Prayer

Kind of.

Actually the Japan CD Single box didn't contain any tag as "Fade Edit", just as "Angel" like most of the original 7'' releases: I think some fans just added that one when tagging the versions included there for Discogs, etc. I've checked the 7'' vinyls and most of them didn't have any tags, except the UK 7'':

How could I forget Reggie Lucas! Poor him, always the forgotten one on that debut album. But he was basically hired because of this #1 hit he also co-wrote and co-produced: This music video always cracks me up, she's just so happy cause she's IN LOVE! Result: "Borderline" - Madonna's first US Top 10 hit ever.

A long career like hers is always gonna have peaks and valleys. Nile Rodgers helped her achieve superstar status, she wasn't there yet even though the first album was doing great. Maybe with other collaborator it wouldn't have happened. "Take A Bow" was the biggest hit of her career in the US. "Me Against The Music" was a European smash. "4 Minutes" is one of her biggest hits ever, even though some fans still don't want to acknowledge that. I don't know. The whole "she's better with unknown collaborators" thing is more myth than anything else, in my opinion. More of the same old "her last great album was Confessions". Then she works with Sickick and you all hate it xd

Well, it worked (commercially) with Nile Rodgers in 1984/1985, it worked with Nick Kamen in 1986, it worked with Dallas Austin and Babyface in 1994/1995, it worked (internationally, not that much in the US) with Britney in 2003, it worked with Justin Timberlake and Timbaland in 2008... Of course we all have personal preferences and she had indeed a reputation for discovering new sounds, trends and producers and making them mainstream, but facts are facts. She's gone with "flavor of the month" many times (even with Björk! She was exactly that in 1993/1994 after "Debut"), it's just a case of us fans liking that particular collaboration or not.

People still living in 1995. While Madonna's living in 2050.

I'd say "4 Minutes" was everything it needed to be in 2008, a killer commercial song for the time + a killer video. Plus it was one of the biggest hits of that year. It was literally everywhere in Spring 2008. Even today, with Justin Timberlake "cancelled" and her completely ignoring the song on her greatest hits tour, remains one of her most streamed songs still. "GMAYL", "Living For Love" and "Medellín" we can discuss for days, yes, apart from personal preferences. IMO "Living For Love" was the weakest combo (song + video), I like the song but there's something missing in the original album version (she always performed remixes and different versions of it since day one). And the video is quite simple for a lead. I think "Bitch I'm Madonna" should have been the lead on "Rebel Heart".

I think it's one of those songs that could have been bigger with proper label push and promotion - and also a shorter edit maybe xd Sadly she never had proper push from Interscope except for the radio deal for "Give Me All Your Luvin'". General public (I'm talking about Spanish-speaking countries, were Maluma was massive back then) were just surprised it wasn't the usual reggaeton hit and never cared about it again, I think. But it could have helped him too to expand his quite limited sonically and image-wise catalogue. It was a win-win for both. That said, it got OK numbers, it wasn't this massive flop either, but... yeah, a lost proper hit.

Still fresh. I also remember my first listen and be surprised but happy overall. Everyone (me included) expected the usual Maluma dirty reggaeton smash, but instead she gave us this smooth, cool, almost nostalgic song. I also liked that sonically it was something different for her, right where "Body Shop" had left in the previous album. She tried something different. I took a pill and had a dream... The video is still one of her best of last decade and I'd even say one of her best ever... And the chemistry between them was always cute to see: Slow down on the criticism, papis!

But that's a given with every iconic or key reissue of every big artist. It even happens with the smaller ones for cult albums. They're important for people and part of their lives and memories so of course they're gonna generate discussion. I would be worried if no one cared!

Agree. "Madonna" and "LAV" could easily go together (especially if they're not offering much unreleased material, they can put together all the remixes for those albums) but the rest... I don't think so.

Of course it had to be a new magazine/photoshoot, coming from Ricardo. A very "Madonna" cover, pose, her look, the Bible xd I like it.

Not at all. They can serve as the opening or closing of a section or just mere interludes between them. As you said, interludes in this tour can work as opening or closing for both sections they're attached to, meaning they're just that, interludes between them.

They're interludes, they don't open or close acts, they just serve as... well, interludes between them.

"American Pie" had been a massive UK #1 and one of the monster hits of that year in Europe, so putting it in was an extremely smart commercial decision that helped the album selling more than 11 million copies worldwide. I'm very surprised she was so against that, she's always been smart with business - except for the reason she didn't want to share a cut of the album sales royalties with Don McLean for a song she didn't wrote. Also, it's not like sonically "American Pie" it's miles away from the rest of the album, especially the Orbit tracks. It's literally the same vein. When "Music", the album, was released, it already included two monster smashes: "American Pie" and "Music". Add "Don't Tell Me" weeks later and you have one of the biggest album sellers that Fall. Hit singles sold albums back then. Honestly, "American Pie" should have been even on "GHV2" too, but let's not go there.

The "Rescue Me" little montage video was a Warner UK thing anyway, right? I doubt she decided to do that one. "The Look Of Love" is one of her best ballads, IMO. That middle 8 is pure Madonna magic.

There's still money to make with new music, especially for big names like her. She's not an obscure indie artist. Plus, a series of big numbers singles could actually help her to build hype for her next album. There's absolutely zero risk in dropping new music and I'm sure she will do it this year when the tour's over (maybe not right after, we wish).

To be fair, "Rebel Heart" gave us 25 official released songs and "Madame X" 18. That's worth 3 albums of her 11-12-13 tracks standard pre-"MDNA". And "MDNA" gave us 16! But yeah, a new single is due already. If she's not ready for the album she can go the singles route like everyone else.

Haven't updated this in forever. So let's check. - All Time Top 50 updated (Official, not merged): 01. Popular (The Weeknd, Playboi Carti & Madonna): 718M 02. Material Girl ("Celebration"/Digital Single Version): 426M 02. Hung Up: 412M 04. La Isla Bonita: 365M 05. Like A Prayer ("Celebration" Version): 331M 06. 4 Minutes ("Celebration"/Edit Version): 303M 07. Like A Virgin ("Like A Virgin" Album Version): 273M 08. Vogue ("Celebration"/"Immaculate" Version): 222M 09. Frozen (Sickick Remix): 165M 10. Crazy For You: 129M 11. Papa Don't Preach: 127M 12. Into The Groove: 121M 13. Holiday ("Madonna" Digital Album Edit Version): 104M 14. Like A Prayer ("Like A Prayer" Album Version): 100M 15. Bitch I'm Madonna: 98M 16. Frozen ("Ray Of Light" Album Version): 81M 17. Holiday ("Celebration"/Original Album Version): 79M 18. Music: 79M 19. Medellín: 70M 20. Me Against The Music (Britney Spears Feat. Madonna): 63M 21. Sorry ("Confessions" Album Version): 63M 22. Levitating (Dua Lipa Remix): 61M 23. Take A Bow: 57M 24. Live To Tell: 56M 25. American Pie: 55M 26. Material Girl ("Like A Virgin" Album Version): 53M 27. 4 Minutes ("Hard Candy" Album Version): 51M 28. Ray Of Light ("Ray Of Light" Album Version): 51M 29. Girl Gone Wild: 50M 30. Like A Virgin ("Celebration"/"Immaculate" Version): 50M 31. True Blue: 50M 32. The Power Of Good-Bye: 48M 33. Give It 2 Me: 47M 34. Faz Gostoso: 46M 35. Jump: 42M 36. Die Another Day: 41M 37. Express Yourself ("Celebration" Version): 41M 38. Borderline ("Celebration" Version): 39M 39. Ghosttown: 38M 40. Celebration ("Celebration" Album Version): 38M 41. Give Me All Your Luvin': 37M 42. Living For Love: 36M 43. Who's That Girl: 35M 44. Frozen ("Celebration" Extended Version): 34M 45. Don't Tell Me (Album Version): 32M 46. Open Your Heart ("Celebration"/"Immaculate" Version): 32M 47. Lucky Star ("Madonna" Album Version): 31M 48. Beautiful Stranger ("Celebration"/OST Album Version): 26M 49. Get Together: 26M 50. Vogue ("I'm Breathless" Album Edit): 25M

It's like that too on the 1996 Japanese CD Singles box. I think the single/radio edit was an early fade with some extra boost, it sounds punchier than the album version somehow... don't know how to explain. They're the same but they're not the same xd By the way, we have a new cool cute official promo for the digital single: https://www.instagram.com/p/C5lYL8frQbG/

Not Apple, it's Warner/Rhino. I don't know, they're basic yes, but it's good they're doing them cause it means they care a little bit. But yep, "Immaculate" and "ROL" were better than this new four. For comparison, Alanis' animated covers: https://music.apple.com/nz/album/jagged-little-pill-2015-remaster/1715762264 https://music.apple.com/nz/album/supposed-former-infatuation-junkie/1051409613 https://music.apple.com/nz/album/unplugged-live/1051418901 https://music.apple.com/nz/album/under-rug-swept/1051406378 https://music.apple.com/nz/album/so-called-chaos/1051422510 Other artists: Dua Lipa: https://music.apple.com/nz/album/radical-optimism/1734980417 Spice Girls: https://music.apple.com/nz/album/spice/723398173 Ariana Grande: https://music.apple.com/nz/album/eternal-sunshine-slightly-deluxe/1735162193 They're always very hit or miss, IMO, cause they depend on the original main cover and its elements (and of course how much they wanna bother with them).

I also hate the 2024 remaster of "Material Girl" with all my guts. "Angel" EP debut numbers on Spotify (first 24 hours): "Into The Groove" is matched with the "Celebration" version, so don't pay attention to that one. Not bad for a forgotten 1985 single that only hardcore fans know it's now on streaming. If only these ones had a little bit more of promo, like they did in the past when they first the singles reissues. But at least we're getting them slowly bur surely.

To be fair it's something Warner/Rhino is doing for all their major back catalogue releases, I know Alanis got her animated covers for the first international albums last year or a couple of years ago max. So now it's M's turn.

This is a little cute thing, it was commented briefly on other topics I think. Apple Music has animated covers for some albums, to help marketing them and offer something different from other streaming services. They're visible on the album page and also on the player on iOS 17. They come from the label, not Apple. So the label has to send them. Sometimes they're cooler and others quite basic. Warner two first Madonna animated covers were for "The Immaculate Collection", when they released the Dolby Atmos mix and "Ray Of Light", on one of the anniversaries (last year I think?). https://music.apple.com/nz/album/the-immaculate-collection/80812428 https://music.apple.com/nz/album/ray-of-light/952887 This week they've added animated covers for Madonna's first four studio albums, little more basic but still good: "Madonna": https://music.apple.com/es/album/madonna/80815644 "Like A Virgin": https://music.apple.com/es/album/like-a-virgin/80815235 "True Blue": https://music.apple.com/es/album/true-blue/80815611 "Like A Prayer": https://music.apple.com/es/album/like-a-prayer/83448003 Could this be a sign of something else coming soon (reissues, etc.)? Not necessarily. But good they're paying attention to things.

It's at the end of that video. The ad linked to a "Madonna Essentials" playlist on Apple Music (that one is like "This Is Madonna" on Spotify).