Opinions on American Life?

[edengowon 9,643]

Yes, this is my second Madonna thread today, drag me 

What're your opinions on the song American Life? It was obviously panned by critics but I don't think it's THAT awful. Opinions?

[A Hybrid 10,959]

I thought this was about life in America and I was ready to have my ted talk

[The Louvre 3,423]

It tries to be something that it is not, a woke political album (Like Witness), but except for 2/3 songs, it's not (like Witness). It is however of higher quality, though some of the electric parts are quite jarring through my ears.

Hollywood, Nothing Fails, Nobody Knows Me, Intervention and X-Static Process are really good songs. Some of Madonna's best.

American Life and Mother and Father are some of Madonna's worst songs in her entire career. AL's original video is awesome though but that song is atrocious on a level I can't explain, even though I agree with the message.

[Lottie Winters 1,628]

I don't think the song or the album have aged well, but it has some truly great experimental songs. 

[Silvestro Devacelli 1,846]

Its her third best album PERIOD 

Its not the best track on the album tho.

[shoful 13,304]

Despite what people are saying above I really like that song. Like a lot. 

But that could be cause Im such a huge fan of her. Idk. I think the songs is very aggressive and loud but it has the right for that considering what it is speaking about. Regardless of what you think of it, it is definitely a very unique song and no other song sounds like it

[Reginald 13,683]

I absolutely LOVE American Life. For some reason I actually forget about it a lot in favor of albums like Confessions,  Ray of Light, and Erotica, but American Life is fantastic. 

Off topic, but Donatella would have been a perfect song for American Life. 

[LUO YI 6,089]

It's my top 5 album from Madonna 

[GreenDiamond 6,286]

Its almost like her ARTPOP and I like it because she did very crazy things in that era, her visuals were ,,woke,, but music wasn't much

Still, I think that album was good and songs were quite memorable and almost like non-commercial. 

American Life is pure Madonna at her boldest stage.

I also love Mother and Father song, it feels so real and honest, like she really poured down her emotions without trying to make it artistic or anything, just pure raw words and minimalistic electro music that mirrored her pain 

[dimitristhe 1,452]

It's a great album, one of her most well-writen and with unique production. I love how they used acoustic guitar and electronica music, Folktronica at its best. 
Her lyrics are honest, real, meaningful and deep. Critics panned it because it is too political, I never trusted them.
Nobody Knows Me should have been a single and Nothing Fails deserves more! 

[Lucas 20,661]

Not one of her best songs but it's still good and the message in honorable. The album however, is easily in her top 4 best albums

[Henri Bardot 3,990]

I feel the song is like that on purpose lol. 

 

[MangoGaga 53]

Better than Rebel Heart and MDNA in my opinion. A fabulous,  unique album with really cool production from Mirwais. Easy Ride is goooorgeous.

[ode 1,264]

It's my favorite Madonna album.

 

It has my favorite orphan anthem from our orphanic pop queen--"Mother and Father"

 

 

This album came out two years after my mother died and I ran away from my my father. :o I would listen to this song over and over again, and I memorized every word and beat. It made me feel so much better as a kid who felt so alone and misunderstood.

 

And then there is Madonna's most controversial and IMO brilliant video:
 

 

I think it's hard to explain how controversial and insane this song and video was for the time. America was SO UNITED behind Bush and the War on Terror, and then Madonna comes with this video that essentially says we are all fetishizing the violence via the media. "I tried to be a girl/ I tried to be a boy" sounded a lot more crazy in a lead single back then. I remember hearing a gay fan call into Casey Kasem's Top 40 radio show when they asked about "American Life," which had just come out, and the gay guy was like IT'S ONE OF HER BEST GURLLLLL. And my 12/13 year old brain was just like the 2003 equivalent of YASSS.

 

American Life also has some more unappreciated gems:

 

 

 

Antyways, she is working with Mirwais again on the new album, so here's to some political-personal bops. 

[Shawniqua Mendes 3,895]

It's in my Top 3 Madonna albums. I think its better than Ray of light.