[Nancy.]

[Nicky91]

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

[Nancy.]

Originally Posted by Nicky91

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?

Youtube video

[Nancy.]

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

Youtube video

Youtube video

Youtube video

Youtube video

[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

Youtube video

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

[Nancy.]

Originally Posted by Samm

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

Youtube video

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

[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

[Nancy.]

Originally Posted by 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

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

[Samm]

Originally Posted by Nancy.

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

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.]

Originally Posted by Samm

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.

Youtube video

"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

Youtube video

"Bedtime Story" was possibly her most experimental pop single to date. I remember hearing it for the first time and thinking "WTF". 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.

Youtube video

[Nancy.]

[Nancy.]

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

Youtube video

[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]

Originally Posted by 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

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

[The Grinch]

Originally Posted by LukeB

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

Destiny Child = queens.

[Pete.]

Where’s the like a prayer album love

[Nancy.]

Originally Posted by Pete.

Where’s the like a prayer album love

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

Youtube video

Picture Disc




Cassette:

[Nancy.]

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...

Youtube video

Youtube video

Youtube video

Youtube video

Youtube video

[Nancy.]

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

[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.

[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...

Youtube video

Youtube video

Youtube video

Youtube video

[Nicky91]

Taylor Swift saying something positive about Madonna, oooh

[Nancy.]

Billboard:
https://www.billboard.com/articles/r...y-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...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.