Lady Gaga is known for her ridiculous wardrobe and crazy behavior. She once wore a suit of meat, and another of caution tape.  She has been carried into the Grammys in a cocoon, and dressed drag at the Video Music Awards.

But now that she is where she wants to be, she has dropped the meat suit and has started to evolve as a singer/songwriter.

On Oct. 21, Gaga released her new album Joanne, which features her single “Perfect Illusion,” and it is her best one yet.

She has lost the crazy clothes and careened her aesthetics in a completely different direction. Which is no way a bad thing.

Joanne isn’t daring or radical, but in a way a balance between who Lady Gaga was and who she will be as an artist.

It combines the “old” Lady Gaga with her textured pop music, and the “new” toned down unplugged Lady Gaga that is more conceptual. In many of her newer songs, they have less techno and has more of a classic rock vibe.

The album also has a good contrast and variety in terms of the sound of each song. She connects with her pop roots but also plays with the jazz influence she no doubt picked up on during her time with Tony Bennett.

One of my favorite songs from the album is “Angel Down.” Gaga uses her masterful lyricism to send a powerful of how social issues affect people. The downtempo and use of instruments gave me literal chills the first time I heard it.  

Another one of my favorites is “Griggio Girls,” which sends a powerful message to women about being able to show weakness and still be strong. The simplicity of the acoustics, use of piano makes the song, and harmonies towards the end of the song makes the song so much more memorable. Gaga definitely stepped up her game for this song.

The third song, and I really had trouble picking this one because there was so many I liked, that I truly enjoy, is “Come to Mama.” It is one of the highlight songs of the album because it’s cheeky, fun, and honestly just makes me happy when I listen to it. It speaks of sharing love and stopping violence, and world peace. It is the underdog song hidden among the 14 others on the album.

There has already been speculation for the fact that there is too much going for there to be a focus on the album, but I believe the it shows not only how much Gaga has grown as an artist but how much she has matured as a person. The fact that she had the guts to put so many types of music together and had the skill to make it work had propelled my respect for her into the next state.

Gaga has toned herself down in all the right ways. Joanne is the breath of fresh air that Gaga needed ― especially after her last solo album Artpop didn’t live up to it’s expectations.