Post by jumpb4uthink on Dec 20, 2014 21:25:17 GMT -5
Bring it! :)
http://www.muumuse.c... ... -one.html/
MADONNA, REBEL HEART': TRACK-BY-TRACK (PART ONE)
Madonna, you bitch. You #unapologeticbitch.
Last night well, early this morning, or whenever youre reading this the Queen Of Pop semi-released her 13th studio album, Rebel Heart, in a swift, Beyoncé-ian drop on iTunes. Of course, unlike Bey, Madonnas been digitally navigating us through every single song title, lyric and produce included on her upcoming LP for over a year. So, to classify this one as a complete surprise release would be, uh, wrong.
That being said, semi-releasing an album on the Friday night before Christmas, when most of the world was busy traveling home, sleeping and roadtripping (or, in my case, crouched in the corner of a gay bar shaking and crying), wasnt a move most people expected Madonna to make. A rebel heart, indeed.
(To be fair, she did warn us time and time again: Trust no bitch.)
The semi-release was reactionary: 13 rough demos from this record (an entire albums worth!) were leaked onto the Internet earlier this week, including five of the 6 songs made available at midnight. What else was there for a Queen Of Pop to do but to capitalize on the panic in the industry, polish off a few of the records closest to being finished and throw them out to the thirsty masses? And so, she did.
Let us rummage through Madonnas Hanukkah gift EP1, perhaps? with a fairly sleepless (thanks Madge!) track-by-track breakdown.
Living For Love
Within the first few seconds of Living For Love, Rebel Heart is already sonically swerving away from anything shes recorded in over a decade. Is that90s House were hearing? It is. Yet, unlike the teen-pop acts and UK dance troupes paying homage to an era they were barely old enough to remember (self-shade, I know), Madonna lived and loved through that point in time as an actual club queen. And essentially, shes given us a Deeper And Deeper for 2015. The song is transcendent, managing to be entirely in vogue (REFERENCE) with the current 90s House revival at radio today while staying true to all things Material Girl: Big, unapologetically gay throbbing pulsations, uplifting lyricism, religious imagery, perseverance and self-empowerment its all here. Its a total beast of a collaborative effort too, featuring MoZella, Ariel Rechtstaid, Toby Gad, Diplo and Nick Rowe. And yes, thats Alicia Keys singing in the background! **** singing about Tanqueray in the club: This is the Madonna weve always known and lived to love, with flares of the future and nostalgic nods to the past.
Devil Pray
Of all the songs were treated to from Rebel Heart so far, Devil Pray is perhaps the most representative of Madonnas post-Kabbalah enlightened singer-songwriterdom. Backed by a twangy gee-tar, Madge-turned-Esther serves up life lessons wrapped around warm, singalong-friendly melodies crafted alongside Ryan Tedder. Its very American Life but then, there are these fresh and unusual production tics that elevate the track beyond just its guitar-led backbone: A demonic vocoder on loop, orgasmic moans, synths blipping and bleeping throughout its all so weird, but in the best way possible. Mother Mary, cant you help me? Cause Ive gone astray Its a cautionary tale of getting swept up in substance (weed, whiskey and sniffing glue, to name a few), sung by the woman whos most certainly seen, done and Instagrammed it alland lived to tell.
Ghosttown
Ghosttown is the only song that the public hadnt already heard prior to the Rebel Heart semi-release last night and possibly the best surprise. Here, Madonnas giving us the first real power ballad on the record a sumptuous electro-ballad, at that. (And, if the writing credits are to be believed, the only song of the set that Madonna penned with no co-writers!) When it all falls, when it all falls down Do you hear that? Those are sweeping melodies. MEL-O-DIES. If there was any major complaint to be made about Madonnas past few studio albums (and trust, there were many), a lack of memorable songcraft is perhaps one of the most overwhelming offenses. When the worldgetscoldIll be your cover/Letsjustholdonto each other. She cant do this alone we know that well enough, and Ghosttown is a gorgeously earnest, us-against-the-world anthem tailored for two souls wandering alone in this mad, mad world.
Unapologetic Bitch
As one of Madges most frequently hashtagged titles teased from her latest LP, there was already a lot riding on Unapologetic Bitch, which was originally rumored to be the lead single from the set. Its not anymore the more universally appealing Living For Love will go out first instead although the song certainly would have certainly raised a few eyebrows had it gone to radio: The heavily reggae-tinged Diplo track is all sorts of Rihanna-esque phucklessness, sung by a woman who has, historically, not been one to apologize (And Im not sorry) too often. It might sound like Im an unapologetic bitch, but sometimes you know I gotta call it like it is, she quite contently declares across the chorus. Intriguingly, as far as uptempo tracks are concerned, Unapologetic Bitch is the collections most laid-back and breezy. Then again, its a break-up anthem. Sometimes, the biggest middle finger is simply remaining unbothered. (But seriously, can we get a RiRi rih-mix of this one in the near future?)
Illuminati
Kanye West. Madonna. Its Madeezus, bitch. The dark and menacing Illuminati is purely the stuff of Yeezys last LP Yeezus as far as the production concerned, from the stabbing synths to the chilly, bass-heavy beats. But lyrically speaking? Madge is giving us a history lesson about what the Illuminati actually is, going all the way back to the Founding Fathers (she was there, after all) and reminding us of what its not: Its not Jay-Z and Beyonce, its not Nicki or Lil Wayne/Its not Oprah and Obama, the Pope and Rihanna/Queen Elizabeth or Kanye, she sing-raps on the name-dropping, Vogue-like verses. Enlightenment, The Pope and RiRi on the dance floor? Only Madonna would, and Kanye would only be too happy to help shade the distracting deception of the media. Its like everybody in this party shining like Illuminati!
Bitch Im Madonna (feat. Nicki Minaj)
Its about time the Queen Of Pop decided to embrace her legacy and celebratewell, Madonna. No introspection to be found here, children: Grandmadonna is popping her puss on the dance floor, reminding us of her legacy (You cant mess with this lucky star!), embarrassing and entertaining us all, just as always.The twerk-friendly, clap-heavy club bop is all about popping bottles and getting 2 On. Really, its unhinged: WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?! she screams throughout. (Hint: You are not Madonna, because she is Madonna.) All of the Diplo and Sophie-produced noises are positively batty, from the Baauer-like beat drops to the tearing sound that rips through the speakers at the end. (Madges leotard busting at the seams after one too many booty drops?) To add to the balls-to-the-wall affair, Queen Minaj arrives at the tail-end to add some fierceness and pay respect to Madonnas bad bitch-ness. (Thats Miu Miu on my shoes or a shout out to MuuMuse, Nicki?) Her appreciation for Madge is well known, which only makes for an even more deliciously reverent assist. Im Madonna, these hoes know.
Madonna fans, we can breathe a sigh of relief: Shes actually giving us all her L-U-V this time around.
To anyone whose main (tired) criticism about Madonna is that the woman is trying to sound current: Well, of course she is, you idiot. What, like Taylor Swift isnt? Thats the entire business of being a pop star.
Yes, shes old now, and thats certainly not going to change. But shes also not done dancing, partying and celebrating, and **** whoever thinks she should be: Madonna is challenging the way a 50+ year old female pop star is perceived in pop culture and how a woman her age should act, whether you like it or not. Sorry, shes not slipping on a gown, belting out orchestral renditions of her greatest hits and quietly fading into obscurity youll have to drag her out screaming from the studio first.
That being said, beyond the bragging and bitchiness of Rebel Heart, the album also promises to be something more introspective. Songs like Ghosttown and Devil Pray even Living For Love come from a place of someone who has truly lived (and loved) life to the fullest. Really, what more can we ask of Madonna in 2015?
This is an eclectic record based on what weve already heard, from 90s House to trap to reggae to twangy acoustic guitar-led balladry: Theres no shortage of sounds to come from Rebel Heart. Unlike Madges more obvious trend-hopping past LPs, from recruiting Timbaland two years too late on Hard Candy to the immediately dated-sounding dance floor foray with MDNA, Rebel Heart feels fresh and forward-thinking, and more faithful to Madonnas #unapologeticartistry. Theres also safety in numbers: With production from acts like Diplo and Kanye, both of whom are far from one-trick production ponies, Madonnas not going to be susceptible to serving up reductive shit.
In fact, for the first time in over a decade, Madonnas sounds like shes blazing trails again, just as an icon should.
And this is only the beginning.
Rebel Heart will be released on March 10. (iTunes)
http://www.muumuse.c... ... -one.html/
MADONNA, REBEL HEART': TRACK-BY-TRACK (PART ONE)
Madonna, you bitch. You #unapologeticbitch.
Last night well, early this morning, or whenever youre reading this the Queen Of Pop semi-released her 13th studio album, Rebel Heart, in a swift, Beyoncé-ian drop on iTunes. Of course, unlike Bey, Madonnas been digitally navigating us through every single song title, lyric and produce included on her upcoming LP for over a year. So, to classify this one as a complete surprise release would be, uh, wrong.
That being said, semi-releasing an album on the Friday night before Christmas, when most of the world was busy traveling home, sleeping and roadtripping (or, in my case, crouched in the corner of a gay bar shaking and crying), wasnt a move most people expected Madonna to make. A rebel heart, indeed.
(To be fair, she did warn us time and time again: Trust no bitch.)
The semi-release was reactionary: 13 rough demos from this record (an entire albums worth!) were leaked onto the Internet earlier this week, including five of the 6 songs made available at midnight. What else was there for a Queen Of Pop to do but to capitalize on the panic in the industry, polish off a few of the records closest to being finished and throw them out to the thirsty masses? And so, she did.
Let us rummage through Madonnas Hanukkah gift EP1, perhaps? with a fairly sleepless (thanks Madge!) track-by-track breakdown.
Living For Love
Within the first few seconds of Living For Love, Rebel Heart is already sonically swerving away from anything shes recorded in over a decade. Is that90s House were hearing? It is. Yet, unlike the teen-pop acts and UK dance troupes paying homage to an era they were barely old enough to remember (self-shade, I know), Madonna lived and loved through that point in time as an actual club queen. And essentially, shes given us a Deeper And Deeper for 2015. The song is transcendent, managing to be entirely in vogue (REFERENCE) with the current 90s House revival at radio today while staying true to all things Material Girl: Big, unapologetically gay throbbing pulsations, uplifting lyricism, religious imagery, perseverance and self-empowerment its all here. Its a total beast of a collaborative effort too, featuring MoZella, Ariel Rechtstaid, Toby Gad, Diplo and Nick Rowe. And yes, thats Alicia Keys singing in the background! **** singing about Tanqueray in the club: This is the Madonna weve always known and lived to love, with flares of the future and nostalgic nods to the past.
Devil Pray
Of all the songs were treated to from Rebel Heart so far, Devil Pray is perhaps the most representative of Madonnas post-Kabbalah enlightened singer-songwriterdom. Backed by a twangy gee-tar, Madge-turned-Esther serves up life lessons wrapped around warm, singalong-friendly melodies crafted alongside Ryan Tedder. Its very American Life but then, there are these fresh and unusual production tics that elevate the track beyond just its guitar-led backbone: A demonic vocoder on loop, orgasmic moans, synths blipping and bleeping throughout its all so weird, but in the best way possible. Mother Mary, cant you help me? Cause Ive gone astray Its a cautionary tale of getting swept up in substance (weed, whiskey and sniffing glue, to name a few), sung by the woman whos most certainly seen, done and Instagrammed it alland lived to tell.
Ghosttown
Ghosttown is the only song that the public hadnt already heard prior to the Rebel Heart semi-release last night and possibly the best surprise. Here, Madonnas giving us the first real power ballad on the record a sumptuous electro-ballad, at that. (And, if the writing credits are to be believed, the only song of the set that Madonna penned with no co-writers!) When it all falls, when it all falls down Do you hear that? Those are sweeping melodies. MEL-O-DIES. If there was any major complaint to be made about Madonnas past few studio albums (and trust, there were many), a lack of memorable songcraft is perhaps one of the most overwhelming offenses. When the worldgetscoldIll be your cover/Letsjustholdonto each other. She cant do this alone we know that well enough, and Ghosttown is a gorgeously earnest, us-against-the-world anthem tailored for two souls wandering alone in this mad, mad world.
Unapologetic Bitch
As one of Madges most frequently hashtagged titles teased from her latest LP, there was already a lot riding on Unapologetic Bitch, which was originally rumored to be the lead single from the set. Its not anymore the more universally appealing Living For Love will go out first instead although the song certainly would have certainly raised a few eyebrows had it gone to radio: The heavily reggae-tinged Diplo track is all sorts of Rihanna-esque phucklessness, sung by a woman who has, historically, not been one to apologize (And Im not sorry) too often. It might sound like Im an unapologetic bitch, but sometimes you know I gotta call it like it is, she quite contently declares across the chorus. Intriguingly, as far as uptempo tracks are concerned, Unapologetic Bitch is the collections most laid-back and breezy. Then again, its a break-up anthem. Sometimes, the biggest middle finger is simply remaining unbothered. (But seriously, can we get a RiRi rih-mix of this one in the near future?)
Illuminati
Kanye West. Madonna. Its Madeezus, bitch. The dark and menacing Illuminati is purely the stuff of Yeezys last LP Yeezus as far as the production concerned, from the stabbing synths to the chilly, bass-heavy beats. But lyrically speaking? Madge is giving us a history lesson about what the Illuminati actually is, going all the way back to the Founding Fathers (she was there, after all) and reminding us of what its not: Its not Jay-Z and Beyonce, its not Nicki or Lil Wayne/Its not Oprah and Obama, the Pope and Rihanna/Queen Elizabeth or Kanye, she sing-raps on the name-dropping, Vogue-like verses. Enlightenment, The Pope and RiRi on the dance floor? Only Madonna would, and Kanye would only be too happy to help shade the distracting deception of the media. Its like everybody in this party shining like Illuminati!
Bitch Im Madonna (feat. Nicki Minaj)
Its about time the Queen Of Pop decided to embrace her legacy and celebratewell, Madonna. No introspection to be found here, children: Grandmadonna is popping her puss on the dance floor, reminding us of her legacy (You cant mess with this lucky star!), embarrassing and entertaining us all, just as always.The twerk-friendly, clap-heavy club bop is all about popping bottles and getting 2 On. Really, its unhinged: WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?! she screams throughout. (Hint: You are not Madonna, because she is Madonna.) All of the Diplo and Sophie-produced noises are positively batty, from the Baauer-like beat drops to the tearing sound that rips through the speakers at the end. (Madges leotard busting at the seams after one too many booty drops?) To add to the balls-to-the-wall affair, Queen Minaj arrives at the tail-end to add some fierceness and pay respect to Madonnas bad bitch-ness. (Thats Miu Miu on my shoes or a shout out to MuuMuse, Nicki?) Her appreciation for Madge is well known, which only makes for an even more deliciously reverent assist. Im Madonna, these hoes know.
Madonna fans, we can breathe a sigh of relief: Shes actually giving us all her L-U-V this time around.
To anyone whose main (tired) criticism about Madonna is that the woman is trying to sound current: Well, of course she is, you idiot. What, like Taylor Swift isnt? Thats the entire business of being a pop star.
Yes, shes old now, and thats certainly not going to change. But shes also not done dancing, partying and celebrating, and **** whoever thinks she should be: Madonna is challenging the way a 50+ year old female pop star is perceived in pop culture and how a woman her age should act, whether you like it or not. Sorry, shes not slipping on a gown, belting out orchestral renditions of her greatest hits and quietly fading into obscurity youll have to drag her out screaming from the studio first.
That being said, beyond the bragging and bitchiness of Rebel Heart, the album also promises to be something more introspective. Songs like Ghosttown and Devil Pray even Living For Love come from a place of someone who has truly lived (and loved) life to the fullest. Really, what more can we ask of Madonna in 2015?
This is an eclectic record based on what weve already heard, from 90s House to trap to reggae to twangy acoustic guitar-led balladry: Theres no shortage of sounds to come from Rebel Heart. Unlike Madges more obvious trend-hopping past LPs, from recruiting Timbaland two years too late on Hard Candy to the immediately dated-sounding dance floor foray with MDNA, Rebel Heart feels fresh and forward-thinking, and more faithful to Madonnas #unapologeticartistry. Theres also safety in numbers: With production from acts like Diplo and Kanye, both of whom are far from one-trick production ponies, Madonnas not going to be susceptible to serving up reductive shit.
In fact, for the first time in over a decade, Madonnas sounds like shes blazing trails again, just as an icon should.
And this is only the beginning.
Rebel Heart will be released on March 10. (iTunes)