A Better MDNA Tracklist and Analysis

[newguy2001 50]

Hey everybody!

This is my first topic here and hopefully I didn't post under wrong description.  MDNA was the first music era I was exposed to (besides her 80's hits) from Madonna. It's a fact this is one of her worst albums but even then, there is this bittersweet story behind all the rubble. It's obvious it's a divorce album but hate that they promoted it as a "party" album. I like rearranging track lists to make some sort of story, and I did that with MDNA, whose track list I think is a mess. Here it is and I'll give description on "why it makes sense". 

1. Girl Gone Wild 

2. Bang Bang 

3. I'm Addicted 

4. Give Me All Your Luvin 

5. Some Girls 

The first 5 tracks center around rebellion (GGW), anger (BB), euphoria (IA) , and superiority/ego(GMAYL, SG). Feelings often felt after a divorce. It's obviously trauma based and unhinged feelings and showing defiance at what had happened, tracklist continued...

6. Masterpiece 

7. Love Spent 

8. I Fucked Up 

This trio of ballads and vulnerability I actually got the idea from American Life. In this trio, she confesses intimately and reminiscence of the relationship she had, first love(M), then trouble( LS), and finally a confession and statement(IFU). She bares it all , the track list continues...

9. Superstar 

10. Turn Up The Radio (with demo production plz) 

These "light" tracks are actually necessary after the serious part of the album, breaks up the tension. They're also escapist anthems, either in the form of a new lover (Superstar) or, in a classic Madonna move, in the form of Music (TUTR). These continue the post divorce story. Just when you thought the album ends, there is one more track and final confession...

11. Beautiful Killer 

She finally confesses she STILL loves her Beautiful Killer / Guy. So much so, it darkly (but oddly satisfying) ends the album, hence the gunshot at the end. A fun, dark, and beautiful ending! 

Let me know what you think of this tracklist rearrangement and analysis! Also, post your preffered MDNA tracklist! 

 

[Chris 1,023]

doesnt matter which version of the songs or in what order they are in, the whole album can go.

ill keep my Gang Bang + GGW two-track single in my library though <3 

[MikeyK 687]

Interesting interpretation/rearrangement!

I actually don’t hate MDNA. It’s wildly inconsistent, there are some crap tracks and the single choices were a mess but the high points on it IMO are stronger than pretty much anything on Hard Candy, Rebel Heart or Madame X.

[newguy2001 50]

37 minutes ago, Chris said:

keep my Gang Bang + GGW two-track single in my library though <3 

Add Beautiful Killer and it be a perfect trio! 👌 

[newguy2001 50]

22 minutes ago, MikeyK said:

Interesting interpretation/rearrangement!

I actually don’t hate MDNA. It’s wildly inconsistent, there are some crap tracks and the single choices were a mess but the high points on it IMO are stronger than pretty much anything on Hard Candy, Rebel Heart or Madame X.

Beautiful Killer and Masterpiece are, well, MASTERPIECES! They are classic Madonna! GGW, GMAYL, and GB are fun! Madame X and Hard Candy don't have any of that, Rebel Heart begs to differ tho...

[RebelMe 3,212]

I can't wait for it being mastered in dolby atmos. 

[BoyToyMark 346]

I just wish the album wasn't mixed and compressed so heavily. It needs some breathing space. 

I'd keep the 12 track-list as is and I would have two bonus tracks, 'Beautiful Killer' and 'Best Friend' available as a Madonna store exclusive edition and on all LP editions.

[xavier 4,787]

I love MDNA ❤️

[Alibaba 1,519]

MDNA was a bone fide era. It will always define a significant period of the Madonna journey and she definitely gave some great visuals and looks. The album is mostly above average, and I found it was a welcome shift away from the bittersweet taste Hard Candy left me with personally. I often think the fanbase’s opinion of the album was influenced by Orbit’s loose lipped Facebook purges. It invited a lot of speculation and as a result became the Madonna album she neglected in favor of directing W.E., launching gyms and promoting perfumes. I think we all sense that from 2008 for about a decade Madonna seemed a little lost stylistically, as if she wasn’t quite sure what she wanted to do, but she still put out some truly solid, sometimes masterful pop on those subsequent albums. The EDM tinges haven’t aged as well, but the more traditional pop of TUTR, GMAYL, IAS, LS and BK sounds vibrant all these years later, and I still need to dance when I hear I’m Addicted and Some Girls. Masterpiece is among her greatest ballads, and Falling Free deserves its place in the esoteric file of Madonna lyricism. Everything else is decent, if generic and somewhat soulless. I purposefully avoided getting to Gang Bang until the end of this post because I used to think it was a spitfire of a song deserving of being a single, but now find it is novel at best and I rarely think about it. 
 

[Madonna Wannabee Collector 233]

i love the idea of the original TUTR

But i would axe Some Girls for I don't give a

keep original tracklisting, maybe have the Love Spent the remix instead (Superstar and/or I'm A sinner deluxe edition)

and beautiful killer ending album.

[BoyToyMark 346]

I really like all songs except I F**ked Up, B-day Song and the LMFAO remix. They could've stayed unreleased.

[Honey Little 3,996]

10 hours ago, newguy2001 said:

Hey everybody!

This is my first topic here and hopefully I didn't post under wrong description.  MDNA was the first music era I was exposed to (besides her 80's hits) from Madonna. It's a fact this is one of her worst albums but even then, there is this bittersweet story behind all the rubble. It's obvious it's a divorce album but hate that they promoted it as a "party" album. I like rearranging track lists to make some sort of story, and I did that with MDNA, whose track list I think is a mess. Here it is and I'll give description on "why it makes sense". 

1. Girl Gone Wild 

2. Bang Bang 

3. I'm Addicted 

4. Give Me All Your Luvin 

5. Some Girls 

The first 5 tracks center around rebellion (GGW), anger (BB), euphoria (IA) , and superiority/ego(GMAYL, SG). Feelings often felt after a divorce. It's obviously trauma based and unhinged feelings and showing defiance at what had happened, tracklist continued...

6. Masterpiece 

7. Love Spent 

8. I Fucked Up 

This trio of ballads and vulnerability I actually got the idea from American Life. In this trio, she confesses intimately and reminiscence of the relationship she had, first love(M), then trouble( LS), and finally a confession and statement(IFU). She bares it all , the track list continues...

9. Superstar 

10. Turn Up The Radio (with demo production plz) 

These "light" tracks are actually necessary after the serious part of the album, breaks up the tension. They're also escapist anthems, either in the form of a new lover (Superstar) or, in a classic Madonna move, in the form of Music (TUTR). These continue the post divorce story. Just when you thought the album ends, there is one more track and final confession...

11. Beautiful Killer 

She finally confesses she STILL loves her Beautiful Killer / Guy. So much so, it darkly (but oddly satisfying) ends the album, hence the gunshot at the end. A fun, dark, and beautiful ending! 

Let me know what you think of this tracklist rearrangement and analysis! Also, post your preffered MDNA tracklist! 

 

Perfect 

[mirtillo 1,843]

My idea:

Dec 2011 : Masterpiece (Album Version) / Masterpiece (Instrumental Version) (from W./E. Soundtrack)

 

Single:

Oct 2012 : Love Spent / Love Spent (Acoustic)

Nov 2012: MDNA Album

Jan 2013: I Don't Give A / Give Me All Your Luvin' (Bonus Track)

Apr 2013: I'm Addicted / Superstar (Bonus Track)

July 2013: Girl Gone Wild / B-Day Song (Bonus Track)

Aug-Dec 2013 MDNA World Tour

 

Track List Album:

Girl Gone Wild

Gang Bang

I'm Addicted

Turn Up The Radio

Some Girls

I Don't Give A

I'm A Sinner

Beautiful Killer

I Fucked Up

Best Friend

Love Spent

Falling Free

[Roland Barthes 5,850]

The best configuration for this album is not have released it all. Even the decent tracks on it suffer from bad production, mix and mastering. All the songs were bought giving the impression this was an album she was not in the mood to record. The visuals were good though. While promoting Madame X she said she wasn't into making her previous 3 albums...and it shows. But MDNA has that putrid sound of the cheap pop from the 10's and is a testimony to the stench of that musical era. 

[EgoRod 5,454]

There's a NOn Stop edition made by a fan that actually works pretty well:

 

 

[Leona Helmsley 9,418]

Love this album....... a better tracklist? the same from the 1st song to the last one.......

[mr00mister 893]

3 hours ago, EgoRod said:

There's a NOn Stop edition made by a fan that actually works pretty well

was gonna mention this! i think it really makes the album flow better, and honestly, Falling Free is one of the best closers she's given us in a long time. i constantly go back to this version on YouTube too.

[mr00mister 893]

ok but I just remembered, when MDNA was announced, it had a completely different tracklist!

there was a mail sent to fans, with the attached picture, the announcement and the first tracklist. that was changed later, before release.

1. Girls Gone Wild
2. Gang Bang
3. I'm Addicted
4. Some Girls
5. I Don't Give A
6. Turn Up the Radio
7. Give Me All Your Luvin'
8. B-day Song
9. Superstar
10. I'm a Sinner
11. Masterpiece
12. Falling Free
13. Love Spent
14. I Fucked Up
15. Beautiful Killer

[MDNA22 1,198]

Think that would be a better track listing than what we got

The single choices were really misjudged by LiveNation/Interscope and then badly promoted 

The vocals were pitched up a bit too high on some tracks

Generic dated boring EDM production on Girl Gone Wild let the song down as the opening track  - just sounded a tacky and cheap generic dance track nothing interesting about it 

B'day song should never have made it

Should have been no bonus CD and Beautiful Killer and I f**d up should have been on the main one 

The William Orbit tracks were perhaps the strongest  - Love Spent, Falling Free, I'm A Sinner and Some Girls  - all brilliant songs and his own remixes of them also great

Maybe single choices might have been better with Beautiful Killer, Love Spent, I'm Addicted  - but hard to say what would have done best and if it would have avoided nosedive on the single charts from the singles from the album and done any better than the ones released.

Official remixes were mainly trashy dull EDM mixes - her weakest set of remixes from an album to date so don't think got much air time in the clubs. The fan ones and William Orbit's own unreleased ones were better

I do wonder if she had made this record while with Warner if we would have got a different record with maybe different track listing, different production and single choices also promoted better.

I think Give Me All Your Luvin though was perfect for the Superbowl show  - but not sure was the strongest choice for  the lead single? I loved the Turn Up the Radio video as was so good to see a video from her not shot inside a studio like a video of a photoshoot - but outside

I remember reading that Pharrell said he though Daft Punk would have been a great choice to be involved in producing the album and maybe was right ?

I think it's more of a Madonna sounding record than Rebel Heart and Madame X  - it feels more her than Hard Candy even if the songs were not as solid too

 

 

[steady75 9,571]

This segued version is exquisite and always made me enjoy the album so much more

 

https://on.soundcloud.com/kh8YZ

[EgoRod 5,454]

2 hours ago, steady75 said:

This segued version is exquisite and always made me enjoy the album so much more

 

https://on.soundcloud.com/kh8YZ

It does work.

I don't know considering the dance approach of the album how they didnt made it like COD

[PlayPause 2,684]

7 hours ago, Roland Barthes said:

The best configuration for this album is not have released it all. Even the decent tracks on it suffer from bad production, mix and mastering.

I always thought each track on the album sounded like a spoof/mash-up of previous M singles and remixes. Wrong roster of producers, lack of overall direction, uneven vocals, it's a mess. 

With a couple more months of studio work, it could have been a nice surprise EP for the Super Bowl and the following stadium stunt. (GGW and the fist section of MDNA tour can go.)

1. I'm Addicted
2. Give Me All Your Luvin'
3. Beautiful Killer
4. Love Spent
5. I Don't Give A
6. Bonus track: Masterpiece (orchestral version - from W.E. soundtrack)

[newguy2001 50]

3 hours ago, MDNA22 said:

think Give Me All Your Luvin though was perfect for the Superbowl show  - but not sure was the strongest choice for  the lead single? I loved the Turn Up the Radio video as was so good to see a video from her not shot inside a studio like a video of a photoshoot - but outside

I also have no idea how the singles should've gone either. I have like 3 variations on how the singles could have possibly been released, here's one: 

1. Girl Gone Wild (October 2011)

Album Release: November 2011

2. GMAYL(US Only)/ Masterpiece (WW) January 2012

3. Turn Up The Radio (April 2012)

4. Bang Bang (August 2012)

I know the 1st single is generic af, but this is what the public was eating up back then. The 2nd single would be a double release with GMAYL for the States (and Superbowl) and Masterpiece for the rest of the world (with a video). TUTR was fine as the 3rd single, she should have promoted tho before the tour. It's a very likeable song, and one that was praised during album release. Release the 4th and final single during the tour and create controversy with the video, that would be Bang Bang. It's actually 5 singles total but her team should have known that GMAYL would have never performed that well outside the US. 

 

[RebelMe 3,212]

The only thing that I would have done differently would have been to get rid of Nicki Minaj and MIA on GMAYL. The demo version without them was already amazing as it was.

[Roland Barthes 5,850]

2 hours ago, PlayPause said:

I always thought each track on the album sounded like a spoof/mash-up of previous M singles and remixes. Wrong roster of producers, lack of overall direction, uneven vocals, it's a mess. 

With a couple more months of studio work, it could have been a nice surprise EP for the Super Bowl and the following stadium stunt. (GGW and the fist section of MDNA tour can go.)

1. I'm Addicted
2. Give Me All Your Luvin'
3. Beautiful Killer
4. Love Spent
5. I Don't Give A
6. Bonus track: Masterpiece (orchestral version - from W.E. soundtrack)

I think this album killed her reputation as a recording artist. Hard Candy was uneven but even though she was accused of chasing trends it turned out it was the sound that Robin Thicke and Daft Punk used a few years later. 

It's not that i don't like MDNA only but i absolutely dislike the music from that era as well when they cheapened dance music by rebranding it edm for douchebags and Jersey shores fans. Even the track she bought from Robyn's producer is pure trash, probably the worst on an album full of worst, whenever i hear Some Girls i feel like i'm at a fairground in south jersey. Orbit now says he regrets joining that school of writers shit. Love Spent is great but deconstructed totally....but the vocals, her voice never sounded so thin until Living For Love. Thx Demacio for his shitty recording.  I mean LMFAO, gangnam style...she was using Rocco as a reference or what ? (She did work with Timbaland because of him)

Really the worst era, the ill advised cover of BTW, the silly Secret Project.

The only thing i liked from that era was WE (she should have picked someone else than Abbie Cornish, i've been told she wanted Gwyneth and her turning down the project after M put it on hold to match her schedule is the real reason their friendship ended) the mdna tour, especially lav/ls, and the cover of Behind the bars at the Deitch gallery plus the pics.