Lady Gaga kicked off her so-called “dive bar tour” in Nashville last night, and with it came the debut of three new songs off of her upcoming album Joanne. Gaga, dressed in country gear and with a noticeable twang, sang “A-Yo,” “Sinner’s Prayer,” and “Million Reasons,” which she also officially released as a single.
Gaga, who asked the crowd to call her Joanne, performed her new power ballad “Million Reasons” alongside the song’s co-writer, Nashville native Hillary Lindsey, singing the lyrics, “You’re giving me a million reasons to let you go / You’re giving me a million reasons to quit the show / You’re giving me a million reasons / Give me a million reasons / Giving me a million reasons / About a million reasons.” Fans will speculate that the song is about her split with ex-fiance, Taylor Kinney, and fans will probably be right.
Gaga also posted the lyrics to “Million Reasons” on her Instagram account.
The entire performance was very stripped down by Lady Gaga standards and hinted toward a more naturalistic phase in her career. But then she closed the set out with a blazing rendition of “Perfect Illusion,” that basically recreated the song’s video and reminded everyone that, at her heart, Lady Gaga is a pop maximalist of the highest order. Watch the entire performance below, beginning at the 28-minute mark.
