Jump to content

Will Madonna Ever Have A Hit Single Again?


baymad4her
 Share

Recommended Posts

3 hours ago, Belinea said:

Here's the thing, the cold hard truth (no matter how much we love her and her music) she has no appeal what so ever to the majority of todays music consuming youth, shes 62 ffs and to most 9 - 16 year old shes just old, not to us of course, but thats just a hard fact.

What young kid wants to listen to someone old enough to be a grandmother who's trying desperatly to be relivent and failing?

Harsh for me to write and no doubt harsh to read but no less true.

The ONLY way that I can see that she **might** get back some of her appeal is if she drops trying to act like a trendy black teenager and embraces her age by toning down how she acts but the thing is we all know she wont do that so she is sealing her own fate.

 

As a life long fan I find that a shame.

 

Honestly, I think her disdain of deeply revisiting her past has now reached a point of backfiring. In the politics of women in music, Madonna managed to maintain relevancy chart wise well past the "expiration" years because she still had killer hits and the appeal to back her up. But there was a shift in her public persona that started during MDNA where some of the things she said or did for shock-value or controversy came across as desperate and/or an attempt to keep up with Katy, Gaga, Beyonce, Rihanna and Taylor who all blew up in the four years (minus Beyonce) in between HC and MDNA . It's also worth noting that she was 53-54 during that era and was at an age where most artists would've been begun to transition into a legacy act that was more reliant on keeping up long term relevancy by embracing their past and introducing a younger generation to it. But Madonna kept going, kept pushing to stay apart of the present and not be a relic of the past and that kind of backfired. MDNA was kind of an aggressive era and an aggressive Madonna and that probably turned off a whole generation of younger people that she could've won over after the Super Bowl performance. In contrast to her other semi- divorce album, Like a Prayer, Madonna did not seem to handle her divorce to Guy as well as she did the one to Sean and it rubbed people the wrong way. RH and Madame X are better bodies of work but I think she should've done some legacy rebuilding before putting out more material because it's actually painful that those albums only got attention from a fanbase that's clearly running out of patience with her. Madonna unfortunately has to be very careful with her career moves and statements now because certain things she could do and get away with in her 20s, 30s and 40s and barely get away with in her 50s probably won't go down well in her 60s and 70s.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 613
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Top Posters In This Topic

Popular Posts

madfan13_86

Come to terms with her legacy? In case you haven't noticed, she's putting together her biopic. So she's revisiting her past in her own way, at her own pace and in the way she wants to do it.  Moreover, I think she's actually been flirting with her legacy for a while, just not in a very obvious way (which is her right too). She often likes to reuse her old lyrics (like "Vogue" on "Holy Water", or even "Don't Tell Me" in "Future"), posts old photos on her IG, and I'm pretty sure Madame X is t

Husam Elzien

Honestly, I think her disdain of deeply revisiting her past has now reached a point of backfiring. In the politics of women in music, Madonna managed to maintain relevancy chart wise well past the "expiration" years because she still had killer hits and the appeal to back her up. But there was a shift in her public persona that started during MDNA where some of the things she said or did for shock-value or controversy came across as desperate and/or an attempt to keep up with Katy, Gaga, Beyonce

Mden

https://twitter.com/GodnessMadame marcus @GodnessMadame How to help Madonna’s upcoming 2 new songs to become hits- a thread 10:44 PM · May 31, 2023 · 1. First of all, stream the songs. And I mean as much as you can. Create playlists with both of the songs, but always put 2-3 different tracks in between them so they don’t get filtered out. Play on atleast 25% volume 2. Buy the songs on itunes if you can. Purchase all the versions available. This will boost the song

Posted Images

Guest Nobody Knows Me
11 hours ago, animalinstinct said:

If her label release physical formats of singles, I reckon she stands a good chance. Fans like to collect her work. 
 

I think we stand more of a chance of this happening again if she's back at Warner Bros.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 9/2/2020 at 11:23 AM, baymad4her said:

Do they just not play her anymore because she is "old" or they have no interest in her?

Both - cold and hard to read but no less true.

As a artist who makes the top 10 of multiple countrys with her latest single (what ever that may be) she is done, its over.

I ask anyone rteading my comments to do so while remembering that I am as big a fan as anyone on here but I am also a realist.

 

As many have already said on this thread her way forward is her back catalogue and its rightful place in music history.

She may not like it but in this sense she is a living breathing genuinely historic artist with a body of hits that no one will ever match.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's weird how popular music around the world changes and what gets to become a hit or not. So I'm saying she might. She's a very versatile artist so she could easily make it click with the general public with any type of song. However I don't believe much in the US that is determined to reserve their top 10 mostly for crap. I'm more interested in a worldwide hit with a timeless value. If she doesn't make it with a studio album lead single, she might have her Shallow moment with a strong track from her film. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

22 hours ago, Husam Elzien said:

Honestly, I think her disdain of deeply revisiting her past has now reached a point of backfiring. In the politics of women in music, Madonna managed to maintain relevancy chart wise well past the "expiration" years because she still had killer hits and the appeal to back her up. But there was a shift in her public persona that started during MDNA where some of the things she said or did for shock-value or controversy came across as desperate and/or an attempt to keep up with Katy, Gaga, Beyonce, Rihanna and Taylor who all blew up in the four years (minus Beyonce) in between HC and MDNA . It's also worth noting that she was 53-54 during that era and was at an age where most artists would've been begun to transition into a legacy act that was more reliant on keeping up long term relevancy by embracing their past and introducing a younger generation to it. But Madonna kept going, kept pushing to stay apart of the present and not be a relic of the past and that kind of backfired. MDNA was kind of an aggressive era and an aggressive Madonna and that probably turned off a whole generation of younger people that she could've won over after the Super Bowl performance. In contrast to her other semi- divorce album, Like a Prayer, Madonna did not seem to handle her divorce to Guy as well as she did the one to Sean and it rubbed people the wrong way. RH and Madame X are better bodies of work but I think she should've done some legacy rebuilding before putting out more material because it's actually painful that those albums only got attention from a fanbase that's clearly running out of patience with her. Madonna unfortunately has to be very careful with her career moves and statements now because certain things she could do and get away with in her 20s, 30s and 40s and barely get away with in her 50s probably won't go down well in her 60s and 70s.

This is all sounding accurate, but to be honest I think Madonna stopped caring about her career after Rebel heart and is just doing what she likes now. I don't see her being "very careful with her career moves and statements" anytime soon. I think she digs being indie and "alternative" now. If she cared about her career she would have done so much by now, more importantly a traditional pop album like her fans Crave instead of Madame X 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Belinea said:

Both - cold and hard to read but no less true.

As a artist who makes the top 10 of multiple countrys with her latest single (what ever that may be) she is done, its over.

I ask anyone rteading my comments to do so while remembering that I am as big a fan as anyone on here but I am also a realist.

 

As many have already said on this thread her way forward is her back catalogue and its rightful place in music history.

She may not like it but in this sense she is a living breathing genuinely historic artist with a body of hits that no one will ever match.

 

 

I think what puts her in kind of an odd place is she's almost the sole survivor among her contemporaries. Michael Jackson, Prince, and George Michael, who she once shared the charts with, are all dead, sadly. I think she should on some level come to terms with her legacy act status, but I think she would see that as admitting defeat in a way. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

11 hours ago, Kae-Leah Williamson said:

I think what puts her in kind of an odd place is she's almost the sole survivor among her contemporaries. Michael Jackson, Prince, and George Michael, who she once shared the charts with, are all dead, sadly. I think she should on some level come to terms with her legacy act status, but I think she would see that as admitting defeat in a way. 

Come to terms with her legacy? In case you haven't noticed, she's putting together her biopic. So she's revisiting her past in her own way, at her own pace and in the way she wants to do it. 

Moreover, I think she's actually been flirting with her legacy for a while, just not in a very obvious way (which is her right too). She often likes to reuse her old lyrics (like "Vogue" on "Holy Water", or even "Don't Tell Me" in "Future"), posts old photos on her IG, and I'm pretty sure Madame X is the closest she's been to embracing her own body of work. In fact, I remember she mentioned how she became her own muse while working on the album. Madame X was sort of a homage to her younger self, to her struggles in NYC pre-fame, and to the creative re-inventions throughout her career. 

Also, remember that Prince released very uncommercial and unconventional albums for many years, and also enjoyed the creative freedom and eccentricity that came along with them. Likewise, Geogre Michael always took a LONG time in between albums, and you didn't see anyone denying/doubting his standing in music. There is this strange expectation for women to keep up and to constantly demonstrate that they are at the top, that they are relevant. At this point even us, Madonna's hardcore fans, shouldn't even be questioning or worrying about her status in music history, or her relevance at all. She is actually a rarity in the music industry in terms of CREATIVE longevity. Cher has been around for ages but look at how many studio albums she released in the 2000s and 2010s. Also, while she relied on repetitive tour concepts and milked her catalogue like crazy (am I the only one who noticed how similar all of her shows are?), it's clear Madonna is far more interested in making new & innovative music, and to look ahead.

My call is for us to simply enjoy the fruits of her current work while she's still willing to release new music. She's clearly slowing down, after all. Madame X gave us some of the most amazing videos of her entire career and even if the MX Tour was a f-ing nightmare for many, it was truly a bold move on her behalf —artistically and conceptually speaking. People like Bob Dylan rarely look back  and release new studio albums like crazy and no one is questioning his legacy (also, he's a man, of course! Duh!). I'm a fan of Bob too and let me tell you, his concerts can be a nightmare in terms of his "mistreatment" of his own legacy—he reworks his old songs beyond recognition, and I think most of his fans are actually okay with that. Not the case for demanding M fans. They just want their diva to be stuck in the past with the same arrangements and giving them constant nostalgia. Which makes me think, people like Cyndi Lauper (one of my all time fave live performers, by the way) or Belinda Carlisle who sing the same 3-5 songs on every tour and with very little creativity behind the arrangements. So it's really frustrating how Madonna fans dismiss or underestimate her current work while whining too much about the past. We'll really miss it when she stops recording new material. That's for sure. 

Even if the 2010s saw M moving away from the centre of the pop music world, remember she always disliked being called a pop star. She preferred it far more to be called a performance artist, and maybe during the last few years, she took the opportunity to fully explore the depths of that. Furthermore, these "underperforming" albums still gave M 2 #1 albums in the USA in the 2010s, sold out tours, press and plenty of social commentary, which I'm sure will be better understood and embraced by future generations. 

Don't despair people! Enjoy the ride, one doesn't know when it could be over. Whether or not she gets another hit single again. 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Disclaimer: I'll make a very controversial statement: I don't care about new hits. 

Obviously I'd be super happy if she could regain love from general public, but what price will she have to pay to have a new hit? It's evident she should release exactly what press and casual listeners want from her. So, what? A cute dance song, an energetic disco banger, a heart-melting ballad and so on, no damned controversies, no silly collaborations, no trendy genres...the list would be so long and the final result could be a modern version of This Used to be My Playground. Could it work? Maybe just for a week at the #1 spot and lot of love from press. It would be fine. Would it be a classic? I don't know, for me of course, I'm mad for her ballads. But at the end of the day, the most important question is: is she really interested in having a new hit releasing exactly what people want from her? I think so, but at her own terms. Look at the adored in aeternum Confessions on a Dancefloor: after American Life general public asked from her something suitable for dancing. And she became the Dancing Queen, but it didn't seem forced or unnatural: her will to release something fun and joyous after an obscure album matched perfectly general expectations and desires and we got monster hits. General public has short memory. Maybe in some years she'll decide to release something that fits like a glove what people expect from her: with these crazy chart rules a new #1 wouldn't be a weird idea. But for the moment, she seems to be more interested in exploring new genres and I'm totally with her. I'm deeply glad she doesn't feel the pressure to be the No.1 anymore at all costs. That's why I'm crazy for her last project (not counting the mad amount of easter eggs about literature, philosophy, music she hid in it). For me, that's the most important move she made to revaluate her catalog: not remaining stuck on your beautiful past but doing a wild leap in the dark.The following statement could be controversial but I truly appreciate her way to celebrate her past, with discretion, with no nostalgic feelings, but with unconditional love, both for her old hits and new ones. This approach, in my opinion, underlines that she firmly believes that her new albums don't have less worth than her older ones, that her songs are worth to be listened no matter if they are hits or not, if they're loved by casual listeners or not, if they're old or not. She couldn't have given a better gift to her catalog. I'm sure she knows that there will always be smart people who are interested in discovering the history of music and that her name is among the first ones. That's her legacy and it doesn't matter if nowadays silly teenagers don't know anyone of her songs. Look at what they listen to today...It's better if these people stay away from her songs, it's evident that not everything is for everyone. If they enjoy listening to Drake (??) or someone like him, let them do it. History will be the final judge. 

Speaking about legacies, I truly can't understand why lots of people appreciate what Mariah Carey (nothing against her) did for her 30 years of career: it's clearly an admission of defeat, the admission she loves more her past than her present and future, that she maybe feels her glory days are over and that she doesn't want to do anything to change it. It's sad.

I'm going to finish this my rambling post quoting a marvelous song from Dido, I will go down this this ship/and I won't put my hands up and surrender/ there will be no white flag above my door. She's not surrending, that's the good news.

Let's enjoy this new chapter of her career, appreciating her new projects and trying not to play the silly game of sales, No.1 and so on. That's for babies. Will she have a new hit, restart to sell tons of album just like old days and be loved like in the ROL era ? Of course it would be marvelous, but the influence and importance of an artistic project can't be measured only by quantity, but most of the times by quality, and I think she still has lot of it. Will public understand it? I have my doubts about it, but I believe in miracles. And after all, people took 15 years to learn to love American Life. Miracles really exist.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nah, and it's not just the GP to blame. She's become very acerbic and distant in the past decade, not to mention terribly uncool even among the people who would generally comprise her fanbase i.e. the gheyz.

I can already tell the biopic will be a disaster, presenting her as an absolute saint saving the gays and probably being an otherworldly extraordinary girl who rose to the top because it was meant to be... which would've been a great story if she weren't directing and writing it herself about herself. Anything above 0% on Rotten Tomatoes will make it a terrific success in my eyes. Hits? It's not gonna happen, unless posthumously and/or via a sample.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The answer is really simple: No. But let's face it why.

There's is not a problem with her music, style, artistic choices or anything (since 4 minutes). As always some people will gonna like it, some don't. The problem is in the industry, that just changed.

Madonna had a lot of comebacks just because of playing the same industry rules all over again. When radio and physical sales were the only things to get on top, she was there and she could easily make a comeback knowing "the rules" like nobody else. When the mp3 era started, the problems were started. Even much younger artist during the transitions period from standard sales and airplay into mp3 era had a real problem with getting a hit (like Christina Aguilera). The industry changed again - streaming, where most of the artist who are in game for more than 15 years dosen't have a chance. Most of Madonna's comebacks might never have happened if the industry rules would change quickly as they strated since 2010 (since X into 2007 airplay and sales only, since 2007-2016 mp3, 2016-go on streaming). Even Lady Gaga (the star of the mp3 era) is having struggles with streaming era. If the rules would change since 80s (for example every 10 years) her comeback's might never have happened.

 

She has the same problem that Xtina has. They can't just do "pop sound" because they got their fans used to "visionary" albums. Madame X it's great, but it's a mix of independent songs and compromised pop. She has been really conservative last decade. The same way like RH or MDNA (Addicted and Superstar on one album, really gurl?)

Edited by Mateusz Klimecki (see edit history)
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Madonna entered the 2010s thinking it was enough to drop a catchy song and let it climb the charts. GMAYL remains the biggest "hit" in the 2010s and it could have done even better or lasted more if she did some promo.

She sabotaged herself and when she promoted during RH and Madame X eras, it was kind of pointless. Not to mention that she and her team didn't adapt well to streaming and other trends.

 

I wonder if things would have been different for Madonna, if streaming wasn't important. Also, if she did release her singles as CDs in the 2010s, plus maxi singles, would that have made a difference?

Edited by Justice (see edit history)
Link to comment
Share on other sites

When she exits this realm, people will have hits that sample her voice/music for a very long time.

I agree with what everyone has said about the industry changing, her age, promo etc

I still stand by the fact that they made A LOT of poor choices when it came to choosing singles in the last decade. And most people, general public and her fans, are not trying to hear hip hop/ trap/ r&b from her. 

She has done it. And done it well. BS. HC even. Enough, already.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yeah the last decades singles have been a bit of a problem.

LoveSpent aside I don’t see an awful lot of Madonna quality singles on MDNA. I love GMAYL but a stand alone super bowl single or a third / fourth single for the campaign would have been fine.

The only other way the era would have worked is a video arc between the songs Tarantino style To really firm up the aesthetic and post divorce woman wronged narrative.

Lovespent - Gangbang- Girl Gone Wild- I’m A Sinner- Falling Free is a whole arc right there. The problem was she didn’t commit to the era and based an entire album about divorce... with a narrative that could have worked brilliantly, around a super bowl cheerleading theme for that one event specifically. Probably one of the biggest missteps of her career creativity wise. MDNA is poorly produced and delivered but there is a brilliant idea in there somewhere. 
First divorce led to soul searching and reconnecting with issues from her last great trauma .. her mother’s death and her relationships with men and the institutions brought about by religion (marraiage) .. and the second divorce pure rage, bitterness and blame division rounded off by drowning your sorrows in da club and reminding everyone what a bad bitch you once were. 
Unfortunately a football match ( a male  institution) derailed it. The irony was never lost on me. 
 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 hours ago, Justice said:

I wonder if things would have been different for Madonna, if streaming wasn't important. Also, if she did release her singles as CDs in the 2010s, plus maxi singles, would that have made a difference?

Maybe during the MDNA era when physical sales were still somewhat strong but digital pretty much took over by Rebel Heart so probably only collectors would purchase them from that point on.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 hours ago, Loki said:

Speaking about legacies, I truly can't understand why lots of people appreciate what Mariah Carey (nothing against her) did for her 30 years of career: it's clearly an admission of defeat, the admission she loves more her past than her present and future, that she maybe feels her glory days are over and that she doesn't want to do anything to change it. It's sad.

I think it's because regardless on if she's admitting defeat or not, she's catering to her Lambs by giving them #MC30. I personally don't think she's admitting defeat, if anything she's making a change after that whole Stella/ reality show fiasco. She still strives to put out quality music. Caution (which was a step up from The Elusive Chanteuse) got rave reviews but Mariah was like it wasn't good enough and she can do better. Revisiting the past doesn't necessarily mean you're giving up on the present and future. She accomplished a lot in 30 years and she shouldn't be faulted for wanting to acknowledge her past discography. Besides, that Christmas song has permanently engraved Mariah into the past, present and future. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

26 minutes ago, dominbil said:

With the right team right producer ... With a real melody and no auto tune ! 

Lets hear her real voice again ! 

YES!!! That's what bugs me about most of her stuff for the last decade or so. So much autotune and layers of heavy production. I think music of past decades was so much more melodic. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm curious how much "3 diffrent editions" of her past albums helped her in sales. It's crazy - standard, deluxe, superdeluxe. Maybe she should do 8 editions at the same time, if it doesen't work she can make 12 editions at the same time.

It's okay to release a deluxe edition with DVD or maybe acoustic/remix versions, but i hate when arists put exclusive songs on them.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Write here...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share


×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Terms of Use