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Why Didn't 'American Life' Work?


Isidro Guevara

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L0NEL1GHTS

In my opinion she had the wrong producer.  With Ray Of Light she wanted to make a record that sounded like the British electronic albums she was listening to so she got William Orbit to produce it.  With Music she wanted to make a weird futuristic dance album so she worked with the lesser known (at the time at least) producer Mirwais.  When she decided to go a more minimalistic sound on American Life and experiment with electroclash and that sort of thing she should’ve ditched Mirwais and collaborated with a master of that genre.  Felix Da Housecat, Miss Kittin,  The Hacker, etc...  Someone like that could’ve brought that album to the level of quality it’s predecessors were at

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LOVEDRUG
11 minutes ago, Isidro Guevara said:

I think it's more of a personal album and Madonna's outlook of life in that point in time. Her outlook of life as an American person/woman and celebrity. 

it's still social commentary though, she does include a whole lot of personal issues and thoughts but there's still a heavy political nature to the era

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8 minutes ago, Isidro Guevara said:

:( Nothing Fails and Love Profusion deserved! 

Love Profusion is for sure one of my faves, love X-Stactic Process too. The era delivered on the visuals for sure, American Life original mv, Hollywood mv and Love Profusion mv. Don't forget the Reinvention tour as well, the beast within intro and that unforgettable Vogue performance.

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yes and

She overestimated the negative attitude of GP to politics back then. Madonna is a scandal queen and she thought the scandal would work. If she had known the consequences of the album, she wouldn't have released it. 
 

Did you think I'd show up in a limousine? No
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Isidro Guevara
7 minutes ago, JOSHMATICA said:

Hollywood mv and Love Profusion mv.

I love the sunny and wicked blood-orange sunset vibe of Hollywood but I didn't like the MV. It was too glossy unlike the track. The LP music video makes me smile and is very cute I agree but it couldn't been better. Still a great and breezy song! 

I'll WRECK U right Up...G.U.Y.!!!🌋💥
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I Bow Down To Pray

the rap in American Life KILLED that album for me, it's AWFUL when she does that line about soy lattes

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ImTired

From someone who was there and was a tepid fan of Madonna, the whole era was super cringe. 

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not Chromatica
33 minutes ago, Trillion Reasons said:

True. That's why Dua Lipa's Boys Will Be Boys didn't work. 

Gurl... :billie: BWBB didn't work because it's an example of textbook pop feminism that might have worked in 2013, but now it's like—come on. The song's on the album not because she actually had something relevant to say, but simply for her to fufill the quota and get woke points. And on top of that it's just too sappy and not fitting with the rest of the songs.

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Isidro Guevara
8 minutes ago, I Bow Down To Pray said:

the rap in American Life KILLED that album for me, it's AWFUL when she does that line about soy lattes

That's the best part of track after the chorus! White girls can relate! She be making fun of herself and I love that!

"I drink a soy latte, get a 2x shotte, go right through my body and you know I'm satisfied, driving mini cooper, feeling supa dupa, girl u know I'm satisfied!!!":rockstar:

I'll WRECK U right Up...G.U.Y.!!!🌋💥
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not Chromatica

Such a good thread. I mean I was a kid at the time so I didn't really pay that much attention to it, but I've always known that "I wasn't supposed to like it" so I never got into it. But then a couple of years ago I gave it a listen and fell in love with it. Nothing Fails has to be one of my favorite songs ever. I rarely cry, but I can cry to it anytime. I actually enjoy the title track too, despite the cringey rap. Generally, the album is waaay more cohesive than Music, both sonically and thematically, and it boggles my mind why that one got rave reviews, while AL got snubbed and slandered.

I think it's due to a number of factors. Musically and aesthetically, it didn't really fit the early 2000s pop landscape. I think people expected her to serve them an over the top pop fantasy, but instead they got the deconstruction of it. It was too abrasive, personal and real which made it hard for the GP to get into or even care about. Its fate reminds me of Joanne quite a lot.

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Cookie Tookie
1 hour ago, Trillion Reasons said:

True. That's why Dua Lipa's Boys Will Be Boys didn't work. 

Not really. Boys Will Be Boys is just straight up cringe. From the extremely generic chord progression to the kid-like chanting chorus. It just sounds like a wanna be Taylor Swift creation, but it ends up being an unneeded track on an album that was perfectly fine without it. We’ve heard this type of female empowerment anthem before, but done much better.

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Isidro Guevara
6 minutes ago, Chromatica said:

Nothing Fails has to be one of my favorite songs ever. I rarely cry, but I can cry to it anytime. I actually enjoy the title track too, despite the cringey rap. Generally, the album is waaay more cohesive than Music, both sonically and thematically, and it boggles my mind why that one got rave reviews, while AL got snubbed and slandered.

I think it's due to a number of factors. Musically and aesthetically, it didn't really fit the early 2000s pop landscape. I think people expected her to serve them an over the top pop fantasy, but instead they got the deconstruction of it. It was too abrasive, personal and real which made it hard for the GP to get into or even care about. Its fate reminds me of Joanne quite a lot.

This! THIS!!! I really agree with all of this! For some reason I also think that AL feels out of place in M's discography, like an outsider. But that makes it more special, like a lost and found gem! I really love it!

I'll WRECK U right Up...G.U.Y.!!!🌋💥
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45 minutes ago, Isidro Guevara said:

I love the sunny and wicked blood-orange sunset vibe of Hollywood but I didn't like the MV. It was too glossy unlike the track. The LP music video makes me smile and is very cute I agree but it couldn't been better. Still a great and breezy song! 

I think i love the hollywood one just because i love old hollywood glamour.

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