Madonna Appreciation Thread. + Articles Celebrating The Queen at 60.

[Nicky91]

a bit better sorry than JB's sorry :laugh:

[Nancy.]

a bit better sorry than JB's sorry :laugh:

:laugh: I've just had a listen to it and ugh... JB, (and those of a similar ilk) are bloody awful, imo.

Speaking of JB, his new album must be due soon (Heaven help us all). :fist:

[Nicky91]

:laugh: I've just had a listen to it and ugh... JB, (and those of a similar ilk) are bloody awful, imo.

Speaking of JB, his new album must be due soon (Heaven help us all). :fist:

oh no :facepalm: Baby still sounds annoying to me


Madonna really beats these younger artists with ease :love:

[Nancy.]

oh no :facepalm: Baby still sounds annoying to me


Madonna really beats these younger artists with ease :love:

It makes me so happy to hear you say that. She certainly does, but a lot of the younger generation just don't appreciate her. They say her music is overrated and she isn't talented (because she doesn't play 101 instruments like someone like Prince did). Have you read the comments about M on the daily mail articles? I could really slap some of those people. :joker:

[Nancy.]

Articles are now starting to surface about Madonna reserving football stadiums for June 2019...

Italy being one of the first and it holds a capacity of almost 39,000.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stadio_San_Filippo

So she's either very confident about the material she's recorded for the new album, or she's planning a greatest hits tour.

If it IS a greatest hits tour, the public are going to go NUTS trying to get tickets.

New Album Release - Fall 2018

Tour Rehearsals - January - April 2019

:dance::dance::dance:

[Nicky91]

It makes me so happy to hear you say that. She certainly does, but a lot of the younger generation just don't appreciate her. They say her music is overrated and she isn't talented (because she doesn't play 101 instruments like someone like Prince did). Have you read the comments about M on the daily mail articles? I could really slap some of those people. :joker:

yeah but people who comment in the dailymail criticize lots of celebs for nothing :laugh: don't mind them please


btw Megan McKenna got criticism but she had been rockin it with her country music her first live performances, cover of Jolene, Ours (Taylor Swift cover), and her 2 Original songs, and a bit of karaoke country singing

the fact she topped Taylor, everyone's pop princess was really great, a amateur beating Taylor Swift :flutter:

[Nicky91]

my point is, everyone will have his/her haters ;) just focus on the positive comments

[Nancy.]

Madonna' features on upcoming Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Unmasked: The Platinum Collection", it is out on March 16 and will also feature tracks from JULIE COVINGTON, ELVIS PRESLEY and BARBRA STREISAND.

oyYUiosqCjU

[Nancy.]

Good to see Madonna still inspiring others at the Grammy's...

Here's an image from her Reinvention tour book...
https://i.pinimg.com/736x/5c/b9/10/5cb91071e510c811d642bd58cd477c0e--madonna-music-drink-specials.jpg

http://www.mad-eyes.net/tours/re-invention-tour/img/re-invention-tour-book38.jpg

[Fetch The Bolt Cutters]

who did she inspire?

[Marsh.]

Madonna invented lace? :laugh2:

[Nancy.]

Such a shame Madonna doesn't have anything planned for the 20th Anniversay of the Ray of Light album.

I would love something like this...

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dtvUwS60_GA/UDKSSZbOJmI/AAAAAAAAOgo/_AaMRKoP8w4/s1600/Ray+of+Light+Deluxe+by+Yziik.jpg

:flutter:

[Nicky91]

lovely dreams you have :love:

[Nancy.]

lovely dreams you have :love:

Have you listened to any of her album's, Nicky?

[Nicky91]

Have you listened to any of her album's, Nicky?

i more have a Greatest Hits (2CD's) on my pc, it's from 2008

many lovely songs :hee:

[Nancy.]

i more have a Greatest Hits (2CD's) on my pc, it's from 2008

many lovely songs :hee:

"Celebration"?

It's a good compilation and it has some fantastic tunes, but I don't like the track sequencing as they're not in chronological order. "The Immaculate Collection" (1990) is considered the best one. ALL of the songs on that collection were massive hits and it sold 30 million wordwide.

[Nancy.]

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/91E2%2BWfykoL._SY355_.jpg

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71%2BGvVPKfvL._SX522_.jpg

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/50/72/16/5072163fc1b7c17f8f5823c592c47256.jpg

https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/madonna/images/6/6f/D97B07620.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20160120205137

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTWSVTeHVimW4RV-AriE-DHi1gPQMkVpzkSt4zy1p4eLdtIyD0M

https://image.ibb.co/jmsQB6/madonna_immaculatecollection2_1800x.jpg

[Nicky91]

ooh nice :hee:

[Fetch The Bolt Cutters]

who did she inspire?

i SAID

[Nancy.]

ooh nice :hee:

Yes, 8 years into her career and she had 7 UK #1's and 23 top 5 hits. Not many artists have done that.

[Nicky91]

Yes, 8 years into her career and she had 7 UK #1's and 23 top 5 hits. Not many artists have done that.

nope, but some feel like they had achieved a sort of legendary status while still lacking experience ;)

[Saph]

who did she inspire?

gaga

http://www.abload.de/img/hottiegiffftbhy0zje.gif

[Fetch The Bolt Cutters]

gaga

http://www.abload.de/img/hottiegiffftbhy0zje.gif

https://i.imgur.com/EDcYkj9.jpg

[Nancy.]

nope, but some feel like they had achieved a sort of legendary status while still lacking experience ;)

Precisely, Nicky. :hee:

[Nancy.]

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[Nancy.]

"Burning Up" is a song written and recorded for her eponymous debut studio album (1983). It was released as the album's second single on March 9, 1983, in some countries as a double-A side single with "Physical Attraction", another song from the album. The song was presented as an early recorded demo by Madonna to Sire Records who green-lighted the recording of the single after the first single "Everybody" became a dance hit. Madonna collaborated with Reggie Lucas, who produced the single while John Benitez provided the guitar riffs and backing vocals. Musically, the song incorporates instrumentation from bass guitar, synthesizers and drums, and the lyrics talk of the singer's lack of shame in declaring her passion for her lover.

Released with "Physical Attraction" on the B side, the song was given mixed reviews from contemporary critics and authors, who noted the song's darker, urgent composition while praising its dance beats. The single failed to do well commercially anywhere, except the dance chart in the United States, where it peaked at three, and the Australian charts, where it was a top 20 hit. After a number of live appearances in clubs to promote the single, it was added to the set-list of the 1985 Virgin Tour. An electric guitar version was performed on the 2004 Re-Invention World Tour and the 2015–2016 Rebel Heart Tour.

The accompanying music video of the song portrayed Madonna in the classic submissive female positions, while writhing in passion on an empty road, for her lover who appeared to come from her behind on a car. The video ended showing Madonna driving the car instead, thereby concluding that she was always in charge. Many authors noted that the "Burning Up" music video was a beginning of Madonna's depiction of her taking control of a destabilized male sexuality.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/8/8d/Madonna_-_Burning_Up_%28single%29.png/220px-Madonna_-_Burning_Up_%28single%29.png

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So carrying on from this...

The next single from Madonna's 1983 debut album is the smash hit classic "Holiday".

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/hr/e/e4/Holiday_%28Madonna%29.jpg

It features instrumentation from guitars, electronic handclaps, a cowbell, and a synthesized string arrangement, while its lyrics speak about the universal sentiment of taking a holiday. Universally acclaimed by critics, the song became Madonna's first mainstream hit single in several countries around the world (reaching #2 in the UK). Madonna has performed "Holiday" on most of her tours and it is generally included as a part of the encore. Not only is "Holiday" considered a true Madonna classic, but it is also one of the most recognised songs in music history.

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[Nancy.]

Lucky Star is the next single from her debut album.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/c/c3/Madonna_Lucky_Star_7inch.png/220px-Madonna_Lucky_Star_7inch.png

Although it peaked at #4 in the USA. It stalled at #14 in the UK of March 1984, it spent nine weeks on the chart and was a huge hit in clubs around the country.
The video is simple, yet striking. Shot entirely on a white backdrop with two dancers, Madonna plays provocatively with the camera as shows off her iconic boy toy outfit with beads and bangles galore - A look that inspired girls everywhere and became the ultimate fashion statement of the early 80's. Lucky Star (like a majority of the album) has aged well and stands the test of time. It might not be as recognisable as Holiday or Like A Virgin, but it's a classic in it's own right. Fabulous!

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[Nancy.]

Work it, Madonna.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BeoR3WRBF6E/?utm_source=ig_embed

:dance::dance::dance:

[Nicky91]

why not Madonna and JT for the super bowl, that would've been much cooler i think

[Nancy.]

why not Madonna and JT for the super bowl, that would've been much cooler i think

I agree. Imagine who great it would be if she showed up to perfom "4 Minutes" with him?

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:cheer2:

[Nancy.]

Taking the world by storm with the Blond Ambition tour, aged 31.

https://peopledotcom.files.wordpress.com/2016/08/madonna-435-114.jpg?w=435

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:dance::dance::dance:

[Nancy.]

Isn't it amazing how few cancelled shows Madonna has in her tour career? Only 16 dates! What a professional!

The Virgin Tour:
Zero

Who's That Girl Tour:
June 20, Tokyo, Japan - Heavy rain

Blond Ambition Tour:
May 25, Chicago, USA - Throat problems
June 6, Worcester, USA - Throat problems
June 15, Philadelphia, USA - Throat problems
June 22, East Rutherford, USA - Throat problems
July 11, Rome, Italy - Poor ticket sales and a labourers' strike

The Girlie Show Tour:
October 2, Frankfurt, Germany - Technical problems

Drowned World Tour:
June 5, Cologne, Germany - Technical problems
June 6, Cologne, Germany - Technical problems
August 3, East Rutherford, USA - Illmess

Re-Invention Tour:
Zero

Confessions Tour:
Zero

Sticky & Sweet Tour:
July 8, Manchester, UK - Unknown reason
July 19, Marseille, France - Stage collapse
July 28, Hamburg, Germany - Unknown reason
August 20, Ljubljana, Slovenia - Unforeseen logistical problems

MDNA Tour:
June 11, Zagreb, Croatia - Scheduling conflict
October 20, Dallas, USA - Severe laryngitis

Rebel Heart Tour:
Zero

[Samm]

the wash all over me demo is so much better then the original, would of been the best track on rebel heart

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as to the new album I hope she takes a step back from the heavy EDM tracks, and goes back to the bedtime stories, ray of light, music kinda vibe

[Samm]

i've re-visited to her entire discography lately and omg madge was killing between 1994-2005 all my favourite albums by her were in that time period

all these looks, makes me mad when people hate on her because she was ahead of the game always https://atrl.net/uploads/emoticons/jonny@2x.png

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-o03BZuvSzWI/UzoB8btq-RI/AAAAAAAAeCk/6LsPKtI1e0Q/s1600/Madonna+HN.gif

https://media.giphy.com/media/ze1O9hJD4APhm/giphy.gif

http://clizbeats.com/wp-content/uploads/161332__madonna_l.jpg

https://milk3.imgix.net/2015/09/Madonna-Die-Another-Day-.gif?auto=format&fit=crop&h=207&ixlib=php-1.1.0&q=95&w=348&wpsize=article-hero&

http://nsa37.casimages.com/img/2015/12/18/151218123029902669.gif

https://www.parhlo.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Madonna-forgive-me-sorry-gif.gif

[Nancy.]

the wash all over me demo is so much better then the original, would of been the best track on rebel heart

RPzknuU3a_U

as to the new album I hope she takes a step back from the heavy EDM tracks, and goes back to the bedtime stories, ray of light, music kinda vibe

I agree. Some of the demo's like "Wash All Over Me", "Rebel Heart", "Joan of Arc", "Inside Out and "Hold Tight" were much better than the final versions.
Thank God, she changed "Holy Water" in to what it was, because the demo is awful. lol

[Nancy.]

i've re-visited to her entire discography lately and omg madge was killing between 1994-2005 all my favourite albums by her were in that time period

all these looks, makes me mad when people hate on her because she was ahead of the game always https://atrl.net/uploads/emoticons/jonny@2x.png

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-o03BZuvSzWI/UzoB8btq-RI/AAAAAAAAeCk/6LsPKtI1e0Q/s1600/Madonna+HN.gif

https://media.giphy.com/media/ze1O9hJD4APhm/giphy.gif

http://clizbeats.com/wp-content/uploads/161332__madonna_l.jpg

https://milk3.imgix.net/2015/09/Madonna-Die-Another-Day-.gif?auto=format&fit=crop&h=207&ixlib=php-1.1.0&q=95&w=348&wpsize=article-hero&

http://nsa37.casimages.com/img/2015/12/18/151218123029902669.gif

https://www.parhlo.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Madonna-forgive-me-sorry-gif.gif

:love::love::love:

The 90's was all about "Erotica" for me. I adore that album.

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41cMtNLORZL.jpg

[Nancy.]

Ooh, speaking of "Holy Water", there's a fan-made video on youtube and I love it.

0bsUz5Ejgqg

[Samm]

:love::love::love:

The 90's was all about "Erotica" for me. I adore that album.

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41cMtNLORZL.jpg

it's a cute album definitely, my favourites are bedtime stories and ray of light up their with blackout and in the zone as my favourite albums, britney and madge have endless classics wow

[Nancy.]

it's a cute album definitely, my favourites are bedtime stories and ray of light up their with blackout and in the zone as my favourite albums, britney and madge have endless classics wow

Oh, I love Britney and agree about "Blackout". Loved that album.

Bedtime Stories is gorgeous, Although a very underrated album, it has a feeling of snugness and warmth to it - I tend to play it a lot in the winter. It's a huge contrast compared to the cold / hard aggresive "Erotica".

I'm surprised "Take A Bow" didn't do as well over here as it did in America, where it spent 7 weeks at #1.

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"Secret" is amazing...but it should've been a top 3 hit instead of #5. It's quite an overlooked gem in her back catalogue of hits.

I've just had a look at the charting for "Human Nature" and I was surprised to see it peaked at #8 over here, yet didn't do that well in America. I thought it would've performed much better over there.

Love the video
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"Bedtime Story" was possibly her most experimental pop single to date. I remember hearing it for the first time and thinking "WTF". :laugh: It took me a while to like it, but think it's cool now

I think BS was the blue-print for the Ray Of Light album.

CSaFgAwnRSc

[Nancy.]

960335603618295808

:laugh:

[Nancy.]

So what did everyone make of Justin's super bowl performance?
Although he's talented, I really didn't think much of it.

Still think Madonna's is one of the best...

W795W63n7mA

[Nancy.]

Nice to see Billboard ranking Madonna's Super Bowl performance at #3 (Behind Prince and U2).

https://www.billboard.com/articles/list/513793/super-bowl-halftime-shows-10-best

"Riding a huge buzz for her then-forthcoming album MDNA, Madonna charged into her Super Bowl XLVI halftime performance as the quasi-gladiatorial captain of a cheerleading squad that included LMFAO, Nicki Minaj, M.I.A., and CeeLo Green. Amid Roman soldiers, Madge entered the field on a golden throne to belt out longtime favorite "Vogue" before being joined by LMFAO for a "Party Rock Anthem"/"Sexy And I Know It" infused take on her 2000 hit "Music." Sure, the Material Girl slipped a bit while dancing in those thigh-high heeled boots, but her Super Bowl gig's most talked about moment when M.I.A. and Minaj joined her for fresh single "Gimme Your Luvin'." It happened fast, but everyone watching at home certainly saw M.I.A.'s mischievous middle finger, which sparked its own mini-"Nipplegate"-esque controversy. However, Madge's epic "Like A Prayer" finale, aided by CeeLo and a huge robed choir, ensured that the 12-minute spectacle ended with the focus right back on the music".

[Nancy.]

Madonna's SB performance ranked at #2 here:

http://www.vulture.com/2018/02/best-super-bowl-halftime-shows-ranked.html

"A year after the halftime show embraced its pop sensibilities with the Black-Eyed Peas, Madonna arrived as a Greek goddess on a giant litter carried by a legion of Spartan soldiers, showing all the kids exactly how it’s done. There was so much on the LED-lit stage at any given time: From the swirling dancers and the gospel choir to the slackline performer, it was almost too much. Madonna offered new arrangements of her old songs, like a drum-corps version of “Open Your Heart” sung with Cee Lo Green and an LMFAO mashup of “Music” with “Party Rock Anthem.” While she loses points for devoting significant time to the lackluster single “Give Me All Your Luvin,” at least that featured Nicki Minaj and a bird-flipping MIA. Madonna successfully moved through several modes in rapid succession, collaborated with other big artists, and made it all look effortless, as if being at the swirling center of 200 performers is what she does every Tuesday. Maybe because it is."

[Nicky91]

Justin's super bowl performance, i loved the tribute to Prince i liked can't stop the feeling with all the dancers, but some of his other songs were a bit bland tbh

[LukeB]

Justin's super bowl performance, i loved the tribute to Prince i liked can't stop the feeling with all the dancers, but some of his other songs were a bit bland tbh

it was bland except for his Price tribute but it has nothing on Beyonce's :flutter: vocals and the dance routines and of course the Destiny Child reunion. = the best super bowl of all time

[Nancy.]

Looks like Madonna is planning on going brunette if her recent IG/Twitter post is anything to go by...

961251588835872768

[Nancy.]

Madonna is heading back to the studio again this week to work on her album. Hope we get to see more pics of her entering (and leaving) the studio.

:dance:

[Nancy.]

Other artists on Madonna...
Cher, Whitney, Celine, David Bowie, Adele, Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, Beyonce, Kylie Minogue, Britney, Christina Aguilera, P!nk, Rihanna, Marilyn Manson, Tupac, Lenny Kravitz, Chris Brown, Sam Smith, Kelis. Jason Derulo...and so many more...

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[Nancy.]

Rita Ora:
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Florence and The Machine...
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Darren Hayes (from Savage Garden)
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Miley Cyrus..
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http://forums.madonnanation.com/uploads/monthly_2017_11/IMG_-rt9q50.thumb.jpg.70e2abbb443a69b2cda25893d449ce2e. jpg

http://forums.madonnanation.com/uploads/monthly_2018_01/DTjPcubUQAAOwt8.thumb.jpg.41c571e0abed42eb3df7981a 14542f07.jpg

More to come...

[Barry.]

it was bland except for his Price tribute but it has nothing on Beyonce's :flutter: vocals and the dance routines and of course the Destiny Child reunion. = the best super bowl of all time

Destiny Child = queens.

[Nancy.]

Tori Amos:
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Nelly Furtado:
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Nelly was also Madonna's unapologetic b!tch on the RH tour...
(skip to 2:37)
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[Nancy.]

LOVE Dita Von Teese...
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More from Dita here at 01:54
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Zac Efron:
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George Michael and Kylie Minogue at Madonna's MDNA tour in 2012:
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Robyn at the MDNA tour:
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Paris Hilton:

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/11/01/1414883278053_wps_38_1_NOV_2014_PARIS_HILTON_S.jpg

http://forums.madonnanation.com/uploads/monthly_2017_05/tumblr_njj397R9yH1qhqs99o2_400.gif.f0527fe8ae707d4 8fe05df84351b7ba9.gif

[Nancy.]

Dua Lipa:

https://www.vogue.com/article/dua-lipa-us-tour-influential-musicians-makeup-confidence-madonna-katy-perry-fka-twigs

Madonna Since I was very young, I’ve seen Madonna’s music videos on TV; I’ve seen her live performances on YouTube. She’s been such an influential artist for so many generations. It’s always very exciting to see how adventurous she has been onstage—what her persona is, with all the dances and the outfit changes. The Jean Paul Gaultier bustier, that’s my favorite! It didn’t matter what anyone said as long as she felt confident and comfortable, and that’s [something] to aspire to. Be feminine, be sexy, be confident. There’s so much strength behind that.

[Nancy.]

Katy Perry:

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Katy at the Rebel Heart tour:
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[Nancy.]

Tina Turner:
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Madonna, Tina and Courtney Love:
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_eA7ZafYKvfU/S7Aji2l2MHI/AAAAAAAAC4g/zjNux6Abpq8/s1600/Rolling+Stone+USA+November+13+1997+Peggy+Sirota+co py.jpg

[Nancy.]

Lionel Richie:
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Nicki Minaj:
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Taylor Swift:
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Sam Smith:
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[Pete.]

Where’s the like a prayer album love https://media.giphy.com/media/3oFzmoCqKGqzvhFhNS/giphy.gif

[Nancy.]

Where’s the like a prayer album love https://media.giphy.com/media/3oFzmoCqKGqzvhFhNS/giphy.gif

It's her best album... but I haven't listened to it for ages. (Heard it so many times)

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http://www.soundcity-music.de/images/product_images/popup_images/MADONNA-Like-A-Prayer-Vinyl.jpg

Picture Disc
http://utenti.quipo.it/madonnamad1970/Pdk/Lp/Big/25844P.jpg

http://utenti.quipo.it/madonnamad1970/Pdk/Lp/Big/25844P%20b.jpg

Cassette:
https://image.ibb.co/feq9BS/75548951_48584927.jpg

[Nancy.]

https://image.ibb.co/mT6kJ7/s_l1600.jpg

The initial pressing of "Like a Prayer" on CD, cassette and vinyl was scented with patchouli to give it the essence of church incense. "She wanted to create a flavor of the '60s and the church. She wanted to create a sensual feeling you could hear and smell," a spokesperson for Warner Bros. Records said at the time.

http://www.nezzanaturals.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/21-1.jpg

(My original pressings still smell of Patchouli)

It also included an insert offering "The Facts About AIDS," with safe sex guidelines.

AIDS insert:
https://image.ibb.co/ePCxWS/LIKE_A_PRAYER_AIDS_NEW.jpg

[Nicky91]

Taylor Swift saying something positive about Madonna, oooh :fan:

[Nancy.]

:joker: Yes, she usually makes shady comments towards other female artists, so I was surprised by that. She must really love Madonna.

Back to LAP.
Here's the iconic video's...

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[Nicky91]

:joker: Yes, she usually makes shady comments towards other female artists, so I was surprised by that. She must really love Madonna.



perhaps Taylor is a little calculating that if she would make nasty comments towards Madonna, some fans might be put off by her

sorry but i don't fall for her sudden miss nice girl act


and i feel so glad not being a Taylor fan, i hate stuck up brats

[Nancy.]

Billboard:
https://www.billboard.com/articles/review/5944624/madonna-s-like-a-prayer-at-25-classic-track-by-track-review

To celebrate its anniversary on March 21, here's our track-by-track look back at Madonna's classic studio album, 1989's "Like A Prayer."

By early 1989, the world had come to know Madonna as a dance-pop provocateur with quirky-sexy style. She was the biggest female celebrity on the planet, and yet for all her fame, few realized just how much pain and self-doubt this soon-to-be-divorced 30-year-old lapsed Catholic from Detroit was carting around. With “Like a Prayer,” that would all change.

Recorded amid the dissolution of her marriage to actor Sean Penn, “Like a Prayer” was Madonna’s most introspective and eclectic album to date. Unlike the three that came before, it blended classic psychedelic rock with then-current synth-pop sounds. And now, a quarter-century after its March 21, 1989 release, it doesn’t sound a bit dated. Lyrically, it’s about growing up, moving on from bad romance, and getting right with God and family. At least two of the songs center on the death of Madonna’s mother, a childhood trauma that had a strong part in making the singer who she is.

Before “Like a Prayer” was even released, Madonna made it clear this wouldn’t be just another album. Three weeks before the release, she debuted the video for the title track, the first of five top 20 Hot 100 singles spawned from the album. Featuring depictions of murder, interracial love, and cross burnings, the clip juxtaposed notions of religious and sexual ecstasy, leaving some folks puzzled and just about everyone talking. Catholics denounced her; Pepsi dropped ads featuring her (and ended plans to sponsor her tour). Fans, of course, ate it up.

Controversy aside, “Like a Prayer” is among Madonna’s finest moments, and over the next 10 tracks, its namesake album never lets up. It’s funky, poignant, and even a little kooky. And while Madonna is the quintessential singles artist, this chart-topping LP stands as one of her most fully realized collection of songs. Read on for our classic track-by-track review.

“Like a Prayer”
What a way to start an album. First, distorted guitars and a heavy thud. From there, a pop-gospel workout that’s as enigmatic as it is invigorating. It’s “Thriller” meets Catholic mysticism, and "Like A Prayer" works just as well without its vivid video. No wonder it shot to No. 1 on the Hot 100 a month after its release.

“Express Yourself”
The party moves from the church to Madonna’s posh high-rise, where she looks at her jewels and satin sheets and decides she’d rather have a man who’s in touch with his feelings. It’s her brassy, funky version of “Can’t Buy Me Love,” and it climbed all the way to No. 2 on the Hot 100.

“Love Song”
This collab between Madonna and Prince is the ‘80s-pop equivalent of Wonder Woman teaming up with Batman. Given the star power, the track feels a touch slight, and as Prince’s signature scratchy disco guitar breaks through Madonna’s synths, the divergent musical sensibilities make like the lovers in the lyrics—they don’t quite connect.

“Till Death Do Us Part”
As her tumultuous marriage to actor Sean Penn comes to an end, Madonna reflects on the well-publicized fights—“He starts to scream / the vases fly”—and emotional distance that doomed the couple. The skittering guitar or keyboard part creates a frazzled feel that contrasts nicely with Madonna’s assured vocals.

“Promise to Try”
Seemingly a straightforward song about the death of Madonna’s mother, this piano ballad is actually rather complex. She’s singing to her devastated five-year-old self, and in addition to offering some advice for coping—“Don’t you forget her face”—she asks for forgiveness. She knows she’s made mistakes, and she fears she’s let her mother and herself down.

“Cherish”
A welcome reprieve after “Promise to Try,” the album’s third single is a frolicking pop confection about true love. The only conceivable reason this thing didn't quite make it to No. 1: America likes its Madonna a little edgier.

“Dear Jessie”
This playful psych-pop fantasia could have come from Prince’s “Around the World In a Day” album, though the Purple One had nothing to do with it. Madonna wrote and produced it with Patrick Leonard, whose young daughter was the inspiration. Listening back, it’s obvious Madonna was destined for motherhood.

“Oh Father”
A companion of sorts to “Promise to Try,” this song about Madonna’s strained relationship with her father leaves little to the imagination. As a child, she felt betrayed by his decision to remarry, and in a 1989 sit-down with Interview magazine, she traced her rebellious, independent spirit back to the sinking feeling her lone surviving parent had been “taken away” by her stepmother. Though it’s hardly a feel-good track, it resonated with listeners and reached No. 20.

“Keep It Together”
As the preceding eight tracks attest, Madonna had some familial issues. But on this mid-tempo synth-funk tune, she offers an olive branch to her estranged father and siblings, insisting that blood “is thicker than any circumstance.” A No. 8 hit in March 1990, “Keep It Together” is a tense groover.

“Spanish Eyes”
This Latin-flavored guitar ballad is either about AIDS or gang violence, and the ambiguity—a topic of debate among fans to this day—shows just how far Madonna had come since “Everybody” and “Borderline.”

“Act of Contrition”
Having spent the previous 10 tracks digging into some pretty deep emotions, Madonna takes a minute to decompress. Amid wailing guitars and backwards tape loops, she empties the contents of her head, and in the hilarious coda, she’s not sure if she’s confessing her sins and reserving a place in heaven or booking a room at a trendy hotel. “What do you mean it’s not in the computer?” she asks, ending the record in true Madonna fashion, with a big old wink.

[Nancy.]

Pitchfork:
https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/madonna-like-a-prayer/

Madonna’s spectacular fourth album revealed just how grand, artistic, and personal a pop star could be at the very height of her fame.

Read the reviews of Madonna’s blockbuster 1989 album Like a Prayer and you’ll see a lot of confession-related imagery—not because of how her career had been steeped in Catholicism, but because of the narratives surrounding the superstar as she geared up to release her fourth album. She tried to act on screen in Who’s That Girl and on stage in David Mamet’s Speed-the-Plow; she turned 30; her tabloid-dominating marriage to bad-boy actor Sean Penn had ended. “Was this to be her atonement?” brayed the subtext.

These were ideal conditions for listeners to use an album by pop’s most notorious—and most famous—woman as diary pages, but to at least one interviewer, Madonna bristled at the concept. “People don’t see that you can take some of your experiences from real life and use part of them in your art,” Madonna told Vogue in May 1989. “They try to make everything an absolute truth.” Yet elsewhere, she also noted that Like a Prayer was in part about her taking greater control of her narrative. “My first couple of albums I would say came from the little girl in me, who is interested only in having people like me, in being entertaining and charming and frivolous and sweet,” Madonna told Interview in May 1989. “And this new one is the adult side of me, which is concerned with being brutally honest.”

While Madonna was no shrinking violet during the first chunk of the ’80s—the decade of Madonna wannabes, MTV Video Music Awards-ready wedding dresses, and “controversial” her officially recognized prefix—Like a Prayer does showcase her growth as a pop artist, from the gnarled guitar that opens its title track all the way through its warped-tape closer “Act of Contrition.” She takes more chances lyrically and musically, and while they don’t always work, they do give a glimpse at her restlessness and increased willingness to take musical chances, whether she’s bringing in Prince or letting her voice’s imperfections into songs or taking on heavy, personal-life-adjacent topics.

“Like a Prayer,” with its lyrics of redemption derived from spiritual surrender or some sort of sex act (or a combination of the two) and roof-raising gospel choir, shimmies and saunters, Madonna using its lite-funk building blocks to anchor a giddy sing-along. “Express Yourself” is led by one of Madonna’s most bravado vocals, ready-made for lustily singing along with in a mirror or on a tense solo elevator ride. Though it’s worth noting that the version on Like a Prayer sounds anemic compared to the utterly superior Shep Pettibone single remix, which foregrounds the cowbell and makes the bouncing-ball bassline a go-on-girl counterpoint to Madonna’s message.

“Till Death Do Us Part,” on first blush, comes off like a breakup-themed update of earlier Madonna synth-pop offerings, like True Blue’s “Jimmy Jimmy,” or Like A Virgin’s “Angel.” She sings of feeling bereft over chiming synths and popping guitars—“When you laugh it cuts me just like a knife/I’m not your friend, I’m just your little wife,” she sighs. But the glittery vibes and hopped-up tempo take on a sinister edge in later verses, sounding more glassy-eyed as Madonna’s world-weary alter ego narrates the dissolving love and as the disturbing imagery—fading bruises, growing hate, flying vases—piles up. The final verse, which describes the circular nature of abusive relationships and which punctuates the titular phrase with the sound of shattered-glass, only adds to the song’s despair. Its follow-up “Promise to Try”—a slowly building ballad directed toward a young girl who’s struggling with the death of her mother—is mournful, the loneliness it describes sitting uncomfortably close to the cycle depicted in “Till Death.”

The windswept textures of “Oh Father”—loping pianos, drooping strings—give Madonna’s voice room to move. It swoops and swerves in a childlike voice as she sings of an ambivalent father-daughter relationship. Madonna’s mezzo, which wobbled on low notes and sometimes felt stretched in its upper registers, was often tsk-tsked by her critics, but her vulnerable vocal on “Oh Father” also shows why her music was so beloved; even if she’s singing of characters, as she claimed to Vogue, her gasps and shivers gave voice to the complex dynamic so many children have with their parents—whether biological, by marriage, adoptive, or spiritual.

That was, in part, an outgrowth of Madonna performing in the studio with her backing musicians. “We had every intention of going back and fixing the vocals, but then we’d listen to them and say, ‘Why? They’re fine,’” she told Interview. “They were a lot more emotional and spontaneous when I did them with the musicians… There are weird sounds that your throat makes when you sing: p’s are popped, and s’s are hissed, things like that. Just strange sounds that come out of your throat, and I didn’t fix them. I didn’t see why I should. Because I think those sounds are emotions too.”

The emotions on Like a Prayer aren’t all fraught. “Cherish” is a feather-light declaration of devotion that calls back to Cali-pop outfit the Association while updating Madonna’s earlier exercise in retroism “True Blue”; “Dear Jessie” engages in the reaching toward sounding “Beatles-esque” that was in vogue at the time, pairing fussy strings and tick-tock percussion with images of pink elephants and flying leprechauns. “Love Song,” meanwhile, is a synth-funk chiffon co-written by none other than Prince, one of Madonna’s few pop equals at the time. The two of them feel locked in an erotically charged session of truth or dare, each challenging the other to stretch their voices higher while the drum machines churn. Prince also played, initially uncredited, on “Like a Prayer,” the sauntering pop-funk track “Keep It Together,” and the album-closing “Act of Contrition,” a two-minute maelstrom that combines Prince’s guitar heroics, backward-masked bits from the title track, heavy beats, and its title inspiration, the Catholic prayer of… confession.

So maybe Madonna’s protests that Like a Prayer wasn’t autobiographical were a bit of a ruse—or just another way to keep the minds of America’s pop-watchers thinking about her music as she gave them an album where she was less afraid to show her flaws, more willing to try on new personas that had bits of her selves attached. After all, as she told The New York Times in 1989, “What I do is total commercialism, but it’s also art.” Like a Prayer straddles those two ideals with gusto, with even its less satisfying moments adding to the heat given off by the MTV era’s brightest star.

[Nicky91]

nice information :clap2:


btw just sent a pm with some songs from a current romanian superstar who also has lots of underrated hits, her voice is so soft so beautiful, i prefer soft voices to the overscreaming ones

[Nancy.]

Huffington Post:

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/why-madonnas-like-a-prayer-is-the-most-important_us_58d2214ce4b099c777b9dd42

Why Madonna’s ‘Like A Prayer’ Is The Most Important Album Ever Made By A Female Artist

29 years ago, Madonna released what is not only her best album to date, but also what could be the most important release ever by a female artist. That’s not to say that Like a Prayer is the best album ever by a female artist, but it’s pretty close. After six years of being considered pop fluff and a disco dolly, Madonna was finally taken seriously by most music critics in 1989. Still, Like a Prayer deserved even more than bewildering critical acclaim.

If Madonna and misogyny weren’t practically synonyms, Like a Prayer would have not only won several Grammys in 1990 (it didn’t even earn any major nominations), but it would be widely praised for its songwriting and production 28 years later. If a man delivered the same type of vocals Madonna did on Like a Prayer, critics would note that his voice isn’t technically perfect, but distinct, melodic, and full of emotion. When it comes to Madonna, who certainly could never hit the notes of Aretha Franklin or Whitney Houston, it’s just easier for people to say that she “can’t sing.”

For people (especially millennials) to understand how important Like a Prayer is to culture and music, they have to comprehend the repressive environment Madonna’s album arrived to in March of 1989. The late 1980s was ruled by the religious right, who believed AIDS was a curse God gave to the gay community. Women who were outspoken or wore revealing clothes were referred to as sluts, *****s, bit**es, etc. Police brutality among African Americans was still widely accepted without much of a backlash. And interracial dating was still considered a taboo.

With all of this in mind, let’s analyze why Like a Prayer is such a milestone of an album.

The “Like a Prayer” Video

The “Like a Prayer” video has provocative imagery that caused the religious right to wet its pants. However, none of the imagery, which is used for pure symbolism, is blasphemous. Most importantly, “Like a Prayer” is a video that shows the viewer racism, sexism, and police brutality. It urges them to think and overcome it — this is something that wasn’t considered “cool” in 1989. The idea of a “Black Jesus” was also considered blasphemous to some, especially the religious right.

The aftermath of “Like a Prayer” was groundbreaking in that Madonna beat the religious right at their own attempted game of censorship. Their efforts caused Pepsi to drop Madonna as a spokesperson, but they completely failed at hurting Madonna’s success or censoring the video. The “Like a Prayer” single and video hit No. 1 and remain widely loved classics almost 30 years later. Madonna paved the way for other artists to not only challenge the religious right, but win.

“Like a Prayer” Song

Even if you aren’t convinced that the “Like a Prayer” video is an artistic masterpiece, the song “Like a Prayer” has stood on its own. Not only has Rolling Stone and Billboard praised it as one of the best pop songs of all time, but the song has become a spiritual classic, even for those who aren’t fans of Madonna.
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“Like a Prayer” became the highlight of Live 8 in 2005, and it was also one of the highlights of the 2010 Hope for Haiti concert. It was also prominently featured in Madonna’s 2012 Super Bowl Halftime show. Any live performance of the song is sure to whip the audience into a frenzy.

Express Yourself
This decade, “Express Yourself” is mostly known as the song that inspired (maybe a little too much) Lady Gaga’s self-empowerment LGBT anthem “Born This Way.” However, as Gay Times Magazine notes, “Express Yourself” has become an empowering anthem for the LGBT community as well. However, in the late 1980s, the song was mostly known as a female empowerment anthem. “Don’t go for second best baby” became a catch phrase for strong women who were sick of being treated like second class citizens from men and other women who still subscribed to the patriarchy.

AIDS Activism

The pamphlet on AIDS Madonna included with each copy of Like a Prayer alone proves that the notion of Madonna being a bad role model and having a bad influence on Generation X (especially women and teenagers) just isn’t true. Madonna educated many about AIDS and safe sex at a time when schools, the media, and religious institutions stayed away from the topic. A move like this in 1989 could have hurt a showbiz career, but Madonna survived and thrived by doing the right thing and, possibly, helping to save lives at the same time.

Pop Music Meets Art

A Rolling Stone review by J.D. Considine from April of 1989 correctly noted that Like a Prayer was “as close to art as pop music gets.” The album touched on topics such as childhood innocence, childhood loss, child abuse, spousal abuse, women’s rights, and spirituality. It mixed all of these themes together to not only make the listener think and dance, but ask questions as well — some of which were risky to ask in 1989. Like a Prayer proved that an artist can mix style and substance in order to break societal and musical barriers. 28 years later, many pop artists, including Madonna herself, are trying to hit all the correct spots Like a Prayer hit, but they just don’t have the same effect.

[Nicky91]

what a legend she truly is :clap2:

[Nancy.]

what a legend she truly is :clap2:

:thumbs:

[Nancy.]

The lead single, "Frozen" from her award winning "Ray of Light" album is 20 years old today!

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51nl-MOkVeL.jpg

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:cheer2:

[Nancy.]

Ultrasound: The making of the "Frozen" video...

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[Nancy.]

20 years ago on this exact day...

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[Withano]

Came on this thread just to see who literally still cares about Madonna

[Nancy.]

20TH ANNIVERSAY OF RAY OF LIGHT TOMORROW!

What an album.

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/M1e7_xG9Udc/maxresdefault.jpg

:dance:

[Nancy.]

Madonna’s Ray Of Light 20 Years On

http://thequietus.com/articles/24053-madonna-ray-of-light-review-anniversary

In February 1998 Madonna’s new album was literally a ray of light in stodgy UK charts made moribund by the Britpop comedown (Oasis’ Be Here Now, Stereophonics et al), and industry hits like the Titanic soundtrack. In the US it wasn’t much better, with Celine Dion and Garth Brooks at the top. The only other women on the album chart were Spice Girls, All Saints and Aqua, so unsurprisingly Madonna saw off the competition with aplomb. With its icy electronica and pulsing beats, Ray Of Light appeared as the pick-me-up for rave generation. It marked Madonna’s maturity as an artist, brought the MOJO demographic on board, and signalled to the world that a so-called pop bimbo can break down the barriers of that pop/rock divide.

However, it hadn’t been an easy journey, and despite its sunny title the album is a voyage into the darkness and terror of grief. Like Dark Side Of The Moon, it is an elegiac study of ego, mental disintegration and the fear of death. Pink Floyd’s epic drew on ‘70s psychoanalysis, R D Laing and the divided self, while Ray Of Light captures the 90s zeitgeist with its references to Kabbalah and the subconscious. Dark Side uses the sun and moon as symbols of life and death, while Ray Of Light revolves around the duality of sea and sky. Both albums require the listener to go the whole journey to get the full effect.

The album came at a crucial time for Madonna. After the high octane success of the 1980s, her 1990s were testing and difficult. Slut-shamed over her Sex book and the Erotica album, Madonna engaged in angry attention-seeking exercises like saying “****” 13 times on Late Show with David Letterman. She had lost confidence, and the tentative R&B of 1994’s Bedtime Stories felt like marking time. Veering off into musical theatre with the Evita project took her into safe MOR territory, but, ironically, rather than turning her into a 1980s pop has-been, those strenuous theatrical songs sung with a full orchestra gave her voice depth and tone. By then Madonna was in her late 30s and re-evaluating life, casting around for answers in study of Yogic philosophy. The birth of her daughter Lourdes in 1996 knocked out some of that infamous ego, so that when she returned to the studio in 1997 for the Ray Of Light sessions she had discovered a more intense, personal voice than the so-called “Minnie Mouse on helium” of earlier years.

Ray Of Light was created in old school prog rock fashion – with mainly one producer, over a period of months, in an intensively collaborative process. “She produced me producing her,” said William Orbit. Recorded in a modest studio in an unfashionable part of LA, the album was intentionally un-industry. Early sessions with Babyface were shelved, and Madonna’s longtime producer arranger Pat Leonard was sidelined in favour of an awkward English eccentric whose hardware kept breaking down. Although Orbit’s perceived amateurism made her nervous, Madonna knew from his dancefloor remix of 1990’s ‘Justify My Love’ that he could create the futuristic tone she craved. With Bass-O-Matic’s Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Bass (named after a Pink Floyd album), and the rave anthem ‘In The Realm Of The Senses’, Orbit had already declared an interest. Kabbalah and new motherhood opened Madonna’s mind, but it was the alchemy between her and Orbit – his trippy underground vibe and her willingness to experiment, that triggered her transformation of consciousness. With Ray Of Light they created the sonic space and musical textures for the sparse poetry that’s embedded in her songwriting. Previous hit-driven albums, with the exception of moments on Like A Prayer and Erotica, hadn’t allowed room for that potential to emerge. For the first time she could express herself in-depth.

Madonna did her background reading – everything from JG Ballard to Anne Sexton to Shakespeare’s sonnets were inspirations here – and did lengthy songwriting sessions with Leonard and Rick Nowells (“her lyric writing was poetic and intelligent,” the latter says, “she knows how to channel a song”) before she set foot in the studio. Once there, little Lourdes was installed in a playroom, and Madonna focused on the tracks that would eventually piece together a story. “I traded fame for love/ Some things cannot be bought… Now I find/ I’ve changed my mind,” she sang on opening track ‘Drowned World/Subsitute for Love’. The apocalyptic dreamscape of JG Ballard’s Drowned Worlds sets the tone. From there she moves into ‘Swim’, a low-slung electro song where Madonna delves into the religious themes of her pop past as the Sin-eater, carrying “these sins on my back”. ‘Ray of Light’ then provides a giddy moment of reawakening, with Orbit pushing her to sing a semitone higher than her comfort zone in order to stretch out that sense of hedonist abandon. This is the song, with its accompanying Jonas Akerlund video – all speeding lights, winking urbanscapes and fast motion skies – that relaunched her career, that married techno beats to cranked-up oscillators and wall-of-sound pop, and begged the question, did Madonna neck a zesty pinger?

The ecstatic moment melts into the addiction, obsession and dirty bass distortion of ‘Candy Perfume Girl’. Boy, girl, boy, girl, it’s all candy, it doesn’t matter. Aimless distraction gives way to the ghostly anime of ‘Skin’, a truly chilling track with Madonna’s voice gliding over the top of feverish psychedelic chaos, trying to catch something she can’t reach. In the same way that Pink Floyd’s ‘On The Run’ used a proto acid house pulse and electronic effects to create a feeling of unsettled angst, so Orbit’s pulverising techno suggests a dissolution of self. By the sweeping chorus of ‘Nothing Really Matters’ Madonna has found a way to slough off the feral, fame-hungry mindset that drove her to the top of the 1980s music industry, but which no longer serves her. “I lived so selfishly/ I was the only one/ …I realised that no one wins,” she sings in a moment of revelation. A sanskrit chant links into the desolate suffering of ‘Frozen’, Madonna’s big ballad ‘Us And Them’ moment. All of them pile in – from Orbit and Marius De Vries’s shifting dynamics and glacial production, to Leonard’s aching arrangements, to Chris Cunningham’s manga-inspired video depicting her as a witch goddess swooping through desert plains – perfectly capturing the sadness that kept her heart locked down.

Although Madonna’s sound is usually demarcated by simple verse/chorus pop logistics, she is also good at unresolved yearning. From as way back as 1984’s ‘Borderline’, she knows how to defer, to anticipate, to wish for, but with no resolution. The songs ‘Learn To Say Goodbye’, with every word carefully annunciated, and ‘To Have And Not To Hold’, with its brooding bossa nova beat, bear this out. She is nearly there, caught in a state of tension. There is a brief flowering of motherly love with ‘Little Star’, a skittering reflection on her baby daughter. But this, eventually, is what gets her in touch with her own mother and the source of her pain.

‘Mer Girl’, the final track on the album, is Madonna’s ‘Brain Damage’, that moment when the lunatics are on the grass. Having travelled through psychological soundscapes, here she is in a nightmare with a hallucinatory black sky, running through the rain with matted hair to a place with “crawling tombstones”. In the same way that Gilmour and Waters worked with the spaces between notes, Orbit’s ghostly glitches and fragmented synths give way to silence, and Madonna’s voice drops to a cracked little-girl whisper: “I smelled her burning flesh/ Her rotting bones/ Her decay.” And it’s that image of her mother, buried alive, that makes Madonna realise what she has been running from all these years. “When she recorded that in the booth, we sat in silence, our hair standing on end,” Orbit said.

Resisting the urge to tie it up with a neat transcendent finale, Madonna finished the album there, without resolution, “still running away.” As in Pink Floyd’s closing ‘Eclipse (“everything under the sun is in tune/ But the sun is eclipsed by the moon”) she acknowledges that even when everything seems all right the dark side will haunt you. That refusal to create a happy ending is what makes Ray Of Light a masterpiece, and why it won four Grammys, and why it is in all those canonical ‘Best Of’ lists. It wasn’t an album made by committee, in five minute blocks by songwriting teams. Like Dark Side Of The Moon’s crisis of post-war masculinity and madness, this was a painful rebirth, calibrated with emotional intelligence and electronic precision. All you create and all you destroy indeed.

[Nancy.]

In honor of the seminal album turning 20, Madonna expert Matthew Rettenmund gave us his official countdown of its best tracks.

When Ray of Light was released on February 22, 1998, Madonna’s image hit the ground and shattered into a flock of blackbirds.
Maverick

Gone was Madonna the preening, winking, fun-loving vamp, replaced with a woman who was aggressively insightful and daring. If Like a Prayer revealed that Madonna had depth all along, the William Orbit-produced Light showed she had breadth: The woman who initially turned to music because it was the medium with which she could grab the most eyeballs the quickest, revealed herself to be more adventurous than ever, drawing from such far-flung sources as ‘70s glam rock, Eastern mysticism, and electronica—and risking her status as the Queen of Pop.

Selling more than 16 million copies worldwide, Ray of Light won the Grammys for Best Pop Album (her first musical Grammy), and the title track nabbed Best Dance Recording and Best Short Form Music Video. (It was also named Video of the Year at the 1998 VMAs.) The album remains singular in her career—and in pop music—and seems increasingly unlikely to be topped by its architect.

In honor of Ray of Light’s 20th anniversary, we asked Madonna expert Matthew Rettenmund (author of Encyclopedia Madonnica) to rank the album’s tracks. His choices will likely inspire joy and fury in equal measure, but picking your favorite Ray of Light song is like picking your favorite boy toy.

“To Have and Not to Hold”
There are arguably no bad songs on Ray of Light, so it boils down to picking the least brilliant. This Rick Nowels co-creation has a pre-Dido lilt and is shimmery-pretty, but there’s that too-easy “moth to a flame” lyric.
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“Swim”
Orbit and Ciccone’s rocky ditty is the second track on the album, hitting us with lyrics about “Children killing children / While the students rape their teachers.” It’s an undeniably catchy number (the lyrics made less disconcerting by the lolling beat), but it feels like a wind-up before a pitch.
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“Candy Perfume Girl”
Madonna was a huge Prince fan, and collaborated here with Prince protégée Wendy Melvoin’s twin, Susannah Melvoin. The song’s impressionistic lyrics hardly get in the way of its punk-rock edge, but a company called Magnetic Poetry accused the icon of using its product—a collection of fridge magnets bearing random words—to compose this minimalist guitar grind.
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“Shanti/Ashtangi”
Reflecting her embrace of yoga, Madonna and Orbit crafted this Eastern delight, adapted from the work of Adi Shankara. Produced before the current fervor over cultural appropriation, “Shanti/Ashtangi” remains a pure example of Madonna using her platform to expand the hearts and minds of teenagers desperately seeking cruising jams.
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“Little Star”
Written with Nowels during the first year of Lourdes’ life, this adult-contemporary lullaby oozes maternal pride. Twenty years later, her bond with Lola is still unshakeable.
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“Has To Be”
Never heard of it? Fake fan! “Has to Be”—the only song on the album written by Madonna, Orbit and Leonard—appears just on the Japanese import, which is inexplicable because it’s a haunting ballad as vulnerable as anything she’s ever recorded. Perfect on a mixtape with Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Game.”
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“The Power of Good-Bye”
A chilly throbber that grabs you from the opening line, “Your heart is not open / So I must go,” this hit single reached Number 11 in the U.S. and Number 6 in the U.K. It showcases Madonna’s post-Evita vocal control: While some object to the formality of her new phrasing—that hard R, though!—it serves this symphonic no-more-love song well.
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“Nothing Really Matters”
Written with Patrick Leonard, with whom Madge created most of her best songs, “Nothing Really Matters” uncannily incorporates her newfound interest in the profound with her dance-floor origins, melding a high-drama electronic slam with house music all night long. The album’s most cheerful song.
The absolutely bonkers music video by Johan Renck allowed Madonna to both exorcise her obsession with the novel Memoirs of a Geisha (she reportedly imagined starring in the film adaptation) and to force some subversive imagery into young eyes seeking something less challenging.
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“Mer Girl”
One of the most avant-garde songs of Madonna’s career, this intensely emo prose poem set to dissonant blips and beeps plunges into the singer’s psyche as a child whose mother died young. It’s like that Truth or Dare scene in which she lies on her mother’s grave, but if she started digging once there. “I ran and I ran/ I was looking for me” could be the title of her autobiography. Maybe more impressive than enjoyable to some.
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“Skin”
This Madonna-Patrick Leonard scorcher undulates as it ponders her limitations as a communicator, arguing instead for the instant connection of skin-to-skin contact. “I’m not like this all the time,” Madonna warns—and she wasn’t kidding.
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“Sky Fits Heaven”
An urgent, upbeat track written by Madonna with Leonard, “Heaven” unfurls like a nervous heartbeat as she quotes prophets and wise men. Madge effortlessly multi-tasks, imparting wisdom while infecting us with a need to move. The most egregiously underserved track on the album, in that it was never a single anywhere. Listen for the “Bedtime Story” echo.
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“Ray of Light”
Ranking one of Madonna’s signature singles in the context of the album from whence it sprung is tough, but “Ray of Light” is truly special. Reaching Number 5 on the U.S. charts, the song was derived from the 1971 tune “Sepheryn” by Curtiss Muldoon, adapted by Madonna as an orgiastic declaration of freedom and transition. Its primal scream is one of the best moments in the studio.
Her live take on The Oprah Winfrey Show, is unforgettable, as much for Madonna’s A+ vocal as for Oprah’s cute, B- dancing.


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“Drowned World/Substitute for Love”
This slinky, methodical deconstruction of Madonna’s rock-star life denounces fame, star****ers, and sex in favor of family. (It’s one of her favorite things she’s ever written, and easily her best Orbit co-composition on Ray of Light.)
The song climaxes with anger before ending with what seemed at the time like an embrace of a permanent post-siren image. “Drowned World” wasn’t a U.S. single, but the Walter Stern-directed music video, which referenced the recently departed Princess Diana, has to be in the Top 10 of her work in that medium.
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“Frozen”
The best song on Ray of Light? This career-changing hit written with Leonard effectively turned the page on all Madonna had done before, sounding, as it did, like nothing else on the radio. “Frozen” is one of Madonna’s most beautiful tunes, contains some of her most simply insightful lyrics (“You’re frozen / When your heart’s not open”) and spawned a haunting Chris Cunningham-directed music video reintroducing the singer as a black-haired desert diva in triptych, covered in henna, undulating like Martha Graham.
“Give yourself to me,” she implored, and we all did.
XS088Opj9o0

[Nancy.]

23 years ago...

ybfIDcioulU

[Nancy.]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, RAY OF LIGHT!

SIaUjapKUu4

[Nicky91]

:love: :love:

it was used for a microsoft windows commercial :amazed: :clap2:


btw side note, my music faves aren't competition to your kween Nancy :love:

[Nancy.]

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This ice chest was originally sent to a few influential radio stations in advance of the first single, "Frozen", debut, and remains to this day as one of Madonna's most exclusive and legendary rarities!.

What an exciting and wonderful way of debuting your new single.

[Nancy.]

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http://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/william-orbit-reflects-on-madonna-s-ray-of-light-it-broke-all-the-rules-__8622/

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20 years ago this month, Madonna released with her seventh studio album Ray Of Light.

The record, which was helmed by acclaimed producer William Orbit, received widespread praise upon its release and is considered by many as her best and most adventurous album.

In 2015, on the album's 17th birthday, we spoke to Orbit about working on the record.

“It was a long time ago – can you believe it’s been 17 years?” Orbit told Official Charts. “I played all the guitars on that album, which was one of the first times I really showed that I knew how to get a guitar going. It was great to get behind an amp for once because it’s not something I do all the time.”

The album, which was released in March 1998, spent two weeks at Number 1 on the Official Albums Chart and to date has spent 137 weeks in the Top 100 (view its full chart run here). Its sales to date (including album equivalent streams) stands at 1.73 million. “I’m very proud of my work on that record - I think it still holds up today,” Orbit continued. “It still gets mentioned a lot, which always amazes me, even considering the fact it’s Madonna. I mean, you don’t just knock one of those kinds of albums out every year, do you?”

Reflecting on their four and a half months experimenting on sounds together in the studio, the producer said: “I’m not even sure the current environment would allow it now in the pop field. Something has happened to pop music at the moment. Back then, there was no fear. Now, everybody is terrified of doing something different and the music industry is stuck in a rut.”

Orbit believes there were “a lot of parallels between Ray Of Light" and the recent Queen Forever album he co-produced, explaining: "I recently watched back some of Queen’s videos, which were very cutting edge at the time, and there’s a definite parallel between what they were doing there and the mindset me and Madonna had when making Ray Of Light. We got in studio, broke all the rules and didn’t really think about the consequences.”

14 years later, the pair reunited on Madonna’s MDNA album. Orbit is credited on six tracks, but the process, he says, was almost the complete opposite to that of Ray Of Light. “All I’ll say is that MDNA was a very, very different process in all respects to that which we’d employed on Ray Of Light – from artistically, to time management, to technical approach. I’ll let you be the judge of the result, but it was a very different beast to Ray Of Light.”

Did the experience put him off working on pop music for good? “I wouldn’t mind having the chance to go in and lock out the bean counters for a bit and do something different. Right now it feels like the whole music industry is sitting in a corner and rocking itself into a coma. The pop world has become a bit toxic.

"That said, you can’t take the pop out of me. I like risk, and – like with Ray Of Light – when someone wants to make an artistic statement and be bold and experimental, that’s when it’s exciting. That's really what's it's all about.

[Nancy.]

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[Nancy.]

Madonna’s ‘Ray Of Light’ Defined Pop Perfection 20 Years Ago

[I]There are many articles celebrating the 20th anniversary of Madonna’s classic Ray of Light this week. Matthew Rettenmund of Logo noted that the album not only sold 16 million copies worldwide, but won several Grammys. Lucy O’Brien of The Quietus compared the album to Pink Floyd‘s Dark Side of the Moon. Everybody talks about how Ray of Light reinvented Madonna’s career, but they don’t talk about how it also became a curse for the Queen of Pop.

It’s hard to put in words just how much the album Ray of Light redefined Madonna’s career. As a small example, this author can point to the 1997-1998 school year, when teaching middle school. In November of 1997, this author’s students saw an issue of Vanity Fair, released one year earlier, on the teacher’s desk. Madonna was on the cover promoting Evita. The students described Madonna as “old,” “over,” “a slut,” a “has-been,” and many other terms that are (unfortunately) used to describe Madonna today.

As soon as Ray of Light was released four months later, Madonna was one of their favorites. When given a poetry assignment on analyzing a current pop song, at least four chose “Frozen,” a song that reached No. 2 on the charts. Another chose “Ray of Light,” the title track and a future No. 5 hit. Madonna was officially “cool” again as she joined Mariah Carey, LeAnn Rimes, and Puff Daddy (he would later become P Diddy) as the favorite artist among teenagers. More importantly, Madonna realigned with her Gen-X fans who felt alienated by the singer after the release of her 1992 album Erotica (now considered a classic) and book Sex.

This isn’t to say that Madonna wasn’t successful in the mid-1990’s. Despite suffering the biggest media backlash against any celebrity in history, she still scored with “Take a Bow,” which was No. 1 for seven weeks in 1995. Evita wasn’t a runaway hit in 1996, but produced respectable box office numbers, critical acclaim, and a Golden Globe for Madonna. But she was no longer considered groundbreaking. Madonna, who was now embraced far more on VH1 than MTV, was on her way to becoming a legacy adult contemporary act. However, that instantly changed with Ray of Light.

Ray of Light combined art and commercialism in a way that barely any pop album was able to do before. Madonna flirted with the combination on 1989’s Like a Prayer, but she fully realized it with Ray of Light in 1998.

“Drowned World/Substitute for Love,” which kicks off the album, takes the listener under the ocean to hear a tale about the drawbacks of fame, right before the listener is taken for a glide on “Swim,” a song about the cruelties of the world, which was written the day after Madonna’s good friend Gianni Versace was murdered.

The title track comes next and instantly blows the listener away. It combines Madonna’s post-Evita vocal range with her newly found happiness at being a mother. It has become a staple in Madonna’s career as well as one of the most successful dance singles of all-time. Perhaps “Ray of Light” should have followed (rather than preceded) “Candy Perfume Girl,” which is, perhaps, the only heavy metal/electronica song in Madonna’s entire catalog. It’s the only “WTF” song on the album, but at least it’s followed by “Skin,” an orgasmic number that might have received backlash if released just two years earlier, when Madonna was still being heavily slut-shamed for her antics from the early 1990s.

The next track, “Nothing Really Matters,” combines Madonna’s 1980s dance appeal with her new 1990s electronica sound. “Sky Fits Heaven” is another dance blast, but was probably never released as a single since it sounds too much like “Ray of Light.” The album’s eighth track, “Shanti/Ashtangi,” is a brilliant and bubbly song inspired by Madonna’s fascination with Hinduism. It’s unfortunate that the song would be dismissed as “cultural appropriation” if released today.

The ninth track, “Frozen,” was the first single released from the project, and it was one of the riskiest songs a pop artist released in the 1990s. But it definitely paid off, even if the dance remixes are more encompassing than the single. The rest of the album, which includes the popular single “The Power of Goodbye,” was aimed towards Madonna’s new VH1 audience. The final track, “Mer Girl,” has Madonna reciting poetry about a scary dream in which she visits her mother’s grave. It is arguably the most artistic song of her career and leaves you with chills and smiles at the same time.

Ray of Light is a fantastic body of work that instantly became a template for other artists to follow. I only wish there had been some sort of remastered edition for the anniversary.

10/10

[Crimson Dynamo]

I remember Ray of Light well

Groundbreaking


:clap1:

[Nancy.]

I remember Ray of Light well

Groundbreaking


:clap1:

Yes, It certainly was. Still can't believe 20 years have passed since it's release. :hee:

[Nancy.]

Madonna sporting a gorgeous new look on instagram. Something is happening.

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[Nancy.]

VINTAGE Articles (1998)

From the Warner Bros. press release:

Earth. Water. Fire. Air. Madonna.

There is an elemental aura to the music of Madonna's transcendent new Warner Bros. Records release, an alchemy of sounds and images, an interplay of dreams and visions. Here is a world captured in a drop of water, a face in the heart of a flame, a soul set free on a Ray Of Light.

Her first collection of new songs since 1994's Bedtime Stories, Ray Of Light, featuring the stunning new single Frozen, marks a musical departure astonishing even for this quintessentially chimerical artist. Working closely with an elite cadre of inspired collaborators, most notably globally-acclaimed producer and remix magician William Orbit, Madonna has created a sound that blends and borrows from the best of the ambient and electronic music revolution and fuses it with her own unerring pop sensibility. The result is nothing less than song transformed into pure light.

Alternately elusive and explicit, playful and profound, risky and welcoming, Ray Of Light is, finally, the most audacious, atmospheric and sheerly awesome song cycle in the artist's epochal recorded output. From the unflinching honesty of Drowned World/Substitute For Love to the fabulous frivolity of Candy Perfume Girl; from the sultry whisper of Skin to the nurturing bliss of Little Star; and from the exotic ecstasy of Shanti/Ashtangi to the harrowing beauty of Mer Girl, Ray Of Light, reveals a woman in the throes of a life-changing transformation, both artistically and personally.

"I always think in musical terms," she asserts, "and this time I knew I wanted to go after a sound that was different from anything I'd done before, to reach a different emotional and spiritual plane. I've been going through a metamorphosis over the past few years. I started studying the Kabbalah, which is a Jewish mystical interpretation of the Old Testament. I also found myself becoming very interested in Hinduism and yoga, and for the first time in a long time, I was able to step outside myself and see the world from a different perspective."

Ably assisting Madonna in translating that perspective into music is William Orbit. Known previously to the artist for his remixes on selected tracks for her Erotica album, Orbit also has the well-earned reputation as a preeminent musical innovator on such projects as Massive Attack and his own Strange Cargo releases. "I'd been listening to his music and felt it was a close reflection of where I wanted to go -- a perfect backdrop to the lyrics I'd been writing. I thought there could be an interesting juxtaposition, combining William's very trippy, trancey sound with very lush orchestral arrangements and lyrics that were reaching for something new and unexpected."

Work on Ray Of Light began in earnest in the spring of last year, "I spent about four months traveling around," Madonna continues. "I was in New York, LA, Miami, England, just writing with different people, trying out lots of new ideas."

And, as it turned out, renewing some old creative connections. Along with such cowriters as Rick Nowels and Susannah Melvoin, Madonna turned to a trusted collaborator, Patrick Leonard, who had a hand in some of the biggest and most enduring hits of her career. "I wanted to work with Patrick on specific tracks, like Frozen," she explains, "because, as a classically trained musician, he brought a whole other element to the mix, particularly his string arrangements." Leonard co-produced other Ray Of Light standouts Sky Fits Heaven, The Power Of Good-Bye and To Have And Not To Hold, completing a studio team that also included famed arranger and producer Marius De Vries.

With the key players and musical elements in place, Madonna and Orbit settled in for some serious studio time. "He's a complete madman genius," she smiles. "I'd come to him with an idea of where I wanted to go musically, hum melodies or read lyrics and then leave him alone in the laboratory. Sometimes he'd go in the direction I wanted and sometimes he'd swerve off somewhere else entirely. We'd end up with trance tracks that were eight minutes long and then keep adding and subtracting until we had real verses and choruses. We really put our noses to the grindstone... and it was a process that was longer than I'm used to, but I was after something special and I didn't want to settle for anything less."

The extraordinary accomplishment of Ray Of Light emerged after the music and movie marathon that made Evita the entertainment event of 1996, and Madonna the leading lady of the decade. "Doing Evita was a wonderful and challenging experience," she explains, "but when it was over I was seriously inspired to do my own thing. For two years I'd been expressing someone else's passion, and being away from my own stuff for that long gave me a chance to store up a lot of information and experience."

The most significant of those experiences, of course, came with the birth of Madonna's daughter Lourdes, in late 1996.

"Obviously that was a big catalyst for me. It took me on a search for answers to questions I'd never asked myself before. What was I going to say to my daughter about what's really important in life? What was I going to teach her about the world and our purpose for being here? As a result, I took a long look at my own life over the past few years and began to see how much of it was dominated by my career. What am I going to do next? What's my next project? Suddenly all that didn't seem quite as important."

While career considerations took second place to motherhood, for Madonna, creativity has always come as naturally as breathing. "I'm always writing in my journal," she reveals, "collecting thoughts and ideas, and during this period certain things began to stick in my mind, like the whole idea of karma... that what you put in is what you get out and that everything you do comes back to you. We're responsible for the chaos in our lives, just as we're responsible for the creativity."

And it's this consummate artist's flourishing creativity that ignites Ray Of Light. "I think people respond to emotion and passion and truth," she concludes. "That's what I've tried to embody in this record." And, like fire, earth, water and air, they are the elements from which Madonna has created a new world."

[Nancy.]

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SEXY MOTHER (Q Magazine, February 1998)

"Wow, free tea!"giggles Madonna, dunking her own bag as the flustered room service waiter exits without proffering the bill. "Well, we'd better make the most of it."

This is Madonna, but not quite as we know her. She is 39. Her hands are knuckly and useful, as they appeared in close up on the cover of Like a Prayer. Her orange hair has the straggly, expensively unwashed look favoured by Alanis Morissette, Fiona Apple, et al. Her attire, loose fitting drapes - orange again - exposing about five inches of trim abdomen, wouldn't look out of place lolloping up and down Oxford St. irritating a tambourine and handing out pamphlets. The famaed upperlip beauty spot has disappeared, perhaps surgically. Ther eis a startling sense of unfamiliarity about her - that is, until she begins to move. When she moves, suddenly she is quite definitely Madonna.

As she tucks into the tea, we remark upon the absence of security, entourage even. "I drive myself in LA,"she puffs. "It's the one of the reasons I like living here." Emboldened, we proffer the pudding (the writer had gone on previosly about getting a Christmas pudding over through the US customs from UK) "I love Christmas pudding,"she coos, maybe just being polite. Whatever, polite is good. Polite is frankly, a relief.

Is Los Angeles a necessary evil? The place in the world where you feel least bothered?

M: Unfortunately. It's the dullest town, therefore there isn't much going on, therefore there aren't a lot of paparazzi hanging about. It's the one place I totally get left alone in. There's so many people who work in the industry here, it's not shocking to see famous people about, going shopping.

You've been in London a lot over the last copule of years. Does it swing?

I've been there recently, and for ten days it was incredible. I thought after the Princess Diana thing it would be so great and that I was going to be left alone so I rented a house in Chelsea. Then I found out that it wasn't that they were leaving me alone, they just didn't know where I was. And when they found out and the fans found out, then... then it was a nightmare. Then I wished I was in a hotel, because at least in a hotel you're so high that you can't hear them on the streeet. I would love to live in London but I don't think I could handle the whole press thing. It's pretty intense. It's more intense even than New York, where the attention kinda comes and goes. In London it's every day.

There was a Brief feeling after the death of Princess DI that it would stop. That it would change. Did you believe it would change?

Yeah. Do I think it has? No. Not at all.

Coming out of filming Evita straight into that - the tragic ironies must have been overwhelming. An iconic woman vocally mistrusted by pockets of the society she lived in, and yet inspiring this enourmous popular...

M: Fandom! Following! Yes, there are a lot of interesting parallels. On thte one hand there seemed to be so many people against Princess Diana, outraged by her behaviour and constantly needling her, but when she died, how astonishing was that, the revelation of how truly loved she was by some? Which just goes to show you that meanness is a lot louder than kindness. You know what I mean? Because there really were a lot of people that loved her and supported her. It's just thtat the people who didn't screamed the loudest. So that's what you kinda got swept up in if you were reading the presss and stuff.

It caused a big debate about the British character. After being told for years, not least by Americans, that we were tight-arsed and very bad at...

M: Expressing yourselves. Yes. Well, I mean no. I don't think that at all. I know some really unhinged English people. But London's great now - I'm good friends w/ Stella McCartney.

The first words on the record are "I traded fame f or love/ without a second thought" You seem very ambivalent about fame and its cost. You're not sure whether it's been worth it or not.

The ambivilance is true. I'm not going to sit here and say, Oh God, being famous is the worst thing thtat ever happened to me, but on thehh other hand,, it's a real cross to bear, the real thorn in my side. I wouldn't trade my life for anything - i've been blessed with so much, I've had so many privileges - but being famous, it's like the agony and the ecstacy. You get to meet people and have experiences that no one else gets to have. On thte other hand,, you don't have anonymity. What I am very clear about is the place it's had in my life and certainly \, at the beginning of my career, what it sort of took the place of. At the end of the day, though, I'm not gonna stomp all over it and say., This is ****, but I think i have a much better perspective on it all than I've ever had. I realise and I've been realising this for years, that the approval, the headlines of being swept up and being popular and loved by people in universal ways is absolutely no substiute for truly being loved. But if you have to have a subsitute, it's about the best there is.

There's the line,"Had so many lovers/ Who settled for the thrill of basking in my spotlight." Was thtat a depressing realisation? Did they really have much of a choice?

Well it's not to say that they were only attracted to me for that, but I realise that that was a big part of it. Power is a great aphrodisiac and celebrity is a great aphrodisiac.

Do you feel disappointed in those people?

No. Not at all.

You once said rejection is the great aphrodisiac.

That too, haha!!

You need a lot of aphrodisiacs.

M: I think everyone does. I'm speaking for everybody. I maen, rejection- doesn't everybody want the thing they can't have? For fleeting moments of madness, that's all you want, and then you wake up, pull yourself together and yoo move on with your life.

Is the conviction that you'll never findi a ... well, a soul mate, a haunting one?

It has been. When you think about what I do and the kind of life I lead and the fact that I'm famous, I don't think it's a lifestyle that's very attractive to people, unless they like the iddea of attracting attention, unless they're really superficial. You find yourself in a strange position. I come with a lot of baggage and it takes a strong, courages person to have a relationshiop w/ me. I have those moments when it seems impossible. The moments of thinking, Oh Forget it.

The song NOTHING REALLY MATTERS must be about LOURDES. Are you trying to say that this is the first love of your life that has no side to it?

It has no side. She doesn't know about me being famous. She hasn't got a clue. And it's completely unconditional love, which I've never known because I grew up without a mother. I mean I did have my father, but I think thtat the love that you get from a mother is quite different. It's had a huge impact on me, as I suppose it has on everyone ewho has children. Bbut definitely, when you have children you have to step outside of yourselsf. You can't sit around feeling sorry for yourself or feeling like you're a victim in any way, shape or form. You really look at life efrom a totally differnt perspective.

How is she coming along?

She kisses everything. She kisses dogs, she kisses strange people on the playground. She says "dog" a lot, and "No". She's very good at saying no.

You seemed to name eher in the hope that she'd be some sort of healing influence.

Absolutely. A healing influence on my life. Lourdes was a place that my mother had a connection to. People were always sending her holy water from there. She always wanted to go there but never did.

Madonna, as we have come to think we know her, puts up barriers even as she sultrily beckons. Remarkably, Ray of Light blows all t hat out of the water. MerGirl endds the album, but was oneo of the 1st things recorded for it, a one-take vocal whispered quietly while William Orbit's portentous track bubbles delicately about her. Madonna mourns her mother and depicts herself fleeing headlong from her past. "I ran to the cemetery,"she intones."and held my breath. And about your death." Bingo, and at last, real intimacy.

"She stepped out of the vocal booth, and everybody was rooted to the spot,"recalls Orbit. "It was just one of those moments. REally spooky."

Q: Have you done analysis?

M: Yes.

DO you still do it?

Yes.

Do you find it more or less helpful than before?

I go back and forth. Sometimes I think there's nothing new I'm going to figure out. Or that we're retreading the same old territory and i'll get fed up. And then a lighgt bulb bwill turn on about something and i'll have an epiphany. I don't always go. I just go when I think i need to.

Is it not tremendously expensive?

It is in this town. Lawyers and shrinks. I'm'' in the wrong business.

What's your earliest memory?

(what seems an interminable pause - 29 seconds) I've got loads of memorieees from childhood, but I'm not sure which came first... Falling asleep between my parents in a bed... Stepping in a can of paint when my father was painting the fence... Sticking my finger in a cigarette lighter to see if it really was was hot like my father told me.

Is that what you've been doing ever since - sticking your hand into a flame to see if it's hot?

(truefully) Yes...But I have a very vivid memory of that, I remember my father kept on saying, Look that's really hot. See how red it is? So don't put your finger in it. I was thinking, But how do I know if it's really hot if I don't put my finger in it? So I did and I got absolutely no sympathy. Nothing's changed, ha ha!

What's the most hurtful thing that's ever been written about you?

Oh God. I'm sure there's plenty of things that I don't know about. (long pause, she places her arms awkwardly between knees) I suppose the worst thing was people accusing me of having a baby for attention. That was pretty ridiculous. I phase it out.

There was the speculation that Carlos Leon had been chosen as some sort of spunk donor.

M: (coldly) Rather than my lover, yes. Thought hat was probably more hurtful to him than to me. They're keen, with me, to ignore the possibilitly that it might have something to do witih lovve or feeling and make it all seeeem planned or manipulated or calculated, which is a notion that a lot of people seem to have about me. But falling in love or rhaving a baby, I'd have thought that was one of the more basic human things that anyone can relate to, and some people didn't even want to let me have that. But that's okay because I have my beautiful baby and they don't.

And Carlos hasn't been paid off to stay away?

Absolutely not. He's with her right now. She's absolutely daddy's little girl.

Are you ever embarassed by old album covers?

They're a map of my life. But I do lok at old photographs of myself and think, Someone should have arrested me, someone should have stopped me from doing my hair that way.

What was your cruellest fashion error?

All errors are cruel. They're all great and they're all crap. Everyone's down on the 80s right now, but I thought the 80s was fabulous and I'm sure Boy George would agree w/ me.

It was quite an unpretentious decade, in the sense that its pretensions were completely transparent. To hear some people tlak, all it was was plastic music for a cocaine addled generation.

M: (cracks up) Oh yeah! And what's going on now? Nothing's changed. Right now everyon'es into the 70s, revisiting the 70s whether it's in muusic or movies and fashion. When we get further away from the 80s, we'll do the same thing. It'll be celebrated and analysed and perhaps appreciated.

You were drumming in the Breakfast Club in 79, in New York. Did you used to go to Studio 54?

Oooh, that's centuries ago, but what a cool era, what a cool club. The people there.. I came in at the end of it so i missed Andy Warhol, Sterling Saint-Jacques, Liza Minnelli. For me, the Danceteria and the Mudd Clbu were coming into their own.

There's a sense in a lot of your music of the dancefloor being a magical place.

The dancefloor was quite a magical place for me. I started doff wanting to be a dancer, so that had a lot to do with it. The freedom that I always feel when I'm dancing, that feeling of inhabiting your body, letting yourself go, expressing yourself through music. I always have thought of it as a magical place..even if you're not taking ecstacy.

Though people will take ecstacy to Ray of Light.

But ecstacy's been around for a hundred years. It was around when I was going to clubs. What's the big deal?

No. It's still a big deal. In Britain, ecstacy didn't really happen until 1987, 88, and it changed everything.

M: (regards Q as if studying Primitive Man) You guys are still taking ecstacy! Not special K? Cos ketamine is the big drug over here now. You're in the K Hole, swimming out of your body, and don't imagine you're gonna get up in the morning. I think the whole record would sound great on drugs. It'll makeyou feel like you're in the K Hole. It whips you into a frenzy. I took some mixes to Liquid in Miami and the DJs were just going mad for it. You can definitely imagine what it would be like to be high and listening to it. But I have to get there on my own. (Cod-angelic) I have a child now, I can't do that sort of thing.

The In Bed W. Madonna film turned out to be the definitive piece of negative publicity, but no one had gambled like that before. There seemed to be no fear rof appearing...

M: Unattractive?

Q: Seflish...

M: Narcissitic...

Q: ...and all those things. You didn't care who saw it.

M: But what's the point of making a documenetary if you're not going to show those sides? Then it wouldn't be a documentary, right? Let's face it, the life of a ... of a, whatever you wanna call me... on the road you've got to see all of that. It's a real slice of life. It's of an era, of a time, and it's true of the insanity of performing and the insanity of travelling with this bunch of dysfunctional people. Even in a movie, how can you be sympathetic towards a fictional character if u don't see their warts?

That's an awful lot of warts, though.

I don't think there were that many. I look at that movie and I think, My God how petulant was I? And Oh God, what a brat! But I'm not horrified by it. That's where I was and I've grown up a lot since.

Who are the Madonna fans now?

I haven't a clue.

What are the best Madonna records?

Like a Prayer is pretty much up there. And I really like Bedtime Stories. I don't think a lot of people "Got" that record.

It was better than Erotica. You hobbled yourself there, trying to make a concept album.

Absolutetly. I bit off more than I could chew. BS had better songs though the feel was similar. (affects the chat show simper) But this record is my favourite record of all.

Madonna's current favouritet words are "mystic" and "spiritual". From the hare krishna garb to her current listening - dominated by Talvin Singh's Anokha club compilation Soundz of the Asian Underground - she is looking East, w ith a beats-enhanced Sanskrit prayer, Shanti/Ashtangi, taking pride of place on Ray of Light. Like the title track, and the churning, underwater Skin, it wouuldn't sound out of place booming out of bulging speakers at London's Little Goa, Return to the Source. Instructively, she intends to perform a smattering of club dates in the States and Europe later this year.

IS it best with religion to spread your bets?

Absolutely. I do believe that all paths lead to God. It's a sham ethat we end up having religious wars because so many of the messages are the same. The whole idea of karma and "do unto others" it's all the same, it really is.

Q: There's a prevalence of water images on this record: Swim, Mer Girl, Drowned World.

M: Well water is a very healing element, as you know.

Q: Er...

M: Well there's water in birth and dthere's water in baptism and dwhen you go into the bath or the ocean there's a feeling of cleansing, a feeling of starting all over again. Bbbeing new, being healed. That's sort of what's going on in my life and I'm exploring that element in my songwriting.

Swim's all about redemption but why are you so concerned with it? Have you been that bad?

Well it's not just about me. It's imploring others to seek redemption too. Because it's definitely a response to what's going on in the world as well.

What, specifically?

(with heavy sarcasm) You mean besides Galliano's next collection? Well, let's see. Lots of things concern me. I suppose the main thing is people's obsession with negativity. People are so bitter and envious of other people doing well. People used to talk t o one another and be a lot more resourceful and creative. Bbut television and computers, the instant society we live in, has taken that ability away from most people. There are too many people resigned to their lot in life.

Why are you thinking this way now?

Well, maybe the same horrible horrors have always been happening in the world. Maybe I'm just paying more attention. It jusuut seems to me that there's more extreme behaviour as we approach the year 2000. People seem to be divided into two camps - between people that are searching for something to anchor them spiritually, people who are trying to evolve their own consciousness and figure out the bigger meaning for life, rather than, OK, I'm here to make lots of money and have a good time and that's it. On the other hand, I feel like I'm always reading about teenagers killing themselves or parents killing their children.

Have you ever known black despair?

Puh-lease! I'm the Queen of Despair! Read the lyrics to my songs! I felt despair many times in my life, but I have very good survival mechanisms. No matter how bad it gets there's' something that stops me seeing life as completely hopelesss. I still indulge myself in lots of melancholy.

How do you get over that?

Sometimes I write. I spend time with people that I know will get me out of it. My daughter, or friends that will tell me what a wanker I'm being.

Can you imagine how dark it must have been for Michael Hutchence?

I know, I thought about that too. I don't know what the real stotry is. It's just so tragic, so tragic, I can't imagine getting to that place. I've tried to imagine, but I can't. It's like trying to imagine what death is, you can't. If you have child I would think, no matter what, you could try and hang on for them. But I don't know, I wasn't in his shoes.

Two weeks later, a london flat, and Sheffield Wednesday are murdering Newcastle on Match of the Day. The phone rings. "It's Madonna,"barks Madonna. A rain break in shooting for the video of Frozen, one of Ray of Light's lowering ballads (bearing the unmistakable primary-coloured imprint of Madonna's longtime co-songwriter Pat Leonard and an enormous gothici string score courtesy arranger du jour Craig Armstrong), has occasioned the call. Along with Nothing Really Matters and Power of Goodbye, Frozen is Madonna fans' Madonna, testament to her "reining in" of William Orbit's more tangential instincts. "He'll tell you I'm a task master,"predicts Madonna. "that I like to crack the whip."

For his part, Orbit is impressed by his new boss's musical control-taking and recording wisdom. "She kept on telling me,Don't gild the lily. And the other thing she'd say,"he adds ruefully,"just as I was ready to crawl home exhausted was,' You can sleep when you're dead.' "

"In the studio she's'' totally sleeves-rolled-up. You think of her as a performer, a pop icon, this force of entertainment. You don't perceive Madonna as a great producer, that's' exactly what she is."

What Madonna describes as the more "tripped out, ambient ****" from the Orbit sessions will emerge on a future "remix odyssey" record, putatively titled Veronicia Electronica.

Q: Are you pissed off by the assumption that your producers do most of the work? Or copme to that, that Maverick is a plaything that you have little day to day involvement with?

M: I don't think about it very much. You know, the people that know, know, and that's' all that matters. The Prodigy know, and everyone who comes to my label knows and everyone who works on my records knows what's going on. The people that make assumptions like that are being chauvinistic. (smirks) I'm quite used to people saying things that aren't entirely accurate.

Your singing used to be criticised as Squeaky. No one coucld say that about this record.

I found my voice in doing Evita, because I had to study extensively with a vocal coach. And I found range, and parts of my voice that I never knew I had. I'd only been using *this* much of it. It's a good find, by the way.

Do you still drum? Do u see a kit set up in a studio and think i'll have a go?

I have secret desires to. I've accidentally walked in on a band playing like a Holiday Inn or something and thought, I can play better drums than that. One of these days. If I go on tour and we're doing rehearsals, you can believe I'll be sitting behind the drums when everyone's gone and there's someone sweeping the floor.

Is it a reflection of the way you've changed or the way that everyone else has changed, that no one's horrified by you anymore? Madonna reveals part of own body stock, that wouldn't make many headlines these days.

(grins) I don't think there's anything left to reveal, is there?

Maybe not but yuo don't have to. You won.

I guess I won. If in the middle of all of that chaos some positive message got out, then I won. But it's not terribly much fun, being a rebel or being a pioneer, I have to say, because you become a target for everyone's fears. You have to be incredibly resilient and there were times when I wished that I hadn't been so outspoken, because it was so exhausting to constantly have to defend myself. Looking back on it, it was a great education for me and iti was very liberating for me, because when you're not popular in any se nse of the word and everyone seems to have turned on you, you kind of have a freedom to do whatever you want, whenever you want, because you don't have to please anyone. Let's face it, all the stuff I've been going on about for years, people have learned to accept it. Nowadays, it doesn't sound so outrageous, that's how we are, every decade we become more open to ideas. Homosexuality is no longer a debate in pop culture, but even ten years ago it was considered terribly outrageous. We've come a long way. But I've changed too, so it's both.

So you believe in progress, despite the evidence?

M: (huffily) Of course I believe in progress. Thats why we're here - to transform ourselves and other people. Iti's the nature of our species to progress.

You seem to be pretty happy with where you are. Are there any ambitions that still niggle at you?

I'd like to learn how to paint. I love painting and I'm always in awe of people that can do it. People say I should just do it, but I think, No because what If i suck? I'd be so disappointed.

"Madonna's on this journey,"relects Orbit,"and if you're smart you'll get on board for the ride. But it doesn't matter if you do or you don't because she's going to get there anyway."

And in case you were wondering, she ate the Christmas pudding.

[Nancy.]

http://madonna.photogallery.free.fr/madonna/albums/1998/Rankin/rankin_%289%29.jpg

[Fetch The Bolt Cutters]

http://madonna.photogallery.free.fr/madonna/albums/1998/Rankin/rankin_%289%29.jpg

[Nancy.]

http://www.madonnatribe.com/i_50/033.jpg

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https://squaremadonna.files.wordpress.com/2014/04/08-04-3.jpg

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/e9/8b/90/e98b90c367541337960f0d9cca5a74ad.jpg

Madonna’s Indian Summer

When I was a little girl, I had to work in my father’s vegetable garden every summer. My father has a work ethic that makes mine look nonexistent, so the school’s-out-for-summer stuff does not exist in my family. Basically, I was either put to work at my house, weeding and spraying insecticide, or we had to go to my grandparents’ house in Pennsylvania, where we’d fix up the house and the yard all summer. When I got older and started to figure out what I wanted to do, I spent a summer going to a local college and taking dance classes – anything to keep from mowing the lawn. But, really, aside from that, I do not associate summer with fun and free time, not as a child.

So maybe that’s why when I think of my favorite summer songs, the ones I think of are attached to angst-ridden memories. Actually, I like the summer better than the winter. For one thing, I like the heat better than the cold – I still don’t have air conditioning. I hate air conditioning. Because I don’t like to be tricked. I want to know exactly how hot it is, and I’d rather just adapt to the heat, because that’s what we’re supposed to do. I also think summer is a superior season because you can see everybody’s outfits. You can’t make fashion statements when it’s cold out, and you never know what anyone’s wearing. And it’s just a lot easier to see people in the summer, so they can’t trick you, either.

Both of my stories take place in New York – and I think New York is the best place to be in the summer, even if the heat and humidity make everybody grouchy. It may be more civilized in California, because it always gets cool at night, but it’s so boring to be there. It’s always summer in L.A., so no one appreciates it. When summertime comes in New York, everybody seems to be celebrating for three months; it feels like the city comes to life.

When I think about what a summer song is, at first I think of something celebratory and up – but that’s not really quite it, because I’ve dug some pretty incredible summer songs that weren’t. But it definitely has to have a phat groove. It’s not about Enya in the summertime, you know what I mean? For example, “Don’t You Want Me,” by the Human League, reminds me of the early days of Danceteria, in New York. I lived on the Lower East Side, at Fourth and B, in a tenement apartment – without air conditioning. I didn’t have a record deal yet, but my demos were hot off the press, and I used to go to Danceteria every weekend, trying to meet the DJ or an A&R person to give my tape to. I’d spend all night on the dance floor in some hideous outfit while all the pretty, skinny, fashionable girls threw their drinks on me. But when that song came on, I forgot my humiliation. I didn’t care that I was soaking wet and didn’t have any friends.

Prince’s “When Doves Cry” was another song I used to escape into when it first came out. By then I did have a record contract, and I had moved to a nice loft on Broome and West Broadway. But there was still no elevator, so I had to walk up six flights of steps to get to my loft. I rode my bike everywhere, with a Walkman and headphones on, and one hot summer day I came in and I just couldn’t carry my bike up those stairs one more time. I was hating my family and my life at the time, and I just collapsed in the stairwell with that song playing in my headphones, crying my heart out and feeling incredibly sorry for myself.

You may have noticed that both of these stories are about music as a vehicle for transcending misery (the story of my life). I do think that music is the most spiritually evolved art form. And it is absolutely the most universal: It doesn’t matter where you come from or who you are or how well-educated you are or how cool you are – how rich, how poor, how anything. It’s primal, and it’s visceral, and it’s a cure for the summertime blues. It’s about coming to life.

Adapt to the heat.

Madonna

[Nancy.]

https://i.pinimg.com/736x/e5/8a/d7/e58ad7ec64b081039abd13c72bc783bf--lachapelle-die-ratten.jpg

Promo poster for ROL.

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https://i.imgur.com/BcREIlr.png

[Nancy.]

Ultrasound: Inside Madonna (Making of the Ray of Light album)
-WelNBw8HJM

[Nancy.]

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uJviwYpP5sk/U5fpRxKmHyI/AAAAAAAAV3A/xrlchw-RUfE/s1600/1998+Rankin+(Q+UK+March+1998+page+87)+preview+400. jpg

[Nancy.]

Guy O'Seary (Madonna's manager) wrote this about "Ray Of Light's" 20th aniiversary recently...

https://image.ibb.co/hc3Lnc/Capture.jpg


....but it looks like Madonna's not happy with him for bringing in teams of songwriters and producers for the last two album's and she want's to take back creative control.


https://image.ibb.co/nsu70x/IMG_nk2tzq_thumb_jpg_9186e2d8441f647830d1945708462 0c9.jpg


Here's a look at the credits from her last two albums. The older ones simply had her and a songwriter and producer; but MDNA and Rebel Heart had half of the Earth's population on them, and was clearly the reason why they're not as half as good as the previous ones.


Rebel Heart:
http://forums.madonnanation.com/uploads/monthly_2018_02/image.png.138f6de8716129fa0b4ebff34095cb14.png

MDNA:
https://image.ibb.co/dAp4DH/LLL.png


NOW compared all those credits to when she worked on Ray Of Light, Music, and Confessions On A Dancefloor:


Ray of Light:
https://image.ibb.co/i7J9fx/RAY.png

Music:
https://image.ibb.co/gi6sYH/MUSIC.png

Confessions On A Dancefloor:
https://image.ibb.co/kYSALx/COBFESSONS.png


It looks like she wasn't keen on working with Starrah (and others), so work for the new album has grinded to a halt, so she's obviously doing it HER WAY now.

Take your time, Madge!!!

[Nancy.]

Here she is standing by what she said to her manager about songwriting camps etc...

https://image.ibb.co/hRD0Lx/Capture.jpg

Good for you, M :clap1:

[Nancy.]

Madonna Steps Away From The ‘Songwriting Camps’

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/madonna-step-away-from-the-songwriting-camps_uk_5a95789ae4b0699553ccb0da

I’d much rather hear something she was proud of than a radio-friendly three minutes and thirty-three seconds song that came out of a meeting of 25 songwriters

In February 2015, Madonna fell on her arse. You saw it. I saw it. It was splashed over every magazine, newspaper and gossip site for days afterwards. Everyone had an opinion on it, whether you were laughing it up, dying of embarrassment or just feeling downhearted to see a woman once heralded as the saviour of pop music dragged to the floor live on television. Suffice to say, it was a moment the whole world was talking about.

Four years earlier, in a slightly brighter moment for Madonna, she had been hand-picked to perform at the Super Bowl half-time show. The performance was a triumph and a landmark moment in her career, which also wound up making a few headlines when M.I.A. flipped the bird live on pre-watershed television, with millions of American families watching at home. Again, a moment the world was talking about.

What the world regrettably wasn’t talking about were the singles Madonna was promoting on both of these occasions, ‘Give Me All Your Luvin’ in 2011 and ‘Living For Love’ in 2015.

Despite being attached to two of the most undisputable water-cooler moments of the 21st Century, ‘Living For Love’ wound up debuting at number 26 here in the UK. As a lifelong Madonna fan, it pained me to admit that she was probably never going to have another hit single in her lifetime.

But also, I soon realised this might be a good thing. After all, in times of difficulty, Madonna has always delivered her most intriguing and celebrated work, whether it was following the confusing and at-times-messy ‘Bedtime Stories’ era with ‘Ray Of Light’ or bouncing back from the public bashing she got for her ‘American Life’ album with ‘Confessions On A Dance Floor’, which cemented her place as the Queen of Pop.

These hopes were fuelled even more when, in an unexpected move, Madonna announced in summer 2017 that she and her children would be moving to Portugal.

Suddenly, I had visions of a new, earthier Madonna settling down in a new country and adapting to a whole new culture and lifestyle, before returning to the music scene to try something new and experimental with the best untapped pop resources Portugal had to offer.

I was anticipating her new album would offer a sharp take on Trump’s America, from the point of view of a woman approaching 60, who had always spoken her mind, infused with some Portuguese folk samples and maybe a few waiting/hesitating rhyming couplets thrown in for good measure.

It was all looking rather promising, especially given that Madonna’s last three studio albums, ‘Hard Candy’, ‘MDNA’ and ‘Rebel Heart’, have all had, to some degree, the flavour of someone chasing a hit rather than setting any kind of agenda.

Unfortunately, this dream looked less likely to be realised at the end of last year, when Madonna said she was ready to get back in the studio and ditch the “soccer mom in Portugal” in favour of the pop icon “coming back” for the crown. I hadn’t realised they weren’t the same person.

This brings us nicely up to the present day. Things had all gone a bit quiet on the “new Madonna” album front, until Madonna’s manager, Guy Oseary, posted a special message on his Instagram page last week, commemorating 20 years since the release of ‘Ray Of Light’. Two days later, Madonna herself showed up in the comments, and she did not sound happy.

“Remember when I made records with other artists from beginning to end and I was allowed to be a visionary and not have to go to songwriting camps where no one can sit still for more than 15 minutes…”

Now, I’m not saying that anyone is above a “songwriting camp”. Some of my favourite hit singles of the last few years have come together when writers being paid by the hour put their heads together in a bid to collectively answer the question: “How do we get middle America to stream this over and over again?”

But the idea of Madonna, now well into her fourth decade in the music industry, trying to put some of her new-found Portuguese wisdom over the top of a beat that has already been turned down by Selena Gomez and Camila Cabello is not a scenario that brings me a great deal of comfort.

This is not what I want for one of the most important, influential and game-changing artists of the past 100 years, particularly someone who has so many times pushed the envelope, set the trend and is about to celebrate her sixtieth birthday.

Instead, whoever it is that is making Madonna (against her will, seemingly) sit through these “songwriting camps” with a group of people for whom ‘4 Minutes’ is considered “vintage Madge” should listen up. The world is not interested in Madonna’s take on ‘Havana’ or Madonna’s take on ‘Shape Of You’ or Madonna’s take on ‘Despacito’. Young people don’t want it, casual listeners don’t want it, and Madonna’s fans certainly don’t want it.

Maybe, safe in the knowledge that no amount of Julia Michaels, Ed Sheeran or even Sia co-writes are going to give Madonna a hit in the streaming era (and that no matter what, a full Madonna album and world tour are always going to make money), you should take a look at her pretty spotless track record and leave her to her own devices this time around.

Let her roam around Portugal, meet with some underground musicians, raid her daughters’ music collections, see what’s out there that people haven’t heard yet. Could it all wind up being an unlistenable racket? Very possibly. But as someone who’s been listening to Madonna as long as I’ve been aware of recorded music, I can say with confidence I’d much rather hear something she was proud of and could stand by, than a radio-friendly three minutes and thirty-three seconds song that came out of a meeting of 25 songwriters who would rather be working with Meghan Trainor or Shawn Mendes.

And who knows? When those Spotify users get a whiff of authenticity and actual enjoyment from the result, Madonna could shock us all once again... and end the 2010s with an actual hit.

[Nancy.]

Exactly this time 20 years ago, MTV was running their Ultra Madonna Weekend marathon.

Specials included:

Madonna Videography (1998, 4 hours) - NEW!
Ultra Sound: Inside Madonna (The Making Of Ray Of Light) (1998, 30 minutes) - NEW!
All-Time Top 10: Madonna Performances (1 hour)

They also showed 1998 edits of these classic specials (a few minutes trimmed for commercial break times, which had expanded since they first aired).

Breakfast With Madonna (1990, 30 minutes) - with a new intro from Kurt Loder
Dinner With Madonna (1991, 30 minutes) - with a new intro from Kurt Loder
No Bull! The Making Of "Take a Bow" (1994, 1 hour)
Madonna's "Bedtime Story" Pajama Party (1995, 1 hour)

https://i.imgur.com/jHKxNV1.png

[Nancy.]

77iMJLUpmAw

[Nancy.]

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-soUEd2ww_tI/VnvWjERp3TI/AAAAAAAAcsQ/wdew8eq8PI0/s1600/Arena%2BUK%2BJanuary%2B-%2BFebruary%2B1999%2BLuis%2BSanchis%2Bpreview%2B40 0.jpg

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And Still I Rise – A meeting with Madonna : The Last Pop Giant On Earth

On a Sunday afternoon in October Madonna leaves her apartment on Manhattan’s Upper West Side and stands in the street. It is unseasonably warm – T-shirt weather in fall – and she has, she thinks, never been happier than the day before when she celebrated her daughter’s second birthday by holding a party at which a group of teenage Insian girls performed traditional dance. She approves of dance as an element in her daughter’s development; it encourages her to be creative, expressive, free. Anyway, to cut a long story short, she has lent her car to the indian girls to get them to the airport. She wants them to be taken care of.

Which is why she is standing in the street trying to hail a cab. The minutes tick by and she looks at her watch. She doesn’t like being late for appointments, she’s insistent on that: act professionally, do your job, even the bits you don’t especially like. Cabs come by, but only with passengers in the back. Even if you’re Madonna, and everyone knows your face as well as you do yourself, sometimes a beacon of yellow light just doesn’t come over the horizon. Imagine! The Most Famous Woman In The World, The Last Pop Giant On Earth, forlornly standing at the kerb waiting for her luck to change. The minutes tick by and, goddamit, there’s no cab in sight. The warm weather means there are a lot of people on the street and – Ohmygod! Isn’t that Madonna?! – her famous person’s disguise of black sunglasses wears thin. She’s rumbled. In the quarter-hour she’s on the street she is accosted by maybe 20 people. She loses count. Still no cab. She’d like to run. She’s been running all her life, these days mostly from what she calls her ‘demons’.

For years she ran from a middle-class, Middle-American upbringing in search of fame, chased it relentlessly and now, aged 40, she can’t get away, it defines her, possesses her. But she hatches plots and schemes to escape its clutches, to operate in a private space, finds way to work some much needed freedom. She is, if nothing else, her own woman.

The cavalry arrives. She jumps in and the car takes her off downtown. Maybe the driver recognizes her, maybe he doesn’t, this woman who has engineered herself so intensely through constant purposeful intervention. But it hardly matters, she is a person that we all think we know so intimately, so excessively – nakedly even – that we think that maybe there;s nothing else to know, no need for further familiarity. Madonna knows better than this, she knows that we hardly know her at all.

‘I ran to the lakes / And up to the hill / I ran and I ran / I’m looking there still / And I smelt her burning flesh… / Her decay / I ran and I ran / I’m still running today’ from ‘Mer Girl’ by Madonna

Madonna: For me [the] running is running from the idea of death, facing my own demons, facing my mother’s death and dealing with… whatever. People get obsessed by the idea of fame and being acknowledged by people and having approval and all these things for any number of mostly unhealthy reasons. So if you do start to better yourself you have to figure that one out – why? What is it that I’m looking for ultimately? What is it that I want? Why am I here? And so the running is a symbolic running really, from the truth of not wanting to face myself. Running from fear, running from being alone, running from being abandoned. All of these things.

Isn’t the only reason you’re now confronting these kind of existential questions because you’re successful and materially fulfilled?

Madonna: But the things I’m thinking about are deep and profound. [They’re] not easy things to think about. In fact it’s quite the reverse. What I was thinking about and doing was much simpler, you know? To really, really try to figure things out, to go deep and examine myself and really say ‘OK, why am I here? Why is anyone here? What is my purpose?’ There’s nothing easy about it.

Why are we here?

Madonna: [laughs] I don’t think that’s something anyone can tell another person. Do you know what I mean? Because everyone is here for a different reason, but I don’t think we’re put on this earth just to work hard, earn a lot of money and die.

What is the purpose of Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone and her costumed, carnival pop life? This is a question she is currently in the process (as she is most likely to describe it) of trying to fathom, 16 years on from her first success in the New York clubs and a belt that read ‘Boy Toy’. To be sure Madonna is alone. There’s no one else left. The pantheon of Eighties pop stars who could rock a stadium from Rome to Rio has been sacked, its false idols collapsed or worn down by time. Madonna, the first woman to fill a stadium, knows this, although she tries not to think about it too much, tries to keep moving, and has been vindicated – 1998 has been a good year for her. She has released an album, Ray Of Light, which was enthusiastically received by press and public alike, the single ‘Ray Of Light’ swept the board at the MTV Video Music Awards, and she received a Lifetime Achievement Award from music channel VH1, although she picks awards up for just getting out of bed these days. Ray Of Light, which has now sold over eight million copies worldwide, saw her team up with English producer William Orbit to create fluid soundscapes that provide a lush backdrop and rhythmic mantra to what is lyrically a rawer, more vulnerable Madonna. ‘I hadn’t worked with her before,’ says Orbit. ‘But Ray Of Light was clearly very personal. She was really laying it bare.’

The opening line of the album ‘I traded fame for love’ suggests that she now has a more intricate relationship with her fame than ever before, although to speak of fame to Madonna is like asking someone who has lived with a condition for so long to see themselves anew. When asked about it she slips into the impersonal, as if fame were a universal experience, something we have all undergone.

‘Fame does a funny thing to you,’ she says. ‘Everyone thinks that they know you. Perfect strangers coming up to you and asking very personal things and touching you and taking liberties and asking you for thing. And if you weren’t famous then people would have too good manners to actually do those kind of things. Even though everyone’s paying attention to you, actually they don’t know you at all, which you feel just kind of exaggerates everything.’

Maybe this is modesty, shying away from the funereal toll of the subjective pronoun through defence. maybe it’s more than that – a separation of the person who brushes her teeth and has a daily disco with her daughter from the pop Frankenstein that she has created. Maybe it’s the way a middle-class girl from Michigan who took New York before conquering the world copes by putting some distance between the person she still is (or at least the person she feels she is) and the person she always wanted to be. Like many, she thought that fame would make her complete, furnish her as whole. What she discovered was that performing on a stage in front of 100,000 hysterical people can be as lonely as anything you can imagine.

She has been driven at speed through the Place de l’Alma underpass in Paris where Diana’s car crashed, has been pursued by paparazzi through the gloomy expense. There were mutterings when she was staying in London last March that photographers tried to flush her out of her hotel by setting off a fire alarm, nevertheless she concedes that the press, particularly in London, has given her a bit more room since Diana’s death and dismisses any suggestion that the video to her single ‘Substitute For Love’ , in which she is hounded by photographers in London, is in any way a reference to Diana’s death. ‘I was kind of confused and bewildered that people were drawing those kind of comparisons because that’s my life. I get chased by paparazzi to, and why people said I was trying to imitate her I don’t know. It really was like a night in the life of me.’

I ask her how it feels, now that Diana is dead, to be the most recognizable female face on the planet.

‘Really?’ she says. It’s odd that she appears not to have thought about this before, to have prepared a stock answer for a not unsurprising question. She stares into space for a few seconds as if trying yo think of someone else more famous. Really famous. Madonna famous. ‘It just seems so absurd,’ she says, eventually and not unkindly. ‘Anyway, it’s pretty strange thing to sit and think about: “I’m the most famous woman in the world.”‘

Maybe not; not if you’re Madonna. Fame is the defining aspect of her life – more than her music, or style, or movies she will be remembered for being one of the most relentlessly self-realized people of the century. Along with Monroe and Ali, Madonna will be remembered for defining the times by inventing and changing and promoting herself and ambition and, in so doing providing us with a way of understanding ourselves and remembering what we used to dance to, who we used to be.

Do you think about your own death?

Madonna: All the time.

Why?

Madonna: Why not?

Because it’s morbid and might depress you.

Madonna: It depends on how you look at it. If you start practising yoga the whole idea is that you learn detachment and ultimately this is preparation for your death, and so you can’t help but thinking about death. There are actual positions in yoga that activate a feeling in you that supposedly – and this is based in ancient Vedic text – is very similar to the fear that you experience when you’re facing your death. And the idea is to bring yourself closer and closer to that feeling and actually make yourself really comfortable with it.

So the idea is not to fear death…

Madonna: Yeah, exactly. Which I still do. But I’m more comfortable with the idea of thinking about it. I mean, I grew up… [this seems a little difficult for her, she halts slightly]… I grew up incredibly fearful of death and obsessed with it because my mother died when I was so young, so I was very fixated on the idea.

How would you like to die?

Madonna: Really. I’d like to die ready.

Famously, Madonna smells nice. She first appears from the gloom of the concrete-and-steel hotel lobby, her face glowing pale. She wears a black ribbed jumper, loose trousers, black-wedged Spice Girls shoes. She is petite – even the Most Famous Woman In The World is smaller than you thought! – frailer even, although the body is athletic, all business. The shoulders are square, the walk, rangy and loose-hipped. The walk of an athlete. We sit down and mmmmm! – doesn’t she smell good? We sit in a circular room lined with padded faux leather. Perched on a stool Madonna leans against the wall. The lights are dimmed and the air conditioning is on too high. The room is separated from the rest of the lobby by a velvet rope. (Madonna spends more time than she would perhaps like in private nooks and dens and fuselages that you and I will never see.)

The face is fragile. It’s not conventionally beautiful, but unexpectedly beautiful, like a painting that starts to reveal itself the more you look at it. She looks at you sometimes, and although you’ve seen the face a thousand – no, many more – times before there is much about it that you haven’t taken in. The greenness of her eyes, for instance, which contrast dramatically with her pale face. She looks better with dark- or honey-coloured hair than she did in her peroxide days when it seemed she would do anything to shoehorn herself into the vestiges of *****-me pop stardom.

She knows that all the things that you have read about her are mostly false. What is true is that Ray Of Light affirms the belief that she’s at her best when she’s riding the prevailing cultural mood, when she is in harmony rather than discordant, truculent troubled, as she seemed to be at the start of this decade when she reached a personal law after releasing Erotica, publishing Sex, and suffering poor reviews for the Movie Body Of Evidence during 1992. She is not the kind of person to let things creep up slowly upon her, so we must deduce that Sex was an attempt of a kind to engage us in some kind of discourse.

‘I see a lot of things I did in my Sex book now in advertising and I think, well, I was happy to get the **** kicked out of me so that you guys could have this freedom.’ she says, laughing long and hard.

There was a part of you that wanted to provoke?

‘Yeah, absolutely’

Why? Because you wanted to change things? Because you felt that America needed it?

‘Because I was dealing with my own demons.’ she says. ‘Because I couldn’t deal with the fact that people were constantly saying, “Oh, she’s sext and she’s this and that, but she doesn’t have any talent.” And it really irked me that you couldn’t be a, you know, sexually provocative creature and intelligent at the same time. So I went to the extreme and pushed the envelope to kind of prove to myself more than anything that that was bull****.’

And you think that you achieved that?

‘Yeah. Uh huh.’

Do you feel like you’ve changed things for women?

‘Yeah. I sort of lived out a lot of things that they wanted to do,’ she says. ‘ You have to go through a process. I sort of grew up in public. I went through a whole period of saying, “***** you, I will wear what I want to wear and act in a way I want to act and I will grab my crotch if I want to and I will say ***** on TV and I will do all the things that men are allowed to do and you’re just going to have to deal with it.” And that was me trying to figure things out, because ultimately a lot of women are very different, and you don’t have to act like a slovenly pig [laughs] to get respect. But you do have to go through things. I grew up in a very repressed home, in a very strict kind of Puritan family environment and, in a way, America is that way too. So, you know, you have to get to the other side and everyone has to go through their form of rebellion to figure out that they didn’t actually have to do so much kicking and flailing.’

Do you think that you provoke such a string reaction because America doesn’t like the idea of a woman being sexually liberated?

‘Or anyone being liberated. I mean look at what they’ve done to President Clinton. [She takes on a stern English voice] We do not have sex in America.’

Not with interns.

‘Not with cigars.’

She is famous for having sex. With men, with women, with herself. She has sex with the famous, and people become famous for having sex with her, but the fact remains that she cannot have sex with anyone more famous than her. Not anymore. Mostly she cannot meet anyone who has not seen her naked. She practices yoga for two hours a day and doesn’t eat lunch but returns phone calls instead. She has revealed herself to us intimately in a book and in the movies, but rarely in interviews. To read interviews with Madonna is to encounter a set of different women, all of them smart and talented, but some waspish, other compliant; some warm, other distant. She is bored easily and likes to be active. Madonna likes to do things and some of these things get her into trouble of a kind. At times she has offered us hope and a belief in the power of self-creation and at others she reminds us that getting what you want, arriving at a place of your own conception, can offer as bleak a vista as any.

She is wary of being misunderstood, even though she talks eloquently and at length and favours explanation over occlusion. She changes her opinions just like normal folk, and maybe just because she might have heard a question before. She uses a lot of British vernacular, including the word ‘bollocks’, and is the only American who can say the word ‘wanker’ without making a fool of herself. She looks like a woman of 40, which is just fine, because this is her age and she is The Last Pop Giant On Earth. She has never known the zero-degree freeze of failure.

But she does know what it is to feel alone, to feel pain. And having a child has both alleviated and exacerbated this. We talk about mortality and she says: ‘I was thinking about that the other day. I was carrying my daughter to bed, and I just thought some day she’s going to be a very old woman and someone’s going to be carrying her. And the thought just devastated me.’

Listening to taped of our conversation over the following weeks I am struck by the number of time she yolks intimacy and death.

She has a reputation for control, or wanting to control, although I suspect that much of this is down to the fact that she is powerful woman and women are not allowed to be powerful unless they are also perceived to be manipulative. Men often fear her. She had not be sanctified like a Diana, Jackie or a Marilyn., but then she is no victim and is big enough to make her own errors, of which there has been more than one. Clearly there are parts of her life, namely her work, over which she still insists on exerting almost total mastery, but there are other areas where she feels freer. We talk about the song ‘The Power Of Good Bye’.

‘It’s about not wasting so much energy,’ she says. ‘It’s really about accepting [things] and the freedom that it gives you. I did waste a lot of time trying to hold on things and control things. The song is also about facing death because ending a relationship is a kind of death – that’s why it’s so hard to break up with people. If you become emotionally intertwined with someone else it is a kind of small death in a way.

‘So, you know, it all leads to the same place – fear of the unknown, fear of letting go, facing your own death. All of that is connected to the idea that life does go on and the reason that people don’t want to let go of people or things is because they see everything as finite. But, in fact, I don’t believe that is true. And if you can embrace that then saying goodbye to things can be very empowering.’

In her answers he uses the language of self-help a great deal, talking of ’empowerment’, ‘the growing process’, and ‘the next place’. She is clear that music is central to her own ‘development’ and throws her guard up sharply when it’s suggested that the fickle nature of pop music might not be a place for a grown woman.

‘Am I a grown woman?’ she asks.

You’ve turned 40, so society would say you’ve grown up.

‘So? That’s bourgeois society. I’m not interested in that.’

So you’re going to continue to do everything on your own terms.

‘Why not? I mean the thing is I do think that what I do is art. And does an artist, does the creative, you know, mind turn off at 40? Did Picasso stop painting at 40, youknowadimean?’

Are you still going to be having number one records when you’re 50? 60?

‘I don’t know. But, you see, that’s not how I define myself.’

Have you lived the best life you could have had?

‘Yes,’ she says without equivocation, without a doubt.

Her life, its actions and meaning has been the subject of much conjecture that she will never know or care about. From trashy cobbled-together supermarket biographies to a volume dedicated solely to dreams about her, there is much to read if you wish to experience the full gamut of opinion. The internet makes scary reading. (‘Hey Madonna whats up [sic]… I’m not some freako that wants to stick a dildo up your ass or something. I’m a little Asian girl that would love to chill with you some time,’ is just one gem.) Of little greater worth is the furious debate conducted by feminist academics as to the effect she had had upon womankind…

Once, her life was private.

Madonna was born in Bay City, Michigan, the eldest of eight children. Her father, Tony, was an engineer at Chrysler, her mother, whose name she was given, a housewife. Later the family was to move south to Pontiac where she shared a room with two sisters. As a girl Madonna spent her summers working in her father’s vegetable garden weeding and spraying insecticide, or she was sent to her grandparents’ house in Pennsylvania where she would be expected to work on the house and garden. The regime was rooted in instilling a work ethic: church before school, housework that was assigned by her dad’s chore chart, and no TV. (This, incidentally, is her top tip for successful parenthood: no TV.) Madonna was expected to defrost the freezer, wash the dishes, baby sit, vacuum. She was a voracious reader and loved the stories her mother told her about a garden involving vegetables and a rabbit.

The family was devoutly Catholic. On Good Friday her mother would place a purple cloth over all the religious pictures and statues in the house. This was before she fell ill with breast cancer, which would take her life when Madonna was six. Like many children who lose parent, Madonna expected her mother to return. But nobody talked about it. For years it seemed that way. Three years later her father married again, this time to the family housekeeper whom Madonna never acknowledged as a mother.

She learned to dance to get out of the piano lessons that her father insisted the children took. ‘I loathed sitting still,’ she says. ‘[Dancing] gave me a sense of belonging. I was very derailed by my mother’s death and I never really felt I fitted in very much at school and things like that. When I started to dance it meant that I was good at something. It made me feel special, so it helped my confidence.’

Like many provincial teenagers she knew that she would leave for the big city as quickly as she could. She says that she knew she wanted to leave Michigan from the age of five. She lasted one term at her home-state university on a dance scholarship. Her heart wasn’t in it. Even though she’d never visited, there was really only one place for her: New York, the true home of the ambitious.

She arrived, in her late teens, at La Guardia airport and took a taxi to Times Square. She had no money or connections and lived hand to mouth, eventually settling in a tenement on the Lower East Side at 4th and Avenue B. Every weekend she went clubbing in search of A&R personnel and DJs who might be able to assist her career. She recalls dancing to ‘Don’t You Want Me’ by the Human League at New York’s famous Danceteria club.

‘I didn’t know what I was going to become,’ she says when asked if it ever crossed her mind that she might fail, ‘but I knew that I was good at what I did. When I came to New York I wanted to be a dancer and I had an enormous amount of confidence in that area.’ Her voice hardens a little. ‘I didn’t have any choice because I wasn’t going back to Michigan. So, for me, there was just no way that I was leaving. I was just going to stay in New York and learn how to survive. How that manifested itself I didn’t know.’

Enamoured by New York nightlife, she met people who could help her career and befriended influential DJ Mark Kamins who, after being impressed by a cassette of her music, produced the singles ‘Everybody’ and ‘Burning Up’ which brought Madonna her first success in the dance charts. On the strength of this she was signed to Sire records and released ‘Holiday’ which was produced by Jellybean Benitez and hit the top spot in the US dance charts before crossing over to become a worldwide hit in 1983. When she first arrived in the public realm, she seemed like nothing more than a cute little pop missile of the month. This was not the case. At 25, she was an adult, which perhaps partly explains the longevity of her career: she had fought, struggled and experienced much before tasting success. This was no overnight thing, no teen sensation.

With her first royalty cheque she bought a synthesizer and a bike which she had to carry up all six flights to her new apartment, a loft on Broome and West Broadway. Deep down she also carried much resentment about her family, was often unhappy and relied greatly on music, which she had written was ‘a vehicle for transcending misery (the story of my life)’ to get her through thin times. Prince’s ‘When Doves Cry’ meant a great deal to her. Yet, within five years, she had made two of the definitive pop albums of the decade – True Blue in 1986, and Like A Prayer in 1989 – creating a world of opposites and attraction, the plus and minis, the virgin and *****, which sparked a change of electricity that ran up and down the spine of pop culture. She understood the power of image on a way that only Michael jackson had done before, starring in elaborate theatrical videos that introduced her to a global market via TV. In 1989 her video for ‘Like a Prayer’ was censured by the Vatican, but no matter, she was off and running, working like a bastard, touring, recording, acting. This is the story of her life: she believes that the important things must be earned, must be learned.

She has never stopped and talks about needing to make another album, going back on the road again. Her work has been her passion even though she has realized she might never get the recognition from her father that she once craved.

His favorite female artist is Celine Dion.

Still, she has dreams. She says she dreams about all kinds of things, works out her demons (that phrase again) dreaming about her past, dreaming about her daughter. She dreams of those who make a strong impression on her and dreamed of Sharon Stone, of Courtney Love. recently she went to see some musicians playing ancient instruments. One of them played a device that was shaped like a gourd, with three strings on it. beneath there were 32 minute strings which resonated when a bow was drawn across it. ‘He was sitting in the lotus position and I was completely fascinated by him,’ she says. ‘There was something that looked really fragile about him, like he was going to kick the bucket any moment, but also something really magical and powerful. He seemed otherworldly to me. He was completely detached from everyone in the room and all the other musicians.’

That night Madonna had a dream. She dreamt that the man could fly. ‘I want you to fly,’ she said to him. ‘I know you can fly, and I want you to show me.’

The man was irritated by the request. He didn’t want to have to prove his powers. he wanted Madonna to have faith. But Madonna wanted to see him do it and she got her way. The man lifted off the ground hovering above her, flying around.

She believes that dreams are a way of communicating, that when we sleep we ‘plug into some kind of universal memory bank’, that the physical world is only ‘one per cent of what’s actually going on out there’. She tells a story in which she was staying at a friend’s house and had a dream about having to beat rats off. In the morning she discovered that someone else sleeping in the same house had to leave a retreat because of a rat infestation.

‘I am 100 per cent sure that I was visited by someone in my dreams last night,’ she says.

Who?

‘I don’t want to talk about it. You know when you do an interview, I don’t want to bring up names. But I think that happens all the time.’ She pauses. ‘And now you’re sure I’m completely bonkers.’

Bonkers, no, although her search for spiritual enlightenment had led her, once again, to be put in the pillory, this time for flirting with panacea merchants and gurus who claim to administer parts of the future as well as a number of different organized religions. She has used Catholic iconography, explored Buddhism and is now studying Kabbala, an ancient Jewish mystical tradition.

‘I subscribe to the school of being incredibly well informed before buying into things,’ she says. ‘I’m not just jumping on a bandwagon going, “Vote for that person”. It’s about experience.’

What do you get from Kabbalah?

‘Looking at my life from a different perspective,’ she says. ‘Studying comparative religions in general, the mystical interpretation of any text is going to be interesting and fascinating and going to have some truth that you can relate to. The whole thing about spirituality is that at the end of the day everyone thinks you’re a wanker and you’ve lost your marbles and trivialises it. The fact is that it’s hard to explain. It is very personal. And, you know, you change your mind all the time to. So, that’s the other thing – I don’t want to commit to anything.’

Which has been the case, in greater or smaller measure in other aspects of her life. She has yet to find an enduring love, although has a daughter and the memory of her mother looms large. In 1985 she married actor Sean Penn while 13 news helicopters hovered above them. By 1989 the marriage was over, and although she has referred to Penn as her ‘one true love’ you suspect that still the most overpowering relationship she has had has been with her own fame.

Maybe she will never see her for what she is, never be able to properly make out what is in her heart, so we choose to interpret her as a woman in cast-iron balls, the girl who asked for everything and got it, and by the same token forever prejudiced her relationship with humankind. Or most of it, for occasionally, she meets people who have no idea who she is. A few weeks before she had gone to watch a performance by a group of Indian musicians and singers. She slipped into the room with no fuss and sat and watched the performance. Afterwards they approached her and asked her who she was, what did she do? The man who had invited Madonna told them she liked to sing. ‘Oh, you’re a singer!’ the musician said. ‘That’s wonderful.’

Her voice quietens a little, when she tells the story, although it is laden with pleasure. “They were just relating to me as a human being,’ she says. ‘And I liked it. It was nice.’

Someone else who relates to Madonna as a human being, specifically a mother, is her daughter Lourdes, who was born by Caesarean section weighing 6lb 9oz in October 1969. Named after the most celebrated Christian healing shrine, Lourdes has offered her mother catharsis of a kind. “The great thing about having children,’ she says, ‘is that for the most part it turns us back into human beings.’ Having a daughter has caused her to think about her own mother’s death, to confront pain she has carried around for a lifetime and write about it explicitly in songs like ‘Mer Girl’.

There’s nothing like having a baby to make you face your own… mortality or immortality or however you want to look at it,’ she says.

When the birth was imminent, photographers stalked out every maternity ward in beverly Hills in pursuit of the $350,000 reward offered for the first shot of the baby. With that in mind, can Madonna offer her daughter a life with a semblance of normality?

‘I think it’s going to be gradual,’ she says. ‘She comes and she watches me rehearse for things, and she watches me on stage, and she watches me shooting things, and she watches me on stage, and she watches me shooting things, and I think she’s very clear that what I do for living very expressive, music has a lot to do with it. She sees what’s going on. So when she sees me on stage she just thinks I’m being silly, which I occasionally am being. So it’s not going to come as big shock when she grows up one day and realises thatI’m an icon, as you say.’

What’s been the most surprising thing about motherhood?

‘How much I could love something,’ she says. ‘That’s been the most incredible… You say that you feel it with other people, with lovers and such, but you just can’t imagine it.’

Lovers and such. If Madonna had as many lovers as catalogued in the press then she would be hard pressed to achieve mush else. What we know is that Lourdes’ father is Carlos Leon, as personal trainer who was 29 when the pair met in Central park. There have, reportedly, been other men since the birth of Lourdes, although Leon, who has seven per cent body fat, remains close to both of them.

Then there is the personal fortune of around $200 million and her successful record label Maverick, set up in April 1992 by Madonna’s ex-manager Freddy DeMann and of which she is enormously proud. According to the contract, Madonna must come up with seven albums, each of which receives an advance of $5 million as well as offering a platform for books, movies and other recording artists. Warner Bros has a 50 per cent stake in the company. There were teething problems. Maverick’s first project was Sex, its first music signing, Proper Grounds, disappeared without a trance, and its attempt to sign Hole got a famous finger from Courtney Love. But in 1994 everything changed when Maverick signed Alanis Morissette whose Jagged Little Pill sold in excess of 25 million copies. And when America woke up to the enormous success of The prodigy it was Maverick who secured the rights to distribute them there. With a long, sharp laugh she says that the main thing she has learned from Maverick is ‘what a pain in the ass artists are’.

Surely not.

‘Oh God. All I think about is: “God, if I was as rude to my record company as these people are to us…” It’s unbelievable.’

I ask how Maverick changed her relationship with Warner Bros. ‘They’re still buggers to me,’ she says. ‘They still treat me like… Ugh! Fahgeddit! I don’t want to even go there! Warner Bros still act like I still have to prove myself. After all the records I’ve sold for them, the success of the label, you have no idea. I mean Guy, my partner and I, we scratch our heads every day, we think they should be kissing our asses.’

She says that at the moment she’s happiest when she’s in London, where she is currently looking for a home. She has sold up in LA after a stalker, Robert Dewey Hoskins threatened to slash her throat and twice broke into her estate. The second time he was shot and wounded by one of Madonna’s bodyguards, and was sent down for ten years last March. Currently she is in New York where she lives near Central Park in the duplex where Warren Beatty famously accused her of not wanting to live off-camera. She has no photos of herself but an art collection, including a Picasso, a Leger and a Basquiat, which she has described as her most prized possession (she dated Basquiat and when they split he demanded she return the paintings he’d given her). It’s at this apartment that William Orbit one day appeared fresh off a plane with a bag of cassettes which he tipped out on the floor and rummaged among to find what might become the sound for her new album. There is also a picture of Muhammad Ali inscribed: ‘To Madonna. We Are The Greatest’.

Strange rumours occasionally surface. My favorite featured a visit last year to a pet psychiatrist when Madonna’s Chihuahua, Chiquita, was acting up. The amazing diagnosis was that the animal had become jealous of her daughter. Madonna does not have a favourite piece of newspaper tittle-tattle, finds most of it ‘tiresome’ and is quietly resentful of the suggestions made in some areas of the media that she was an unsuitable parent when it was announced that she was pregnant. ‘That was annoying,’ she says dryly and in a way that makes you understand the extent to which it pained her.

She does not like to be called a pop star, preferring instead the phrase ‘performing artist’. I suggest that despite the acres of newsprint devoted to her and the best efforts of our telephoto democracy she has survived relatively unscathed. She lets loose a big, breathy laugh and hunches a little. ‘Relatively,’ she says, by way of qualification. ‘Well, I am resilient, I’ll give myself that.’

Why are you [still] doing it?

‘Because I have something to say,’ she replies firmly. ‘It’s a growing process for me. An adventure.’

Ray Of Light suggests that Madonna has regained her understanding of the moment. When her last album, Something To Remember, was released in November 1995, she complained that ‘very little attention gets paid to my music’. And while the collection had its attractions it was clear that this kind of brawny balladeering should be left to the caged imaginations of the Celines, Mariahs and Whitneys. In one album we saw what Madonna, God forbid, might become: a twenty-first-century Barbra Streisand.

It’s not a pretty thought, admittedly, but at least it offers some perspective on Madonna’s core talent: Persistently staying in touch, mirroring and exploiting the fault lines of contemporary culture, in essence staying interested, giving us what we want.

You ask the woman whose life is a work in progress, if she has a motto. ‘Champagne for my real friends and real pain for my sham friends,’ she laughs. It’s a line from John Maybury’s biopic of Francis Bacon, Love Is The Devil. It makes her laugh. She says it’s ‘the mutt’s nuts’ which is as good a piece of vernacular as you’re likely to pick up all week. She won’t tell me a joke though, she says she never remembers them. And I don’t tell her a joke. She just won’t get it.

The afternoon has passed and Madonna’s answers are shorter. She is tired of accounting for herself and maybe even a little bored. The voice that we have lived with almost as long as she has, fades with the daylight. She smiles and it occurs to me that while she may sometimes feel lonely, she is never really alone for we measure ourselves against her journey, her extraordinary vault from the humdrum to the universal. And what a life, what a face. She has lived with it and she will surely die with it. But she’s alright with that. She’ll be ready.

[Nancy.]

Love it when Madonna dresses in multicolour...

https://image.ibb.co/gHee2n/Captre.jpg

[Pete.]

What’s this about a Ray of Light tour :omgno:

[Nancy.]

What’s this about a Ray of Light tour :omgno:

Madonna's manager said on IG that he'd like her to perform the whole album on tour like U2 did with the Joshua Tree, but she is busy with her MDNA skin range and making plans for the next album, so a ROL tour probably won't happen. Sadly.

[Nancy.]

https://pagesix.com/2018/03/05/madonnas-oscars-bash-is-still-the-best-party-in-hollywood/

Madonna’s Oscars bash is still the best party in Hollywood

March 5, 2018 | 8:48pm

Madonna’s party is still indisputably the place to be on Oscar night.

The legendary bash was still raging at 5 a.m. after the ceremony.

Sources told us the Material Girl — dressed in a leather dominatrix outfit, naturally, which matched the servers — was spotted dancing with newly minted Oscar winner Sam Rockwell and nominee Margot Robbie.

Others at the party, held at Madge’s manager Guy Oseary’s mansion, included Jennifer Lawrence, Leo DiCaprio, Timothée Chalamet, Amy Adams, Chelsea Handler, Jennifer Aniston, Paris Jackson, Ashton Kutcher, Mila Kunis, Emma Stone, Greta Gerwig, Bradley Cooper, Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth.

Cardi B performed.

“Hottest after-after-party by far,” gushed a guest.

[Nicky91]

:clap1: legend

[Nancy.]

Omg, she's officially recording....

https://image.ibb.co/m2K2Hn/Capture.jpg

https://image.ibb.co/fp1JOS/eere.jpg

:cheer2::dance::cheer2::dance::cheer2:

[Nancy.]

https://i.imgur.com/5BbPV7Y.jpg

[Nancy.]

https://image.ibb.co/cnXTq7/po.jpg

[Nancy.]

http://forums.madonnanation.com/uploads/monthly_2018_03/Ssf.png.17a56d25fdd348ea6b1fd93b644dd0c7.png

[Nancy.]

...setting up the studio for M.

https://image.ibb.co/mVEExn/Capturl.jpg

https://image.ibb.co/nJs9xn/Capture.jpg

[Nancy.]

Meet the superfan with a $2 million Madonna collection


https://au.news.yahoo.com/the-morning-show/video/watch/39478020/meet-the-superfan-with-a-2-million-madonna-collection/?cmp=st

Wow...what a collection.

[Fetch The Bolt Cutters]

i’ve been OBSESSED with the superior kelly osbourne version of papa don’t preach lately

8BYNHfVySwQ

https://i.imgur.com/JcQhij8.gif

[Marsh.]

Not Kelly. :joker:

[Nancy.]

Rebel Heart is 3 years old today. Doesn't seem that long at all.

https://media.timeout.com/images/102080259/630/472/image.jpg


Two events have blighted the release of Madonna’s thirteenth album. One, obviously, was her spectacular tumble at The Brits, but another was the online leak in December of 13 demos earmarked for the record. So in a perverse way, it’s fitting that ‘Rebel Heart’ feels like a Madonna album for the internet era. Available in editions with 14, 19 or 25 tracks, it’s a disparate, drawn-out collection that’s begging to be condensed into shorter playlists.

No matter which version you buy, you’ll find Madonna alternating between showing off, getting off and taking stock. On ‘Holy Water’ – a brilliantly ridiculous hymn to cunnilingus – she manages all three on the same song, dropping a reference to her classic hit ‘Vogue’ and boasting that either Jesus or Yeezus ‘loves my pussy best’. Her voice is so heavily distorted that it’s left to us to decide whether she’s taunting the Vatican or Kim Kardashian.

Some of the sassy stuff is excellent, especially the catchy, trap-tinged ‘Iconic’ and defiant dancehall of ‘Unapologetic Bitch’, on which Madonna tells a selfish ex-boyfriend: ‘I’m poppin’ bottles that you can’t even afford.’ The house-flavoured lead single ‘Living for Love’ is also a highlight, its resilient lyrics gaining additional pathos following last night’s already legendary mishap. ‘Lifted me up and watched me stumble,’ Madonna sings. ‘I’m gonna carry on.’

But ‘Rebel Heart’s very best moments come when Madonna gets reflective. She shows her vulnerable side on ‘Joan of Arc’, a sublime electro-folk ballad, while the affecting title track finds her confronting her past as a ‘narcissist’ over some wistful acoustic guitar chords.

It all adds up to a sprawling and varied selection box that’s definitely worth cherry-picking from. ‘Rebel Heart’ may lack cohesion, but she’s definitely not down for the count: this contains some of the best music Madonna’s made in a decade.

[Nancy.]

http://www.madonnadiscography.pl/CMS/ARTICLES_2015/Blog/RebelHeartMarch20157.jpg

http://www.1stopmadonnashop.com/ekmps/shops/1stopshop/images/rebel-heart-usa-asia-super-deluxe-edition-2x-cd-album-[4]-4407-p.png

http://news.madonnatribe.com/i_01/rh-04.jpg

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-np5CWKD8cl0/VPhUf10xmoI/AAAAAAAATJI/wgg4h28Gtak/s1600/rh-01.jpg

[Nancy.]

u9h7Teiyvc8

GgDxv0Qg_Rg

7hPMmzKs62w

[Nancy.]

https://image.ibb.co/cTgyCx/Cvng_SG2_VMAI7_IDz.jpg

[Nancy.]

GOLDEN GLOBE AND GRAMMY AWARD-WINNING GLOBAL ICON MADONNA TAKES FIRST POSITION TO DIRECT MICHAELA DEPRINCE’S MEMOIR

‘TAKING FLIGHT’ FOR MGM

Los Angeles (March 13, 2018) – Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures (MGM) announced today Golden Globe and Grammy Award winning global icon Madonna (W.E.) is set to direct Taking Flight, based on Michaela DePrince and Elaine DePrince’s Random House Children’s memoir Taking Flight: From War Orphan to Star Ballerina. The announcement was made by Jonathan Glickman, President, Motion Picture Group, MGM.

Camilla Blackett (Fresh Off the Boat, New Girl) will adapt the screenplay for Taking Flight, which follows DePrince’s life as an orphan in war-torn Sierra Leone as she overcomes great odds to become a world- famous ballerina. DePrince was featured in the 2012 ballet documentary First Position and later debuted as a professional dancer at the age of 17 in the Joburg Ballet in South Africa. She appeared in Beyonce’s 2016 cultural phenomenon “Lemonade” and is currently a soloist at the Dutch National Ballet.

Madonna made her directing debut on 2008’s Filth and Wisdom, a comedy centered on three flatmates living desperate lives in London which she co-wrote with Dan Cadan. She also directed and co-wrote 2011’s W.E. alongside Alek Keshishian. The drama chronicled the relationship between British King Edward VIII and American divorcee Wallis Simpson. Her upcoming projects include co-writing and directing a film adaptation of Andrew Sean Greer's novel, The Impossible Lives of Greta Wells. Tentatively titled Loved, the film portrays the protagonist's relationship with her gay twin brother. She produced and wrote I Am Because We Are, a documentary looking into the lives of Malawi's over one million orphans in the wake of the AIDS pandemic.

A master of personal and professional reinvention, Madonna is the highest-selling female recording artist of all time. She has sold more than 300 million albums worldwide and has won over 200 awards including seven Grammy Awards, two Golden Globes Awards and two Brit Awards.

Glickman said, “We could not be more thrilled that Madonna will bring this remarkable story to the big screen. There is no director better suited to tell Michaela’s journey with passion and sensitivity, and we cannot wait to bring this film to audiences all around the world.”

Madonna said, “Michaela’s journey resonated with me deeply as both an artist and an activist who understands adversity,” said Madonna. “We have a unique opportunity to shed light on Sierra Leone and let Michaela be the voice for all the orphaned children she grew up beside. I am honored to bring her story to life.”

Alloy Entertainment’s Leslie Morgenstein and Elysa Koplovitz Dutton will produce alongside Ben Pugh and Guy Oseary. Glickman and Tabitha Shick, MGM’s Executive Director of Worldwide Motion Pictures, are overseeing the project on behalf of the studio.

“We were immediately awestruck by Michaela’s journey and know Madonna’s vision and passion for the material will deliver a film that inspires audiences everywhere,” said Les Morgenstein.

MGM has had a successful track record adapting books to screen, most recently with Warner Bros. Pictures on the romantic drama Everything, Everything, based on Nicola Yoon’s best-selling novel and produced by Alloy Entertainment; Me Before You, based on Jojo Moyes’ international best-seller, which went on to gross $200 million worldwide with Warner Bros. Pictures; If I Stay, based on the young adult best-seller from Gayle Forman, which went on to do well at the box office with Warner Bros. Pictures and New Line. Warner Bros. Pictures, MGM and Alloy Entertainment are currently in pre-production on The Sun Is Also A Star, based on the bestselling YA novel by Nicola Yoon, directed by Ry Russo-Young and starring Yara Shahidi.

MGM’s upcoming 2018 slate includes: The Hustle, a hilarious new comedy about two female scam artists, one low rent and the other high class, who compete to swindle a naive tech billionaire out of his fortune starring Academy Award winner Anne Hathaway and Rebel Wilson, will release in theaters on June 29; Fighting With My Family, a comedy-drama written and directed by Stephen Merchant, based on the true personal story of WWE Superstar PaigeTM and her family of professional wrestlers, starring Florence Pugh, Vince Vaughn and Dwayne Johnson, will release in U.S. theaters on September 14; Operation Finale, directed by Chris Weitz and starring Golden Globe Winner Oscar Isaac and Academy Award Winner Ben Kingsley will release on September 21; Creed II, a continuation of the Rocky saga, starring Golden Globe Winner and Academy Award nominee Sylvester Stallone and Michael B. Jordan, will be released in partnership with Warner Bros. Pictures on November 21.

Alloy Entertainment is behind the global television franchises Pretty Little Liars, Vampire Diaries and Gossip Girl and feature films Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and Sex Drive. Most recently Alloy Entertainment produced Everything, Everything, with MGM and Warner Bros., staring Amandla Stenberg and is currently in post-production on Good Girls Get High for Verizon’s go90 directed by Laura Teruso.

Madonna is represented by CAA and Maverick Management. ICM Partners and Full Circle Literary represent Taking Flight: From War Orphan to Star Ballerina.

[Nicky91]

Nancy great for you to hear, that i've officially now got my first Madonna avatar picture :amazed:

[Nancy.]

Nancy great for you to hear, that i've officially now got my first Madonna avatar picture :amazed:

:laugh: Wow. Cool. She looks so happy there, but that outfit wasn't very flattering, tbh.

I prefer these looks...

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2011/05/03/article-1383248-0BE081DD00000578-416_468x853.jpg

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2011/05/03/article-1383248-0BE0906A00000578-668_224x470.jpg

https://cdn.images.express.co.uk/img/dynamic/79/590x/secondary/MADONNA-284592.jpg

:hee:

[Nicky91]

yes Nancy i agree, here in these pictures she looks so classy

[Samm]

ok wig

4AX55nr-Hxw

[Nancy.]

:cheer2:

[Nancy.]

Just watched this weeks classic top of the pops on BBC3 and it was great seeing Madonna at 4 and 6 with Into The Groove and Crazy For You. This was when she started to take control of the charts and never lets up. :dance:

[Nancy.]

Omg, Watching classic top of the pops on BBC3 and Madonna is at number 1 with "Into The Groove" and "Holiday" at #2. Fabulous! :dance:

[Nancy.]

15 years ago today, Madonna released the first single from the "American Life" album.

1CWXjk40yWE

[Pete.]

We deserve an anniversary re-release!!

[reece(:]

15 years ago today, Madonna released the first single from the "American Life" album.

1CWXjk40yWE

A pioneer for the hip hop genre.

[Nancy.]

28 years ago today, Madonna embarked on the groundbreaking Blond Ambition tour - it opened with 3 sold out concerts in Japan which later took the world by storm.

https://media.giphy.com/media/6UnGTpCLPYsxy/giphy.gif

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https://media.giphy.com/media/P8IbHlUvRp9ba/giphy.gif

EnhaWdNPrFE

[Nicky91]

:love: :love:

[Nancy.]

MADONNA IS IN THE STUDIO RIGHT NOW WITH "MUSIC" AND "AMERICAN LIFE" PRODUCER, MIRWAIS...

Check her Instagram....

https://image.ibb.co/fnwDMn/11re.jpg

[Nancy.]

Yep, the same producer she worked with on these album's...

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/2/27/Music_Madonna.png/220px-Music_Madonna.png

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/9f/AmericanLife2003.png/220px-AmericanLife2003.png

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/d/df/Madonna_-_Confessions_on_a_Dance_Floor.png/220px-Madonna_-_Confessions_on_a_Dance_Floor.png

:dance:

[Nicky91]

ooh new music coming from our kween :clap2:

[Nancy.]

ooh new music coming from our kween :clap2:

Yes, she's also working with William Orbit (Ray of Light producer).
This album is already sounding magical..even in it's early stages.

[Nancy.]

Producer Avicii has died this afternnon. Such a shame. The Rebel Heart demo was amazing.
3funozpON6I

[reece(:]

Did Madge invent trip hop?

Np_Y740aReI

[Nancy.]

Something is happening in Madonna's camp. She posted photo's of her behind the camera with Steven Klein. Hope it's for a surprise release, but knowing her it'll be for that stupid face cream. lol

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[Nancy.]

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[Nancy.]

Madonna is said to be performing her new single, "Magic" at the MET Gala along with a classic HIT. OMG, I cannot wait.

[Nancy.]

http://assets.papelpop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/ccc98db4-191c-42a0-8330-2581190ffd9a.jpg

[Nancy.]

Madonna keeps using the word "Magic" in her instagram posts - (like she did previously with Rebel Heart). Could that be the name of the new single / album?

[Nancy.]

993571535343554561

[Nancy.]

http://hollywoodlife.com/2018/05/06/madonna-met-gala-performance-hallelujah-song/

The 2018 Met Gala is almost here and Madonna, 59, one of the biggest music stars in history, is set to perform! The talented singer is reportedly getting ready to possibly sing covers of hit songs that aren’t her own at the huge event in NYC on May 7. “I’m hearing Madonna will perform at the Met Gala and possibly sing ‘Hallelujah’ and/or a Beatles tune, something along those lines,” a source close to Madonna told us.

The news of Madonna’s appearance is definitely exciting but it isn’t too surprising considering the songstress is known for performing and/or appearing at all kinds of lavish events, including the Met Gala, throughout her long career. Since the theme of this year’s gala is fashion and the catholic imagination, it would make sense if Madonna decided to sing her huge hit song “Like a Prayer” in addition to the other tunes she plans on belting out. We guess we’ll have to wait and see on this one.

While we anticipate Madonna’s part of the night, we can also look forward to plenty of familiar faces to show up at this year’s Met Gala. High-profile celebs such as Kim Kardashian, Bella Hadid and Sarah Jessica Parker are all confirmed to be getting ready to strut their stuff on the red carpet. As always, it will be fun to see what kind of wild wardrobe choices they decide to go with and who they decide to bring as a date. We’ll be on the lookout to narrow down some of our favorite looks and capture the unforgettable moments that make history when it comes to events such as this one!

[Nancy.]

993649101232394240

[Nicky91]

nice outfit :love:

[Nancy.]

Hi Nicky, How are you. Haven't heard from you in ages.
:wavey:

Here's more of the outfit...

http://forums.madonnanation.com/uploads/monthly_2018_05/5FA381EA-F9BB-4084-A356-0CD5C16777CA.thumb.jpeg.9a84d68722abe7cd51fec0399f d43a2b.jpeg

[Nancy.]

https://image.ibb.co/hHWhKS/Capture.jpg

[Nancy.]

Surprise performance....

993760040644497409

[Nancy.]

https://pmchollywoodlife.files.wordpress.com/2018/05/madonna-met-gala-2018-pics-post.jpg?w=620&h=932

[Nancy.]

jdgWkESPa7E

[Nancy.]

http://forums.madonnanation.com/uploads/monthly_2018_05/9E974A88-4245-49F2-A1FA-4770EA35DEF9.thumb.jpeg.0353b9ef305c8587ffca2746e8 aa3824.jpeg

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[Nicky91]

sexy, is this from like a prayer performance :think:

[Nancy.]

sexy, is this from like a prayer performance :think:

Yes, she also performed Hallelujah and part of her new song.

[Nicky91]

very royalty looking, dressed like a true queen of pop :clap1:

[Nancy.]

Meanwhile;
Album: The Immaculate Collection

iTunes:
#37 United States (+17)
#50 United Kingdom (+37)
#55 Canada (-1)

:cheer2:

[Nancy.]

Looks like Madonna is close to finishing her album...

https://www.instagram.com/p/Biz5MEJB8IP/?utm_source=ig_embed

madonna: Are we working on the state of our Souls................😇😇😇. Good Question! 😂. Until then take good care of your skin #mdnaskin. 🌷💕💕🌈🎉🌸🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷
While i finish my record. 🎼🎧🎤♥️ #music #magic #drip 💧.#skincare #life @thefatjewish @nunoxico

[Nicky91]

shame on Canada, that she dropped 1 place there :fan: but that's probably me being a perfectionist

but great news :love: thank you for the update Nancy

[Nancy.]

The QUEEN has confirmed her new single is "Beautiful Game"....

http://forums.madonnanation.com/uploads/monthly_2018_05/image.thumb.png.666214051d798a1f42133e296ebbdfa7.p ng

[Pete.]

No release date :suspect:

[Nancy.]

No release date :suspect:

No, not yet. She's still working on her album.

I think it'll be around August before we get anything.

[Nancy.]

Looks like this album is shaping up nicely. Madonna has brought in a portuguese singer Dino D'Santiago for the album. Much better than Cardi B and Rita Whora crap.

[Nancy.]

She looks so pretty without the fillers...

https://image.ibb.co/cPSzco/12.jpg

[Nancy.]

Looks like Madonna has FINISHED recording her album...

Madonna: "All's well that ends well!"

https://image.ibb.co/gsXpdT/Capture.jpg

[Nancy.]

Something's happening.

The guys who shot her last two album covers (Mert & Marcus) have just arrived in Lisbon along with her hairstylist and make up artist.

Could she be shooting her album cover?

[Nancy.]

Ooh, Gloria Gaynor is shook...

https://scontent.fsdu2-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/35737601_10155835937587979_2045337295497723904_n.j pg?_nc_cat=0&_nc_eui2=AeFIvyvoiL0McRYsVoQ61Q5eRIwNzMOGvJ_8jxzC3 _AL2v2Hx6fOE23dg1aVsUnkLYikVzKu909BltjPYmLldaDXNrM F5HVtHIYfRLOiTnWEBA&oh=9740720cea2e54d6d8c90e581be5abb5&oe=5BAC4FE7

[Nancy.]

https://image.ibb.co/gxF0Uo/Capture.jpg

:joker::joker:

[Nancy.]

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[Nancy.]

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[Nicky91]

i am happy for you Nancy, that Madonna is gonna headline glastonbury


look i've not called Taylor Swift a queen of pop, but still just a princess of pop



Taylor had 2 special guests at her concert here in UK, Adele and JK Rowling :hee:


i would love it if Adele also goes to see Madonna at one of her concerts, it would be good for Adele also just how she can improve herself more at how to create better stagings for her performances for example


they can all learn from each other after all

[Alf]

888405006596136961Blond ambition tour was her pinnacle.

[Nancy.]

Blond ambition tour was her pinnacle.

Yes, that tour was spectacular. Just a shame it's never been officially released on dvd or blu ray.

[Nancy.]

https://image.ibb.co/b7qG2T/Capture.png

:cheer2:

[Nancy.]

I see THAT person is now working with Sophie (Producer of "Bitch, I'm Madonna"). Talk about desperate. :joker:

[reece(:]

I see THAT person is now working with Sophie (Producer of "Bitch, I'm Madonna"). Talk about desperate. :joker:

:joker::joker::joker::joker:

[Nancy.]

:joker::joker::joker::joker:

:laugh:

[Nancy.]

Drake and Madonna to work together on new music????

https://www.dailystar.co.uk/showbiz/goss/715360/drake-madonna-jesy-nelson-kylie-jenner-selena-gomez-michael-buble-fleur-east-george-ezra

[Nicky91]

Madonna working with current artists oooh, that is how you stay trending queen :clap1:

[Nancy.]

Madonna working with current artists oooh, that is how you stay trending queen :clap1:


Indeed. Allthough, it's still just a rumour at this point, but i'd prefer it if she worked with him than Migos.

[Nicky91]

imagine a Madonna & Taylor Swift duet :flutter: queen & princess of pop collab

[Nancy.]

https://metro.co.uk/2018/07/10/drake-madonna-collaboration-finally-works-7697890/

"It is a mystery how it’s taken ’til now for Madonna and Drake to start talking about a collaboration.

They’ve already snogged, and he’s written a song about her, so it’s about time they got in the studio together.

It’s been claimed that as both are currently in town – Drake’s been in London thanks to his surprise Wireless appearance, and Madonna’s here recording her new album – and so it looks like they might be able to make something work.

A source told the Daily Star newspaper: ‘Drake and Madonna are set to make some music together.

‘Madonna is in London putting the finishing touches to her new album and Drake promised to work with her on something.’

In 2015, the pair caused a stir when they shared a kiss on stage at Coachella.

That same year, Drake wrote a song called Madonna, which featured on his mixtape If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late.

She loved it, thankfully, and now three years later is ready to lay down a track with him.

She said at the time: ‘I love your new song about me! It’s my favourite! I’m still waiting for you to pick me up.’

Madonna was spotted loving Wireless this weekend as she cheekily had a strut across the stage while Migos played.

The 59-year-old pop legend couldn’t help herself as the trio Migos performed track Stir Fry.

The pop queen is currently rumoured to headline next year’s Glastonbury Festival. Perhaps Migos will be hanging out on her stage that time around.

Madonna also recently teased the release of her next album, with her last release being 2015’s Rebel Heart."

[Nancy.]

Guest vocal on Ariana's "God Is A Woman" at 2:23

kHLHSlExFis

https://image.ibb.co/kxdA6o/Capturel.png

[Nicky91]

no one else can portray a female god better than the queen of pop :clap2:

[Nancy.]

no one else can portray a female god better than the queen of pop :clap2:

:dance:

[Samm]

I love how ariana has respect for pop legends before her, makes me like her even more, pop princess

[Nicky91]

I love how ariana has respect for pop legends before her, makes me like her even more, pop princess

can i top this comment, yes i can

i find Miss Grande a versatile princess, not just a pop princess tbh

[Nancy.]

The debut album from 1983 celebrated it's 35th anniversary yesterday.

What a classic and legendary album.... and one that gave birth to a megastar...

https://www.billboard.com/files/styles/article_main_image/public/media/madonna-madonna-650-430.jpg

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51zngG1zu9L.jpg

1. "Lucky Star"
2. "Borderline"
3. "Burning Up"
4. "I Know It"
5. "Holiday"
6. "Think of Me"
7. "Physical Attraction"
8. "Everybody"


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pufec0Hps00

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ThHz9wlBeLU

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:cheer2::cheer2::cheer2:

[Nancy.]

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[Nancy.]

1022768648870678530

[Nancy.]

https://78.media.tumblr.com/dbffec8420175d12b65aa947d6c4e384/tumblr_p71fpoZAz11sgba1mo1_500.gif

https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JOWeA_mV_Sw/WasHZw4Ms-I/AAAAAAABAuY/M7bCiHP0lx4pI1lF_SbUeKnTuEK1xs0DwCLcBGAs/s640/Madonna.gif

https://media.giphy.com/media/140EDicO4P6NC8/giphy.gif

[Nancy.]

Picture disc:

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0387/3509/products/IMG_8037_1_grande.jpg?v=1524317637

https://www.1stopmadonnashop.com/ekmps/shops/1stopshop/images/madonna-usa-cassette-album-3333-p.jpg

[Nancy.]

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[Nancy.]

Cover pics from both "Vogue" magazine shoots to mark her 60th birthday:

https://pmcwwd.files.wordpress.com/2018/07/cover-sing2.jpg?w=628&h=788

https://pmcwwd.files.wordpress.com/2018/07/cover-sing.jpg?w=624&h=783

[Nancy.]

https://pmcwwd.files.wordpress.com/2018/07/vi1808-well_mert_marcus-104-1259-copia.jpg?w=640&h=415&crop=1

[Nancy.]

OMG....

https://image.ibb.co/kDSzio/Capture.png

[Nancy.]

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[Nancy.]

Vogue Italia now have more pictures up on their website:

https://image.ibb.co/i4ZHM8/Captureuh.png

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[Nicky91]

i can say it Nancy TiBB's Madonna superfan :clap2:

[Nancy.]

i can say it Nancy TiBB's Madonna superfan :clap2:

:hee: Thanks Nicky.
It's great talking to people who celebrate her artistry and everything she's achieved. Madonna get's targeted by trolls who say she can't sing, but singing is only one facet of what she represents. There are those who say...IE; "Beyonce is a better vocalist than Madonna", but so are a lot of other female artists. It doesn't make her "The better Madonna" anymore than it does ie: Kelly Clarkson. It only makes them better singers. Singing is one facet of what makes Madge the queen of pop.

All in all, there's really no other female artist who could dethrone her. Many have tried, but they have either burnt themselves out and become creatively bankrupt or lost their fans and disappeared, and that's why fans of other artists are resentful. She leads while others follow - it's been that way decades and will continue for be that way for many years to come. :dance:

[Nicky91]

i can imagine that :love:


yes my fave Maan, well she came from just a cruise ship singer to winning the voice of holland, and now she was slaying at PinkPop a yearly concert here in my country, where also many artists from other countries are performing


and had 2 dutch language songs in the dutch top 40 charts, one with another dutch singer ronnie flex, 4 weeks at #1 with Blijf Bij Mij, bit of a mid/uptempo song and now Spijt (regret) which also has done well in the charts

[Nancy.]

New album is definitely coming this year....

http://forums.madonnanation.com/uploads/monthly_2018_07/IMG_20180731_114007.png.53d7e3a36235c120c315d25676 33d01b.png

I'm guessing it'll be a November / December release.

Get those Christmas coins, Madge! :cheer2:

[Nicky91]

maybe a little extra Christmas song in that album as well then :D

[Nancy.]

maybe a little extra Christmas song in that album as well then :D

:hee::hee:

[Nancy.]

1024361579876368384

[Nancy.]

"In the Vogue Italia interview, Madonna explains how her experience in Lisbon has been a source of inspiration for her upcoming album.

'I always say three f’s rule Portugal: fado, football and Fatima. It’s also a very Catholic country, which suits me just fine.

Doing what needs to be done: Madonna said that life has not all been plain-sailing and she, as well as her children, have made sacrifices along the way

'It reminds me of Cuba in the way that people don’t have a lot, but you can open the door to anyone’s house, go on the street corner, and you’re always going to hear music. (...) You’ll always hear lots of fado and lots of kuduro music from Angola.

'A lot of jazz also – old school jazz, which is pretty cool. I’ve just met lots of really amazing musicians, and I’ve ended up working with a lot of these musicians on my new record, so Lisbon has influenced my music and my work. How could it not?

'I don’t see how I could have gone through that year without being informed by all this input of culture.'

[Barry.]

Madonna is 60? She doesn't look it.

[Nancy.]

Madonna is 60? She doesn't look it.

She'll be 60 on the 16th of August. She is in excellent shape for her age. :hee:

[Nancy.]

https://image.ibb.co/hiZe5e/Capture_d_e_cran_2018_08_02_a_08_45_30.png

[Nancy.]

http://forums.madonnanation.com/uploads/monthly_2018_08/18-08-01-madonna-stylist-magazine-cover-s.thumb.jpg.2a506beaa42d10ce644d1446d6610795.jpg

[Nancy.]

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[Nancy.]

Madonna: My album will break the pattern thanks to Lisbon’s music scene

Madonna explains why her new album will be out of the box thanks to Lisbon‘s music scene. And we cannot help from being excited!

Talking with Vogue Italia for their exclusive August issue, Madonna reveals that, not only Lisbon was a rich palette for her to paint with on her upcoming album, but it was also and most of all “a nice antidote to what’s going on in the music business now where everything’s so formulaic, and every song has 20 guest artists on it, and everyone sounds the same.”

“I’ve just met lots of really amazing musicians, and I’ve ended up working with a lot of these musicians on my new record,” says Madonna.

Lisbon has influenced my music and my work.

Then Madonna explained why Lisbon‘s music scene is so different and unique.

“In Alfama, you’ll hear people singing and playing fado music everywhere,” she adds. “There are these weekly sessions called living room sessions which pop up in people’s beautiful homes that are 500 years old, and you walk up the marble steps which are lined with candles into the living room which is also dimly lit with candles, and there’s this rolling, very intimate performance happening where people play, they sing, they recite poetry.”

“It’s like a salon; something which doesn’t really exist in many places anymore – people elsewhere say, “Call my manager, this is how much I charge.” I’m pretty sure in Lisbon people would do these shows and not get paid, they just do them for the love of what they do, and for me, this is glorious and inspiring.”

“On any given night you’ll get a phone call saying these musicians are performing at this house, come by at 11 – everything happens late in Lisbon. Sometimes there would be food, other times there would just be port to drink. (…) Sometimes there would be gypsies flamenco dancing, and a lot of times there would be people playing the music of Cesária Évora, and who knew her.”

https://www.drownedmadonna.com/2018/08/02/madonna-my-album-will-break-the-pattern-thanks-to-lisbons-music-scene/

[Nancy.]

Billboard Hot 100 Turns 60! The Top 60 Female Artists of All-Time, From Madonna to Mariah Carey & More

https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/hot-100-turns-60/8468088/hot-100-turns-60-top-60-female-artists-all-time-madonna-mariah-carey-janet-jackson

https://image.ibb.co/kAA0Ve/ml.jpg

[Nancy.]

Here's the interview with Vogue Italia here:

http://www.madonnation.cz/rozhovory-a-clanky-vogue-italia-2018?jazyk=en

[Nancy.]

Articles Marking/Celebrating the Queen's Momentous Birthday are coming thick and fast.

https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/lifestyle/features/madonna-at-60-fighting-against-societys-bid-to-define-her-by-gender-sexuality-and-culture-854852.html

Madonna has fought her whole life against society’s bid to define her by gender, sexuality, age, and culture. At age 60 she continues to lay out the parameters of her own existence as Suzanne Harrington describes.

SHE’S had the best physique, the best moves, the best live shows, the best outfits, the best boyfriends — they get hotter as she gets older — the biggest success and the most attitude, yet the world remains set on auto-vilify. What’s our problem with Madonna?

https://www.irishexaminer.com/remote/media.central.ie/media/images/m/MadonnaAt60_large.jpg?width=648&s=ie-854852

Madonna Louise Ciccone turns 60 this August. We have known her since 1984, when she first appeared on our TV screens, and have been criticising her ever since. Not for her music — any artist who has been around that long will have produced losers as well as bangers — but for her refusal to be what we demand our female artists to be. Pliant, malleable, a bit insecure — and as they age, sexless, before becoming politely invisible. You couldn’t really call Madonna any of these things.

Post-Weinstein, in this era of #MeToo and #TimesUp, Madonna’s long term stance, her refusal to go quietly, chimes perfectly with the dominant ideology of the day. The problem — for her critics, at least, the Piers Morgans of the world, the Camille Paglias — is that this has always been her stance, decades too early for the rest of us.

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And so we rubbished her for it — or at least, we tried, but she proved stronger than the same thing that crushed so many of her contemporaries: the fame backlash. Only in the past couple of years, has she started to speak about it with any degree of vehemence.

“I stand before you as a doormat. Oh, I mean, as a female entertainer,” she told an awards audience in December 2016 when named woman of the year by Billboard. “Thank you for acknowledging my ability to continue my career for 34 years in the face of blatant sexism and misogyny and constant bullying and relentless abuse…..

If you’re a girl, you have to play the game. You’re allowed to be pretty and cute and sexy. But don’t act too smart. Don’t have an opinion that’s out of line with the status quo. You are allowed to be objectified by men and dress like a slut, but don’t own your sluttiness. And do not, I repeat do not, share your own sexual fantasies with the world. Be what men want you to be, but more importantly, be what women feel comfortable with you being around other men. And finally, do not age. Because to age is a sin. You will be criticised and vilified and you will definitely not be played on the radio.

As a female performer in their prime, their sexuality must be passive, incorporating vulnerability and a need to please; Madonna has only ever pleased herself. Nor does a female performer get to decide when their prime is over; women are only hot as long as we allow them to be, while men can remain hot forever. Female success is permitted within female success parameters (smile and be grateful, don’t demand too much); female sexuality is permitted within female sexuality parameters (don’t frighten the horses by straying beyond their fantasy of you, rather than embodying your own); female ageing is allowed within female ageing parameters (put your sexuality away now, and take up charity work).

So Michelle Pfeiffer, who turns 60 this year, is ‘still’ hot, but not as hot as Sharon Stone, whose 60th is also this year, on the arbitrary sliding scale of she’s-still-got-it. Kate Bush is 60 two weeks before Madonna, but Bush is all about the music, rather than culture, sexuality and marketing, and has therefore been allowed to age more or less in peace; similarly, rocker Joan Jett is hits 60 and continues touring, but she’s not a global icon so doesn’t come under the same scrutiny.

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As a gay woman, Ellen DeGeneres, another forthcoming 60th , doesn’t fall under the male gaze, while Alec Baldwin, Ice T, Gary Numan, Simon LeBon and Kevin Bacon — who all turn 60 this year — are allowed to remain ageless. Rugged. Distinguished. Craggy. Handsome. Those kinds of words.

Madonna has been variously written about as a bitch (“I’m tough and I’m ambitious and I know exactly what I want. If that makes me a bitch, okay.”) and a diva and a slut. The male equivalent of these words would be ambitious, powerful, potent. Speaking about her long term inspiration — David Bowie, the master of transformative reinvention — she acknowledged how “He embodied male and female spirit and that suited me just fine.

He made me think there were no rules. But I was wrong. There are no rules – if you’re a boy. There are rules if you’re a girl.”

Yet she has outlived not just her contemporaries Prince and Michael Jackson, who would both have turned 60 this year, but also Bowie, Amy Winehouse, Whitney Houston. She has never been an addict, except to success and being in charge.

Speaking in 2016 to Bad Feminist author Roxanne Gay in Harper’s Bazaar, she talked about how she has “had the **** kicked out of me for my entire career, and a large part of that is because I’m female and also because I refuse to live a conventional life. I’ve created a very unconventional family. I have lovers who are three decades younger than me. This makes people very uncomfortable. I feel like everything I do makes people feel really uncomfortable.”

As well as releasing 13 studio albums, she has embodied the persona of boytoy, material girl, dominatrix, yogini, American cowgirl, English lady, disco queen, M-dolla, MDNA, children’s author, terrible actress, devout Kabbalist, spokesperson for Malawian children, and single parent of six.

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Madonna may not be relevant to Millennials — they have relaxed polyamory and Lady Gaga — but for Gen Xers, who grew up alongside her, she remains a symbol of liberation since the days of bra straps and belly buttons on Top Of The Pops. Culturally, she has been part of the shove forward towards women owning their own sexuality.

She broke new ground, harnessing and marketing herself, trademarking her own name back in 1979 when still unknown and living a precariously bohemian existance in New York: “I learned in life there is no real safety except for self-belief.”

Even her die-hard fan demographic — gay men and menopausal women, 10.9 million of whom follow her on Instagram – may not wish to see her turn into a Las Vegas parody of her former self, but it seems unlikely she would opt for this. “I’m traveling the world right now and listening to lots of different music,” she told Entertainment Weekly in 2017.

“It’s time for me to take a different approach and really get back down to the beauty and simplicity of music and lyrics and intimacy.”

You can’t imagine the most successful female performance artist of all time ever touring with a greatest hits nostalgia format. At least, not yet.

MADONNA – 0 to 60

1958 Born August 16, Bay City, Michigan.

1964 Mother dies when she is six

1977 Moves to New York City to be a dancer

1983 Releases first album, Madonna, containing first hit, Holiday

1984 First appearance on Top Of The Pops

1984 First number one hit, Like A Virgin

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1985 Appears in Desperately Seeking Susan. Marries Sean Penn.

1989 Like A Prayer infuriates Vatican. Divorces Sean Penn

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1991 Her tour documentary In Bed With Madonna breaks Box office records in takings of $29m

1992 Releases book of erotic photography Sex and album Erotica

1996 Wins awards for her part in Evita movie. Gives birth to daughter Lourdes
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1998 Releases her award winning Ray of Light album
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2000 Gives birth to son Rocco with Guy Ritchie

2005 Releases 10th album, Confessions on the Dancefloor
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2006 Adopts first of four children from Malawi, David Banda

2009 Adopts Mercy James from Malawi

2012 Superbowl performance seen by 114m people. Releases MDNA album

2014 Guinness Book of Records says she has sold 300m records

2017 Adopts twin girls, Esther and Stella, from Malawi

2018 Turns 60


Phew!!!!!!!!!!! What a legend!

[Nancy.]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DiFAqwEWkAIfRcU.jpg

[Nancy.]

Dancer Carlton Wilborn on Madonna: ‘Rehearsal truly was like boot camp’

I was 26 and living in Los Angeles when Madonna had a huge open-call audition for the Blond Ambition tour – there were maybe a thousand men there. By the time I got home I had a message: “Come meet me at the club tonight.” It was basically a callback, like, let’s see who these people really are, how they hang with alcohol. She herself being an alpha type, she was looking for very confident people – the best of the best – so I was acutely aware of how I was presenting myself. When I made the cut, I knew it was a huge opportunity.

Touring was different back in the 90s. We really got to do it in the rock’n’roll way people imagine – private jets, two separate chefs, a bowl in the studio lobby stacked with cigarettes. It’s very rare that dancers are given that kind of treatment. And the afterparties – oh my gosh, are you kidding me? We won’t say much about those!

Every single night, the blast-off energy from the crowd was crazy – they were so loud we could hardly hear the music. We had done so much training at this point – the rehearsal process was truly like boot camp – and it was great to finally be in the sweat of it all. When I heard her singing to an audience for the first time: it was like: “Oh ****, she’s ****ing performing now.” And it was a lot of fun working with an artist who had started in dance and who could do all these intricate moves with you.

Madonna was great to work with. I was having this conversation with someone the other day – they were saying, “I bet it was crazy, when she was being really intense in the rehearsals, making people feel bad.” But that’s not what she does, at all. She has [one] personality that she knows makes her money – a bit brash and snappy and in your face – and then she has who she [really] is: just a chill, regular person. It was also a special time because she was single, didn’t have any children, and hadn’t really come against any extreme pushback, so she was very free. It was great to be a part of that.

She started as a street artist in lots of ways – a Lower East Side New Yorker kind of chick – and she likes to pull from where she came from.

When I was booked, I had nothing to do with voguing: I was classically trained – the underground art world was not my thing. At the time, voguing was very exclusive to that [New York black and Latino LGBT] community. Now you have all kinds of people voguing and I think that’s a great thing.

She was able to dive into something that had a strong pulse and felt it was important to get the word out to the consciousness of young gay dancers – it was about helping these people thrive and feel good and powerful.

What’s really great about her as a performer is that she is there to sell a story, however far she has to go. There are artists now who are taking the baton – Lady Gaga is probably the closest to it. But Madonna continues to be special because she’s just balls-out as an artist. At the core of what she represents is the secret longing of every human being: we all have quiet thoughts, we all have hungry thoughts, but most of us have been conditioned to think it’s inappropriate to let this be known. So when you have an example of somebody who is living their life against all the constructs that are blasted through the world and the media, it’s intoxicating.

Madonna has always been a very generous person. There was a particular time in my life [in 1995, when Wilborn was going through a difficult time, Madonna let him live with her for several months] where she really showed me the human side of her – I’m not saying that’s the first time she showed this to me, but it was the degree of it. It was really amazing when she offered me that. After that our paths went in different directions. I auditioned for the Drowned World tour and didn’t get chosen. I started going after different things, she was doing different things. Life happened. What I would say to her now is: happy 60th birthday! And thank you. Thank you for allowing me to let all of my power be seen and expressed.

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/jul/15/dancer-carlton-wilborn-on-madonna-rehearsal-boot-camp-tour#img-1

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[Nancy.]

Barbara Ellen on Madonna: ‘Popular culture still reeks of her influence’

Madonna Louise Ciccone is about to turn 60, a “big birthday” by anybody’s reckoning. I remember her at the time of her breakthrough 1983 single, Holiday, a mischievous mess of bangles and swinging crucifixes, boasting that she was so hot that you could fry an egg on her belly button. From that point on, Madonna was omnipresent – confrontational, audacious, sexual, occasionally annoying and weirdly vulnerable (brought up in a strict Italian-American Catholic family, Madonna’s mother died when she was a child).

She pounded through personas (boy toy, material girl, Hollywood royalty, dancefloor vixen, gangsta momma,), like an all-singing all-dancing one-woman variety show. It was never just about the music. Madonnaembodied the devilish voice in your ear, saying: “Why not?” A pop queen with a big dirty rock mouth, she was one of the first great influencers, daring at least a couple of generations of girls and young women (not to mention all her loyal gay fans) to be bolder, stronger and, crucially, a ton less humble and apologetic.

The ironic question “What would Madonna do?” isn’t still doing the rounds for nothing.

No surprise, then, that witch-burners have long been out in force against Madonna. She’s been called everything: ball-breaker, *****, user, crone, narcissist, talent-vampire. Vulgar taste-free zone. While taking criticism is part of the fame gig, it was as though Madonna served as a cautionary tale for women who get too darn uppity.

In truth, popular culture still reeks of Madonna’s influence for a good reason: she’s earned it. Far from being a shallow shape-shifter, she always knew her way around a pop classic (her oeuvre is full of them), and developed a flair for choosing talented collaborators to keep her music fresh. Moreover, back when she could have played it safe, Madonna called herself an artist and acted like one, tirelessly reinventing herself. From plonking a black saint in the Like a Prayer video to putting out a book called Sex, at the peak of her fame, just about everything Madonna did alienated middle America, because she wanted to define the zeitgeist, not merely reflect it.

In recent years, Madonna, also mother to Lourdes (by Carlos Leon) and Rocco (by Guy Ritchie), has been criticised for adopting four Malawian children (perfectly legally), having “work done” (such a shock in celeb circles) and having much younger partners (you mean, like 99% of famous older men?). Every time she tours, there’s gnashing of teeth about her “inappropriate” stage outfits – euphemisms for “too young for her”, as if someone of Madonna’s vintage should crawl on stage in a candlewick dressing gown, begging for forgiveness for not being 25 any more. Burn the witch! Burn her good!

I interviewed Madonna in the mid-90s in her New York apartment. If I was unprepared for her doll-like tininess, I was impressed by her attitude, as we talked about fame, rape, dehumanisation, and everything in between. There was no tiresome stonewalling, bristling at questions or monosyllabic answers. Madonna was friendly, relaxed and engaged. She was also sane and funny, not traits to be taken for granted at her level of stardom.

Not that it’s all been gravy. It’s probably best to politely ignore all that Kabbalah nonsense. It’s astonishing to me that such a clever woman managed to marry beneath her, not once but twice. I suspect that on some secret panel somewhere, Madonna has been voted “The control freak’s control freak”. (Her own brother, Christopher, wrote a memoir about working for her that could have been entitled Sissie Dearest). Her acting has been patchy at best – her personality is so strong, it always seems to seep through her performances like blood through a badly tied bandage. In retrospect, snogging Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera on stage looked less like passing on the pop baton and more like sucking their souls out through their mouths.

And perhaps, in the interests of pop sisterhood, Madonna could have been a tad more gracious about Lady Gaga’s (ahem) homages.

However, I’m just not into slating Madonna and not just because I’m heartily sick of everyone else doing so. Most of the things people criticise Madonna for, I tend to find rather funny, including that gigantic, nuclear-strength ego, frying to a cinder all before it. At some point, we have to ask ourselves: what do we want from our stars – humility and jogging bottoms or magic and dynamite? I know which way I’d usually go.

At this stage, perhaps Madonna’s greatest achievement is that she’s a survivor. Of her era of superstars (Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Prince), she’s the last one left standing, living proof that maturing in music doesn’t just mean the Rolling Stones – it can be a wild, untamed feminine energy too.

Nor has she done it via endless comebacks and the nostalgia trail. Sure, she’d be idiotic (and ungenerous) not to perform songs from her extensive back catalogue, but Madonna has been genuinely active and creative all the way through, always with a new project on the horizon. So, happy birthday to Madonna. She’s sung, danced, acted, yapped, provoked, riled, worked her butt off, kept a sense of humour and taken all the sexist slurs with her head held high. Here’s to an artist who can’t come back because she never went away.

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/jul/15/barbara-ellen-on-madonna-sexist-slurs-pop-surivor

[Nancy.]

Andy Lecompte and Giovanni Bianco (Madonna's stylists) have arrived in NYC. So they could be shooting the artwork for her new album.

[Nancy.]

If this is a clip of Madonna's new music, I will faint.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BmL_n34g9zS/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=embed_video_watch_again

albummagic in progress...#lifeinsecrets #Magic 🎶🎶🎶🌌....#madonna #newmusic #beautifulgame #mirwais @madonna thank you @mae_couture

[Nancy.]

60 incredible chart facts and feats about Madonna
To celebrate the pop icon's 60th birthday, we reveal her 60 essential chart facts.

http://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/60-incredible-chart-facts-and-feats-about-madonna__23566/

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A popstar so famous she only needs one name, Madonna celebrates her 60th birthday this month.

She's had one of the most successful music careers of all time, and to recognise her place as the queen of pop, we delved into the archives and put together some amazing chart facts that no self-respecting Madonna devotee would be without.

Don't just stand there – let's get to it.

1. Madonna has scored an incredible 71 Top 40 singles. Of those, 63 hits went Top 10.

2. From Like A Virgin in December 1984 to Secret in August 1994, Madonna logged a run of 36 consecutive Top 10 hits – no artist has bettered that since. Take a Bow broke the run in December 1994. She had another run of 17 consecutive Top 10s from You Must Love Me in Feb 1996 until Me Against The Music in November 2003. Blame Love Profusion for that one.

3. Madonna has scored 13 UK Number 1 singles – a chart record for a female solo artist. They are: Into The Groove, Papa Don't Preach, True Blue, La Isla Bonita, Who's That Girl, Like A Prayer, Vogue, Frozen, American Pie, Music, Hung Up, Sorry, 4 Minutes.

4. She’s spent 29 weeks at the top of the Official Singles Chart across her career.

5. Madonna singles have spent 516 weeks in the Top 40 since her first hit in 1984 – that’s nearly 10 years!!

http://www.officialcharts.com/media/655129/madonna-everybody.jpg?width=500&height=493.6363636363636

6. Madonna’s first ever single was Everybody, the cover of which didn’t even feature a picture of the star. As it didn't get a proper release here, it didn’t chart in the UK.

7. Madonna’s first UK chart entry was Holiday, which was also her first Top 10, peaking at Number 6 – although it wouldn’t be the last we saw of Madonna’s signature song…

8. Holiday was rereleased in 1985 during the height of Madonna fever – she could’ve released an album of burps and gone Top 10 tbh – and reached Number 2.

9. On its second release in 1985, Holiday was stopped going to Number 1 by Madonna herself, making her one of the few artists in chart history to occupy the Top 2 at the same time. And the song that kept Holiday off? See below!

10. Into The Groove was Madonna’s first Number 1 in the UK, spending a month there in summer 1985, and totally top-blocked Holiday from Number 1 – coincidentally, this was the same week of Madonna’s 27th birthday (and her first wedding anniversary to Sean Penn, but let’s not dwell).

http://www.officialcharts.com/media/653202/madonna-into-the-groove-rex.jpg?width=500&height=263.6363636363636

11. Into The Groove is also Madonna’s biggest selling single in the UK, helped in part by the fact it was from a hit movie – Desperately Seeking Susan, in which Madonna starred – and that it wasn’t available on any Madonna album. It was added to a reissue of Like A Virgin that year.

12. Madonna, surprisingly, does not have a million-selling single. Into The Groove is closest, as her top seller, with 881,000 copies shifted.. Into The Groove is tied for Madonna’s longest stint at Number 1, equalled by the four weeks Vogue managed at the top from April 1990.

13. Interestingly, Madonna’s two hugest Number 1s started life as B-sides. Into The Groove was the B-side to Angel in the US (Angel got a full release here too) and Vogue was originally meant to be the B-side to Like A Prayer albums track Keep it Together but the record label heard it and realised it was a smash.

14. Holiday was released for a third time, by the way, to commemorate her first greatest hits album The Immaculate Collection (more on that later) – Holiday reached Number 5 in 1991.

15. Borderline has been out twice too! Not many people realise it was originally released in 1984 and became Madonna’s first single to miss the Top 40, stalling at 52. Two years later, it was back! And reached Number 2!

http://www.officialcharts.com/media/651163/madonna-borderline-cover.jpg?width=500&height=500

16. Her big ballad Crazy For You also came out twice, first in 1985 and then again in 1991, and reached Number 2 both times.

17. Madonna was very prolific in 1985, scoring seven Top 10 hits in that calendar year.

18. Not content with having the most Number 1 singles of any female artist, Madge also has the most Number 2 hits of *any* artist – clocking up 12 of them.

19. Artists who prevented her from getting to Number 1? Sister Sledge, Billy Ocean, Falco, Partners in Kryme, Vanilla Ice, The Simpsons, The Clash, All Saints, S Club 7, Room 5 feat Oliver Cheatham, Beyoncé, and Busted! Quite an eclectic lineup!

20. Madonna holds the record for most Number 1 albums by a female artist – 12 so far! They are: Like A Virgin, True Blue, Like A Prayer, The Immaculate Collection, Evita, Ray of Light, Music, American Life, Confessions on a Dance Floor, Hard Candy, Celebration, MDNA.

21. Second album Like A Virgin took 44 weeks to climb to Number 1 on the Official Albums Chart All subsequent chart-topping albums went straight in at Number 1, with the exception of 1996’s Evita, which took 13 weeks to get there.

22. With third album True Blue, Madonna was actually the first US artist ever to go straight in at the top of the Official Albums Chart.

http://www.officialcharts.com/media/650558/1986-madonna-true-blue.jpg?width=500&height=500

23. Madonna’s True Blue was the biggest selling album of 1986. True Blue spent six weeks at Number 1 and in just under six months on release, sold just shy of two million that year.

24. True Blue is Madonna’s top selling album in the UK, going platinum seven times. In the US, however, Like A Virgin is her big one.

25. Of all Madonna’s albums, True Blue yielded the most Number 1 hits. It has three: Papa Don’t Preach, the title track, and La Isla Bonita.

26. Greatest hits set The Immaculate Collection landed nine straight weeks at Number 1 from November 1990 – her longest stint at the top for any of her albums.

27. The Immaculate Collection is Madonna’s best selling album – and with 30 million copies sold worldwide is indeed one of the biggest selling of all time. It’s currently the 13th best selling album ever in the UK

http://www.officialcharts.com/media/650905/madonna-immaculate-collection.jpg?width=500&height=500

28. 1994’s Bedtime Stories – her sixth studio set – was her first album since her debut to produce a single that missed the Top 10. The song in question was Take A Bow, which peaked at 16 but, ironically, is her longest run at Number 1 in the US, topping the Billboard Hot 100 for seven weeks!

http://www.officialcharts.com/media/653909/madonna-ray-of-light.jpg?width=500&height=494

29. After Vogue in 1990, Madonna had to wait eight years before her next one – the comeback ballad Frozen in 1998.

30. Frozen was Madonna’s first single to debut at Number 1.

31. Her most recent Number 1 was 4 Minutes in 2008, meaning this is the longest Madonna has gone without a chart-topper in her entire career.

32. Madonna has had Number 1 albums across four decades – '80s, '90s, '00s, and the '10s.

33. Across her 12 Number 1 albums, Madonna has spent 30 weeks at the top of the Official Albums Chart. This was a record until Adele overtook her in 2016.

34. Madonna has never missed the Top 10 with a studio album, and only one didn’t make the Top 5: her self-titled debut, which peaked at 6 when it was reissued as “The First Album” in 1985.

35. Madonna’s longest gap between studio albums is just short of four years, between Hard Candy (2008) and MDNA (2012), although, in fairness, she did whack out both a greatest hits and a live album in between.

36. For the first 19 years of her career, Madonna was credited as sole artist on all her singles – she broke that spell with a cameo on Britney’s Me Against the Music in 2002. Another of her Number 2 hits.

37. Funnily enough, it would be over five years before she allowed another artist to take a feature credit on one of her singles for the first time – 4 Minutes featured Justin Timberlake.

38. Madonna’s lowest selling Number 1 is 2006’s Sorry.

39. Her biggest selling single to miss the top is actually her second biggest selling single of all time: Like A Virgin peaked at 3 in 1984.

http://www.officialcharts.com/media/655130/madonna-like-a-virgin-single.jpg?width=500&height=500

40. Madonna’s top selling Number 2 single is Crazy For You.

41. Madonna doesn’t have many cover versions under her belt. She first had a hit with one in 1993, when she reimagined the old-school Peggy Lee classic Fever as a ‘90s house banger. When appearing in Evita, she released two covers of songs from the classic musical, going Top 10 with both.

42. Madonna’s most successful cover version was her do-over of Don McLean’s American Pie – she took it to Number 1 in 2000.

43. Hung Up is Madonna’s longest-running single on the Official Charts, notching up 40 weeks in the Top 100.

44. 2007 was the first year since Madonna’s career began that she didn’t have a single appear on the chart at all – 23 years after her first hit. She’d previously had years without any new entries – 1988 and 2004 – but there had been a couple of songs lingering in the Top 40 from the previous year.

45. Madonna’s most downloaded song is her most recent Number 1, 4 Minutes, which sold 458,000 downloads.

46. Madonna’s most streamed tune – since we started counting in 2014 – is Like A Prayer.

47. Her most streamed video – by a huge margin – is La Isla Bonita.

http://www.officialcharts.com/media/655131/madonna-la-isla-bonita.jpg?width=332.4468085106383&height=500

48. Twelve of Madonna’s hits have featured in films in which she also starred: Crazy For You, Gambler (both from Vision Quest, later renamed Crazy For You for obvious reasons); Into The Groove (Desperately Seeking Susan); Who’s That Girl, Causing a Commotion, The Look of Love (Who’s That Girl); This Used to be my Playground (A League of Their Own); You Must Love Me, Don’t Cry For Me Argentina, Another Suitcase in Another Hall (Evita); American Pie (The Next Best Thing); and Die Another Day (that Bond theme!). Trick question for a pub quiz: Hanky Panky was on the I’m Breathless album which served as a partial soundtrack to Dick Tracy, which Madonna starred in, but the song wasn’t in the film itself.

49. Additionally, four of Madonna’s hits have been recorded for movies she didn’t star in: Live To Tell (At Close Range, starring then-husband Sean Penn); I’ll Remember (With Honors); Beautiful Stranger (Austin Powers 2); Masterpiece (W.E. which Madonna actually directed)

50. 1993’s Deeper and Deeper was Madonna’s first single to miss the Top 5 in eight years.

51. Hung Up contained a sample of ABBA’s Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! and managed to outchart it – Hung Up was a Number 1 but Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! peaked at 3.

52. Madonna has seen three of her singles peak at Number 10. Spookily, the first one and the last were each the third single off their parent album: Bad Girl (Erotica, 1993) and Drowned World/Substitute for Love (Ray of Light, 1998). You Must Love Me is the other one, lead single off the Evita soundtrack

53. When Confessions on a Dancefloor singles Hung Up and Sorry went to Number 1, it was the first time Madonna had topped the charts with the first two singles from an album. Pub quiz trick question: In theory, she did this with American Pie and Music, from the Music album, but American Pie was only added to European editions of the album and was never part of the Music campaign – and Madonna was raging about it.

54. Madonna had three Top 10 albums in 1990: Like A Prayer (released in 1989 but still big), I’m Breathless, and The Immaculate Collection.

55. Madonna’s most recent Number 1 album was 2012’s MDNA. Rebel Heart was her first studio album to miss the top spot since Bedtime Stories in 1994.

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56. Madonna has released live albums of every tour since her Re-Invention jaunt in 2004. Only one has reached the Top 10: The Confessions Tour peaked at 7 in 2007.

57. Madonna’s music has been covered many times, but few of these new versions have made an impression on the charts. Of the most notable: Dutch dance outfit MadHouse reached Number 3 with Like A Prayer in 2002 and Number 24 with Holiday the same year. Kelly Osbourne managed a Top 3 hit with a punky cover of Papa Don’t Preach in 2002, and the cast of Glee hit Number 16 with their version of Like A Prayer in 2010.

58. Madonna is one of very few artists to have occupied every space in the Top 10. It took her 11 years to do. Here’s how:

59. She has 13 Number 1s, 12 Number 2s, 9 Number 3s, Five Number 4s, Seven Number 5s, Four Number 6s, Seven Number 7s, One Number 8 – Human Nature, which completed her set, Two Number 9s, and Three Number 10s.

60. As is very fitting for a huge star who has been very good getting everyone’s attention for over 30 years, the most common word to crop up in the titles of Madonna’s hits is “me”, with seven songs. They are: Rescue Me, You Must Love Me, Don’t Cry for me Argentina, Don’t Tell Me, Me Against the Music, Give it 2 Me, Give Me All Your Luvin’. She also referred to “my playground” and “my love” that she expected you to justify. It is ALL about Madge, and quite right too. Girl is second, with five Top 100 mentions.

[Nancy.]

The electronic music producer, DJ and musician, Sophie on Madonna’s continuing musical influence...

"Her work is so vast – there’s a reference for any situation’

"In my mind, Madonna created the blueprint for modern pop stars. Her creativity has gone further, wider and longer than anyone else I can think of; I feel like her songs have been consistently memorable and meaningful. I have loved all of Madonna’s different phases at different points, but I think the Bedtime Stories era [1994] is really intriguing, especially the production – it has a unique feeling. It’s so much more fully formed and sexy than a lot of the trip-hop stuff that was coming out around that time. It’s definitely been an influence on my own music.

My earliest memories of Madonna are of when my half-sister used to listen to her loads on family holidays. Davina was, and still is, a very fun party girl, so my early impressions of Madonna are merged with my half-sister’s teenage punk energy – I still think of Madonna in that way.

Working with her [on track Bitch I’m Madonna, which Sophie co-wrote and co-produced, the third single from Madonna’s 2015 album Rebel Heart] was really quite a one-off, spontaneous thing – I suppose a happy coincidence. I felt a connection with the title. But you have to prevent yourself from getting too excited about that kind of thing. People still write about that song in every article they write about me, so I guess she still means a lot to everyone operating in music right now.

Madonna’s work is so vast – there’s an appropriate Madonna reference for any situation. But I think the factor that sets her apart from others is that each phase seems to be a byproduct of a genuine journey of self-discovery, and always addresses some prejudice or other.

Whatever is the established, easy‑to-consume current thing, Madonna always seems to push past that. I think anyone who has struggled with having their voice heard can relate to what Madonna stands for and feel empowered by her story and her music. She is not buying into people’s bull****.

I think what I’ve learned from her is that you can work hard and still be a good person. Anyone who fights so long and so hard deserves to be an important figure in music.

And she looks like she’s having more fun than a lot of people I know at that age, so whatever she’s doing, in my opinion she’s doing it right"

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/jul/15/sophie-on-madonna-work-vast-musical-influence

[Nancy.]

How Madonna Defined Pop Culture

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From pissing off the Pope to kissing Britney, these are the Queen of Pop’s most groundbreaking moments.

Singing about abortion. Writhing on a cross. Publishing her sexual fantasies. Even those cone bras. Madonna seems to have done so much in her life that it’s hard to grasp that she’s a real person, instead of the lofty icon her name suggests.

As the singer turns 60, the desire to take stock of her enormous cultural impact seems Herculean. That’s because her body of work is so vast, spanning four decades and countless changes in sound, style and creative direction.

Yet despite her chameleon instincts, she’s always remained resolutely herself—a willfully provocative presence in an industry which can so easily smother its stars into blandness. As Madonna herself said: “A lot of people are afraid to say what they want. That’s why they don’t get what they want.”

Her unapologetic, in-control attitude has been a source of inspiration for women and LGBTQ fans, who watched her carve her own space out in popular culture, and play with gender conventions in a way that was both witty and provocative.

Her influence is still felt in contemporary pop culture: Think Beyonce’s highly-controlled personas, Miley Cyrus’s sexual shock tactics, Cardi B’s uncensored New York brashness.

This toughness has allowed her to continue through moments which might have wiped out lesser popstars. She’s certainly had a few missteps, such as her disastrous starring role in the 2002 rom-com Swept Away and some dodgy forays into culture-as-costume.

But her refusal to either slow down or tone down, even in the face of sneers that she’s too old to be leaping around in revealing outfits, proves she’s still taking on taboos—this time, it’s the assumption that women should fade into the background as they age.

We’ve charted Madonna’s career, picking out the moments she truly defined the zeitgeist. From pissing off the Pope to kissing Britney, these are the
Queen of Pop’s most groundbreaking moments.......

[Nancy.]

....How Madonna Defined Pop Culture (Continued)

Inventing 80s style

Madonna, and the music videos it spawned (such as for “Lucky Star”, pictured), established her decade-defining style of heavy makeup, junk shop jewellery and eclectic clothes. The look established her as a tough but magnetically alluring new breed of pop star.

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....How Madonna Defined Pop Culture (Continued)

Popularising dance music

According to AllMusic, Madonna “began her career as a disco diva in an era that didn't have disco divas.” She bridged the gap between the world of pop and the world of the clubs by mixing “great pop songs with stylish, state-of-the-art beats… it shrewdly walked a line between being a rush of sound and a showcase for a dynamic lead singer.”

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[Nancy.]

....How Madonna Defined Pop Culture (Continued)

Taking creative control
Since her debut album, for which she wrote hit “Lucky Star,” Madonna has written a number of her own songs. Rolling Stone called her "an exemplary songwriter with a gift for hooks and indelible lyrics."

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[Nancy.]

....How Madonna Defined Pop Culture (Continued)

Owning her sexuality...

With her second studio album, 1984’s Like a Virgin, Madonna played with the ancient madonna/***** trope, posing on the cover in a wedding dress, but with a knowingly seductive look.

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[Nancy.]

....How Madonna Defined Pop Culture (Continued)

...despite negative attention
The album’s hit song “Like a Virgin” sparked protests from conservative groups who saw the song’s themes to be corrupting traditional family values.

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[Nancy.]

....How Madonna Defined Pop Culture (Continued)

Exploiting her good taste

Madonna enlisted Nile Rodgers to work with her on Like a Virgin. "I am always amazed by Madonna's incredible judgement when it comes to making pop records,” he later said. “I've never seen anyone do it better, and that's the truth.” Since then, Madonna has displayed a canny sense of the zeitgeist, enlisting of-the-moment talents who spur each new phase of her career

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[Nancy.]

....How Madonna Defined Pop Culture (Continued)

Harnessing the power of the music video

Music television and Madonna emerged around the same time, and she pioneered the use of music videos as a powerful tool for stating her vision while also provoking controversy. In 2003, MTV named Madonna “The Greatest Music Video Star” ever

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[Nancy.]

....How Madonna Defined Pop Culture (Continued)

Creating canny synergy between movies and music

In 1985, Madonna played the title role in Desperately Seeking Susan (pictured), which propelled her song “Into the Groove” to chart success. She would tie in movies and music for the next few decades, to great commercial success.

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[Nancy.]

....How Madonna Defined Pop Culture (Continued)

Inspiring a host of copycats

Madonna’s 1985 The Virgin Tour inspired a trend of Madonna wannabes, also referred to as Madonnabes. Macy’s department store even opened up a boutique called ‘Madonnaland’, selling clothes in the singer’s signature style.

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[Nancy.]

....How Madonna Defined Pop Culture (Continued)

Refusing to be shamed

In 1985, Penthouse and Playboy released nude photos of the singer, taken in 1978 before she was famous. Madonna refused to express any shame or remorse despite the media frenzy, becoming a template for the famous women whose nude pictures are still leaked and sold today.

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[Nancy.]

....How Madonna Defined Pop Culture (Continued)

Settling down without selling out

Madonna married actor Sean Penn in 1985, and she dedicated her third album True Blue to him. Still, she continued to push the barriers of what was permissible, with “Papa Don't Preach” taking on teenage pregnancy, and starring as a stripper in the video for “Open Your Heart.”

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[Nancy.]

....How Madonna Defined Pop Culture (Continued)

Provoking the Pope

After she dedicated the song “Papa Don't Preach” to Pope Jean Paul II, the Pope asked Italian fans to boycott her Who’s That Girl World Tour in 1987. The tour would still end up grossing an impressive $25 million. (A massive accomplishement in 1987)

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[Nancy.]

....How Madonna Defined Pop Culture (Continued)

Tackling racism—and religion

Madonna released her fourth album, Like a Prayer, in 1989. The lead single, also called “Like a Prayer,” used Catholic imagery to tell the story of a black man falsely accused of murder, and featured Madonna kissing a black saint. It once again drew the Vatican’s ire. Rolling Stone said the album was "as close to art as pop music gets."

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[Nancy.]

....How Madonna Defined Pop Culture (Continued)

…Even if it costs her sponsors money

While the “Like a Prayer” video was being filmed, Pepsi announced they had paid $5 million to feature the song in an advert. But after the full video was released, protests caused Pepsi to pull the ad.

Controversy:
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Pepsi Commercial:
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Like A Prayer:
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[Nancy.]

....How Madonna Defined Pop Culture (Continued)

Those conical bras

Madonna’s numerous on-stage outfits mimicked her desire for rapid-fire transformation, and featured everything from velvet corsets to kitsch gowns. Jean-Paul Gaultier’s conical bra was debuted on her 1990 Blond Ambition tour, and became instantly iconic.

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[Nancy.]

....How Madonna Defined Pop Culture (Continued)

Pushing the boundaries of on-stage performance

The intimacy of a live performance allowed her to push her vision further than she could in music videos. During her 1990 Blond Ambition tour, Madonna simulated masturbation during her performance of “Like a Virgin,” causing officials in Toronto to threaten to arrest her unless she stopped.

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[Nancy.]

....How Madonna Defined Pop Culture (Continued)

Popularising the ‘Madonna mic’

Singing was always secondary to Madonna's live performances, but it still was necessary. To allow her more freedom of movement, she was one of the early adopters of the hands-free headset microphone. She used it so much, it became known as the Madonna mic.

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[Nancy.]

....How Madonna Defined Pop Culture (Continued)

Reviving Old Hollywood…

Madonna drew from Hollywood iconography from the start of her career, variously sporting Marilyn Monroe hairstyles and Greta Garbo outfits. For her 1990 single “Vogue,” she famously namechecked Old Hollywood stars.

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[Nancy.]

....How Madonna Defined Pop Culture (Continued)

...Even in her personal life

In 1990, Madonna began a relationship with the 53-year-old actor Warren Beatty, who had shot to fame in the 1960s, when the two starred in the film Dick Tracy.

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[Nancy.]

....How Madonna Defined Pop Culture (Continued)

Bringing gay culture into the spotlight
For her “Vogue” video, Madonna combined Old Hollywood iconography with dancers performing the vogue dance routine, which originated in the Harlem ballroom gay scene in the late 1980s. She has since enjoyed lifelong status as a gay icon.

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[Nancy.]

....How Madonna Defined Pop Culture (Continued)

Making sadomasochism mainstream

Long before 50 Shades of Grey, Madonna’s 1990 video for “Justify My Love” featured sadomasochism, voyeurism and bisexuality. It proved to be too much for MTV, who refused to play it. It didn't hurt the song, which spent two weeks at number one.

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Madonna defends her video on Nightline:
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[Nancy.]

....How Madonna Defined Pop Culture (Continued)

Re-defining the documentary

Madonna’s first documentary, Madonna: Truth or Dare, was released in 1991 and became the highest-grossing documentary ever at that time. It followed Madonna’s Blond Ambition tour, and was praised for its supportive depiction of her LGBTQ backing dancers.

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[Nancy.]

....How Madonna Defined Pop Culture (Continued)

Releasing a book about sex

Madonna released her coffee table book Sex in 1992, topping the New York Times bestseller list. The book received negative reviews at the time, but later was re-assessed as a bold, post-feminist statement. Rapper Vanilla Ice, who despite appearing naked in the book, later said it ruined their relationship. Today the Sex book is out of Print but one of the most sought after books in the world.

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[Nancy.]

....How Madonna Defined Pop Culture (Continued)

Scholars study her cultural influence

The Madonna Connection: Representational Politics, Subcultural Identities, and Cultural Theory was published in 1992, and called “laughable” by the New York Times. The same year, Rolling Stone reported that “Madonna Studies” were being taught at Harvard, Princeton and UCLA.

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[Nancy.]

....How Madonna Defined Pop Culture (Continued)

Breaking the taboo around AIDS

Her fifth studio album, Erotica, was a concept album about sex, and featured her alter ego Mistress Dita. The song “In This Life” is an elegy to the friends she lost to AIDS, an illness which, at the time, was still shrouded in taboo.

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[Nancy.]

....How Madonna Defined Pop Culture (Continued)

Popularising new jack swing

New jack swing, a fusion genre and staple of the late 80s New York club scene, was adopted for Erotica and follow-up album Bedtime Stories. Entertainment Weekly wrote that: “She could actually be viewed as new jack swing’s godmother. Her early work presaged new jack’s central belief—that there’s nothing separating raw sex from true romance.”

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[Nancy.]

....How Madonna Defined Pop Culture (Continued)

Entering the world of musicals

Madonna starred in 1996 film Evita as Eva Perón, Argentina's First Lady. Her soundtrack to the film was a foray away from pop and into musical theatre, requiring Madonna to train her voice in a new style and register. Along with the birth of her first child Lourdes the same year, Evita marked a shift away from her disco sex-queen image.

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[Nancy.]

....How Madonna Defined Pop Culture (Continued)

Flirting with spirituality...
The once “Material Girl” became involved with the esoteric spiritual discipline Kabbalah in 1996, arguably spawning today’s celebrity spiritualists such as Gwyneth Paltrow.

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[Nancy.]

....How Madonna Defined Pop Culture (Continued)

...And putting it in her music
Ever the cultural magpie, Madonna drew on her newfound spirituality as well as electronic dance music for her smash hit 1998 album Ray of Light. The album contains a track called "Shanti/Ashtangi," reflecting Madonna’s love of yoga.

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[Nancy.]

....How Madonna Defined Pop Culture (Continued)

For better or worse, she popularised cultural appropriation

Not all of Madonna’s stunts look quite so cool in the light of 2018. The Ray of Light music videos feature Japanese-style visuals and South Asian hand painting seemingly without much reason other than invoking a sense of “mysticism”.

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