vespertine

I saw the show last night in Vancouver. Fabulous, fabulous, fabulous. I haven’t been this excited for Madonna’s art and expression since Hard Candy. That’s not to say I fell off the radar or was unsupportive of her recent work—but she has those peaks where the stars align, and I just love what they put together. It feels like a glimmer. She asked what we wanted to hear, what merchandise was cool—and her team listened to our input. Nothing Really Matters was a perfect intro; I am just so happy to see her smiling broadly to the roar of a stadium again after all her tribulations. The artist of our era is having another renaissance.

OMG.

This tour is blowing my mind. I'll admit I thought that because she was so averse to doing a 'greatest hits' type of show for her entire career, that she might not actually enjoy doing it. I mean we all knew she would bring it from a production standpoint (she always does), but I wondered if she would feel somewhat uninspired actually performing it. Turns out it's exactly the opposite: Madonna hasn't looked this happy on tour since literally 1987. It's like she's discovering her own catalogue and realising, hey that's right I built that shit. There's a joy and sense of peace that she's exuding, she's smiling and having a fucking BLAST with her dancers... and a different type of performing style, less perfectionist machine with something to prove, and more just... confidently the biggest pop star in history and let's have fun with it. FABULOUS to see. This is a special time to be a Madonna fan and feels like a career renaissance.

Madonna said: "show hole"

What do we think of this, Ms. Thang? I think this might be the best Rusical ever. Nobody was terrible, some were just better than others, the judges are laughing and intrigued the entire time, the looks and lyrics were all perfect. It was just pure fun. And Jan killed it.

FINALLY ENOUGH LOVE.

Ouch!

I did read the blurb but I really fail to see the over-Photoshopping as deliberate or the artistic direction of the shoot -- indeed, I would have loved that. But it's simply consistent with, well, how Madonna presents herself to the world these days, whether it be her entire Instagram, telling the VMAs not to shoot her close up, oversaturating the Madame X films, etc. I also don't see the connection with Marilyn, it's more like Mae West.

Gotta love the "PLEASEEE" in Papa Don't Preach as well!

Was It Natasha Bedingfield who said that Ray of Light was basically impossible to sing? And gave her a respect for Madonna as a singer...

Didn't you see their faces at the MDNA tour?

I would just love for her to work with a different photographer again. Steven Klein has become just point and shoot and fix it all in post-production. Some of these shots it looks as if anyone could have taken...

For me it's: - The second chorus of "Open Your Heart" when she goes higher - "open your heart TO ME! Darling..." - The final "should I wait for you" in DW/SFL - The last bit of "Burning Up" after the groans: "you know you got me burnin' up, baby! You know you got me burnin' up, baby" - which incidentally is where she unleashes all her sexual energy in the video. Share yours.