It's difficult not to view through the prism of , the 2013 album where 's expanding fame balloon finally popped. Ambitious but muddled, debuted high but came crashing down to the ground, stalling out after the second single, the duet "Do What U Want." quickly retreated to the confines of cabaret, cutting a nicely accomplished standards album with , a move that not only gave her the opportunity to work with a legend, but signaled that she considered a step too far: The camp of was elegant, not garish, an acknowledgment that she was once again back in control of her joke. It set the stage for , a clever streamlining of the persona that functions as the opposite of . All the excesses are excised while the eccentricities are used as accents on songs that are usually well-rendered pop. A few numbers take a passing glance at country music -- the title "Joanne" winks at 's "Jolene"; in a different arrangement, the ballad "Million Reasons" could be an adult contemporary crossover from or -- but 's feet remain firmly planted in dance-pop even when she brings in , , and of for collaborations. co-wrote "Diamond Heart" and "John Wayne," two of the harder disco songs here, while assists on the steady rolling "Sinner's Prayer" -- perhaps the best fusion of country and pop here -- and "Come to Mama," a buoyant throwback to Motown that finds a companion on the duet "Hey Girl," an analog slow jam that floats in the shimmer light. These, plus the riotous "A-Yo" and the masturbation ode "Dancin' in Circles," don't necessarily find comfortable companions in the ballads peppered throughout the album, but executive producer helps polish so it flows easily, which is its appeal. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine