eXtremeOccident

It's a compound effect. It's not like this is the first time she's had drama on a tour. Her touring reputation has been going south all the way back to MDNA when she started coming on ridiculously late. Ever since then her touring numbers have decreased with every tour, her production budget has clearly been lower, and she is now struggling to even sell out theaters.
Come on, fans are obviously not blaming her for having a knee injury. It's her attitude towards cancellations that further exacerbates a lot of frustrations that have been growing for YEARS now. 

I have been the absolute biggest fan of Madonna since Summer of 2005 when my mom bought the Immaculate Collection for my little 12 year old pre-pubescent self...and I have been mesmerized by this woman and her every move since seeing The Confessions Tour in Chicago...
That said, as much as I have adored her for the past 15 years, she's left such a sour taste in my mouth with this era. I never thought the day would come that I would have negative opinions about this woman, but it's like the icon I idolized is all but gone nowadays. She has treated her fans horribly with the handling of these cancellations, no doubt about it.
But on top of that, her insisting that people bid thousands of dollars on her selfies, coming on post-11 PM for years, her almost Michael Jackson-esque persona (I mean, do we remember the story about the Chicago venue staff who had to turn their backs to her every time she was around?), disastrous after disastrous public appearance (Eurovision, Billboard Music Awards 2016, VMAs 2018, etc.), the "cheapening" of a brand built on years of top-notch production and quality, the complete disconnect between what her fans / the public appreciates about her work and what she chooses to present to the world...
Madonna, what is going on? 
"Fingers crossed" you still have a big fan base after Madame X ends. Times are grim when even the most loyal of fans, myself included, seem to be giving up. 
She is going to have to do MEGA damage control with her future era(s) if she wants to retain any semblance of her legacy that she worked so hard to build. She should be revered by the general public as the last standing music icon, because, let's be real, she is a national treasure that we will miss immensely some day. But it's like everyone outside of her hardcore fans have forgotten this and that she has been reduced to a joke nowadays. 
I only hope and pray she comes to her senses and has it in her to have one last big comeback, so that she can cement her legacy and go out on a high note. 
Oh well, it's in Madonna's court at this point. 

I have been the absolute biggest fan of Madonna since Summer of 2005 when my mom bought the Immaculate Collection for my little 12 year old pre-pubescent self...and I have been mesmerized by this woman and her every move since seeing The Confessions Tour in Chicago...
That said, as much as I have adored her for the past 15 years, she's left such a sour taste in my mouth with this era. I never thought the day would come that I would have negative opinions about this woman, but it's like the icon I idolized is all but gone nowadays. She has treated her fans horribly with the handling of these cancellations, no doubt about it.
But on top of that, her insisting that people bid thousands of dollars on her selfies, coming on post-11 PM for years, her almost Michael Jackson-esque persona (I mean, do we remember the story about the Chicago venue staff who had to turn their backs to her every time she was around?), disastrous after disastrous public appearance (Eurovision, Billboard Music Awards 2016, VMAs 2018, etc.), the "cheapening" of a brand built on years of top-notch production and quality, the complete disconnect between what her fans / the public appreciates about her work and what she chooses to present to the world...
Madonna, what is going on? 
"Fingers crossed" you still have a big fan base after Madame X ends. Times are grim when even the most loyal of fans, myself included, seem to be giving up. 
She is going to have to do MEGA damage control with her future era(s) if she wants to retain any semblance of her legacy that she worked so hard to build. She should be revered by the general public as the last standing music icon, because, let's be real, she is a national treasure that we will miss immensely some day. But it's like everyone outside of her hardcore fans have forgotten this and that she has been reduced to a joke nowadays. 
I only hope and pray she comes to her senses and has it in her to have one last big comeback, so that she can cement her legacy and go out on a high note. 
Oh well, it's in Madonna's court at this point. 

It's a compound effect. It's not like this is the first time she's had drama on a tour. Her touring reputation has been going south all the way back to MDNA when she started coming on ridiculously late. Ever since then her touring numbers have decreased with every tour, her production budget has clearly been lower, and she is now struggling to even sell out theaters.
Come on, fans are obviously not blaming her for having a knee injury. It's her attitude towards cancellations that further exacerbates a lot of frustrations that have been growing for YEARS now. 

I have been the absolute biggest fan of Madonna since Summer of 2005 when my mom bought the Immaculate Collection for my little 12 year old pre-pubescent self...and I have been mesmerized by this woman and her every move since seeing The Confessions Tour in Chicago...
That said, as much as I have adored her for the past 15 years, she's left such a sour taste in my mouth with this era. I never thought the day would come that I would have negative opinions about this woman, but it's like the icon I idolized is all but gone nowadays. She has treated her fans horribly with the handling of these cancellations, no doubt about it.
But on top of that, her insisting that people bid thousands of dollars on her selfies, coming on post-11 PM for years, her almost Michael Jackson-esque persona (I mean, do we remember the story about the Chicago venue staff who had to turn their backs to her every time she was around?), disastrous after disastrous public appearance (Eurovision, Billboard Music Awards 2016, VMAs 2018, etc.), the "cheapening" of a brand built on years of top-notch production and quality, the complete disconnect between what her fans / the public appreciates about her work and what she chooses to present to the world...
Madonna, what is going on? 
"Fingers crossed" you still have a big fan base after Madame X ends. Times are grim when even the most loyal of fans, myself included, seem to be giving up. 
She is going to have to do MEGA damage control with her future era(s) if she wants to retain any semblance of her legacy that she worked so hard to build. She should be revered by the general public as the last standing music icon, because, let's be real, she is a national treasure that we will miss immensely some day. But it's like everyone outside of her hardcore fans have forgotten this and that she has been reduced to a joke nowadays. 
I only hope and pray she comes to her senses and has it in her to have one last big comeback, so that she can cement her legacy and go out on a high note. 
Oh well, it's in Madonna's court at this point. 

All tweaks aside, this tour and Reinvention are really the only two where she got the closing segment right. Hit after hit — Was an excellent end to two explosive tours.

Maybe this show is sorta weird because she never actually finished rehearsing it? Remember she hurt herself in the middle of rehearsals — And then she said on opening night that the show wasn’t done? I do believe she was telling the truth.
It would explain the weird flow of the show, subpar choreography in some sections, and her perceived lack of interest in this tour (from the perspective of some fans).

All the press pics + all from her Insta/Insta Stories:

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Human Nature is one of the best parts in person, so no. The only issue is the abrupt transition from Dark Ballet into it. 
 
Which brings me to the main issue — Song transitions. Her old tours had a bit of a mega mix feel to them with the set list, and this one is completely missing that instrumental coherence, even if the song themes don’t go together.
 
I’ve mentioned before that the biggest issue with the set list is the ordering of songs and the terrible production on some of them. The framework is there for a great set. But Crave into Like a Prayer for instance? What...?
 
In addition to completely reordering the set list (Dark Ballet really should have been the opener...God Control later in the set...I Don’t Search I Find as closer...), the concert would really benefit from a few song choice changes (nothing too major):
* Express Yourself / Papa Don’t Preach / La Isla Bonita in full and not a cappella
* Rescue Me Interlude into a full performance of Rescue Me
* Justify My Love in the spy section (imagine how theatrical this could be with the detectives?!)
* Removal of Crazy / Portuguese songs - Complete filler (sorry Sodade fans)
* Bedtime Story to close out show before encore of IDSIF — It totally goes with the words theme throughout the show 
* SOMETHING. ANYTHING. From Confessions. Why does this woman hate this album?!
 
And dear god, better choreography in some of the songs (I’m looking at you, Crave remix turned Cher concert).

To be fair, this could be a genius move on her part. Radio Disney reaches a TON of younger listeners. 

As a fan of both, it was only like 10 dates, which is similar to the Madame X Tour. Let's not get into the dramatics with our fellow rival fanbases 
Anywho, agreed that it's a little peculiar she's filming opening night. Seems unlike her, but we'll see. I do think that they definitely have bumped up filming in case something happens. She likely has already sold rights to broadcast the concert and would be at risk of breaching it if she suffers further injury.
That said, can't wait to hear about the show tonight! Hoping for some big crane camera work so that we get a few beautiful long shots of the whole venue. Would kill for them to use 35MM film again, like for Confessions. The cinematic result was next level. To this day, the pinnacle of any concert recording.

Oh, DON'T EVEN GET ME STARTED. Remember the original version of the DVD sneak peek leaked on ABC? Look how much better the editing is:
100% would have been an even better DVD edit than Confessions. I'm thoroughly convinced this was a complete Miami edit and that the original version was only Miami shots. It would have been jaw-dropping. It's hard to tell, but it sounds like a different audio edit, too.
Why she had to piss off the crowd sufficiently that night so as to ruin the end-product, that will always remain one of the biggest Madonna mysteries... 

Oh, DON'T EVEN GET ME STARTED. Remember the original version of the DVD sneak peek leaked on ABC? Look how much better the editing is:
100% would have been an even better DVD edit than Confessions. I'm thoroughly convinced this was a complete Miami edit and that the original version was only Miami shots. It would have been jaw-dropping. It's hard to tell, but it sounds like a different audio edit, too.
Why she had to piss off the crowd sufficiently that night so as to ruin the end-product, that will always remain one of the biggest Madonna mysteries... 

Oh, DON'T EVEN GET ME STARTED. Remember the original version of the DVD sneak peek leaked on ABC? Look how much better the editing is:
100% would have been an even better DVD edit than Confessions. I'm thoroughly convinced this was a complete Miami edit and that the original version was only Miami shots. It would have been jaw-dropping. It's hard to tell, but it sounds like a different audio edit, too.
Why she had to piss off the crowd sufficiently that night so as to ruin the end-product, that will always remain one of the biggest Madonna mysteries... 

Oh, DON'T EVEN GET ME STARTED. Remember the original version of the DVD sneak peek leaked on ABC? Look how much better the editing is:
100% would have been an even better DVD edit than Confessions. I'm thoroughly convinced this was a complete Miami edit and that the original version was only Miami shots. It would have been jaw-dropping. It's hard to tell, but it sounds like a different audio edit, too.
Why she had to piss off the crowd sufficiently that night so as to ruin the end-product, that will always remain one of the biggest Madonna mysteries... 

Oh, DON'T EVEN GET ME STARTED. Remember the original version of the DVD sneak peek leaked on ABC? Look how much better the editing is:
100% would have been an even better DVD edit than Confessions. I'm thoroughly convinced this was a complete Miami edit and that the original version was only Miami shots. It would have been jaw-dropping. It's hard to tell, but it sounds like a different audio edit, too.
Why she had to piss off the crowd sufficiently that night so as to ruin the end-product, that will always remain one of the biggest Madonna mysteries... 

Hearing rumors from a very reliable source (same one who confirmed Rebel Heart on Showtime months in advance) that all streaming rights have already been sold to Disney+. Premiering in June to correspond with the Avengers movie release as part of a massive content launch that's expected to compete heavily with Netflix (hence the Netflix rumors).
Additionally, she's apparently signed a 5-year partnership with Disney for exclusive Madonna content. This means that her material can be used in original movie productions, theme parks, etc. Similar to how Aerosmith licensed its content to the Rock N Roller Coaster in Florida. And Disney will co-sponsor future touring, if it is to take place (similar to how Virgin Mobile had heavy sponsoring rights during the Britney Circus Tour).
There are talks Disney may be spearheading a biopic about her life, capitalizing on the success of Rocketman and Bohemian Rhapsody. There are already quiet talks talking place with Keira Knightly and Dakota Fanning. Her management sees this as a way to re-introduce her legacy to a new generation, I guess? I don't know, but I wouldn't be surprised if she launches a massive new legacy project in parallel. Probably not for a good few years, though. 
I'm surprised myself, but she's done crazier things. This insider has yet to be wrong. 
 

Also, since no one is posting clips of the Adele gig, which keeps being referenced in posts (serious pet peeve), see below for an example of the stunning cinematography and slow sweeping shots:
Sure, parts of Madonna's show could use other aesthetic choices (I hope she goes back to lots of close-up shots), but the overall style is nice. I'd imagine tonight's venue is a similar size to what is seen here. Curious if the crowd will be as lit.
Additionally, hoping that the stage is a little, let's say, less sparse / more lit tonight, so as to maximize on how this gig translates to film. This was definitely done with Confessions.

Also, since no one is posting clips of the Adele gig, which keeps being referenced in posts (serious pet peeve), see below for an example of the stunning cinematography and slow sweeping shots:
Sure, parts of Madonna's show could use other aesthetic choices (I hope she goes back to lots of close-up shots), but the overall style is nice. I'd imagine tonight's venue is a similar size to what is seen here. Curious if the crowd will be as lit.
Additionally, hoping that the stage is a little, let's say, less sparse / more lit tonight, so as to maximize on how this gig translates to film. This was definitely done with Confessions.

Hearing rumors from a very reliable source (same one who confirmed Rebel Heart on Showtime months in advance) that all streaming rights have already been sold to Disney+. Premiering in June to correspond with the Avengers movie release as part of a massive content launch that's expected to compete heavily with Netflix (hence the Netflix rumors).
Additionally, she's apparently signed a 5-year partnership with Disney for exclusive Madonna content. This means that her material can be used in original movie productions, theme parks, etc. Similar to how Aerosmith licensed its content to the Rock N Roller Coaster in Florida. And Disney will co-sponsor future touring, if it is to take place (similar to how Virgin Mobile had heavy sponsoring rights during the Britney Circus Tour).
There are talks Disney may be spearheading a biopic about her life, capitalizing on the success of Rocketman and Bohemian Rhapsody. There are already quiet talks talking place with Keira Knightly and Dakota Fanning. Her management sees this as a way to re-introduce her legacy to a new generation, I guess? I don't know, but I wouldn't be surprised if she launches a massive new legacy project in parallel. Probably not for a good few years, though. 
I'm surprised myself, but she's done crazier things. This insider has yet to be wrong. 
 

As a fan of both, it was only like 10 dates, which is similar to the Madame X Tour. Let's not get into the dramatics with our fellow rival fanbases 
Anywho, agreed that it's a little peculiar she's filming opening night. Seems unlike her, but we'll see. I do think that they definitely have bumped up filming in case something happens. She likely has already sold rights to broadcast the concert and would be at risk of breaching it if she suffers further injury.
That said, can't wait to hear about the show tonight! Hoping for some big crane camera work so that we get a few beautiful long shots of the whole venue. Would kill for them to use 35MM film again, like for Confessions. The cinematic result was next level. To this day, the pinnacle of any concert recording.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again -- The elements are there for a great show, both with the current thematic elements and the existing setlist / choreography. It's the flow that's an absolute mess (I had similar sentiments about Rebel Heart).
All this show needs is a better narrative (hence the interlude changes), tighter production, and a set list with songs that are complementary to one another, both via audio / mixing and lyrical content. 
Additionally, I think way more time could have been put into the choreography and staging, but alas, I'm not trying to reach here...though I still think if she hired Celine's production team from Vegas for a theatre show, this would have been next level...but I digress...
Imagine the following....note that there are only 5 song changes, and these were teased at various points (except for Bedtime Story / Secret). I would kill for a show like this.
Act 1 - Madame X Is A Prisoner 
1. Introducing: Madame X / Joan of Arc (Intro)
2. Dark Ballet
3. Killers Who Are Partying
4. Human Nature
5. What It Feels Like For A Girl
6. Bedtime Story
Act 2 - Madame X Is A Head of State
7. The Coffin (Interlude)
8. American Life
9. Papa Don't Preach (Full) 
10. Future (Piano Mix)
11. Express Yourself (Full)
Act 3 - Madame X Is Traveling Around The World
11. Extreme Occident (Interlude)
12. Batuka 
13. Like a Virgin (Fado Style)
14. La Isla Bonita (Welcome To My Fado Club Tempo / Instrumental) (Full)
15. Medellin
Act 4 - Madame X Is A Mother 
16. Easy Ride Instrumental (Orchestral Interlude Extending Into...)
17. Frozen
18. Rescue Me Interlude / Rescue Me (Full)
19. Come Alive
20. Crave (Tracy Young Mix)
Act 4 - Madame X Is A Spy In The House of Love
21. Madame X Manifesto Extended (Interlude)
22. Vogue
23. Secret
24. Justify My Love
25. I Don't Search I Find
Act 5 - Madame X Is Bringing Light To Dark Places
26. James Baldwin Quote / Dancer Gunshots (Interlude)
27. God Control
28. Like a Prayer (With Elements of I Rise)
 

If anyone here remembers the Britney Femme Fatale Tour (yes, I know, it was an absolute mess, but that's besides the point), I always thought that show provided a good thematic foundation for what I would have expected with this tour. The idea of the Femme Fatale traveling all over the world was very similar to what I thought Madonna would do with Madame X. The story was told throughout the show in interludes (none of it made sense, but again, it's Britney not Madonna lol).

this is a show I'd pay a lotta money to see

If anyone here remembers the Britney Femme Fatale Tour (yes, I know, it was an absolute mess, but that's besides the point), I always thought that show provided a good thematic foundation for what I would have expected with this tour. The idea of the Femme Fatale traveling all over the world was very similar to what I thought Madonna would do with Madame X. The story was told throughout the show in interludes (none of it made sense, but again, it's Britney not Madonna lol).