WTF happened to Madonna

[FentyGa 14,340]

6 hours ago, lasagna said:

tbh i feel like madame x is maybe the most "madonna" album shes put out in years. sure the production is questionable at times, but its undeniably bold, brave, and mature. the themes and political commentary on it are amazinggg

  Reveal hidden contents

i just love madame x ok 

  Reveal hidden contents

also please no hard candy slander 

 

 

i think it was because Rebel Heart was SUCH a radio-friendly album. it had so many potential hits, but it didn’t work out because she’s madonna, and the industry is ageist and sexist.

my guess is, she realised that no matter how pop-perfect her music is, she won’t have hit anytime soon (esp as lead artist). that’s why madame x is a more artistically-driven record.

[androiduser 7,438]

The problems started when Madonna started following trends instead of setting them

[Windowlicker 3,509]

Nothing “happened”. People have this idea that Madonna should have become more ~mature and classy as she’s aged, purely because she was getting older, but that mindset is exactly what she’s been working against her entire career. She’s a pop star who has always pulled from what is trendy, and she will continue to do so because that is ultimately what all pop stars do. I think it’s quite ironic that people call Confessions some sort of creative peak when it’s basically just American Life with some glitter thrown on top of it – not a bad album by any means, but she quite literally said “**** art, let’s dance” while promoting that album. It was a reaction to the commercial failure that was American Life (she famously cried when Confessions went number one because she was convinced she was actually over because the last album flopped stateside) and Hard Candy and MDNA both followed that “**** art, let’s dance” mindset. MDNA was the only real misstep as far as I’m concerned. She was completely checked out, barely invested beyond the tour and Super Bowl. She was focusing more on her brands and directing a movie than making an album. It wasn’t until Rebel Heart that she finally sat down and decided she wanted to really put focus back onto music, and I think it shows. Unfortunately she was hacked and the entire album leaked before she had even finished it announced it, causing everything to be rushed out and she was left to finish a lot of it herself because the producers were busy with other things. Madame X was more than just a step in the right direction, it’s very clearly another artistic peak for her. It’s brave and experimental and she was very committed to carrying out her vision. Easily her best since American Life. That doesn’t mean everything after 2003 was bad (in fact I basically love everything except MDNA), but she was really scared to make major bold moves after the backlash that album got for a very long time, so it was very nice to see her in that space again. She clearly loves the album very much.

[Clarence 1,444]

Bedtime Story alone will forever make me respect her as an artist 

 

[HuffsAhoy 7,433]

Well considering she released Madame X, one of THE greatest albums of her career, just two years ago I think it's safe to say nothing has happened to her. Like all artists of her status, she had a few missteps along the way, but they are by no means "downfalls." The only period of genuine "WTF" for me is the Hard Candy era. Everything was so cheap and bland, it's an album I rarely listen to. You can tell that Madame X was a true return to artist genius for Madonna. She was passionate about the project and it shows in multiple ways from the lyrics, production, music videos, and the tour....WOW...what an incredible experience that was. I'm really looking forward to seeing what art she cooks up in this next decade. 

[Windowlicker 3,509]

It’s also important to keep in mind that there has never been a pop act in their 60s at the status that Madonna is at. People bring up Cher, and that’s true to a degree, but even she’s largely taken a step back from her music career outside of Las Vegas. But Madonna is a full on functioning pop artist who hasn’t given into the legacy act stereotype that most women in music get trapped into with endless compilations, residencies, holiday or cover albums, re-issues, etc. Not that there’s anything wrong with those, but nobody can deny that there is a path the industry has set up that women of a certain age are expected to follow. So of course Madonna doing music that isn’t unlike what artists half her age are doing and working with people half her age is going to seem “desperate” (as some of you incorrectly put it) at first, but the whole point is that she’s a pop artist and age shouldn’t be a factor when consuming her work. It’s because of Madonna that our faves will be able to age and still make pop music and be sexy and not be shoved out of the picture after they turn 30. Whenever this topic comes up, I’m instantly reminded of this amazing quote by Kelis:

“There's a difference between a pop star and an artist. Pop stars have to be perfect all the time; an artist is allowed, on occasion, to suck. And I put myself in that category because I sometimes suck. I'm not trying to please the masses. It's not going to happen, so I don't try.”

[President Biden 5,898]

10 hours ago, Bonkers said:

My theory is she saw Miley Cyrus get all that attention at the VMA's that awful year and saw all the chatter and obsession and said, "ME ME ME ME.  Me get attention.  Me have not shame.  MMEEEEE!"

But she missed the trend a bit and it wasn't as authentic as Miley's trainwreck.

Anyway, 

this sums up MDNA

[KindnessPunk 1,969]

I always thought her poise during the Confessions tour was peak Madonna. She exudes so much confidence and its effortless. Whereas after she seems like she’s trying too hard, like she doesn’t need to try anymore, she’s Madonna. I always wished she maintained a classy attitude, maybe then she wouldn’t have been so hard on Gaga. 

[joaomggd 124]

I can see why people say stuff like after confessions she went downhill and she's trying to follow trends etc.. But to me it just reads as her not wanting to be stuck in the past, becoming a nostalgia artist, etc.

The trendy ft., although a bit of a miss sometimes, i just see it as her wanting to work with new people, and with the people that are defining culture at a certain time. If you look at hard candy or rebel heart you see that she enlisted producers which were relevant at the time, and some that become much bigger after like bloodpop. Not saying that she was majorly successful doing all of those, but she rly doesnt have to be. The expectation of what madonna should be in our minds is whats making us not accept her new things - and in like 20 something albums ofc we're not gonna like some of them and ofc some of them aren't going to be as good as the others.

I feel like madame x is that album that brought back that older rol-american life style of working and themes, but meanwhile people still mad that she collabed with maluma or some ****.. ever considered that maybe she just likes him lmao. And people will say that its not pop enough, but if she was making it more pop maybe they'd say shes just following trends like they did with rebel heart.

Anw, while i understand ops point, i think we should have it present in our minds that being "madonna" doesnt mean any definitive thing, she has changed so many times.. Its ok if you dont like her latest albums, that doesnt mean shes lost her talent or lost touch, or that something happened. Maybe shes just working in different ways, or hasnt had the perfect collaborators, or the perfect circumstances around her. Who cares, im just happy shes still making music and hasnt retires to vegas or something, theres still a possibility that shell release an album you'll enjoy, meanwhile you have all her masterpieces to listen to

[Windowlicker 3,509]

26 minutes ago, KindnessPunk said:

I always wished she maintained a classy attitude, maybe then she wouldn’t have been so hard on Gaga. 

This was never Madonna, though. She’s always been extremely blunt and cutting at times. It’s part of what she’s known for. The stuff with Gaga (which was basically just a stunt on M’s part for press) was child’s play compared to the actual feuds she was in with artists like Sinead O’Connor or Courtney Love or Mariah Carey. All she did to Gaga was say a song felt reductive and cover it on tour. She has said several times she has nothing against her. She was actually very nasty to those other women. For example, these are quotes from that so-called “mature” era, after Bedtime Stories and into Evita and Ray of Light:

On Courtney Love:

Quote

What do you think of Courtney Love?

[Laughs] I knew you were going to ask me that question.

So you probably have a statement prepared.

I do. I do. I rehearsed it. No, I think she’s supremely talented. I really do. When Maverick first started, we tried to sign her. But I think that drugs have destroyed her brain, or they are slowly destroying her. I am fascinated by her, but the same way I am by somebody who’s got Tourette’s syndrome walking in Central Park. I want to stop and just watch their human behaviour. She fascinates me on that level. I don’t know.

I feel sorry for her. I really do, and I know if she reads this, she’ll be slagging me off online for the next eight months. I do think she knows not what she says. It’s true for old people who go around spewing venom on people, that deep down inside, they’re hurt, they’re sad, lonely, whatever.

Kurt Loder interviewed me after the MTV Awards, after I won some award, and I was sitting up on a platform on the street. About five minutes into the interview, a compact went sailing over my head. I thought someone on the street was throwing things at me. And I hear this gravelly voice, and then we looked down and it’s Courtney, and she’s throwing makeup out of her purse at us, and it’s just missing our heads. And Kurt invites her up.

Now, I know Kurt invited her up because there’s all this hyped-up bullshit how we have been feuding for years and years, and I think he wanted to see a catfight. She was babbling about 25 different things. And at one point, she did grab my arm and said something to me like. ” ’94 sucked, but ’95’s going to be better, isn’t it?” And in that ono moment I looked in her eyes and felt her vulnerability and her sadness and I felt bad for her. I felt that she was trying to reach out to me, even though at every chance she gets, she slags me off in the press. Years ago, she probably admired me and looked up to me, and now I’m like a parent to her or something, and she wants to destroy me.

So, that’s what I think about Courtney [laughs].

 

On Mariah Carey:

Quote

Spin: Are you disappointed that Time Warner jettisoned Interscope? Shouldn’t a company whose main product is artistic expression stand up for its artists?

Madonna: [Sighs] I’ve had several discussions with [Warner Music Group CEO] Michael Fuchs and said, look, I’m not a big fan of music that’s degrading to women or that promotes violence. I am offended by these things too. I’m offended by a movie like Showgirls. I still don’t think that the way to remedy the situation is to go around telling everybody what they can and can’t do. I think Time Warner, or any of these big, corporate conglomerate entities, should encourage work that is morally uplifting. that counteracts all [the negative sluff]. I think when you’re fed a steady diet of crap, you come to expect it after a while. But art is not really a very important part of our culture any more. I was talking to k.d. lang about it last night. I don’t want to get into slagging off other artists, but we were talking about her record versus someone like Mariah Carey’s — and I think she’s a very talented singer — but we have to realize that the same country that acquitted O.J. is the same country that makes a complete piece of **** movie No.1, that buys Mariah Carey records. It’s this homogeneity. But it’s got nothing to do with art.

Spin: Are there moments when you just say I wish I was Mariah Carey, just singing silly pop songs?

Madonna: [Laughs] I’d kill myself.

[Ronk 14,762]

11 hours ago, SharGaga said:

COATF was her peak artistically and creatively but up to that point she already had a 23 year career in which she reinvented herself with every album. All artists will inevitably decline when you get older and still make music. Madame X was a step in the right direction imo in terms of visuals and themes she was exploring. But at this point she is in her sixties and has nothing left to prove tbh. The fact that she is still alive and making music and touring is amazing. So yea she declined in her fifties but she still outlived some of her peers and has had a longer career than most. Being at the top of your game for 20+ plus years is still remarkable. 

 

11 hours ago, Jose P said:

Idk Madame X was pretty great, I really don’t get how one can say she sold out with that unless they only heard the four kinda trendy sounding songs? The album was ambitious, eclectic, experimental, mostly very un-commercial sounding. The bold and creative visuals were there, the message and theme and defined concept were there, something she hadn’t done properly since COADF. But that’s just my opinion. She was definitely very trend-hoppy during the Hard Candy to Rebel Heart period.

 

11 hours ago, lasagna said:

tbh i feel like madame x is maybe the most "madonna" album shes put out in years. sure the production is questionable at times, but its undeniably bold, brave, and mature. the themes and political commentary on it are amazinggg

  Reveal hidden contents

i just love madame x ok 

  Reveal hidden contents

also please no hard candy slander 

 

 

 

10 hours ago, Anderson123 said:

When you are the Queen of Pop, you can take a moment to just make music for fun. I don't think she cares about "Pushing the envelope" anymore when she has done this not once or twice, but several times. She could've ended her career with all of the things she has done. She did all of this so the current popstars would be where they are today.

I think Madame X is one of her most interesting projects in years but it's getting a lot of hate right now, just like American Life did. Time will tell where it stands.

 

10 hours ago, shoful said:

I came in here to stan the hell out of Madame X!!! How can anyone say she sold out or isn’t herself when she out out the masterpiece that is Madame X!! THE VISUALS. PRODUCTIONS. ALTER EGO. LYRICS. MIRWAIS AND M MAGIC. It still slays me everyday. That’s legit pure Madonna. If anything COADF sonically is more of a sellout   But agreed MDNA is absolute trash! Hard Candy has some good songs and Rebel Heart was a big step up from that unlistenable MDNA 

 

2 hours ago, HuffsAhoy said:

Well considering she released Madame X, one of THE greatest albums of her career, just two years ago I think it's safe to say nothing has happened to her. Like all artists of her status, she had a few missteps along the way, but they are by no means "downfalls." The only period of genuine "WTF" for me is the Hard Candy era. Everything was so cheap and bland, it's an album I rarely listen to. You can tell that Madame X was a true return to artist genius for Madonna. She was passionate about the project and it shows in multiple ways from the lyrics, production, music videos, and the tour....WOW...what an incredible experience that was. I'm really looking forward to seeing what art she cooks up in this next decade. 

These posts sum it up for me.

Madonna deserves to retire and take care of her health, but I am looking forward to whatever Madonna gives us next.    

 

[gumzy3000 7,294]

I think she had a major mid life crisis after her divorce from Guy in 2008. Hard Candy and MDNA are not horrible albums but they lack the maturity, cohesiveness, and sense of experimentation her older work had. So they will obviously look bad but again, there not really not as horrible people make them out to be.

Lets not forget Madonna is a touring queen and Hard Candy, MDNA, and Rebel Heart all had huge tours. 

[OMonster 14,675]

This is probably an unpopular opinion but I really didn't like Madame X. It's my least favourite Madonna album. 

I really loved/still love Rebel Heart... I wanted more of that. I thought that was a pretty brilliant pop record.

[shoful 13,304]

2 minutes ago, OMonster said:

This is probably an unpopular opinion but I really didn't like Madame X. It's my least favourite Madonna album. 

I really loved/still love Rebel Heart... I wanted more of that. I thought that was a pretty brilliant pop record.

This is actually a really popular opinion 

[OMonster 14,675]

Just now, shoful said:

This is actually a really popular opinion 

Oh, really? That's interesting. Shows how out of touch I am with Madonna fans. I always thought Madame X was very well-received by fans because of how 'different' it was. Rebel Heart, I thought, was considered quite basic and trendy... which I don't totally agree with. I think it is very radio friendly but it also has the Madonna stamp.