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MADAME ❌ TURNS THREE!! ❌❌❌


Shoful
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This era is the first time I get to experience it fully after deep diving into her discography during the Rebel Heart era and post-Rebel Heart era. I remember the big red X posted in her Instagram and all of us were freaking out. It wasn't until she posted the teaser for the Madame X album and documentary where I freaked the fuck out... in the classroom during a lunch break.

The album dropped and the first time listening to it, NO SKIPS AT ALL. Head to toe, it was Madonna at her best experimental self combined with world music. In every track, she shifts an identity and tells a story, almost to the point of being an omniscient being on the whole album. The whole time from the album release, Madame X was my most listened album on Spotify (of course, Erotica followed suit).

Listening to the album now, still no skips. Even the bonus tracks (Funana, Back That Up To The Beat and Ciao Bella) made the album even better.

It goes to show that Madonna never lost her edge in pop music and never will. No one can do it like her.

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The way literally all the fanbase was demanding for her to go away from the current music (Hard Candy, MDNA, Rebel Heart) and when she did and gave us an experimental record full with great song they turned her back and trash the album. Justice for Madame X!!! She deliver, she gave us everything we wanted, she survided covid and she'll be vindicated one day.

argue-argument.gif 

Ven conmigo, let's take a trip!

madonna-madame-x.gif 

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Wow, I'm shocked so many people became fans as round the Rebel Heart era 😮 and here we were thinking she couldn't get new fans anymore.

 

Anyway, Madame X.

I was disappointed when I first listened to Medellín, because I was expecting her to try and get a smash hit like Music. Everyone was hyping up a "disco track with drag queens" and I was so ready for her commercial come back. Then we got Medellín and it took me a while to appreciate it. But when the album dropped, that's when it clicked that this was not going to be that kind of album at all. She finally decided that she didn't care about climbing the charts or pleasing the masses and she made the album she was inspired to do. This is some 1992 shit. This album was such a statement, and I loved it from the very first time I heard it. Absolutely loved the easthetic of the blue tiles and the typewriter and eyepatch props.

The only thing I find disappointing, is how low-effort the Madame X persona was handled. We got the beginning of her story in Medellin video and then nothing. It's disappointing that her story was not continued in the other videos, nor in the tour. There was so much that could have been done with it. It was a THEATER tour!

 

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19 minutes ago, lucasciccone said:

The way literally all the fanbase was demanding for her to go away from the current music (Hard Candy, MDNA, Rebel Heart) and when she did and gave us an experimental record full with great song they turned her back and trash the album. Justice for Madame X!!! She deliver, she gave us everything we wanted, she survided covid and she'll be vindicated one day.

argue-argument.gif 

Ven conmigo, let's take a trip!

madonna-madame-x.gif 

Many fans hated on Erotica and American Life when they came out initially as well. Sometimes music takes a while for people to click with it or understand it within the arch of her career.

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The whole era was a mess.

I love parts of the album, but it was managed so badly. 

Bad choice or lack of singles promoted properly. Video’s released for non singles and no video for actual singles

awful artwork…using images when she’s obviously just had eye surgery and looks unrecognisable. Steven is so uninspired now.

she came across so rude and obnoxious in the only uk interview on Graham Norton

That Eurovision performance. 

 

 

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8 hours ago, Shoful said:

I couldn’t agree more with everything stated. When I tell you she must’ve tapped into my brain to make Madame X because it’s legit everything I wanted.

I got into her catalogue right when Rebel Heart came out. And I slowly fell in love with American Life. I desperately wanted her to hire Mirwais again and wanted her to make a political album due to the Trump years, I knew she would have a lot to say. And of course I wanted a return to the visuals she delivered earlier in her career and a persona like the old days. And I literally got every single thing I wished for. I don’t think an album will ever again hit every single hope I could have. And the cherry on top is I got to meet her twice. We got: 

The Madame X persona

6 music videos

A mini documentary

A BRILLIANT photoshoot

The EPIC teaser which is her best imagery in probably 20 years maybe ever

Return of Mirwais 

Return of her songwriting. Most of the songs are written by just her and the producer. 
The most political songs shes ever released! 

An introduction to her singing in different languages. I know she’s done it before but nothing to this level. Absolutely brilliant

I just cannot get enough of this album

Same. Same. Same!  I’ve been listening to her since 1984!  And I was so baffled by how many fans simply hated this record.  Worse, and were — and STILL are — such CUNTS about it.  Honestly?  I thought Madame X was all pretty spectacular.  

Especially the videos to Medellin and God Control.

Madame X was her most interesting and boldly creative album in a long, long, time. She stopped chasing trends as everybody had demanded for a decade or so, and then… somehow they all got mad she wasn’t chasing trends.  Um… okay — Whatever.

I loved all the personas —the ever shifting musical landscape, Madame X unfurled upon each playing.

 All that — Plus  — I Don’t Search I Find.  Which truly DOES sound like some long lost Erotica era track.

The imagery was fantastic — as were the short dark wigs.  Yeah, I am really, really OVER the long, long blond hair already.

And then the tour was epic — I saw it twice here in LA — I just rewatched the film again — and damn.  So much greatness in this whole era.  If you didn’t see that — well, then. Fuck Damn. I have no idea what you want from her.  It’s never gonna be 1987 again.  Let it go.

Ciao Bella is BY far the best bonus track — I listen to it everytime I drive alone out to my friends desert house… And I have no idea what it’s even saying.  It’s just catchy as hell and so fits my mood.

The “sometimes” lyrics… Damn. Love it.

Edited by Markdonna
Punching it up. (see edit history)
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I was always curious to know who Madonna played with this character from Madame X, which by the way scared me a little when I saw her since it is somewhat disturbing not being able to see her face, what does this character represent?, we never saw her in action as if we could see all the other alter egos.

vlcsnap-2022-06-14-20h09m49s086.thumb.png.eee06fe1926ec32cd88ebebbb29e825e.png

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2 hours ago, animalinstinct said:

The whole era was a mess.

I love parts of the album, but it was managed so badly. 

Bad choice or lack of singles promoted properly. Video’s released for non singles and no video for actual singles

awful artwork…using images when she’s obviously just had eye surgery and looks unrecognisable. Steven is so uninspired now.

she came across so rude and obnoxious in the only uk interview on Graham Norton

That Eurovision performance. 

 

 

This! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 & then on top of all the above she came with the “THEATER” tour. 💀Sad Oh No GIF by Warner Archive

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1 hour ago, chaosmen1984mk said:

I was always curious to know who Madonna played with this character from Madame X, which by the way scared me a little when I saw her since it is somewhat disturbing not being able to see her face, what does this character represent?, we never saw her in action as if we could see all the other alter egos.

vlcsnap-2022-06-14-20h09m49s086.thumb.png.eee06fe1926ec32cd88ebebbb29e825e.png

 

E65D14EB-D1E6-4542-A09F-AF716A293DC2.jpeg

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I have mixed feeling about M X

First the teaser got me excited... Then the album dropped and i got so confused about her vocal so robotic that i hated it... 

Crazy should have been a single !!

I cant wait until the era is over ...

Fav track : medellin, crazy, god control, extreme occident

Worst : Future Dark ballet I rise Come alive  the bonus tracks ...

I just hope well get the dvd released...

 

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like all albums after HC it's a bit of a mess in terms of tracklist, but designed for streaming everyone can lift a perfect 10 track album, mine ommits FG, BIL, LFM and BTU. I hate Jeremy Scott for giving Madonna the idea of Madame X, I feel the character took so much attention away from the album and how it came to be. The few people that were interested knew she was a housekeeper and a whore and a moving target but few knew how she tried to embody a different persona for each song, sing in a different voice and be influenced by different parts of the world. In my opinion it is really the first real Madonna album since AL where she is interested in making music and makes the music she wants to make. In part it's super experimental, in others just daft. Is it all good? Hell no, but where it is it is great. No matter what some might think of the lyrics, Killers is soooo good, it's emotional, beautifully sung (yes you can still hear it through the autotune) and musically impressive. So are Batuka, GC, CB and more. I'm less of a fan of the non Mirwais tracks even though Crave is a jem! It does seem that moving further in the process the album was becoming more connected to everyday pop which I think is one of its few flaws. Adding too many guest vocalist and mediocre tracks/production, all still ok, but not always neccesary.

And then the videos, God Control, Batuka, Dark Ballet, damn all so strong, when was the last time we got videos like that? I just hope that Madonna again will find the creative freedom and need to make another masterpiece like this, if not I can also live with MX being the total creative comeback after 15 years

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8 hours ago, Fabiolous said:

Wow, I'm shocked so many people became fans as round the Rebel Heart era 😮 and here we were thinking she couldn't get new fans anymore.

 

Anyway, Madame X.

I was disappointed when I first listened to Medellín, because I was expecting her to try and get a smash hit like Music. Everyone was hyping up a "disco track with drag queens" and I was so ready for her commercial come back. Then we got Medellín and it took me a while to appreciate it. But when the album dropped, that's when it clicked that this was not going to be that kind of album at all. She finally decided that she didn't care about climbing the charts or pleasing the masses and she made the album she was inspired to do. This is some 1992 shit. This album was such a statement, and I loved it from the very first time I heard it. Absolutely loved the easthetic of the blue tiles and the typewriter and eyepatch props.

The only thing I find disappointing, is how low-effort the Madame X persona was handled. We got the beginning of her story in Medellin video and then nothing. It's disappointing that her story was not continued in the other videos, nor in the tour. There was so much that could have been done with it. It was a THEATER tour!

 

exactly this!!!

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The irony is, is that for the era a true persona was missing. So yes there was Madame X, but even the promo couldn't get clear who she was, there was the "manifesto" which clearly didn't tap into the first session with Steven Klein with all it's Handmaid's tale vibes and is generally more dark and has nothing to do with the spy story. Then there is the Medellin 40's spy person, then (this is my favorite) the worldly, literature loving brunette of the vogue shoot and the special shot in Lisbon, but wait we also still have the Eurovision mess with the blond hair, big dress and crown which made the least sense to me. Then the videos introduced even more characters. So Madonna's role in all of this became a bit confusing. From a marketing point of view it could have been interesting to just see Madonna in natural brown hair and being a vehicle for all these colabs, and it would have been nice to mention the non signed artists too ;-) that way almost every song has a feature

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19 minutes ago, Pretender1978 said:

The irony is, is that for the era a true persona was missing. So yes there was Madame X, but even the promo couldn't get clear who she was, there was the "manifesto" which clearly didn't tap into the first session with Steven Klein with all it's Handmaid's tale vibes and is generally more dark and has nothing to do with the spy story. Then there is the Medellin 40's spy person, then (this is my favorite) the worldly, literature loving brunette of the vogue shoot and the special shot in Lisbon, but wait we also still have the Eurovision mess with the blond hair, big dress and crown which made the least sense to me. Then the videos introduced even more characters. So Madonna's role in all of this became a bit confusing. From a marketing point of view it could have been interesting to just see Madonna in natural brown hair and being a vehicle for all these colabs, and it would have been nice to mention the non signed artists too ;-) that way almost every song has a feature

I think the Madame X eXcuse (he he) was just a vessel to portray all the personas, all the things she is and wants to be, and everything she can be, without committing to just one of them. Of course is confusing, for the first time we no longer had this unique persona for the new album: Dita, Mother Earth, Cyber Cowgirl, Madonna Che, Disco Diva, M-Dolla... but we have all of them and more, at once. And she can be anything at any point of the project.

Even if it was messy, there's something revealing about it: saying, hey, I'm all of them and none of them. I'm Madonna.

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8 minutes ago, Prayer said:

I think the Madame X eXcuse (he he) was just a vessel to portrait all the personas, all the things she is and wants to be, and everything she can be, without committing to just one of them. Of course is confusing, for the first time we no longer had this unique persona for the new album: Dita, Mother Earth, Cyber Cowgirl, Madonna Che, Disco Diva, M-Dolla... but we have all of them and more, at once. And she can be anything at any point of the project.

Even if it was messy, there's something revealing about it: saying, hey, I'm all of them and none of them. I'm Madonna.

Yes I agree, but stating it like that would have been so much stronger than inventing this she's a politician, she's a equestrian bs. Stating that you can be a 1 percenter and stand up for minorities, be provocative and sexually liberated and a romantic, and a whore to the dancefloor all at once is so much more interesting than this eyepatch girl, even though I love the eye patch. Anyway, it doesn't really matter, not more or less people would have tapped into the album had the promo been different. An all that really matters is that MX lovers, like myself, have the album FOREVER!!!!! LOL

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I just didn't connect with the persona - eye patch etc and the stories about Martha Graham that had never been mentioned before until now. It sounded pretty contrived and to some extent the stories and things she talked about in interviews made up to give the era and album a more distinct persona and concept that maybe the last few albums did not have since Confessions.  The Madame X 'Documentary' was the most staged/scripted documentary I have seen lol.  The whole confessions persona/era felt so much more real and authentic but perhaps it was no more real - just executed better and connected better

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23 hours ago, Levon said:

As a work of art, MX certainly succeeded, but as a pop album, too many parts didn't fit together and could have been better shaped by a more suitable producer. Dark Ballet could have been an epic masterpiece like Bohemian Rapsody, but turned into a curious sound collage without any form.

Especially some remixes of I Rise, Crave, Medellin, God Control, I Don't Search or Come Alive I found superior to the album productions. They showed that many songs had the potential to be hits and that the album could have been constructed in a more commercial and catchy / radio-friendly way. But unfortunately that wasn't Madonna's intention.

i have always found that mirwais production could have been way, way better.

i mean, just look at MU or AL. sure, there are sound collages too, but they fit and come together to form a holistic soundscape. some of the synths he used for MX simply sound cheap which is also very reflective of his latest solo work “2016 – my generation.” but that is how his style has changed, i guess. times and people change.

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On 6/14/2022 at 2:05 PM, Drownedboy said:

Worst Madonna record ever, pretentious, long, artificial, pompous, lacking any pop charm or flow, and the start of the end...

No. The start of HER end was Hard Candy.

Madame X isn't perfect but Erotica wasn't either... and look at it now, immensely loved after so many years. I've got the feeling Madame X will age way better than her last 3 studio albums only because of its diversity and creativity. 

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