RebelHeartbreak

I have to agree with Matthew Rettenmund’s comments. This party is only one of yet another surprise Madonna has presented throughout her career. No matter if she filmed this event or not, this is an immediate example of Madonna having a spontaneous spirit, and a willingness to merge (all of) her personalities together. But it’s also a perfect example of how she’s *mostly* brought attention to her causes. Madonna had brought more attention to LGBTQ+ causes throughout her career, just by either showing up, or laying herself out on a bar. The fact that she wasn’t at all topless, but fully exposed, is a theme through her career as well. Her boobs and areolas have been clearly visible for the better part of 40+ years now since the virgin era. Lace, Leather, fishnet, and tulle have been her constant companions since she began, and she’s coupled it all with any other style she’s wanted since then. Also, I can’t imagine that having gone back through her early New York life in a such a profound way writing the biopic screenplay wouldn’t inspire, or least remind herself, that she IS a rebel that does what she wants. It doesn’t have to be perfect or glamorous. If you look closely through her career, those two traits are hidden behind a wink, or is shattered as soon as she says something Madonna-like. It’s why we all love her and why we all still care.

I think Madame X could be the last traditional new album/tour cyclewe’ll see for a while. A funny thing that could happen would be the movie won’t be as successful as it’s soundtrack. I can see her adding at least one new song, if not several, so it could still qualify as a “new” album, that could serve as the new material for the no-brainer greatest hits tour that will follow the film and soundtrack. All these older singles premiering on digital platforms, video upgrades, etc. are getting casual fans reacquainted with her back catalog, and ready to stream for the new fans that will come from the film. So I feel, whether it’s a conscious decision on her part or not, in order to still be the artist Madonna, she has to recap and celebrate “MADONNA!”, the pop star supreme. If she explains that person to everyone, she can move ahead with whatever creative paths she wants and still be a pop star that’s actually popular. She’s written the manual for how to be famous forever, so why shouldn’t she show everyone how bridge her legacy to her current work with integrity. either way, her next studio album will have lots of attention...in 2025. Lol,

Kevin Antunes inherited the musical director position from Stuart Price who had completed with 3 stellar arena tours with good albums to pull from, and let’s not forget he produced the bulk of confessions, too. He spent pretty much ALL of 2004, 2005, 2006 working, performing and creating with Madonna. Of course he could direct her shows because he knew HER, and he knew his shit behind the boards. Kevin Antunes inherited an uneven new album to tour for, in huge stadiums and ball parks (while the new boss is getting a divorce, no less), the SST had some really odd moments with all the mashups and weird transitions, so even having done the big shows with previous artists, dancers, choreographers, etc. , I never envied the position he was in, because after the Roseland Hard Candy promo show, his fate was sealed with Madonna fans after Hung Up. I also would not have envied making the sound work on the MDNA tour going back and from Stadiums to Arenas, working out the sound and musical elements with all the elements that show has, I think he did a good job. RHT I felt was better and worse, sometimes simultaneously, but it was fun show that Madonna seemed to have fun with, so the mp3 quality stems high up in the mix was little more easily forgiven. I think he did as good a job as he could with Madame X, he had a rich sonic palette laid out for him, (although all those trap beats over every older song was annoying and sounded lazy) as musical director, I would have demanded a live drummer and bass player. But for the most part the sound mix was good. Especially American Life, Batuka, and the Fado Section. And even though I’m mystified that NO ONE has offered her or discovered a different vocoder effect for the live vocal mix since DWT, all I can think at this point is that maybe she’s pissed off her band with some of the antics and is purposefully overdoing the auto-tune/vocoder to sound so much like a goat....at times. Not all the time. Lol. Going back over his work with Madonna, I have a hard time thinking at this point he hasn’t figured out to use his band to make her voice sound better live instead of artlessly using studio stems and vocals pitched way the fuck down. All that said, who knows though, maybe he was contracted by LN for the duration of her 360 deal, so they could maximize profit and make sure the machine kept running, and running, and running. Unfortunately though, she is the boss, and she’s primarily responsible for any damage to her live reputation.

I’ve never been opposed to her vocal manipulation or using a different characterization in her singing or phrasing. Madame X was an extreme use of both, which God Control uses brilliantly, Killers and Future uses it effectively (even though to me Future sounds like a goat is singing), but Crave and I Rise just sound affected. I like the album, and actually do love some of the songs. I do feel like the vocal effects were heavy handed, which I know was her point, however IMO it masks the very direct lyrical content to the point that the songs lose the impact of what she’s actually saying. MX is the first album in her career I actually appreciate more as time passes, but I still don’t love it. And at this point I don’t need to, nor does Madonna need me to. As far as the next album is concerned, Madonna has always had such a gift for creating melodies and harmonies that make even some questionable lyrics get stuck in my head. I love to hear Madonna sing, and even with a lot of effects, there’s typically still been an organic quality at the core of most of her songs, which is why the usual suspect singles and albums are still beloved because there’s a timelessness even if it sounds dated now. And I’d even daresay why so many prefer certain demos over official album tracks. I love her artistry, but sometimes I feel she tries to downplay that gift of creating hooks for the sake of sounding current or cool.

I hope they get it on streaming soon, but aside from collecting physical copies I never watch anything on a disc anymore. I buy digital as well, so I guess it’s technically not streaming. since Madame X is the meanest of all her alter egos, wouldn’t it be an expensive dream come true if it was only released in a live box set. Lol.

Didn’t Madonna say the “actors portraying me” in one of those IG vids or the bio pic press release? My choice would be Julia because of her ability to convey vulnerability through surliness. Florence looks nothing like Madonna, but anyone that’s seen “Bombshell” will know that makeup and prosthetics can achieve startling results in accuracy. Charlize Theron looks SO like Megyn Kelly after the transformation it’s almost unsettling. Lol. But look at, for instance, the movie “Norma Jean and Marilyn” where Ashley Judd and Mira Sorvino were cast in their respective roles as the same person. or the Crown changing actors as the storyline ages the previous ones out. But, all that said, this is just the publicity machine of Hollywood getting started. People are going to be curious even if they don’t like Madonna, so starting the rumor mill up about casting is typical click bait.

Well I guess she’s making them have to earn the role of Paula. Lol.

I don’t see her separating her new music from the biopic, so I don’t expect much in the way of “new” music until the soundtrack is ready. Which is fine with me. It would make sense for her to write a new album with the guys from the old days, especially as a narrative to the film, but I don’t expect her to. Lol. I hope she’s willing to look at her music career objectively through all the memory jogging, especially with the simplicity and effortlessly cool sound of her music in the beginning. I would love to see an EP or two, which along with the digital releases of her back catalogue, she can bridge the past to remind everyone there’s also a future for her and her music, if they’re interested. I can’t really see a new studio album until after the biopic. again, I don’t expect it, but if she succeeds in fusing “MADONNNA!!” with “Madonna, the artist.” she could possibly unlock the secret to being relevant AND heritage (so expect a Cher biopic hot on the heels of M’s.)

Clearly this is coming out, I just hope she (and that team of her’s) understand the need for being timely. The MXT was very “of the moment”, so releasing a highly political show without the benefit of one (or more) issues to get across would seem like it’s just another grab for attention, when it’s really her being ahead of the the curve.

I do like the editing style. the continuity issues are really gonna wear me out if it’s different hair every 2 seconds. The point of wearing wigs is for show-to-show continuity, no? I know SHE gets bored, but when the bulk of the viewing audience never got a chance to see it live, there’s really no need to present it as a “tour film” like the past couple of releases that were competing with fan-edited YouTube vids that were at times more entertaining and “live” than the broadcast/released versions. imo, the show should’ve been broadcast live on HBO. I’m down for a more cinematic edit, but it’s just another hole blown in the “I’m a perfectionist...” mantra M likes to reiterate. the MXT was brilliant, mind-blowing, surreal... and yet it also had more dull moments than any Madonna show should ever have, and seeing it 4x; 2xNY, Chicago, Philly, its obvious it wasn’t a finished show to begin with, which made the lack of spontaneous moments more obvious and disappointing. I loved it, and it pissed me off. Life is a circle! Lol.

Do any of you not think she’s going to re-record/reimagine the hits in the film? What if the director insists on the actor playing M sing the songs? Or only use TIC as the soundtrack? lol. I can’t see Madonna just throwing out the usual radio edits for a biopic soundtrack, one that will most likely be campaigning for consideration for awards for both the film and the music.

M. lucky star burning up physical attraction think of me everybody holiday LAV. like a virgin stay material girl angel dress you up love don’t live here anymore TB. papa don’t preach open your heart true blue wheres the party la isla bonita live to tell LAP like a prayer express yourself cherish keep it together till death do us part oh father act of contrition Erotica. erotica fever bye bye baby deeper and deeper waiting thief of hearts BS. survival secret inside of me sanctuary bedtime story take a bow ROL. drowned world/substitute for love ray of light skin sky fits heaven shanti/ashtangi frozen mer girl Music. music impressive instant runaway lover I deserve it what it feels like for a girl paradise AL. american life I’m so stupid nobody knows me nothing fails intervention mother and father xstatic process COADF. hung up get together future lovers forbidden love isaac like it or not HC. candy shop give it 2 me heartbeat she’s not me incredible miles away MDNA. I’m addicted girl gone wild gang bang I’m a sinner love spent masterpiece Rebel. unapologetic bitch devil pray holy water bitch I’m madonna body shop rebel heart Heart. living for love ghosttown hold tight inside out heartbreakcity wash all over me MX. god control dark ballet killers who are partying crave crazy ciao bella I rise

I can only speak for myself on the MDNA and RHT eras, and my experiences from how I enjoyed each album to how each tour makes me feel when I see them. I enjoyed RHT much more than MDNAT, and have an equal like/love of each album, including MX. As a man in my mid-40’s the Madame X era was exciting, referential in the right ways, and conceptually great. But the whole method-actor 007 schtick irritated me. The rollout was better than I thought at the time, I just feel that Interscope really had no idea how to market M’s music, especially RH. There’s no excuse for the gimmickry of the 3 editions and drastically different covers that only a fan would know the difference, all on the same day? I still can’t figure out how they released 3 versions of the same track list, w/ different cover art, yet they would NOT release a “Rebel” album, a “Heart” album, then a 2 disc “Rebel Heart” album with the definitive tracklist we know. She either didn’t utilize the A&R and marketing departments at Interscope, or they had no idea that Madonna came from an entire career of having all of those behind the scenes elements in-house and delegated for her. As much as it would make sense to just create and present her work independently, I can also see her enjoying driving the well oiled machine that a label line Warner could offer her. As histrionic as this reads, Interscope just seemed like they manhandled M from the get-go. But maybe they weren’t obligated to do more, so the cold-shoulder approach to marketing may just be me assuming they owed her more.

To each their own, but I’m not okay with saying goodbye to M limping to a halt after an uneven era that has left many of us long time fans bewildered.

All she has to do right now is get to work on what’s next, she doesn’t have to sign a future music record contract to sign with Warner for licensing of her catalog, or for a soundtrack using her music, at least to test the waters for new music later? They could easily package all of her #1 Dance hits into a deluxe digital edition, and re-release the original singles to digital in batches, getting the streaming audience to (re)discover her music. She’s already in the news because Drake outdid her top 10 record, so releasing a GH now, even if it’s just dance hits, could do well if she‘s cooperative and supportive. Who knows, she could even re-record a song or two and release them to prepare the GP for the biopic and out-Drake Drake! Lol. Pure speculation and wishlisting here, but TIC and JML are 30 this November, it’d be a low down dirty shame to not capitalize a little but on it with a dance hits edition or something. unless Interscope has a window of time after the contract term expired to continue distribution of the music she released with them, it would make logical sense she’d be able to grant licensing for all her post WB recordings to whichever label she signs with next, perhaps signing a more flexible contract with a shorter term or release requirements. I know I’m not the only one who’s suggested this, but I’ve always thought she’d do great releasing EP’s with 5-7 songs, every 6-9mos. She could tour every other cycle, or explore different sounds and genres of music and stay current or experimental. I will stake my fan card on this: There is no way in hell she’s letting Madame X have the final word. Lol.

I immediately thought that Alex Keshishian should direct, or at least have an advisory role behind the scenes. Personally, I think M should produce the film and really focus on the music they’ll be using and recreating the performances. If the ridiculous 8 figure deal with Warner is even remotely true, I can see her meticulously using their budget to get the soundtrack right, most likely re-recording or rethinking the songs for cinematic quality. I think career wise, M has been in this conundrum of embracing her past while pushing forward as an artist. If she’s feeling it and follows through with production, it’s a no brainer to predict it being a hit. The general public may not be hanging on her words, but if nothing else, they’ll watch it to make they’re “final judgement” on whether they like Madonna or not. She’ll make sure they realize she never left them. Lol. Also... it’s been pretty obvious since E/Sex/BoE when M is popular and universally well-received, it’s usually when she’s user-friendly and/or somewhat repenting or rebalancing her previous controversy or difficult era.

https://apple.news/ApioSGSgPQNa9_yanm1HoJg just saw this too.

Sorry for the long post on this. I swear it’s on topic! Call me a cynic, but this news isn’t surprising at all, because for the past several weeks of quarantine, around the time Guy O announced he is (still) Madonna’s manager, there’s been random news items like “where to begin with madonna’s back catalog” that Lucy O’Brien posted, along with other heritage-type articles w/ 30yrs of Vogue, Blond Ambition, I’mBreathless/Dick Tracy, and later this year 30yrs of the Vogue MTV performance, The Immaculate Collection, and the amazing and brilliantly handled scandal that was Justify My Love. As a fan, I’ve always thought a “feat. Madonna” is just a bonus, and it makes way more sense to me than a “Madonna, feat:...” which always feels like I have to share half of Madonna’s song with someone I could give a shit about. It’s a win-win for everyone involved, and it plays perfectly with the recent “Don’t you want to love Madonna again?” type of narrative with the typical PR-spin. it shows mostly that Madonna has actually needed some career management, and PR that isn’t about “how Madame X predicted cancel culture by testing the loyalty of alter-ego Madonna’s long-time fan base” ? It feels very post-American Life atonement campaign with the Gap/ITHG w/Missy, feat on MATM w/ Britney, opening the VMAs, remixed and revisited, and....the English Roses(!?!?), all of which I have no complaints about, it took a lot of work and ambition on M’s part to make a 180 degree turn and end 2003 blowing Estée Lauder scented fairy dust at us, after starting the year as Patty Hearst pointing a rifle at us. It also took A LOT of behind the scenes wheeling and dealing and corporate sponsorships by smart management, and she had an in-house publicist through WB to map it out for her. I think that featuring on Did Lipa’s remix is basically giving her another #1 single, definitely her 51st dance #1 if nothing else, and it’s all handled by her former record company. I hope i like it. Lol. I have a feeling we’re about to witness another patented-Madonna switcheroo, whilst we wait for her screeching “Death to the Patriarchy!!!l” on film, she’ll quietly sign right back up with Warner and the comfort of a corporate expense account. Lol.

I made this edit for a tshirt I had made for RHT.

1. I wish Madonna would... keep being the pain in the ass she’s always been. 2. What kind of look would you like to see Madonna do in the next era? Softer, enough corsets and resting her chin on her pushed up boobs. 3. If Madonna were to perform one of her videos for an upcoming tour in the closest way she could, which video would you want it to be? Bad Girl 4. My three favorite record producers for Madonna have been: Steve Bray, Nellee Hooper, Mirwais 5. True or False: Madonna will release a new album in the next two years. True

Hard Candy was the beginning of Demo Castellon as mixing engineer, you can hear the difference between the Pharrell tracks mixed by Spike Stent, and the Timbaland/JT tracks mixed by Demo. He is not good. I understand William Orbit’s frustration with mixing MDNA. Human Nature seems logical to release with the MXT dvd upcoming, I agree there’s been some market research happening, and like it or not, HN is the lone representative of the recent #1 album Bedtime Stories. lol. I have a feeling she’s going to go back to Warner, it’s just a hunch, but it just makes sense for both. She’ll get to be Homecoming Queen, and WB will have a full discography to market for her. And she can still make new music. I guess we’ll see if more songs get added. Either way, it’s a good thing.

I guess never say never, especially with the sudden media interest in Madonna’s legacy lately with small/random news bits, especially from UK sites, so it could be true. The Ariana Grande “god is a woman” cameo was weirdly promoted and quickly forgotten, and “Champagne Rose” wasn’t very big either, was it? To go a bit deeper, to me it seems like her PR team is using some of the negative IG posts to gather momentum with posts about her legacy. Seeing the stories on my newsfeed list on Apple news looks like for every current story (neutral or negative, usually referring to IG) there’s another new story or pop culture site listing off her legacy songs, her legacy looks, etc. I guess it’s just the way PR works, especially when it’s so fast paced now, they can plant stories to balance out the negative. Either way, it appears like someone on her team understands algorithms! ?? I also wonder that Guy O’s sudden reminder to everyone that he’s still Madonna’s manager is also a reminder to music executives that Madonna needs a recording deal?

How likely is a physical release after everyone’s been streaming so much more now? I ask because I haven’t watched an actual Blu-ray or dvd in a long time; mainly because I don’t have to. But, since Guy O is back on the M train, the LEAST he can do is get a quick turnaround on the editing and figure out how to launch this film. Or package the existing released live shows in some digital bundle beforehand. I will always buy physical copies, but it’s more of a personal collection now.