Do we think Madonna could have another peak in her career?

[vixdean 1,061]

49 minutes ago, androiduser said:

No, I don't think so, at all, and saying this as a huge M fan

The problem is that she is constantly chasing hits by featuring the hottest new star of the moment, and it doesn't really work because the fans of the younger stars are not really interested in Madonna and she is trying to absorb their sound and their fame.

She could reach a new creative peak by doing her own thing

Would you say the same thing about Gaga doing a song with Ariana, one of the most hip  current artists with a huge following and huge streaming power?

Doesn’t that fall under your same criteria of chasing hits by featuring the hottest new star of the moment?

Otherwise, there’s a double standard there, that for some reason seems to just be applicable to Madonna.  

I honestly don’t think that she was chasing any hits at all with Madame X. The album is not radio friendly, none of the songs had hit potential, and none of the artists featured were streaming forces or hip enough in the English-speaking world to the point that would give her hit!

With Madame X, she put out the album she wanted, the way she wanted, featuring artists that fitted with the aesthetic and musical influences of the record. For me, the record is 100% different from what’s hip and current, drawing influences from the lusophone world, and bringing sounds from the “margins” into the mainstream. For me, that’s what Madonna is about, and there’s nothing in Madame X that fits into what people are calling “chasing trends.” Quite the opposite.

[Married the Night 3,955]

Her path to having another hit record is extremely limited. She needs to do something to break into the streaming age. She would need to collab with some of the biggest stars on the planet. Adele. Gaga. BTS. It’s her only way. 
 

Personally, I think she should retire and protect her legacy. Her last few records have tarnished that. 

[Taylucifer 5,078]

No, she done her dash, achieved incredible success but lets face it, she has peaked

[elijahfan 25,276]

20 minutes ago, DiskoBaby said:

But she's considered too old for kids now. Maybe to 20 something year olds that remember Hung Up, but a 60 something year old woman just isn't going to be in the same playlist as Ariana Grande, Taylor Swift, and Bruno Mars anymore.

Older artists just don't do good on the charts because pop music is about youth. Kids and young adults who dominate the hits don't care about her new songs. She was lucky that Hung Up was so successful, although that was a time when Ray of Light and Music was still fresh on people's minds. But now, nah.

She's a legacy artist now and should be more concerned about making music for her fans and growing as an artist and sitting on her millions then getting another hit. She doesn't need to and we're not here for it.

Well, that's exactly what I'm saying: these shitty pop rules don't apply to her anymore and she doesn't really need another peak. Doesn't mean she won't get one: teenagers and young adults aren't the only audience in the world, she has fans of all ages, many of whom actually buy her records. I know the times are different from when she started out, but Madame X still went #1 and she's still selling millions worldwide (in similar numbers as Ariana Grande, actually). It's really not bad for what you call a "legacy act", and I'd have a hard time naming another artist of her generation doing as good as she is today.

[elijahfan 25,276]

13 minutes ago, Taylucifer said:

No, she done her dash, achieved incredible success but lets face it, she has peaked

Honestly, you never know what can happen. Cher had arguably the biggest peak of her career at 52 and no one saw that coming.

[MrDarkGa 311]

As the OP said, her last major hit was Hung Up... 15 years ago. I dont realistically see another major peak if her last one was a decade amd a half ago. She may still release stuff to success but I dont see her getting that level again.

[Taylucifer 5,078]

12 minutes ago, elijahfan said:

Honestly, you never know what can happen. Cher had arguably the biggest peak of her career at 52 and no one saw that coming.

Ok, that's a good point, seems kinda unlikely but who knows

[androiduser 7,438]

1 hour ago, vixdean said:

Would you say the same thing about Gaga doing a song with Ariana, one of the most hip  current artists with a huge following and huge streaming power?

Doesn’t that fall under your same criteria of chasing hits by featuring the hottest new star of the moment?

Oh, i definitely think the duet with Ariana is purely a commercial decision, without much artistry behind it... I always find superstar collaborations purely a marketing move, especially when the output is a commercial pop song.

I do think there is a difference compared to Madonna's features, because M goes for a huge generation gap and a huge difference in the sound and style... Her features basically become Madonna doing the feature's style, and that's why it rarely works.

[androiduser 7,438]

1 hour ago, vixdean said:

I honestly don’t think that she was chasing any hits at all with Madame X. The album is not radio friendly, none of the songs had hit potential, and none of the artists featured were streaming forces or hip enough in the English-speaking world to the point that would give her hit!

With Madame X, she put out the album she wanted, the way she wanted, featuring artists that fitted with the aesthetic and musical influences of the record.

Maluma doesn't really fit anything on Madame X.... an album inspired by her life in Lisbon and her interest in Portuguese music, with a lead single featuring a Colombian singer, in Spanish, named after a town in Colombia? Come on now.... And Maluma just happened to be popular at the moment...

 

[Arcanum 5,046]

3 options

1. Ballad album that helps her repeak in AC and that is that.

2. Collaboration album with a classic act and then a pop album with no controversial content, which in fact will be controversial because she will do sth "normal" for the GP.

3. After a certain "sad event" occurs when her legacy will be cemented and embalmed in gold. But I wouldn't want such a re-peak. Not yet.

[JRCF29 8,168]

[Guest]

No

[Elohim 1,549]

Not really,

I think she's basically ruining her legacy with her new material 🤷‍♂️ but thats just my opinion..

[vixdean 1,061]

1 hour ago, androiduser said:

Maluma doesn't really fit anything on Madame X.... an album inspired by her life in Lisbon and her interest in Portuguese music, with a lead single featuring a Colombian singer, in Spanish, named after a town in Colombia? Come on now.... And Maluma just happened to be popular at the moment...

 

I don't see it that way, but totally respect where you are coming from, specially as a Madonna fan yourself.

I think the features are mainly driven by management/record label to increase chances of commercial success. Maluma never was a big trendy act in the Anglophone world, and the album is also not just about Portuguese music. There's African sounds (Batuka), Middle-eastern (Come Alive), Latin American (Faz Gostoso/Medellin), and Portuguese (Crazy, among others). It's essentially a world music album with a pop twist, inspired from her life in Lisbon and the music she encountered.

The length of Medellin does in itself indicate that she didn't write the song for the charts. It's almost 6 minutes long. In the streaming era, a 6 minutes song will in itself be working against itself to succeed in the charts. The same is also applicable to radio. So no, I don't really think chart success was what she was aiming at with Madame X. Look at God Control, Dark Ballet, Extreme Occident - none of those songs are trend or chart chasing. I find that's just the easiest attack in the Madonna-hate playbook in a way.

In a way, I agree with your original post, I would very much like for her in the future to completely ditch features.

12 songs, all by herself, working and doing what truly inspires her without involvement of any other current hip or trendy artists just to avoid those kind of criticisms, because she honestly doesn't need them.

[Archduchess 2]

The day she dies