sonicboy

With all the speculation and rumors that swirl around the lives of celebrities, I'd rather give them the benefit of the doubt in terms of their actions and their reasons behind the choices they make in their lives and careers unless they specifically choose to share their current perspective on it. My views are the product my own life experience, which is a very different experience from that of a celebrity, or at least that's what I've ascertained from observing the common truths shared by those who are labelled as such. I can only assume that the life of a celebrity, and in particular a celebrity not born into fame and wealth who has experienced both sides and has learned how to adapt to the insanity of being famous would be extremely challenging to navigate, even for the most resilient among them. One aspect of that insanity is that celebrities are often expected to maintain static views and are constantly being held to things they may have held true at one point in their journey that does not necessarily ring true for them years later. My life experience teaches me that most people's views are constantly shifting and evolving from the moment they are born until the day they die. That's the human experience, as I see it. I would be pretty weary of anyone who thinks they've got it all figured out, even in their own lives, let alone anyone else's. Celebrities typically face a shit storm any time they choose to share their honest perspective about aspects of their experience, because it is not a perspective that most of us have lived and experienced first-hand. They are typically scolded for daring to share their own truths and experiences whenever they inevitably do not align with our own. In other words, the general public tends to put celebrities on a pedestal and then tries to seeks to shove them off of it whenever they get too honest about the true realities of fame, which most of us cannot relate to, and because we all carry preconceived ideas about fame that are mostly rooted in fantasy, not truth. Many celebrities choose to cope with this paradox by telling their audience exactly what they want to hear so that they can remain relatable in their eyes. They segregate their actual life experience from their public persona so they can continue to deliver what is expected of them without rocking the boat for their audience. But, as we know, even within the microcosm of celebrity, Madonna marches to the beat of her own drum. She shares any view she feels like sharing when she feels like sharing it, and without necessarily giving us the full background of what aspect of her unusual life circumstances led her there. Her audience generally expects her to explain her rationale for every mundane choice she makes, not only in her career but in her life as well. And yet, given that the majority of her audience would be comprised of non-famous people who bring with them their own preconceived notions about fame and money and power, we remain free to evolve, to shift our views, and to chose what, when and how much we want to share about our experience, without the pressures of having it be observed and judged on a mass scale. We often forget that behind the larger than life persona, Madonna is also a human being who is just as entitled as any one of us to chose for herself how she adapts and responds to the circumstances of her life, and how much of that experience she chooses to share, when she chooses to share it and to what extend. And we often overlook how ridiculous and unfair it is to expect her views to evolve in lockstep with our own when when her life experience that is constantly shaping and reshaping her reality is quite different from ours. And yet, it is human nature to seek genuine connection in those we idolize. That's one of the paradoxes of fame. We get to chose whether we acknowledge it and accept it, and possibly even find value in it. She actually has to live it, which is quite different from our perspective as the observers of her fame. Often when I express this view to people, the response is along the lines of "oh poor Madonna with her rich people's problems." This makes it clear that to me that the person I'm speaking with has fully bought into the fallacy that money and fame and power are the ultimate life experience we could seek for ourselves. Perhaps they have chosen to ignore the fact that many celebrities eventually crack under the intense pressure it creates, and cannot empathize with the continuous trauma Madonna would need to adapt to in order to continue to be a creative person in this environment. Maybe their fantasy about what fame is doesn't want to ponder the dark and isolating side of it. Fortunately, I'm not a celebrity, so I get to chose to be empathetic to their point of view despite it being very different from mine, and I can only presume, hers.

With all the speculation and rumors that swirl around the lives of celebrities, I'd rather give them the benefit of the doubt in terms of their actions and their reasons behind the choices they make in their lives and careers unless they specifically choose to share their current perspective on it. My views are the product my own life experience, which is a very different experience from that of a celebrity, or at least that's what I've ascertained from observing the common truths shared by those who are labelled as such. I can only assume that the life of a celebrity, and in particular a celebrity not born into fame and wealth who has experienced both sides and has learned how to adapt to the insanity of being famous would be extremely challenging to navigate, even for the most resilient among them. One aspect of that insanity is that celebrities are often expected to maintain static views and are constantly being held to things they may have held true at one point in their journey that does not necessarily ring true for them years later. My life experience teaches me that most people's views are constantly shifting and evolving from the moment they are born until the day they die. That's the human experience, as I see it. I would be pretty weary of anyone who thinks they've got it all figured out, even in their own lives, let alone anyone else's. Celebrities typically face a shit storm any time they choose to share their honest perspective about aspects of their experience, because it is not a perspective that most of us have lived and experienced first-hand. They are typically scolded for daring to share their own truths and experiences whenever they inevitably do not align with our own. In other words, the general public tends to put celebrities on a pedestal and then tries to seeks to shove them off of it whenever they get too honest about the true realities of fame, which most of us cannot relate to, and because we all carry preconceived ideas about fame that are mostly rooted in fantasy, not truth. Many celebrities choose to cope with this paradox by telling their audience exactly what they want to hear so that they can remain relatable in their eyes. They segregate their actual life experience from their public persona so they can continue to deliver what is expected of them without rocking the boat for their audience. But, as we know, even within the microcosm of celebrity, Madonna marches to the beat of her own drum. She shares any view she feels like sharing when she feels like sharing it, and without necessarily giving us the full background of what aspect of her unusual life circumstances led her there. Her audience generally expects her to explain her rationale for every mundane choice she makes, not only in her career but in her life as well. And yet, given that the majority of her audience would be comprised of non-famous people who bring with them their own preconceived notions about fame and money and power, we remain free to evolve, to shift our views, and to chose what, when and how much we want to share about our experience, without the pressures of having it be observed and judged on a mass scale. We often forget that behind the larger than life persona, Madonna is also a human being who is just as entitled as any one of us to chose for herself how she adapts and responds to the circumstances of her life, and how much of that experience she chooses to share, when she chooses to share it and to what extend. And we often overlook how ridiculous and unfair it is to expect her views to evolve in lockstep with our own when when her life experience that is constantly shaping and reshaping her reality is quite different from ours. And yet, it is human nature to seek genuine connection in those we idolize. That's one of the paradoxes of fame. We get to chose whether we acknowledge it and accept it, and possibly even find value in it. She actually has to live it, which is quite different from our perspective as the observers of her fame. Often when I express this view to people, the response is along the lines of "oh poor Madonna with her rich people's problems." This makes it clear that to me that the person I'm speaking with has fully bought into the fallacy that money and fame and power are the ultimate life experience we could seek for ourselves. Perhaps they have chosen to ignore the fact that many celebrities eventually crack under the intense pressure it creates, and cannot empathize with the continuous trauma Madonna would need to adapt to in order to continue to be a creative person in this environment. Maybe their fantasy about what fame is doesn't want to ponder the dark and isolating side of it. Fortunately, I'm not a celebrity, so I get to chose to be empathetic to their point of view despite it being very different from mine, and I can only presume, hers.

So difficult to choose, but I think I'd have to go with Open Your Heart. It was quite a groundbreaking video at the time both for its content as well as for technical achievements. I remember being blown away by the cinematography the first time I saw it, since most videos up to that time were so drab looking colour-wise. Up to that point telecining technology tended to produce really washed out visuals during the transfer from film to video...just look at the Like A Virgin video, it's so muted...if the original film rolls exist somewhere, they could do wonders with it! But getting off track here...lol. OYH is one of the first mainstream videos I remember seeing that used really vivid colours and clearly used then-state-of-the-art telecining techniques that managed to fully capture the film prints in such a clean and crisp way. It really jumped out at you. Fincher and later Romanek also made technical advances, but Mondino the first one to really push M's videos into a different realm from a technical perspective. And from a content perspective, in retrospect OYH feels almost more shocking than JML, just because it really came out of nowhere and was not what anyone would have expected her to do at the time. JML was less shocking in that regard, because by that point she had been consistently pushing that particular envelope for awhile, so even though she was pushing it further, it felt like a natural progression. But with OYH, to wear that outfit and play a peep show dancer, I don't think anyone would have predicted it, as it was such a brazen move for an artist that was constantly being labelled a sexpot. Rather than run away from it, she owned it. It was a very bold move.
Plus I just love Mondino's sensibilities as a director in general...every video he makes has some strange thing about it that makes it stand out. It's never the same thing, but there's always something. And it's always one of those ideas that would seem silly on paper and might even seem silly the first time you see it, but then it somehow becomes the essence and the hook of the entire thing. Ususally there's an element of humour or irony there.
He's also done brilliant videos for other artists. Don Henley's The Boys Of Summer is 85 was his breakthrough in North America, and it's no surprise that M would have wanted to work with him because it's a beautiful video, and one of the first to reintroduce black & white in a way that felt current and new.

So difficult to choose, but I think I'd have to go with Open Your Heart. It was quite a groundbreaking video at the time both for its content as well as for technical achievements. I remember being blown away by the cinematography the first time I saw it, since most videos up to that time were so drab looking colour-wise. Up to that point telecining technology tended to produce really washed out visuals during the transfer from film to video...just look at the Like A Virgin video, it's so muted...if the original film rolls exist somewhere, they could do wonders with it! But getting off track here...lol. OYH is one of the first mainstream videos I remember seeing that used really vivid colours and clearly used then-state-of-the-art telecining techniques that managed to fully capture the film prints in such a clean and crisp way. It really jumped out at you. Fincher and later Romanek also made technical advances, but Mondino the first one to really push M's videos into a different realm from a technical perspective. And from a content perspective, in retrospect OYH feels almost more shocking than JML, just because it really came out of nowhere and was not what anyone would have expected her to do at the time. JML was less shocking in that regard, because by that point she had been consistently pushing that particular envelope for awhile, so even though she was pushing it further, it felt like a natural progression. But with OYH, to wear that outfit and play a peep show dancer, I don't think anyone would have predicted it, as it was such a brazen move for an artist that was constantly being labelled a sexpot. Rather than run away from it, she owned it. It was a very bold move.
Plus I just love Mondino's sensibilities as a director in general...every video he makes has some strange thing about it that makes it stand out. It's never the same thing, but there's always something. And it's always one of those ideas that would seem silly on paper and might even seem silly the first time you see it, but then it somehow becomes the essence and the hook of the entire thing. Ususally there's an element of humour or irony there.
He's also done brilliant videos for other artists. Don Henley's The Boys Of Summer is 85 was his breakthrough in North America, and it's no surprise that M would have wanted to work with him because it's a beautiful video, and one of the first to reintroduce black & white in a way that felt current and new.

Yes. Actually, I don't think he gets as much blame for it as he should, tbh. His mixing is shoddy and his fingerprints are all over the place on her last three albums. It's easy to hear his distinct influence on Hard Candy as he mixed the Timbaland tracks while Mark Spike Stent (one of the most sought-after mixing engineers in the business for good reason) mixed the Pharrell tracks. Even though his work on HC is possibly the least objectionable, it still pales in comparison to Stent's.

Yes, that's all he's ever done. Madonna & Spice Girls.
    2018: Post Malone – "Stay"
    2018: Cardi B – "Thru Your Phone"
    2018: Elton John – "REVAMP" tracks "Your Song" Featuring Lady Gaga & Bennie & The Jets featuring Pink & Logic
    2018: Pale Waves – "Heavenly"
    2018: Jade Bird – "Lottery"
    2018: Chvrches – "Love is Dead"
    2018: Years and Years – "Sanctuary"
    2018: Rudimental – "These Days Featuring Jess Glynne, Macklemore & Dan Caplen"
    2018: Marshmello Featuring Anne Marie – "Friends"
    2017: Kesha – "This is Me from The Greatest Showman"
    2017: Miguel – "War and Leasure"
    2017: Bishop Briggs – "Dream"
    2017: Jessie Ware – "Glasshouse (album)"
    2017: PVRIS – "All We Know of Heaven, All We Need of Hell"
    2017: Justin Bieber and BloodPop– "Friends"
    2017: Muse – "Dig Down"
    2017: Mondo Cozmo – "Plastic Soul"
    2017: Niall Horan – "Slow Hands"
    2017: Vince Staples – Big Fish Theory
    2017: Harry Styles – Harry Styles[17]
    2017: Ed Sheeran – ÷[18]
    2017: Julia Michaels – "Issues"
    2017: Julia Michaels – "Uh Huh"
    2017: Julia Michaels – "Nervous Systems"
    2017: Rita Ora – "Your Song"
    2017: Liam Gallagher – "As You Were"
    2017: DreamCar – "Dreamcar"
    2016: Gwen Stefani – This Is What the Truth Feels Like[18]
    2015: Selena Gomez – Revival
    2015: Florence + the Machine – How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful
    2015: CHVRCHES – Every Open Eye[19]
    2015: Grimes – Art Angels
    2015: Duran Duran – Paper Gods
    2014: Coldplay – Ghost Stories[18]
    2014: Ed Sheeran – x[18]
    2014: The Script – No Sound Without Silence
    2014: Kasabian – 48:13
    2013: Biffy Clyro – Opposites[18]
    2013: Bastille – Bad Blood[18]
    2013: Rudimental – Home[18]
    2013: White Lies – Big TV[18]
    2013: Haim – Days Are Gone[18]
    2013: Moby – Innocents[18]
    2013: John Newman – Tribute[18]
    2013: One Direction – Midnight Memories[18]
    2012: Frank Ocean – Channel Orange[18]
    2012: No Doubt – Push and Shove
    2012: Taylor Swift – Red[18]
    2012: Muse – The 2nd Law[18]
    2011: Florence + The Machine – Ceremonials
    2011: Coldplay – Mylo Xyloto
    2011: Bruce Springsteen – Wrecking Ball
    2010: Lights – The Listening ("Ice")
    2010: Usher – Raymond v. Raymond
    2010: Hurts – Happiness
    2010: Goldfrapp – Head First
    2010: Ellie Goulding – Lights
    2010: P Diddy – Last Train to Paris ("Hello Good Morning")
    2010: Take That – Progress
    2010: James Blunt – Some Kind of Trouble
    2010: The Wanted – The Wanted
    2010: N.E.R.D – Nothing
    2010: Duran Duran – All You Need Is Now
    2010: The Script – Science and Faith
    2010: Cheryl Cole – Messy Little Raindrops
    2010: Christina Aguilera – Bionic ("Little Dreamer", "Kimono Girl", "Birds of Prey")
2000s
    2009: Green Day – 21st Century Breakdown ("Last of the American Girls", "21 Guns", "Rain on Me")
    2009: Lady Gaga – The Fame Monster ("Bad Romance", "Telephone" Featuring Beyoncé)
    2009: Tegan & Sara – Sainthood ("Hell")
    2009: Muse – The Resistance
    2009: Vedera – Stages ("Satisfy", "Loving Ghosts", "Back to the Middle")
    2009: Cheryl Cole – 3 Words ("Fight for This Love")
    2009: Ciara – Fantasy Ride ("G Is for Girl")
    2009: Franz Ferdinand – Tonight: Franz Ferdinand ("Katherine")
    2009: FrankMusik – Complete Me ("Confusion Girl")
    2009: The Yeah You's – Looking Through You
    2009: The Yeah Yeah Yeahs – It's Blitz
    2009: Lenka – Trouble Is a Friend
    2009: Sean Garrett – Turbo 919 ("Why", "What You Doin' Turbo 919")
    2009: Lily Allen – It's Not Me, It's You ("Everyone's at It", "The Fear")
    2008: The Script – The Script ("Breakeven", "Talk You Down", "The Man Who Can't Be Moved")
    2008: Sneaky Sound System – Sneaky Sound System ("Kansas City", "UFO")
    2008: The Pussycat Dolls – Doll Domination ("When I Grow Up")
    2008: CSS – Donkey
    2008: Pink – Funhouse
    2008: Beyoncé – I Am... Sasha Fierce
    2008: Madonna – Hard Candy
    2007: M.I.A – Kala ("Boyz", "Jimmy")
    2007: Maroon 5 – It Won't Be Soon Before Long
    2007: Arcade Fire – Neon Bible ("Black Mirror", "No Cars Go")
    2007: Hard-Fi – Once Upon a Time in the West ("Suburban Knights")
    2007: Stereophonics – Pull The Pin ("Rewind")
    2007: Natasha Bedingfield – N.B
    2007: Björk – Volta
    2006: Depeche Mode – The Complete Depeche Mode ("A Pain That I'm Used To")
    2006: The Feeling – Twelve Stops and Home
    2006: Keane – Under the Iron Sea
    2006: Gwen Stefani – The Sweet Escape
    2005: Madonna – Confessions on a Dance Floor
    2005: Goldfrapp – Supernature
    2005: Fischerspooner – Odyssey
    2005: Kaiser Chiefs – Employment ("Everyday I Love You Less and Less")
    2005: Aqualung – Strange and Beautiful ("Easier to Lie")
    2005: Dave Mathews Band – Stand Up
    2005: The Black Eyed Peas – Monkey Business
    2004: Björk – Medúlla
    2004: Keane – Hopes and Fears
    2004: Gwen Stefani – Love. Angel. Music. Baby.
    2004: Natasha Bedingfield – Unwritten
    2003: Massive Attack – 100th Window
    2003: Madonna – American Life
    2003: Dave Mathews Band – Some Devil
    2003: The Black Eyed Peas – Elephunk
    2002: Linkin Park – Reanimation
    2002: Oasis – Heathen Chemistry
    2001: No Doubt – Rock Steady
    2001: Björk – Vespertine
    2000: All Saints – All Saints ("Black Coffee", "Pure Shores")
    2000: Madonna – Music
    2000: Oasis – Standing on the Shoulder of Giants
    2000: Oasis – Familiar to Millions
1990s
    1998: Massive Attack – Mezzanine
    1997: U2 – Pop
    1997: Spice Girls – Spice World
    1997: Erasure – Cowboy
    1997: Björk – Homogenic
    1996: Spice Girls – Spice
    1994: Massive Attack – Protection
    1994: Madonna – Bedtime Stories
    1993: Depeche Mode – Songs of Faith and Devotion
1980s
    1989: ABC – Up
    1988: The Mission – Tower of Strength
    1987: Erasure – It Doesn't Have to Be
    1985: The Cult – Love
 

Yes, that's all he's ever done. Madonna & Spice Girls.
    2018: Post Malone – "Stay"
    2018: Cardi B – "Thru Your Phone"
    2018: Elton John – "REVAMP" tracks "Your Song" Featuring Lady Gaga & Bennie & The Jets featuring Pink & Logic
    2018: Pale Waves – "Heavenly"
    2018: Jade Bird – "Lottery"
    2018: Chvrches – "Love is Dead"
    2018: Years and Years – "Sanctuary"
    2018: Rudimental – "These Days Featuring Jess Glynne, Macklemore & Dan Caplen"
    2018: Marshmello Featuring Anne Marie – "Friends"
    2017: Kesha – "This is Me from The Greatest Showman"
    2017: Miguel – "War and Leasure"
    2017: Bishop Briggs – "Dream"
    2017: Jessie Ware – "Glasshouse (album)"
    2017: PVRIS – "All We Know of Heaven, All We Need of Hell"
    2017: Justin Bieber and BloodPop– "Friends"
    2017: Muse – "Dig Down"
    2017: Mondo Cozmo – "Plastic Soul"
    2017: Niall Horan – "Slow Hands"
    2017: Vince Staples – Big Fish Theory
    2017: Harry Styles – Harry Styles[17]
    2017: Ed Sheeran – ÷[18]
    2017: Julia Michaels – "Issues"
    2017: Julia Michaels – "Uh Huh"
    2017: Julia Michaels – "Nervous Systems"
    2017: Rita Ora – "Your Song"
    2017: Liam Gallagher – "As You Were"
    2017: DreamCar – "Dreamcar"
    2016: Gwen Stefani – This Is What the Truth Feels Like[18]
    2015: Selena Gomez – Revival
    2015: Florence + the Machine – How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful
    2015: CHVRCHES – Every Open Eye[19]
    2015: Grimes – Art Angels
    2015: Duran Duran – Paper Gods
    2014: Coldplay – Ghost Stories[18]
    2014: Ed Sheeran – x[18]
    2014: The Script – No Sound Without Silence
    2014: Kasabian – 48:13
    2013: Biffy Clyro – Opposites[18]
    2013: Bastille – Bad Blood[18]
    2013: Rudimental – Home[18]
    2013: White Lies – Big TV[18]
    2013: Haim – Days Are Gone[18]
    2013: Moby – Innocents[18]
    2013: John Newman – Tribute[18]
    2013: One Direction – Midnight Memories[18]
    2012: Frank Ocean – Channel Orange[18]
    2012: No Doubt – Push and Shove
    2012: Taylor Swift – Red[18]
    2012: Muse – The 2nd Law[18]
    2011: Florence + The Machine – Ceremonials
    2011: Coldplay – Mylo Xyloto
    2011: Bruce Springsteen – Wrecking Ball
    2010: Lights – The Listening ("Ice")
    2010: Usher – Raymond v. Raymond
    2010: Hurts – Happiness
    2010: Goldfrapp – Head First
    2010: Ellie Goulding – Lights
    2010: P Diddy – Last Train to Paris ("Hello Good Morning")
    2010: Take That – Progress
    2010: James Blunt – Some Kind of Trouble
    2010: The Wanted – The Wanted
    2010: N.E.R.D – Nothing
    2010: Duran Duran – All You Need Is Now
    2010: The Script – Science and Faith
    2010: Cheryl Cole – Messy Little Raindrops
    2010: Christina Aguilera – Bionic ("Little Dreamer", "Kimono Girl", "Birds of Prey")
2000s
    2009: Green Day – 21st Century Breakdown ("Last of the American Girls", "21 Guns", "Rain on Me")
    2009: Lady Gaga – The Fame Monster ("Bad Romance", "Telephone" Featuring Beyoncé)
    2009: Tegan & Sara – Sainthood ("Hell")
    2009: Muse – The Resistance
    2009: Vedera – Stages ("Satisfy", "Loving Ghosts", "Back to the Middle")
    2009: Cheryl Cole – 3 Words ("Fight for This Love")
    2009: Ciara – Fantasy Ride ("G Is for Girl")
    2009: Franz Ferdinand – Tonight: Franz Ferdinand ("Katherine")
    2009: FrankMusik – Complete Me ("Confusion Girl")
    2009: The Yeah You's – Looking Through You
    2009: The Yeah Yeah Yeahs – It's Blitz
    2009: Lenka – Trouble Is a Friend
    2009: Sean Garrett – Turbo 919 ("Why", "What You Doin' Turbo 919")
    2009: Lily Allen – It's Not Me, It's You ("Everyone's at It", "The Fear")
    2008: The Script – The Script ("Breakeven", "Talk You Down", "The Man Who Can't Be Moved")
    2008: Sneaky Sound System – Sneaky Sound System ("Kansas City", "UFO")
    2008: The Pussycat Dolls – Doll Domination ("When I Grow Up")
    2008: CSS – Donkey
    2008: Pink – Funhouse
    2008: Beyoncé – I Am... Sasha Fierce
    2008: Madonna – Hard Candy
    2007: M.I.A – Kala ("Boyz", "Jimmy")
    2007: Maroon 5 – It Won't Be Soon Before Long
    2007: Arcade Fire – Neon Bible ("Black Mirror", "No Cars Go")
    2007: Hard-Fi – Once Upon a Time in the West ("Suburban Knights")
    2007: Stereophonics – Pull The Pin ("Rewind")
    2007: Natasha Bedingfield – N.B
    2007: Björk – Volta
    2006: Depeche Mode – The Complete Depeche Mode ("A Pain That I'm Used To")
    2006: The Feeling – Twelve Stops and Home
    2006: Keane – Under the Iron Sea
    2006: Gwen Stefani – The Sweet Escape
    2005: Madonna – Confessions on a Dance Floor
    2005: Goldfrapp – Supernature
    2005: Fischerspooner – Odyssey
    2005: Kaiser Chiefs – Employment ("Everyday I Love You Less and Less")
    2005: Aqualung – Strange and Beautiful ("Easier to Lie")
    2005: Dave Mathews Band – Stand Up
    2005: The Black Eyed Peas – Monkey Business
    2004: Björk – Medúlla
    2004: Keane – Hopes and Fears
    2004: Gwen Stefani – Love. Angel. Music. Baby.
    2004: Natasha Bedingfield – Unwritten
    2003: Massive Attack – 100th Window
    2003: Madonna – American Life
    2003: Dave Mathews Band – Some Devil
    2003: The Black Eyed Peas – Elephunk
    2002: Linkin Park – Reanimation
    2002: Oasis – Heathen Chemistry
    2001: No Doubt – Rock Steady
    2001: Björk – Vespertine
    2000: All Saints – All Saints ("Black Coffee", "Pure Shores")
    2000: Madonna – Music
    2000: Oasis – Standing on the Shoulder of Giants
    2000: Oasis – Familiar to Millions
1990s
    1998: Massive Attack – Mezzanine
    1997: U2 – Pop
    1997: Spice Girls – Spice World
    1997: Erasure – Cowboy
    1997: Björk – Homogenic
    1996: Spice Girls – Spice
    1994: Massive Attack – Protection
    1994: Madonna – Bedtime Stories
    1993: Depeche Mode – Songs of Faith and Devotion
1980s
    1989: ABC – Up
    1988: The Mission – Tower of Strength
    1987: Erasure – It Doesn't Have to Be
    1985: The Cult – Love
 

Yes, that's all he's ever done. Madonna & Spice Girls.
    2018: Post Malone – "Stay"
    2018: Cardi B – "Thru Your Phone"
    2018: Elton John – "REVAMP" tracks "Your Song" Featuring Lady Gaga & Bennie & The Jets featuring Pink & Logic
    2018: Pale Waves – "Heavenly"
    2018: Jade Bird – "Lottery"
    2018: Chvrches – "Love is Dead"
    2018: Years and Years – "Sanctuary"
    2018: Rudimental – "These Days Featuring Jess Glynne, Macklemore & Dan Caplen"
    2018: Marshmello Featuring Anne Marie – "Friends"
    2017: Kesha – "This is Me from The Greatest Showman"
    2017: Miguel – "War and Leasure"
    2017: Bishop Briggs – "Dream"
    2017: Jessie Ware – "Glasshouse (album)"
    2017: PVRIS – "All We Know of Heaven, All We Need of Hell"
    2017: Justin Bieber and BloodPop– "Friends"
    2017: Muse – "Dig Down"
    2017: Mondo Cozmo – "Plastic Soul"
    2017: Niall Horan – "Slow Hands"
    2017: Vince Staples – Big Fish Theory
    2017: Harry Styles – Harry Styles[17]
    2017: Ed Sheeran – ÷[18]
    2017: Julia Michaels – "Issues"
    2017: Julia Michaels – "Uh Huh"
    2017: Julia Michaels – "Nervous Systems"
    2017: Rita Ora – "Your Song"
    2017: Liam Gallagher – "As You Were"
    2017: DreamCar – "Dreamcar"
    2016: Gwen Stefani – This Is What the Truth Feels Like[18]
    2015: Selena Gomez – Revival
    2015: Florence + the Machine – How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful
    2015: CHVRCHES – Every Open Eye[19]
    2015: Grimes – Art Angels
    2015: Duran Duran – Paper Gods
    2014: Coldplay – Ghost Stories[18]
    2014: Ed Sheeran – x[18]
    2014: The Script – No Sound Without Silence
    2014: Kasabian – 48:13
    2013: Biffy Clyro – Opposites[18]
    2013: Bastille – Bad Blood[18]
    2013: Rudimental – Home[18]
    2013: White Lies – Big TV[18]
    2013: Haim – Days Are Gone[18]
    2013: Moby – Innocents[18]
    2013: John Newman – Tribute[18]
    2013: One Direction – Midnight Memories[18]
    2012: Frank Ocean – Channel Orange[18]
    2012: No Doubt – Push and Shove
    2012: Taylor Swift – Red[18]
    2012: Muse – The 2nd Law[18]
    2011: Florence + The Machine – Ceremonials
    2011: Coldplay – Mylo Xyloto
    2011: Bruce Springsteen – Wrecking Ball
    2010: Lights – The Listening ("Ice")
    2010: Usher – Raymond v. Raymond
    2010: Hurts – Happiness
    2010: Goldfrapp – Head First
    2010: Ellie Goulding – Lights
    2010: P Diddy – Last Train to Paris ("Hello Good Morning")
    2010: Take That – Progress
    2010: James Blunt – Some Kind of Trouble
    2010: The Wanted – The Wanted
    2010: N.E.R.D – Nothing
    2010: Duran Duran – All You Need Is Now
    2010: The Script – Science and Faith
    2010: Cheryl Cole – Messy Little Raindrops
    2010: Christina Aguilera – Bionic ("Little Dreamer", "Kimono Girl", "Birds of Prey")
2000s
    2009: Green Day – 21st Century Breakdown ("Last of the American Girls", "21 Guns", "Rain on Me")
    2009: Lady Gaga – The Fame Monster ("Bad Romance", "Telephone" Featuring Beyoncé)
    2009: Tegan & Sara – Sainthood ("Hell")
    2009: Muse – The Resistance
    2009: Vedera – Stages ("Satisfy", "Loving Ghosts", "Back to the Middle")
    2009: Cheryl Cole – 3 Words ("Fight for This Love")
    2009: Ciara – Fantasy Ride ("G Is for Girl")
    2009: Franz Ferdinand – Tonight: Franz Ferdinand ("Katherine")
    2009: FrankMusik – Complete Me ("Confusion Girl")
    2009: The Yeah You's – Looking Through You
    2009: The Yeah Yeah Yeahs – It's Blitz
    2009: Lenka – Trouble Is a Friend
    2009: Sean Garrett – Turbo 919 ("Why", "What You Doin' Turbo 919")
    2009: Lily Allen – It's Not Me, It's You ("Everyone's at It", "The Fear")
    2008: The Script – The Script ("Breakeven", "Talk You Down", "The Man Who Can't Be Moved")
    2008: Sneaky Sound System – Sneaky Sound System ("Kansas City", "UFO")
    2008: The Pussycat Dolls – Doll Domination ("When I Grow Up")
    2008: CSS – Donkey
    2008: Pink – Funhouse
    2008: Beyoncé – I Am... Sasha Fierce
    2008: Madonna – Hard Candy
    2007: M.I.A – Kala ("Boyz", "Jimmy")
    2007: Maroon 5 – It Won't Be Soon Before Long
    2007: Arcade Fire – Neon Bible ("Black Mirror", "No Cars Go")
    2007: Hard-Fi – Once Upon a Time in the West ("Suburban Knights")
    2007: Stereophonics – Pull The Pin ("Rewind")
    2007: Natasha Bedingfield – N.B
    2007: Björk – Volta
    2006: Depeche Mode – The Complete Depeche Mode ("A Pain That I'm Used To")
    2006: The Feeling – Twelve Stops and Home
    2006: Keane – Under the Iron Sea
    2006: Gwen Stefani – The Sweet Escape
    2005: Madonna – Confessions on a Dance Floor
    2005: Goldfrapp – Supernature
    2005: Fischerspooner – Odyssey
    2005: Kaiser Chiefs – Employment ("Everyday I Love You Less and Less")
    2005: Aqualung – Strange and Beautiful ("Easier to Lie")
    2005: Dave Mathews Band – Stand Up
    2005: The Black Eyed Peas – Monkey Business
    2004: Björk – Medúlla
    2004: Keane – Hopes and Fears
    2004: Gwen Stefani – Love. Angel. Music. Baby.
    2004: Natasha Bedingfield – Unwritten
    2003: Massive Attack – 100th Window
    2003: Madonna – American Life
    2003: Dave Mathews Band – Some Devil
    2003: The Black Eyed Peas – Elephunk
    2002: Linkin Park – Reanimation
    2002: Oasis – Heathen Chemistry
    2001: No Doubt – Rock Steady
    2001: Björk – Vespertine
    2000: All Saints – All Saints ("Black Coffee", "Pure Shores")
    2000: Madonna – Music
    2000: Oasis – Standing on the Shoulder of Giants
    2000: Oasis – Familiar to Millions
1990s
    1998: Massive Attack – Mezzanine
    1997: U2 – Pop
    1997: Spice Girls – Spice World
    1997: Erasure – Cowboy
    1997: Björk – Homogenic
    1996: Spice Girls – Spice
    1994: Massive Attack – Protection
    1994: Madonna – Bedtime Stories
    1993: Depeche Mode – Songs of Faith and Devotion
1980s
    1989: ABC – Up
    1988: The Mission – Tower of Strength
    1987: Erasure – It Doesn't Have to Be
    1985: The Cult – Love
 

Yes, that's all he's ever done. Madonna & Spice Girls.
    2018: Post Malone – "Stay"
    2018: Cardi B – "Thru Your Phone"
    2018: Elton John – "REVAMP" tracks "Your Song" Featuring Lady Gaga & Bennie & The Jets featuring Pink & Logic
    2018: Pale Waves – "Heavenly"
    2018: Jade Bird – "Lottery"
    2018: Chvrches – "Love is Dead"
    2018: Years and Years – "Sanctuary"
    2018: Rudimental – "These Days Featuring Jess Glynne, Macklemore & Dan Caplen"
    2018: Marshmello Featuring Anne Marie – "Friends"
    2017: Kesha – "This is Me from The Greatest Showman"
    2017: Miguel – "War and Leasure"
    2017: Bishop Briggs – "Dream"
    2017: Jessie Ware – "Glasshouse (album)"
    2017: PVRIS – "All We Know of Heaven, All We Need of Hell"
    2017: Justin Bieber and BloodPop– "Friends"
    2017: Muse – "Dig Down"
    2017: Mondo Cozmo – "Plastic Soul"
    2017: Niall Horan – "Slow Hands"
    2017: Vince Staples – Big Fish Theory
    2017: Harry Styles – Harry Styles[17]
    2017: Ed Sheeran – ÷[18]
    2017: Julia Michaels – "Issues"
    2017: Julia Michaels – "Uh Huh"
    2017: Julia Michaels – "Nervous Systems"
    2017: Rita Ora – "Your Song"
    2017: Liam Gallagher – "As You Were"
    2017: DreamCar – "Dreamcar"
    2016: Gwen Stefani – This Is What the Truth Feels Like[18]
    2015: Selena Gomez – Revival
    2015: Florence + the Machine – How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful
    2015: CHVRCHES – Every Open Eye[19]
    2015: Grimes – Art Angels
    2015: Duran Duran – Paper Gods
    2014: Coldplay – Ghost Stories[18]
    2014: Ed Sheeran – x[18]
    2014: The Script – No Sound Without Silence
    2014: Kasabian – 48:13
    2013: Biffy Clyro – Opposites[18]
    2013: Bastille – Bad Blood[18]
    2013: Rudimental – Home[18]
    2013: White Lies – Big TV[18]
    2013: Haim – Days Are Gone[18]
    2013: Moby – Innocents[18]
    2013: John Newman – Tribute[18]
    2013: One Direction – Midnight Memories[18]
    2012: Frank Ocean – Channel Orange[18]
    2012: No Doubt – Push and Shove
    2012: Taylor Swift – Red[18]
    2012: Muse – The 2nd Law[18]
    2011: Florence + The Machine – Ceremonials
    2011: Coldplay – Mylo Xyloto
    2011: Bruce Springsteen – Wrecking Ball
    2010: Lights – The Listening ("Ice")
    2010: Usher – Raymond v. Raymond
    2010: Hurts – Happiness
    2010: Goldfrapp – Head First
    2010: Ellie Goulding – Lights
    2010: P Diddy – Last Train to Paris ("Hello Good Morning")
    2010: Take That – Progress
    2010: James Blunt – Some Kind of Trouble
    2010: The Wanted – The Wanted
    2010: N.E.R.D – Nothing
    2010: Duran Duran – All You Need Is Now
    2010: The Script – Science and Faith
    2010: Cheryl Cole – Messy Little Raindrops
    2010: Christina Aguilera – Bionic ("Little Dreamer", "Kimono Girl", "Birds of Prey")
2000s
    2009: Green Day – 21st Century Breakdown ("Last of the American Girls", "21 Guns", "Rain on Me")
    2009: Lady Gaga – The Fame Monster ("Bad Romance", "Telephone" Featuring Beyoncé)
    2009: Tegan & Sara – Sainthood ("Hell")
    2009: Muse – The Resistance
    2009: Vedera – Stages ("Satisfy", "Loving Ghosts", "Back to the Middle")
    2009: Cheryl Cole – 3 Words ("Fight for This Love")
    2009: Ciara – Fantasy Ride ("G Is for Girl")
    2009: Franz Ferdinand – Tonight: Franz Ferdinand ("Katherine")
    2009: FrankMusik – Complete Me ("Confusion Girl")
    2009: The Yeah You's – Looking Through You
    2009: The Yeah Yeah Yeahs – It's Blitz
    2009: Lenka – Trouble Is a Friend
    2009: Sean Garrett – Turbo 919 ("Why", "What You Doin' Turbo 919")
    2009: Lily Allen – It's Not Me, It's You ("Everyone's at It", "The Fear")
    2008: The Script – The Script ("Breakeven", "Talk You Down", "The Man Who Can't Be Moved")
    2008: Sneaky Sound System – Sneaky Sound System ("Kansas City", "UFO")
    2008: The Pussycat Dolls – Doll Domination ("When I Grow Up")
    2008: CSS – Donkey
    2008: Pink – Funhouse
    2008: Beyoncé – I Am... Sasha Fierce
    2008: Madonna – Hard Candy
    2007: M.I.A – Kala ("Boyz", "Jimmy")
    2007: Maroon 5 – It Won't Be Soon Before Long
    2007: Arcade Fire – Neon Bible ("Black Mirror", "No Cars Go")
    2007: Hard-Fi – Once Upon a Time in the West ("Suburban Knights")
    2007: Stereophonics – Pull The Pin ("Rewind")
    2007: Natasha Bedingfield – N.B
    2007: Björk – Volta
    2006: Depeche Mode – The Complete Depeche Mode ("A Pain That I'm Used To")
    2006: The Feeling – Twelve Stops and Home
    2006: Keane – Under the Iron Sea
    2006: Gwen Stefani – The Sweet Escape
    2005: Madonna – Confessions on a Dance Floor
    2005: Goldfrapp – Supernature
    2005: Fischerspooner – Odyssey
    2005: Kaiser Chiefs – Employment ("Everyday I Love You Less and Less")
    2005: Aqualung – Strange and Beautiful ("Easier to Lie")
    2005: Dave Mathews Band – Stand Up
    2005: The Black Eyed Peas – Monkey Business
    2004: Björk – Medúlla
    2004: Keane – Hopes and Fears
    2004: Gwen Stefani – Love. Angel. Music. Baby.
    2004: Natasha Bedingfield – Unwritten
    2003: Massive Attack – 100th Window
    2003: Madonna – American Life
    2003: Dave Mathews Band – Some Devil
    2003: The Black Eyed Peas – Elephunk
    2002: Linkin Park – Reanimation
    2002: Oasis – Heathen Chemistry
    2001: No Doubt – Rock Steady
    2001: Björk – Vespertine
    2000: All Saints – All Saints ("Black Coffee", "Pure Shores")
    2000: Madonna – Music
    2000: Oasis – Standing on the Shoulder of Giants
    2000: Oasis – Familiar to Millions
1990s
    1998: Massive Attack – Mezzanine
    1997: U2 – Pop
    1997: Spice Girls – Spice World
    1997: Erasure – Cowboy
    1997: Björk – Homogenic
    1996: Spice Girls – Spice
    1994: Massive Attack – Protection
    1994: Madonna – Bedtime Stories
    1993: Depeche Mode – Songs of Faith and Devotion
1980s
    1989: ABC – Up
    1988: The Mission – Tower of Strength
    1987: Erasure – It Doesn't Have to Be
    1985: The Cult – Love
 

Yes. Actually, I don't think he gets as much blame for it as he should, tbh. His mixing is shoddy and his fingerprints are all over the place on her last three albums. It's easy to hear his distinct influence on Hard Candy as he mixed the Timbaland tracks while Mark Spike Stent (one of the most sought-after mixing engineers in the business for good reason) mixed the Pharrell tracks. Even though his work on HC is possibly the least objectionable, it still pales in comparison to Stent's.

Yes, that's all he's ever done. Madonna & Spice Girls.
    2018: Post Malone – "Stay"
    2018: Cardi B – "Thru Your Phone"
    2018: Elton John – "REVAMP" tracks "Your Song" Featuring Lady Gaga & Bennie & The Jets featuring Pink & Logic
    2018: Pale Waves – "Heavenly"
    2018: Jade Bird – "Lottery"
    2018: Chvrches – "Love is Dead"
    2018: Years and Years – "Sanctuary"
    2018: Rudimental – "These Days Featuring Jess Glynne, Macklemore & Dan Caplen"
    2018: Marshmello Featuring Anne Marie – "Friends"
    2017: Kesha – "This is Me from The Greatest Showman"
    2017: Miguel – "War and Leasure"
    2017: Bishop Briggs – "Dream"
    2017: Jessie Ware – "Glasshouse (album)"
    2017: PVRIS – "All We Know of Heaven, All We Need of Hell"
    2017: Justin Bieber and BloodPop– "Friends"
    2017: Muse – "Dig Down"
    2017: Mondo Cozmo – "Plastic Soul"
    2017: Niall Horan – "Slow Hands"
    2017: Vince Staples – Big Fish Theory
    2017: Harry Styles – Harry Styles[17]
    2017: Ed Sheeran – ÷[18]
    2017: Julia Michaels – "Issues"
    2017: Julia Michaels – "Uh Huh"
    2017: Julia Michaels – "Nervous Systems"
    2017: Rita Ora – "Your Song"
    2017: Liam Gallagher – "As You Were"
    2017: DreamCar – "Dreamcar"
    2016: Gwen Stefani – This Is What the Truth Feels Like[18]
    2015: Selena Gomez – Revival
    2015: Florence + the Machine – How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful
    2015: CHVRCHES – Every Open Eye[19]
    2015: Grimes – Art Angels
    2015: Duran Duran – Paper Gods
    2014: Coldplay – Ghost Stories[18]
    2014: Ed Sheeran – x[18]
    2014: The Script – No Sound Without Silence
    2014: Kasabian – 48:13
    2013: Biffy Clyro – Opposites[18]
    2013: Bastille – Bad Blood[18]
    2013: Rudimental – Home[18]
    2013: White Lies – Big TV[18]
    2013: Haim – Days Are Gone[18]
    2013: Moby – Innocents[18]
    2013: John Newman – Tribute[18]
    2013: One Direction – Midnight Memories[18]
    2012: Frank Ocean – Channel Orange[18]
    2012: No Doubt – Push and Shove
    2012: Taylor Swift – Red[18]
    2012: Muse – The 2nd Law[18]
    2011: Florence + The Machine – Ceremonials
    2011: Coldplay – Mylo Xyloto
    2011: Bruce Springsteen – Wrecking Ball
    2010: Lights – The Listening ("Ice")
    2010: Usher – Raymond v. Raymond
    2010: Hurts – Happiness
    2010: Goldfrapp – Head First
    2010: Ellie Goulding – Lights
    2010: P Diddy – Last Train to Paris ("Hello Good Morning")
    2010: Take That – Progress
    2010: James Blunt – Some Kind of Trouble
    2010: The Wanted – The Wanted
    2010: N.E.R.D – Nothing
    2010: Duran Duran – All You Need Is Now
    2010: The Script – Science and Faith
    2010: Cheryl Cole – Messy Little Raindrops
    2010: Christina Aguilera – Bionic ("Little Dreamer", "Kimono Girl", "Birds of Prey")
2000s
    2009: Green Day – 21st Century Breakdown ("Last of the American Girls", "21 Guns", "Rain on Me")
    2009: Lady Gaga – The Fame Monster ("Bad Romance", "Telephone" Featuring Beyoncé)
    2009: Tegan & Sara – Sainthood ("Hell")
    2009: Muse – The Resistance
    2009: Vedera – Stages ("Satisfy", "Loving Ghosts", "Back to the Middle")
    2009: Cheryl Cole – 3 Words ("Fight for This Love")
    2009: Ciara – Fantasy Ride ("G Is for Girl")
    2009: Franz Ferdinand – Tonight: Franz Ferdinand ("Katherine")
    2009: FrankMusik – Complete Me ("Confusion Girl")
    2009: The Yeah You's – Looking Through You
    2009: The Yeah Yeah Yeahs – It's Blitz
    2009: Lenka – Trouble Is a Friend
    2009: Sean Garrett – Turbo 919 ("Why", "What You Doin' Turbo 919")
    2009: Lily Allen – It's Not Me, It's You ("Everyone's at It", "The Fear")
    2008: The Script – The Script ("Breakeven", "Talk You Down", "The Man Who Can't Be Moved")
    2008: Sneaky Sound System – Sneaky Sound System ("Kansas City", "UFO")
    2008: The Pussycat Dolls – Doll Domination ("When I Grow Up")
    2008: CSS – Donkey
    2008: Pink – Funhouse
    2008: Beyoncé – I Am... Sasha Fierce
    2008: Madonna – Hard Candy
    2007: M.I.A – Kala ("Boyz", "Jimmy")
    2007: Maroon 5 – It Won't Be Soon Before Long
    2007: Arcade Fire – Neon Bible ("Black Mirror", "No Cars Go")
    2007: Hard-Fi – Once Upon a Time in the West ("Suburban Knights")
    2007: Stereophonics – Pull The Pin ("Rewind")
    2007: Natasha Bedingfield – N.B
    2007: Björk – Volta
    2006: Depeche Mode – The Complete Depeche Mode ("A Pain That I'm Used To")
    2006: The Feeling – Twelve Stops and Home
    2006: Keane – Under the Iron Sea
    2006: Gwen Stefani – The Sweet Escape
    2005: Madonna – Confessions on a Dance Floor
    2005: Goldfrapp – Supernature
    2005: Fischerspooner – Odyssey
    2005: Kaiser Chiefs – Employment ("Everyday I Love You Less and Less")
    2005: Aqualung – Strange and Beautiful ("Easier to Lie")
    2005: Dave Mathews Band – Stand Up
    2005: The Black Eyed Peas – Monkey Business
    2004: Björk – Medúlla
    2004: Keane – Hopes and Fears
    2004: Gwen Stefani – Love. Angel. Music. Baby.
    2004: Natasha Bedingfield – Unwritten
    2003: Massive Attack – 100th Window
    2003: Madonna – American Life
    2003: Dave Mathews Band – Some Devil
    2003: The Black Eyed Peas – Elephunk
    2002: Linkin Park – Reanimation
    2002: Oasis – Heathen Chemistry
    2001: No Doubt – Rock Steady
    2001: Björk – Vespertine
    2000: All Saints – All Saints ("Black Coffee", "Pure Shores")
    2000: Madonna – Music
    2000: Oasis – Standing on the Shoulder of Giants
    2000: Oasis – Familiar to Millions
1990s
    1998: Massive Attack – Mezzanine
    1997: U2 – Pop
    1997: Spice Girls – Spice World
    1997: Erasure – Cowboy
    1997: Björk – Homogenic
    1996: Spice Girls – Spice
    1994: Massive Attack – Protection
    1994: Madonna – Bedtime Stories
    1993: Depeche Mode – Songs of Faith and Devotion
1980s
    1989: ABC – Up
    1988: The Mission – Tower of Strength
    1987: Erasure – It Doesn't Have to Be
    1985: The Cult – Love
 

Yes, that's all he's ever done. Madonna & Spice Girls.
    2018: Post Malone – "Stay"
    2018: Cardi B – "Thru Your Phone"
    2018: Elton John – "REVAMP" tracks "Your Song" Featuring Lady Gaga & Bennie & The Jets featuring Pink & Logic
    2018: Pale Waves – "Heavenly"
    2018: Jade Bird – "Lottery"
    2018: Chvrches – "Love is Dead"
    2018: Years and Years – "Sanctuary"
    2018: Rudimental – "These Days Featuring Jess Glynne, Macklemore & Dan Caplen"
    2018: Marshmello Featuring Anne Marie – "Friends"
    2017: Kesha – "This is Me from The Greatest Showman"
    2017: Miguel – "War and Leasure"
    2017: Bishop Briggs – "Dream"
    2017: Jessie Ware – "Glasshouse (album)"
    2017: PVRIS – "All We Know of Heaven, All We Need of Hell"
    2017: Justin Bieber and BloodPop– "Friends"
    2017: Muse – "Dig Down"
    2017: Mondo Cozmo – "Plastic Soul"
    2017: Niall Horan – "Slow Hands"
    2017: Vince Staples – Big Fish Theory
    2017: Harry Styles – Harry Styles[17]
    2017: Ed Sheeran – ÷[18]
    2017: Julia Michaels – "Issues"
    2017: Julia Michaels – "Uh Huh"
    2017: Julia Michaels – "Nervous Systems"
    2017: Rita Ora – "Your Song"
    2017: Liam Gallagher – "As You Were"
    2017: DreamCar – "Dreamcar"
    2016: Gwen Stefani – This Is What the Truth Feels Like[18]
    2015: Selena Gomez – Revival
    2015: Florence + the Machine – How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful
    2015: CHVRCHES – Every Open Eye[19]
    2015: Grimes – Art Angels
    2015: Duran Duran – Paper Gods
    2014: Coldplay – Ghost Stories[18]
    2014: Ed Sheeran – x[18]
    2014: The Script – No Sound Without Silence
    2014: Kasabian – 48:13
    2013: Biffy Clyro – Opposites[18]
    2013: Bastille – Bad Blood[18]
    2013: Rudimental – Home[18]
    2013: White Lies – Big TV[18]
    2013: Haim – Days Are Gone[18]
    2013: Moby – Innocents[18]
    2013: John Newman – Tribute[18]
    2013: One Direction – Midnight Memories[18]
    2012: Frank Ocean – Channel Orange[18]
    2012: No Doubt – Push and Shove
    2012: Taylor Swift – Red[18]
    2012: Muse – The 2nd Law[18]
    2011: Florence + The Machine – Ceremonials
    2011: Coldplay – Mylo Xyloto
    2011: Bruce Springsteen – Wrecking Ball
    2010: Lights – The Listening ("Ice")
    2010: Usher – Raymond v. Raymond
    2010: Hurts – Happiness
    2010: Goldfrapp – Head First
    2010: Ellie Goulding – Lights
    2010: P Diddy – Last Train to Paris ("Hello Good Morning")
    2010: Take That – Progress
    2010: James Blunt – Some Kind of Trouble
    2010: The Wanted – The Wanted
    2010: N.E.R.D – Nothing
    2010: Duran Duran – All You Need Is Now
    2010: The Script – Science and Faith
    2010: Cheryl Cole – Messy Little Raindrops
    2010: Christina Aguilera – Bionic ("Little Dreamer", "Kimono Girl", "Birds of Prey")
2000s
    2009: Green Day – 21st Century Breakdown ("Last of the American Girls", "21 Guns", "Rain on Me")
    2009: Lady Gaga – The Fame Monster ("Bad Romance", "Telephone" Featuring Beyoncé)
    2009: Tegan & Sara – Sainthood ("Hell")
    2009: Muse – The Resistance
    2009: Vedera – Stages ("Satisfy", "Loving Ghosts", "Back to the Middle")
    2009: Cheryl Cole – 3 Words ("Fight for This Love")
    2009: Ciara – Fantasy Ride ("G Is for Girl")
    2009: Franz Ferdinand – Tonight: Franz Ferdinand ("Katherine")
    2009: FrankMusik – Complete Me ("Confusion Girl")
    2009: The Yeah You's – Looking Through You
    2009: The Yeah Yeah Yeahs – It's Blitz
    2009: Lenka – Trouble Is a Friend
    2009: Sean Garrett – Turbo 919 ("Why", "What You Doin' Turbo 919")
    2009: Lily Allen – It's Not Me, It's You ("Everyone's at It", "The Fear")
    2008: The Script – The Script ("Breakeven", "Talk You Down", "The Man Who Can't Be Moved")
    2008: Sneaky Sound System – Sneaky Sound System ("Kansas City", "UFO")
    2008: The Pussycat Dolls – Doll Domination ("When I Grow Up")
    2008: CSS – Donkey
    2008: Pink – Funhouse
    2008: Beyoncé – I Am... Sasha Fierce
    2008: Madonna – Hard Candy
    2007: M.I.A – Kala ("Boyz", "Jimmy")
    2007: Maroon 5 – It Won't Be Soon Before Long
    2007: Arcade Fire – Neon Bible ("Black Mirror", "No Cars Go")
    2007: Hard-Fi – Once Upon a Time in the West ("Suburban Knights")
    2007: Stereophonics – Pull The Pin ("Rewind")
    2007: Natasha Bedingfield – N.B
    2007: Björk – Volta
    2006: Depeche Mode – The Complete Depeche Mode ("A Pain That I'm Used To")
    2006: The Feeling – Twelve Stops and Home
    2006: Keane – Under the Iron Sea
    2006: Gwen Stefani – The Sweet Escape
    2005: Madonna – Confessions on a Dance Floor
    2005: Goldfrapp – Supernature
    2005: Fischerspooner – Odyssey
    2005: Kaiser Chiefs – Employment ("Everyday I Love You Less and Less")
    2005: Aqualung – Strange and Beautiful ("Easier to Lie")
    2005: Dave Mathews Band – Stand Up
    2005: The Black Eyed Peas – Monkey Business
    2004: Björk – Medúlla
    2004: Keane – Hopes and Fears
    2004: Gwen Stefani – Love. Angel. Music. Baby.
    2004: Natasha Bedingfield – Unwritten
    2003: Massive Attack – 100th Window
    2003: Madonna – American Life
    2003: Dave Mathews Band – Some Devil
    2003: The Black Eyed Peas – Elephunk
    2002: Linkin Park – Reanimation
    2002: Oasis – Heathen Chemistry
    2001: No Doubt – Rock Steady
    2001: Björk – Vespertine
    2000: All Saints – All Saints ("Black Coffee", "Pure Shores")
    2000: Madonna – Music
    2000: Oasis – Standing on the Shoulder of Giants
    2000: Oasis – Familiar to Millions
1990s
    1998: Massive Attack – Mezzanine
    1997: U2 – Pop
    1997: Spice Girls – Spice World
    1997: Erasure – Cowboy
    1997: Björk – Homogenic
    1996: Spice Girls – Spice
    1994: Massive Attack – Protection
    1994: Madonna – Bedtime Stories
    1993: Depeche Mode – Songs of Faith and Devotion
1980s
    1989: ABC – Up
    1988: The Mission – Tower of Strength
    1987: Erasure – It Doesn't Have to Be
    1985: The Cult – Love
 

Yes. Actually, I don't think he gets as much blame for it as he should, tbh. His mixing is shoddy and his fingerprints are all over the place on her last three albums. It's easy to hear his distinct influence on Hard Candy as he mixed the Timbaland tracks while Mark Spike Stent (one of the most sought-after mixing engineers in the business for good reason) mixed the Pharrell tracks. Even though his work on HC is possibly the least objectionable, it still pales in comparison to Stent's.

Yes, that's all he's ever done. Madonna & Spice Girls.
    2018: Post Malone – "Stay"
    2018: Cardi B – "Thru Your Phone"
    2018: Elton John – "REVAMP" tracks "Your Song" Featuring Lady Gaga & Bennie & The Jets featuring Pink & Logic
    2018: Pale Waves – "Heavenly"
    2018: Jade Bird – "Lottery"
    2018: Chvrches – "Love is Dead"
    2018: Years and Years – "Sanctuary"
    2018: Rudimental – "These Days Featuring Jess Glynne, Macklemore & Dan Caplen"
    2018: Marshmello Featuring Anne Marie – "Friends"
    2017: Kesha – "This is Me from The Greatest Showman"
    2017: Miguel – "War and Leasure"
    2017: Bishop Briggs – "Dream"
    2017: Jessie Ware – "Glasshouse (album)"
    2017: PVRIS – "All We Know of Heaven, All We Need of Hell"
    2017: Justin Bieber and BloodPop– "Friends"
    2017: Muse – "Dig Down"
    2017: Mondo Cozmo – "Plastic Soul"
    2017: Niall Horan – "Slow Hands"
    2017: Vince Staples – Big Fish Theory
    2017: Harry Styles – Harry Styles[17]
    2017: Ed Sheeran – ÷[18]
    2017: Julia Michaels – "Issues"
    2017: Julia Michaels – "Uh Huh"
    2017: Julia Michaels – "Nervous Systems"
    2017: Rita Ora – "Your Song"
    2017: Liam Gallagher – "As You Were"
    2017: DreamCar – "Dreamcar"
    2016: Gwen Stefani – This Is What the Truth Feels Like[18]
    2015: Selena Gomez – Revival
    2015: Florence + the Machine – How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful
    2015: CHVRCHES – Every Open Eye[19]
    2015: Grimes – Art Angels
    2015: Duran Duran – Paper Gods
    2014: Coldplay – Ghost Stories[18]
    2014: Ed Sheeran – x[18]
    2014: The Script – No Sound Without Silence
    2014: Kasabian – 48:13
    2013: Biffy Clyro – Opposites[18]
    2013: Bastille – Bad Blood[18]
    2013: Rudimental – Home[18]
    2013: White Lies – Big TV[18]
    2013: Haim – Days Are Gone[18]
    2013: Moby – Innocents[18]
    2013: John Newman – Tribute[18]
    2013: One Direction – Midnight Memories[18]
    2012: Frank Ocean – Channel Orange[18]
    2012: No Doubt – Push and Shove
    2012: Taylor Swift – Red[18]
    2012: Muse – The 2nd Law[18]
    2011: Florence + The Machine – Ceremonials
    2011: Coldplay – Mylo Xyloto
    2011: Bruce Springsteen – Wrecking Ball
    2010: Lights – The Listening ("Ice")
    2010: Usher – Raymond v. Raymond
    2010: Hurts – Happiness
    2010: Goldfrapp – Head First
    2010: Ellie Goulding – Lights
    2010: P Diddy – Last Train to Paris ("Hello Good Morning")
    2010: Take That – Progress
    2010: James Blunt – Some Kind of Trouble
    2010: The Wanted – The Wanted
    2010: N.E.R.D – Nothing
    2010: Duran Duran – All You Need Is Now
    2010: The Script – Science and Faith
    2010: Cheryl Cole – Messy Little Raindrops
    2010: Christina Aguilera – Bionic ("Little Dreamer", "Kimono Girl", "Birds of Prey")
2000s
    2009: Green Day – 21st Century Breakdown ("Last of the American Girls", "21 Guns", "Rain on Me")
    2009: Lady Gaga – The Fame Monster ("Bad Romance", "Telephone" Featuring Beyoncé)
    2009: Tegan & Sara – Sainthood ("Hell")
    2009: Muse – The Resistance
    2009: Vedera – Stages ("Satisfy", "Loving Ghosts", "Back to the Middle")
    2009: Cheryl Cole – 3 Words ("Fight for This Love")
    2009: Ciara – Fantasy Ride ("G Is for Girl")
    2009: Franz Ferdinand – Tonight: Franz Ferdinand ("Katherine")
    2009: FrankMusik – Complete Me ("Confusion Girl")
    2009: The Yeah You's – Looking Through You
    2009: The Yeah Yeah Yeahs – It's Blitz
    2009: Lenka – Trouble Is a Friend
    2009: Sean Garrett – Turbo 919 ("Why", "What You Doin' Turbo 919")
    2009: Lily Allen – It's Not Me, It's You ("Everyone's at It", "The Fear")
    2008: The Script – The Script ("Breakeven", "Talk You Down", "The Man Who Can't Be Moved")
    2008: Sneaky Sound System – Sneaky Sound System ("Kansas City", "UFO")
    2008: The Pussycat Dolls – Doll Domination ("When I Grow Up")
    2008: CSS – Donkey
    2008: Pink – Funhouse
    2008: Beyoncé – I Am... Sasha Fierce
    2008: Madonna – Hard Candy
    2007: M.I.A – Kala ("Boyz", "Jimmy")
    2007: Maroon 5 – It Won't Be Soon Before Long
    2007: Arcade Fire – Neon Bible ("Black Mirror", "No Cars Go")
    2007: Hard-Fi – Once Upon a Time in the West ("Suburban Knights")
    2007: Stereophonics – Pull The Pin ("Rewind")
    2007: Natasha Bedingfield – N.B
    2007: Björk – Volta
    2006: Depeche Mode – The Complete Depeche Mode ("A Pain That I'm Used To")
    2006: The Feeling – Twelve Stops and Home
    2006: Keane – Under the Iron Sea
    2006: Gwen Stefani – The Sweet Escape
    2005: Madonna – Confessions on a Dance Floor
    2005: Goldfrapp – Supernature
    2005: Fischerspooner – Odyssey
    2005: Kaiser Chiefs – Employment ("Everyday I Love You Less and Less")
    2005: Aqualung – Strange and Beautiful ("Easier to Lie")
    2005: Dave Mathews Band – Stand Up
    2005: The Black Eyed Peas – Monkey Business
    2004: Björk – Medúlla
    2004: Keane – Hopes and Fears
    2004: Gwen Stefani – Love. Angel. Music. Baby.
    2004: Natasha Bedingfield – Unwritten
    2003: Massive Attack – 100th Window
    2003: Madonna – American Life
    2003: Dave Mathews Band – Some Devil
    2003: The Black Eyed Peas – Elephunk
    2002: Linkin Park – Reanimation
    2002: Oasis – Heathen Chemistry
    2001: No Doubt – Rock Steady
    2001: Björk – Vespertine
    2000: All Saints – All Saints ("Black Coffee", "Pure Shores")
    2000: Madonna – Music
    2000: Oasis – Standing on the Shoulder of Giants
    2000: Oasis – Familiar to Millions
1990s
    1998: Massive Attack – Mezzanine
    1997: U2 – Pop
    1997: Spice Girls – Spice World
    1997: Erasure – Cowboy
    1997: Björk – Homogenic
    1996: Spice Girls – Spice
    1994: Massive Attack – Protection
    1994: Madonna – Bedtime Stories
    1993: Depeche Mode – Songs of Faith and Devotion
1980s
    1989: ABC – Up
    1988: The Mission – Tower of Strength
    1987: Erasure – It Doesn't Have to Be
    1985: The Cult – Love
 

Patrick Leonard on What to Expect From His New Album of Reimagined Madonna Collaborations
6/4/2018 by Joe Lynch
https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/8459132/patrick-leonard-interview-kickstarter-madonna
A musical multi-hyphenate with a diverse resume that includes co-writing credits with everyone from Leonard Cohen to Jewel, Patrick Leonard’s greatest commercial success came writing songs (and frequently co-producing them) alongside a pop star who kind of, sort of made a splash in the ‘80s: Madonna.

First teaming up with the nascent icon for 1985's The Virgin Tour, their ongoing creative partnership eventually yielded 20-some songs, including three Billboard Hot 100 No. 1s ("Live to Tell," "Who's That Girl" and "Like a Prayer") and beloved classics like "La Isla Bonita," "Oh Father" and "Frozen."
And while Leonard, like Madge herself, isn't one to fixate on the past, he recently found himself returning to those songs thanks to an unlikely source: Instagram.
 
READ MORE
Madonna Collaborator Patrick Leonard Makes Fan-Friendly New York Debut
 
Joining the social media service at the behest of his kids, he was surprised at the enduring interest in his work with Madonna. That led to him playing a show at Joe's Pub in New York City in late 2017, and following the enthusiastic fan response to that concert, he began toying with the idea of recording reimagined versions of those classic hits. 
Today, Leonard launched a Kickstarter for Bring the Circus Home, an album of new versions of many of the songs he co-wrote with Madonna; the tracklist isn't fully set, and fans are encouraged to weigh in on what they're hoping to hear. But it's not just Leonard returning to these songs: Many of the original studio personnel (Guy Pratt, Bruce Gaitsch and Michael Verdick) are teaming up with him to create new takes on these beloved classics. Kickstarter contributions range from $10 (which gets you a digital download) to $100 (nets you a vinyl edition) to $10,000 (at that level, you snag an in-person studio session with Leonard himself). 
Ahead of the Kickstarter announcement, Leonard hopped on the phone with Billboard to discuss everything from his first meeting with Madonna to his hopes for this new project to why "Live to Tell" is like their own Beethoven's Fifth.
So with Bring the Circus Home, you're reteaming with a number of the original musicians on these songs. And what would you call them – reworked versions?
They're reimaginings, new versions; full electronic productions. I'm working with Guy Pratt, who played bass on the Like a Prayer album; Bruce Gaitsch who played on Ray of Light and True Blue; Bill Bottrell, who engineered and mixed Like a Prayer; and Michael Verdick, who mixed True Blue.
Have you seen those guys over the years?
There was the occasional thing. Bill and I worked with Leonard Cohen, before he passed, together, and Guy Pratt, I was always in touch with him. But it's the first time we've done this since we did it 30 years ago
And what was the impetus for it?
It was a bit of a surprise, really. My friend John Lee put together a show at Joe's Pub in New York, directed at Madonna fans discovered via Instagram. I joined Instagram via a dare from my kids and discovered a whole world of Madonna fans. It opened my eyes to the loyalty people have to the music and those songs and subsequently, myself. From that, I thought of many ways of doing it. Right now we're engaged in the process and finding it's lovely to work with the material. It's really good material, and it's nice to have material the fans are familiar with for us to play with -- but to play with it in a way that feels new. It doesn't feel nostalgic at all to me. It's exciting to find a way to realize them in a way that's satisfying.
I'm surprised you didn’t realize the hunger for this material until you joined Instagram. These are such big hits, you really weren't aware?
No, not really. (Laughs) What I occurred to me, and I hadn't framed it this way, but the fans that were in their young teenage years when these records came out, those records were as important to them as records that came out in my teenage years. I don't why that hadn't occurred to me, but it hadn't.
I'm so pleased there's so many fans, I can't tell you. It's lovely to know when I finish this record, there's people who are excited to hear it. It's a luxurious position to be in. I don't have to write hits—I have 16 of them. It's an embarrassment of riches.
And it's material that's part of your life. 
I realized at Joe's Pub, I'm not covering this music. It was apparent to me sitting at the piano playing "Live to Tell" that it's an authentic version of "Live to Tell." That hadn't occurred to me (before then).
Which songs are you working on – the hits mainly, or any deep cuts?
It bounces around. Madonna and I wrote 23 songs in total and 16 were hits; I'll choose from the 16, but songs that weren't necessarily hits but were really fun and cool to do, I'll play with them and see if they have a place. And I'm not necessarily doing full songs. Because I can do what I want – for a change – and I'm having fun experimenting. I'm seeing it as something that can be presented as a live show – from that standpoint, whatever music serves the moment I'll use.
You have complete control over this project. When you were working on these songs with Madonna, what was the studio situation? How much say did you ultimately have?
We collaborated well and I certainly have always held to the mutual respect we show each other. Like any collaboration, there are moments where somebody wants one thing and somebody wants another. But also, having been a studio pro as they say, it's ultimately the artist's record. That's where the final decision always rests and I would never push that envelope. But I don’t really remember too many things we disagreed on. We worked fast: I would start something in the studio, then we would work on it together, then by the end of the day or two at most, the song was done.
In past interviews you've said your tastes skew toward prog-rock – do you see any of that in these songs?
Revisiting these songs, as much as they were in the dance-pop market, I don't think I wrote any dance-pop songs. Look at "Live to Tell," "Oh Father," "Like a Prayer" -- these are not dance-pop songs, even though people dance to them. This record is a lot of years later, and I think in all fairness to progressive rock and its devotees, there hasn't been any new progressive rock that I've listened to or come across in 35 years. It's a root for me, but so was James Brown, Stevie Wonder, and Cole Porter, and Gershwin -- they were all part of my background. The prog-rock thing, yeah, I'd rather see Pink Floyd than Red Hot Chili Peppers. If I'm gearing it toward a show, I'm gearing it toward a thread and concept that tells an emotional story. I find that more interesting than a collection of ten songs unrelated.
And what of taking to the stage – will it be all instrumental, or might you have guest vocalists?
Maybe occasionally, but there will be vocals – not a lot – but there will be vocals, and I'll leave it at that. Some human, some not.
Is Madonna aware of this project?
I don't know, I think she might be. I haven't been secretive about it but I don't know. I intend on reaching out to her and inviting her to participate if she'd like to, even if just to observe. Whatever role she takes is fine with me. I'm fascinated with how fun it is to play with these songs. That's where I am right now.
"Skin" is one of my favorites of your co-writes that's not a hit. Might that make the album?
We recently unearthed all the demos for Ray of Light, and I was listening to them, and "Skin" -- the melody, chord changes, that weird little guitar part -- was all there. And I'm fairly certain that one will be part of this.
When you worked with her on Ray of Light, there had been a bit of a gap in between collaborations. And certainly the songs on that one are more contemplative. Did you notice anything different with her around that time?
I wouldn't say I noticed anything one way or the other. We worked on, I don't know, four or five records and took all those years in between, and then we did that, and then there was a project called Hello Suckers [unfinished] from a decade ago we worked on together. When you do that much collaborating, you just fall right back into it. Wherever you are, you are. The one thing I noticed when we were doing Ray of Light was her singing. She was in a slightly different place singing-wise because of Evita, and I think that influenced some of this stuff for her. There had been a lot of focus on singing for her, and it changed things -- but not better or worst, just different.
Were you surprised to hear from her after the gap?
Finding the demos, I found a folder with all of our faxes (from then). The premise was, "this worked really well before, let's try it again." It was just that, it was kind of innocent. If it goes well, we'll do it, and if it doesn't, fine.
"Frozen" is certainly in the "Live to Tell" vein. Do you ever think "let's try to recapture something about that hit?"
When you're writing something, in my career, the word hit never comes into it. You just can't say that word. It's a bad word to say. I remember she asked me if I could write something that was somewhere between The English Patient and Nine Inch Nails, and that's what "Frozen" was.
Revisiting these songs, does it seem like so much time has passed, or are they still fairly familiar to you?
Yeah it's been an interesting thing looking at these songs, I wouldn't have looked at them again… but to be able to play the music for the fans is the main motivation for this. It took me some time, months, to see the music as raw material. The initial reaction to the music was verse-chorus-bridge, and I'm now seeing it as a chef's kitchen. It's a treasure trove of moments, and to select the moments and look at them individually is fun. I'm getting a kick out of this. I've never gone back to material like this. Some of them, "Live to Tell," I wrote 33 years ago. That's a long time ago, man.
Do you remember writing it, or is the memory muddy?
I remember the moment of sitting at the piano and playing the chords. I remember getting up and playing that at the piano and going, "oh that's cool," and writing it down and developing it. At the time I was developing it for a film. The rest of it… I remember recording a demo a little bit, it was a very simple process, and I remember recording with Michael Verdick, and there was something about that one that was special and different than the other ones. Thematically it's like our Beethoven's Fifth – you hear those three notes and you got it. It identifies itself the quickest. I'm looking for intense drama (on this reworking); I really want it to be dramatic. The record is going to be pretty electronic. I'm playing around with those things, playing around with "Cherish" a bit, looking for a way to do that.
So you aren't set on how many songs will be on this, or which songs will be included?
The record is called Bring the Circus Home and I've written a song called "Bring the Circus Home" that will help tell the story and appear a few different times in little versions. I'm doing this as a vinyl-length record, which means 36 minutes. That's when I realized I don't need to do full songs. You don't need an instrumental version of "Live to Tell" with four verses. We'll bend and twist our way through this stuff. It's early in the process and it may change considerably. But with "Oh Father" the musical sequence (on the new version) is different from the record and I expect the same of all of them. Some I might do a narrative version, one of the soft ballads like "Something to Remember," I'll probably stay true to that, that's one of my favorites. A song like that, you can make big, but you shouldn't mess with it too much. It's melodic and lyrical, and that should stay.
Do you see some of them appearing in medley form?
Not like a medley, more like a narrative. Also one of the ways I'm seeing this is like a live performance. So there's the songs, but what I'm hoping to achieve, is when you come to see it live, that's the experience -- it's not just a bunch of different songs. In a live situation, things can be expanded upon, but conceptually it's still the same flow. So that's what I'm working on now, the flow. And playing around with intensity -- how intense can this be? It's fun. (laughs)

This certainly sounds a lot more interesting than that other biopic, Blonde Ambition, unless they completely rewrite the screenplay – the draft that leaked for BA is attrociously bad!

I'm looking forward to hearing his reinterpretations in studio form! I really enjoyed the live versions he did last year and never thought there would be an opportunity to hear studio mixes of any of it, so I think it's great that he's putting this together! Sounds like he's approaching it in a way that is respectful to Madonna as well which is also good, as I would hate to see him burn that bridge...as much as I'd LOVE to hear all the unreleased demos he has, I'd prefer that he and M remain on good terms.

I really hope he does a physical release.

"It is contradictory because traditionally, posing naked meant that women become an object of male desire,"
 
From the straight male's perspective.
 
"and that's viewed [as] sexist by feminists."
 
Pretty sure that's more to do with sexual harassment than with men finding women attractive.
 
"But you say she gets naked for 'other women' to encourage to live their sexuality freely with their men"
 
Female sexuality doesn't revolve around men.
 
"So ultimately she wants to please men, to be perceived as attractive at 60 which is great."
 
Traditionally men think women can only be sexual through their gaze and permission. She's giving the middle finger to that.
 
"She has a great body, a but overweight these days but great basically. But few women that age have that body so there's a little flaunting too. But is she really wants to fight ageism she should start by accepting her face without surgery. She worries to much look young. Double-standard."
 
As males we don't get to decide how women deal with sexism. I don't know why we can't empathize, don't well all feel societal pressures? are all our choices perfect?

I don't think it has ever been officially confirmed whether the 2009 leg of the Sticky & Sweet Tour counted as a seperate tour in terms of her contract.
 
But considering the amount she raked in for the contract, I think it's probable that the term "tour" is a loose way of defining a contractual obligation for her to perform a specific number of shows. There would be a lot of fine print that we wouldn't be privy to in a contract of that magnitude. If they had simply signed her up for four tours she could have went out and done four individual month-long tours and wrapped up the contract within a year or two. My guess would be that the fine print for each tour required a set number of performance dates in order to fulfill the contract, and that if she decided to lengthen any tour beyond the required number of dates they would be subtracted from the total number of performances remaining in the contract.
 
When the contract was initially signed, the most shows she had ever performed on tour was 60 dates during The Confessions Tour. So if we were to use that number as an estimated standard tour length, four tours would be 240 shows. She has performed 255 shows to date under her current contract. And I'm sure there are about a gazillion other legal factors involved. Obviously Live Nation stood to earn a lot more per performance when she played stadiums vs arenas. Whether or not she would be able to sustain high ticket prices (which she has) may have factored into the math as well. And there may have been more specific financial stipulations, such as if any tour did not reach a set threshold of income, the loss would either need to be offset by a more successful tour which exceeded the threshold or be recouped through additional performance dates.
 
What I'm getting at is that it's probably much more complicated than the details that were issued in the press release. But even if her contract has been fulfilled, I wouldn't consider that to be a sign that she won't tour again. In some ways, I'd kind of like for the Live Nation contract to be over. It's been a fun ride, but at this point in her life I think she has earned the right to do what she feels like doing artistically without all the financial strings and corporate expectations attached. Like if she were to decide to tour next year for two months in small venues only, she could easily do that, post-contract. And it's not like she'd have any trouble finding a promoter to work with. She could even continue to work with Live Nation on a one-off basis without any long-term deal. I'd like to see her take the opportunity to pursue things that stem purely from inspiration rather than contractual obligation.

I think some of you may be misinterpreting what I was saying. To clarify, I wouldn't be at all interested in hearing her work with anyone who was attempting to recreate something from her past, and I would hope that she wouldn't be interested in that either. But I also wouldn't assume that an album would be some sort of nostalgia project simply because she chose to work with a collaborator that she has worked with successfully before. To make that assumption would be no different than labeling Madonna herself a nostalgia act simply because she's been in the business for 35 years. The music she wrote with Pat Leonard in 1997 does not bring to mind the music she made with him in 1985. The common denominator is a high standard of songwriting that always allowed them to create songs with a strong musical foundation, memorable hooks and lyrics that were inspired. I certainly wouldn't consider it to be yearning for the past to want those three key elements to remain consistently strong in her work regardless of which direction she chooses to go stylistically. Madonna and Leonard have each evolved personally and professionally in the years since their last collaboration, one can only assume, so it would be interesting to hear what they would come up with now. I'm not saying she should use Leonard as a producer, I'm only thinking in terms of songwriting here. For a songwriting partnership to really work it requires a certain chemistry and while it's great that she likes to test the waters with new collaborators, we also need to be realistic about the fact that not every partnership is going to be a winning combination. And by the same token, it is senseless to imply that she should simply discard past collaborators just because she's worked with them before. Sure, some songwriters (or more frequently – producers) may be one-trick ponies, but the great ones are far from it. Few would dispute the fact that Paul McCartney and John Lennon's songwriting partnership only grew in terms in terms of depth and scope with each subsequent Beatles album, and although their personal relationship may have soured, their songwriting partnership yielded an immensely varied body of work that consistently resonated (or, I should say – resonates) with people – and yet they weren't always able to create that magic on their own or with other collaborators. I think one of the reasons Ray Of Light was such a successful project artistically was because she started off by collaborating with excellent songwriters she gelled with and then brought in William & Marius to help shape the sound of the album. I think that was a very smart approach because even the outtakes from that album are very good songs. When the chemistry exists and the key songwriting basics are there, it's pretty hard to go wrong with the final product.
 
The irony of it all is that the more she chooses to restrict herself to working with only very young, trendy producers/songwriters, the closer she ends up getting to being perceived as a nostalgia act. And I think the reason why is at least partly because that is how she is viewed by the people she's choosing to work with. And you can't blame these collaborators either...they're working with someone who was already a legend before they were even born, so naturally it will be an uphill battle for them to strip away their illusions enough to be able to fully relate to her as a collaborating partner, regardless of whatever lip-service they might offer to paint a different picture to the press. So instead there's a tendency for her work with these collaborators to paint her into a box and to mirror her legendary status back out through the songs, which only serves to make her feel less accessible, less relatable and less human, essentially. Considering that the primary appeal of her songs has always been her ability to relate universal truths, she'd do better by broadening her palette to include collaborators who are worldly enough to be able to see beyond the artifice of celebrity and can inspire her to do the same.

I love these. I remember reading them at my local book store when I was young and couldn't afford to buy the book. Haven't read them in years so thanks for posting them! I'm looking forward to reading the others.

Madonna should 100% collaborate again with:
Leonard
Foster
Price
 
I think Mirwais and Orbit's sound are dated.  And Orbit had his shot again with MDNA and it was not as successful as ROL.

I started this thread to have a robust discussion and thank you to all of you!  This has been discussed in great detail. 
 
There are no wrong answers/topics... other than my original comment of Rebel Heart being the final album under her current contract, which I later corrected.
 
Lately, I have been wondering what is the best formula for increasing album sales for an artist of Madonna's stature?  There are not many artists at her level anymore.  I would love to see Madonna find a record label home that respects her enough to devote the proper resources to promotion.  In turn, I think Madonna's core audience is changing.  We are wiser, we are older (mid 30s- early 60s) and we do not have the same fickleness that the younger demographic has toward popular music.  We are more settled into our comfort zones of what we like.  Radio does not typically cater to us anymore.  But I think whenever Madonna records her records the overall marketing plat is to include us and expand her fanbase of younger listeners.  And radio hasn't been cooperating with that plan for many years.
 
for the future... I just want great pop music.  I want Madonna to do this for as long as she wants.  If Tina Turner, Barbra Streisand and Cher can continue without end well into their 70's and Tony Bennet well into his 90s... We should have 20-30 more years of Madonna!!  
 
I must admit, I am curious if Madonna will ever do a tour of ballads.  I would love a ballad album all new songs.  The costumes she could wear could be far more glamorous and I am interested in how that could work from a production aspect. (this is totally just a fantasy of mine, it could never happen)

I'm looking forward to her next film and hopefully this time will see some integrity and objectivity from critics. Not that they matter but I felt disgusted by the way they attacked W.E., it was bias and an agenda to take her down. Glad she's not giving up.