FraP

I understand your perspective. However, I believe we can move beyond this dichotomy. Discussing an artist's flaws, like Madonna, doesn't necessarily have to imply a desire to establish a faction opposing her devotion. Instead, it can represent an attempt to fully comprehend the complexity of the human being and their artistic expression. 
A show is a multidimensional experience that involves choreography, costumes, set design, lighting, storytelling, metaphors, song arrangements, and performance. The voice is just one of the elements.
 
Age, as vocal coaches say (I'm not one of them, but I listened to many videos about it), isn't necessarily an excuse for vocal decline. The voice can mature and adapt. Madonna has faced personal challenges, but we can continue to love and appreciate her work, openly discussing her flaws without creating divisions. It's about embracing the authentic, imperfect beauty within. True love acknowledges flaws and talks about them, but finds beauty amidst them.

I understand your perspective. However, I believe we can move beyond this dichotomy. Discussing an artist's flaws, like Madonna, doesn't necessarily have to imply a desire to establish a faction opposing her devotion. Instead, it can represent an attempt to fully comprehend the complexity of the human being and their artistic expression. 
A show is a multidimensional experience that involves choreography, costumes, set design, lighting, storytelling, metaphors, song arrangements, and performance. The voice is just one of the elements.
 
Age, as vocal coaches say (I'm not one of them, but I listened to many videos about it), isn't necessarily an excuse for vocal decline. The voice can mature and adapt. Madonna has faced personal challenges, but we can continue to love and appreciate her work, openly discussing her flaws without creating divisions. It's about embracing the authentic, imperfect beauty within. True love acknowledges flaws and talks about them, but finds beauty amidst them.

She may significantly struggle vocally during some portions of the show for reasons that @Lorx explained really well, but I do have to say that I find it remarkable regardless that she's singing live at all on this tour.
Yes, her vocal performance for the last ten years or so hasn't been particularly impressive from a technical point of view, but I think we all should bear in mind that three months ago, she didn't only find herself in an induced coma but had also been intubated. Vocal cord paralysis and prolonged hoarseness after intubation are very frequent side effects.
I had my doubts as to whether she'd be able to sing at all. Given that she's only three months into her recovery from all this, most of it spent resuming rehearsals and actually kicking off the tour, I'm surprised that she doesn't actually sound worse than she has in the past few years which makes me wonder if she's had specific vocal coaching this time. 

If one is still following Madonna in 2023, they should know that her vocal abilities have objectively declined since the Confessions Tour, and she has evidently stopped her vocal training.
It's quite objective that, vocally, these performances of CFY are frequently unsuccessful. In these three videos, the only successful one is the third from Antwerp, where she manages to hit the note "One" correctly at the beginning of the song. In my opinion, she also has a slight autotune with a 20% cromatic pitch correction, which clearly doesn't work miracles.
Her issues are of a technical nature, and they significantly affect her vocal delivery. Her voice lacks proper diaphragmatic "appoggio", she has poor breath control, leading to a lack of pitch control and tuning.
And she approaches high notes from below (which is also a psychological issue), and as a result, they often fall flat. Her vibrato is uneven, and she experiences scratchiness in her throat, a clear sign of forcing air through the vocal cords.
She performs way better in the mid-low range. This is why I believe @FraP hit the mark. Madonna lacks good technique; vocally, she's almost at the level of the RHT (a bit worse) and certainly nowhere near the level of the RIT, where her vocal technique was far more solid. Now she does what she can, but evidently without the guidance of a vocal coach and with the help of technology.
Her issues are with the higher chest notes and register shifts. She shouldn't sing this song in a higher key than in RIT and RHT because it makes it even more challenging for her. The mistakes she makes are almost always the same in all three of these videos, and you can hear that the approach in Antwerp was similar even though she managed to deliver those notes in that show.
Fortunately, she has a very expressive timbre and manages to convey a lot of emotions even when she sings off-key. Typically, singers with poor technique have fewer expressive registers. This is not the case with Madonna; she has a wonderful timbre, especially in the lower notes, and she can still evoke emotions.
Love for an artist goes beyond vocal performances, but if she were to resume her vocal training, it would be a wonderful gift for her supporters. Her voice is beautiful, and we know what she has been capable of; just look at the American Life Promo Tour or the Drowned World Tour, with not even a hint of autotune.

I don't believe this theory is true. Madonna put a lot of herself into STR and if a label ever pushes her to do something, she tries to do it her way. I also don't think she sings poorly "on purpose." However, I believe here CFY is a tribute to her rebellious side, to the Madonna we see in Human Nature.

I miss Madonna the actress as well. She was never a great actress, but with the right scripts and the right director, she managed to give decent performances (A League of Their Own, Dangerous Game/Sneaky Eyes, Evita).
She was criticized too harshly. It's true that sometimes her acting was mediocre, but it's also true that she chose the wrong films. I'm sorry she decided to leave acting for this reason.
Today, it's hard to imagine her acting again. If she were to do it, I hope she doesn't choose a horror film because unfortunately, the horror genre is made up of 95% low-quality films. She would end up making a bad impression once again and being remembered as a poor actress. So I hope she'd choose a good film, perhaps not a big Hollywood production, not a Marvel film.
It's also worth noting that her face is now much less expressive, which would make acting even more challenging for her, except in certain specific roles. So many great directors would not want her, I guess.
Alternatively, if she continues on the path of directing, I would like to see her take on a small acting role while directing at the same time.

I miss Madonna the actress as well. She was never a great actress, but with the right scripts and the right director, she managed to give decent performances (A League of Their Own, Dangerous Game/Sneaky Eyes, Evita).
She was criticized too harshly. It's true that sometimes her acting was mediocre, but it's also true that she chose the wrong films. I'm sorry she decided to leave acting for this reason.
Today, it's hard to imagine her acting again. If she were to do it, I hope she doesn't choose a horror film because unfortunately, the horror genre is made up of 95% low-quality films. She would end up making a bad impression once again and being remembered as a poor actress. So I hope she'd choose a good film, perhaps not a big Hollywood production, not a Marvel film.
It's also worth noting that her face is now much less expressive, which would make acting even more challenging for her, except in certain specific roles. So many great directors would not want her, I guess.
Alternatively, if she continues on the path of directing, I would like to see her take on a small acting role while directing at the same time.

I miss Madonna the actress as well. She was never a great actress, but with the right scripts and the right director, she managed to give decent performances (A League of Their Own, Dangerous Game/Sneaky Eyes, Evita).
She was criticized too harshly. It's true that sometimes her acting was mediocre, but it's also true that she chose the wrong films. I'm sorry she decided to leave acting for this reason.
Today, it's hard to imagine her acting again. If she were to do it, I hope she doesn't choose a horror film because unfortunately, the horror genre is made up of 95% low-quality films. She would end up making a bad impression once again and being remembered as a poor actress. So I hope she'd choose a good film, perhaps not a big Hollywood production, not a Marvel film.
It's also worth noting that her face is now much less expressive, which would make acting even more challenging for her, except in certain specific roles. So many great directors would not want her, I guess.
Alternatively, if she continues on the path of directing, I would like to see her take on a small acting role while directing at the same time.

M sharing a littlle story about what she had to do to get food, have showers..
https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cy4kBZiMo7m/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA%3D%3D

Now this thread is really ‘’ass free’’… the jockstrap got ‘’censored’’… 😅
 

I don't know what's up but people on the press are probably complaining about lateness because the venues lie that the show will start at 8pm or 8.30pm. I got an email today saying bob and madonna will start approx at 20.00 which I don't for a second believe but people who don't follow her as much might go wait for her even before 8 because of that and be upset when the show starts at 21.30. I don't understand why they don't just say that it will start at 9.30 PM because it seems clearly to be the time they aim to start at. Why go the extra mile and lie, even the tickets had both times 20.30 and 21.30 for the starting, it's all very confusing to me. The backlash is so easily avoided by just telling people what time she will really start and not lie  

I, as a fan who has known her for years, also expect that she will start at 10 p.m. on some dates.
She has always done that. RHT used to start at 10 p.m. on average.
Sometimes she even opened the show at 10:30 p.m. and beyond, other times at 9:30 p.m. If there was a curfew she clearly anticipated the time.
I, too, wonder why in tickets for stops where there is no curfew they do not indicate a more realistic starting time

Madonna, showing what time her shows start 🙂

I have to agree.  MDNA was the last time I really thought the song sounded great on tour.  It really engaged the crowd as well. 

You can CLEARLY hear her live vocals come in after the water bottle, yes there is a backing track but you can clearly hear it when she starts singing over it. Take a listen to that video posted here 

Live vocal kicks in at 0.06 - you can even hear the live mic ambient noise. It's live with a full 1993 studio vocal supporting her. You can hear the change, and the age of her voice (increased vibrato). It also looks ridiculous, she could easily be singing that fine without the guide track.
 
 

At the end of the day, I agree with you but I understand why people are talking about it.
Madonna's all about her image, right? And it's ok to talk about it, I bet not many people are into those implants, but here's the kicker – it's not the be-all and end-all. 
I'm like "Madonna still has those implants – whatever, it's her deal. Let's not dwell on it and keep it moving."
There's way more to her artistry that matters, so it's cool to touch on it in a message or two, but constantly harping on it? Boring.
I mean, it's been a topic of discussion from 2019 till now, and it's gotten kinda old, even for me. 
My contribution to this topic is simply to say, "Let's not deny reality and go beyond it."
Almost all fans are disappointed that she got those implants. But those who still talk about it and those who deny reality are two sides of the same coin. But one of them fuels the other. I'd like to stop this neverending discussion

This is a theory, pure speculation. The truth is that, especially in the last two costumes, Madonna has a big behind. Even with the red dress, you can see it protrudes a lot if you have a keen eye (but the dress looks great on her and doesn't highlight it, just like the first costume in the first section).
Padding? On what basis? Speculative. She can't change her costume in two months? During the Rebel Heart Tour, she changed several outfits as the tour progressed. Maybe I'm wrong about these logistical matters, but padding or not, she has it. And that's a fact; the rest is speculation.
If it weren't for the fact that fans started saying she had removed the implants, we wouldn't be talking about it so much. Some have been denying for years that she has a big behind and were talking about padding years ago, which was disproven by the facts. Probably, it has been disproven this time as well.
Then there are those who don't want it to be discussed and get upset, and I can understand this category of people more. Because talking about it gets boring after a while. The point is that we talked about it because we were in doubt until the end.
And, in any case, the subject, however boring it may be, should not be a taboo.

Perhaps it's the first time I've commented on her butt. Or the second time, maybe. I love what she does in this tour, despite few flaws.
I simply notice that as soon as someone mentions the butt topic, they are attacked by those who say, "She removed the implants, stop saying this" or by those who say, "With all the things we talk about, we talk about this? There's so much else to discuss." because they don't want to talk about this aspect of her life and her public image.
I agree there are many other topics, but that doesn't mean we can't ALSO talk about this.
And btw, it doesn't seem to me that Madonna had undergone breast augmentation in the previous years at the BAT.
 
The position, along with well-designed costumes, is what matters. But I was there, and in BIM and Bedtime Story her big bottom was very noticeable. I knew there are butt implant deniers.
She's not stupid, she wouldn't go under the knife after a serious infection.
This is from the opening night

I was at the opening night, and you could already see the butt implants on the first show, no matter what some people say here. Madonna doesn't use padding; they're implants, big implants. She's just slimmed down and has a more streamlined physique, but when she started Bedtime Stories, I noticed she had a really weird butt that looked like it was randomly stuck on like a Lego piece. Who cares, but let's stop denying the reality.
I can assure you that it was the same on the opening night. I saw her up close at the beginning of Bedtime Story, before the cube lifted. In fact, it seemed even larger and disproportionate in person.

At the end of the day, I agree with you but I understand why people are talking about it.
Madonna's all about her image, right? And it's ok to talk about it, I bet not many people are into those implants, but here's the kicker – it's not the be-all and end-all. 
I'm like "Madonna still has those implants – whatever, it's her deal. Let's not dwell on it and keep it moving."
There's way more to her artistry that matters, so it's cool to touch on it in a message or two, but constantly harping on it? Boring.
I mean, it's been a topic of discussion from 2019 till now, and it's gotten kinda old, even for me. 
My contribution to this topic is simply to say, "Let's not deny reality and go beyond it."
Almost all fans are disappointed that she got those implants. But those who still talk about it and those who deny reality are two sides of the same coin. But one of them fuels the other. I'd like to stop this neverending discussion

This is a theory, pure speculation. The truth is that, especially in the last two costumes, Madonna has a big behind. Even with the red dress, you can see it protrudes a lot if you have a keen eye (but the dress looks great on her and doesn't highlight it, just like the first costume in the first section).
Padding? On what basis? Speculative. She can't change her costume in two months? During the Rebel Heart Tour, she changed several outfits as the tour progressed. Maybe I'm wrong about these logistical matters, but padding or not, she has it. And that's a fact; the rest is speculation.
If it weren't for the fact that fans started saying she had removed the implants, we wouldn't be talking about it so much. Some have been denying for years that she has a big behind and were talking about padding years ago, which was disproven by the facts. Probably, it has been disproven this time as well.
Then there are those who don't want it to be discussed and get upset, and I can understand this category of people more. Because talking about it gets boring after a while. The point is that we talked about it because we were in doubt until the end.
And, in any case, the subject, however boring it may be, should not be a taboo.

This is a theory, pure speculation. The truth is that, especially in the last two costumes, Madonna has a big behind. Even with the red dress, you can see it protrudes a lot if you have a keen eye (but the dress looks great on her and doesn't highlight it, just like the first costume in the first section).
Padding? On what basis? Speculative. She can't change her costume in two months? During the Rebel Heart Tour, she changed several outfits as the tour progressed. Maybe I'm wrong about these logistical matters, but padding or not, she has it. And that's a fact; the rest is speculation.
If it weren't for the fact that fans started saying she had removed the implants, we wouldn't be talking about it so much. Some have been denying for years that she has a big behind and were talking about padding years ago, which was disproven by the facts. Probably, it has been disproven this time as well.
Then there are those who don't want it to be discussed and get upset, and I can understand this category of people more. Because talking about it gets boring after a while. The point is that we talked about it because we were in doubt until the end.
And, in any case, the subject, however boring it may be, should not be a taboo.

At the end of the day, I agree with you but I understand why people are talking about it.
Madonna's all about her image, right? And it's ok to talk about it, I bet not many people are into those implants, but here's the kicker – it's not the be-all and end-all. 
I'm like "Madonna still has those implants – whatever, it's her deal. Let's not dwell on it and keep it moving."
There's way more to her artistry that matters, so it's cool to touch on it in a message or two, but constantly harping on it? Boring.
I mean, it's been a topic of discussion from 2019 till now, and it's gotten kinda old, even for me. 
My contribution to this topic is simply to say, "Let's not deny reality and go beyond it."
Almost all fans are disappointed that she got those implants. But those who still talk about it and those who deny reality are two sides of the same coin. But one of them fuels the other. I'd like to stop this neverending discussion

This is a theory, pure speculation. The truth is that, especially in the last two costumes, Madonna has a big behind. Even with the red dress, you can see it protrudes a lot if you have a keen eye (but the dress looks great on her and doesn't highlight it, just like the first costume in the first section).
Padding? On what basis? Speculative. She can't change her costume in two months? During the Rebel Heart Tour, she changed several outfits as the tour progressed. Maybe I'm wrong about these logistical matters, but padding or not, she has it. And that's a fact; the rest is speculation.
If it weren't for the fact that fans started saying she had removed the implants, we wouldn't be talking about it so much. Some have been denying for years that she has a big behind and were talking about padding years ago, which was disproven by the facts. Probably, it has been disproven this time as well.
Then there are those who don't want it to be discussed and get upset, and I can understand this category of people more. Because talking about it gets boring after a while. The point is that we talked about it because we were in doubt until the end.
And, in any case, the subject, however boring it may be, should not be a taboo.