I need your opinions: What are your honest opinion on Madonna's "MDNA"?

[DiscoPopHeaven 6]

Hello everyone!

I am Thomas, I am the founder of the website www.discopopheaven.com , and I am writing an article on Madonna's "MDNA" to celebrate its 3-years anniversary.

However I need your honest opinions on this album, following these different points:

 

-What do you think of this album as a whole?

-Which songs clearly stand out, 3 years later?

-Has your opinion changed over the course of 3 years?

-What do you think of the promo/singles choices/aesthetic?

-What did you like, or dislike, about the MDNA Tour?

 

Any answer is appreciated, and you would obviously be featured in the article.

I stand as neutral in this article, so you can be honest on whether you did like or not the album.

Thank you in advance, you can find a link to my other article on Madonna right here: http://www.discopopheaven.com/read-madonna-the-leak-culture-and-the-ambiguous-success-of-rebel-heart/

Thank you very much!!!

[xavier 4,768]

It's a good album. Promo was horrible. Love GGW and Masterpiece.

[DiscoPopHeaven 6]

It's a good album. Promo was horrible. Love GGW and Masterpiece.

Do you think the singles were wisely chosen? Or were there other songs you would have personally chose?

[LTSP 227]

Girl gone Wild is the worst thing she EVER did. Cheap, tacky & horrible but the video kicks ass.

The album sounds horrible because the mixing engineer was shit. Too many fillers and phoned in stupid lyrics and dated EDM.

From insiders (including William Orbit) Madonna's heart was not into this album making and it shows. 

 

Superstar, bday song, Girl gone wild, turn up the radio, some girls, i'm a sinner...are horrible to mediocre and should be sent into the sun to be forever forgotten.

 

 

Gang Bang is great even though it starts auspiciously but goes nowhere, there's no climax after a long build up. I'm addicted is great and still great after 3 years. I don't give a is great, Love spent is a must have in your Madonna music files folder, Falling free is the other gem but they are ruined by the mixing, it makes them sound super cheap with no layers (compared to the unmixed instrumental Orbit shared), Beautiful Killer is great (but needed more work especially on that repetitive snare), I fucked up is great, Masterpiece is nice. Give me al your luvin is fun but the lyrics are awful. In retrospect Hard Candy is more cohesive and best produced so it's superior to this disjointed collection of tracks that shoul have been an EP

[RebelHeart 750]

Girl Gone Wild is the best song from the album which I quite like. Amazing album covers. I'm Addicted or GGW should have been the first single.

 

MDNA Tour = amazing, A-MAZING! DVD from this tour - instagramish mess.

[DiscoPopHeaven 6]

Girl gone Wild is the worst thing she EVER did. Cheap, tacky & horrible but the video kicks ass.

The album sounds horrible because the mixing engineer was shit. Too many fillers and phoned in stupid lyrics and dated EDM.

From insiders (including William Orbit) Madonna's heart was not into this album making and it shows. 

 

Superstar, bday song, Girl gone wild, turn up the radio, some girls, i'm a sinner...are horrible to mediocre and should be sent into the sun to be forever forgotten.

 

 

Gang Bang is great even though it starts auspiciously but goes nowhere, there's no climax after a long build up. I'm addicted is great and still great after 3 years. I don't give a is great, Love spent is a must have in your Madonna music files folder, Falling free is the other gem but they are ruined by the mixing, it makes them sound super cheap with no layers (compared to the unmixed instrumental Orbit shared), Beautiful Killer is great (but needed more work especially on that repetitive snare), I fucked up is great, Masterpiece is nice. Give me al your luvin is fun but the lyrics are awful. In retrospect Hard Candy is more cohesive and best produced so it's superior to this disjointed collection of tracks that shoul have been an EP

I have to agree that "Love Spent" is amazing, and it's sad that the live version doesn't do it justice.

[DiscoPopHeaven 6]

Girl Gone Wild is the best song from the album which I quite like. Amazing album covers. I'm Addicted or GGW should have been the first single.

 

MDNA Tour = amazing, A-MAZING! DVD from this tour - instagramish mess.

What would your singles choices be? What did you like precisely about the MDNA Tour?

[stefo 6,278]

What do you think of this album as a whole?

Good as album, mediocre as a M's album. The majority are well-written songs, M confirms her basic musical talent (her least is always a good level), but there's basically no concept and the production is really ordinary, on average flat -with some great exceptions of course (point 2). In general it feels like something that had got to be done, not inspired, neither very much loved. Anyway much more Madonna than Hard Candy!!

 

Which songs clearly stand out, 3 years later?

GANG BANG, the one she really got fun with imo, a pure M electro-theatrical-extravaganza, a dark house-bit movie for headphones and dancefloors.

LOVE SPENT, such a big pop song, with beautiful, sophisticated melody, but -I have to say- ruined by a kind of confused overproduction, too many chaotic sounds in the chorus get noisy and the Hung Up sample... just WHY?! Anyway the song hersef is HUGE to me and should have been the first single. 

I'M ADDICTED, if promoted with a proper video it would have been a club banger, 3 years later still a bomb

I also still enjoy Some GIrls very much as Falling Free and Beautiful Killer.

 

Has your opinion changed over the course of 3 years?

Not so much really

 

What do you think of the promo/singles choices/aesthetic?

That was a pure disaster for me: singles choices, that banal photoshoot, all just about "look how sexy and young I am still!!!!", the creatively cheap videoes. A sign she was completely losing her connection to her audience (musically Rebel Heart is the comeback point, one of her best records ever).

I adored the cover shoot anyway, that was really classy and gorgeous.

 

What did you like, or dislike, about the MDNA Tour?

Too much perfection, not vital as other previous works (ReInvention, Girie Show, Confessions). Even if it was about the MDNA of course, I found it very poor creatively (basicaly all stuff already done -falk music, vogue mood, church drama, oriental fighting dance-) I really enjoyed the third set (all of that, but Human Nature was the highlight) and the Revolver/Gang Bang number. It gave an excellent reinvention of Candy Shop though.

[DiscoPopHeaven 6]

 

What do you think of this album as a whole?

 

Good as an album, mediocre as a M's album. The majority are well-written songs, M confirms her basic musical talent (her least is always a good level), but there's basically no concept and the production is really ordinary, on average flat -with some great exceptions of course (point 2). In general it feels like something that had got to be done, not inspired, neither very much loved. Anyway much more Madonna than Hard Candy!!

 

Which songs clearly stand out, 3 years later?

GANG BANG, the one she really got fun with imo, a pure M electro-theatrical-extravaganza, a dark house-bit movie for headphones and dancefloors.

LOVE SPENT, such a big pop song, with beautiful, sophisticated melody, but -I have to say- ruined by a kind of confused overproduction, too many chaotic sounds in the chorus get noisy and th Hung Up sample... just WHY?! Anyway the song hersef is HUGE to me and should have been the first single. 

I'M ADDICTED, if promoted with a proper video it would have been a club banger to me, 3 years later still a bomb

I also still enjoy Some GIrls very much as Falling Free and Beautiful Killer.

 

Has your opinion changed over the course of 3 years?

Not so much really

 

What do you think of the promo/singles choices/aesthetic?

It was a pure disaster, a sign she was complitely losing her connection to her audience (musically Rebel Heart is the comeback point, one of her best records ever!!!)

 

What did you like, or dislike, about the MDNA Tour?

Too much perfection, not vital as other previous works (ReInvention, Girie Show, Confessions). Even if it was about the MDNA of course, I found it very poor creatively (basicaly all stuff already done -falk music, vogue mood, church drama, oriental fighting dance-) I really enjoyed the third set (all of that, but Human Nature was the highlight for me) and the Revolver/Gang Bang number. It gave an excellent reinvention of Candy Shop though.

Do you think that Madonna needed to do this album, as the themes are closely linked to "Hardy Candy's ones?

(Thank you really much for detailing!!!)

[stefo 6,278]

Do you think that Madonna needed to do this album, as the themes are closely linked to "Hardy Candy's ones?

(Thank you really much for detailing!!!)

 

Sorry I'm not sure I get what you mean (you're welcome  )

Anyway, I think she had to do it for contract and market timing reasons.

Orbit longly wrote about it on Facebbok, the rush and hurry mood in wich the whole production developed

[DiscoPopHeaven 6]

Sorry I'm not sure I get what you mean (you're welcome  )

Anyway, I think she had to do it for contract and market timing reasons.

Orbit longly wrote about it on Facebbok, the rush and hurry mood in wich the whole production developed

English isn't my first language so it happens sometimes, sorry haha

[stefo 6,278]

English isn't my first language so it happens sometimes, sorry haha

 

Nono, I don't think there was an english problem, it was just me not getting the connection between HC and MDNA songs. 

You know, they have both too generic shallow lyrics and sounds, so... 

 

Anyway I need to say this about our use of English language:

I check my posts very often when I write on forums and I ALWAYS FIND MISTAKES!!! And it's emberassing     

That's the price they pay for being the most powerful culture in the world right? We do our best. 

[MadonnaLove 6,183]

MDNA album in my opinion is medium, only 3 songs were good, love spent, masterpiece, and GGW. It could have been better hadn't they pushed the release.

[DiscoPopHeaven 6]

Would some of you consider "MDNA" to be Madonna's worst album ever?

[MadonnaLove 6,183]

Would some of you consider "MDNA" to be Madonna's worst album ever?

 

No, I don't believe in worst albums, every album has pros and cons! 

[survivalartist 6,450]

-What do you think of this album as a whole?

 

It was a breakup album turned into a tour promo album. She picked a few clunkers on production. The concept MDNA/MDMA still sort of rubs me in a bad way, for years I thought she was "above" drug culture and here it is in the title for "coolness". The Molly thing at the Ultra Festival with Aviicheese was dreadfully cheesy.

 

-Which songs clearly stand out, 3 years later?

 

Some Girls is punk rock and I love it. Gimme All Your Lovin' could have been Feel Good Inc. Part 2 but failed because of how cheesy it was with the rappers (lick my va-jay *pukes*) and the cheerleader nonsense, love the rapper-less demo. I'm Addicted would make Donna Summer blush. Then there are like 20 awful songs. Love Spent Acoustic is beautiful and painful music.

 

-Has your opinion changed over the course of 3 years?

 

Nope and I didn't go to the tour either. It all felt so forced.

 

-What do you think of the promo/singles choices/aesthetic?

 

Eh. Advertisement for tour. It was hugely successful so I suppose some of it worked.

 

-What did you like, or dislike, about the MDNA Tour?

 

I was going thru a rough breakup too. It was a bit much. I'm happy the tour went well for her and enjoyed the audio, she seemed to be having a good time of it. 

[DiscoPopHeaven 6]

So far, "I'm Addicted" sounds like the best song of the whole thing!

[DiscoPopHeaven 6]

 

-What do you think of this album as a whole?

 

It was a breakup album turned into a tour promo album. She picked a few clunkers on production. The concept MDNA/MDMA still sort of rubs me in a bad way, for years I thought she was "above" drug culture and here it is in the title for "coolness". The Molly thing at the Ultra Festival with Aviicheese was dreadfully cheesy.

 

-Which songs clearly stand out, 3 years later?

 

Some Girls is punk rock and I love it. Gimme All Your Lovin' could have been Feel Good Inc. Part 2 but failed because of how cheesy it was with the rappers (lick my va-jay *pukes*) and the cheerleader nonsense, love the rapper-less demo. I'm Addicted would make Donna Summer blush. Then there are like 20 awful songs. Love Spent Acoustic is beautiful and painful music.

 

-Has your opinion changed over the course of 3 years?

 

Nope and I didn't go to the tour either. It all felt so forced.

 

-What do you think of the promo/singles choices/aesthetic?

 

Eh. Advertisement for tour. It was hugely successful so I suppose some of it worked.

 

-What did you like, or dislike, about the MDNA Tour?

 

I was going thru a rough breakup too. It was a bit much. I'm happy the tour went well for her and enjoyed the audio, she seemed to be having a good time of it. 

 

+1 for the Donna Summer realness

[imyourcandyperfumegirl 3]

What do you think of this album as a whole?

MDNA was the album that... reintroduced me to Madonna. It was the first exposure I had to her as "An Adult' on my own. Frankly, I loved it. When I first listened to MDNA as a 19-year-old, I was amazed at someone so outside my typical listening habits in both musical genre and age could resonate to the extent it did. However, even then I could see that it is extremely uneven in quality and in sound. But, if her aim was to sound like what was on the radio, she definitely achieved it and more. Now, my opinions have changed a little bit, but I still am very fond of it and find it extremely accessible and enjoyable as a younger person.

 

Which songs clearly stand out, 3 years later?

• [*]GANG BANG full stop. Probably one of the songs that has had the most personal influence on me in the last 3 years, which may sound strange but is true. It, on its own, was enough to take me from someone who had no idea of her aside from hazy memories of "that lady with Justin Timberlake in 4 Minutes" in middle school to full-on stan. I cannot express how much I love this song. As someone who first was interested in her as a personality and an image/icon and not so much as a singer or artist, it was a punch in the gut and showed that when she gets something right, she 

really gets it right. I think it also shows the difference between sheer lung power in a singer and the.. I guess emotional versatility of her voice and power as an atmosphere creator. Her voice isn't the thing that stands out to me on this song, it's the delivery for sure. [*]I'm Addicted. It still sounds incredible. Intense, unique, a little dark, and a fantastic melding of Madonna's style with contemporary sound. [*]Falling Free. Beautiful, emotional, personal. First ballad of hers I heard and blew me away. [*]Some Girls. Speaks to me. The swagger and bravado and willingness to be provocative and shocking and sexual. It also sounds great.  [*]And, not as much of an impact, but also included are: Beautiful Killer, Girl Gone Wild, Love Spent, and Give Me All Your Luvin'.

 

Has your opinion changed over the course of 3 years?

Yes. Although it's more like 1.5 years for me, as I fell down the rabbit hole, so to speak, and learned much more about her past discography and personal history I can see why so many fans dislike it. It's uneven; fantastic songs right next to ones that can only be described as mediocre at best. Definitely not one of her Greats, and I think the hype and expectation after so long without releasing an album hurt it. There are some really great songs, but the majority of it sounds very little like anything she'd done before and a lot of it is very clearly geared toward a younger demographic and suffered because of it.

 

What do you think of the promo/singles choices/aesthetic?

Can't speak about the promo or singles choice as my ideas are only hazy at best and formed entirely after the fact. Aesthetic? The photoshoots were great. The lead-in from the superbowl was great, as was the show. I liked her costuming choices in promo, the socks were cute, the party pants also. I found it appealing and, again, accessible, as someone young basically "discovering" Madonna.

 

What did you like, or dislike, about the MDNA Tour?

Dislike? Nothing, basically, tiny things. This, even after seeing her previous tours. MDNA Tour remains my absolute favorite. I was absolutely floored by the level of artistry and pageantry and sheer scale of the whole thing (as someone who generally listens and attends concerts in small clubs and lounges with mostly underground artists) as well as the sheer force of her personality and charisma to be able to carry a show that massive. Highlights include the Transgression and especially the Masculine/Feminine portions of the tour. The reworking of Candy Shop/Erotica remains a favorite. The easy sexuality of the whole thing remains a favorite. She is a consummate performer, through and through. I love, love, love it. Definitely finished the job Gang Bang started on me.

[DiscoPopHeaven 6]

 

What do you think of this album as a whole?

MDNA was the album that... reintroduced me to Madonna. It was the first exposure I had to her as "An Adult' on my own. Frankly, I loved it. When I first listened to MDNA as a 19-year-old, I was amazed at someone so outside my typical listening habits in both musical genre and age could resonate to the extent it did. However, even then I could see that it is extremely uneven in quality and in sound. But, if her aim was to sound like what was on the radio, she definitely achieved it and more. Now, my opinions have changed a little bit, but I still am very fond of it and find it extremely accessible and enjoyable as a younger person.

 

Which songs clearly stand out, 3 years later?

[*]GANG BANG full stop. Probably one of the songs that has had the most personal influence on me in the last 3 years, which may sound strange but is true. It, on its own, was enough to take me from someone who had no idea of her aside from hazy memories of "that lady with Justin Timberlake in 4 Minutes" in middle school to full-on stan. I cannot express how much I love this song. As someone who first was interested in her as a personality and an image/icon and not so much as a singer or artist, it was a punch in the gut and showed that when she gets something right, she really gets it right. I think it also shows the difference between sheer lung power in a singer and the.. I guess emotional versatility of her voice and power as an atmosphere creator. Her voice isn't the thing that stands out to me on this song, it's the delivery for sure.

[*]I'm Addicted. It still sounds incredible. Intense, unique, a little dark, and a fantastic melding of Madonna's style with contemporary sound.

[*]Falling Free. Beautiful, emotional, personal. First ballad of hers I heard and blew me away.

[*]Some Girls. Speaks to me. The swagger and bravado and willingness to be provocative and shocking and sexual. It also sounds great. 

[*]And, not as much of an impact, but also included are: Beautiful Killer, Girl Gone Wild, Love Spent, and Give Me All Your Luvin'.

 

Has your opinion changed over the course of 3 years?

Yes. Although it's more like 1.5 years for me, as I fell down the rabbit hole, so to speak, and learned much more about her past discography and personal history I can see why so many fans dislike it. It's uneven; fantastic songs right next to ones that can only be described as mediocre at best. Definitely not one of her Greats, and I think the hype and expectation after so long without releasing an album hurt it. There are some really great songs, but the majority of it sounds very little like anything she'd done before and a lot of it is very clearly geared toward a younger demographic and suffered because of it.

 

What do you think of the promo/singles choices/aesthetic?

Can't speak about the promo or singles choice as my ideas are only hazy at best and formed entirely after the fact. Aesthetic? The photoshoots were great. The lead-in from the superbowl was great, as was the show. I liked her costuming choices in promo, the socks were cute, the party pants also. I found it appealing and, again, accessible, as someone young basically "discovering" Madonna.

 

What did you like, or dislike, about the MDNA Tour?

Dislike? Nothing, basically, tiny things. This, even after seeing her previous tours. MDNA Tour remains my absolute favorite. I was absolutely floored by the level of artistry and pageantry and sheer scale of the whole thing (as someone who generally listens and attends concerts in small clubs and lounges with mostly underground artists) as well as the sheer force of her personality and charisma to be able to carry a show that massive. Highlights include the Transgression and especially the Masculine/Feminine portions of the tour. The reworking of Candy Shop/Erotica remains a favorite. The easy sexuality of the whole thing remains a favorite. She is a consummate performer, through and through. I love, love, love it. Definitely finished the job Gang Bang started on me.

 

Thank you for taking your time to detail it all, I really appreciate it!

Also, to everybody: your pseudo will of course be put in the article by the way!

[DiscoPopHeaven 6]

A bit out of context, but we did a dream setlist for the Rebel Heart Tour for those interested: http://www.discopopheaven.com/dream-setlist-madonna-the-rebel-heart-tour/

[RebelHeart 750]

What would your singles choices be? What did you like precisely about the MDNA Tour?

Girl Gone Wild, Gang Bang, I'm Addicted, Masterpiece would be amazing singles.

 

MDNA Tour was so artistic, violent and powerful. The first section is just amazing and so mysterious. It was amazing to see this type of show after Sticky & Sweet Tour which was fun and colorful (also amazing tour!).

[Halex 1,609]

-What do you think of this album as a whole?

 

As said above : not a bad album per se, but it certainly didn't live up to the expectations. There are some good ideas here and there, but there's a huge lack of production on too many tracks. For an example, it feels like Love spent is gonna explode at some point, yet the whole song has a smothered feel to it. As for more creative and unusual tracks (in Madonna's catalog), they sound a bit dated (Gang Bang sounds a bit like something Tom Snare could have done six years before that).

 

-Which songs clearly stand out, 3 years later?

 

I'm addicted and I don't give a, as they're somewhat powerful. Also Gang Bang, especially because it sounds like no other Madonna song.

 

-Has your opinion changed over the course of 3 years?

 

Kind of - not for the good, unfortunately, as the album as a whole doesn't really stand the test of time. It sounds better to me if I play some tracks individually, though.

 

-What do you think of the promo/singles choices/aesthetic?

 

Well, promo was nonexistent, therefore singles and aesthetic suffered from that. All the glass photos could have become more iconic, but thay would have needed to be printed in prestigious magazines to achieve that. 

GMAYL and GGW videos looked good, but none of them is very memorable. As for TUTR, well... 

 

-What did you like, or dislike, about the MDNA Tour?

 

What I like about it is that it's very theatrical, especially the first section as well as the Masculine/Feminine segment. Very good show overall, the only real flaw was its lack of powerhouse hits. And it was a much better experience to attend it live than to watch the DVD/BD.

[DiscoPopHeaven 6]

For those interested, we also made a "Rebel Heart Tour" dream setlist

http://www.discopopheaven.com/dream-setlist-madonna-the-rebel-heart-tour/

[DiscoPopHeaven 6]

What were your expectations for this album?