Rebel Heart Reviews

[groovyguy 63,858]

Finally 4/4 Stars by The Toronto Sun!

 

http://www.torontosun.com/2015/03/09/review-madonna-acts-her-age-on-rebel-heart#

Review: Madonna acts her age on ‘Rebel Heart’

Rebel Heart: Deluxe Edition

Universal

4.0 stars

 

Artist: Madonna

BY DARRYL STERDAN, QMI AGENCY

FIRST POSTED: MONDAY, MARCH 09, 2015 11:18 AM EDT | UPDATED: MONDAY, MARCH 09, 2015 11:42 AM EDT

 

Madonna will try anything once. Including vulnerability, humility, sincerity and — believe it or not — acting her age.

No fooling. After more than 30 years of pushing buttons and crossing boundaries, pop’s most predictably provocative diva tries to adopt a more subtle, mature and balanced approach on her daring 13th studio album. Even more surprising: For the most part, she succeeds impressively.

 

Supposedly titled in reflection of two opposing sides of her personality — fighter and lover — Rebel Heart is in many ways the 56­year­old singer­songwriter’s most emotionally intimate and revealing album. Relatively speaking, of course. After all, this is still a Madonna record. So there’s plenty of titillation, confrontation and domination in the proceedings. No lack of double­entendre lyrics (and sound effects) that blur the line between sex and religion. A slew of verbal smackdowns aimed at failed lovers, media snipers and pretenders to her queen­b­­­­ throne. And no shortage of trendhopping dance tracks — all stylishly crafted by ultra­hip producers like Diplo and Avicii and Kanye, and decorated with cameos from VIPs like Nas, Nicki Minaj, Chance the Rapper and even Mike Tyson.

 

But along with all those essential ingredients, there are also unmistakable signs of growth and evolution in the 14­song disc (and the superior 19­song deluxe edition). You can hear it in her vocals, which seem less forced and more relaxed than they have in years. You can hear it in her lyrics, which express doubt and loss as often as triumph and confidence, and even wax nostalgic at times. You can hear it in the plethora of ballads sprinkled amid club cuts. You can even hear it in the breathing space and artistic licence she grants her various collaborators, graciously allowing them the spotlight instead of continually trying to upstage everyone.

 

It’s all the more ironic when you consider that she was technologically upstaged — though she controversially termed it “artistic rape†— by a hacker who leaked the bulk of these tracks late last year (a former reality­show contestant from Israel has been charged with the crime, which seems appropriately bizarre). To add insult to injury, she was blasted for using images of Gandhi and Martin Luther King to promote the album. And to add even more injury and insult, she tumbled off the stage at this year’s Brit awards. Between its many artistic risks and myriad PR hurdles, Rebel Heart could have easily unspooled into an unmitigated disaster.

 

 Instead, it holds together as one of her most strong, dynamic and memorable albums in years. Uplifting gospel­house opener Living for Love harkens back to Like a Prayer. The druggy Devil Pray moves from dusty acoustic guitar to electropop. Co­produced by Diplo, Unapologetic B­­­­ blends reggae, dancehall and dubstep. Illuminati boasts conspiracy theory lyrics and wobbly, buzzy sonics from Kanye. Nicki Minaj drops in on the Diplo­helmed electro­stomp B­­­­ I’m Madonna (which rhymes with “Na, na­na na­na,†of course). The gorgeously confessional Joan of Arc finds her weeping, wounded by fame and media scrutiny. Dark shape­shifter Iconic features a Mike Tyson monologue. Piano ballad HeartBreakCity blasts a lover who used her. The disorienting Holy Water is hedonistic and randy. The Nas ­guesting Veni Vidi Vici and the closing title cut are nostalgic and autobiographical, with Madonna name­checking dozens of hits in a few verses during the former.

 

Sure, there are a few duds like the car­sex metaphors of Body Shop. There might be one or two ballads too many. And S.E.X. becomes more ludicrous than lewd when Madonna purrs 50 shades of lines like “Oh my God, soaking wet, back and forth till we break the bed.†(Thanks for the visual there.) But even if the 74­minute album — her longest since 1992’s Erotica — might have benefitted from a judicious edit, there’s no denying that more than a few of these songs are second to none in her vast and varied catalogue. Chiefly because more frequently and honestly than ever before, they let us glimpse one of Madonna’s few private parts we haven’t already seen: Her soul.

[groovyguy 63,858]

This part is accurate! 

  

 

 

From the TIME review:

 

"Her voice sounds great, light and a little worn around the edges; it bears the weight of a full love, of love won and lost, real pain and real joy. On highlights like the gentle “Joan of Arc†and weightless fantasy “Body Shop,†she sounds a little like a mother tucking into an old story at the kitchen table, running through the decisions she’s made and the paths she could’ve taken: her years of purposeful provocation, the isolation that stems from defiance, the fight to accept imperfections within yourself." 

[groovyguy 63,858]

http://www.metacritic.com/music/rebel-heart/madonna

Metascore

70 Metascore [Updated 3/9/2015]

 

Generally favorable reviews based on 20 Critics

 

Critic Reviews

Positive: 12 out of 20

• [*]

80 Boston Globe Mar 9, 2015 [*]80 All Music Guide Mar 9, 2015 [*]80 The Independent (UK) Mar 6, 2015 [*]80 New York Daily News (Jim Faber) Feb 27, 2015 [*]80 The Telegraph (UK) Feb 25, 2015 [*]75 Los Angeles Times Mar 9, 2015 [*]75 Entertainment Weekly Mar 5, 2015 [*]75 Chicago Tribune Mar 6, 2015 [*]70 Rolling Stone Feb 25, 2015 [*]70 Slant Magazine Feb 26, 2015 [*]70 Drowned In Sound Mar 2, 2015 [*]70 Billboard.com Mar 5, 2015

Mixed: 8 out of 20

• [*]

60 PopMatters Mar 9, 2015 [*]60 The Observer (UK) Mar 9, 2015 [*]60 Uncut Feb 25, 2015 [*]60 Q Magazine Feb 25, 2015 [*]60 The Guardian Mar 5, 2015 [*]58 Entertainment Weekly Mar 5, 2015 [*]58 Pretty Much Amazing Mar 2, 2015 [*]50 New Musical Express (NME) Mar 4, 2015

Negative: 0

[groovyguy 63,858]

Melinda Newman used to work at Billboard:abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory/music-review-madonnas-rebel-heart-lovely-29497837Music Review: Madonna's 'Rebel Heart' Is LovelyMar 9, 2015By MELINDA NEWMAN Associated PressMadonna's 13th studio album, "Rebel Heart," beats with romance and rebellion. At 19 tracks, it's an overstuffed triptych through the iconic performer's life, careening between uplifting dance tracks, like the percolating "Living for Love" — her 44th No. 1 on Billboard's Dance Club Songs chart — and corrosively bitter tunes such as the Avicii-produced "HeartBreakCity."Songs such as the largely acoustic "Devil Pray," which will stylistically remind many of "Don't Tell Me"; the achingly vulnerable "Joan of Arc"; and the deceptively double entendre-filled, lilting "Body Shop" course with vitality and showcase some of Madonna's best singing in years.While the majority of the material falls solidly in the positive, some of the tunes undoubtedly meant to sound fierce and liberating just feel tired, like the electro-clash braggadocio of "Bitch I'm Madonna," featuring Nicki Minaj, and the tedious X-rated bump-and-grind of the Kanye West-produced "Holy Water."In perhaps her most complex album, Madonna seems determined to plant a flag for her 30-plus year career, even giving a crash course in Madonna-ology on the self-referential "Veni, Vidi, Vici," featuring Nas, during which she playfully incorporate phrases and titles from past hits. At its best, "Rebel Heart" pulsates with a vibrancy that reveals both the sour and the sweet in Madonna's extremely complicated life and leaves no doubt that she still has a lot more to share.

[groovyguy 63,858]

www.out.com/michael-musto/2015/3/09/madonna-ive-known-and-usually-admiredThe Madonna I’ve Known and (Usually) Admired By Michael MustoMarch 09 2015 8:53 AM EDTYou may have already heard this story on a VH1 Behind The Music back in the day: In the early 1980s, I had a cover band that played on a bill with the relatively unknown Madonna at a downtown New York club, and the experience wasn’t exactly thrilling for me. Even “pre-Madonna†(as it were), she seemed to be a driven, self-absorbed perfectionist without a whole lot of niceties up her sleeve, and I was too taken aback by all that to realize those qualities would serve her well on the road to world domination. We didn’t actually meet that night — I merely stood back and watched in shock and awe — but I’ve circled her ever since, as the girl I pegged to be a needy wannabe emerged as the most influential and entertaining woman in the culture for decades. She went on to be Madonna, while I went on to cover Madonna.And as Madonna celebrated the underdog and reveled in the counterculture, I started to see a more humanistic side lurking in her glitzy career moves. The term “gay ally†gets tossed around too much, as if we’re supposed to turn somersaults of joy just because someone famous thinks we’re actually acceptable human beings who deserve equal rights. But from the early days, Madonna has gone way beyond all that rote stuff and has actually walked the walk. With her love of LGBT culture and insistence on button pushing acts of societal shakeup (as well as her backing of AIDS causes), she’s more like an honorary gay man. She’s one of us. In fact, in a 1994 OutWeek cover story, I declared that Madonna was more influential than any politician out there when it came to equality because her yay-gay gestures were truly changing our landscape in significant ways.With a new album, Rebel Heart the lady is once again engaging in what she does best: making people talk. In the mid 1980s, she emerged as the queen of the three-minute video, a newish art form that told stories, sold styles, and seduced you into buying the music. The woman was not only emphatic about singing and dancing, but she knew about packaging, marketing, and keeping things fresh, as she veered from zany dance to plaintive ballads, always dressing in ways that surprised and enlightened.In 1990, her smash song “Vogue†was a tribute to the voguing ball culture, which was populated with disenfranchised gays of color who found liberation in flamboyant movement and make believe. I felt the song was a celebration, shining a spotlight on the creativity bubbling in the underground while craftily grabbing some of its luster for mainstream appeal. Two years later, her eye-popping Sex book used a gay photographer, gay models, gay erotic themes, and the Gaiety burlesque palace, for chrissake. And around the same time, she was gal-pal-ing around with lesbian comic Sandra Bernhard and engaging in jokes and innuendo that had the whole world suddenly aware of the lesbian bar Cubbyhole, among other very niche entities. When Madonna was spotted making out with South Beach club personage Ingrid Casares, who’d been Bernhard’s girlfriend, it was clear that the one-named superstar wasn’t just kidding. And anyone who’s been to a Madonna concert knows how effective Madonna’s gays-should-be-center-stage message has been; she’s turned many an arena into a gigantic gay bar, and I’m always there to soak in the ambience and cruise for a husband.Yes, there are some down sides. At one point, she mysteriously became British, lol. She also seemed slow on the uptake of certain superstar trends, and also became, all too predictably, a cougar with young stud boyfriends who shockingly didn’t quite work out as life partners. What’s more, there was the hideous moment in 2001 when she swore that Eminem’s homophobia was OK because “he’s stirring things up.†Most uncomfortably of all, she wants to be a movie star, having made a splash as a narcissistic kook in 1985’s Desperately Seeking Susan, which admittedly might not have been much of a stretch. Going on to torture the world with films like Shanghai Surprise and Who’s That Girl?, Madonna came off like Lina Lamont in Singin’ in the Rain, screeching her way through the talkies until desperate measures had to be taken. But I’ll admit that she did win a Golden Globe for 1996’s Evita (in which there wasn’t a lot of talking) and she was way more amusing than the critics said as a patronizing harridan in 2002’s Swept Away. Maybe the girl I thought was going nowhere will keep at it, prove people wrong once again, and win an Oscar some day. (Then again, maybe I’ll win the Pulitzer on the same day, lol.)As she keeps going and seizing attention, Madonna’s most lasting contribution of all might be that she’s redefined what older women are allowed to get away with in this society, which generally acts embarrassed about aging females who still want to be in the game. Unfazed, she’s continued to make dance music and act sexy, not having gotten the memo that the status quo doesn’t approve of that. I’ve occasionally criticized her for all this, before realizing that I’m running around dressed like a club kid half the time! Madonna is changing the rules and admirably helping make 50 the new 30. Her message these days is that mature women can be alluring and powerful, but that they also have to manipulate things to be accepted as such. She knows the reality — that music by a 56-year-old gal doesn’t necessarily get played — which is why she brings on the hot guest stars, using artists like Nicki Minaj to sprinkle in some extra relevance. I think Madonna should relax, drop these attempts to stay cutting edge, and instead do something like a concept album of old standards, but then again, her decisions have almost always been spot on, so I’ll defer to her know-how one more time. Even after falling onstage during the Brit awards recently, she got up again and witnessed a sales bump!If she wants a really young guest star, her daughter Lourdes is a strong singer, as evidenced by a video from her school musical that leaked last year. Madonna’s capitalized on Lourdes’s youth appeal before, so can a Barbra-and-Jason-style duet be far behind?Whatever she does, Madonna will keep raising eyebrows and making everyone blush but herself. Her talented gay brother Christopher Ciccone wrote a 2008 book describing her as a condescending brat, but I long ago caught wise to the fact that that’s exactly what’s propelled her (along with other factors, like ability and savviness). And just as she’s elevated the gay community, she did the same with Christopher, whose work she showcased for years.Meanwhile, the rise of Lady Gaga has given Madonna some fire under her ass, a motivation to work harder to reclaim her pop diva throne. Far from a tired knockoff, Gaga is a constantly evolving Madonna-style icon, but in a very now mode. While Madonna’s activism was done largely by suggestion (which was the way to make waves at that time), Gaga is able to be way more vocal, loudly campaigning for rights and turning her concerts into pep rallies for young gays coming out. But believe it or not, it’s possible to appreciate both stars’ achievements. They’ve provided a continuum that’s entertained and influenced as many gays in the modern age as Judy and Liza did before them. Interestingly, Gaga has already made the transition that many suggested for Madonna—calmly singing standards—while Madge keeps huffing and high-kicking her way through elaborate production numbers, but both are fun to watch as they pursue their respective muses.As for me and Madonna? Well, I’ve been inches away from her a few other times through the years (like at a dinner party, where she was urging Pedro Almodóvar to put her in a movie), but I studiously didn’t approach her to finally make our meeting a reality. It’s more fun to stand off to the side, taking copious notes.

[groovyguy 63,858]

www.allmusic.com/album/rebel-heart-mw0002806491Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine Rebel Heart was introduced to the world with an indiscipline uncharacteristic of Madonna. Blame it on hackers who rushed out a clutch of unfinished tracks at the end of 2014, a few months before the record's scheduled spring release. Madonna countered by putting six full tracks up on a digital service, a move that likely inflated the final Deluxe Edition of Rebel Heart up to a whopping 19 tracks weighing in at 75 minutes, but even that unveiling wasn't performed without a hitch: during an ornate performance of "Living for Love," she stumbled on-stage at the BRIT Awards. Such cracks in Madge's armor happily play into the humanity coursing through Rebel Heart (maybe the hiccups were intentional after all?), a record that ultimately benefits from its daunting mess. All the extra space allows ample room for detours, letting Madonna indulge in both Erotica-era taboo-busting sleaze ("Holy Water") and feather-light pop ("Body Shop"). Although she takes a lingering look back at the past on "Veni Vidi Vici" -- her cataloging of past hits walks right on the edge of camp, kept away from the danger zone by a cameo from Nas -- Rebel Heart, like any Madonna album, looks forward. Opener "Living for Love" announces as much, as its classic disco is soon exploded into a decibel-shattering EDM pulse coming courtesy of co-producer Diplo. Madonna brings him back a few more times -- the pairing of the reggae-bouncing "Unapologetic Bitch" and Nicki Minaj showcase "Bitch I'm Madonna," their titles suggesting vulgarity, their execution flinty and knowing -- but she cleverly balances these clubby bangers with "Devil Pray," an expert evocation of her folktronica Y2K co-produced by Avicii, and "Illuminati," a sleek, spooky collaboration with Kanye West. These are the anchors of the album, grounding the record when Madonna wanders into slow-churning meditation, unabashed revivals of her '90s adult contemporary mode, casual confession ("I spent sometime as a narcissist"), and defiant celebrations of questionable taste. Undoubtedly, some of this flair would've been excised if the record was a manageable length, but the blessing of the unwieldiness is that it does indeed represent a loosening of Madonna's legendary need for control. Certainly, the ambition remains, along with the hunger to remain on the bleeding edge, but she's allowing her past to mingle with her present, allowing her to seem human yet somewhat grander at the same time.

[groovyguy 63,858]

http://www.musicomh.com/reviews/albums/madonna-rebel-heart

Madonna – Rebel Heart (Polydor) UK release date: 9 March 2015

 

image: http://www.musicomh.com/wp-content/themes/musicOMH/images/3-5stars.gif

 

by John Murphy | posted on 9 Mar 2015 in albums

Thirty years after dancing around Venice dressed in a wedding dress with only a lion for company, Madonna is still making the headlines. For proof, you only need to look at Rebel Heart’s rather bumpy journey into the world: unfinished demos were leaked onto the internet last year, which Madonna rather unwisely compared to both rape and terrorism.

 

Then there was the fuss over the album’s artwork and its resultant internet memes, which spawned accusations of racism and cultural appropriation. And, finally, La Madge provided this year’s BRIT Awards with its sole moment of interest as she fell down a flight of stairs – and not in the cool way that St Vincent does in her live performances.

 

The fact that a woman falling over can provoke world-wide headlines is proof positive of the cultural impact that Madonna still wields on the zeitgeist. And all this is without even mentioning the music contained on Rebel Heart – which is, perhaps, her most impressive achievement considering that she’s not really produced a truly great album since Confessions On A Dance Floor a decade ago.

 

As it turns out, Madonna’s 13th studio album is her strongest in quite a while, if never quite hitting the heights of her classic material. It is, undoubtedly, one hot mess of a record: it’s far, far too long for one thing, with the ‘deluxe edition’ running to 19 tracks and a whopping 74 minutes, and the songs vary wildly from slightly flat ballads, disco anthems, and some completely bizarre ventures into dancehall and dubstep. Yet, even when Rebel Heart is at its most ludicrous (and, at times, it’s utterly batshit insane), it remains effortlessly, thrillingly inventive.

 

Rebel Heart is, in effect, two albums in one. In one corner, there’s the conventional songs: the glorious dancefloor filler of Living For Love, which may forever now be associated with That Tumble but which still possess the rare ability to move both the feet and the heart, the gorgeous, atmospheric ballad Ghosttown, and the genuinely moving, autobiographical Joan Of Arc: the latter’s opening lines of “Each time they take a photograph, I lose a part I can’t get back†make it clear who this particular song is aimed at.

If Rebel Heart had been full of decent pop tracks like this, then it would still have been Madonna’s consistent collection in years. Yet what raises it to another level (and which may well put the more casual fan off) is the album’s more experimental side. There are tracks produced by Diplo, a couple of exhilaratingly weird collaborations with Kanye West and an awful lot of self-referential, allusions. There’s even a track called Bitch I’m Madonna, and Veni Vidi Vici rather brilliantly references most of her previous singles in the lyrics. It all becomes so meta, it’s only a surprise not to see a cover version of Robbie Williams‘ She’s Madonna.

 

The Kanye collaborations work particularly well – Illuminati sees Madonna namechecking Jay-Z, Beyoncé, Obama, Oprah and Steve Jobs over one of West’s more scuzzy, grimy soundscapes, while Holy Water is just hilariously sleazy: lyrics like “Kiss it better, make it wetter†don’t allude to the type of holy water the clergy are familar with, although “Yeezus likes my pussy best†will probably make even the least prudish do a double-take. The surprise refrain of Vogue towards the end just adds to the song’s genius.

 

At times, there’s a vaguely valedictory feel to Rebel Heart, thanks to the frequent references to her own past: that surprise reprise of Vogue is one of a fair few references to past glories. The aforementioned Veni Vidi Vici (only available on the deluxe edition of the album) reads almost like an autobiography – “I know I walked the borderline….and when I struck a pose, all the gay boys lost their mind…I opened up my heart, I learned the power of good-bye, I saw a ray of light, music saved my lifeâ€.

 

On an album of such length, there are bound to be a few misfires: Bitch I’m Madonna never quite lives up to its fantastic title, and just sounds a bit of a mess, trying to cram in Diplo-produced dancehall rhythms, a dubstep breakdown and the seemingly now obligatory Nicki Minaj guest rap. S.E.X. is a rather tired retread of old ground (you can probably guess what it’s all about), while Iconic, with its Mike Tyson-sampling introduction and lyrics that sound like they’re from a self-help manual (“What you want is just within your reach but you gotta practice what you preachâ€) falls rather flat.

 

Yet, for all its flaws, there’s something undeniably addictive about Rebel Heart, and even the songs that don’t work so well are still a million times better than anything gathered on MDNA or Hard Candy. And, for all the jibes about her age or her perceived relevance in 2015, there’s still more energy and invention crammed into this record than someone half her age could produce. For someone so often accused of placing image over substance over the years, that’s quite the achievement.

[Fighter 28,802]

Iconic and Bitch Im Madonna ... bad 

 

Holy Water, veni vidi vici.. genius??

 

[Breathless 5,286]

Veni Vidi Vici is actually good, I love that Rocky like sound, quite powerful!

[Halex 1,610]

VVV is very good indeed, that Holiday reference adds a lot the song.

[Fighter 28,802]

Im not saying VVV is bad, but i dont agree with the reviewer that those are genius especially Holy Water. lol then he says BIM is a mess and Iconic is flat. I just dont get that as a whole. Seems completely inverted.

[unapologeticheart 872]

Grade: C

 

http://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2015/03/madonnas_rebel_heart_is_defian.html

 

"Perhaps, the album's most interesting song is "Holy Water," which finds Madonna copying what Lady Gaga was doing seven years ago (which is sort of like Madonna copying herself)."

 

What kind of shitty taste? LOL, how can these people even dare to "review" music?

[groovyguy 63,858]

I luv VVV!

[Breathless 5,286]

I luv VVV!

 

That is awesome!!! Thanks! OMG *faints*! I love this!! :hearteyes:

[Rod Erick 70]

3.5/5

 

http://www.vox.com/2015/3/10/8182469/madonna-rebel-heart

 

What Madonna does on Rebel Heart is remind listeners she is fully aware of how old she is by being honest about her sexuality and unabashed in her overblown claims.

[Rod Erick 70]

http://www.vulture.com/2015/03/madonna-sounds-currentand-empty-on-rebel-heart.html

 

Even worse is the deeply unsexy “S.E.X.,†which culminates in a free-association rap: “Chopsticks, underwear, bar of soap, dental chair.†Unintentionally funny, it sounds like something written to be played in Stefon’s new favorite club.

 

 

- Obviously...the reviewer will now take that back now that M mentioned in an interview that she sang (or rapped) the verses with an intentional lisp. It was intentional sister. Deal.

[Rod Erick 70]

6/10

 

http://www.spin.com/reviews/madonna-rebel-heart/

 

As Tina Fey would no doubt point out, it's far too late for Madonna's career to attempt a Meryl Streep-like third act, where she gracefully flits between gigs, stunning with grace and professionalism and proving the role model for all younger aspirants. Madonna's Rebel Heart is actually much closer to that of former VMAs combatant Courtney Love, a Bad Girl who has alienated casual fans over the years with her unwillingness to age out of her brattiness, but is beloved by her more rabid fans for just that reason. If she's going down, she's gonna go down bitching.

[Rod Erick 70]

No rating.

 

http://popinsomniacs.com/2015/03/madonna-rebel-heart-album-review-exciting-eclectic-pop-from-its-champion/

 

Thankfully, these duds are more infinitely skippable than before, making the hits stand out bright and bold, in an album that sees Madonna defined by her humanity, infusing some warmth into these tracks that is oft sorely missed in pop music. Yes, she might have been flung off the stage at the BRITs but she’s still a queen of modern music, one who knows how to dust herself off, make us dance, and keep the party going.

[groovyguy 63,858]

http://www.people.com/article/madonna-reasons-to-listen-to-rebel-heart?xid=socialflow_twitter_peoplemag

13 reasons to listen to @Madonna's 13th album, #RebelHeart

Madonna's latest album, Rebel Heart, is a triumph. 

First, there's the rough release timeline. Hackers leaked it. Then they leaked some more of it. Then she released parts of it herself in December, then againin February, before officially dropping the full record Tuesday. And do we even have to mention #CapeGate? 

But the pop icon's 13th (!) album in 32 years is worth the wait. Rebel Heart accomplishes what her last two efforts, MDNA (2012) and Hard Candy(2008), couldn't: She brings the innovation while also paying just enoughhomage to her best moments. Add in sex, sacrilege, genuinely personal lyrics and some killer hooks, and it's the best album she's put out in 10 years. 

With that, PEOPLE offers 13 reasons to give the veteran provocateur's latest a spin: 
 

1. ''Living for Love'' is her best single since 2005's ABBA-sampling ''Hung Up''

Her Hard Candy hit "4 Minutes" and 2012's electro-confection "Girl Gone Wild" were ubiquitous, but in today's EDM-saturated charts, they skewed toward the reductive, whereas "Living for Love" takes us to church with "Like a Prayer"-esque gospel disco. 

2. She references a dozen of her own songs in a single verse
Awkward rapping aside, "Veni Vidi Vici" (featuring Nas) is a victory and the most self-referential work she's done. Look no further than verse No. 2: 

"I expressed myself / came like a virgin down the aisle 
Exposed my naked ass, and I did it with a smile 
And when it came to sex I know I walked the borderline 
And when I struck a pose all the gay boys lost their mind 
I justified my love / I made you say a little prayer 
They had me crucified / you know I had to take it there 
I opened my heart / I learned the power of goodbye 
I saw a ray of light / music saved my life." 

3. You still shouldn't listen to her songs with your mom
The "queen of obscene" reigns on with the wonderfully filthy Kanye West-produced oral sex ode "Holy Water." (Serious question: Has Kim heard this one yet?) 

4. She's got a song called ''Bitch I'm Madonna'' – in case you forgot

5. Mike Tyson makes a memorable cameo
"Iconic" opens with a monologue from none other than the tiger-owning boxing champ. Forget the fact that Tyson drew inspiration from fascist dictator Benito Mussolini and focus on Madge's beat-your-way-to-the-top chorus, and it's 4.5 minutes of pop perfection. 

6. Come for Madonna – stay for the A-list producers
Per usual, the queen of pop tapped the industry's top producing talent. In addition to West, Madonna teamed up with of-the-moment hitmakers including Diplo, Avicii and Ryan Tedder for undeniable stereo success. 

7. It's a great breakup album
It's no secret Madonna has had her share of breakups, and hell hath no fury like a pop star scorned. From the raw "HeartBreakCity" to the I'm-better-off-and-you-can-kiss-off "Living for Love," she clearly came out on top. 

8. She has a song called ''Illuminati'' – because obviously
She swears she's not a part of the fabled conspiracy theory, so this track probably just adds fuel to the fire. But whatever. Madge name-checks Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, the pope and more in the dark, Yeezy-produced dance jam.

9. Her double-entendre game is alive and well
The songwriter who invited a man to release her lock with his key in "Open Your Heart" returns on "Body Shop." This time around – you guessed it! – her body's a car, and he can keep her overnight to work overtime if need be. Except the awkward lyrics are canceled out by her gorgeous, unrendered voice, making it a saccharine-sweet love song. 

10. She channels ''The House of the Rising Sun'' – and it's awesome
Reminiscent of her strumming-infused Music era, the acoustic-meets-dance vibe of "Devil Pray" makes it an instant classic. 

11. Nicki Minaj
Joining Madge for the third time, Minaj's "Bitch I'm Madonna" is by far her best guest verse in recent memory. (Not quite "Bang Bang" but way better than "Beauty and a Beat.") Between the frenzied production and Madonna's "na na na na na" hook, the song's all over the place, but the rapper's lyrics of label-dropping and bottle-popping make it a satisfying hot mess. 

12. Multiple ''Vogue'' nods
Whether it's the soundtrack to a movie makeover montage (lookin' at you, The Devil Wears Prada) or Madonna's quoting it in "Holy Water" and "Veni Vidi Vici," "Vogue" will never go out of style. 

13. She reminds us she's still a person
Yes, she's the best-selling female artist of all time. But, as she reminds us on the über-personal "Joan of Arc": "I can't be a superhero right now … I'm only human." Sexy dance confections are fun, but it's tracks like the aforementioned, "Wash All Over Me" and the must-listen "Rebel Heart" (only available on the deluxe edition) that showcase the megastar's vulnerable, relatable side. 

For more on Rebel Heart, pick up the latest issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday

[stfan97 2,842]

http://www.popologynow.com/2015/03/10/album-review-madonna-rebel-heart/

 

BY RICHARD BAXTER · MARCH 10, 2015

 

Today’s the day. The Queen of Pop has finally released her thirteenth (!!) album, ‘Rebel Heart’, an project shrouded in nothing, but scandal. Despite “leak-gate†‘Rebel Heart’ is far from a ruined era. Instead, ‘Rebel Heart’ is Madonna’s best album in nearly a decade…and one of her most cohesive albums to date.

 

It’s funny. With thirteen albums and countless acts of reinvention over four decades, you would think that a strong album would be something Madonna would churn out every time. Maybe the reason why this album is so strong is due to the extensive list of collaborators it contains (Kanye West, MNEK, Diplo, Nicki Minaj, Blood Diamonds, Avicii). They were able to bring the best out of Madonna and get everything 0h-so-right for the first time in years. Maybe since (gulp!) ‘Like A Prayer’.

 

Let’s face it. Pop has been less than “poppy†lately. In a world full of fluff and paint-by-numbers music, it’s refreshing to hear an artist push boundaries, create sounds with intricate layers, remain unapologetic, and let us in like never before. That, ladies and gentlemen, is ‘Rebel Heart’.

 

What we love most about ‘Rebel Heart’ is that it’s very current, but doesn’t sound like it’s chasing trends or hoping on any sort of bandwagon. For example, the Diplo produced lead single ‘Living For Love’, feels very now (the whole 90’s house revival), and at the same time, very then (does the choir in the single remind you of anything from Madonna’s past?). We don’t know about you, but it’s already become a classic in Madonna’s discography for us. Same goes for the pop culture who’s who ‘Illuminati’ and the empowering ‘Iconic’ – they flirt with hip-hop beats and hard-edged electronic influences. They’re songs only Madonna could sing and songs that sound like what Madonna, the pop icon, should be delivering in 2015.

 

And that’s the thing. A lot of these songs scream “Classic Madonna“. Why, you may wonder? Two things: the melodies and her vocal work. Both are completely charming and really pull you into the album. Let’s face it, this is Madonna’s best vocal work in YEARS. The delivery on every song – my god, so clear and so delicate.

 

As for it’s contents, ‘Rebel Heart’ is very much a two-sided album: ‘Rebel’ and ‘Heart’. On the ‘Heart’ side, we have the album’s second single, ‘Ghosttown’, an apocalyptic “us against the world†AC ballad that feels very right for Madonna at this point in her career. The church organ, the solid chorus – yup, you guessed it…Classic Madonna.

 

Shockingly enough, there’s a lot of ‘Heart’ that we’ve never seen from Madonna on this record. The Ryan Tedder produced ‘Hold Tight’ couldn’t get more modern thank to it’s huge post-chorus moment and ‘Heartbreak City’ finds Madonna exploring her head and her soul after a break up (perhaps her divorce with Guy Ritchie?). As for the rest of the softer tracks, ‘Messiah’ compares love to religion and worship, beautifully we might add, and ‘Inside Out’ effortlessly blends AC with a contemporary electronic feel.

 

One of the album’s finest ballads is, strangely, one the album’s first leaked demos, ‘Wash All Over Me’. Sans Avicii’s dance production, it shows Madge coming to terms with “the end†and accepting fate on this piano led ballad. To be honest, it’s one of the saddest moments on the record. What is she coming to terms with? Well, that can be left up to your own interpretation…

 

Seeing Madonna vulnerable and less polarizing is great, but it wouldn’t be a Madonna album without a wink and a nod to her provocative side, and the ‘Rebel’ half of the album is FULL of them.

 

The crass ‘S.E.X.’ seems to be the album’s only misstep, but we can admit that it stays true to Madonna’s “brand†of shock. Speaking of Madonna’s “brandâ€, she’s notoriously a dance artist. The dance world has shape-shifted into an entirely different beast than when Madonna first stepped on the scene. She may have been seen as “a chaser†on ‘MDNA’, but she successfully navigates into the right lane on the electronic heavy ‘Unapologetic Bitch’. Who knew that Diplo’s signature reggae sound could mesh with Madonna’s iconic attitude so well and produce a killer festival EDM song?

 

On the softer side of her ‘Rebel’ heart, ‘Body Shop’ finds Madonna traveling back to her ‘Ray Of Light’ days on this sexualized sitar-heavy track. It may sound small, but just picture this during her upcoming Rebel Heart Tour and how great it would sound in an arena. Chills, right?

 

Call us crazy for including this on the ‘Rebel’ side of things, but ‘Devil Pray’ acts as one of the best offerings from the album. Produced by Avicii and Blood Diamonds, this dark and brooding folk-EDM song has Madonna discussing religion and begging to be saved from her sins. You may find yourself cringing a few (or dozen) times at the chorus, but once you get past that, you’ll begin to see what we’re seeing. Yes, Classic Madonna.

 

The best thing about ‘Rebel Heart’ is that, at times, it acts as a “post-pop titan†body of work. Now more than ever, Madonna is reflecting on the past, her legacy, and how it relates to her present. The Kanye West produced and Natalia Kills co-written ‘Holy Water’ is one of Madonna’s most devilishly provocative moments ever, sampling her iconic hit ‘Vogue’. Again, very current with it’s industrial hip-hop influenced beats and it’s killer hook. We bless ourselves and genuflect after every listen.

 

And that’s not the only sample from Madonna’s archives that can be found on the record. The trap influenced ‘Best Night’ samples ‘Justify My Love’ in the bridge and knocks it out of the park. Yes, it’s sexually charged, but it has a “mature†quality to it that doesn’t have us sinking into our seat from embarrassment. Come to think of it, it channels the dominatrix persona Madonna donned during ‘Erotica’. Translation: a big win in our book!

 

But, why are we talking about sampling when Madonna gives us a crash course on her entire history during ‘Veni Vidi Vici’. Hands down, it’s one of the album’s most brilliant moments. You can thank Diplo for that one.

 

When she’s not referencing or poking fun at herself (‘Bitch I’m Madonna’), she’s digging deep and baring her soul on songs like ‘Joan Of Arc’. On this beautiful ballad, Madonna lowers the walls like never before and humanizes herself. It gets all too real when she utters the lyric “even hearts made out of steel can break down“. Talk about a true confession from pop’s strongest deity.

 

When it comes down to it, ‘Rebel Heart’ is summed up best when you listen to the title track. It’s odd that you find it at the end of the deluxe edition (and we can’t forgive Madonna for revamping it from the leaked demo), but each time you listen to it, you realize, “Wow, this is where Madonna is right now in here lifeâ€. It just embodies everything about her. A little rough around the edges, but when you get to know the ‘Material Girl’  you’ll see she’s just as vulnerable as the rest of us.

 

Madonna’s focus for ‘Rebel Heart’ was on the music, lyrics, and story behind great pop songs that could be stripped down to just her and her guitar. And you know what? She succeeded. There’s always talk of Madonna being too old or two steps behind. Sorry. Not this time. ‘Rebel Heart’ effectively puts her back on top of the pop throne….not that she ever left it in the first place.

[stfan97 2,842]

http://www.muumuse.com/2015/03/rebel-heart-madonna-album-review.html/

 

‘Rebel Heart': Madonna’s Unapologetic Pop Conquest (Album Review) (5/5)

 

MARCH 10, 2015

by Bradley Stern

 

Once upon a time, there lived an #UnapologeticBitch named Madonna.

 

She was baptized with #HolyWater but born with a #RebelHeart, which led her to take the road less traveled by.

 

And in her quest to express herself and encourage the world to start #LivingForLove,  she eventually became #Iconic.

 

32 years, 13 studio albums, nine worldwide tours and one Sock Bitch since the release of her 1983 self-titled debut, Madonna has never had a better sense of who she is, was and (let it) will be.

 

Following the Timbaland and Pharrell-helmed nu-disco-meets-hip-hop of 2008’s Hard Candy (which, ironically, sounds current again in a post-“Blurred Lines†world) and the slightly late-to-the-party EDM trip on 2012’s MDNA, Rebel Heart is Madonna’s most ambitious work in over a decade, placing the singer back at her rightful spot ahead of the pop curve.

 

But the journey leading up to the release of Rebel Heart (out today, March 10) has been thoroughly more turbulent than that of any other pop star’s album campaign — and it all starts on Instagram.

 

Almost as soon as the pop icon first discovered the photo sharing social network, she began to spill details of the creation of her forthcoming LP in real time. (That is, when she wasn’t too busy taking bathroom selfies.)

 

She revealed dozens of producers, like Diplo and Blood Diamonds. She teased lyrics in her captions. Hashtags, used over and over like a mantra on all of her photos for months — #livingforlove, #unapologeticbitch, #iconic, #rebelheart — provided the album’s song titles. By the end of last year, fans had already committed the contents of Rebel Heart to memory before it was even given a title.

 

As a result, it wasn’t exactly a surprise when the album started to spring a leak…or thirty.

 

#RebelLeak

The Internet is as constructive and helpful in bringing to people together as it is in doing dangerous things and hurting people. It’s a double-edged sword. – Madonna, Billboard

 

When two songs from the album sessions, “Rebel Heart†and “Wash All Over Me,†slipped through the cracks over Thanksgiving weekend last year, fans didn’t fret. After all, a few songs leaked ahead of schedule never hurt anybody, right? Even if it were an intentional move to gauge public interest, this wasn’t a cause for concern.

 

But by mid-December, the entire album surfaced in the form of dozens of demos in various stages of completion, reportedly at the hands of a hacker who breached Madonna’s personal emails. And unlike the album leak we’ve come to expect today, which happens one or two weeks before an album’s release, the hack happened well before the album was even given a release date — let alone a name.

 

Team Madge quickly scrambled to polish six songs in December to tide over fans (read the first track-by-track), then dropped three more in February after her Grammy Awards performance (read the second track-by-track), but the campaign hiccups didn’t end there.

 

M’s well intentioned, poorly executed #RebelHeart Instagram art campaign backfired in the beginning of the year after a few politically incorrect snafus, causing the “Unapologetic Bitch†to, uh, apologize. The album then leaked for a second time, in a more finished form, one one month ahead of schedule. And of course, there was the cape yank (and thud) heard down the stairs and felt ’round the world at the 2015 BRIT Awards.

 

For being the Queen Of Pop, Madonna’s unshakable legacy suddenly felt awfully vulnerable.

 

#RebelSpeak

What started out as an invigorating, life-enhancing, joyous experience evolved into something quite crazy. A strange artistic process, but a sign of the time. We’re all digital, we’re all vulnerable and everything’s instant — so instant. Instant success and instant failure. Instant discovery, instant destruction, instant construction. It’s as splendid and wonderful as it is devastating. Honestly, to me it’s the death of being an artist in many ways. – Madonna, New York Times

 

Madge was clearly left angry and emotional after the theft of her premature work (who wouldn’t be?), and the leak quickly became the talking point of the campaign. But, as it turned out, the messiness also afforded Madonna the opportunity to speak more candidly, providing some of her best interviews in years. She skipped over the tired narratives beaten to death during the MDNA campaign about maintaining her Queen Of Pop legacy (that Gaga feud is so boring and over) , allowing her to provide thoughtful commentary on agism, sexism and the digital landscape in which we all live (for love).

 

The woman has plenty of opinions (#nofilter) after all, and that’s one of the many reasons why she remains so interesting to this day.

 

#RebelBitch

 I feel like I’ve earned the right to say, ‘Bitch, I’m Madonna. Don’t fuck with me.’ I’m allowed to do this now. I’ve earned my stripes. – Madonna, Refinery29

 

With Diplo, Madonna found her fucks when it came to her music — then quickly threw them out again. The songs that she and the Major Lazer DJ/producer crafted together for Rebel Heart are cocky and carefree, like the electronic reggae kiss-off, “Unapologetic Bitch.â€

 

“You know you never really knew how much your selfish bullshit cost me…well, fuck you!†she defiantly declares before a noisy, stinging Diplo beat blast takes over the speakers. The song is as much of a break-up anthem  as it is a breezy earworm, and likely just one of the many truly sick-sounding songs that will earn her flack for “trying to be current†from The Relevancy Police on the Internet.

 

But M don’t give a fuck, and the cockiness fully comes to a head with “Bitch I’m Madonna†which, from the title alone, should be enough of a warning: Bold, loud and entirely bonkers, the club cut is a full-on explosion of noisy beat drops, yelping (“WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?!â€) and ample sass. Think it’s a bit much? Well bitch, she’s earned it! And Nicki Minaj — a known Madge super-fan — only provides the most perfect cherry on top with her own bossed up guest verse. These two continue to create power femme magic when they team up (“I Don’t Give Aâ€), and this one is certainly no exception. “I’m Madonna, these hoes know.â€

 

Mercifully, Madge’s sonic influences on Rebel Heart are much darker and interesting than previous albums as well.

 

Yeezus comes to mind when it comes to “Illuminati,†which delights in cold and chilly electronic textures as Madge plays schoolteacher and gives the children a good schoolin’ about the true enlightened meaning behind the Illuminati. Spoiler alert: It’s nothing to do with Justin Bieber or Lady Gaga, although I’m still quite sure Rihanna is the Illuminati high priestess.

 

Similarly, “Devil Pray†has no idea what it wants to be (in the best way possible), as Madonna provides a cautionary tale of excess atop a gradually morphing melting pot of acoustic guitars, blippy electronica, orgasmic moans and warped demon vocals. It’s thrillingly experimental — fitting for a song about dabbling in all sorts of drugs to achieve a temporary high.

 

#RebelHump

I continue to express myself — my sexuality — in my 50s, even though that’s also considered taboo, and I get a lot of shit for it. But in 20 years, Miley Cyrus probably won’t get shit for it. Then, it’ll be like, “Oh, yeah, that’s nothing new.†– Madonna, Billboard 

 

It wouldn’t be a proper Madonna record without some major raunch, which comes to a head (eh heh) with the delightfully, defiantly over-the-top “S.E.X.â€

 

Somehow, the song’s gone from being one of the most cringeworthy demos to the album’s so-bad-it’s-amazing surprise. “Oh my God…you’re so hot,†she monotones above spooky twinkles and icy piano, the effect of which is sort of like being in a Sex Ed class held inside of a haunted house. “A lesson in sexology,†she purrs before rapping through a laundry list of vaguely sexy things, ranging from fetish (“golden showersâ€)  to the all-out ridiculous: “Dental chairâ€? But why?!  It’s American Horror Story: Madge, basically.

 

The song, like a few others on the LP, is almost intentionally begging for the usual bitching from her critics: It’s desperate. It’s embarrassing. It’s gross. 

 

“Coitus in mid-life can of course still be a richly rewarding experience, but must we hear quite so many details?†squeamishly whined NME last week before giving the album a five out of ten stars. And that, in a nutshell, is why Madonna still needs to make songs like “S.E.X.â€

 

Yes, an older women can still want to fuck —  and fuck you for attempting to dictate what she can and can’t be doing at her age.

 

She supplies a more spiritual kind of sensuality on “Best Night,†a smoky late night session that sounds like it’s been lifted from the Erotica sessions and treated with just a hint of the Eastern influences on Ray Of Light. “You can call me M tonight†she seduces across the intoxicating drum loops. She goes a step further during the breathy bridge, interpolating “Justify My Love†(“Wanting…waiting…for you…“) while seductively delivering her requests. “Repeat it like a mantra…â€

 

“Body Shop†is one of the album’s most bizarre productions, as Madge innocently coos an overabundance of automotive innuendo (“You can polish the headlights!“) across plucky strings and handclaps.

 

But the most shocking moment of sexploitation comes in the form of the Natalia Kills-assisted “Holy Water,†which turns the sacred stuff of the church into, um, a euphemism for her…juices. “Kiss it better, make it wetter…don’t it taste like holy water?†she orgasmically purrs, slapping up against a menacing beat. (Just don’t say no — she’s got a sword.)

 

There’s only too much to love here, from the nasty thumping bass to the endlessly quotable and caption-ready phrases, from “Bitch, get off my pole!†to “Bless yourself and genuflect†to “Yeezus loves my pussy best.â€

 

Blasphemy has truly never tasted sweeter.

 

#RebelHurt

The reason I wanted to call the record Rebel Heart was because I felt like it explored two very distinct sides of my personality. The rebellious, renegade side of me, and the romantic side of me. In my mind, it was almost like I wanted to do a two-record set. – Madonna, Billboard

 

Don’t let the noisiest and porniest moments on Rebel Heart fool you, though: There’s an equal amount of introspection on this LP.

 

Madonna might forever be synonymous with the dance floor, but she’s always been a formidable balladeer. (See: Something To Remember.) Here, she gives us a variety of ballads to work with: There’s the prayer-like “Messiah,†a devotional rich in orchestration and poetic binaries (“I am the moon with no light of my own/You are the sun guarding the throneâ€). And on the anthemic “HeartBreakCity,†she angrily breaks down after a break-up across a marching drum beat. “You had a few secrets I was never told, now everybody’s talking and I’m last to know.†Consider it the bitter follow-up to Bedtime Stories‘ “Secret,†perhaps?

 

Time may go by so slowly, but she tackles impending mortality head-on with the chill-inducing “Ghosttown,†an apocalyptic, us-against-the-world ode that sees Madge sticking it out to the very end with her loved ones. “This world has turned to dust, all we’ve got left is love/Might as well start with us singing a new song…†The explosive power ballad feels like the perfect theme for a major disaster flick. And the bridge, in particular, hits hard: “Even with no light, we’re gonna shine like gold/In this mad, mad…in this mad, mad world…â€

 

No ballad on this album feels more personal than “Joan Of Arc,†in which the usually #UnapologeticBitch lets down her shield and sword with the help of Toby Gad, MoZella and S1 to very honestly, openly reveal that she’s not quite as strong as she lets on. “Each time they write a hateful word dragging my soul into the dirt/I wanna die/Never admit it, but it hurts.â€

 

Nothing’s better than some Empowermentdonna, but there’s something particularly striking about seeing the icon wounded in action and still susceptible to criticism. These lyrics and melodies are some of the strongest she’s produced in years…if not decades: “Being destructive isn’t brave/They couldn’t say it to my face/One day, I won’t care…but for the moment, I’m not there.â€

 

Gulp.

 

#RebelHeart

When I think about popular culture now, I can’t help but think that we’re living in the age of loneliness. There’s this illusion that we all have instant access to each other, but we actually have no real connection. – Madonna, Pitchfork

 

No matter how dark the wilderness becomes, Rebel Heart remains a fiercely encouraging ray of light through the trees — hardly a new theme for the woman who brought us “Express Yourself†roughly 25 years ago.

 

Sure, self-empowerment can often be a stale subject in pop, but if there’s any pop star worth taking tips from in this day and age, it’s Madonna: The bitch has seen, done and sniffed it all, from thrusting on stage at Danceteria in 1982 to riding in atop a giant chariot carried in by hundreds of gladiators at the Super Bowl thirty years later — and she’s still winning to this day.

 

As a result, there is a conviction in the album’s most encouraging moments that feels much more valuable.

 

If there’s any one resounding statement of self to come from Rebel Heart, it’s “Living For Love,†a glorious pairing of ’90’s House pulsations (a la “Deeper & Deeperâ€) and church-like harmonies and hand claps. It’s the ultimate dust-off-and-dance mood enhancer — and its healing properties have already been proven live in front of the world. A heartbroken Matadonna won’t be kept down after she’s tumbled, even when she’s being dragged backwards down a staircase by her minotaurs. “I’m gonna carry on!†Up! Up! Up!

 

Meanwhile, “Hold Tight†sees Madge offering a sincere helping hand, armed with a seriously incredible, tribal-like rush of a chorus (“Hold! Tight! Everything’s gonna…†WOOSH!) and a genuinely superb bridge, backed by MNEK‘s rich vocals: “If you hurt then I wanna be the one that’s bleeding…â€

 

Elsewhere, M enlists Mike Tyson as her personal hype-man before entering the ring as everyone’s favorite Hard Candy boxing queen, M-Dolla. She offers inspirational food for thought (“I can’t, icon, two letters apart!“) across muscular, bass-heavy beats. It’s purely an adrenaline rush of gym-friendly motivation, complimented a step further by Chance The Rapper‘s nimble verse at the end, which somehow manages to mention Michael Jackson and synagogues all in one go. Heroic, sort of.

 

And then there’s the business of “Rebel Heartâ€: The album’s title track has (tragically) been neutered since its superior demo days, going from a thunderous blast of rebellious resilience to a more casual acoustic guitar sing-along ’round the campfire. It’s a shame she opted to strip back the epic quality of the song — but then, we’ve still got the original.

 

Besides, that chorus remains one of the album’s best: “So I took the road less traveled by and I barely made it out alive...â€

 

#RebelHalcyon

There’s a lot of reminiscing on this album. I’ve been doing what I’ve been doing for over three decades, so in many ways I feel like a survivor. I see that many of my peers, and friends, and people I collaborated with are no longer with us. That gave me pause. I said, ‘Wow, I can’t believe I made it this far.’ That was a catalyst for me. – Madonna, NY Daily News

 

Despite being a new album, Rebel Heart almost feels like a greatest hits.

 

Sure, she’s thrown together collections (Celebration) and visual retrospectives on her tours, but here is the first time Madonna — an artist notorious for being unwilling to repeat herself — has so directly referenced her own artistic legacy: from the sample of “Vogue†in “Holy Water,†to a “Justify My Love†interpolation in “Best Night,†to the sentimental nods to former friends (and lovers) Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat on super deluxe track “Graffiti Heart,†the familiar throwback pulsations of “Living For Love†— even “you can’t mess with this lucky star!†in “Bitch I’m Madonna.â€

 

The throughly clever, career-spanning “Veni Vidi Vici†is perhaps the most blunt form of nostalgia, in which she references no less than a dozen of her own hits and career milestones. Accompanied by her pal Nas, who supplies a fiery verse about his own personal and professional triumphs and low points (including some Kelis shade!), Madge strolls through her discography to tell her own story, from New York City outcast to superstar. Each line is nearly too good to be true: “I expressed myself, came like a virgin down the aisle/Exposed my naked ass and I did it with a smile/When it came to sex, I knew I walked the borderline/And when I struck a pose, all the gay boys lost their mind.â€

 

Yaaaaaas, queen!

 

#RebelQueen

Well, I do think of myself as a Queen… – Madonna, Rolling Stone

 

It’s too soon to declare Rebel Heart as Madonna’s best (will anything make a more cohesive statement than Erotica, Ray Of Light or Confessions?), but it is, at least, one of, and arguably the most representative of her as an artist: Cocky, sexual, aggressive, pious, vulnerable, exploitative, embarrassing, romantic, messy, optimistic. This album is Madonna to its core. 

 

Beyond that, the actual songcraft and melodies haven’t been this rich or interesting in at least a decade, if not longer. Some of the lyrical themes border on cringe or cliché (lots of falling down and getting back up again on this album — classic Madge), but creative flourishes keep the LP’s production colorful and engaging with each listen.

 

The album is rich and meaty, from an over-stuffed tracklist (25 tracks on the super deluxe edition!), to the endless list of collaborators. And while a certain sound has dominated throughout plenty of her records past — the euphoric dance-pop of Madonna, the New York City-bred grit of Erotica, the earthy, spiritual undertones of Ray Of Light  â€” the only musical consistency Rebel Heart has to offer is its inconsistency, which isn’t a bad thing…just a wonderfully messy thing.

 

By now, Madonna needs no more Hot 100 hits or record-breaking albums. She really doesn’t need to make new music at all, period. Her legacy is cemented. And yet, she carries on, moving forward by looking back — and seemingly more inspired than ever.

 

“I came, I saw, I conquered,†Madonna sings over and over again on “Veni Vidi Vici.†From any other artist, the phrase would likely produce an eye-roll. But when it’s being sung by Madonna, Queen Of Pop, for over thirty years running, there’s an actual weight to that statement. It’s not hyperbole at all…it’s just a fact. She really did.

 

Long live the Queen.

[Fighter 28,802]

These reviews are so positive yet I shake my head at so many things lol. But at least they're positive.

[groovyguy 63,858]

Awesome overall reviews so far. Mostly positive even though most favor the heart songs over the rebel songs.

[Rod Erick 70]

Rating : 7.6

 

Paste Magazine

 

http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2015/03/madonna-rebel-heart-review.html

 

These moments when Madonna feels the need to again pronounce her validity are noteworthy, since she’s spent most of her career setting the curve. On one hand it brings out a welcome vulnerability to the artist and her music. Then again it’s Madonna, bitch—she doesn’t need to explain anything.

[groovyguy 63,858]

Idolator: 

Madonna’s ‘Rebel Heart': Album Review

http://www.idolator.com/7582596/madonna-rebel-heart-album-review

We know, we know — Madonna’s 13th album Rebel Heart (officially out today, 

 

March 10

 â€” though it leaked in full five weeks ago) feels like like it’s been in production for a decade. Coincidentally, Confessions On A Dance Floor is nearing its ten-year anniversary, and that was arguably the last time Madge delivered a project that was so sonically cohesive you knew exactly where her head was. Hard Candy and MDNA were glitches in the matrix, but now Madonna has created something more on-point, musically, than she has in ages.

 

It initially felt like producers were “auditioning†for their roles on Rebel Heart.Diplo kept popping up on Madge’s Instagram and he ultimately won the role, producing a handful of tracks — including the soulful disco opener â€œLiving For Loveâ€and the hashtag favorite “Unapologetic Bitch.†Avicii and Blood Diamondsbecome a divine pair for “Devil Pray†where you can hear both of their styles woven into the beat. Kanye West donates some blips and synths to “Illuminati†and then gets a unique shout out on “Holy Water†with the beef-bearing line “Yeezus loves my pussy best.†Of course Nicki Minaj comes correct on “Bitch I’m Madonna,†and the 14-song project gets a deluxe surge of 11 extra tracks, including the New New York anthem “Veni Vidi Vici,†with Nas and the guitar-heavy title track.

 

While much of Rebel Heart is awesome, it’s by no means perfect. Moments where Madonna attempts her American Life self fall short in part to weak vocals that become a stark contrast to the more club-ready cuts where her voice is so genetically modified you prefer the robot over the girl. Madge has finally found her footing in the hip hop realm, though, and that’s another high point on the project: You no longer feel like she’s rapping for cred; she’s just rapping.

 

With all of its sonic variations, Rebel Heart is an ideal project for Madonna to bring to us at this very moment in music. Sometimes, she’s right on time.

 

Idolator Score: 4/5