When you can get journalists writing entire articles off of the key change of your lead single, you set yourself up for a good release. And they were well-deserved. Lady Gaga’s “Joanne” is rowdy, wild and riddled with shredding guitars. Described as her most autobiographical work yet, Stefani Germanotta’s fifth album is a Dr. Pepper of a listen. Twenty-three flavors of pure American tang packed with country charisma that, all too surprisingly, works incredibly well despite the artist’s shimmery pop respiration. The magnificent key change in “Perfect Illusion” is only one of many shining moments on this record.

Gaga makes her way through “Joanne” with a desert-town rasp to her voice. In “A-YO,” she growls her affinity to Marlboros, and even if she isn’t a smoker, her vocals hint at a bit of ash in her lungs. But the Janis Joplin voice is a symbol of strength and independence, a more masculine presence that was absent in her previous works. Although she has shown herself to be a dominant soul throughout her career, “Joanne” brings something gritty to her persona.

The album’s production and sound is probably the most interesting aspect of it. The LP introduces itself with a somewhat pop edge, with “Diamond Heart” bearing similarities to Kesha’s “Die Young.” However, at points in the record, it sounds more stripped back and acoustic, per “Million Reasons.” The overarching composition calls to the likes of Lana Del Rey, with “Angel Down” taking notes from Lana’s “Video Games” with harps and pianos leading the listener through an angelic soundscape. “Sinner’s Prayer,” on the other hand, is more reminiscent of Del Rey’s “Off to the Races,” the biting bass and hissing percussion giving a blues-y echo.

The rumors of this being Gaga’s most revealing piece of work aren’t presumptuous. “Diamond Heart’s” second couplet sinks venomous teeth into the listener’s soul with references her sexual assault at age 19 , and “Joanne’s” heart-wrenching lyrics raise a mournful glass to the album’s namesake, Gaga’s aunt who passed away of lupus. “Angel Down” is a catalog of her thoughts on the state of the world, referencing the “confusion…in the age of social”  and references the murder of Trayvon Martin in 2012 with “shots were fired on the street / by the church where we used to meet / angel down, angel down / but the people just stood around.”

The biggest disappointment is “Hey Girl,” Gaga’s collaboration with Florence Welch of Florence+The Machine. They both sound wonderful, but they sing back-and-forth as opposed to giving each of them a respective verse, and it gets confusing at a point. The bouncy synths also sound just a bit out of place on the rest of the album, leaving a disconnect just before the final track, “Angel Down.” However, it’s still an incredible song. It’s the gum-chewing, vibe-y girl-power anthem the world needed, and despite the synths sounding a bit awkward in the tracklist, they’re actually very pleasing to listen to when the rest of “Joanne” is pushed out of mind. They’re glittery and shimmery but still pack a punch, which could link to the actual message of female empowerment in itself. It’s incredibly disappointing that something as good as  “Hey Girl” was so unfortunate as to be stuck on this album.

“Joanne” has its poor moments, as any album does. But it’s overall deserving of an A. It’s a  more than satisfying listen that can leave the viewer laughing, crying and smiling as wide as the brim on Lady Gaga’s pink cowboy hat, all within three songs. It’s got a pop overtone with Carrie Underwood charm, and each second of this country-meets-rock-meets-disco hybrid is better than the last.

Standout tracks: “Diamond Heart,” “Perfect Illusion,” “Sinner’s Prayer” and “Angel Down.”