Lady Gaga responded to the negative reviews of Joker: Folie à Deux in a recent interview, explaining that you can’t please everyone.
People just sometimes do not like some things. It’s that simple, And I think to be an artist, you have to be willing for people to sometimes not like it. And you keep going even if something did not connect in the way that you intended.
Gaga said in her interview with Elle published Tuesday
Joker: Folie à Deux, the sequel to Todd Phillips‘ successful Joker, had its global premiere at the Venice Film Festival in September 2024. This time, the film was turned into a musical, showing the early lives of Joker and Harleen “Lee” Quinzel, played by Gaga.
The Times’ Kevin Maher described the film as “messy, lifeless, derivative,” saying it felt like a movie that never should have been made.
Joker: Folie à Deux received a low 31% rating from Rotten Tomatoes and was named one of the “worst” films of 2024 by the 2025 Razzie Awards. Despite the mixed reactions, Gaga explained that success and failure come with being an artist, and she won’t let it affect her.
When that makes its way into your life, that can be hard to get control of. It is part of the mayhem,
she said
The Grammy and Oscar-winning artist also has more projects coming, including her new album, Mayhem, set to release on March 7.
Gaga described her upcoming album, Mayhem, as a mix of different sounds and styles with a “happy apocalyptic tune.” Some songs will have “’90s alternative, electro-grunge, Prince and Bowie melodies, guitar and attitude, funky bass lines, French electronic dance, and analog synths.” To sum it up, Gaga said, “‘Mayhem is utter chaos!”