steady75

Yeah I just meant it terms of subject matter (motherhood) and despite its soundscape Ray Of Light had quite a classic sounding palette. By 98 those modern dance chill lounge albums had permeated the norm. Trip hop and dance music dominated the charts and while it was certainly a new sound for Madonna she certainly wasn’t a pioneer in this field at all. All lot of Ray Of Light is mellow downtempo and we were still very much on the safe side ballad Donna. 3 of the singles were downtempo and Little Star was pushed as a double A almost. Nothing Really Matters is actually a very mellow vibey  dance track than a banger. Ray Of Light was the only banger per se. 

Motherhood is pretty universal and something that humanised and desexualised Madonna for the first time Since she fell in love and got married to Sean.
Bedtime Stories laid the groundwork but I always see it as a counterpart to Erotica with the RnB influences. The Bjork single and Human Nature were not exactly universal and we have to twin the era with the Rodman / Tupac and Letterman appearances a few months earlier. She was very much immersed in us hip hop culture with every single being produced by an person of colour. Austin / Dave Hall / Michelle Ndegeocello / Tupac / Babyface / Aaliyah sample / and the obvious Harlem stylings and surroundings in both the Secret and Human Nature video. 
Even though RNB and hip hop were arguably the dominant music genre in the states it wasn’t for a white artist like Madonna who, it could be said, was somewhat problematically playing into a culture that went against the grain, was unconventional and controversial. which after her slapped Wrist after Erotica era probably appealed to her defiant nature, rather than bouncing back to shiny pop etc. Madonna would obviously frame this as being in the company of pioneers and different thinkers who made their own lane after not being accepted as mainstream culture.
So yes even though Bedtime Stories is always seen as her public apology / appeasing record it really isn’t. It’s defiant and bating. Ray Of Light is much more universal and has a more inviting energy. 
In my opinion of course xx 

Someone has a problem with tomatoes. 

Where is it though? Huh?!? 
 
HUH!!!!!

Where is the Australian edit representation in this northern hemisphere centric forum!?!?? 

Madonna sees convention as boring. She only turns to it when the controversial has alienated her.  True Blue / Ray Of Light / Confessions. These are her most conventional records in terms of subject matter… and her most successful in their respective decades. 

Where is it though? Huh?!? 
 
HUH!!!!!

Where is the Australian edit representation in this northern hemisphere centric forum!?!?? 

Where is it though? Huh?!? 
 
HUH!!!!!

Where is the Australian edit representation in this northern hemisphere centric forum!?!?? 

I for one am fucking thrilled that Everybody and Burning Up continue to get their flowers all this way into her career. It’s obvious she holds great affection for them both. Whereas she couldn’t really give two fucks about Borderline…. And that’s how I know she’s my queen.

I for one am fucking thrilled that Everybody and Burning Up continue to get their flowers all this way into her career. It’s obvious she holds great affection for them both. Whereas she couldn’t really give two fucks about Borderline…. And that’s how I know she’s my queen.

I for one am fucking thrilled that Everybody and Burning Up continue to get their flowers all this way into her career. It’s obvious she holds great affection for them both. Whereas she couldn’t really give two fucks about Borderline…. And that’s how I know she’s my queen.

Madonna sees convention as boring. She only turns to it when the controversial has alienated her.  True Blue / Ray Of Light / Confessions. These are her most conventional records in terms of subject matter… and her most successful in their respective decades. 

I for one am fucking thrilled that Everybody and Burning Up continue to get their flowers all this way into her career. It’s obvious she holds great affection for them both. Whereas she couldn’t really give two fucks about Borderline…. And that’s how I know she’s my queen.

Where is it though? Huh?!? 
 
HUH!!!!!

Where is the Australian edit representation in this northern hemisphere centric forum!?!?? 

I think it would be wise to let go of any chart dreams for Madonna. 
Whilst her fight against ageism is noble and right, what 12-30 year old really has any interest in that?
 When you are in the throws of youth do you really care that a 64 yr old pop star who's had everything has an issue with being overlooked for younger more relevant artists?
I'm not saying it's right or wrong I'm just saying that's the way it is.
She comes across as either wildly immature on socials or has an axe to grind about something. There's very little in between a lot of the time. Yes there's been some highly edited serves picture wise but aside from being a fascinating insight to the latter days of the worlds biggest star, she's sadly nothing more than a curio for the majority of the record buying / streaming public. They just....don't have an opinion on her cause she really holds no relevance to them.
Her last sizeable solo hit in truth was Hung Up when todays 30 year old would have been what? 12/ 13 just as that generation would have been becoming financially valid in terms of music buying / engagement then she's largely  faded into the background or seen as the older woman who came for Gaga. 
As for 30-40 they're in the work years busy living their lives and having kids (outside of the gays)..and when you're grinding hard to make ends meet in some of the toughest economic times in recent history (the last 15 years have been economically disastrous), one of the richest women in the world bemoaning on her socials or flaunting her extreme wealth, doesn't go down too well. 
40+ers will generally  remember her nostalgically but wonder "what the hell has she done to herself". I can't tell you how many people who I know who have loved her and who are sane reasonable people with a libertarian view, say this. They will want a slice of nostalgia but wouldn't be able to hum a bar of anything past 2005 and will likely only remember the last 15 years of her career for The Brits fall, Eurovision, Her ever morphing body and the Gaga comments. 
Most 60+ ers will see a peer to whom they can no longer relate. 
I'm just not sure who Madonna thinks her audience is anymore. There will always be pockets of girls and gays who shout "go on girl" " good for you" "live your best life" "yass queen" and a bunch of people who respect her choices and the voice she has given gay people, the AIDS crisis and female empowerment...but let's be honest. Madonna has started playing to the hardcore fans who buy multiple tickets in the front rows of many of her concerts...and that..isn't the general public. Whilst I have no judgement on that crowd at all..free world, you do you etc...that type of engagement will never transpose in to hitting the wider GP's pockets and hearts.
Her socials are nothing short of damaging to her career at this point and while I personally love and adore her and will ALWAYS support and follow her til the end, I am under no illusions. The general view of her is far far far from my own. More often she is simply passed on as uninteresting and "not for me" or "ugh she's at it again"
While she is on the right side of history for many many many reasons her commercial viability is......sort of lost in the wilderness a little. Bands like The Bee Gees / ABBA / Queen / Elton / Cher / Fleetwood Mac, some of whom who are still commercially active, have a great like-ability factor and the focus is largely on their past endeavours. 
I think the biopic really is her last chance to turn a tidal wave of public opinion around and in truth that's the only way to commercial success. Were in an era of like-ability more than ever....and if you don't LIKE or LOVE or FOLLOW someone..you simply don't appear in the world (socials) therefore you don't exist. 
The world has changed and I think most of the next chapters are just for us until her reappraisal happens and the bowler hat hits the stage floor for the last time.  
 

Some people still haven’t found what they’re looking for… and it shows. 

I hope they do.

Glasto is the greatest music festival and platform in the world. No comparison. It just… it’s special. The vibe there is unparalleled and That’s not easy to create. I think she’s buzz her tits off doing something like that but she’s need to get past the nerves and like I think I said before… ten years ago she’d have killed it. Confessions era was really when she should have done Glasto tbh. 
a collapse. 
 
I don’t think she can hold a general audience in her hand now like she could have done back then. She’s hasnt played to the peanut gallery for nearly 15 yrs. 
it’s front row fanatics now which is largely the problem. I fear a Glasto could be disastrous. She’s need to do it at the end of a tour run so she’s rehearsed to fuck. 

Where is it though? Huh?!? 
 
HUH!!!!!

Where is the Australian edit representation in this northern hemisphere centric forum!?!?? 

Glasto is the greatest music festival and platform in the world. No comparison. It just… it’s special. The vibe there is unparalleled and That’s not easy to create. I think she’s buzz her tits off doing something like that but she’s need to get past the nerves and like I think I said before… ten years ago she’d have killed it. Confessions era was really when she should have done Glasto tbh. 
a collapse. 
 
I don’t think she can hold a general audience in her hand now like she could have done back then. She’s hasnt played to the peanut gallery for nearly 15 yrs. 
it’s front row fanatics now which is largely the problem. I fear a Glasto could be disastrous. She’s need to do it at the end of a tour run so she’s rehearsed to fuck. 

"Mother and Father" was the electro pop gem that was THE single. The production was fierce for the time. 

Someone has a problem with tomatoes. 

Where is it though? Huh?!? 
 
HUH!!!!!

Where is the Australian edit representation in this northern hemisphere centric forum!?!?? 

Where is it though? Huh?!? 
 
HUH!!!!!

Where is the Australian edit representation in this northern hemisphere centric forum!?!?? 

Where is it though? Huh?!? 
 
HUH!!!!!

Where is the Australian edit representation in this northern hemisphere centric forum!?!?? 

Where is it though? Huh?!? 
 
HUH!!!!!

Where is the Australian edit representation in this northern hemisphere centric forum!?!?? 

Someone has a problem with tomatoes. 

Someone has a problem with tomatoes.