Angela Becker 2024 interview: PSB, Madonna and more

[Prayer 16,653]

There are many examples from those years on behind the scenes, the "IGTTAS" movie or just her talking in interviews, of Guy Ritchie not being comfortable with her wearing sexy clothes or trying to tone her down which is a little bit like... you realize you married Madonna? But of course she played that game of trying to be the good wife for him. And of course it couldn't last, cause it's not in her heart ultimately. She went back fully to her old self as soon as he was out of the picture.

Even during her Mother Earth coolest mum of the planet "Ray Of Light" era she wore see through clothes and stuff, but between 2000 and 2005 she was very conservative in general with her clothes (except for rare occasions like the 2002 "POP!" magazine photoshoot). She changed "sex" as her controversy weapon, so to speak, for violence (to please him?). The "Drowned World Tour" is quite telling: the most daring thing with the outfits was showing her back in the Latin section. The "Re-Invention Tour" was a little more riskier with the corsets but not that much.

Then the horse accident happened in 2005 and something clicked maybe inside of her: that it could haven been fatal, that life is short... there were also rumors that Guy wasn't really there for her in the whole recuperation from that accident and she felt abandoned. Cut to her exploding and coming back to her old Madonna artistic persona as soon as the "Confessions" era started, disguised on 70s disco sexy outfits but very sexual again (the Koko mini-concert, G-A-Y, etc). On stage she was her old self again, in real life not yet.

[Starchild 3,535]

25 minutes ago, Prayer said:

There are many examples from those years on behind the scenes, the "IGTTAS" movie or just her talking in interviews, of Guy Ritchie not being comfortable with her wearing sexy clothes or trying to tone her down which is a little bit like... you realize you married Madonna? But of course she played that game of trying to be the good wife for him. And of course it couldn't last, cause it's not in her heart ultimately. She went back fully to her old self as soon as he was out of the picture.

Even during her Mother Earth coolest mum of the planet "Ray Of Light" era she wore see through clothes and stuff, but between 2000 and 2005 she was very conservative in general with her clothes (except for rare occasions like the 2002 "POP!" magazine photoshoot). She changed "sex" as her controversy weapon, so to speak, for violence (to please him?). 

Yeh, remember when he snatched the male blow-up doll from her during her party?

She did continue the violent imagery into the MDNA Tour, but it sure was a recurring creative theme during their marriage.

I, for one, loved her creative output during those years - dark themes and all - and didn't feel alienated by it for a second.

[SecretProject 515]

3 hours ago, Starchild said:

Ironically, the Guy years were among her creative best.

That's because limitation breeds creativity. If Guy said that she needs to stop hanging around gays and clean up her image a little to be his wife then it sure fucking worked for her output. Her creativity during their marriage was the best she had a very long time since. Limits can absolutely be a good thing.

Do I condone Guy's homophobia and misogyny? Absolutely not. He needed some limits of his own. You can't marry someone like Madonna, queen of the gays, their biggest supporter during their bleakest, darkest time period and not expect them around. You also can't shape a woman into being a stepford wife knowing full well that's not who she is. Madonna is the most macho woman out there. Get real, Guy. Still, as a fan, I greatly appreciate the influence he's had on her during those years.

As far as Kabbalah goes, I'm happy it worked for her for a time. But my belief is that many if not all of these spiritual teachers and/or religious institutions are grifters. We all learned the golden rule in Kindergarten. Treat others as you'd like to treat yourself. If you're pushing 40 (as she was then) and haven't learned this by that point, you're kind of a lost cause in my eyes.

[Anapausis 6,607]

@SecretProject Madonna entered in Kabbalah through this book by Brazilian rabbi Nilton Bonder:

 

https://www.amazon.com.br/Kabbalah-Money-Rabbi-Nilton-Bonder/dp/1570622140

Now you get why Madonna entered in Kabbalah.

[Scottyx 9,236]

these cults lol

[Redha DBL 7,824]

29 minutes ago, Scottyx said:

these cults lol

Yeah... As soon as money is part of it, it's a huge red flag. Money has absolutely nothing to do with any spirituality. 

[Alpha 1,901]

6 hours ago, SecretProject said:

Her creativity during their marriage was the best she had a very long time since. Limits can absolutely be a good thing.

Err....wat? American Life Confessions Hard Candy were the best she had in a long time? Erotica Bedtime Stories and ROL were leaps ahead of those three eras. Confessions is the only one that can keep up musically but even visually the videos were lacking. Let's not re-write how the 00s really floundered and how the fans kept saying they wanted the old Madonna back. Fuzzy dream this, the Light that...hesitating this, keep waiting that...the 2000s were ROUGH. maybe compared to the 2010s they seem better because of nostalgia but at that time it really wasnt the case.

[Blue Jean 16,998]

8 hours ago, Alpha said:

Err....wat? American Life Confessions Hard Candy were the best she had in a long time? Erotica Bedtime Stories and ROL were leaps ahead of those three eras. Confessions is the only one that can keep up musically but even visually the videos were lacking. Let's not re-write how the 00s really floundered and how the fans kept saying they wanted the old Madonna back. Fuzzy dream this, the Light that...hesitating this, keep waiting that...the 2000s were ROUGH. maybe compared to the 2010s they seem better because of nostalgia but at that time it really wasnt the case.

Well Music is a Guy Ritchie era album. And Hard Candy arguably is not. It’s the divorce album.

But let’s not overlook the fact Guy Ritchie hated Hung Up.

[Prayer 16,653]

52 minutes ago, Blue Jean said:

But let’s not overlook the fact Guy Ritchie hated Hung Up.

🚩🚩🚩

Anyone that hates "Hung Up" needs to be out.

[Anapausis 6,607]

13 hours ago, Scottyx said:

these cults lol

You love the collectionism cult, don't you deceive yourself.

12 hours ago, Redha DBL said:

Yeah... As soon as money is part of it, it's a huge red flag. Money has absolutely nothing to do with any spirituality. 

That's why MY cult (Gnosticism) doesn't involve preachers, temples, tithes etc. Just you know the truth and it sets you free naturally!!

[Alpha 1,901]

8 hours ago, Blue Jean said:

Well Music is a Guy Ritchie era album. And Hard Candy arguably is not. It’s the divorce album.

But let’s not overlook the fact Guy Ritchie hated Hung Up.

Err how is Hard Candy NOT? They were literally still married and she didnt get divorced until towards the end of the tour. If you had read my reply it was to the comment her creativity was the best in a long time. Sorry that isnt true especially coming after Ray of Light and the whole decade of the 90s. 

[Drownedboy 1,862]

18 minutes ago, Alpha said:

Err how is Hard Candy NOT? They were literally still married and she didnt get divorced until towards the end of the tour. If you had read my reply it was to the comment her creativity was the best in a long time. Sorry that isnt true especially coming after Ray of Light and the whole decade of the 90s. 

I think she was very creative all though her carreer, just in those years she managed to be very mainstream, and was very loved by all the people, looked wonderful, sung amazing, did amazing tours and was relevant. And so remebering it is nice. But All the eras were important.

[Drownedboy 1,862]

I would say even MDNA is a very Guy Ritchie influenced album, it´s all about him.

[Alpha 1,901]

1 hour ago, Drownedboy said:

I think she was very creative all though her carreer, just in those years she managed to be very mainstream, and was very loved by all the people, looked wonderful, sung amazing, did amazing tours and was relevant. And so remebering it is nice. But All the eras were important.

But there was such a noticeable slump, public opinion about her DID change. She was seen as uptight and boring which had her course correcting during Confessions and by the time Hard Candy came around, it was pretty much set in stone. It's definitely laughable to say the Ritchie years were her most creative in a long time when we literally had Erotica Bedtime Stories and a career/artistic high with Ray of Light. It's just ridiculous to even suggest that.

[Tudors 578]

10 hours ago, Blue Jean said:

Well Music is a Guy Ritchie era album. And Hard Candy arguably is not. It’s the divorce album.

But let’s not overlook the fact Guy Ritchie hated Hung Up.

No sweetie mdna is the divorce album. Look at her looking exactly 4 minutes video with guy. Guy and Timberlake interacted as well in these times. They aren't even divorced here.

 

[deathproof 11,097]

14 minutes ago, Tudors said:

No sweetie mdna is the divorce album. Look at her looking exactly 4 minutes video with guy. Guy and Timberlake interacted as well in these times. They aren't even divorced here.

 

Hard Candy is all about the status of her failed marriage. That divorce was destined to happen. There was trouble in paradise back during Confessions.

[Prayer 16,653]

There were a lot of signs of trouble on the "Hard Candy" album but of course they were hard to see that way until the divorce:

- The sexual unhibited exuberance of "Candy Shop", which was completely a first for her in many years and breaking free in a way. Guy surely hated that one (he wasn't the only one xd).

- "Miles Away"... I mean, the lyrics speak by themselves. "When I'm gone, you'll realize... that I'm the best thing that happened to you".

- "She's Not Me" -> I still believe it wasn't about Angela or any of those theories, but Guy's next wife, who probably was already around somehow.

- "Incredible", another big sign of something not going right... everything's about to explode but oh how she wishes they could go back to the start.

[deathproof 11,097]

Don't ask, don't tell
Didn't really serve us well
You always did the unexpected
Trouble is I can't forget it

People do what they want
Keep it up until they're gone
Looking for the easy way
Never think they have to pay
Appreciate what you have before you lose it

The feeling so crazy
It makes me wanna let go
And totally forget today
I'm better off anyway

[cosmic_system 3,380]

Hard Candy is the falling of the marriage album, MDNA is the divorce revenge album. 

[Adonna 20,746]

4 hours ago, cosmic_system said:

Hard Candy is the falling of the marriage album, MDNA is the divorce revenge album. 

I kinda see it that way too.  She recorded HARD CANDY when she and Guy were still together.  They even showed up together that Spring at a movie premiere of his. 

[cosmic_system 3,380]

3 minutes ago, Adonna said:

I kinda see it that way too.  She recorded HARD CANDY when she and Guy were still together.  They even showed up together that Spring at a movie premiere of his. 

Yes, he was also in Cannes with her but I don't know how much PR was it more than trying to work on the marriage since there were already rumours. But of course the album was recorded in 2007.

[Prayer 16,653]

Guy always tried to look as miserable as he could by her side usually but Cannes 2008 was a whole other level for him:

No wonder it was officially over in a few months after that.

[Adonna 20,746]

2 minutes ago, cosmic_system said:

Yes, he was also in Cannes with her but I don't know how much PR was it more than trying to work on the marriage since there were already rumours. But of course the album was recorded in 2007.

Right. I agree. I'm sure at that point they were trying to keep up appearances until both their teams were ready to release a statement.  I'm sure they wanted to release their work before, announcing a divorce which would still the thunder from their work. 

[Anapausis 6,607]

9 minutes ago, Adonna said:

I kinda see it that way too.  She recorded HARD CANDY when she and Guy were still together.  They even showed up together that Spring at a movie premiere of his. 

Please everyone knows Broken and The Beat Is So Crazy are from HC sessions.

5 hours ago, cosmic_system said:

Hard Candy is the falling of the marriage album, MDNA is the divorce revenge album. 

Hard Candy is the falling of everything: the marriage, the label, the charts... if it weren't for the supporting tour...

And I say it as a Hard Candy worshipper but facts are facts, right?

[Blue Jean 16,998]

9 hours ago, Tudors said:

No sweetie mdna is the divorce album. Look at her looking exactly 4 minutes video with guy. Guy and Timberlake interacted as well in these times. They aren't even divorced here.

 

No sweetie. It was heavily rumoured that they were already done by then and decided to announce the divorce at a later date. I mean look at that vacant glare in Guy's face. Even if they were still together they were just clinging on.