Hot off some set photos of Lady Gaga in full costume as Harley Quinn in Joker: Folie à Deux, a quick video of the multi-hyphenate singing has been captured. While just a mere 11 seconds, it's clear that Lady Gaga is singing the classic song, "We're a Couple of Swells" from the 1948 film Easter Parade. The mere inclusion of the song could offer hints at what fans can expect in the sequel.Though plot details are thin at the moment, Joker: Folie à Deux will pick up where the first film left off, with Joaquin Phoenix's Arthur Fleck/Joker imprisoned in Arkham Asylum. Piecing what we know from the first film together with the context behind this specific song, it's evident that Gaga's Harley Quinn will be coming to the side of Arthur in the film. The song is a duet performed in Easter Parade by stars Judy Garland and Fred Astaire, with the duo wearing worn-out clothing but referring to themselves as 'swells,' a slang term for a wealthy person during the film's setting of early-1900s New York.Unpacking the song even further, Garland and Astaire's characters are exploring a fantasy where they've been invited to a wealthy gathering. Yet given their circumstance, they're unable to attend as they lack any means to get there, such as a carriage, skates, or a bike. Thus, all the two can do is "walk up the Avenue." The mockery comes across in all forms, from the lyrics to the style of clothing, and its message is one that certainly aligns with Arthur's frustrations with society as depicted in the original Joker film. Arthur understood he was never a "swell," and would certainly see himself (and possibly Harley) in the characters of Garland and Astaire.
This is the first tangible snippet of music that has been unveiled following the announcement that Folie à Deux would be a musical. It's hard not to imagine Phoenix and Gaga performing this number in the film, both in terms of their immense talent and its greater meaning to the film as a whole. While the song is performed for comedic purposes in the context of Easter Parade, it will more than likely spell a greater thematic meaning for the plot of the Joker sequel.Todd Phillips is returning to direct Joker: Folie a Deux, from a screenplay he co-wrote with Scott Silver. Zazie Beetz is reprising her character of Sophie from the original, while Brendan Gleeson, Catherine Keener, Jacob Lofland, and Harry Lawtey have joined the cast. Joker: Folie à Deux hits theaters on October 4, 2024.Check out the set video below of Lady Gaga singing: