Catch Lady Gaga's Harley Quinn-Inspired Performance of ‘Happy Mistake’ on ‘Kimmel’

Lady Gaga delivered a rendition of ‘Happy Mistake’ inspired by her role as Harley Quinn in ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’ during her appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on 1^st October. The pop icon promoted her new film and its companion album, Harlequin. Gaga’s stripped-down performance showcased her vocal talent, embodying the raw emotion and intensity that define her character in the sequel to Todd Phillips’ 2019 film, Joker. After her performance, she spoke to Kimmel about the track, saying:

“It was inspired by the movie, it was inspired by my character Harley, and just also kind of this reflection on my life as a performer.

“It’s meant to be a really personal song about how sometimes we can go through dark times and feel like happiness is an accident when it happens.”

Gaga also discussed Harlequin, clarifying that the album is not the film's soundtrack but rather “a concept record and a companion piece to the film. Whether you listen to it before or after watching the movie, it serves as an extension of that world.” Joker: Folie à Deux has been described as a jukebox musical, featuring covers of several jazz standards, including ‘Oh, When The Saints,’ ‘Get Happy’ and ‘That’s Life,’ along with a few original tracks included on the album.

Previously speaking to Sky News about the creation of the LP, Gaga said: “I think the whole experience inspired me through and through. It was so amazing to get to know this character through music, through the script, through dance, through all this tremendous collaboration.”

She also shared her struggles with letting go of her character after finishing the film, stating:  “I don’t really know if I did because I’ve made a whole record about her.”

In an interview with Vogue, Gaga said that she drew on her own experiences when playing the character: “Harley Quinn is a character people know from the ether of pop culture. I had a different experience creating her, namely my experience with mania and chaos inside – for me, it creates a quietness. Sometimes women are labelled as these overly emotional creatures and when we are overwhelmed we are erratic or unhinged. But I wonder if when things become so broken from reality, when we get pushed too far in life, what if it makes you…quiet?”

Image Courtesy: That Grape Juice

Harlequin is Gaga’s first LP since 2021’s Love For Sale, a collaborative album with the late Tony Bennett. Her last solo studio album was 2020’s Chromatica. She has previously announced plans to release a new album of original material in 2025, referring to it as LG7—her seventh album—as opposed to Harlequin, which she designates as LG6.5.

After the UK premiere of the film, Gaga hosted an intimate, secret listening party for Harlequin in London, where she played the album in its entirety while singing and dancing with a crowd of devoted fans.

Last month, Joker director Todd Phillips indicated that Folie à Deux will probably be the last film in the Joker franchise.

“It was fun to play in this sort of sandbox for two movies, but I think we’ve said what we wanted to say in this world.”

--Silviya.Y