Chelsea Press 2
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Post by Chelsea Press 2 on May 25, 2020 1:06:53 GMT -5
With this one, the title track is out. One #1 lost, 3 perfect rankings. #5 American LifeThis was the lead single ("Die Another Day" did come out before this and some say that was the lead but that was from that movie's soundtrack and it was added to this album). The song is a criticism of the American way of life as being selfish and materialistic, and how while Madonna has achieved the typical American Dream, she's not sure this is what she wants during the presidency of George W. Bush. It featured vocoded parts and a rap section lampooning how other rappers brag of their wealth (their cars, their hoes, their mansions) whereas she rapped about her Mini Cooper, her yoga and pilates, her lawyer, manager, agent, and a chef, and a jet among other things. It was panned by many critics and fans alike. It ended up peaking at #37 in the U.S. and effectively marked the end of her U.S. success on radio ("Hung Up" and "4 Minutes" performed better later). It had a remix that removed the rap, plus a remix that featured Missy Elliot, a Rock version, and a downtempo one by Paul Oakenfold. Felix Da Housecat and Peter Rauhofer provided the club mixes. 2 music videos were shot for the song, both directed by Swedish director Jonas Åkerlund. The first featured Madonna at a military-themed fashion show, ending with her throwing a hand grenade at a George W. Bush lookalike who catches it. Prior to its release, the video caused controversy regarding its political, racial and religious implications, leading Madonna to release a statement explaining its concept. After the 2003 invasion of Iraq started, Madonna cancelled the release of the original music video, because of the political climate of the country at the time pulled that original video marking the first time she had ever pulled one of her own videos herself and released an alternative version, featuring her in front of a backdrop of flags from around the world. An alternate director's cut version featuring slightly more graphic scenes in the original version also surfaced. The song was performed live during the Re-Invention Tour, her Tears of a Clown show, at the Stonewall 50 – WorldPride NYC 2019 festival and the Madame X Tour. Points: 114 Standard Deviation: 3.23 Average Ranking: 5.70 Rankings: God 1 jenglisbe 2 (no rap version) Troublemaker 2 Mirago 2 someguy 3 HolidayGuy 3 SHOOTER 3 born 4 Ginger Spice 5 ClevelandRox 5 Juanca 5George 6 Chelsea Press 2 7 bat1990 8 alexcuse 8 Ky 9 .indulgecountry 9 newpower 10 Albie 11 Ling-Ling 11
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Albie
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Post by Albie on May 25, 2020 1:08:55 GMT -5
Eww
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Chelsea Press 2
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Post by Chelsea Press 2 on May 25, 2020 1:19:04 GMT -5
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Chelsea Press 2
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Post by Chelsea Press 2 on May 25, 2020 2:04:22 GMT -5
4 lose their #1 and we have 2 perfect rankings. #3 HollywoodThe 2nd single was a Folk Rock song that lyrically discusses American culture and greed, focusing on Hollywood, California, as a place of pop stars and illusory dreams. It went on to peak at #1 on the Billboard Club Play chart. The music video was directed by Jean-Baptiste Mondino and portrays Madonna highlighting the highs and lows of Hollywood. After the video was released, French photographer Guy Bourdin's son filed a federal lawsuit that accused Madonna of ripping off the work of his father, showing sequences of the video to be similar to his father's photographs taken in the 1980s though it appeared to be a homage. Madonna opened the MTV Video Music Awards performing a medley of "Like a Virgin" and "Hollywood" with Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera and Missy Elliott. During the performance, Madonna kissed Spears and Aguilera on the lips, generating strong reactions from the media. "Hollywood" was later used as a dancers' interlude on the 2004 Re-Invention World Tour. There were remixes by Deepsky, The Micronauts, Paul Oakenfold, Stuart Price (as Jacques Lu Cont), and Victor Calderone with Mac Quayle. Junior Vasquez remixed this too for the set of music he produced for a Donatella Versace fashion show (the date in the title is incorrect). Madonna allowed it as it was a favor for her friend Donatella. Madonna and Junior had a falling out in the mid 90s over the release of that "If Madonna Calls" song. The set he produced included a mashup of "Hollywood" with "My Sharona", the "push the button" chant part from "Hollywood" over Royal House's "Can You Party" which was a House classic, and then finally a mashup of "American Life" with Imagination's "Just An Illusion." Points: 101 Standard Deviation: 3.49 Average Ranking: 5.05 Rankings: Albie 1 someguy 1 .indulgecountry 1 SHOOTER 1 born 2 ClevelandRox 2 newpower 2 Ling-Ling 3 Troublemaker 3Ginger Spice 4 Mirago 4 bat1990 6 jenglisbe 7 Ky 8 HolidayGuy 8 alexcuse 9 Juanca 9 Chelsea Press 2 10 God 10 George 10
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ClevelandRox
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Post by ClevelandRox on May 25, 2020 3:22:09 GMT -5
The forgotten Nothing Fails beat Hollywood?! This one was a mess.
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SHOOTER
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Typical of those in power to stay worried about the *wrong* shit.
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Post by SHOOTER on May 25, 2020 3:32:57 GMT -5
Hollywood was robbed on the charts and in this rankdown! DAD for the win, I guess.
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Chelsea Press 2
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Post by Chelsea Press 2 on May 25, 2020 5:56:28 GMT -5
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Chelsea Press 2
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Post by Chelsea Press 2 on May 25, 2020 5:57:05 GMT -5
Which mean we have our #1 which has 4 perfect rankings. #1 Die Another DayThis was the theme song from the James Bond film of the same name. While developing it, the track went through numerous changes. After Madonna saw the initial version of the film she adapted the song to its theme, described as a metaphor for destroying one's ego. Ahmadzaï re-arranged "Die Another Day" at his home in Paris while Colombier finished the string sections in Los Angeles. An electroclash number, "Die Another Day" is a mixture of strings and interpolating electronic swirls, and stuttered editing on Madonna's voice, cutting the main signal on the chorus. "Die Another Day" was the highest charting James Bond song in the U.S. since Duran Duran's "A View to Kill" in 1985. It peaked at #8 on the Hot 100 and #1 on the Billboard Club Play chart. The music video was directed by Traktor, and was developed as an independent video from the film but contained Bond influences. It depicts Madonna as a prisoner in a torture chamber, alternating with scenes of a fencing duel between good (clad in white) and evil (clad in black) personas of the singer. Wounds inflicted on both fencers are mirrored on the imprisoned Madonna, and in the end she escapes being electrocuted in the chamber. The usage of Jewish religious texts and objects in the music video led to controversy, with scholars of Judaism deeming it sacrilegious. The total production costs for the video was around $6.1 million making it the 2nd most expensive music video of all time, behind Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson's "Scream." It had remixes by Brother Brown, Deepsky, Dirty Vegas, Felix Da Housecat, Thunderpuss, and Victor Calderone with Mac Quayle. The song was only performed live during the ReInvention Tour and Sticky & Sweet, and during a club performance in France during MDNA as a mashup with "Beautiful Killer". Points: 67 Standard Deviation: 2.37 Average Ranking: 3.35 Rankings: ClevelandRox 1 Juanca 1 Troublemaker 1 Mirago 1 Ky 2 HolidayGuy 2 Ling-Ling 2 .indulgecountry 2 SHOOTER 2 Chelsea Press 2 3 Ginger Spice 3 bat1990 3 George 3 alexcuse 3 Albie 4 God 4 born 6 newpower 7 someguy 8 jenglisbe 9
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born
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Post by born on May 25, 2020 6:01:06 GMT -5
Hit single bias Thank you for hosting! Can't wait for Confessions.
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HolidayGuy
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Post by HolidayGuy on May 25, 2020 7:34:26 GMT -5
Thanks. Pastor. I support the top two. :)
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.indulgecountry
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"You left a mark on my face // And brought a dozen red flags in a vase"
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Post by .indulgecountry on May 25, 2020 11:26:40 GMT -5
Well if "Hollywood" wasn't gonna win it, then "Die Another Day" was the only other correct choice! Both of those slap hard.
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Chelsea Press 2
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Post by Chelsea Press 2 on May 25, 2020 16:03:22 GMT -5
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bat1990
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Post by bat1990 on May 25, 2020 18:42:00 GMT -5
Ah, my sweet "Nothing Fails" almost made it. I performed it in front of the music classes in middle school.
It was also notable at the time for topping the Hot Single Sales chart and not making the Hot 100 or Bubbling Under because it had nearly no airplay, highlighting how quickly single sales had imploded.
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newpower
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Post by newpower on May 26, 2020 7:23:07 GMT -5
Thanks Chelsea Press 2 for hosting. Predictable winner. Not in my Top 100 Madonna songs, but I don't hate it.
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Juanca
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Post by Juanca on May 30, 2020 15:52:53 GMT -5
5. American life (5): I remember the beginning of the era, when a couple snippets were out, from different parts of the song, and people were wondering how both could be part of the same song lol. I didn’t mind the change of pace from verse to chorus that much, though. I felt the chorus melody was pretty good. The production in the verses was interesting but the melody wasn’t strong enough. The original video however was one of the best of her career. I loved everything about it. The looks, the message, the choreography... but then I was so pissed when she caved in and decided to replace it with the stupid flag video. Anyway. Speaking of replacement, I ended up replacing the original with the Felix da Housecat remix for my personal chart, where it peaked at #5.. That‘s been my favorite version. 4. Love profusion (3): so much better than the first two singles. I really liked the guitar and synth combo, and melody. I think it has the best pop sound in the album. I think the male background vocals gave it a nice extra touch. The only part I’d have cut a bit is the repetition of I’ve got Jew under my skin. Deserved much better luck in the charts. 3. Hollywood (9): I never understood why M was so gong ho on this being a single. I never really cared for it, and was my least favorite second single ever from her, to the point that it almost didn’t enter my personal chart. In the end the Jacques lu Cont’s Thin White Duck remix made me like it much more, and it made my personal top 20. That should’ve been the main version. Much stronger in terms of music and melody. I also felt that the Into the Hollywood Groove could’ve been a good opportunity to make it chart, after the famous kiss and with the Gap commercial/video with Missy. It just needed a good production. The version included in the remix album was horrendously amateur 2. Nothing fails (2): Yay! I remember some reviewers saying this was going to be like a new version of Like a prayer. That was of course far from the truth, but the gospel section was great and a nice nod to that jam. This was an easy favorite of the album. Great melody, nice instrumentation with guitars and strings, and very nice, clear, tender, emotional vocals from M, using more of her pleasant lower range. I so wanted it to be a hit or at least make her return to the hot 100, that I was annoyed at how she missed it despite being the best selling single. So bad that radio treated her like this. This deserved much better... it was a personal chart-topper. 1. Die another day (1): YAAASSSS!!!! This was epic! The music was so unique, forward looking, left field for her and for mainstream pop. Great use of strings and synths. At the same time it had a good, catchy melody and hooks that made it digestible. An easy personal chart-topper, and a hit back home. And one of my favorite Bond songs. Definitely in my top tier of M songs. Even if it’s not your cup of tea, you have to give it to her for keeping pushing the boundaries of pop music in her 40s. I remember Elton John being a bitch Queen, trashing the song, complaining for it getting nominations to awards, and saying it was the worst Bond song ever (I think it was jealousy as Elton hasn’t done a Bond song yet ). The video was another big win. One of my favorites from her. And another way she kept excelling in pop culture at that time. Great job, Chelsea Press 2!!!
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