Australians online are in a complete frenzy after hearing Lady Gaga's newest track, which bears an uncanny resemblance to the Kath & Kim theme song titled “The Joker”.
If you've missed the uproar, Lady Gaga is starring in the sequel to the 2019 Joker film alongside Joaquin Phoenix, titled Joker: Folie à Deux. This musical psychological thriller features the “Bad Romance” singer as the unhinged beauty, Harley Quinn. In tandem with the movie, Gaga is releasing a concept album named Harlequin, which is believed to explore her character’s experiences.
With the film set to premiere on October 2, a song from the soundtrack was released on Wednesday. However, it didn't take long for Aussie fans of the iconic comedy Kath & Kim to notice striking similarities between Gaga’s song and the comedy's theme tune. Essentially, it's the very same song.
I’m sure Andy Lee song sleuth is quite occupied, so I’ll take it from here. Let’s begin by comparing the two tracks, shall we?
Check out Gaga’s powerful performance below.
Sounds familiar, right? Now, onto the one we all cherish.
Before jumping to conclusions, it's crucial to clarify that Lady Gaga did not copy the Kath & Kim theme song for the serious film Joker: Folie à Deux.
In fact, the Kath & Kim theme song — known as “The Joker” — originally comes from a 1964 musical titled The Roar of the Greasepaint – The Smell of the Crowd. Although I hadn’t heard of this musical before, it turns out it’s quite significant and has had a major influence on music as we know it.
Other well-known songs from the musical include “Feeling Good”, famously covered by Nina Simone and my mom’s favorite crooner, Michael Bublé. Additionally, the tune “Who Can I Turn To” has been successfully recorded by numerous prominent artists such as Dusty Springfield, The Temptations, and Van Morrison.
Listen to the original arrangement below, and be warned, the horn section is intense.
Wasn’t that an entertaining dive into music history? So, folks, remember this when you see people unfairly criticizing Gaga in TikTok comments for plagiarism.
I’m about 90 percent sure Gaga was paying tribute to a musical about class divides, although I have a hunch she’s secretly a huge fan of our beloved foxy ladies from Fountain Lakes.
