"For Evan Sawdey of "PopMatters", the album—with its "flaws and all"—was a correct musical step for Gaga, which he believed would make "fans and observers once again rethink what they know about the daring diva".Similarly, Amanda Petrusich of "Pitchfork" remarked how Gaga explored an alternative path musically, diverging from "visual provocations" that permeated most of her career.