Lady Gaga Channels Harley Quinn With ‘Happy Mistake’ Performance on ‘Kimmel’

Lady Gaga appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live ahead of the premiere of her new film, Joker: Folie à Deux, to showcase a song from the movie, “Happy Mistake.” Dressed in a Harley Quinn-inspired harlequin ensemble that she designed herself, the singer also sat down with host Jimmy Kimmel to discuss appearing in the film as an iconic comic book villain.

“Happy Mistake” is one of two original songs written for Gaga’s Harlequin, a companion album released for Joker: Folie à Deux. She co-wrote the emotive track with producer BloodPop and explained that it was written “as a reflection on every album that I’ve ever made and all the songs that I’ve ever written.”

“Something that really drew me to playing Lee in Joker was this idea of dual identities,” she said at a recent listening event. “And I feel like throughout my music and all of the art that I’ve made – and with all of you – that has always been ‘portraits of a broken girl.’ Playing a broken girl has been something that has not always served me well. This idea that darkness feels like it heals me was something really important to my character, so I wrote ‘Happy Mistake’ as a reflection on, and celebration of, all the darkness that has healed me before, and all the dual identities I’ve carried.”

Gaga spoke to Kimmel about the album, which features covers of numerous jazz standards, including beloved songs like “I’ve Got The World on a String” and “Get Happy.” She explained that the LP is not the film’s soundtrack, but a “concept record” that can be listened to before or after seeing the movie.

“It’s just like an extension of the world,” she said. “And I was just so inspired by this whole process. I wanted to do something with the music that’s in the movie, but really bend genre and make it really hard to define, like my character. I think women are really exciting, complex, and can’t be pinned down, so that’s what Harlequin is.”
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Jimmy noted that he was nervous to see a superhero movie that features singing, but was pleasantly surprised by the film. “It’s not your typical musical,” Gaga confirmed. “It’s kind of unhinged and chaotic.”

Joker: Folie à Deux is in theaters on Friday, Oct. 4.