
This project for me is a really special way to gave my fans some insight into who I want to become, as a jazz musician. This will not be my last jazz record. So it’s just exciting to keep going. And I do feel no matter where music takes me, it’s the one thing that’s pretty insatiable in me — it will never be enough.
Currently touring with her Mayhem Ball—which resumes January 21 in Osaka before wrapping at Madison Square Garden in April—Gaga continues writing new material. She’s set up recording equipment in every hotel room, capturing inspiration whenever it strikes.
Her approach has evolved from the Method immersion of her twenties to something more sustainable, allowing creative space between projects without losing intensity during performances.
Christmas Eve will finally allow the world to witness what approximately a thousand fans experienced 15 months ago at the Belasco: Gaga performing with wild abandon in a dingy apartment setting, ripping open pillows and throwing feathers, dancing frantically while maintaining perfect pitch.
All while honoring Tony Bennett, embracing her Lower East Side roots, and proving that traditional pop can still feel dangerously rebellious.
Despite minimal rehearsal—just two days before the show—Gaga felt completely prepared. Her secret? Obsessive preparation long before recording.
Before you sing one of these records in the studio, you gotta like really know it. You can’t be learning it. I learned that also from being in the studio one time with Tony and not being prepared. Big mistake! So now, I will sing these songs hundreds of times before I even record them.
Dingy Apartments And Raw Authenticity
The film’s production design defies everything audiences might expect from traditional jazz performances. Rather than elegant sets reminiscent of her Tony Bennett collaborations or Vegas “Jazz & Piano” residency, viewers will see something dramatically different.
Gaga and her six-piece band perform in what appears to be a disheveled apartment. Crooked window blinds hang at awkward angles. An unmade mattress sits directly on the floor. Everything feels messy, shadowy, lived-in.
This aesthetic wasn’t random—it connected directly to Gaga’s origins as an artist.
When I met the guys that I made the record with, some of them 20 years ago, I was living in a dingy apartment on the Lower East Side. That’s where I had all my crazy ideas about anything. So that’s how the emotional and raw quality of how we made it made its way into this performance.
Tony Bennett’s Spirit Lives On
Though Bennett isn’t physically present, his influence permeates throughout. During the performance of “Smile,” cameras catch something touching at the foot of that dilapidated bed: a tiny black-and-white television playing repeating footage of Bennett himself.
Well, he loved ‘Smile.’ And man, could he sing it, too — Tony’s version of ‘Smile’ was my favorite, after Nat King Cole’s. So, having him there, it was one of those wild moments in a stage performance where you’re bringing in a little bit of the real world, with a little bit of a wink.
Gaga’s approach to these standards differs significantly from her Bennett collaborations. Where those sessions involved suits, formal presentations, and nervous energy, “Harlequin” embraced rebellion.
Surf Punk Meets Jazz Standards
Perhaps most surprising? Gaga revealed an unexpected influence behind her evolving jazz sound: surf punk.
Late-night conversations in Las Vegas with her band members, following 1 a.m. club shows by trumpeter Brian Newman, led to fresh creative directions.
We actually found our way into ‘Harlequin,’ I think, through guitar and our shared love of surf punk. And we sort of said, ‘You know, what if we were to kind of guide some of these productions in that direction?’
This rawer aesthetic extends to wardrobe choices—one band member performs in a sleeveless tuxedo, tattoos fully visible. What would Tony Bennett think?
Tony loved ‘Artpop,’ so I know Tony would’ve gone, ‘Wow. Yeah.’ Or, someone would’ve gotten fired!
Breaking Music With Trash Cans
Co-producer Benjamin Rice witnessed Gaga’s unconventional recording methods firsthand. Her approach to reimagining Great American Songbook standards involved literal deconstruction.
When we were in the studio, I was like, ‘Ben, why don’t you bring in some trash cans and we’ll use them as a drum kit?’ It was like, what were the ways that we could kind of break the music? Because we were thinking about comic books and jazz, and how could we think about this with humor and with fun in an almost childlike way — almost immature, or, yeah, a little bit bonkers.
The Most Personal Moment
While the concert features beloved standards like “That’s Entertainment,” “That’s Life,” and “When the Saints Go Marching In,” the film’s emotional peak arrives during “Happy Mistake”—one of two original songs Gaga wrote for “Harlequin.”
Except for the opening 30 seconds, the entire performance consists of one continuous take. Cameras circle around Gaga as she delivers lyrics drawn from deeply personal experience, bangs hanging over her eyes.
Afterward, she’s visibly teary.
That song, ‘Happy Mistake,’ was very much inspired by a time and an era in my life where… it felt like being happy would be an accident, it felt so impossible. And a lot of my decision-making for all the projects that I was taking on during this time came from a really deep, soulful attraction to wanting to help tell that story of what it feels like to be someone that’s misunderstood in that way.
Dancing With Cameras
Director of photography Marcell Rév, who also shot Gaga’s “Disease” video, created intimate cinematography throughout. Gaga described their collaborative process as instinctive rather than calculated.
It’s not the relationship where I go, ‘Oh, the camera’s here, so I’m gonna point my face like this, because that’s a good angle.’ I don’t think about it that way. It’s more like we’re doing a dance, and we’re in it together.
Michael Polansky’s Creative Partnership
Gaga’s fiancé Michael Polansky shares creative director and executive producer credits on the film. She described their working relationship as essential to maintaining artistic purity.
One of the things I love about working with Michael is that he has this closeness with me where he sees my artistry and my musicianship in its infancy, in its raw form. So whether I want to overthink it or someone else wants to overthink it, or somebody wants to come in and go, ‘What does it all mean? What’s the strategy behind it? How will we market it?,’ he will help in every possible way to make sure that the purity of it is not destroyed.
When one enthusiastic fan suggested Gaga arrive at her wedding in Volantis—her legendary 2013 flying dress—the singer laughed off the idea as simply “dangerous.”
Grammy Recognition And Future Jazz
“Harlequin” earned Gaga a Grammy nomination for best traditional pop vocal album, marking her first solo entry in the category after two wins with Bennett. Her other recent album, “Mayhem,” collected seven additional nominations heading into the February 1 ceremony.
Despite competing alone on paper, Gaga doesn’t view it that way.
I’m not in the category alone, I don’t feel, because I guess I’ll always feel like Tony is with me in the category — and also all these musicians that I’ve been making music with for the last two decades are with me.
More importantly, she confirmed what fans hoped to hear: this isn’t her final jazz record.
This project for me is a really special way to gave my fans some insight into who I want to become, as a jazz musician. This will not be my last jazz record. So it’s just exciting to keep going. And I do feel no matter where music takes me, it’s the one thing that’s pretty insatiable in me — it will never be enough.
Currently touring with her Mayhem Ball—which resumes January 21 in Osaka before wrapping at Madison Square Garden in April—Gaga continues writing new material. She’s set up recording equipment in every hotel room, capturing inspiration whenever it strikes.
Her approach has evolved from the Method immersion of her twenties to something more sustainable, allowing creative space between projects without losing intensity during performances.
Christmas Eve will finally allow the world to witness what approximately a thousand fans experienced 15 months ago at the Belasco: Gaga performing with wild abandon in a dingy apartment setting, ripping open pillows and throwing feathers, dancing frantically while maintaining perfect pitch.
All while honoring Tony Bennett, embracing her Lower East Side roots, and proving that traditional pop can still feel dangerously rebellious.
The entire project came together with remarkable spontaneity. Originally planned as just three songs following the “Joker: Folie à Deux” premiere, Gaga and her team decided days beforehand to perform the complete “Harlequin” album instead.
What’s so interesting is, I was meant to do that performance as three songs, as just kind of a celebration after the premiere of ‘Joker.’ And a couple days before, Michael and I were like, ‘What? We’re just gonna do the whole album’.
Despite minimal rehearsal—just two days before the show—Gaga felt completely prepared. Her secret? Obsessive preparation long before recording.
Before you sing one of these records in the studio, you gotta like really know it. You can’t be learning it. I learned that also from being in the studio one time with Tony and not being prepared. Big mistake! So now, I will sing these songs hundreds of times before I even record them.
Dingy Apartments And Raw Authenticity
The film’s production design defies everything audiences might expect from traditional jazz performances. Rather than elegant sets reminiscent of her Tony Bennett collaborations or Vegas “Jazz & Piano” residency, viewers will see something dramatically different.
Gaga and her six-piece band perform in what appears to be a disheveled apartment. Crooked window blinds hang at awkward angles. An unmade mattress sits directly on the floor. Everything feels messy, shadowy, lived-in.
This aesthetic wasn’t random—it connected directly to Gaga’s origins as an artist.
When I met the guys that I made the record with, some of them 20 years ago, I was living in a dingy apartment on the Lower East Side. That’s where I had all my crazy ideas about anything. So that’s how the emotional and raw quality of how we made it made its way into this performance.
Tony Bennett’s Spirit Lives On
Though Bennett isn’t physically present, his influence permeates throughout. During the performance of “Smile,” cameras catch something touching at the foot of that dilapidated bed: a tiny black-and-white television playing repeating footage of Bennett himself.
Well, he loved ‘Smile.’ And man, could he sing it, too — Tony’s version of ‘Smile’ was my favorite, after Nat King Cole’s. So, having him there, it was one of those wild moments in a stage performance where you’re bringing in a little bit of the real world, with a little bit of a wink.
Gaga’s approach to these standards differs significantly from her Bennett collaborations. Where those sessions involved suits, formal presentations, and nervous energy, “Harlequin” embraced rebellion.
Surf Punk Meets Jazz Standards
Perhaps most surprising? Gaga revealed an unexpected influence behind her evolving jazz sound: surf punk.
Late-night conversations in Las Vegas with her band members, following 1 a.m. club shows by trumpeter Brian Newman, led to fresh creative directions.
We actually found our way into ‘Harlequin,’ I think, through guitar and our shared love of surf punk. And we sort of said, ‘You know, what if we were to kind of guide some of these productions in that direction?’
This rawer aesthetic extends to wardrobe choices—one band member performs in a sleeveless tuxedo, tattoos fully visible. What would Tony Bennett think?
Tony loved ‘Artpop,’ so I know Tony would’ve gone, ‘Wow. Yeah.’ Or, someone would’ve gotten fired!
Breaking Music With Trash Cans
Co-producer Benjamin Rice witnessed Gaga’s unconventional recording methods firsthand. Her approach to reimagining Great American Songbook standards involved literal deconstruction.
When we were in the studio, I was like, ‘Ben, why don’t you bring in some trash cans and we’ll use them as a drum kit?’ It was like, what were the ways that we could kind of break the music? Because we were thinking about comic books and jazz, and how could we think about this with humor and with fun in an almost childlike way — almost immature, or, yeah, a little bit bonkers.
The Most Personal Moment
While the concert features beloved standards like “That’s Entertainment,” “That’s Life,” and “When the Saints Go Marching In,” the film’s emotional peak arrives during “Happy Mistake”—one of two original songs Gaga wrote for “Harlequin.”
Except for the opening 30 seconds, the entire performance consists of one continuous take. Cameras circle around Gaga as she delivers lyrics drawn from deeply personal experience, bangs hanging over her eyes.
Afterward, she’s visibly teary.
That song, ‘Happy Mistake,’ was very much inspired by a time and an era in my life where… it felt like being happy would be an accident, it felt so impossible. And a lot of my decision-making for all the projects that I was taking on during this time came from a really deep, soulful attraction to wanting to help tell that story of what it feels like to be someone that’s misunderstood in that way.
Dancing With Cameras
Director of photography Marcell Rév, who also shot Gaga’s “Disease” video, created intimate cinematography throughout. Gaga described their collaborative process as instinctive rather than calculated.
It’s not the relationship where I go, ‘Oh, the camera’s here, so I’m gonna point my face like this, because that’s a good angle.’ I don’t think about it that way. It’s more like we’re doing a dance, and we’re in it together.
Michael Polansky’s Creative Partnership
Gaga’s fiancé Michael Polansky shares creative director and executive producer credits on the film. She described their working relationship as essential to maintaining artistic purity.
One of the things I love about working with Michael is that he has this closeness with me where he sees my artistry and my musicianship in its infancy, in its raw form. So whether I want to overthink it or someone else wants to overthink it, or somebody wants to come in and go, ‘What does it all mean? What’s the strategy behind it? How will we market it?,’ he will help in every possible way to make sure that the purity of it is not destroyed.
When one enthusiastic fan suggested Gaga arrive at her wedding in Volantis—her legendary 2013 flying dress—the singer laughed off the idea as simply “dangerous.”
Grammy Recognition And Future Jazz
“Harlequin” earned Gaga a Grammy nomination for best traditional pop vocal album, marking her first solo entry in the category after two wins with Bennett. Her other recent album, “Mayhem,” collected seven additional nominations heading into the February 1 ceremony.
Despite competing alone on paper, Gaga doesn’t view it that way.
I’m not in the category alone, I don’t feel, because I guess I’ll always feel like Tony is with me in the category — and also all these musicians that I’ve been making music with for the last two decades are with me.
More importantly, she confirmed what fans hoped to hear: this isn’t her final jazz record.
This project for me is a really special way to gave my fans some insight into who I want to become, as a jazz musician. This will not be my last jazz record. So it’s just exciting to keep going. And I do feel no matter where music takes me, it’s the one thing that’s pretty insatiable in me — it will never be enough.
Currently touring with her Mayhem Ball—which resumes January 21 in Osaka before wrapping at Madison Square Garden in April—Gaga continues writing new material. She’s set up recording equipment in every hotel room, capturing inspiration whenever it strikes.
Her approach has evolved from the Method immersion of her twenties to something more sustainable, allowing creative space between projects without losing intensity during performances.
Christmas Eve will finally allow the world to witness what approximately a thousand fans experienced 15 months ago at the Belasco: Gaga performing with wild abandon in a dingy apartment setting, ripping open pillows and throwing feathers, dancing frantically while maintaining perfect pitch.
All while honoring Tony Bennett, embracing her Lower East Side roots, and proving that traditional pop can still feel dangerously rebellious.
The entire project came together with remarkable spontaneity. Originally planned as just three songs following the “Joker: Folie à Deux” premiere, Gaga and her team decided days beforehand to perform the complete “Harlequin” album instead.
What’s so interesting is, I was meant to do that performance as three songs, as just kind of a celebration after the premiere of ‘Joker.’ And a couple days before, Michael and I were like, ‘What? We’re just gonna do the whole album’.
Despite minimal rehearsal—just two days before the show—Gaga felt completely prepared. Her secret? Obsessive preparation long before recording.
Before you sing one of these records in the studio, you gotta like really know it. You can’t be learning it. I learned that also from being in the studio one time with Tony and not being prepared. Big mistake! So now, I will sing these songs hundreds of times before I even record them.
Dingy Apartments And Raw Authenticity
The film’s production design defies everything audiences might expect from traditional jazz performances. Rather than elegant sets reminiscent of her Tony Bennett collaborations or Vegas “Jazz & Piano” residency, viewers will see something dramatically different.
Gaga and her six-piece band perform in what appears to be a disheveled apartment. Crooked window blinds hang at awkward angles. An unmade mattress sits directly on the floor. Everything feels messy, shadowy, lived-in.
This aesthetic wasn’t random—it connected directly to Gaga’s origins as an artist.
When I met the guys that I made the record with, some of them 20 years ago, I was living in a dingy apartment on the Lower East Side. That’s where I had all my crazy ideas about anything. So that’s how the emotional and raw quality of how we made it made its way into this performance.
Tony Bennett’s Spirit Lives On
Though Bennett isn’t physically present, his influence permeates throughout. During the performance of “Smile,” cameras catch something touching at the foot of that dilapidated bed: a tiny black-and-white television playing repeating footage of Bennett himself.
Well, he loved ‘Smile.’ And man, could he sing it, too — Tony’s version of ‘Smile’ was my favorite, after Nat King Cole’s. So, having him there, it was one of those wild moments in a stage performance where you’re bringing in a little bit of the real world, with a little bit of a wink.
Gaga’s approach to these standards differs significantly from her Bennett collaborations. Where those sessions involved suits, formal presentations, and nervous energy, “Harlequin” embraced rebellion.
Surf Punk Meets Jazz Standards
Perhaps most surprising? Gaga revealed an unexpected influence behind her evolving jazz sound: surf punk.
Late-night conversations in Las Vegas with her band members, following 1 a.m. club shows by trumpeter Brian Newman, led to fresh creative directions.
We actually found our way into ‘Harlequin,’ I think, through guitar and our shared love of surf punk. And we sort of said, ‘You know, what if we were to kind of guide some of these productions in that direction?’
This rawer aesthetic extends to wardrobe choices—one band member performs in a sleeveless tuxedo, tattoos fully visible. What would Tony Bennett think?
Tony loved ‘Artpop,’ so I know Tony would’ve gone, ‘Wow. Yeah.’ Or, someone would’ve gotten fired!
Breaking Music With Trash Cans
Co-producer Benjamin Rice witnessed Gaga’s unconventional recording methods firsthand. Her approach to reimagining Great American Songbook standards involved literal deconstruction.
When we were in the studio, I was like, ‘Ben, why don’t you bring in some trash cans and we’ll use them as a drum kit?’ It was like, what were the ways that we could kind of break the music? Because we were thinking about comic books and jazz, and how could we think about this with humor and with fun in an almost childlike way — almost immature, or, yeah, a little bit bonkers.
The Most Personal Moment
While the concert features beloved standards like “That’s Entertainment,” “That’s Life,” and “When the Saints Go Marching In,” the film’s emotional peak arrives during “Happy Mistake”—one of two original songs Gaga wrote for “Harlequin.”
Except for the opening 30 seconds, the entire performance consists of one continuous take. Cameras circle around Gaga as she delivers lyrics drawn from deeply personal experience, bangs hanging over her eyes.
Afterward, she’s visibly teary.
That song, ‘Happy Mistake,’ was very much inspired by a time and an era in my life where… it felt like being happy would be an accident, it felt so impossible. And a lot of my decision-making for all the projects that I was taking on during this time came from a really deep, soulful attraction to wanting to help tell that story of what it feels like to be someone that’s misunderstood in that way.
Dancing With Cameras
Director of photography Marcell Rév, who also shot Gaga’s “Disease” video, created intimate cinematography throughout. Gaga described their collaborative process as instinctive rather than calculated.
It’s not the relationship where I go, ‘Oh, the camera’s here, so I’m gonna point my face like this, because that’s a good angle.’ I don’t think about it that way. It’s more like we’re doing a dance, and we’re in it together.
Michael Polansky’s Creative Partnership
Gaga’s fiancé Michael Polansky shares creative director and executive producer credits on the film. She described their working relationship as essential to maintaining artistic purity.
One of the things I love about working with Michael is that he has this closeness with me where he sees my artistry and my musicianship in its infancy, in its raw form. So whether I want to overthink it or someone else wants to overthink it, or somebody wants to come in and go, ‘What does it all mean? What’s the strategy behind it? How will we market it?,’ he will help in every possible way to make sure that the purity of it is not destroyed.
When one enthusiastic fan suggested Gaga arrive at her wedding in Volantis—her legendary 2013 flying dress—the singer laughed off the idea as simply “dangerous.”
Grammy Recognition And Future Jazz
“Harlequin” earned Gaga a Grammy nomination for best traditional pop vocal album, marking her first solo entry in the category after two wins with Bennett. Her other recent album, “Mayhem,” collected seven additional nominations heading into the February 1 ceremony.
Despite competing alone on paper, Gaga doesn’t view it that way.
I’m not in the category alone, I don’t feel, because I guess I’ll always feel like Tony is with me in the category — and also all these musicians that I’ve been making music with for the last two decades are with me.
More importantly, she confirmed what fans hoped to hear: this isn’t her final jazz record.
This project for me is a really special way to gave my fans some insight into who I want to become, as a jazz musician. This will not be my last jazz record. So it’s just exciting to keep going. And I do feel no matter where music takes me, it’s the one thing that’s pretty insatiable in me — it will never be enough.
Currently touring with her Mayhem Ball—which resumes January 21 in Osaka before wrapping at Madison Square Garden in April—Gaga continues writing new material. She’s set up recording equipment in every hotel room, capturing inspiration whenever it strikes.
Her approach has evolved from the Method immersion of her twenties to something more sustainable, allowing creative space between projects without losing intensity during performances.
Christmas Eve will finally allow the world to witness what approximately a thousand fans experienced 15 months ago at the Belasco: Gaga performing with wild abandon in a dingy apartment setting, ripping open pillows and throwing feathers, dancing frantically while maintaining perfect pitch.
All while honoring Tony Bennett, embracing her Lower East Side roots, and proving that traditional pop can still feel dangerously rebellious.
Gaga’s response? She interrupted her own technical answer about album sequencing to ask if she could give the young woman a hug.
From Three Songs To Full Album
The entire project came together with remarkable spontaneity. Originally planned as just three songs following the “Joker: Folie à Deux” premiere, Gaga and her team decided days beforehand to perform the complete “Harlequin” album instead.
What’s so interesting is, I was meant to do that performance as three songs, as just kind of a celebration after the premiere of ‘Joker.’ And a couple days before, Michael and I were like, ‘What? We’re just gonna do the whole album’.
Despite minimal rehearsal—just two days before the show—Gaga felt completely prepared. Her secret? Obsessive preparation long before recording.
Before you sing one of these records in the studio, you gotta like really know it. You can’t be learning it. I learned that also from being in the studio one time with Tony and not being prepared. Big mistake! So now, I will sing these songs hundreds of times before I even record them.
Dingy Apartments And Raw Authenticity
The film’s production design defies everything audiences might expect from traditional jazz performances. Rather than elegant sets reminiscent of her Tony Bennett collaborations or Vegas “Jazz & Piano” residency, viewers will see something dramatically different.
Gaga and her six-piece band perform in what appears to be a disheveled apartment. Crooked window blinds hang at awkward angles. An unmade mattress sits directly on the floor. Everything feels messy, shadowy, lived-in.
This aesthetic wasn’t random—it connected directly to Gaga’s origins as an artist.
When I met the guys that I made the record with, some of them 20 years ago, I was living in a dingy apartment on the Lower East Side. That’s where I had all my crazy ideas about anything. So that’s how the emotional and raw quality of how we made it made its way into this performance.
Tony Bennett’s Spirit Lives On
Though Bennett isn’t physically present, his influence permeates throughout. During the performance of “Smile,” cameras catch something touching at the foot of that dilapidated bed: a tiny black-and-white television playing repeating footage of Bennett himself.
Well, he loved ‘Smile.’ And man, could he sing it, too — Tony’s version of ‘Smile’ was my favorite, after Nat King Cole’s. So, having him there, it was one of those wild moments in a stage performance where you’re bringing in a little bit of the real world, with a little bit of a wink.
Gaga’s approach to these standards differs significantly from her Bennett collaborations. Where those sessions involved suits, formal presentations, and nervous energy, “Harlequin” embraced rebellion.
Surf Punk Meets Jazz Standards
Perhaps most surprising? Gaga revealed an unexpected influence behind her evolving jazz sound: surf punk.
Late-night conversations in Las Vegas with her band members, following 1 a.m. club shows by trumpeter Brian Newman, led to fresh creative directions.
We actually found our way into ‘Harlequin,’ I think, through guitar and our shared love of surf punk. And we sort of said, ‘You know, what if we were to kind of guide some of these productions in that direction?’
This rawer aesthetic extends to wardrobe choices—one band member performs in a sleeveless tuxedo, tattoos fully visible. What would Tony Bennett think?
Tony loved ‘Artpop,’ so I know Tony would’ve gone, ‘Wow. Yeah.’ Or, someone would’ve gotten fired!
Breaking Music With Trash Cans
Co-producer Benjamin Rice witnessed Gaga’s unconventional recording methods firsthand. Her approach to reimagining Great American Songbook standards involved literal deconstruction.
When we were in the studio, I was like, ‘Ben, why don’t you bring in some trash cans and we’ll use them as a drum kit?’ It was like, what were the ways that we could kind of break the music? Because we were thinking about comic books and jazz, and how could we think about this with humor and with fun in an almost childlike way — almost immature, or, yeah, a little bit bonkers.
The Most Personal Moment
While the concert features beloved standards like “That’s Entertainment,” “That’s Life,” and “When the Saints Go Marching In,” the film’s emotional peak arrives during “Happy Mistake”—one of two original songs Gaga wrote for “Harlequin.”
Except for the opening 30 seconds, the entire performance consists of one continuous take. Cameras circle around Gaga as she delivers lyrics drawn from deeply personal experience, bangs hanging over her eyes.
Afterward, she’s visibly teary.
That song, ‘Happy Mistake,’ was very much inspired by a time and an era in my life where… it felt like being happy would be an accident, it felt so impossible. And a lot of my decision-making for all the projects that I was taking on during this time came from a really deep, soulful attraction to wanting to help tell that story of what it feels like to be someone that’s misunderstood in that way.
Dancing With Cameras
Director of photography Marcell Rév, who also shot Gaga’s “Disease” video, created intimate cinematography throughout. Gaga described their collaborative process as instinctive rather than calculated.
It’s not the relationship where I go, ‘Oh, the camera’s here, so I’m gonna point my face like this, because that’s a good angle.’ I don’t think about it that way. It’s more like we’re doing a dance, and we’re in it together.
Michael Polansky’s Creative Partnership
Gaga’s fiancé Michael Polansky shares creative director and executive producer credits on the film. She described their working relationship as essential to maintaining artistic purity.
One of the things I love about working with Michael is that he has this closeness with me where he sees my artistry and my musicianship in its infancy, in its raw form. So whether I want to overthink it or someone else wants to overthink it, or somebody wants to come in and go, ‘What does it all mean? What’s the strategy behind it? How will we market it?,’ he will help in every possible way to make sure that the purity of it is not destroyed.
When one enthusiastic fan suggested Gaga arrive at her wedding in Volantis—her legendary 2013 flying dress—the singer laughed off the idea as simply “dangerous.”
Grammy Recognition And Future Jazz
“Harlequin” earned Gaga a Grammy nomination for best traditional pop vocal album, marking her first solo entry in the category after two wins with Bennett. Her other recent album, “Mayhem,” collected seven additional nominations heading into the February 1 ceremony.
Despite competing alone on paper, Gaga doesn’t view it that way.
I’m not in the category alone, I don’t feel, because I guess I’ll always feel like Tony is with me in the category — and also all these musicians that I’ve been making music with for the last two decades are with me.
More importantly, she confirmed what fans hoped to hear: this isn’t her final jazz record.
This project for me is a really special way to gave my fans some insight into who I want to become, as a jazz musician. This will not be my last jazz record. So it’s just exciting to keep going. And I do feel no matter where music takes me, it’s the one thing that’s pretty insatiable in me — it will never be enough.
Currently touring with her Mayhem Ball—which resumes January 21 in Osaka before wrapping at Madison Square Garden in April—Gaga continues writing new material. She’s set up recording equipment in every hotel room, capturing inspiration whenever it strikes.
Her approach has evolved from the Method immersion of her twenties to something more sustainable, allowing creative space between projects without losing intensity during performances.
Christmas Eve will finally allow the world to witness what approximately a thousand fans experienced 15 months ago at the Belasco: Gaga performing with wild abandon in a dingy apartment setting, ripping open pillows and throwing feathers, dancing frantically while maintaining perfect pitch.
All while honoring Tony Bennett, embracing her Lower East Side roots, and proving that traditional pop can still feel dangerously rebellious.
Gaga’s response? She interrupted her own technical answer about album sequencing to ask if she could give the young woman a hug.
From Three Songs To Full Album
The entire project came together with remarkable spontaneity. Originally planned as just three songs following the “Joker: Folie à Deux” premiere, Gaga and her team decided days beforehand to perform the complete “Harlequin” album instead.
What’s so interesting is, I was meant to do that performance as three songs, as just kind of a celebration after the premiere of ‘Joker.’ And a couple days before, Michael and I were like, ‘What? We’re just gonna do the whole album’.
Despite minimal rehearsal—just two days before the show—Gaga felt completely prepared. Her secret? Obsessive preparation long before recording.
Before you sing one of these records in the studio, you gotta like really know it. You can’t be learning it. I learned that also from being in the studio one time with Tony and not being prepared. Big mistake! So now, I will sing these songs hundreds of times before I even record them.
Dingy Apartments And Raw Authenticity
The film’s production design defies everything audiences might expect from traditional jazz performances. Rather than elegant sets reminiscent of her Tony Bennett collaborations or Vegas “Jazz & Piano” residency, viewers will see something dramatically different.
Gaga and her six-piece band perform in what appears to be a disheveled apartment. Crooked window blinds hang at awkward angles. An unmade mattress sits directly on the floor. Everything feels messy, shadowy, lived-in.
This aesthetic wasn’t random—it connected directly to Gaga’s origins as an artist.
When I met the guys that I made the record with, some of them 20 years ago, I was living in a dingy apartment on the Lower East Side. That’s where I had all my crazy ideas about anything. So that’s how the emotional and raw quality of how we made it made its way into this performance.
Tony Bennett’s Spirit Lives On
Though Bennett isn’t physically present, his influence permeates throughout. During the performance of “Smile,” cameras catch something touching at the foot of that dilapidated bed: a tiny black-and-white television playing repeating footage of Bennett himself.
Well, he loved ‘Smile.’ And man, could he sing it, too — Tony’s version of ‘Smile’ was my favorite, after Nat King Cole’s. So, having him there, it was one of those wild moments in a stage performance where you’re bringing in a little bit of the real world, with a little bit of a wink.
Gaga’s approach to these standards differs significantly from her Bennett collaborations. Where those sessions involved suits, formal presentations, and nervous energy, “Harlequin” embraced rebellion.
Surf Punk Meets Jazz Standards
Perhaps most surprising? Gaga revealed an unexpected influence behind her evolving jazz sound: surf punk.
Late-night conversations in Las Vegas with her band members, following 1 a.m. club shows by trumpeter Brian Newman, led to fresh creative directions.
We actually found our way into ‘Harlequin,’ I think, through guitar and our shared love of surf punk. And we sort of said, ‘You know, what if we were to kind of guide some of these productions in that direction?’
This rawer aesthetic extends to wardrobe choices—one band member performs in a sleeveless tuxedo, tattoos fully visible. What would Tony Bennett think?
Tony loved ‘Artpop,’ so I know Tony would’ve gone, ‘Wow. Yeah.’ Or, someone would’ve gotten fired!
Breaking Music With Trash Cans
Co-producer Benjamin Rice witnessed Gaga’s unconventional recording methods firsthand. Her approach to reimagining Great American Songbook standards involved literal deconstruction.
When we were in the studio, I was like, ‘Ben, why don’t you bring in some trash cans and we’ll use them as a drum kit?’ It was like, what were the ways that we could kind of break the music? Because we were thinking about comic books and jazz, and how could we think about this with humor and with fun in an almost childlike way — almost immature, or, yeah, a little bit bonkers.
The Most Personal Moment
While the concert features beloved standards like “That’s Entertainment,” “That’s Life,” and “When the Saints Go Marching In,” the film’s emotional peak arrives during “Happy Mistake”—one of two original songs Gaga wrote for “Harlequin.”
Except for the opening 30 seconds, the entire performance consists of one continuous take. Cameras circle around Gaga as she delivers lyrics drawn from deeply personal experience, bangs hanging over her eyes.
Afterward, she’s visibly teary.
That song, ‘Happy Mistake,’ was very much inspired by a time and an era in my life where… it felt like being happy would be an accident, it felt so impossible. And a lot of my decision-making for all the projects that I was taking on during this time came from a really deep, soulful attraction to wanting to help tell that story of what it feels like to be someone that’s misunderstood in that way.
Dancing With Cameras
Director of photography Marcell Rév, who also shot Gaga’s “Disease” video, created intimate cinematography throughout. Gaga described their collaborative process as instinctive rather than calculated.
It’s not the relationship where I go, ‘Oh, the camera’s here, so I’m gonna point my face like this, because that’s a good angle.’ I don’t think about it that way. It’s more like we’re doing a dance, and we’re in it together.
Michael Polansky’s Creative Partnership
Gaga’s fiancé Michael Polansky shares creative director and executive producer credits on the film. She described their working relationship as essential to maintaining artistic purity.
One of the things I love about working with Michael is that he has this closeness with me where he sees my artistry and my musicianship in its infancy, in its raw form. So whether I want to overthink it or someone else wants to overthink it, or somebody wants to come in and go, ‘What does it all mean? What’s the strategy behind it? How will we market it?,’ he will help in every possible way to make sure that the purity of it is not destroyed.
When one enthusiastic fan suggested Gaga arrive at her wedding in Volantis—her legendary 2013 flying dress—the singer laughed off the idea as simply “dangerous.”
Grammy Recognition And Future Jazz
“Harlequin” earned Gaga a Grammy nomination for best traditional pop vocal album, marking her first solo entry in the category after two wins with Bennett. Her other recent album, “Mayhem,” collected seven additional nominations heading into the February 1 ceremony.
Despite competing alone on paper, Gaga doesn’t view it that way.
I’m not in the category alone, I don’t feel, because I guess I’ll always feel like Tony is with me in the category — and also all these musicians that I’ve been making music with for the last two decades are with me.
More importantly, she confirmed what fans hoped to hear: this isn’t her final jazz record.
This project for me is a really special way to gave my fans some insight into who I want to become, as a jazz musician. This will not be my last jazz record. So it’s just exciting to keep going. And I do feel no matter where music takes me, it’s the one thing that’s pretty insatiable in me — it will never be enough.
Currently touring with her Mayhem Ball—which resumes January 21 in Osaka before wrapping at Madison Square Garden in April—Gaga continues writing new material. She’s set up recording equipment in every hotel room, capturing inspiration whenever it strikes.
Her approach has evolved from the Method immersion of her twenties to something more sustainable, allowing creative space between projects without losing intensity during performances.
Christmas Eve will finally allow the world to witness what approximately a thousand fans experienced 15 months ago at the Belasco: Gaga performing with wild abandon in a dingy apartment setting, ripping open pillows and throwing feathers, dancing frantically while maintaining perfect pitch.
All while honoring Tony Bennett, embracing her Lower East Side roots, and proving that traditional pop can still feel dangerously rebellious.
Fans who attended described the experience as transformative. At the museum screening, one audience member named Edith shared her emotional connection to the performance and album.
I was there at the ‘Harlequin’ show and it was one of the best nights of my life. That album really means a lot to me, because often I feel misunderstood.
Gaga’s response? She interrupted her own technical answer about album sequencing to ask if she could give the young woman a hug.
From Three Songs To Full Album
The entire project came together with remarkable spontaneity. Originally planned as just three songs following the “Joker: Folie à Deux” premiere, Gaga and her team decided days beforehand to perform the complete “Harlequin” album instead.
What’s so interesting is, I was meant to do that performance as three songs, as just kind of a celebration after the premiere of ‘Joker.’ And a couple days before, Michael and I were like, ‘What? We’re just gonna do the whole album’.
Despite minimal rehearsal—just two days before the show—Gaga felt completely prepared. Her secret? Obsessive preparation long before recording.
Before you sing one of these records in the studio, you gotta like really know it. You can’t be learning it. I learned that also from being in the studio one time with Tony and not being prepared. Big mistake! So now, I will sing these songs hundreds of times before I even record them.
Dingy Apartments And Raw Authenticity
The film’s production design defies everything audiences might expect from traditional jazz performances. Rather than elegant sets reminiscent of her Tony Bennett collaborations or Vegas “Jazz & Piano” residency, viewers will see something dramatically different.
Gaga and her six-piece band perform in what appears to be a disheveled apartment. Crooked window blinds hang at awkward angles. An unmade mattress sits directly on the floor. Everything feels messy, shadowy, lived-in.
This aesthetic wasn’t random—it connected directly to Gaga’s origins as an artist.
When I met the guys that I made the record with, some of them 20 years ago, I was living in a dingy apartment on the Lower East Side. That’s where I had all my crazy ideas about anything. So that’s how the emotional and raw quality of how we made it made its way into this performance.
Tony Bennett’s Spirit Lives On
Though Bennett isn’t physically present, his influence permeates throughout. During the performance of “Smile,” cameras catch something touching at the foot of that dilapidated bed: a tiny black-and-white television playing repeating footage of Bennett himself.
Well, he loved ‘Smile.’ And man, could he sing it, too — Tony’s version of ‘Smile’ was my favorite, after Nat King Cole’s. So, having him there, it was one of those wild moments in a stage performance where you’re bringing in a little bit of the real world, with a little bit of a wink.
Gaga’s approach to these standards differs significantly from her Bennett collaborations. Where those sessions involved suits, formal presentations, and nervous energy, “Harlequin” embraced rebellion.
Surf Punk Meets Jazz Standards
Perhaps most surprising? Gaga revealed an unexpected influence behind her evolving jazz sound: surf punk.
Late-night conversations in Las Vegas with her band members, following 1 a.m. club shows by trumpeter Brian Newman, led to fresh creative directions.
We actually found our way into ‘Harlequin,’ I think, through guitar and our shared love of surf punk. And we sort of said, ‘You know, what if we were to kind of guide some of these productions in that direction?’
This rawer aesthetic extends to wardrobe choices—one band member performs in a sleeveless tuxedo, tattoos fully visible. What would Tony Bennett think?
Tony loved ‘Artpop,’ so I know Tony would’ve gone, ‘Wow. Yeah.’ Or, someone would’ve gotten fired!
Breaking Music With Trash Cans
Co-producer Benjamin Rice witnessed Gaga’s unconventional recording methods firsthand. Her approach to reimagining Great American Songbook standards involved literal deconstruction.
When we were in the studio, I was like, ‘Ben, why don’t you bring in some trash cans and we’ll use them as a drum kit?’ It was like, what were the ways that we could kind of break the music? Because we were thinking about comic books and jazz, and how could we think about this with humor and with fun in an almost childlike way — almost immature, or, yeah, a little bit bonkers.
The Most Personal Moment
While the concert features beloved standards like “That’s Entertainment,” “That’s Life,” and “When the Saints Go Marching In,” the film’s emotional peak arrives during “Happy Mistake”—one of two original songs Gaga wrote for “Harlequin.”
Except for the opening 30 seconds, the entire performance consists of one continuous take. Cameras circle around Gaga as she delivers lyrics drawn from deeply personal experience, bangs hanging over her eyes.
Afterward, she’s visibly teary.
That song, ‘Happy Mistake,’ was very much inspired by a time and an era in my life where… it felt like being happy would be an accident, it felt so impossible. And a lot of my decision-making for all the projects that I was taking on during this time came from a really deep, soulful attraction to wanting to help tell that story of what it feels like to be someone that’s misunderstood in that way.
Dancing With Cameras
Director of photography Marcell Rév, who also shot Gaga’s “Disease” video, created intimate cinematography throughout. Gaga described their collaborative process as instinctive rather than calculated.
It’s not the relationship where I go, ‘Oh, the camera’s here, so I’m gonna point my face like this, because that’s a good angle.’ I don’t think about it that way. It’s more like we’re doing a dance, and we’re in it together.
Michael Polansky’s Creative Partnership
Gaga’s fiancé Michael Polansky shares creative director and executive producer credits on the film. She described their working relationship as essential to maintaining artistic purity.
One of the things I love about working with Michael is that he has this closeness with me where he sees my artistry and my musicianship in its infancy, in its raw form. So whether I want to overthink it or someone else wants to overthink it, or somebody wants to come in and go, ‘What does it all mean? What’s the strategy behind it? How will we market it?,’ he will help in every possible way to make sure that the purity of it is not destroyed.
When one enthusiastic fan suggested Gaga arrive at her wedding in Volantis—her legendary 2013 flying dress—the singer laughed off the idea as simply “dangerous.”
Grammy Recognition And Future Jazz
“Harlequin” earned Gaga a Grammy nomination for best traditional pop vocal album, marking her first solo entry in the category after two wins with Bennett. Her other recent album, “Mayhem,” collected seven additional nominations heading into the February 1 ceremony.
Despite competing alone on paper, Gaga doesn’t view it that way.
I’m not in the category alone, I don’t feel, because I guess I’ll always feel like Tony is with me in the category — and also all these musicians that I’ve been making music with for the last two decades are with me.
More importantly, she confirmed what fans hoped to hear: this isn’t her final jazz record.
This project for me is a really special way to gave my fans some insight into who I want to become, as a jazz musician. This will not be my last jazz record. So it’s just exciting to keep going. And I do feel no matter where music takes me, it’s the one thing that’s pretty insatiable in me — it will never be enough.
Currently touring with her Mayhem Ball—which resumes January 21 in Osaka before wrapping at Madison Square Garden in April—Gaga continues writing new material. She’s set up recording equipment in every hotel room, capturing inspiration whenever it strikes.
Her approach has evolved from the Method immersion of her twenties to something more sustainable, allowing creative space between projects without losing intensity during performances.
Christmas Eve will finally allow the world to witness what approximately a thousand fans experienced 15 months ago at the Belasco: Gaga performing with wild abandon in a dingy apartment setting, ripping open pillows and throwing feathers, dancing frantically while maintaining perfect pitch.
All while honoring Tony Bennett, embracing her Lower East Side roots, and proving that traditional pop can still feel dangerously rebellious.
Fans who attended described the experience as transformative. At the museum screening, one audience member named Edith shared her emotional connection to the performance and album.
I was there at the ‘Harlequin’ show and it was one of the best nights of my life. That album really means a lot to me, because often I feel misunderstood.
Gaga’s response? She interrupted her own technical answer about album sequencing to ask if she could give the young woman a hug.
From Three Songs To Full Album
The entire project came together with remarkable spontaneity. Originally planned as just three songs following the “Joker: Folie à Deux” premiere, Gaga and her team decided days beforehand to perform the complete “Harlequin” album instead.
What’s so interesting is, I was meant to do that performance as three songs, as just kind of a celebration after the premiere of ‘Joker.’ And a couple days before, Michael and I were like, ‘What? We’re just gonna do the whole album’.
Despite minimal rehearsal—just two days before the show—Gaga felt completely prepared. Her secret? Obsessive preparation long before recording.
Before you sing one of these records in the studio, you gotta like really know it. You can’t be learning it. I learned that also from being in the studio one time with Tony and not being prepared. Big mistake! So now, I will sing these songs hundreds of times before I even record them.
Dingy Apartments And Raw Authenticity
The film’s production design defies everything audiences might expect from traditional jazz performances. Rather than elegant sets reminiscent of her Tony Bennett collaborations or Vegas “Jazz & Piano” residency, viewers will see something dramatically different.
Gaga and her six-piece band perform in what appears to be a disheveled apartment. Crooked window blinds hang at awkward angles. An unmade mattress sits directly on the floor. Everything feels messy, shadowy, lived-in.
This aesthetic wasn’t random—it connected directly to Gaga’s origins as an artist.
When I met the guys that I made the record with, some of them 20 years ago, I was living in a dingy apartment on the Lower East Side. That’s where I had all my crazy ideas about anything. So that’s how the emotional and raw quality of how we made it made its way into this performance.
Tony Bennett’s Spirit Lives On
Though Bennett isn’t physically present, his influence permeates throughout. During the performance of “Smile,” cameras catch something touching at the foot of that dilapidated bed: a tiny black-and-white television playing repeating footage of Bennett himself.
Well, he loved ‘Smile.’ And man, could he sing it, too — Tony’s version of ‘Smile’ was my favorite, after Nat King Cole’s. So, having him there, it was one of those wild moments in a stage performance where you’re bringing in a little bit of the real world, with a little bit of a wink.
Gaga’s approach to these standards differs significantly from her Bennett collaborations. Where those sessions involved suits, formal presentations, and nervous energy, “Harlequin” embraced rebellion.
Surf Punk Meets Jazz Standards
Perhaps most surprising? Gaga revealed an unexpected influence behind her evolving jazz sound: surf punk.
Late-night conversations in Las Vegas with her band members, following 1 a.m. club shows by trumpeter Brian Newman, led to fresh creative directions.
We actually found our way into ‘Harlequin,’ I think, through guitar and our shared love of surf punk. And we sort of said, ‘You know, what if we were to kind of guide some of these productions in that direction?’
This rawer aesthetic extends to wardrobe choices—one band member performs in a sleeveless tuxedo, tattoos fully visible. What would Tony Bennett think?
Tony loved ‘Artpop,’ so I know Tony would’ve gone, ‘Wow. Yeah.’ Or, someone would’ve gotten fired!
Breaking Music With Trash Cans
Co-producer Benjamin Rice witnessed Gaga’s unconventional recording methods firsthand. Her approach to reimagining Great American Songbook standards involved literal deconstruction.
When we were in the studio, I was like, ‘Ben, why don’t you bring in some trash cans and we’ll use them as a drum kit?’ It was like, what were the ways that we could kind of break the music? Because we were thinking about comic books and jazz, and how could we think about this with humor and with fun in an almost childlike way — almost immature, or, yeah, a little bit bonkers.
The Most Personal Moment
While the concert features beloved standards like “That’s Entertainment,” “That’s Life,” and “When the Saints Go Marching In,” the film’s emotional peak arrives during “Happy Mistake”—one of two original songs Gaga wrote for “Harlequin.”
Except for the opening 30 seconds, the entire performance consists of one continuous take. Cameras circle around Gaga as she delivers lyrics drawn from deeply personal experience, bangs hanging over her eyes.
Afterward, she’s visibly teary.
That song, ‘Happy Mistake,’ was very much inspired by a time and an era in my life where… it felt like being happy would be an accident, it felt so impossible. And a lot of my decision-making for all the projects that I was taking on during this time came from a really deep, soulful attraction to wanting to help tell that story of what it feels like to be someone that’s misunderstood in that way.
Dancing With Cameras
Director of photography Marcell Rév, who also shot Gaga’s “Disease” video, created intimate cinematography throughout. Gaga described their collaborative process as instinctive rather than calculated.
It’s not the relationship where I go, ‘Oh, the camera’s here, so I’m gonna point my face like this, because that’s a good angle.’ I don’t think about it that way. It’s more like we’re doing a dance, and we’re in it together.
Michael Polansky’s Creative Partnership
Gaga’s fiancé Michael Polansky shares creative director and executive producer credits on the film. She described their working relationship as essential to maintaining artistic purity.
One of the things I love about working with Michael is that he has this closeness with me where he sees my artistry and my musicianship in its infancy, in its raw form. So whether I want to overthink it or someone else wants to overthink it, or somebody wants to come in and go, ‘What does it all mean? What’s the strategy behind it? How will we market it?,’ he will help in every possible way to make sure that the purity of it is not destroyed.
When one enthusiastic fan suggested Gaga arrive at her wedding in Volantis—her legendary 2013 flying dress—the singer laughed off the idea as simply “dangerous.”
Grammy Recognition And Future Jazz
“Harlequin” earned Gaga a Grammy nomination for best traditional pop vocal album, marking her first solo entry in the category after two wins with Bennett. Her other recent album, “Mayhem,” collected seven additional nominations heading into the February 1 ceremony.
Despite competing alone on paper, Gaga doesn’t view it that way.
I’m not in the category alone, I don’t feel, because I guess I’ll always feel like Tony is with me in the category — and also all these musicians that I’ve been making music with for the last two decades are with me.
More importantly, she confirmed what fans hoped to hear: this isn’t her final jazz record.
This project for me is a really special way to gave my fans some insight into who I want to become, as a jazz musician. This will not be my last jazz record. So it’s just exciting to keep going. And I do feel no matter where music takes me, it’s the one thing that’s pretty insatiable in me — it will never be enough.
Currently touring with her Mayhem Ball—which resumes January 21 in Osaka before wrapping at Madison Square Garden in April—Gaga continues writing new material. She’s set up recording equipment in every hotel room, capturing inspiration whenever it strikes.
Her approach has evolved from the Method immersion of her twenties to something more sustainable, allowing creative space between projects without losing intensity during performances.
Christmas Eve will finally allow the world to witness what approximately a thousand fans experienced 15 months ago at the Belasco: Gaga performing with wild abandon in a dingy apartment setting, ripping open pillows and throwing feathers, dancing frantically while maintaining perfect pitch.
All while honoring Tony Bennett, embracing her Lower East Side roots, and proving that traditional pop can still feel dangerously rebellious.
Gaga revealed that holding back the concert footage was always part of her strategy, allowing anticipation to build organically among her fanbase.
It was interesting — when we first saw the footage, we said, ‘This is not the right time to put this out.’ And we collectively agreed that we would allow the lore of the Belasco performance to bloom with the fans, until it felt like time… And so this is like a Christmas present.
Fans who attended described the experience as transformative. At the museum screening, one audience member named Edith shared her emotional connection to the performance and album.
I was there at the ‘Harlequin’ show and it was one of the best nights of my life. That album really means a lot to me, because often I feel misunderstood.
Gaga’s response? She interrupted her own technical answer about album sequencing to ask if she could give the young woman a hug.
From Three Songs To Full Album
The entire project came together with remarkable spontaneity. Originally planned as just three songs following the “Joker: Folie à Deux” premiere, Gaga and her team decided days beforehand to perform the complete “Harlequin” album instead.
What’s so interesting is, I was meant to do that performance as three songs, as just kind of a celebration after the premiere of ‘Joker.’ And a couple days before, Michael and I were like, ‘What? We’re just gonna do the whole album’.
Despite minimal rehearsal—just two days before the show—Gaga felt completely prepared. Her secret? Obsessive preparation long before recording.
Before you sing one of these records in the studio, you gotta like really know it. You can’t be learning it. I learned that also from being in the studio one time with Tony and not being prepared. Big mistake! So now, I will sing these songs hundreds of times before I even record them.
Dingy Apartments And Raw Authenticity
The film’s production design defies everything audiences might expect from traditional jazz performances. Rather than elegant sets reminiscent of her Tony Bennett collaborations or Vegas “Jazz & Piano” residency, viewers will see something dramatically different.
Gaga and her six-piece band perform in what appears to be a disheveled apartment. Crooked window blinds hang at awkward angles. An unmade mattress sits directly on the floor. Everything feels messy, shadowy, lived-in.
This aesthetic wasn’t random—it connected directly to Gaga’s origins as an artist.
When I met the guys that I made the record with, some of them 20 years ago, I was living in a dingy apartment on the Lower East Side. That’s where I had all my crazy ideas about anything. So that’s how the emotional and raw quality of how we made it made its way into this performance.
Tony Bennett’s Spirit Lives On
Though Bennett isn’t physically present, his influence permeates throughout. During the performance of “Smile,” cameras catch something touching at the foot of that dilapidated bed: a tiny black-and-white television playing repeating footage of Bennett himself.
Well, he loved ‘Smile.’ And man, could he sing it, too — Tony’s version of ‘Smile’ was my favorite, after Nat King Cole’s. So, having him there, it was one of those wild moments in a stage performance where you’re bringing in a little bit of the real world, with a little bit of a wink.
Gaga’s approach to these standards differs significantly from her Bennett collaborations. Where those sessions involved suits, formal presentations, and nervous energy, “Harlequin” embraced rebellion.
Surf Punk Meets Jazz Standards
Perhaps most surprising? Gaga revealed an unexpected influence behind her evolving jazz sound: surf punk.
Late-night conversations in Las Vegas with her band members, following 1 a.m. club shows by trumpeter Brian Newman, led to fresh creative directions.
We actually found our way into ‘Harlequin,’ I think, through guitar and our shared love of surf punk. And we sort of said, ‘You know, what if we were to kind of guide some of these productions in that direction?’
This rawer aesthetic extends to wardrobe choices—one band member performs in a sleeveless tuxedo, tattoos fully visible. What would Tony Bennett think?
Tony loved ‘Artpop,’ so I know Tony would’ve gone, ‘Wow. Yeah.’ Or, someone would’ve gotten fired!
Breaking Music With Trash Cans
Co-producer Benjamin Rice witnessed Gaga’s unconventional recording methods firsthand. Her approach to reimagining Great American Songbook standards involved literal deconstruction.
When we were in the studio, I was like, ‘Ben, why don’t you bring in some trash cans and we’ll use them as a drum kit?’ It was like, what were the ways that we could kind of break the music? Because we were thinking about comic books and jazz, and how could we think about this with humor and with fun in an almost childlike way — almost immature, or, yeah, a little bit bonkers.
The Most Personal Moment
While the concert features beloved standards like “That’s Entertainment,” “That’s Life,” and “When the Saints Go Marching In,” the film’s emotional peak arrives during “Happy Mistake”—one of two original songs Gaga wrote for “Harlequin.”
Except for the opening 30 seconds, the entire performance consists of one continuous take. Cameras circle around Gaga as she delivers lyrics drawn from deeply personal experience, bangs hanging over her eyes.
Afterward, she’s visibly teary.
That song, ‘Happy Mistake,’ was very much inspired by a time and an era in my life where… it felt like being happy would be an accident, it felt so impossible. And a lot of my decision-making for all the projects that I was taking on during this time came from a really deep, soulful attraction to wanting to help tell that story of what it feels like to be someone that’s misunderstood in that way.
Dancing With Cameras
Director of photography Marcell Rév, who also shot Gaga’s “Disease” video, created intimate cinematography throughout. Gaga described their collaborative process as instinctive rather than calculated.
It’s not the relationship where I go, ‘Oh, the camera’s here, so I’m gonna point my face like this, because that’s a good angle.’ I don’t think about it that way. It’s more like we’re doing a dance, and we’re in it together.
Michael Polansky’s Creative Partnership
Gaga’s fiancé Michael Polansky shares creative director and executive producer credits on the film. She described their working relationship as essential to maintaining artistic purity.
One of the things I love about working with Michael is that he has this closeness with me where he sees my artistry and my musicianship in its infancy, in its raw form. So whether I want to overthink it or someone else wants to overthink it, or somebody wants to come in and go, ‘What does it all mean? What’s the strategy behind it? How will we market it?,’ he will help in every possible way to make sure that the purity of it is not destroyed.
When one enthusiastic fan suggested Gaga arrive at her wedding in Volantis—her legendary 2013 flying dress—the singer laughed off the idea as simply “dangerous.”
Grammy Recognition And Future Jazz
“Harlequin” earned Gaga a Grammy nomination for best traditional pop vocal album, marking her first solo entry in the category after two wins with Bennett. Her other recent album, “Mayhem,” collected seven additional nominations heading into the February 1 ceremony.
Despite competing alone on paper, Gaga doesn’t view it that way.
I’m not in the category alone, I don’t feel, because I guess I’ll always feel like Tony is with me in the category — and also all these musicians that I’ve been making music with for the last two decades are with me.
More importantly, she confirmed what fans hoped to hear: this isn’t her final jazz record.
This project for me is a really special way to gave my fans some insight into who I want to become, as a jazz musician. This will not be my last jazz record. So it’s just exciting to keep going. And I do feel no matter where music takes me, it’s the one thing that’s pretty insatiable in me — it will never be enough.
Currently touring with her Mayhem Ball—which resumes January 21 in Osaka before wrapping at Madison Square Garden in April—Gaga continues writing new material. She’s set up recording equipment in every hotel room, capturing inspiration whenever it strikes.
Her approach has evolved from the Method immersion of her twenties to something more sustainable, allowing creative space between projects without losing intensity during performances.
Christmas Eve will finally allow the world to witness what approximately a thousand fans experienced 15 months ago at the Belasco: Gaga performing with wild abandon in a dingy apartment setting, ripping open pillows and throwing feathers, dancing frantically while maintaining perfect pitch.
All while honoring Tony Bennett, embracing her Lower East Side roots, and proving that traditional pop can still feel dangerously rebellious.
Gaga revealed that holding back the concert footage was always part of her strategy, allowing anticipation to build organically among her fanbase.
It was interesting — when we first saw the footage, we said, ‘This is not the right time to put this out.’ And we collectively agreed that we would allow the lore of the Belasco performance to bloom with the fans, until it felt like time… And so this is like a Christmas present.
Fans who attended described the experience as transformative. At the museum screening, one audience member named Edith shared her emotional connection to the performance and album.
I was there at the ‘Harlequin’ show and it was one of the best nights of my life. That album really means a lot to me, because often I feel misunderstood.
Gaga’s response? She interrupted her own technical answer about album sequencing to ask if she could give the young woman a hug.
From Three Songs To Full Album
The entire project came together with remarkable spontaneity. Originally planned as just three songs following the “Joker: Folie à Deux” premiere, Gaga and her team decided days beforehand to perform the complete “Harlequin” album instead.
What’s so interesting is, I was meant to do that performance as three songs, as just kind of a celebration after the premiere of ‘Joker.’ And a couple days before, Michael and I were like, ‘What? We’re just gonna do the whole album’.
Despite minimal rehearsal—just two days before the show—Gaga felt completely prepared. Her secret? Obsessive preparation long before recording.
Before you sing one of these records in the studio, you gotta like really know it. You can’t be learning it. I learned that also from being in the studio one time with Tony and not being prepared. Big mistake! So now, I will sing these songs hundreds of times before I even record them.
Dingy Apartments And Raw Authenticity
The film’s production design defies everything audiences might expect from traditional jazz performances. Rather than elegant sets reminiscent of her Tony Bennett collaborations or Vegas “Jazz & Piano” residency, viewers will see something dramatically different.
Gaga and her six-piece band perform in what appears to be a disheveled apartment. Crooked window blinds hang at awkward angles. An unmade mattress sits directly on the floor. Everything feels messy, shadowy, lived-in.
This aesthetic wasn’t random—it connected directly to Gaga’s origins as an artist.
When I met the guys that I made the record with, some of them 20 years ago, I was living in a dingy apartment on the Lower East Side. That’s where I had all my crazy ideas about anything. So that’s how the emotional and raw quality of how we made it made its way into this performance.
Tony Bennett’s Spirit Lives On
Though Bennett isn’t physically present, his influence permeates throughout. During the performance of “Smile,” cameras catch something touching at the foot of that dilapidated bed: a tiny black-and-white television playing repeating footage of Bennett himself.
Well, he loved ‘Smile.’ And man, could he sing it, too — Tony’s version of ‘Smile’ was my favorite, after Nat King Cole’s. So, having him there, it was one of those wild moments in a stage performance where you’re bringing in a little bit of the real world, with a little bit of a wink.
Gaga’s approach to these standards differs significantly from her Bennett collaborations. Where those sessions involved suits, formal presentations, and nervous energy, “Harlequin” embraced rebellion.
Surf Punk Meets Jazz Standards
Perhaps most surprising? Gaga revealed an unexpected influence behind her evolving jazz sound: surf punk.
Late-night conversations in Las Vegas with her band members, following 1 a.m. club shows by trumpeter Brian Newman, led to fresh creative directions.
We actually found our way into ‘Harlequin,’ I think, through guitar and our shared love of surf punk. And we sort of said, ‘You know, what if we were to kind of guide some of these productions in that direction?’
This rawer aesthetic extends to wardrobe choices—one band member performs in a sleeveless tuxedo, tattoos fully visible. What would Tony Bennett think?
Tony loved ‘Artpop,’ so I know Tony would’ve gone, ‘Wow. Yeah.’ Or, someone would’ve gotten fired!
Breaking Music With Trash Cans
Co-producer Benjamin Rice witnessed Gaga’s unconventional recording methods firsthand. Her approach to reimagining Great American Songbook standards involved literal deconstruction.
When we were in the studio, I was like, ‘Ben, why don’t you bring in some trash cans and we’ll use them as a drum kit?’ It was like, what were the ways that we could kind of break the music? Because we were thinking about comic books and jazz, and how could we think about this with humor and with fun in an almost childlike way — almost immature, or, yeah, a little bit bonkers.
The Most Personal Moment
While the concert features beloved standards like “That’s Entertainment,” “That’s Life,” and “When the Saints Go Marching In,” the film’s emotional peak arrives during “Happy Mistake”—one of two original songs Gaga wrote for “Harlequin.”
Except for the opening 30 seconds, the entire performance consists of one continuous take. Cameras circle around Gaga as she delivers lyrics drawn from deeply personal experience, bangs hanging over her eyes.
Afterward, she’s visibly teary.
That song, ‘Happy Mistake,’ was very much inspired by a time and an era in my life where… it felt like being happy would be an accident, it felt so impossible. And a lot of my decision-making for all the projects that I was taking on during this time came from a really deep, soulful attraction to wanting to help tell that story of what it feels like to be someone that’s misunderstood in that way.
Dancing With Cameras
Director of photography Marcell Rév, who also shot Gaga’s “Disease” video, created intimate cinematography throughout. Gaga described their collaborative process as instinctive rather than calculated.
It’s not the relationship where I go, ‘Oh, the camera’s here, so I’m gonna point my face like this, because that’s a good angle.’ I don’t think about it that way. It’s more like we’re doing a dance, and we’re in it together.
Michael Polansky’s Creative Partnership
Gaga’s fiancé Michael Polansky shares creative director and executive producer credits on the film. She described their working relationship as essential to maintaining artistic purity.
One of the things I love about working with Michael is that he has this closeness with me where he sees my artistry and my musicianship in its infancy, in its raw form. So whether I want to overthink it or someone else wants to overthink it, or somebody wants to come in and go, ‘What does it all mean? What’s the strategy behind it? How will we market it?,’ he will help in every possible way to make sure that the purity of it is not destroyed.
When one enthusiastic fan suggested Gaga arrive at her wedding in Volantis—her legendary 2013 flying dress—the singer laughed off the idea as simply “dangerous.”
Grammy Recognition And Future Jazz
“Harlequin” earned Gaga a Grammy nomination for best traditional pop vocal album, marking her first solo entry in the category after two wins with Bennett. Her other recent album, “Mayhem,” collected seven additional nominations heading into the February 1 ceremony.
Despite competing alone on paper, Gaga doesn’t view it that way.
I’m not in the category alone, I don’t feel, because I guess I’ll always feel like Tony is with me in the category — and also all these musicians that I’ve been making music with for the last two decades are with me.
More importantly, she confirmed what fans hoped to hear: this isn’t her final jazz record.
This project for me is a really special way to gave my fans some insight into who I want to become, as a jazz musician. This will not be my last jazz record. So it’s just exciting to keep going. And I do feel no matter where music takes me, it’s the one thing that’s pretty insatiable in me — it will never be enough.
Currently touring with her Mayhem Ball—which resumes January 21 in Osaka before wrapping at Madison Square Garden in April—Gaga continues writing new material. She’s set up recording equipment in every hotel room, capturing inspiration whenever it strikes.
Her approach has evolved from the Method immersion of her twenties to something more sustainable, allowing creative space between projects without losing intensity during performances.
Christmas Eve will finally allow the world to witness what approximately a thousand fans experienced 15 months ago at the Belasco: Gaga performing with wild abandon in a dingy apartment setting, ripping open pillows and throwing feathers, dancing frantically while maintaining perfect pitch.
All while honoring Tony Bennett, embracing her Lower East Side roots, and proving that traditional pop can still feel dangerously rebellious.
That silence was intentional.
Building The Lore
Gaga revealed that holding back the concert footage was always part of her strategy, allowing anticipation to build organically among her fanbase.
It was interesting — when we first saw the footage, we said, ‘This is not the right time to put this out.’ And we collectively agreed that we would allow the lore of the Belasco performance to bloom with the fans, until it felt like time… And so this is like a Christmas present.
Fans who attended described the experience as transformative. At the museum screening, one audience member named Edith shared her emotional connection to the performance and album.
I was there at the ‘Harlequin’ show and it was one of the best nights of my life. That album really means a lot to me, because often I feel misunderstood.
Gaga’s response? She interrupted her own technical answer about album sequencing to ask if she could give the young woman a hug.
From Three Songs To Full Album
The entire project came together with remarkable spontaneity. Originally planned as just three songs following the “Joker: Folie à Deux” premiere, Gaga and her team decided days beforehand to perform the complete “Harlequin” album instead.
What’s so interesting is, I was meant to do that performance as three songs, as just kind of a celebration after the premiere of ‘Joker.’ And a couple days before, Michael and I were like, ‘What? We’re just gonna do the whole album’.
Despite minimal rehearsal—just two days before the show—Gaga felt completely prepared. Her secret? Obsessive preparation long before recording.
Before you sing one of these records in the studio, you gotta like really know it. You can’t be learning it. I learned that also from being in the studio one time with Tony and not being prepared. Big mistake! So now, I will sing these songs hundreds of times before I even record them.
Dingy Apartments And Raw Authenticity
The film’s production design defies everything audiences might expect from traditional jazz performances. Rather than elegant sets reminiscent of her Tony Bennett collaborations or Vegas “Jazz & Piano” residency, viewers will see something dramatically different.
Gaga and her six-piece band perform in what appears to be a disheveled apartment. Crooked window blinds hang at awkward angles. An unmade mattress sits directly on the floor. Everything feels messy, shadowy, lived-in.
This aesthetic wasn’t random—it connected directly to Gaga’s origins as an artist.
When I met the guys that I made the record with, some of them 20 years ago, I was living in a dingy apartment on the Lower East Side. That’s where I had all my crazy ideas about anything. So that’s how the emotional and raw quality of how we made it made its way into this performance.
Tony Bennett’s Spirit Lives On
Though Bennett isn’t physically present, his influence permeates throughout. During the performance of “Smile,” cameras catch something touching at the foot of that dilapidated bed: a tiny black-and-white television playing repeating footage of Bennett himself.
Well, he loved ‘Smile.’ And man, could he sing it, too — Tony’s version of ‘Smile’ was my favorite, after Nat King Cole’s. So, having him there, it was one of those wild moments in a stage performance where you’re bringing in a little bit of the real world, with a little bit of a wink.
Gaga’s approach to these standards differs significantly from her Bennett collaborations. Where those sessions involved suits, formal presentations, and nervous energy, “Harlequin” embraced rebellion.
Surf Punk Meets Jazz Standards
Perhaps most surprising? Gaga revealed an unexpected influence behind her evolving jazz sound: surf punk.
Late-night conversations in Las Vegas with her band members, following 1 a.m. club shows by trumpeter Brian Newman, led to fresh creative directions.
We actually found our way into ‘Harlequin,’ I think, through guitar and our shared love of surf punk. And we sort of said, ‘You know, what if we were to kind of guide some of these productions in that direction?’
This rawer aesthetic extends to wardrobe choices—one band member performs in a sleeveless tuxedo, tattoos fully visible. What would Tony Bennett think?
Tony loved ‘Artpop,’ so I know Tony would’ve gone, ‘Wow. Yeah.’ Or, someone would’ve gotten fired!
Breaking Music With Trash Cans
Co-producer Benjamin Rice witnessed Gaga’s unconventional recording methods firsthand. Her approach to reimagining Great American Songbook standards involved literal deconstruction.
When we were in the studio, I was like, ‘Ben, why don’t you bring in some trash cans and we’ll use them as a drum kit?’ It was like, what were the ways that we could kind of break the music? Because we were thinking about comic books and jazz, and how could we think about this with humor and with fun in an almost childlike way — almost immature, or, yeah, a little bit bonkers.
The Most Personal Moment
While the concert features beloved standards like “That’s Entertainment,” “That’s Life,” and “When the Saints Go Marching In,” the film’s emotional peak arrives during “Happy Mistake”—one of two original songs Gaga wrote for “Harlequin.”
Except for the opening 30 seconds, the entire performance consists of one continuous take. Cameras circle around Gaga as she delivers lyrics drawn from deeply personal experience, bangs hanging over her eyes.
Afterward, she’s visibly teary.
That song, ‘Happy Mistake,’ was very much inspired by a time and an era in my life where… it felt like being happy would be an accident, it felt so impossible. And a lot of my decision-making for all the projects that I was taking on during this time came from a really deep, soulful attraction to wanting to help tell that story of what it feels like to be someone that’s misunderstood in that way.
Dancing With Cameras
Director of photography Marcell Rév, who also shot Gaga’s “Disease” video, created intimate cinematography throughout. Gaga described their collaborative process as instinctive rather than calculated.
It’s not the relationship where I go, ‘Oh, the camera’s here, so I’m gonna point my face like this, because that’s a good angle.’ I don’t think about it that way. It’s more like we’re doing a dance, and we’re in it together.
Michael Polansky’s Creative Partnership
Gaga’s fiancé Michael Polansky shares creative director and executive producer credits on the film. She described their working relationship as essential to maintaining artistic purity.
One of the things I love about working with Michael is that he has this closeness with me where he sees my artistry and my musicianship in its infancy, in its raw form. So whether I want to overthink it or someone else wants to overthink it, or somebody wants to come in and go, ‘What does it all mean? What’s the strategy behind it? How will we market it?,’ he will help in every possible way to make sure that the purity of it is not destroyed.
When one enthusiastic fan suggested Gaga arrive at her wedding in Volantis—her legendary 2013 flying dress—the singer laughed off the idea as simply “dangerous.”
Grammy Recognition And Future Jazz
“Harlequin” earned Gaga a Grammy nomination for best traditional pop vocal album, marking her first solo entry in the category after two wins with Bennett. Her other recent album, “Mayhem,” collected seven additional nominations heading into the February 1 ceremony.
Despite competing alone on paper, Gaga doesn’t view it that way.
I’m not in the category alone, I don’t feel, because I guess I’ll always feel like Tony is with me in the category — and also all these musicians that I’ve been making music with for the last two decades are with me.
More importantly, she confirmed what fans hoped to hear: this isn’t her final jazz record.
This project for me is a really special way to gave my fans some insight into who I want to become, as a jazz musician. This will not be my last jazz record. So it’s just exciting to keep going. And I do feel no matter where music takes me, it’s the one thing that’s pretty insatiable in me — it will never be enough.
Currently touring with her Mayhem Ball—which resumes January 21 in Osaka before wrapping at Madison Square Garden in April—Gaga continues writing new material. She’s set up recording equipment in every hotel room, capturing inspiration whenever it strikes.
Her approach has evolved from the Method immersion of her twenties to something more sustainable, allowing creative space between projects without losing intensity during performances.
Christmas Eve will finally allow the world to witness what approximately a thousand fans experienced 15 months ago at the Belasco: Gaga performing with wild abandon in a dingy apartment setting, ripping open pillows and throwing feathers, dancing frantically while maintaining perfect pitch.
All while honoring Tony Bennett, embracing her Lower East Side roots, and proving that traditional pop can still feel dangerously rebellious.
That silence was intentional.
Building The Lore
Gaga revealed that holding back the concert footage was always part of her strategy, allowing anticipation to build organically among her fanbase.
It was interesting — when we first saw the footage, we said, ‘This is not the right time to put this out.’ And we collectively agreed that we would allow the lore of the Belasco performance to bloom with the fans, until it felt like time… And so this is like a Christmas present.
Fans who attended described the experience as transformative. At the museum screening, one audience member named Edith shared her emotional connection to the performance and album.
I was there at the ‘Harlequin’ show and it was one of the best nights of my life. That album really means a lot to me, because often I feel misunderstood.
Gaga’s response? She interrupted her own technical answer about album sequencing to ask if she could give the young woman a hug.
From Three Songs To Full Album
The entire project came together with remarkable spontaneity. Originally planned as just three songs following the “Joker: Folie à Deux” premiere, Gaga and her team decided days beforehand to perform the complete “Harlequin” album instead.
What’s so interesting is, I was meant to do that performance as three songs, as just kind of a celebration after the premiere of ‘Joker.’ And a couple days before, Michael and I were like, ‘What? We’re just gonna do the whole album’.
Despite minimal rehearsal—just two days before the show—Gaga felt completely prepared. Her secret? Obsessive preparation long before recording.
Before you sing one of these records in the studio, you gotta like really know it. You can’t be learning it. I learned that also from being in the studio one time with Tony and not being prepared. Big mistake! So now, I will sing these songs hundreds of times before I even record them.
Dingy Apartments And Raw Authenticity
The film’s production design defies everything audiences might expect from traditional jazz performances. Rather than elegant sets reminiscent of her Tony Bennett collaborations or Vegas “Jazz & Piano” residency, viewers will see something dramatically different.
Gaga and her six-piece band perform in what appears to be a disheveled apartment. Crooked window blinds hang at awkward angles. An unmade mattress sits directly on the floor. Everything feels messy, shadowy, lived-in.
This aesthetic wasn’t random—it connected directly to Gaga’s origins as an artist.
When I met the guys that I made the record with, some of them 20 years ago, I was living in a dingy apartment on the Lower East Side. That’s where I had all my crazy ideas about anything. So that’s how the emotional and raw quality of how we made it made its way into this performance.
Tony Bennett’s Spirit Lives On
Though Bennett isn’t physically present, his influence permeates throughout. During the performance of “Smile,” cameras catch something touching at the foot of that dilapidated bed: a tiny black-and-white television playing repeating footage of Bennett himself.
Well, he loved ‘Smile.’ And man, could he sing it, too — Tony’s version of ‘Smile’ was my favorite, after Nat King Cole’s. So, having him there, it was one of those wild moments in a stage performance where you’re bringing in a little bit of the real world, with a little bit of a wink.
Gaga’s approach to these standards differs significantly from her Bennett collaborations. Where those sessions involved suits, formal presentations, and nervous energy, “Harlequin” embraced rebellion.
Surf Punk Meets Jazz Standards
Perhaps most surprising? Gaga revealed an unexpected influence behind her evolving jazz sound: surf punk.
Late-night conversations in Las Vegas with her band members, following 1 a.m. club shows by trumpeter Brian Newman, led to fresh creative directions.
We actually found our way into ‘Harlequin,’ I think, through guitar and our shared love of surf punk. And we sort of said, ‘You know, what if we were to kind of guide some of these productions in that direction?’
This rawer aesthetic extends to wardrobe choices—one band member performs in a sleeveless tuxedo, tattoos fully visible. What would Tony Bennett think?
Tony loved ‘Artpop,’ so I know Tony would’ve gone, ‘Wow. Yeah.’ Or, someone would’ve gotten fired!
Breaking Music With Trash Cans
Co-producer Benjamin Rice witnessed Gaga’s unconventional recording methods firsthand. Her approach to reimagining Great American Songbook standards involved literal deconstruction.
When we were in the studio, I was like, ‘Ben, why don’t you bring in some trash cans and we’ll use them as a drum kit?’ It was like, what were the ways that we could kind of break the music? Because we were thinking about comic books and jazz, and how could we think about this with humor and with fun in an almost childlike way — almost immature, or, yeah, a little bit bonkers.
The Most Personal Moment
While the concert features beloved standards like “That’s Entertainment,” “That’s Life,” and “When the Saints Go Marching In,” the film’s emotional peak arrives during “Happy Mistake”—one of two original songs Gaga wrote for “Harlequin.”
Except for the opening 30 seconds, the entire performance consists of one continuous take. Cameras circle around Gaga as she delivers lyrics drawn from deeply personal experience, bangs hanging over her eyes.
Afterward, she’s visibly teary.
That song, ‘Happy Mistake,’ was very much inspired by a time and an era in my life where… it felt like being happy would be an accident, it felt so impossible. And a lot of my decision-making for all the projects that I was taking on during this time came from a really deep, soulful attraction to wanting to help tell that story of what it feels like to be someone that’s misunderstood in that way.
Dancing With Cameras
Director of photography Marcell Rév, who also shot Gaga’s “Disease” video, created intimate cinematography throughout. Gaga described their collaborative process as instinctive rather than calculated.
It’s not the relationship where I go, ‘Oh, the camera’s here, so I’m gonna point my face like this, because that’s a good angle.’ I don’t think about it that way. It’s more like we’re doing a dance, and we’re in it together.
Michael Polansky’s Creative Partnership
Gaga’s fiancé Michael Polansky shares creative director and executive producer credits on the film. She described their working relationship as essential to maintaining artistic purity.
One of the things I love about working with Michael is that he has this closeness with me where he sees my artistry and my musicianship in its infancy, in its raw form. So whether I want to overthink it or someone else wants to overthink it, or somebody wants to come in and go, ‘What does it all mean? What’s the strategy behind it? How will we market it?,’ he will help in every possible way to make sure that the purity of it is not destroyed.
When one enthusiastic fan suggested Gaga arrive at her wedding in Volantis—her legendary 2013 flying dress—the singer laughed off the idea as simply “dangerous.”
Grammy Recognition And Future Jazz
“Harlequin” earned Gaga a Grammy nomination for best traditional pop vocal album, marking her first solo entry in the category after two wins with Bennett. Her other recent album, “Mayhem,” collected seven additional nominations heading into the February 1 ceremony.
Despite competing alone on paper, Gaga doesn’t view it that way.
I’m not in the category alone, I don’t feel, because I guess I’ll always feel like Tony is with me in the category — and also all these musicians that I’ve been making music with for the last two decades are with me.
More importantly, she confirmed what fans hoped to hear: this isn’t her final jazz record.
This project for me is a really special way to gave my fans some insight into who I want to become, as a jazz musician. This will not be my last jazz record. So it’s just exciting to keep going. And I do feel no matter where music takes me, it’s the one thing that’s pretty insatiable in me — it will never be enough.
Currently touring with her Mayhem Ball—which resumes January 21 in Osaka before wrapping at Madison Square Garden in April—Gaga continues writing new material. She’s set up recording equipment in every hotel room, capturing inspiration whenever it strikes.
Her approach has evolved from the Method immersion of her twenties to something more sustainable, allowing creative space between projects without losing intensity during performances.
Christmas Eve will finally allow the world to witness what approximately a thousand fans experienced 15 months ago at the Belasco: Gaga performing with wild abandon in a dingy apartment setting, ripping open pillows and throwing feathers, dancing frantically while maintaining perfect pitch.
All while honoring Tony Bennett, embracing her Lower East Side roots, and proving that traditional pop can still feel dangerously rebellious.
The concert film captures a post-midnight performance at downtown L.A.’s Belasco Theatre from September 30, 2024. Only about a thousand lucky fans witnessed the intimate show firsthand, with absolutely zero photos or videos released publicly afterward.
That silence was intentional.
Building The Lore
Gaga revealed that holding back the concert footage was always part of her strategy, allowing anticipation to build organically among her fanbase.
It was interesting — when we first saw the footage, we said, ‘This is not the right time to put this out.’ And we collectively agreed that we would allow the lore of the Belasco performance to bloom with the fans, until it felt like time… And so this is like a Christmas present.
Fans who attended described the experience as transformative. At the museum screening, one audience member named Edith shared her emotional connection to the performance and album.
I was there at the ‘Harlequin’ show and it was one of the best nights of my life. That album really means a lot to me, because often I feel misunderstood.
Gaga’s response? She interrupted her own technical answer about album sequencing to ask if she could give the young woman a hug.
From Three Songs To Full Album
The entire project came together with remarkable spontaneity. Originally planned as just three songs following the “Joker: Folie à Deux” premiere, Gaga and her team decided days beforehand to perform the complete “Harlequin” album instead.
What’s so interesting is, I was meant to do that performance as three songs, as just kind of a celebration after the premiere of ‘Joker.’ And a couple days before, Michael and I were like, ‘What? We’re just gonna do the whole album’.
Despite minimal rehearsal—just two days before the show—Gaga felt completely prepared. Her secret? Obsessive preparation long before recording.
Before you sing one of these records in the studio, you gotta like really know it. You can’t be learning it. I learned that also from being in the studio one time with Tony and not being prepared. Big mistake! So now, I will sing these songs hundreds of times before I even record them.
Dingy Apartments And Raw Authenticity
The film’s production design defies everything audiences might expect from traditional jazz performances. Rather than elegant sets reminiscent of her Tony Bennett collaborations or Vegas “Jazz & Piano” residency, viewers will see something dramatically different.
Gaga and her six-piece band perform in what appears to be a disheveled apartment. Crooked window blinds hang at awkward angles. An unmade mattress sits directly on the floor. Everything feels messy, shadowy, lived-in.
This aesthetic wasn’t random—it connected directly to Gaga’s origins as an artist.
When I met the guys that I made the record with, some of them 20 years ago, I was living in a dingy apartment on the Lower East Side. That’s where I had all my crazy ideas about anything. So that’s how the emotional and raw quality of how we made it made its way into this performance.
Tony Bennett’s Spirit Lives On
Though Bennett isn’t physically present, his influence permeates throughout. During the performance of “Smile,” cameras catch something touching at the foot of that dilapidated bed: a tiny black-and-white television playing repeating footage of Bennett himself.
Well, he loved ‘Smile.’ And man, could he sing it, too — Tony’s version of ‘Smile’ was my favorite, after Nat King Cole’s. So, having him there, it was one of those wild moments in a stage performance where you’re bringing in a little bit of the real world, with a little bit of a wink.
Gaga’s approach to these standards differs significantly from her Bennett collaborations. Where those sessions involved suits, formal presentations, and nervous energy, “Harlequin” embraced rebellion.
Surf Punk Meets Jazz Standards
Perhaps most surprising? Gaga revealed an unexpected influence behind her evolving jazz sound: surf punk.
Late-night conversations in Las Vegas with her band members, following 1 a.m. club shows by trumpeter Brian Newman, led to fresh creative directions.
We actually found our way into ‘Harlequin,’ I think, through guitar and our shared love of surf punk. And we sort of said, ‘You know, what if we were to kind of guide some of these productions in that direction?’
This rawer aesthetic extends to wardrobe choices—one band member performs in a sleeveless tuxedo, tattoos fully visible. What would Tony Bennett think?
Tony loved ‘Artpop,’ so I know Tony would’ve gone, ‘Wow. Yeah.’ Or, someone would’ve gotten fired!
Breaking Music With Trash Cans
Co-producer Benjamin Rice witnessed Gaga’s unconventional recording methods firsthand. Her approach to reimagining Great American Songbook standards involved literal deconstruction.
When we were in the studio, I was like, ‘Ben, why don’t you bring in some trash cans and we’ll use them as a drum kit?’ It was like, what were the ways that we could kind of break the music? Because we were thinking about comic books and jazz, and how could we think about this with humor and with fun in an almost childlike way — almost immature, or, yeah, a little bit bonkers.
The Most Personal Moment
While the concert features beloved standards like “That’s Entertainment,” “That’s Life,” and “When the Saints Go Marching In,” the film’s emotional peak arrives during “Happy Mistake”—one of two original songs Gaga wrote for “Harlequin.”
Except for the opening 30 seconds, the entire performance consists of one continuous take. Cameras circle around Gaga as she delivers lyrics drawn from deeply personal experience, bangs hanging over her eyes.
Afterward, she’s visibly teary.
That song, ‘Happy Mistake,’ was very much inspired by a time and an era in my life where… it felt like being happy would be an accident, it felt so impossible. And a lot of my decision-making for all the projects that I was taking on during this time came from a really deep, soulful attraction to wanting to help tell that story of what it feels like to be someone that’s misunderstood in that way.
Dancing With Cameras
Director of photography Marcell Rév, who also shot Gaga’s “Disease” video, created intimate cinematography throughout. Gaga described their collaborative process as instinctive rather than calculated.
It’s not the relationship where I go, ‘Oh, the camera’s here, so I’m gonna point my face like this, because that’s a good angle.’ I don’t think about it that way. It’s more like we’re doing a dance, and we’re in it together.
Michael Polansky’s Creative Partnership
Gaga’s fiancé Michael Polansky shares creative director and executive producer credits on the film. She described their working relationship as essential to maintaining artistic purity.
One of the things I love about working with Michael is that he has this closeness with me where he sees my artistry and my musicianship in its infancy, in its raw form. So whether I want to overthink it or someone else wants to overthink it, or somebody wants to come in and go, ‘What does it all mean? What’s the strategy behind it? How will we market it?,’ he will help in every possible way to make sure that the purity of it is not destroyed.
When one enthusiastic fan suggested Gaga arrive at her wedding in Volantis—her legendary 2013 flying dress—the singer laughed off the idea as simply “dangerous.”
Grammy Recognition And Future Jazz
“Harlequin” earned Gaga a Grammy nomination for best traditional pop vocal album, marking her first solo entry in the category after two wins with Bennett. Her other recent album, “Mayhem,” collected seven additional nominations heading into the February 1 ceremony.
Despite competing alone on paper, Gaga doesn’t view it that way.
I’m not in the category alone, I don’t feel, because I guess I’ll always feel like Tony is with me in the category — and also all these musicians that I’ve been making music with for the last two decades are with me.
More importantly, she confirmed what fans hoped to hear: this isn’t her final jazz record.
This project for me is a really special way to gave my fans some insight into who I want to become, as a jazz musician. This will not be my last jazz record. So it’s just exciting to keep going. And I do feel no matter where music takes me, it’s the one thing that’s pretty insatiable in me — it will never be enough.
Currently touring with her Mayhem Ball—which resumes January 21 in Osaka before wrapping at Madison Square Garden in April—Gaga continues writing new material. She’s set up recording equipment in every hotel room, capturing inspiration whenever it strikes.
Her approach has evolved from the Method immersion of her twenties to something more sustainable, allowing creative space between projects without losing intensity during performances.
Christmas Eve will finally allow the world to witness what approximately a thousand fans experienced 15 months ago at the Belasco: Gaga performing with wild abandon in a dingy apartment setting, ripping open pillows and throwing feathers, dancing frantically while maintaining perfect pitch.
All while honoring Tony Bennett, embracing her Lower East Side roots, and proving that traditional pop can still feel dangerously rebellious.
The concert film captures a post-midnight performance at downtown L.A.’s Belasco Theatre from September 30, 2024. Only about a thousand lucky fans witnessed the intimate show firsthand, with absolutely zero photos or videos released publicly afterward.
That silence was intentional.
Building The Lore
Gaga revealed that holding back the concert footage was always part of her strategy, allowing anticipation to build organically among her fanbase.
It was interesting — when we first saw the footage, we said, ‘This is not the right time to put this out.’ And we collectively agreed that we would allow the lore of the Belasco performance to bloom with the fans, until it felt like time… And so this is like a Christmas present.
Fans who attended described the experience as transformative. At the museum screening, one audience member named Edith shared her emotional connection to the performance and album.
I was there at the ‘Harlequin’ show and it was one of the best nights of my life. That album really means a lot to me, because often I feel misunderstood.
Gaga’s response? She interrupted her own technical answer about album sequencing to ask if she could give the young woman a hug.
From Three Songs To Full Album
The entire project came together with remarkable spontaneity. Originally planned as just three songs following the “Joker: Folie à Deux” premiere, Gaga and her team decided days beforehand to perform the complete “Harlequin” album instead.
What’s so interesting is, I was meant to do that performance as three songs, as just kind of a celebration after the premiere of ‘Joker.’ And a couple days before, Michael and I were like, ‘What? We’re just gonna do the whole album’.
Despite minimal rehearsal—just two days before the show—Gaga felt completely prepared. Her secret? Obsessive preparation long before recording.
Before you sing one of these records in the studio, you gotta like really know it. You can’t be learning it. I learned that also from being in the studio one time with Tony and not being prepared. Big mistake! So now, I will sing these songs hundreds of times before I even record them.
Dingy Apartments And Raw Authenticity
The film’s production design defies everything audiences might expect from traditional jazz performances. Rather than elegant sets reminiscent of her Tony Bennett collaborations or Vegas “Jazz & Piano” residency, viewers will see something dramatically different.
Gaga and her six-piece band perform in what appears to be a disheveled apartment. Crooked window blinds hang at awkward angles. An unmade mattress sits directly on the floor. Everything feels messy, shadowy, lived-in.
This aesthetic wasn’t random—it connected directly to Gaga’s origins as an artist.
When I met the guys that I made the record with, some of them 20 years ago, I was living in a dingy apartment on the Lower East Side. That’s where I had all my crazy ideas about anything. So that’s how the emotional and raw quality of how we made it made its way into this performance.
Tony Bennett’s Spirit Lives On
Though Bennett isn’t physically present, his influence permeates throughout. During the performance of “Smile,” cameras catch something touching at the foot of that dilapidated bed: a tiny black-and-white television playing repeating footage of Bennett himself.
Well, he loved ‘Smile.’ And man, could he sing it, too — Tony’s version of ‘Smile’ was my favorite, after Nat King Cole’s. So, having him there, it was one of those wild moments in a stage performance where you’re bringing in a little bit of the real world, with a little bit of a wink.
Gaga’s approach to these standards differs significantly from her Bennett collaborations. Where those sessions involved suits, formal presentations, and nervous energy, “Harlequin” embraced rebellion.
Surf Punk Meets Jazz Standards
Perhaps most surprising? Gaga revealed an unexpected influence behind her evolving jazz sound: surf punk.
Late-night conversations in Las Vegas with her band members, following 1 a.m. club shows by trumpeter Brian Newman, led to fresh creative directions.
We actually found our way into ‘Harlequin,’ I think, through guitar and our shared love of surf punk. And we sort of said, ‘You know, what if we were to kind of guide some of these productions in that direction?’
This rawer aesthetic extends to wardrobe choices—one band member performs in a sleeveless tuxedo, tattoos fully visible. What would Tony Bennett think?
Tony loved ‘Artpop,’ so I know Tony would’ve gone, ‘Wow. Yeah.’ Or, someone would’ve gotten fired!
Breaking Music With Trash Cans
Co-producer Benjamin Rice witnessed Gaga’s unconventional recording methods firsthand. Her approach to reimagining Great American Songbook standards involved literal deconstruction.
When we were in the studio, I was like, ‘Ben, why don’t you bring in some trash cans and we’ll use them as a drum kit?’ It was like, what were the ways that we could kind of break the music? Because we were thinking about comic books and jazz, and how could we think about this with humor and with fun in an almost childlike way — almost immature, or, yeah, a little bit bonkers.
The Most Personal Moment
While the concert features beloved standards like “That’s Entertainment,” “That’s Life,” and “When the Saints Go Marching In,” the film’s emotional peak arrives during “Happy Mistake”—one of two original songs Gaga wrote for “Harlequin.”
Except for the opening 30 seconds, the entire performance consists of one continuous take. Cameras circle around Gaga as she delivers lyrics drawn from deeply personal experience, bangs hanging over her eyes.
Afterward, she’s visibly teary.
That song, ‘Happy Mistake,’ was very much inspired by a time and an era in my life where… it felt like being happy would be an accident, it felt so impossible. And a lot of my decision-making for all the projects that I was taking on during this time came from a really deep, soulful attraction to wanting to help tell that story of what it feels like to be someone that’s misunderstood in that way.
Dancing With Cameras
Director of photography Marcell Rév, who also shot Gaga’s “Disease” video, created intimate cinematography throughout. Gaga described their collaborative process as instinctive rather than calculated.
It’s not the relationship where I go, ‘Oh, the camera’s here, so I’m gonna point my face like this, because that’s a good angle.’ I don’t think about it that way. It’s more like we’re doing a dance, and we’re in it together.
Michael Polansky’s Creative Partnership
Gaga’s fiancé Michael Polansky shares creative director and executive producer credits on the film. She described their working relationship as essential to maintaining artistic purity.
One of the things I love about working with Michael is that he has this closeness with me where he sees my artistry and my musicianship in its infancy, in its raw form. So whether I want to overthink it or someone else wants to overthink it, or somebody wants to come in and go, ‘What does it all mean? What’s the strategy behind it? How will we market it?,’ he will help in every possible way to make sure that the purity of it is not destroyed.
When one enthusiastic fan suggested Gaga arrive at her wedding in Volantis—her legendary 2013 flying dress—the singer laughed off the idea as simply “dangerous.”
Grammy Recognition And Future Jazz
“Harlequin” earned Gaga a Grammy nomination for best traditional pop vocal album, marking her first solo entry in the category after two wins with Bennett. Her other recent album, “Mayhem,” collected seven additional nominations heading into the February 1 ceremony.
Despite competing alone on paper, Gaga doesn’t view it that way.
I’m not in the category alone, I don’t feel, because I guess I’ll always feel like Tony is with me in the category — and also all these musicians that I’ve been making music with for the last two decades are with me.
More importantly, she confirmed what fans hoped to hear: this isn’t her final jazz record.
This project for me is a really special way to gave my fans some insight into who I want to become, as a jazz musician. This will not be my last jazz record. So it’s just exciting to keep going. And I do feel no matter where music takes me, it’s the one thing that’s pretty insatiable in me — it will never be enough.
Currently touring with her Mayhem Ball—which resumes January 21 in Osaka before wrapping at Madison Square Garden in April—Gaga continues writing new material. She’s set up recording equipment in every hotel room, capturing inspiration whenever it strikes.
Her approach has evolved from the Method immersion of her twenties to something more sustainable, allowing creative space between projects without losing intensity during performances.
Christmas Eve will finally allow the world to witness what approximately a thousand fans experienced 15 months ago at the Belasco: Gaga performing with wild abandon in a dingy apartment setting, ripping open pillows and throwing feathers, dancing frantically while maintaining perfect pitch.
All while honoring Tony Bennett, embracing her Lower East Side roots, and proving that traditional pop can still feel dangerously rebellious.
During the Grammy Museum conversation with Variety’s Chris Willman, Gaga addressed why she chose this unconventional release date for such a highly-anticipated project.
I’m feeling like: Why not? We have this thing that’s so special to us, so we’re just really happy to share it with the fans. It’s kind of a rebellious project. And, by Harlequin standards, Christmas is the perfect time to release something rebellious.
The concert film captures a post-midnight performance at downtown L.A.’s Belasco Theatre from September 30, 2024. Only about a thousand lucky fans witnessed the intimate show firsthand, with absolutely zero photos or videos released publicly afterward.
That silence was intentional.
Building The Lore
Gaga revealed that holding back the concert footage was always part of her strategy, allowing anticipation to build organically among her fanbase.
It was interesting — when we first saw the footage, we said, ‘This is not the right time to put this out.’ And we collectively agreed that we would allow the lore of the Belasco performance to bloom with the fans, until it felt like time… And so this is like a Christmas present.
Fans who attended described the experience as transformative. At the museum screening, one audience member named Edith shared her emotional connection to the performance and album.
I was there at the ‘Harlequin’ show and it was one of the best nights of my life. That album really means a lot to me, because often I feel misunderstood.
Gaga’s response? She interrupted her own technical answer about album sequencing to ask if she could give the young woman a hug.
From Three Songs To Full Album
The entire project came together with remarkable spontaneity. Originally planned as just three songs following the “Joker: Folie à Deux” premiere, Gaga and her team decided days beforehand to perform the complete “Harlequin” album instead.
What’s so interesting is, I was meant to do that performance as three songs, as just kind of a celebration after the premiere of ‘Joker.’ And a couple days before, Michael and I were like, ‘What? We’re just gonna do the whole album’.
Despite minimal rehearsal—just two days before the show—Gaga felt completely prepared. Her secret? Obsessive preparation long before recording.
Before you sing one of these records in the studio, you gotta like really know it. You can’t be learning it. I learned that also from being in the studio one time with Tony and not being prepared. Big mistake! So now, I will sing these songs hundreds of times before I even record them.
Dingy Apartments And Raw Authenticity
The film’s production design defies everything audiences might expect from traditional jazz performances. Rather than elegant sets reminiscent of her Tony Bennett collaborations or Vegas “Jazz & Piano” residency, viewers will see something dramatically different.
Gaga and her six-piece band perform in what appears to be a disheveled apartment. Crooked window blinds hang at awkward angles. An unmade mattress sits directly on the floor. Everything feels messy, shadowy, lived-in.
This aesthetic wasn’t random—it connected directly to Gaga’s origins as an artist.
When I met the guys that I made the record with, some of them 20 years ago, I was living in a dingy apartment on the Lower East Side. That’s where I had all my crazy ideas about anything. So that’s how the emotional and raw quality of how we made it made its way into this performance.
Tony Bennett’s Spirit Lives On
Though Bennett isn’t physically present, his influence permeates throughout. During the performance of “Smile,” cameras catch something touching at the foot of that dilapidated bed: a tiny black-and-white television playing repeating footage of Bennett himself.
Well, he loved ‘Smile.’ And man, could he sing it, too — Tony’s version of ‘Smile’ was my favorite, after Nat King Cole’s. So, having him there, it was one of those wild moments in a stage performance where you’re bringing in a little bit of the real world, with a little bit of a wink.
Gaga’s approach to these standards differs significantly from her Bennett collaborations. Where those sessions involved suits, formal presentations, and nervous energy, “Harlequin” embraced rebellion.
Surf Punk Meets Jazz Standards
Perhaps most surprising? Gaga revealed an unexpected influence behind her evolving jazz sound: surf punk.
Late-night conversations in Las Vegas with her band members, following 1 a.m. club shows by trumpeter Brian Newman, led to fresh creative directions.
We actually found our way into ‘Harlequin,’ I think, through guitar and our shared love of surf punk. And we sort of said, ‘You know, what if we were to kind of guide some of these productions in that direction?’
This rawer aesthetic extends to wardrobe choices—one band member performs in a sleeveless tuxedo, tattoos fully visible. What would Tony Bennett think?
Tony loved ‘Artpop,’ so I know Tony would’ve gone, ‘Wow. Yeah.’ Or, someone would’ve gotten fired!
Breaking Music With Trash Cans
Co-producer Benjamin Rice witnessed Gaga’s unconventional recording methods firsthand. Her approach to reimagining Great American Songbook standards involved literal deconstruction.
When we were in the studio, I was like, ‘Ben, why don’t you bring in some trash cans and we’ll use them as a drum kit?’ It was like, what were the ways that we could kind of break the music? Because we were thinking about comic books and jazz, and how could we think about this with humor and with fun in an almost childlike way — almost immature, or, yeah, a little bit bonkers.
The Most Personal Moment
While the concert features beloved standards like “That’s Entertainment,” “That’s Life,” and “When the Saints Go Marching In,” the film’s emotional peak arrives during “Happy Mistake”—one of two original songs Gaga wrote for “Harlequin.”
Except for the opening 30 seconds, the entire performance consists of one continuous take. Cameras circle around Gaga as she delivers lyrics drawn from deeply personal experience, bangs hanging over her eyes.
Afterward, she’s visibly teary.
That song, ‘Happy Mistake,’ was very much inspired by a time and an era in my life where… it felt like being happy would be an accident, it felt so impossible. And a lot of my decision-making for all the projects that I was taking on during this time came from a really deep, soulful attraction to wanting to help tell that story of what it feels like to be someone that’s misunderstood in that way.
Dancing With Cameras
Director of photography Marcell Rév, who also shot Gaga’s “Disease” video, created intimate cinematography throughout. Gaga described their collaborative process as instinctive rather than calculated.
It’s not the relationship where I go, ‘Oh, the camera’s here, so I’m gonna point my face like this, because that’s a good angle.’ I don’t think about it that way. It’s more like we’re doing a dance, and we’re in it together.
Michael Polansky’s Creative Partnership
Gaga’s fiancé Michael Polansky shares creative director and executive producer credits on the film. She described their working relationship as essential to maintaining artistic purity.
One of the things I love about working with Michael is that he has this closeness with me where he sees my artistry and my musicianship in its infancy, in its raw form. So whether I want to overthink it or someone else wants to overthink it, or somebody wants to come in and go, ‘What does it all mean? What’s the strategy behind it? How will we market it?,’ he will help in every possible way to make sure that the purity of it is not destroyed.
When one enthusiastic fan suggested Gaga arrive at her wedding in Volantis—her legendary 2013 flying dress—the singer laughed off the idea as simply “dangerous.”
Grammy Recognition And Future Jazz
“Harlequin” earned Gaga a Grammy nomination for best traditional pop vocal album, marking her first solo entry in the category after two wins with Bennett. Her other recent album, “Mayhem,” collected seven additional nominations heading into the February 1 ceremony.
Despite competing alone on paper, Gaga doesn’t view it that way.
I’m not in the category alone, I don’t feel, because I guess I’ll always feel like Tony is with me in the category — and also all these musicians that I’ve been making music with for the last two decades are with me.
More importantly, she confirmed what fans hoped to hear: this isn’t her final jazz record.
This project for me is a really special way to gave my fans some insight into who I want to become, as a jazz musician. This will not be my last jazz record. So it’s just exciting to keep going. And I do feel no matter where music takes me, it’s the one thing that’s pretty insatiable in me — it will never be enough.
Currently touring with her Mayhem Ball—which resumes January 21 in Osaka before wrapping at Madison Square Garden in April—Gaga continues writing new material. She’s set up recording equipment in every hotel room, capturing inspiration whenever it strikes.
Her approach has evolved from the Method immersion of her twenties to something more sustainable, allowing creative space between projects without losing intensity during performances.
Christmas Eve will finally allow the world to witness what approximately a thousand fans experienced 15 months ago at the Belasco: Gaga performing with wild abandon in a dingy apartment setting, ripping open pillows and throwing feathers, dancing frantically while maintaining perfect pitch.
All while honoring Tony Bennett, embracing her Lower East Side roots, and proving that traditional pop can still feel dangerously rebellious.
During the Grammy Museum conversation with Variety’s Chris Willman, Gaga addressed why she chose this unconventional release date for such a highly-anticipated project.
I’m feeling like: Why not? We have this thing that’s so special to us, so we’re just really happy to share it with the fans. It’s kind of a rebellious project. And, by Harlequin standards, Christmas is the perfect time to release something rebellious.
The concert film captures a post-midnight performance at downtown L.A.’s Belasco Theatre from September 30, 2024. Only about a thousand lucky fans witnessed the intimate show firsthand, with absolutely zero photos or videos released publicly afterward.
That silence was intentional.
Building The Lore
Gaga revealed that holding back the concert footage was always part of her strategy, allowing anticipation to build organically among her fanbase.
It was interesting — when we first saw the footage, we said, ‘This is not the right time to put this out.’ And we collectively agreed that we would allow the lore of the Belasco performance to bloom with the fans, until it felt like time… And so this is like a Christmas present.
Fans who attended described the experience as transformative. At the museum screening, one audience member named Edith shared her emotional connection to the performance and album.
I was there at the ‘Harlequin’ show and it was one of the best nights of my life. That album really means a lot to me, because often I feel misunderstood.
Gaga’s response? She interrupted her own technical answer about album sequencing to ask if she could give the young woman a hug.
From Three Songs To Full Album
The entire project came together with remarkable spontaneity. Originally planned as just three songs following the “Joker: Folie à Deux” premiere, Gaga and her team decided days beforehand to perform the complete “Harlequin” album instead.
What’s so interesting is, I was meant to do that performance as three songs, as just kind of a celebration after the premiere of ‘Joker.’ And a couple days before, Michael and I were like, ‘What? We’re just gonna do the whole album’.
Despite minimal rehearsal—just two days before the show—Gaga felt completely prepared. Her secret? Obsessive preparation long before recording.
Before you sing one of these records in the studio, you gotta like really know it. You can’t be learning it. I learned that also from being in the studio one time with Tony and not being prepared. Big mistake! So now, I will sing these songs hundreds of times before I even record them.
Dingy Apartments And Raw Authenticity
The film’s production design defies everything audiences might expect from traditional jazz performances. Rather than elegant sets reminiscent of her Tony Bennett collaborations or Vegas “Jazz & Piano” residency, viewers will see something dramatically different.
Gaga and her six-piece band perform in what appears to be a disheveled apartment. Crooked window blinds hang at awkward angles. An unmade mattress sits directly on the floor. Everything feels messy, shadowy, lived-in.
This aesthetic wasn’t random—it connected directly to Gaga’s origins as an artist.
When I met the guys that I made the record with, some of them 20 years ago, I was living in a dingy apartment on the Lower East Side. That’s where I had all my crazy ideas about anything. So that’s how the emotional and raw quality of how we made it made its way into this performance.
Tony Bennett’s Spirit Lives On
Though Bennett isn’t physically present, his influence permeates throughout. During the performance of “Smile,” cameras catch something touching at the foot of that dilapidated bed: a tiny black-and-white television playing repeating footage of Bennett himself.
Well, he loved ‘Smile.’ And man, could he sing it, too — Tony’s version of ‘Smile’ was my favorite, after Nat King Cole’s. So, having him there, it was one of those wild moments in a stage performance where you’re bringing in a little bit of the real world, with a little bit of a wink.
Gaga’s approach to these standards differs significantly from her Bennett collaborations. Where those sessions involved suits, formal presentations, and nervous energy, “Harlequin” embraced rebellion.
Surf Punk Meets Jazz Standards
Perhaps most surprising? Gaga revealed an unexpected influence behind her evolving jazz sound: surf punk.
Late-night conversations in Las Vegas with her band members, following 1 a.m. club shows by trumpeter Brian Newman, led to fresh creative directions.
We actually found our way into ‘Harlequin,’ I think, through guitar and our shared love of surf punk. And we sort of said, ‘You know, what if we were to kind of guide some of these productions in that direction?’
This rawer aesthetic extends to wardrobe choices—one band member performs in a sleeveless tuxedo, tattoos fully visible. What would Tony Bennett think?
Tony loved ‘Artpop,’ so I know Tony would’ve gone, ‘Wow. Yeah.’ Or, someone would’ve gotten fired!
Breaking Music With Trash Cans
Co-producer Benjamin Rice witnessed Gaga’s unconventional recording methods firsthand. Her approach to reimagining Great American Songbook standards involved literal deconstruction.
When we were in the studio, I was like, ‘Ben, why don’t you bring in some trash cans and we’ll use them as a drum kit?’ It was like, what were the ways that we could kind of break the music? Because we were thinking about comic books and jazz, and how could we think about this with humor and with fun in an almost childlike way — almost immature, or, yeah, a little bit bonkers.
The Most Personal Moment
While the concert features beloved standards like “That’s Entertainment,” “That’s Life,” and “When the Saints Go Marching In,” the film’s emotional peak arrives during “Happy Mistake”—one of two original songs Gaga wrote for “Harlequin.”
Except for the opening 30 seconds, the entire performance consists of one continuous take. Cameras circle around Gaga as she delivers lyrics drawn from deeply personal experience, bangs hanging over her eyes.
Afterward, she’s visibly teary.
That song, ‘Happy Mistake,’ was very much inspired by a time and an era in my life where… it felt like being happy would be an accident, it felt so impossible. And a lot of my decision-making for all the projects that I was taking on during this time came from a really deep, soulful attraction to wanting to help tell that story of what it feels like to be someone that’s misunderstood in that way.
Dancing With Cameras
Director of photography Marcell Rév, who also shot Gaga’s “Disease” video, created intimate cinematography throughout. Gaga described their collaborative process as instinctive rather than calculated.
It’s not the relationship where I go, ‘Oh, the camera’s here, so I’m gonna point my face like this, because that’s a good angle.’ I don’t think about it that way. It’s more like we’re doing a dance, and we’re in it together.
Michael Polansky’s Creative Partnership
Gaga’s fiancé Michael Polansky shares creative director and executive producer credits on the film. She described their working relationship as essential to maintaining artistic purity.
One of the things I love about working with Michael is that he has this closeness with me where he sees my artistry and my musicianship in its infancy, in its raw form. So whether I want to overthink it or someone else wants to overthink it, or somebody wants to come in and go, ‘What does it all mean? What’s the strategy behind it? How will we market it?,’ he will help in every possible way to make sure that the purity of it is not destroyed.
When one enthusiastic fan suggested Gaga arrive at her wedding in Volantis—her legendary 2013 flying dress—the singer laughed off the idea as simply “dangerous.”
Grammy Recognition And Future Jazz
“Harlequin” earned Gaga a Grammy nomination for best traditional pop vocal album, marking her first solo entry in the category after two wins with Bennett. Her other recent album, “Mayhem,” collected seven additional nominations heading into the February 1 ceremony.
Despite competing alone on paper, Gaga doesn’t view it that way.
I’m not in the category alone, I don’t feel, because I guess I’ll always feel like Tony is with me in the category — and also all these musicians that I’ve been making music with for the last two decades are with me.
More importantly, she confirmed what fans hoped to hear: this isn’t her final jazz record.
This project for me is a really special way to gave my fans some insight into who I want to become, as a jazz musician. This will not be my last jazz record. So it’s just exciting to keep going. And I do feel no matter where music takes me, it’s the one thing that’s pretty insatiable in me — it will never be enough.
Currently touring with her Mayhem Ball—which resumes January 21 in Osaka before wrapping at Madison Square Garden in April—Gaga continues writing new material. She’s set up recording equipment in every hotel room, capturing inspiration whenever it strikes.
Her approach has evolved from the Method immersion of her twenties to something more sustainable, allowing creative space between projects without losing intensity during performances.
Christmas Eve will finally allow the world to witness what approximately a thousand fans experienced 15 months ago at the Belasco: Gaga performing with wild abandon in a dingy apartment setting, ripping open pillows and throwing feathers, dancing frantically while maintaining perfect pitch.
All while honoring Tony Bennett, embracing her Lower East Side roots, and proving that traditional pop can still feel dangerously rebellious.
And the reason might surprise you.
A Rebellious Christmas Present
During the Grammy Museum conversation with Variety’s Chris Willman, Gaga addressed why she chose this unconventional release date for such a highly-anticipated project.
I’m feeling like: Why not? We have this thing that’s so special to us, so we’re just really happy to share it with the fans. It’s kind of a rebellious project. And, by Harlequin standards, Christmas is the perfect time to release something rebellious.
The concert film captures a post-midnight performance at downtown L.A.’s Belasco Theatre from September 30, 2024. Only about a thousand lucky fans witnessed the intimate show firsthand, with absolutely zero photos or videos released publicly afterward.
That silence was intentional.
Building The Lore
Gaga revealed that holding back the concert footage was always part of her strategy, allowing anticipation to build organically among her fanbase.
It was interesting — when we first saw the footage, we said, ‘This is not the right time to put this out.’ And we collectively agreed that we would allow the lore of the Belasco performance to bloom with the fans, until it felt like time… And so this is like a Christmas present.
Fans who attended described the experience as transformative. At the museum screening, one audience member named Edith shared her emotional connection to the performance and album.
I was there at the ‘Harlequin’ show and it was one of the best nights of my life. That album really means a lot to me, because often I feel misunderstood.
Gaga’s response? She interrupted her own technical answer about album sequencing to ask if she could give the young woman a hug.
From Three Songs To Full Album
The entire project came together with remarkable spontaneity. Originally planned as just three songs following the “Joker: Folie à Deux” premiere, Gaga and her team decided days beforehand to perform the complete “Harlequin” album instead.
What’s so interesting is, I was meant to do that performance as three songs, as just kind of a celebration after the premiere of ‘Joker.’ And a couple days before, Michael and I were like, ‘What? We’re just gonna do the whole album’.
Despite minimal rehearsal—just two days before the show—Gaga felt completely prepared. Her secret? Obsessive preparation long before recording.
Before you sing one of these records in the studio, you gotta like really know it. You can’t be learning it. I learned that also from being in the studio one time with Tony and not being prepared. Big mistake! So now, I will sing these songs hundreds of times before I even record them.
Dingy Apartments And Raw Authenticity
The film’s production design defies everything audiences might expect from traditional jazz performances. Rather than elegant sets reminiscent of her Tony Bennett collaborations or Vegas “Jazz & Piano” residency, viewers will see something dramatically different.
Gaga and her six-piece band perform in what appears to be a disheveled apartment. Crooked window blinds hang at awkward angles. An unmade mattress sits directly on the floor. Everything feels messy, shadowy, lived-in.
This aesthetic wasn’t random—it connected directly to Gaga’s origins as an artist.
When I met the guys that I made the record with, some of them 20 years ago, I was living in a dingy apartment on the Lower East Side. That’s where I had all my crazy ideas about anything. So that’s how the emotional and raw quality of how we made it made its way into this performance.
Tony Bennett’s Spirit Lives On
Though Bennett isn’t physically present, his influence permeates throughout. During the performance of “Smile,” cameras catch something touching at the foot of that dilapidated bed: a tiny black-and-white television playing repeating footage of Bennett himself.
Well, he loved ‘Smile.’ And man, could he sing it, too — Tony’s version of ‘Smile’ was my favorite, after Nat King Cole’s. So, having him there, it was one of those wild moments in a stage performance where you’re bringing in a little bit of the real world, with a little bit of a wink.
Gaga’s approach to these standards differs significantly from her Bennett collaborations. Where those sessions involved suits, formal presentations, and nervous energy, “Harlequin” embraced rebellion.
Surf Punk Meets Jazz Standards
Perhaps most surprising? Gaga revealed an unexpected influence behind her evolving jazz sound: surf punk.
Late-night conversations in Las Vegas with her band members, following 1 a.m. club shows by trumpeter Brian Newman, led to fresh creative directions.
We actually found our way into ‘Harlequin,’ I think, through guitar and our shared love of surf punk. And we sort of said, ‘You know, what if we were to kind of guide some of these productions in that direction?’
This rawer aesthetic extends to wardrobe choices—one band member performs in a sleeveless tuxedo, tattoos fully visible. What would Tony Bennett think?
Tony loved ‘Artpop,’ so I know Tony would’ve gone, ‘Wow. Yeah.’ Or, someone would’ve gotten fired!
Breaking Music With Trash Cans
Co-producer Benjamin Rice witnessed Gaga’s unconventional recording methods firsthand. Her approach to reimagining Great American Songbook standards involved literal deconstruction.
When we were in the studio, I was like, ‘Ben, why don’t you bring in some trash cans and we’ll use them as a drum kit?’ It was like, what were the ways that we could kind of break the music? Because we were thinking about comic books and jazz, and how could we think about this with humor and with fun in an almost childlike way — almost immature, or, yeah, a little bit bonkers.
The Most Personal Moment
While the concert features beloved standards like “That’s Entertainment,” “That’s Life,” and “When the Saints Go Marching In,” the film’s emotional peak arrives during “Happy Mistake”—one of two original songs Gaga wrote for “Harlequin.”
Except for the opening 30 seconds, the entire performance consists of one continuous take. Cameras circle around Gaga as she delivers lyrics drawn from deeply personal experience, bangs hanging over her eyes.
Afterward, she’s visibly teary.
That song, ‘Happy Mistake,’ was very much inspired by a time and an era in my life where… it felt like being happy would be an accident, it felt so impossible. And a lot of my decision-making for all the projects that I was taking on during this time came from a really deep, soulful attraction to wanting to help tell that story of what it feels like to be someone that’s misunderstood in that way.
Dancing With Cameras
Director of photography Marcell Rév, who also shot Gaga’s “Disease” video, created intimate cinematography throughout. Gaga described their collaborative process as instinctive rather than calculated.
It’s not the relationship where I go, ‘Oh, the camera’s here, so I’m gonna point my face like this, because that’s a good angle.’ I don’t think about it that way. It’s more like we’re doing a dance, and we’re in it together.
Michael Polansky’s Creative Partnership
Gaga’s fiancé Michael Polansky shares creative director and executive producer credits on the film. She described their working relationship as essential to maintaining artistic purity.
One of the things I love about working with Michael is that he has this closeness with me where he sees my artistry and my musicianship in its infancy, in its raw form. So whether I want to overthink it or someone else wants to overthink it, or somebody wants to come in and go, ‘What does it all mean? What’s the strategy behind it? How will we market it?,’ he will help in every possible way to make sure that the purity of it is not destroyed.
When one enthusiastic fan suggested Gaga arrive at her wedding in Volantis—her legendary 2013 flying dress—the singer laughed off the idea as simply “dangerous.”
Grammy Recognition And Future Jazz
“Harlequin” earned Gaga a Grammy nomination for best traditional pop vocal album, marking her first solo entry in the category after two wins with Bennett. Her other recent album, “Mayhem,” collected seven additional nominations heading into the February 1 ceremony.
Despite competing alone on paper, Gaga doesn’t view it that way.
I’m not in the category alone, I don’t feel, because I guess I’ll always feel like Tony is with me in the category — and also all these musicians that I’ve been making music with for the last two decades are with me.
More importantly, she confirmed what fans hoped to hear: this isn’t her final jazz record.
This project for me is a really special way to gave my fans some insight into who I want to become, as a jazz musician. This will not be my last jazz record. So it’s just exciting to keep going. And I do feel no matter where music takes me, it’s the one thing that’s pretty insatiable in me — it will never be enough.
Currently touring with her Mayhem Ball—which resumes January 21 in Osaka before wrapping at Madison Square Garden in April—Gaga continues writing new material. She’s set up recording equipment in every hotel room, capturing inspiration whenever it strikes.
Her approach has evolved from the Method immersion of her twenties to something more sustainable, allowing creative space between projects without losing intensity during performances.
Christmas Eve will finally allow the world to witness what approximately a thousand fans experienced 15 months ago at the Belasco: Gaga performing with wild abandon in a dingy apartment setting, ripping open pillows and throwing feathers, dancing frantically while maintaining perfect pitch.
All while honoring Tony Bennett, embracing her Lower East Side roots, and proving that traditional pop can still feel dangerously rebellious.
And the reason might surprise you.
A Rebellious Christmas Present
During the Grammy Museum conversation with Variety’s Chris Willman, Gaga addressed why she chose this unconventional release date for such a highly-anticipated project.
I’m feeling like: Why not? We have this thing that’s so special to us, so we’re just really happy to share it with the fans. It’s kind of a rebellious project. And, by Harlequin standards, Christmas is the perfect time to release something rebellious.
The concert film captures a post-midnight performance at downtown L.A.’s Belasco Theatre from September 30, 2024. Only about a thousand lucky fans witnessed the intimate show firsthand, with absolutely zero photos or videos released publicly afterward.
That silence was intentional.
Building The Lore
Gaga revealed that holding back the concert footage was always part of her strategy, allowing anticipation to build organically among her fanbase.
It was interesting — when we first saw the footage, we said, ‘This is not the right time to put this out.’ And we collectively agreed that we would allow the lore of the Belasco performance to bloom with the fans, until it felt like time… And so this is like a Christmas present.
Fans who attended described the experience as transformative. At the museum screening, one audience member named Edith shared her emotional connection to the performance and album.
I was there at the ‘Harlequin’ show and it was one of the best nights of my life. That album really means a lot to me, because often I feel misunderstood.
Gaga’s response? She interrupted her own technical answer about album sequencing to ask if she could give the young woman a hug.
From Three Songs To Full Album
The entire project came together with remarkable spontaneity. Originally planned as just three songs following the “Joker: Folie à Deux” premiere, Gaga and her team decided days beforehand to perform the complete “Harlequin” album instead.
What’s so interesting is, I was meant to do that performance as three songs, as just kind of a celebration after the premiere of ‘Joker.’ And a couple days before, Michael and I were like, ‘What? We’re just gonna do the whole album’.
Despite minimal rehearsal—just two days before the show—Gaga felt completely prepared. Her secret? Obsessive preparation long before recording.
Before you sing one of these records in the studio, you gotta like really know it. You can’t be learning it. I learned that also from being in the studio one time with Tony and not being prepared. Big mistake! So now, I will sing these songs hundreds of times before I even record them.
Dingy Apartments And Raw Authenticity
The film’s production design defies everything audiences might expect from traditional jazz performances. Rather than elegant sets reminiscent of her Tony Bennett collaborations or Vegas “Jazz & Piano” residency, viewers will see something dramatically different.
Gaga and her six-piece band perform in what appears to be a disheveled apartment. Crooked window blinds hang at awkward angles. An unmade mattress sits directly on the floor. Everything feels messy, shadowy, lived-in.
This aesthetic wasn’t random—it connected directly to Gaga’s origins as an artist.
When I met the guys that I made the record with, some of them 20 years ago, I was living in a dingy apartment on the Lower East Side. That’s where I had all my crazy ideas about anything. So that’s how the emotional and raw quality of how we made it made its way into this performance.
Tony Bennett’s Spirit Lives On
Though Bennett isn’t physically present, his influence permeates throughout. During the performance of “Smile,” cameras catch something touching at the foot of that dilapidated bed: a tiny black-and-white television playing repeating footage of Bennett himself.
Well, he loved ‘Smile.’ And man, could he sing it, too — Tony’s version of ‘Smile’ was my favorite, after Nat King Cole’s. So, having him there, it was one of those wild moments in a stage performance where you’re bringing in a little bit of the real world, with a little bit of a wink.
Gaga’s approach to these standards differs significantly from her Bennett collaborations. Where those sessions involved suits, formal presentations, and nervous energy, “Harlequin” embraced rebellion.
Surf Punk Meets Jazz Standards
Perhaps most surprising? Gaga revealed an unexpected influence behind her evolving jazz sound: surf punk.
Late-night conversations in Las Vegas with her band members, following 1 a.m. club shows by trumpeter Brian Newman, led to fresh creative directions.
We actually found our way into ‘Harlequin,’ I think, through guitar and our shared love of surf punk. And we sort of said, ‘You know, what if we were to kind of guide some of these productions in that direction?’
This rawer aesthetic extends to wardrobe choices—one band member performs in a sleeveless tuxedo, tattoos fully visible. What would Tony Bennett think?
Tony loved ‘Artpop,’ so I know Tony would’ve gone, ‘Wow. Yeah.’ Or, someone would’ve gotten fired!
Breaking Music With Trash Cans
Co-producer Benjamin Rice witnessed Gaga’s unconventional recording methods firsthand. Her approach to reimagining Great American Songbook standards involved literal deconstruction.
When we were in the studio, I was like, ‘Ben, why don’t you bring in some trash cans and we’ll use them as a drum kit?’ It was like, what were the ways that we could kind of break the music? Because we were thinking about comic books and jazz, and how could we think about this with humor and with fun in an almost childlike way — almost immature, or, yeah, a little bit bonkers.
The Most Personal Moment
While the concert features beloved standards like “That’s Entertainment,” “That’s Life,” and “When the Saints Go Marching In,” the film’s emotional peak arrives during “Happy Mistake”—one of two original songs Gaga wrote for “Harlequin.”
Except for the opening 30 seconds, the entire performance consists of one continuous take. Cameras circle around Gaga as she delivers lyrics drawn from deeply personal experience, bangs hanging over her eyes.
Afterward, she’s visibly teary.
That song, ‘Happy Mistake,’ was very much inspired by a time and an era in my life where… it felt like being happy would be an accident, it felt so impossible. And a lot of my decision-making for all the projects that I was taking on during this time came from a really deep, soulful attraction to wanting to help tell that story of what it feels like to be someone that’s misunderstood in that way.
Dancing With Cameras
Director of photography Marcell Rév, who also shot Gaga’s “Disease” video, created intimate cinematography throughout. Gaga described their collaborative process as instinctive rather than calculated.
It’s not the relationship where I go, ‘Oh, the camera’s here, so I’m gonna point my face like this, because that’s a good angle.’ I don’t think about it that way. It’s more like we’re doing a dance, and we’re in it together.
Michael Polansky’s Creative Partnership
Gaga’s fiancé Michael Polansky shares creative director and executive producer credits on the film. She described their working relationship as essential to maintaining artistic purity.
One of the things I love about working with Michael is that he has this closeness with me where he sees my artistry and my musicianship in its infancy, in its raw form. So whether I want to overthink it or someone else wants to overthink it, or somebody wants to come in and go, ‘What does it all mean? What’s the strategy behind it? How will we market it?,’ he will help in every possible way to make sure that the purity of it is not destroyed.
When one enthusiastic fan suggested Gaga arrive at her wedding in Volantis—her legendary 2013 flying dress—the singer laughed off the idea as simply “dangerous.”
Grammy Recognition And Future Jazz
“Harlequin” earned Gaga a Grammy nomination for best traditional pop vocal album, marking her first solo entry in the category after two wins with Bennett. Her other recent album, “Mayhem,” collected seven additional nominations heading into the February 1 ceremony.
Despite competing alone on paper, Gaga doesn’t view it that way.
I’m not in the category alone, I don’t feel, because I guess I’ll always feel like Tony is with me in the category — and also all these musicians that I’ve been making music with for the last two decades are with me.
More importantly, she confirmed what fans hoped to hear: this isn’t her final jazz record.
This project for me is a really special way to gave my fans some insight into who I want to become, as a jazz musician. This will not be my last jazz record. So it’s just exciting to keep going. And I do feel no matter where music takes me, it’s the one thing that’s pretty insatiable in me — it will never be enough.
Currently touring with her Mayhem Ball—which resumes January 21 in Osaka before wrapping at Madison Square Garden in April—Gaga continues writing new material. She’s set up recording equipment in every hotel room, capturing inspiration whenever it strikes.
Her approach has evolved from the Method immersion of her twenties to something more sustainable, allowing creative space between projects without losing intensity during performances.
Christmas Eve will finally allow the world to witness what approximately a thousand fans experienced 15 months ago at the Belasco: Gaga performing with wild abandon in a dingy apartment setting, ripping open pillows and throwing feathers, dancing frantically while maintaining perfect pitch.
All while honoring Tony Bennett, embracing her Lower East Side roots, and proving that traditional pop can still feel dangerously rebellious.
The timing couldn’t be more fitting, according to Gaga herself, who explained her reasoning during a recent Q&A at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles.
And the reason might surprise you.
A Rebellious Christmas Present
During the Grammy Museum conversation with Variety’s Chris Willman, Gaga addressed why she chose this unconventional release date for such a highly-anticipated project.
I’m feeling like: Why not? We have this thing that’s so special to us, so we’re just really happy to share it with the fans. It’s kind of a rebellious project. And, by Harlequin standards, Christmas is the perfect time to release something rebellious.
The concert film captures a post-midnight performance at downtown L.A.’s Belasco Theatre from September 30, 2024. Only about a thousand lucky fans witnessed the intimate show firsthand, with absolutely zero photos or videos released publicly afterward.
That silence was intentional.
Building The Lore
Gaga revealed that holding back the concert footage was always part of her strategy, allowing anticipation to build organically among her fanbase.
It was interesting — when we first saw the footage, we said, ‘This is not the right time to put this out.’ And we collectively agreed that we would allow the lore of the Belasco performance to bloom with the fans, until it felt like time… And so this is like a Christmas present.
Fans who attended described the experience as transformative. At the museum screening, one audience member named Edith shared her emotional connection to the performance and album.
I was there at the ‘Harlequin’ show and it was one of the best nights of my life. That album really means a lot to me, because often I feel misunderstood.
Gaga’s response? She interrupted her own technical answer about album sequencing to ask if she could give the young woman a hug.
From Three Songs To Full Album
The entire project came together with remarkable spontaneity. Originally planned as just three songs following the “Joker: Folie à Deux” premiere, Gaga and her team decided days beforehand to perform the complete “Harlequin” album instead.
What’s so interesting is, I was meant to do that performance as three songs, as just kind of a celebration after the premiere of ‘Joker.’ And a couple days before, Michael and I were like, ‘What? We’re just gonna do the whole album’.
Despite minimal rehearsal—just two days before the show—Gaga felt completely prepared. Her secret? Obsessive preparation long before recording.
Before you sing one of these records in the studio, you gotta like really know it. You can’t be learning it. I learned that also from being in the studio one time with Tony and not being prepared. Big mistake! So now, I will sing these songs hundreds of times before I even record them.
Dingy Apartments And Raw Authenticity
The film’s production design defies everything audiences might expect from traditional jazz performances. Rather than elegant sets reminiscent of her Tony Bennett collaborations or Vegas “Jazz & Piano” residency, viewers will see something dramatically different.
Gaga and her six-piece band perform in what appears to be a disheveled apartment. Crooked window blinds hang at awkward angles. An unmade mattress sits directly on the floor. Everything feels messy, shadowy, lived-in.
This aesthetic wasn’t random—it connected directly to Gaga’s origins as an artist.
When I met the guys that I made the record with, some of them 20 years ago, I was living in a dingy apartment on the Lower East Side. That’s where I had all my crazy ideas about anything. So that’s how the emotional and raw quality of how we made it made its way into this performance.
Tony Bennett’s Spirit Lives On
Though Bennett isn’t physically present, his influence permeates throughout. During the performance of “Smile,” cameras catch something touching at the foot of that dilapidated bed: a tiny black-and-white television playing repeating footage of Bennett himself.
Well, he loved ‘Smile.’ And man, could he sing it, too — Tony’s version of ‘Smile’ was my favorite, after Nat King Cole’s. So, having him there, it was one of those wild moments in a stage performance where you’re bringing in a little bit of the real world, with a little bit of a wink.
Gaga’s approach to these standards differs significantly from her Bennett collaborations. Where those sessions involved suits, formal presentations, and nervous energy, “Harlequin” embraced rebellion.
Surf Punk Meets Jazz Standards
Perhaps most surprising? Gaga revealed an unexpected influence behind her evolving jazz sound: surf punk.
Late-night conversations in Las Vegas with her band members, following 1 a.m. club shows by trumpeter Brian Newman, led to fresh creative directions.
We actually found our way into ‘Harlequin,’ I think, through guitar and our shared love of surf punk. And we sort of said, ‘You know, what if we were to kind of guide some of these productions in that direction?’
This rawer aesthetic extends to wardrobe choices—one band member performs in a sleeveless tuxedo, tattoos fully visible. What would Tony Bennett think?
Tony loved ‘Artpop,’ so I know Tony would’ve gone, ‘Wow. Yeah.’ Or, someone would’ve gotten fired!
Breaking Music With Trash Cans
Co-producer Benjamin Rice witnessed Gaga’s unconventional recording methods firsthand. Her approach to reimagining Great American Songbook standards involved literal deconstruction.
When we were in the studio, I was like, ‘Ben, why don’t you bring in some trash cans and we’ll use them as a drum kit?’ It was like, what were the ways that we could kind of break the music? Because we were thinking about comic books and jazz, and how could we think about this with humor and with fun in an almost childlike way — almost immature, or, yeah, a little bit bonkers.
The Most Personal Moment
While the concert features beloved standards like “That’s Entertainment,” “That’s Life,” and “When the Saints Go Marching In,” the film’s emotional peak arrives during “Happy Mistake”—one of two original songs Gaga wrote for “Harlequin.”
Except for the opening 30 seconds, the entire performance consists of one continuous take. Cameras circle around Gaga as she delivers lyrics drawn from deeply personal experience, bangs hanging over her eyes.
Afterward, she’s visibly teary.
That song, ‘Happy Mistake,’ was very much inspired by a time and an era in my life where… it felt like being happy would be an accident, it felt so impossible. And a lot of my decision-making for all the projects that I was taking on during this time came from a really deep, soulful attraction to wanting to help tell that story of what it feels like to be someone that’s misunderstood in that way.
Dancing With Cameras
Director of photography Marcell Rév, who also shot Gaga’s “Disease” video, created intimate cinematography throughout. Gaga described their collaborative process as instinctive rather than calculated.
It’s not the relationship where I go, ‘Oh, the camera’s here, so I’m gonna point my face like this, because that’s a good angle.’ I don’t think about it that way. It’s more like we’re doing a dance, and we’re in it together.
Michael Polansky’s Creative Partnership
Gaga’s fiancé Michael Polansky shares creative director and executive producer credits on the film. She described their working relationship as essential to maintaining artistic purity.
One of the things I love about working with Michael is that he has this closeness with me where he sees my artistry and my musicianship in its infancy, in its raw form. So whether I want to overthink it or someone else wants to overthink it, or somebody wants to come in and go, ‘What does it all mean? What’s the strategy behind it? How will we market it?,’ he will help in every possible way to make sure that the purity of it is not destroyed.
When one enthusiastic fan suggested Gaga arrive at her wedding in Volantis—her legendary 2013 flying dress—the singer laughed off the idea as simply “dangerous.”
Grammy Recognition And Future Jazz
“Harlequin” earned Gaga a Grammy nomination for best traditional pop vocal album, marking her first solo entry in the category after two wins with Bennett. Her other recent album, “Mayhem,” collected seven additional nominations heading into the February 1 ceremony.
Despite competing alone on paper, Gaga doesn’t view it that way.
I’m not in the category alone, I don’t feel, because I guess I’ll always feel like Tony is with me in the category — and also all these musicians that I’ve been making music with for the last two decades are with me.
More importantly, she confirmed what fans hoped to hear: this isn’t her final jazz record.
This project for me is a really special way to gave my fans some insight into who I want to become, as a jazz musician. This will not be my last jazz record. So it’s just exciting to keep going. And I do feel no matter where music takes me, it’s the one thing that’s pretty insatiable in me — it will never be enough.
Currently touring with her Mayhem Ball—which resumes January 21 in Osaka before wrapping at Madison Square Garden in April—Gaga continues writing new material. She’s set up recording equipment in every hotel room, capturing inspiration whenever it strikes.
Her approach has evolved from the Method immersion of her twenties to something more sustainable, allowing creative space between projects without losing intensity during performances.
Christmas Eve will finally allow the world to witness what approximately a thousand fans experienced 15 months ago at the Belasco: Gaga performing with wild abandon in a dingy apartment setting, ripping open pillows and throwing feathers, dancing frantically while maintaining perfect pitch.
All while honoring Tony Bennett, embracing her Lower East Side roots, and proving that traditional pop can still feel dangerously rebellious.
The timing couldn’t be more fitting, according to Gaga herself, who explained her reasoning during a recent Q&A at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles.
And the reason might surprise you.
A Rebellious Christmas Present
During the Grammy Museum conversation with Variety’s Chris Willman, Gaga addressed why she chose this unconventional release date for such a highly-anticipated project.
I’m feeling like: Why not? We have this thing that’s so special to us, so we’re just really happy to share it with the fans. It’s kind of a rebellious project. And, by Harlequin standards, Christmas is the perfect time to release something rebellious.
The concert film captures a post-midnight performance at downtown L.A.’s Belasco Theatre from September 30, 2024. Only about a thousand lucky fans witnessed the intimate show firsthand, with absolutely zero photos or videos released publicly afterward.
That silence was intentional.
Building The Lore
Gaga revealed that holding back the concert footage was always part of her strategy, allowing anticipation to build organically among her fanbase.
It was interesting — when we first saw the footage, we said, ‘This is not the right time to put this out.’ And we collectively agreed that we would allow the lore of the Belasco performance to bloom with the fans, until it felt like time… And so this is like a Christmas present.
Fans who attended described the experience as transformative. At the museum screening, one audience member named Edith shared her emotional connection to the performance and album.
I was there at the ‘Harlequin’ show and it was one of the best nights of my life. That album really means a lot to me, because often I feel misunderstood.
Gaga’s response? She interrupted her own technical answer about album sequencing to ask if she could give the young woman a hug.
From Three Songs To Full Album
The entire project came together with remarkable spontaneity. Originally planned as just three songs following the “Joker: Folie à Deux” premiere, Gaga and her team decided days beforehand to perform the complete “Harlequin” album instead.
What’s so interesting is, I was meant to do that performance as three songs, as just kind of a celebration after the premiere of ‘Joker.’ And a couple days before, Michael and I were like, ‘What? We’re just gonna do the whole album’.
Despite minimal rehearsal—just two days before the show—Gaga felt completely prepared. Her secret? Obsessive preparation long before recording.
Before you sing one of these records in the studio, you gotta like really know it. You can’t be learning it. I learned that also from being in the studio one time with Tony and not being prepared. Big mistake! So now, I will sing these songs hundreds of times before I even record them.
Dingy Apartments And Raw Authenticity
The film’s production design defies everything audiences might expect from traditional jazz performances. Rather than elegant sets reminiscent of her Tony Bennett collaborations or Vegas “Jazz & Piano” residency, viewers will see something dramatically different.
Gaga and her six-piece band perform in what appears to be a disheveled apartment. Crooked window blinds hang at awkward angles. An unmade mattress sits directly on the floor. Everything feels messy, shadowy, lived-in.
This aesthetic wasn’t random—it connected directly to Gaga’s origins as an artist.
When I met the guys that I made the record with, some of them 20 years ago, I was living in a dingy apartment on the Lower East Side. That’s where I had all my crazy ideas about anything. So that’s how the emotional and raw quality of how we made it made its way into this performance.
Tony Bennett’s Spirit Lives On
Though Bennett isn’t physically present, his influence permeates throughout. During the performance of “Smile,” cameras catch something touching at the foot of that dilapidated bed: a tiny black-and-white television playing repeating footage of Bennett himself.
Well, he loved ‘Smile.’ And man, could he sing it, too — Tony’s version of ‘Smile’ was my favorite, after Nat King Cole’s. So, having him there, it was one of those wild moments in a stage performance where you’re bringing in a little bit of the real world, with a little bit of a wink.
Gaga’s approach to these standards differs significantly from her Bennett collaborations. Where those sessions involved suits, formal presentations, and nervous energy, “Harlequin” embraced rebellion.
Surf Punk Meets Jazz Standards
Perhaps most surprising? Gaga revealed an unexpected influence behind her evolving jazz sound: surf punk.
Late-night conversations in Las Vegas with her band members, following 1 a.m. club shows by trumpeter Brian Newman, led to fresh creative directions.
We actually found our way into ‘Harlequin,’ I think, through guitar and our shared love of surf punk. And we sort of said, ‘You know, what if we were to kind of guide some of these productions in that direction?’
This rawer aesthetic extends to wardrobe choices—one band member performs in a sleeveless tuxedo, tattoos fully visible. What would Tony Bennett think?
Tony loved ‘Artpop,’ so I know Tony would’ve gone, ‘Wow. Yeah.’ Or, someone would’ve gotten fired!
Breaking Music With Trash Cans
Co-producer Benjamin Rice witnessed Gaga’s unconventional recording methods firsthand. Her approach to reimagining Great American Songbook standards involved literal deconstruction.
When we were in the studio, I was like, ‘Ben, why don’t you bring in some trash cans and we’ll use them as a drum kit?’ It was like, what were the ways that we could kind of break the music? Because we were thinking about comic books and jazz, and how could we think about this with humor and with fun in an almost childlike way — almost immature, or, yeah, a little bit bonkers.
The Most Personal Moment
While the concert features beloved standards like “That’s Entertainment,” “That’s Life,” and “When the Saints Go Marching In,” the film’s emotional peak arrives during “Happy Mistake”—one of two original songs Gaga wrote for “Harlequin.”
Except for the opening 30 seconds, the entire performance consists of one continuous take. Cameras circle around Gaga as she delivers lyrics drawn from deeply personal experience, bangs hanging over her eyes.
Afterward, she’s visibly teary.
That song, ‘Happy Mistake,’ was very much inspired by a time and an era in my life where… it felt like being happy would be an accident, it felt so impossible. And a lot of my decision-making for all the projects that I was taking on during this time came from a really deep, soulful attraction to wanting to help tell that story of what it feels like to be someone that’s misunderstood in that way.
Dancing With Cameras
Director of photography Marcell Rév, who also shot Gaga’s “Disease” video, created intimate cinematography throughout. Gaga described their collaborative process as instinctive rather than calculated.
It’s not the relationship where I go, ‘Oh, the camera’s here, so I’m gonna point my face like this, because that’s a good angle.’ I don’t think about it that way. It’s more like we’re doing a dance, and we’re in it together.
Michael Polansky’s Creative Partnership
Gaga’s fiancé Michael Polansky shares creative director and executive producer credits on the film. She described their working relationship as essential to maintaining artistic purity.
One of the things I love about working with Michael is that he has this closeness with me where he sees my artistry and my musicianship in its infancy, in its raw form. So whether I want to overthink it or someone else wants to overthink it, or somebody wants to come in and go, ‘What does it all mean? What’s the strategy behind it? How will we market it?,’ he will help in every possible way to make sure that the purity of it is not destroyed.
When one enthusiastic fan suggested Gaga arrive at her wedding in Volantis—her legendary 2013 flying dress—the singer laughed off the idea as simply “dangerous.”
Grammy Recognition And Future Jazz
“Harlequin” earned Gaga a Grammy nomination for best traditional pop vocal album, marking her first solo entry in the category after two wins with Bennett. Her other recent album, “Mayhem,” collected seven additional nominations heading into the February 1 ceremony.
Despite competing alone on paper, Gaga doesn’t view it that way.
I’m not in the category alone, I don’t feel, because I guess I’ll always feel like Tony is with me in the category — and also all these musicians that I’ve been making music with for the last two decades are with me.
More importantly, she confirmed what fans hoped to hear: this isn’t her final jazz record.
This project for me is a really special way to gave my fans some insight into who I want to become, as a jazz musician. This will not be my last jazz record. So it’s just exciting to keep going. And I do feel no matter where music takes me, it’s the one thing that’s pretty insatiable in me — it will never be enough.
Currently touring with her Mayhem Ball—which resumes January 21 in Osaka before wrapping at Madison Square Garden in April—Gaga continues writing new material. She’s set up recording equipment in every hotel room, capturing inspiration whenever it strikes.
Her approach has evolved from the Method immersion of her twenties to something more sustainable, allowing creative space between projects without losing intensity during performances.
Christmas Eve will finally allow the world to witness what approximately a thousand fans experienced 15 months ago at the Belasco: Gaga performing with wild abandon in a dingy apartment setting, ripping open pillows and throwing feathers, dancing frantically while maintaining perfect pitch.
All while honoring Tony Bennett, embracing her Lower East Side roots, and proving that traditional pop can still feel dangerously rebellious.
The pop icon announced that her mysterious concert film “Lady Gaga in Harlequin Live — One Night Only” will premiere on YouTube at 4 p.m. PT on Christmas Eve, finally revealing footage from what had become nearly mythical among Little Monsters.
The timing couldn’t be more fitting, according to Gaga herself, who explained her reasoning during a recent Q&A at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles.
And the reason might surprise you.
A Rebellious Christmas Present
During the Grammy Museum conversation with Variety’s Chris Willman, Gaga addressed why she chose this unconventional release date for such a highly-anticipated project.
I’m feeling like: Why not? We have this thing that’s so special to us, so we’re just really happy to share it with the fans. It’s kind of a rebellious project. And, by Harlequin standards, Christmas is the perfect time to release something rebellious.
The concert film captures a post-midnight performance at downtown L.A.’s Belasco Theatre from September 30, 2024. Only about a thousand lucky fans witnessed the intimate show firsthand, with absolutely zero photos or videos released publicly afterward.
That silence was intentional.
Building The Lore
Gaga revealed that holding back the concert footage was always part of her strategy, allowing anticipation to build organically among her fanbase.
It was interesting — when we first saw the footage, we said, ‘This is not the right time to put this out.’ And we collectively agreed that we would allow the lore of the Belasco performance to bloom with the fans, until it felt like time… And so this is like a Christmas present.
Fans who attended described the experience as transformative. At the museum screening, one audience member named Edith shared her emotional connection to the performance and album.
I was there at the ‘Harlequin’ show and it was one of the best nights of my life. That album really means a lot to me, because often I feel misunderstood.
Gaga’s response? She interrupted her own technical answer about album sequencing to ask if she could give the young woman a hug.
From Three Songs To Full Album
The entire project came together with remarkable spontaneity. Originally planned as just three songs following the “Joker: Folie à Deux” premiere, Gaga and her team decided days beforehand to perform the complete “Harlequin” album instead.
What’s so interesting is, I was meant to do that performance as three songs, as just kind of a celebration after the premiere of ‘Joker.’ And a couple days before, Michael and I were like, ‘What? We’re just gonna do the whole album’.
Despite minimal rehearsal—just two days before the show—Gaga felt completely prepared. Her secret? Obsessive preparation long before recording.
Before you sing one of these records in the studio, you gotta like really know it. You can’t be learning it. I learned that also from being in the studio one time with Tony and not being prepared. Big mistake! So now, I will sing these songs hundreds of times before I even record them.
Dingy Apartments And Raw Authenticity
The film’s production design defies everything audiences might expect from traditional jazz performances. Rather than elegant sets reminiscent of her Tony Bennett collaborations or Vegas “Jazz & Piano” residency, viewers will see something dramatically different.
Gaga and her six-piece band perform in what appears to be a disheveled apartment. Crooked window blinds hang at awkward angles. An unmade mattress sits directly on the floor. Everything feels messy, shadowy, lived-in.
This aesthetic wasn’t random—it connected directly to Gaga’s origins as an artist.
When I met the guys that I made the record with, some of them 20 years ago, I was living in a dingy apartment on the Lower East Side. That’s where I had all my crazy ideas about anything. So that’s how the emotional and raw quality of how we made it made its way into this performance.
Tony Bennett’s Spirit Lives On
Though Bennett isn’t physically present, his influence permeates throughout. During the performance of “Smile,” cameras catch something touching at the foot of that dilapidated bed: a tiny black-and-white television playing repeating footage of Bennett himself.
Well, he loved ‘Smile.’ And man, could he sing it, too — Tony’s version of ‘Smile’ was my favorite, after Nat King Cole’s. So, having him there, it was one of those wild moments in a stage performance where you’re bringing in a little bit of the real world, with a little bit of a wink.
Gaga’s approach to these standards differs significantly from her Bennett collaborations. Where those sessions involved suits, formal presentations, and nervous energy, “Harlequin” embraced rebellion.
Surf Punk Meets Jazz Standards
Perhaps most surprising? Gaga revealed an unexpected influence behind her evolving jazz sound: surf punk.
Late-night conversations in Las Vegas with her band members, following 1 a.m. club shows by trumpeter Brian Newman, led to fresh creative directions.
We actually found our way into ‘Harlequin,’ I think, through guitar and our shared love of surf punk. And we sort of said, ‘You know, what if we were to kind of guide some of these productions in that direction?’
This rawer aesthetic extends to wardrobe choices—one band member performs in a sleeveless tuxedo, tattoos fully visible. What would Tony Bennett think?
Tony loved ‘Artpop,’ so I know Tony would’ve gone, ‘Wow. Yeah.’ Or, someone would’ve gotten fired!
Breaking Music With Trash Cans
Co-producer Benjamin Rice witnessed Gaga’s unconventional recording methods firsthand. Her approach to reimagining Great American Songbook standards involved literal deconstruction.
When we were in the studio, I was like, ‘Ben, why don’t you bring in some trash cans and we’ll use them as a drum kit?’ It was like, what were the ways that we could kind of break the music? Because we were thinking about comic books and jazz, and how could we think about this with humor and with fun in an almost childlike way — almost immature, or, yeah, a little bit bonkers.
The Most Personal Moment
While the concert features beloved standards like “That’s Entertainment,” “That’s Life,” and “When the Saints Go Marching In,” the film’s emotional peak arrives during “Happy Mistake”—one of two original songs Gaga wrote for “Harlequin.”
Except for the opening 30 seconds, the entire performance consists of one continuous take. Cameras circle around Gaga as she delivers lyrics drawn from deeply personal experience, bangs hanging over her eyes.
Afterward, she’s visibly teary.
That song, ‘Happy Mistake,’ was very much inspired by a time and an era in my life where… it felt like being happy would be an accident, it felt so impossible. And a lot of my decision-making for all the projects that I was taking on during this time came from a really deep, soulful attraction to wanting to help tell that story of what it feels like to be someone that’s misunderstood in that way.
Dancing With Cameras
Director of photography Marcell Rév, who also shot Gaga’s “Disease” video, created intimate cinematography throughout. Gaga described their collaborative process as instinctive rather than calculated.
It’s not the relationship where I go, ‘Oh, the camera’s here, so I’m gonna point my face like this, because that’s a good angle.’ I don’t think about it that way. It’s more like we’re doing a dance, and we’re in it together.
Michael Polansky’s Creative Partnership
Gaga’s fiancé Michael Polansky shares creative director and executive producer credits on the film. She described their working relationship as essential to maintaining artistic purity.
One of the things I love about working with Michael is that he has this closeness with me where he sees my artistry and my musicianship in its infancy, in its raw form. So whether I want to overthink it or someone else wants to overthink it, or somebody wants to come in and go, ‘What does it all mean? What’s the strategy behind it? How will we market it?,’ he will help in every possible way to make sure that the purity of it is not destroyed.
When one enthusiastic fan suggested Gaga arrive at her wedding in Volantis—her legendary 2013 flying dress—the singer laughed off the idea as simply “dangerous.”
Grammy Recognition And Future Jazz
“Harlequin” earned Gaga a Grammy nomination for best traditional pop vocal album, marking her first solo entry in the category after two wins with Bennett. Her other recent album, “Mayhem,” collected seven additional nominations heading into the February 1 ceremony.
Despite competing alone on paper, Gaga doesn’t view it that way.
I’m not in the category alone, I don’t feel, because I guess I’ll always feel like Tony is with me in the category — and also all these musicians that I’ve been making music with for the last two decades are with me.
More importantly, she confirmed what fans hoped to hear: this isn’t her final jazz record.
This project for me is a really special way to gave my fans some insight into who I want to become, as a jazz musician. This will not be my last jazz record. So it’s just exciting to keep going. And I do feel no matter where music takes me, it’s the one thing that’s pretty insatiable in me — it will never be enough.
Currently touring with her Mayhem Ball—which resumes January 21 in Osaka before wrapping at Madison Square Garden in April—Gaga continues writing new material. She’s set up recording equipment in every hotel room, capturing inspiration whenever it strikes.
Her approach has evolved from the Method immersion of her twenties to something more sustainable, allowing creative space between projects without losing intensity during performances.
Christmas Eve will finally allow the world to witness what approximately a thousand fans experienced 15 months ago at the Belasco: Gaga performing with wild abandon in a dingy apartment setting, ripping open pillows and throwing feathers, dancing frantically while maintaining perfect pitch.
All while honoring Tony Bennett, embracing her Lower East Side roots, and proving that traditional pop can still feel dangerously rebellious.
The pop icon announced that her mysterious concert film “Lady Gaga in Harlequin Live — One Night Only” will premiere on YouTube at 4 p.m. PT on Christmas Eve, finally revealing footage from what had become nearly mythical among Little Monsters.
The timing couldn’t be more fitting, according to Gaga herself, who explained her reasoning during a recent Q&A at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles.
And the reason might surprise you.
A Rebellious Christmas Present
During the Grammy Museum conversation with Variety’s Chris Willman, Gaga addressed why she chose this unconventional release date for such a highly-anticipated project.
I’m feeling like: Why not? We have this thing that’s so special to us, so we’re just really happy to share it with the fans. It’s kind of a rebellious project. And, by Harlequin standards, Christmas is the perfect time to release something rebellious.
The concert film captures a post-midnight performance at downtown L.A.’s Belasco Theatre from September 30, 2024. Only about a thousand lucky fans witnessed the intimate show firsthand, with absolutely zero photos or videos released publicly afterward.
That silence was intentional.
Building The Lore
Gaga revealed that holding back the concert footage was always part of her strategy, allowing anticipation to build organically among her fanbase.
It was interesting — when we first saw the footage, we said, ‘This is not the right time to put this out.’ And we collectively agreed that we would allow the lore of the Belasco performance to bloom with the fans, until it felt like time… And so this is like a Christmas present.
Fans who attended described the experience as transformative. At the museum screening, one audience member named Edith shared her emotional connection to the performance and album.
I was there at the ‘Harlequin’ show and it was one of the best nights of my life. That album really means a lot to me, because often I feel misunderstood.
Gaga’s response? She interrupted her own technical answer about album sequencing to ask if she could give the young woman a hug.
From Three Songs To Full Album
The entire project came together with remarkable spontaneity. Originally planned as just three songs following the “Joker: Folie à Deux” premiere, Gaga and her team decided days beforehand to perform the complete “Harlequin” album instead.
What’s so interesting is, I was meant to do that performance as three songs, as just kind of a celebration after the premiere of ‘Joker.’ And a couple days before, Michael and I were like, ‘What? We’re just gonna do the whole album’.
Despite minimal rehearsal—just two days before the show—Gaga felt completely prepared. Her secret? Obsessive preparation long before recording.
Before you sing one of these records in the studio, you gotta like really know it. You can’t be learning it. I learned that also from being in the studio one time with Tony and not being prepared. Big mistake! So now, I will sing these songs hundreds of times before I even record them.
Dingy Apartments And Raw Authenticity
The film’s production design defies everything audiences might expect from traditional jazz performances. Rather than elegant sets reminiscent of her Tony Bennett collaborations or Vegas “Jazz & Piano” residency, viewers will see something dramatically different.
Gaga and her six-piece band perform in what appears to be a disheveled apartment. Crooked window blinds hang at awkward angles. An unmade mattress sits directly on the floor. Everything feels messy, shadowy, lived-in.
This aesthetic wasn’t random—it connected directly to Gaga’s origins as an artist.
When I met the guys that I made the record with, some of them 20 years ago, I was living in a dingy apartment on the Lower East Side. That’s where I had all my crazy ideas about anything. So that’s how the emotional and raw quality of how we made it made its way into this performance.
Tony Bennett’s Spirit Lives On
Though Bennett isn’t physically present, his influence permeates throughout. During the performance of “Smile,” cameras catch something touching at the foot of that dilapidated bed: a tiny black-and-white television playing repeating footage of Bennett himself.
Well, he loved ‘Smile.’ And man, could he sing it, too — Tony’s version of ‘Smile’ was my favorite, after Nat King Cole’s. So, having him there, it was one of those wild moments in a stage performance where you’re bringing in a little bit of the real world, with a little bit of a wink.
Gaga’s approach to these standards differs significantly from her Bennett collaborations. Where those sessions involved suits, formal presentations, and nervous energy, “Harlequin” embraced rebellion.
Surf Punk Meets Jazz Standards
Perhaps most surprising? Gaga revealed an unexpected influence behind her evolving jazz sound: surf punk.
Late-night conversations in Las Vegas with her band members, following 1 a.m. club shows by trumpeter Brian Newman, led to fresh creative directions.
We actually found our way into ‘Harlequin,’ I think, through guitar and our shared love of surf punk. And we sort of said, ‘You know, what if we were to kind of guide some of these productions in that direction?’
This rawer aesthetic extends to wardrobe choices—one band member performs in a sleeveless tuxedo, tattoos fully visible. What would Tony Bennett think?
Tony loved ‘Artpop,’ so I know Tony would’ve gone, ‘Wow. Yeah.’ Or, someone would’ve gotten fired!
Breaking Music With Trash Cans
Co-producer Benjamin Rice witnessed Gaga’s unconventional recording methods firsthand. Her approach to reimagining Great American Songbook standards involved literal deconstruction.
When we were in the studio, I was like, ‘Ben, why don’t you bring in some trash cans and we’ll use them as a drum kit?’ It was like, what were the ways that we could kind of break the music? Because we were thinking about comic books and jazz, and how could we think about this with humor and with fun in an almost childlike way — almost immature, or, yeah, a little bit bonkers.
The Most Personal Moment
While the concert features beloved standards like “That’s Entertainment,” “That’s Life,” and “When the Saints Go Marching In,” the film’s emotional peak arrives during “Happy Mistake”—one of two original songs Gaga wrote for “Harlequin.”
Except for the opening 30 seconds, the entire performance consists of one continuous take. Cameras circle around Gaga as she delivers lyrics drawn from deeply personal experience, bangs hanging over her eyes.
Afterward, she’s visibly teary.
That song, ‘Happy Mistake,’ was very much inspired by a time and an era in my life where… it felt like being happy would be an accident, it felt so impossible. And a lot of my decision-making for all the projects that I was taking on during this time came from a really deep, soulful attraction to wanting to help tell that story of what it feels like to be someone that’s misunderstood in that way.
Dancing With Cameras
Director of photography Marcell Rév, who also shot Gaga’s “Disease” video, created intimate cinematography throughout. Gaga described their collaborative process as instinctive rather than calculated.
It’s not the relationship where I go, ‘Oh, the camera’s here, so I’m gonna point my face like this, because that’s a good angle.’ I don’t think about it that way. It’s more like we’re doing a dance, and we’re in it together.
Michael Polansky’s Creative Partnership
Gaga’s fiancé Michael Polansky shares creative director and executive producer credits on the film. She described their working relationship as essential to maintaining artistic purity.
One of the things I love about working with Michael is that he has this closeness with me where he sees my artistry and my musicianship in its infancy, in its raw form. So whether I want to overthink it or someone else wants to overthink it, or somebody wants to come in and go, ‘What does it all mean? What’s the strategy behind it? How will we market it?,’ he will help in every possible way to make sure that the purity of it is not destroyed.
When one enthusiastic fan suggested Gaga arrive at her wedding in Volantis—her legendary 2013 flying dress—the singer laughed off the idea as simply “dangerous.”
Grammy Recognition And Future Jazz
“Harlequin” earned Gaga a Grammy nomination for best traditional pop vocal album, marking her first solo entry in the category after two wins with Bennett. Her other recent album, “Mayhem,” collected seven additional nominations heading into the February 1 ceremony.
Despite competing alone on paper, Gaga doesn’t view it that way.
I’m not in the category alone, I don’t feel, because I guess I’ll always feel like Tony is with me in the category — and also all these musicians that I’ve been making music with for the last two decades are with me.
More importantly, she confirmed what fans hoped to hear: this isn’t her final jazz record.
This project for me is a really special way to gave my fans some insight into who I want to become, as a jazz musician. This will not be my last jazz record. So it’s just exciting to keep going. And I do feel no matter where music takes me, it’s the one thing that’s pretty insatiable in me — it will never be enough.
Currently touring with her Mayhem Ball—which resumes January 21 in Osaka before wrapping at Madison Square Garden in April—Gaga continues writing new material. She’s set up recording equipment in every hotel room, capturing inspiration whenever it strikes.
Her approach has evolved from the Method immersion of her twenties to something more sustainable, allowing creative space between projects without losing intensity during performances.
Christmas Eve will finally allow the world to witness what approximately a thousand fans experienced 15 months ago at the Belasco: Gaga performing with wild abandon in a dingy apartment setting, ripping open pillows and throwing feathers, dancing frantically while maintaining perfect pitch.
All while honoring Tony Bennett, embracing her Lower East Side roots, and proving that traditional pop can still feel dangerously rebellious.
Lady Gaga just dropped a surprise Christmas gift that her most devoted fans have been waiting over a year to unwrap.
The pop icon announced that her mysterious concert film “Lady Gaga in Harlequin Live — One Night Only” will premiere on YouTube at 4 p.m. PT on Christmas Eve, finally revealing footage from what had become nearly mythical among Little Monsters.
The timing couldn’t be more fitting, according to Gaga herself, who explained her reasoning during a recent Q&A at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles.
And the reason might surprise you.
A Rebellious Christmas Present
During the Grammy Museum conversation with Variety’s Chris Willman, Gaga addressed why she chose this unconventional release date for such a highly-anticipated project.
I’m feeling like: Why not? We have this thing that’s so special to us, so we’re just really happy to share it with the fans. It’s kind of a rebellious project. And, by Harlequin standards, Christmas is the perfect time to release something rebellious.
The concert film captures a post-midnight performance at downtown L.A.’s Belasco Theatre from September 30, 2024. Only about a thousand lucky fans witnessed the intimate show firsthand, with absolutely zero photos or videos released publicly afterward.
That silence was intentional.
Building The Lore
Gaga revealed that holding back the concert footage was always part of her strategy, allowing anticipation to build organically among her fanbase.
It was interesting — when we first saw the footage, we said, ‘This is not the right time to put this out.’ And we collectively agreed that we would allow the lore of the Belasco performance to bloom with the fans, until it felt like time… And so this is like a Christmas present.
Fans who attended described the experience as transformative. At the museum screening, one audience member named Edith shared her emotional connection to the performance and album.
I was there at the ‘Harlequin’ show and it was one of the best nights of my life. That album really means a lot to me, because often I feel misunderstood.
Gaga’s response? She interrupted her own technical answer about album sequencing to ask if she could give the young woman a hug.
From Three Songs To Full Album
The entire project came together with remarkable spontaneity. Originally planned as just three songs following the “Joker: Folie à Deux” premiere, Gaga and her team decided days beforehand to perform the complete “Harlequin” album instead.
What’s so interesting is, I was meant to do that performance as three songs, as just kind of a celebration after the premiere of ‘Joker.’ And a couple days before, Michael and I were like, ‘What? We’re just gonna do the whole album’.
Despite minimal rehearsal—just two days before the show—Gaga felt completely prepared. Her secret? Obsessive preparation long before recording.
Before you sing one of these records in the studio, you gotta like really know it. You can’t be learning it. I learned that also from being in the studio one time with Tony and not being prepared. Big mistake! So now, I will sing these songs hundreds of times before I even record them.
Dingy Apartments And Raw Authenticity
The film’s production design defies everything audiences might expect from traditional jazz performances. Rather than elegant sets reminiscent of her Tony Bennett collaborations or Vegas “Jazz & Piano” residency, viewers will see something dramatically different.
Gaga and her six-piece band perform in what appears to be a disheveled apartment. Crooked window blinds hang at awkward angles. An unmade mattress sits directly on the floor. Everything feels messy, shadowy, lived-in.
This aesthetic wasn’t random—it connected directly to Gaga’s origins as an artist.
When I met the guys that I made the record with, some of them 20 years ago, I was living in a dingy apartment on the Lower East Side. That’s where I had all my crazy ideas about anything. So that’s how the emotional and raw quality of how we made it made its way into this performance.
Tony Bennett’s Spirit Lives On
Though Bennett isn’t physically present, his influence permeates throughout. During the performance of “Smile,” cameras catch something touching at the foot of that dilapidated bed: a tiny black-and-white television playing repeating footage of Bennett himself.
Well, he loved ‘Smile.’ And man, could he sing it, too — Tony’s version of ‘Smile’ was my favorite, after Nat King Cole’s. So, having him there, it was one of those wild moments in a stage performance where you’re bringing in a little bit of the real world, with a little bit of a wink.
Gaga’s approach to these standards differs significantly from her Bennett collaborations. Where those sessions involved suits, formal presentations, and nervous energy, “Harlequin” embraced rebellion.
Surf Punk Meets Jazz Standards
Perhaps most surprising? Gaga revealed an unexpected influence behind her evolving jazz sound: surf punk.
Late-night conversations in Las Vegas with her band members, following 1 a.m. club shows by trumpeter Brian Newman, led to fresh creative directions.
We actually found our way into ‘Harlequin,’ I think, through guitar and our shared love of surf punk. And we sort of said, ‘You know, what if we were to kind of guide some of these productions in that direction?’
This rawer aesthetic extends to wardrobe choices—one band member performs in a sleeveless tuxedo, tattoos fully visible. What would Tony Bennett think?
Tony loved ‘Artpop,’ so I know Tony would’ve gone, ‘Wow. Yeah.’ Or, someone would’ve gotten fired!
Breaking Music With Trash Cans
Co-producer Benjamin Rice witnessed Gaga’s unconventional recording methods firsthand. Her approach to reimagining Great American Songbook standards involved literal deconstruction.
When we were in the studio, I was like, ‘Ben, why don’t you bring in some trash cans and we’ll use them as a drum kit?’ It was like, what were the ways that we could kind of break the music? Because we were thinking about comic books and jazz, and how could we think about this with humor and with fun in an almost childlike way — almost immature, or, yeah, a little bit bonkers.
The Most Personal Moment
While the concert features beloved standards like “That’s Entertainment,” “That’s Life,” and “When the Saints Go Marching In,” the film’s emotional peak arrives during “Happy Mistake”—one of two original songs Gaga wrote for “Harlequin.”
Except for the opening 30 seconds, the entire performance consists of one continuous take. Cameras circle around Gaga as she delivers lyrics drawn from deeply personal experience, bangs hanging over her eyes.
Afterward, she’s visibly teary.
That song, ‘Happy Mistake,’ was very much inspired by a time and an era in my life where… it felt like being happy would be an accident, it felt so impossible. And a lot of my decision-making for all the projects that I was taking on during this time came from a really deep, soulful attraction to wanting to help tell that story of what it feels like to be someone that’s misunderstood in that way.
Dancing With Cameras
Director of photography Marcell Rév, who also shot Gaga’s “Disease” video, created intimate cinematography throughout. Gaga described their collaborative process as instinctive rather than calculated.
It’s not the relationship where I go, ‘Oh, the camera’s here, so I’m gonna point my face like this, because that’s a good angle.’ I don’t think about it that way. It’s more like we’re doing a dance, and we’re in it together.
Michael Polansky’s Creative Partnership
Gaga’s fiancé Michael Polansky shares creative director and executive producer credits on the film. She described their working relationship as essential to maintaining artistic purity.
One of the things I love about working with Michael is that he has this closeness with me where he sees my artistry and my musicianship in its infancy, in its raw form. So whether I want to overthink it or someone else wants to overthink it, or somebody wants to come in and go, ‘What does it all mean? What’s the strategy behind it? How will we market it?,’ he will help in every possible way to make sure that the purity of it is not destroyed.
When one enthusiastic fan suggested Gaga arrive at her wedding in Volantis—her legendary 2013 flying dress—the singer laughed off the idea as simply “dangerous.”
Grammy Recognition And Future Jazz
“Harlequin” earned Gaga a Grammy nomination for best traditional pop vocal album, marking her first solo entry in the category after two wins with Bennett. Her other recent album, “Mayhem,” collected seven additional nominations heading into the February 1 ceremony.
Despite competing alone on paper, Gaga doesn’t view it that way.
I’m not in the category alone, I don’t feel, because I guess I’ll always feel like Tony is with me in the category — and also all these musicians that I’ve been making music with for the last two decades are with me.
More importantly, she confirmed what fans hoped to hear: this isn’t her final jazz record.
This project for me is a really special way to gave my fans some insight into who I want to become, as a jazz musician. This will not be my last jazz record. So it’s just exciting to keep going. And I do feel no matter where music takes me, it’s the one thing that’s pretty insatiable in me — it will never be enough.
Currently touring with her Mayhem Ball—which resumes January 21 in Osaka before wrapping at Madison Square Garden in April—Gaga continues writing new material. She’s set up recording equipment in every hotel room, capturing inspiration whenever it strikes.
Her approach has evolved from the Method immersion of her twenties to something more sustainable, allowing creative space between projects without losing intensity during performances.
Christmas Eve will finally allow the world to witness what approximately a thousand fans experienced 15 months ago at the Belasco: Gaga performing with wild abandon in a dingy apartment setting, ripping open pillows and throwing feathers, dancing frantically while maintaining perfect pitch.
All while honoring Tony Bennett, embracing her Lower East Side roots, and proving that traditional pop can still feel dangerously rebellious.
Lady Gaga just dropped a surprise Christmas gift that her most devoted fans have been waiting over a year to unwrap.
The pop icon announced that her mysterious concert film “Lady Gaga in Harlequin Live — One Night Only” will premiere on YouTube at 4 p.m. PT on Christmas Eve, finally revealing footage from what had become nearly mythical among Little Monsters.
The timing couldn’t be more fitting, according to Gaga herself, who explained her reasoning during a recent Q&A at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles.
And the reason might surprise you.
A Rebellious Christmas Present
During the Grammy Museum conversation with Variety’s Chris Willman, Gaga addressed why she chose this unconventional release date for such a highly-anticipated project.
I’m feeling like: Why not? We have this thing that’s so special to us, so we’re just really happy to share it with the fans. It’s kind of a rebellious project. And, by Harlequin standards, Christmas is the perfect time to release something rebellious.
The concert film captures a post-midnight performance at downtown L.A.’s Belasco Theatre from September 30, 2024. Only about a thousand lucky fans witnessed the intimate show firsthand, with absolutely zero photos or videos released publicly afterward.
That silence was intentional.
Building The Lore
Gaga revealed that holding back the concert footage was always part of her strategy, allowing anticipation to build organically among her fanbase.
It was interesting — when we first saw the footage, we said, ‘This is not the right time to put this out.’ And we collectively agreed that we would allow the lore of the Belasco performance to bloom with the fans, until it felt like time… And so this is like a Christmas present.
Fans who attended described the experience as transformative. At the museum screening, one audience member named Edith shared her emotional connection to the performance and album.
I was there at the ‘Harlequin’ show and it was one of the best nights of my life. That album really means a lot to me, because often I feel misunderstood.
Gaga’s response? She interrupted her own technical answer about album sequencing to ask if she could give the young woman a hug.
From Three Songs To Full Album
The entire project came together with remarkable spontaneity. Originally planned as just three songs following the “Joker: Folie à Deux” premiere, Gaga and her team decided days beforehand to perform the complete “Harlequin” album instead.
What’s so interesting is, I was meant to do that performance as three songs, as just kind of a celebration after the premiere of ‘Joker.’ And a couple days before, Michael and I were like, ‘What? We’re just gonna do the whole album’.
Despite minimal rehearsal—just two days before the show—Gaga felt completely prepared. Her secret? Obsessive preparation long before recording.
Before you sing one of these records in the studio, you gotta like really know it. You can’t be learning it. I learned that also from being in the studio one time with Tony and not being prepared. Big mistake! So now, I will sing these songs hundreds of times before I even record them.
Dingy Apartments And Raw Authenticity
The film’s production design defies everything audiences might expect from traditional jazz performances. Rather than elegant sets reminiscent of her Tony Bennett collaborations or Vegas “Jazz & Piano” residency, viewers will see something dramatically different.
Gaga and her six-piece band perform in what appears to be a disheveled apartment. Crooked window blinds hang at awkward angles. An unmade mattress sits directly on the floor. Everything feels messy, shadowy, lived-in.
This aesthetic wasn’t random—it connected directly to Gaga’s origins as an artist.
When I met the guys that I made the record with, some of them 20 years ago, I was living in a dingy apartment on the Lower East Side. That’s where I had all my crazy ideas about anything. So that’s how the emotional and raw quality of how we made it made its way into this performance.
Tony Bennett’s Spirit Lives On
Though Bennett isn’t physically present, his influence permeates throughout. During the performance of “Smile,” cameras catch something touching at the foot of that dilapidated bed: a tiny black-and-white television playing repeating footage of Bennett himself.
Well, he loved ‘Smile.’ And man, could he sing it, too — Tony’s version of ‘Smile’ was my favorite, after Nat King Cole’s. So, having him there, it was one of those wild moments in a stage performance where you’re bringing in a little bit of the real world, with a little bit of a wink.
Gaga’s approach to these standards differs significantly from her Bennett collaborations. Where those sessions involved suits, formal presentations, and nervous energy, “Harlequin” embraced rebellion.
Surf Punk Meets Jazz Standards
Perhaps most surprising? Gaga revealed an unexpected influence behind her evolving jazz sound: surf punk.
Late-night conversations in Las Vegas with her band members, following 1 a.m. club shows by trumpeter Brian Newman, led to fresh creative directions.
We actually found our way into ‘Harlequin,’ I think, through guitar and our shared love of surf punk. And we sort of said, ‘You know, what if we were to kind of guide some of these productions in that direction?’
This rawer aesthetic extends to wardrobe choices—one band member performs in a sleeveless tuxedo, tattoos fully visible. What would Tony Bennett think?
Tony loved ‘Artpop,’ so I know Tony would’ve gone, ‘Wow. Yeah.’ Or, someone would’ve gotten fired!
Breaking Music With Trash Cans
Co-producer Benjamin Rice witnessed Gaga’s unconventional recording methods firsthand. Her approach to reimagining Great American Songbook standards involved literal deconstruction.
When we were in the studio, I was like, ‘Ben, why don’t you bring in some trash cans and we’ll use them as a drum kit?’ It was like, what were the ways that we could kind of break the music? Because we were thinking about comic books and jazz, and how could we think about this with humor and with fun in an almost childlike way — almost immature, or, yeah, a little bit bonkers.
The Most Personal Moment
While the concert features beloved standards like “That’s Entertainment,” “That’s Life,” and “When the Saints Go Marching In,” the film’s emotional peak arrives during “Happy Mistake”—one of two original songs Gaga wrote for “Harlequin.”
Except for the opening 30 seconds, the entire performance consists of one continuous take. Cameras circle around Gaga as she delivers lyrics drawn from deeply personal experience, bangs hanging over her eyes.
Afterward, she’s visibly teary.
That song, ‘Happy Mistake,’ was very much inspired by a time and an era in my life where… it felt like being happy would be an accident, it felt so impossible. And a lot of my decision-making for all the projects that I was taking on during this time came from a really deep, soulful attraction to wanting to help tell that story of what it feels like to be someone that’s misunderstood in that way.
Dancing With Cameras
Director of photography Marcell Rév, who also shot Gaga’s “Disease” video, created intimate cinematography throughout. Gaga described their collaborative process as instinctive rather than calculated.
It’s not the relationship where I go, ‘Oh, the camera’s here, so I’m gonna point my face like this, because that’s a good angle.’ I don’t think about it that way. It’s more like we’re doing a dance, and we’re in it together.
Michael Polansky’s Creative Partnership
Gaga’s fiancé Michael Polansky shares creative director and executive producer credits on the film. She described their working relationship as essential to maintaining artistic purity.
One of the things I love about working with Michael is that he has this closeness with me where he sees my artistry and my musicianship in its infancy, in its raw form. So whether I want to overthink it or someone else wants to overthink it, or somebody wants to come in and go, ‘What does it all mean? What’s the strategy behind it? How will we market it?,’ he will help in every possible way to make sure that the purity of it is not destroyed.
When one enthusiastic fan suggested Gaga arrive at her wedding in Volantis—her legendary 2013 flying dress—the singer laughed off the idea as simply “dangerous.”
Grammy Recognition And Future Jazz
“Harlequin” earned Gaga a Grammy nomination for best traditional pop vocal album, marking her first solo entry in the category after two wins with Bennett. Her other recent album, “Mayhem,” collected seven additional nominations heading into the February 1 ceremony.
Despite competing alone on paper, Gaga doesn’t view it that way.
I’m not in the category alone, I don’t feel, because I guess I’ll always feel like Tony is with me in the category — and also all these musicians that I’ve been making music with for the last two decades are with me.
More importantly, she confirmed what fans hoped to hear: this isn’t her final jazz record.
This project for me is a really special way to gave my fans some insight into who I want to become, as a jazz musician. This will not be my last jazz record. So it’s just exciting to keep going. And I do feel no matter where music takes me, it’s the one thing that’s pretty insatiable in me — it will never be enough.
Currently touring with her Mayhem Ball—which resumes January 21 in Osaka before wrapping at Madison Square Garden in April—Gaga continues writing new material. She’s set up recording equipment in every hotel room, capturing inspiration whenever it strikes.
Her approach has evolved from the Method immersion of her twenties to something more sustainable, allowing creative space between projects without losing intensity during performances.
Christmas Eve will finally allow the world to witness what approximately a thousand fans experienced 15 months ago at the Belasco: Gaga performing with wild abandon in a dingy apartment setting, ripping open pillows and throwing feathers, dancing frantically while maintaining perfect pitch.
All while honoring Tony Bennett, embracing her Lower East Side roots, and proving that traditional pop can still feel dangerously rebellious.
Lady Gaga just dropped a surprise Christmas gift that her most devoted fans have been waiting over a year to unwrap.
The pop icon announced that her mysterious concert film “Lady Gaga in Harlequin Live — One Night Only” will premiere on YouTube at 4 p.m. PT on Christmas Eve, finally revealing footage from what had become nearly mythical among Little Monsters.
The timing couldn’t be more fitting, according to Gaga herself, who explained her reasoning during a recent Q&A at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles.
And the reason might surprise you.
A Rebellious Christmas Present
During the Grammy Museum conversation with Variety’s Chris Willman, Gaga addressed why she chose this unconventional release date for such a highly-anticipated project.
I’m feeling like: Why not? We have this thing that’s so special to us, so we’re just really happy to share it with the fans. It’s kind of a rebellious project. And, by Harlequin standards, Christmas is the perfect time to release something rebellious.
The concert film captures a post-midnight performance at downtown L.A.’s Belasco Theatre from September 30, 2024. Only about a thousand lucky fans witnessed the intimate show firsthand, with absolutely zero photos or videos released publicly afterward.
That silence was intentional.
Building The Lore
Gaga revealed that holding back the concert footage was always part of her strategy, allowing anticipation to build organically among her fanbase.
It was interesting — when we first saw the footage, we said, ‘This is not the right time to put this out.’ And we collectively agreed that we would allow the lore of the Belasco performance to bloom with the fans, until it felt like time… And so this is like a Christmas present.
Fans who attended described the experience as transformative. At the museum screening, one audience member named Edith shared her emotional connection to the performance and album.
I was there at the ‘Harlequin’ show and it was one of the best nights of my life. That album really means a lot to me, because often I feel misunderstood.
Gaga’s response? She interrupted her own technical answer about album sequencing to ask if she could give the young woman a hug.
From Three Songs To Full Album
The entire project came together with remarkable spontaneity. Originally planned as just three songs following the “Joker: Folie à Deux” premiere, Gaga and her team decided days beforehand to perform the complete “Harlequin” album instead.
What’s so interesting is, I was meant to do that performance as three songs, as just kind of a celebration after the premiere of ‘Joker.’ And a couple days before, Michael and I were like, ‘What? We’re just gonna do the whole album’.
Despite minimal rehearsal—just two days before the show—Gaga felt completely prepared. Her secret? Obsessive preparation long before recording.
Before you sing one of these records in the studio, you gotta like really know it. You can’t be learning it. I learned that also from being in the studio one time with Tony and not being prepared. Big mistake! So now, I will sing these songs hundreds of times before I even record them.
Dingy Apartments And Raw Authenticity
The film’s production design defies everything audiences might expect from traditional jazz performances. Rather than elegant sets reminiscent of her Tony Bennett collaborations or Vegas “Jazz & Piano” residency, viewers will see something dramatically different.
Gaga and her six-piece band perform in what appears to be a disheveled apartment. Crooked window blinds hang at awkward angles. An unmade mattress sits directly on the floor. Everything feels messy, shadowy, lived-in.
This aesthetic wasn’t random—it connected directly to Gaga’s origins as an artist.
When I met the guys that I made the record with, some of them 20 years ago, I was living in a dingy apartment on the Lower East Side. That’s where I had all my crazy ideas about anything. So that’s how the emotional and raw quality of how we made it made its way into this performance.
Tony Bennett’s Spirit Lives On
Though Bennett isn’t physically present, his influence permeates throughout. During the performance of “Smile,” cameras catch something touching at the foot of that dilapidated bed: a tiny black-and-white television playing repeating footage of Bennett himself.
Well, he loved ‘Smile.’ And man, could he sing it, too — Tony’s version of ‘Smile’ was my favorite, after Nat King Cole’s. So, having him there, it was one of those wild moments in a stage performance where you’re bringing in a little bit of the real world, with a little bit of a wink.
Gaga’s approach to these standards differs significantly from her Bennett collaborations. Where those sessions involved suits, formal presentations, and nervous energy, “Harlequin” embraced rebellion.
Surf Punk Meets Jazz Standards
Perhaps most surprising? Gaga revealed an unexpected influence behind her evolving jazz sound: surf punk.
Late-night conversations in Las Vegas with her band members, following 1 a.m. club shows by trumpeter Brian Newman, led to fresh creative directions.
We actually found our way into ‘Harlequin,’ I think, through guitar and our shared love of surf punk. And we sort of said, ‘You know, what if we were to kind of guide some of these productions in that direction?’
This rawer aesthetic extends to wardrobe choices—one band member performs in a sleeveless tuxedo, tattoos fully visible. What would Tony Bennett think?
Tony loved ‘Artpop,’ so I know Tony would’ve gone, ‘Wow. Yeah.’ Or, someone would’ve gotten fired!
Breaking Music With Trash Cans
Co-producer Benjamin Rice witnessed Gaga’s unconventional recording methods firsthand. Her approach to reimagining Great American Songbook standards involved literal deconstruction.
When we were in the studio, I was like, ‘Ben, why don’t you bring in some trash cans and we’ll use them as a drum kit?’ It was like, what were the ways that we could kind of break the music? Because we were thinking about comic books and jazz, and how could we think about this with humor and with fun in an almost childlike way — almost immature, or, yeah, a little bit bonkers.
The Most Personal Moment
While the concert features beloved standards like “That’s Entertainment,” “That’s Life,” and “When the Saints Go Marching In,” the film’s emotional peak arrives during “Happy Mistake”—one of two original songs Gaga wrote for “Harlequin.”
Except for the opening 30 seconds, the entire performance consists of one continuous take. Cameras circle around Gaga as she delivers lyrics drawn from deeply personal experience, bangs hanging over her eyes.
Afterward, she’s visibly teary.
That song, ‘Happy Mistake,’ was very much inspired by a time and an era in my life where… it felt like being happy would be an accident, it felt so impossible. And a lot of my decision-making for all the projects that I was taking on during this time came from a really deep, soulful attraction to wanting to help tell that story of what it feels like to be someone that’s misunderstood in that way.
Dancing With Cameras
Director of photography Marcell Rév, who also shot Gaga’s “Disease” video, created intimate cinematography throughout. Gaga described their collaborative process as instinctive rather than calculated.
It’s not the relationship where I go, ‘Oh, the camera’s here, so I’m gonna point my face like this, because that’s a good angle.’ I don’t think about it that way. It’s more like we’re doing a dance, and we’re in it together.
Michael Polansky’s Creative Partnership
Gaga’s fiancé Michael Polansky shares creative director and executive producer credits on the film. She described their working relationship as essential to maintaining artistic purity.
One of the things I love about working with Michael is that he has this closeness with me where he sees my artistry and my musicianship in its infancy, in its raw form. So whether I want to overthink it or someone else wants to overthink it, or somebody wants to come in and go, ‘What does it all mean? What’s the strategy behind it? How will we market it?,’ he will help in every possible way to make sure that the purity of it is not destroyed.
When one enthusiastic fan suggested Gaga arrive at her wedding in Volantis—her legendary 2013 flying dress—the singer laughed off the idea as simply “dangerous.”
Grammy Recognition And Future Jazz
“Harlequin” earned Gaga a Grammy nomination for best traditional pop vocal album, marking her first solo entry in the category after two wins with Bennett. Her other recent album, “Mayhem,” collected seven additional nominations heading into the February 1 ceremony.
Despite competing alone on paper, Gaga doesn’t view it that way.
I’m not in the category alone, I don’t feel, because I guess I’ll always feel like Tony is with me in the category — and also all these musicians that I’ve been making music with for the last two decades are with me.
More importantly, she confirmed what fans hoped to hear: this isn’t her final jazz record.
This project for me is a really special way to gave my fans some insight into who I want to become, as a jazz musician. This will not be my last jazz record. So it’s just exciting to keep going. And I do feel no matter where music takes me, it’s the one thing that’s pretty insatiable in me — it will never be enough.
Currently touring with her Mayhem Ball—which resumes January 21 in Osaka before wrapping at Madison Square Garden in April—Gaga continues writing new material. She’s set up recording equipment in every hotel room, capturing inspiration whenever it strikes.
Her approach has evolved from the Method immersion of her twenties to something more sustainable, allowing creative space between projects without losing intensity during performances.
Christmas Eve will finally allow the world to witness what approximately a thousand fans experienced 15 months ago at the Belasco: Gaga performing with wild abandon in a dingy apartment setting, ripping open pillows and throwing feathers, dancing frantically while maintaining perfect pitch.
All while honoring Tony Bennett, embracing her Lower East Side roots, and proving that traditional pop can still feel dangerously rebellious.