Rod Erick

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." 

'Rebel Heart' review: Madonna fearless in artistic turning point
http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/music/rebel-heart-review-madonna-fearless-in-artistic-turning-point-1.10025427
REVIEWBOTTOM LINE: Getting her artistic groove back.
Madonna is ahead of the curve once again with her new, ambitious "Rebel Heart" (Interscope) album.
She went a little too far with her 2003 album, "American Life," and then opted for the safer (well, safer for Madonna) world of dance music for a few albums.
 
With "Rebel Heart," she is innovative again, searching for ways to express her rebellious side and her softer, more heartfelt side. Madonna rarely gets credit for the strength of her melodies, but on this album, they are undeniable. From the gospel-influenced stomp of the single "Living for Love" to the reggae-tinged kiss-off "Unapologetic Bitch," the focus here is on creating a musical backdrop as memorable as the lyrics -- not through production, though Madonna has certainly assembled a who's who of collaborators here from Kanye West to Avicii and Diplo, but through melody.
 
"Joan of Arc," one of the best songs of her storied career, is an example of what musical magic occurs when all the pieces of a Madonna plan come together. Lyrically, it's a revelation, as she discusses the perils of fame and how all the negativity gets to her. "Never admit it, but it hurts," she sings, before adding, "Even hearts made out of steel can break down." In the end, though, love gives her strength and she remains quietly defiant.
 
Of course, Madonna can still be openly defiant, too. In "Holy Water," she uses West's aggressive synths and beats to gleefully blend sexual and religious imagery. The mix of joyful, classical-influenced EDM bits and trap-inspired hip-hop on "Bitch I'm Madonna" is a thrilling tension, even before Nicki Minaj shuts it down with a powerful verse.
 
Madonna breaks new ground with these combinations of hard and soft. On "HeartBreakCity," she takes what could have been a French torch song and toughens it up, adding a thunderous choir and massive-sounding production.
 
Despite her unexpected revelations on "Rebel Heart," Madonna is more artistically fearless now than ever, ready to forge new styles at a time in her career when most would be considering acoustic interpretations of her hits and decades-themed cover albums.
  THE GRADE A

3/4 (L.A. Times)
 
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/posts/la-et-ms-madonna-rebel-heart-review-20150308-column.html
 
"Nor can you live your creative life in front of millions without giving yourself whiplash every once in a while. The difference between pop agitators like Madonna and her lesser offspring is one of determination. “Rebel Heart,†like its creator, pushes through the pain and, more often than not, lands solidly and with great grace on its feet."

http://time.com/3735645/review-madonna-rebel-heart/
 
 
"There are albums where it’s been difficult to remember that Madonna is a real person and not just a figurehead, a concept, a lightning rod. That’s not the case with Rebel Heart: it has surprising gravity, and doubles as a portrait of a lion approaching the winter of a career without precedent. It’s the realest, and the best, Madonna has sounded in quite some time." - Time Magazine

6/10 (MDNA got 8/10 from the same site. I guess everything depends on the critic assigned to review an album.) 
 
http://www.popmatters.com/review/191224-madonna-rebel-heart/
 
Back in 2003, she barked the phrase “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?†at downloaders despite not knowing herself what she wanted to do with her career at that point. Now, with Rebel Heart she’s dropped the overt hit-chasing to instead take on her most radical incarnation yet: that of an actual, relatable human being, flaws and all.

From AllMusic Guide:
 
Review 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.

No rating provided
 
http://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/music/2015/03/09/madonna-rebel-heart/zjQ7dPyEVcrKOKPjzgs8GO/story.html?p1=Article_InThisSection_Bottom
 
"After months of leaks and speculation, “Rebel Heart†finally arrives on Tuesday, and it is a strong, welcome detour in the artist’s recent discography. Or just call it a return to form since the album is her most satisfying effort in a decade and nimbly connects the dots between Madonna’s various eras and guises.
It works on many levels because it allows Madonna to be the most dynamic character of all, the one she repressed on her previous three studio albums of jittery dance-pop that felt desperate to be viable. Madonna gets to be herself on these new songs, exposing a vulnerability and sincerity we arguably haven’t heard from her since 1998’s “Ray of Light.â€

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)."

No rating provided
 
http://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/music/2015/03/09/madonna-rebel-heart/zjQ7dPyEVcrKOKPjzgs8GO/story.html?p1=Article_InThisSection_Bottom
 
"After months of leaks and speculation, “Rebel Heart†finally arrives on Tuesday, and it is a strong, welcome detour in the artist’s recent discography. Or just call it a return to form since the album is her most satisfying effort in a decade and nimbly connects the dots between Madonna’s various eras and guises.
It works on many levels because it allows Madonna to be the most dynamic character of all, the one she repressed on her previous three studio albums of jittery dance-pop that felt desperate to be viable. Madonna gets to be herself on these new songs, exposing a vulnerability and sincerity we arguably haven’t heard from her since 1998’s “Ray of Light.â€

http://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/mar/08/madonna-rebel-heart-review-observer-basqued-polemicist
 
The Observer (UK): 3 / 5.

She's really promoting the album!!!!

Madonna is going to perform at the iHeartRadio awards! Yay!!!
Madonna to perform at the @iHeartRadio Music Awards in Los Angeles Sunday, March 29th on @NBC.
 
MUST WATCH! Our friends @Madonna, @rihanna, @Meghan_Trainor and more will perform at our #iHeartAwards 3/29 on @nbc! http://t.co/lB9pYKpRZd

https://twitter.com/TODAYshow/status/574907118609920000
TODAY Verified accountâ€@TODAYshow "She's always been one of my favorites." --@CarsonDaly & @Madonna in 2000 & 2015.

https://twitter.com/officialcharts/status/574869753065418752
Official ChartsVerified accountâ€@officialcharts A real contender for this week's Number 1 album has to be @Madonna’s #RebelHeart. Full list: http://www.officialcharts.com/new-releases/

^ The RH promo has been just awesome! 

And u just came here to enlighten us, right? Thanks a lot.
 
:Madonna051: :Madonna051:
 

This sounds good!
 
" I also want to have more intimacy in my show."
 
I would luv a show with more intimacy. And I really don't mind a more ballads driven tour this time. She has so many great ballads that I'd love to hear plus the new ones on this album. I really don't mind a middle section of the tour that's ballad-y. She sings with so much emotion when she sings ballads. 

Q: When early recordings of the songs were leaked online, it got me to thinking about how much media and how we use it have changed since you first became famous. Do you feel like you're under even more scrutiny now?
A: I've always been under scrutiny. But I used to just not really pay attention to what people said. Now I read people's comments on Instagram. I never had that kind of access – and people didn't have that kind of access to me. It's interesting, reading arguments people are having on my account that I'm no longer even a part of -- whether it's people arguing about Islam versus Israel, or the shooting in Paris, or homophobia or sexism. The one thing I don't understand is when people make comments who are clearly not fans of mine. I think, why are you here? Why are you wasting your time? It's fascinating.
 
That quote makes me really feel for her. When I read that, I just wish i could hug her and say "fuck 'em. don't listen to those vile, miserable people. You are incredible, and wonderful, and have inspired me and millions of others to believe in ourselves. You are God's gift to us!".

She deserves RESPECT and not those venom. No one does.

Living For Love - This has always been great to me, and the best choice possible for lead single, but recently it has really clicked with me. Such an amazing song, from the clever and mature lyricism to the glossy production. The only complaint from me is the verse vocals and the layering, but the Alternate Version fixes this almost entirely. Great remixes too.
 
Devil Pray - A thought-provoking sideways look at religion's role in our society through the lense of addiction and drug problems. A rousing anthem that takes an unexpected dark turn. Her vocals absolutely shine on this track and it's by far the best song on the album for me, and one of my favourite songs she has ever released. Truly the Isaac of Rebel Heart, in many ways.
 
Ghosttown - Another outstanding record, another highlight of the album and another mature record that resonates on many different levels. This song especially features strong imagery that will hopefully prove inspiring on the videos conception in the next couple of months. This has one of her best choruses in a long time and I'm looking forward to hearing and seeing how she interprets this in future performances and especially on tour.
 
Unapologetic Bitch - This deserves a video and huge promo campaign in the summer. A catchy chorus, fresh instrumental and carefree attitude give Unapologetic Bitch an edge that few other songs around at the moment have. The 'immature' taunts are irrelevant to me, because we all feel like this sometimes, just as we all feel the 'mature' emotions felt in the previous song. Diplo does incredibly here and M's charisma elevates the track even higher. Censor the title and we have a smash.
 
Illuminati - In this Kanye-helmed rebellion against the 'devil worshipper' accusations, M rattles off a list of her contemporaries - some more temporal and silly than others - who are repeatedly considered to be part of the New World Order. Kanye's dark, spooky, industrial productions creates an unsettling vibe, perfect for the subject matter. I adore the production but this doesn't have much spark in it for me. Still a nice song though and interesting topic.
 
Bitch I'm Madonna (feat. Nicki Minaj) - An example of when M's sense of humour goes right over people's heads. Those of us who understand her know she's fundamentally taking the piss out of herself and the way people assume she is, however others get uptight and refuse to see this as the fun party song it is. The instrumental goes hard, Nicki delivers a great verse and M's charisma once again holds up a song that was based around it. Awesome.
 
Hold Tight - Ryan Tedder's guest appearance lends his trademark huge choruses and marching beats. Musically, Hold Tight is so strong that ultimately, no matter what form or production it is heard it, it's pop gold. I admit to preferring some elements of some of the demos, however this is a stunning song with a simple premise that really is just a great, catchy song. It's not groundbreaking, but nor does it try to be, and it's great to be reminded that M can simply do great middle-of-the-road music that can be enjoyed by all better than most in the middle of a rather experimental and divisive body of work.
 
Joan of Arc - A heartbreaking midtempo that explores the vulnerability of being a woman in a high position in which everyone is constantly trying to stop you and bring you down. Her vocals shine here as does the production (although I prefer the Acoustic Version) and this is one of my favourite introspective songs since Nothing Fails. I don't think the 'soldier' lyric should have been removed but maybe she just didn't like it musically rather than being worried about controversy. A wonderful record that really does make one feel closer to the enigma than ever, really.
 
Iconic (feat. Chance The Rapper & Mike Tyson) - This trap-infused self empowerment anthem is one of the albums most urban moments and is all the better for it. Though Mike's intro was a little unnecessary and felt rather forced, Chance delivered pretty well and M is again great. Nice lyrics here, if a little camp, and the production is fire on both the album version and Part 2, although I prefer the latter.
 
HeartBreakCity - A bitter ballad with dark percussion courtesy of a marching band sees M once again become vulnerable to the listener, calling out a lover who was dishonest and speaking of a terrible heartbreak. I often think she's at her best when angry and HBC is no exception. The added touch of the choir and the muted, building piano keeps the song grounded and lets the gorgeous vocals really stay the star of the piece throughout. I do miss 'and I still feel shitty' though.
 
Body Shop - An experimental, soaring love song using a sitar as it's basis. Many see this as a love/sex anthem with her using car parts and repairs as innuendos for her lover; while I agree on one level, I definitely prefer to interpret it as her speaking about her aging body and the insecurities women of a certain age face during intimacy. It makes the song far more touching and poignant, and actually one of the best moments on the album.
 
Holy Water - Arguably the most divisive and polarising song to come out of this album session, Holy Water is a song referencing cunnilingus and vaginal self-lubrication through religious imagery and sampling Madonna's arguably most iconic hit and produced by Kanye West. Everything about the previous sentences suggests that this should, by default, be the worst song ever released. However, it's actually one of the highlights of the album, with a catchy, bubbly chorus juxtaposed with minimalist verses. I personally think it's a gorgeous song and once more, Ye delivered.
 
Inside Out - A Bjork's Post inspired midtempo featuring M asking to be closer to her lover and accept all of his flaws. The stripped, electronic production with distorted drums and soaring strings is genius and the lyrics (and delivery of them, of course) are touching. Vocally, she could have been a little more adventurous, but the song is meant to feel intimate, and IWALY-style vocal runs, an intimate song does not make.
 
Wash All Over Me - This poignant reflection on life, the injustices of the world and her overwhelming responsibility of these crimes is another highlight of the album, with more marching beats, strings and organic instrumentation. The EDM-influenced demo is still one of my favourite things to materialise from the Rebel Heart sessions, but the song is strong enough (like Hold TIght) to exist in pretty much any form. I look forward to what she does with this on tour, and this is a perfect closer to the standard edition. Only complaint here is sometimes her vocals get a little drowned out by the instrumentation but this kind of works to add to a euphoric feeling.
 
Best Night - This sexy, Arabian-cum-Sex and the City midtempo slow jam features M cooing to her lover and fantasizing. The return of Dita in the bridge is just incredible, and the reprise of Justify My Love lyrics is lowkey enough to not be 'tacky', but instead a nice touch for fans. I really think this would be amazing with a remix featuring Drake and a video set in a high end NYC apartment, and it's definitely the best 'sex' song on the album. So enticing.
 
Veni Vidi Vici (feat. Nas) - I'm a sucker for self-referential work and this is no exception. The instrumental, the lyrics, the guest verse from Nas, M talk-singing and the chorus all make for one of my favourite songs on Rebel Heart and one of my favourite songs of recent memory full stop. Nas on a song with Madonna has been a want of me for a long time and this has been long rumoured since her Instagram posts last year. The horns when he announces 'I'm just your humble servant, I'm Nas' have yet to not give me goosebumps. An incredible record, deserved to be on standard for sure.
 
S.E.X. - As a demo I hated this, but the darker, industrial production made me appreciate it far more and the spoken bridge is so, so awesome. Definitely bonus track material, but at the same time not a bad song really. I don't really have much to say about this, maybe that just says it all really - pretty bland.
 
Messiah - The swelling strings and haunting piano of this ballad of unrequited love show one of the more classical moments of M's whole career, with a song that truly feels timeless, if a little forgettable and inconsequential. The lyrics are great but quite cliche, with the production and vocals carrying most of the weight of the song. Again, understandable that it was left off the standard.
 
Rebel Heart - The title track is a perfect end to the album, showing lyrics that abandon self pity and again leave her vulnerable to the listener. The production itself feels very intimate, as opposed to the popular demo featuring classic Avicii production. I honestly am starting to warm to the album version, especially since the melody is so irresistible and catchy. Although I hope the demo gets released as a remix one day, I still really love Rebel Heart and I think it deserves to get less comparison with it's demo. The strings throughout are also stunning.
 
Beautiful Scars - Many call this boring, but I think it's a perfect foray into the nu-disco movement at the moment, and is a great song lyrically and vocally, if a bit cheesy. I love the male vocals in the outro, and I'm a sucker for bass so I love this. It's pretty forgettable but is nonetheless a good song, and I'd love to hear remixes of this. A Daft Punk remix, or Giorgio Moroder, would be absolute heaven.
 
Borrowed Time - This softer American Life style ballad is actually rather touching to me, it really shows her love and concern for the world without all the secretprojectrevolution bullshit that sometimes gets in the way of the causes that really matter. The Emile Haynie style sampling recalls Lana Del Rey's first studio effort Born To Die and gives the song an innocent yet sophisticated feel. The lyrics are cliche-heaven but that's not necessarily a bad thing when the message is vital and simple. M's vocals are great here too.
 
Addicted - This grimey EDM anthem with dark, foreboding guitar riffs is undoubtedly the best bonus track. As one of the only Avicii produced tracks left, this club banger sounds a little dated already but it is still a great song and the production has been polished to perfection. This would have done well a couple of years ago, but I'm not fussed about chart success, and the song is incredible enough in it's own right without worrying about that. Deserved standard edition treatment, to be honest.
 
Graffiti Heart - This ode to artists everywhere is a beautiful tribute to both artists she admired and in some cases, friends she has lost. Although I find the chorus to again sound very dated, I totally appreciate the message of the song and I hope, when stems are available, someone makes a stripped back version for everyone to enjoy.
 
Overall, I love this album and have barely stopped listening to it for over a month. This is undoubtedly her best material since  American Life  for me, and while Confessions was a better album experience, this is a better collection of songs as a whole. I really hope she finds a lot of success with this album, make s stellar videos and goes all out on tour to create the most perfect experience for everyone attending. It may have been a baptism of fire for Rebel Heart, but I'm sure, like a phoenix, it'll rise from it's strange start to become one of Madonna's most cherished albums.

Seems a lot of the critics don't get the rebellious side of Madonna! :(

Boston Herald
Many pop acts, and most female pop artists, inextricably link themselves to youth. Stars exploit the beauty, rebelliousness and vogue of a fresh bloom, the connection with the obsessiveness of teen culture, to become icons. 
The problem is people age. Even Madonna. Maybe especially Madonna, under the hot lights of three decades of scrutiny.
 
I wish Madonna didn’t carry the burden of being 56 in a world where Britney is ancient at 33, because Madge’s new album is her best this century. If we could forget how old she looks (she could barely pass for 45, gasp!) or how last month’s Grammy performance was less than awesome, we could focus on how great “Rebel Heart†is.
 
“Rebel Heart†rolls forward Madonna’s expanding, innovative approach of finding bridges between her classic ’80s and ’90s aesthetic and current sonic trends. Like 2012’s “MDNA,†a good record in itself, she continues her introspection on her 13th studio album, out Tuesday (to fit our maddening, modern age, there are two different deluxe editions with bonus tracks). But between the self-examination she doesn’t forget to have fun. Would Madonna ever forget fun?
 
Thwarting a leak, Madonna released six of the 14 tracks in December. “True Blue†fans got a hook and harmony reminiscent of old-school Top 40 in “Living for Love†— a joyful, fresh and nostalgia-inducing single to compare with her best. They also got choice album cuts that, with help from producers du jour Kanye West, Diplo, Avicii and Billboard, explored EDM tricks, lyrics obsessed with the divine (some things don’t change) and catchy choruses.
 
The other eight songs continue the delicious balance of Material Girl and modern Madge. “Iconic†begins with a sample of Mike Tyson ranting about his unparalleled skills before dropping down into a club-thumping beat with slippery, wicked verse from Chance the Rapper (who was born 10 years after Madonna debuted in ’83). Getting into her specialty, “Holy Water†blends sex with the sacred and includes a well-placed snippet of “Vogue.â€
 
Not everything is great. Actually, not everything is good. This is a modern pop album, so there are songs that should be cut to make the music fit on two sides of vinyl — I nominate “HeartBreak­City,†“Inside Out†and “Wash All Over Me.â€
 
Don’t expect another “Like a Prayer.†She’ll never equal that (nor will Katy Perry, Taylor Swift or Maroon 5). But ignore the eternal gossip around Madonna’s personal life, close your ears to suggestions she’s too old to be relevant, and embrace the mix of the exotic and familiar. Her still impressive blond ambition remains one of pop’s great voices.
 

I honestly don't understand Q Magazine anymore - they gave 4 stars to MDNA for crying out loud...

http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/music/2015/03/08/madonna-q-and-a/24511351/
 
Madonna Q&A: 'Ideas flowed simply out of me'
 Elysa Gardner, USA TODAY 12:35 p.m. EDT March 8, 2015   A lesser mortal, or star, might have needed some down time after falling off the stage at the BRIT Awards. But Madonna, 56, simply untwisted her Armani cape and got on with the show. After all, the pop icon had a new album to promote: Rebel Heart, out Tuesday, featuring contributions from Kanye West, Avicii, Diplo, Nicki Minaj and Nas, to drop a few names. Madonna chatted with USA TODAY about the recording, as well as her children and art and Instagram.
 
Q: You took quite a tumble the other day. How are you feeling?
A: I'm fine. I had a tiny bit of whiplash. My head hit the floor and snapped my neck a little bit. But I didn't hurt any other part of my body, strangely enough -- I sustained no bruises or cuts.
 
Q: You've been keeping busy, certainly. You worked with an eclectic group of collaborators for Rebel Heart.
A: Lots of people I'd never met before, though certainly people whose work I knew. Usually, with an album, I choose a producer and it takes us a few weeks to get to know each other, and then the chemistry starts to percolate. In this circumstance I kind of got thrown into lots of groups of songwriters. Some people I had direct synergy with...I felt so rejuvenated just in the simple act of writing music. I felt like I was back in New York, in Queens, where I picked up a guitar and wrote my first song. Ideas flowed simply out of me.
 
Q: There's been talk about how sexually graphic some of the songs are, but they're also pretty emotionally raw. We're reminded that love and sex can work in tandem.
A: Or work against each other. I think love resides in all of the songs, even when they are overtly sexual. Songs like Holy Water and Sex have humor. They're layered. We're dealing with different ideas that I'm constantly exploring – spirituality, sexuality, different aspects of love, whether it's romantic love or the love you have for your children. And love can be as devastating and destructive as it can be rejuvenating and life-giving. I guess I try to capture all of that.
 
Q: Are you satisfied with the result?
A: I'm a perfectionist. I would say I could have used another month to go nit-picking through things, put on finishing touches and connect the dots. But everybody knows the boring story about the hacker, why I had to put my record out much sooner than I had intended to. But I'm OK with it. I'm proud of it. Maybe the universe was telling me that it was ready -- to get it out there.
 
Q: When early recordings of the songs were leaked online, it got me to thinking about how much media and how we use it have changed since you first became famous. Do you feel like you're under even more scrutiny now?
A: I've always been under scrutiny. But I used to just not really pay attention to what people said. Now I read people's comments on Instagram. I never had that kind of access – and people didn't have that kind of access to me. It's interesting, reading arguments people are having on my account that I'm no longer even a part of -- whether it's people arguing about Islam versus Israel, or the shooting in Paris, or homophobia or sexism. The one thing I don't understand is when people make comments who are clearly not fans of mine. I think, why are you here? Why are you wasting your time? It's fascinating.
 
Q: Your eldest child, Lourdes, is studying performing arts at college (the University of Michigan's School of Music, Theatre and Dance). Do you talk with her about being a performer?
A: We talk about it non-stop -- about being an artist, being creative, where to put energy. She's home for spring break now, in fact. She's very talented in many areas. She doesn't know if she wants to be an actress, or produce music -- and she's an incredible singer and dancer.
 
Q: Are your other children musically inclined?
A: Absolutely. My son Rocco is a fantastic dancer. He's also into producing music. David plays guitar and sings and dances, and my daughter Mercy plays piano beautifully. So they're all musical in one way or another. Some are more uninhibited than others, but this is a very musical house.
 
Q: You apparently have a pretty fabulous art collection too.
A: I think all the arts feed off each other. My kids know who Picasso is, and they also know who Andy Warhol is and who Keith Haring is. I think that's important.
 
Q: For years, people have analyzed your influence on female artists, but you've had a more general impact on music as well -- the incorporation of dance-music textures into pop, for instance.
A: For sure -- bringing dance music into the arena of pop culture, bringing different kids of dance styles out into the public. Also, being outspoken, envelope-pushing, provocative – I think you could say someone like Kanye is walking on that razor's edge as well, and he's a man, not a woman. And I would say Truth Or Dare was the first reality show.
 
Q: You've also been a champion of gay rights. Have we made progress in that arena in recent years?
I think we've made huge progress, definitely. Is there still a lot of discriminatory behavior out there, against the gay community? Yeah. Against the African-American community? Yeah. We've made a lot of advances, but we're still very narrow-minded and judgmental. It's a contradiction.
 
Q: So now that the album is out, you must be focusing on the tour. What can we expect -- besides a lot of energy and spectacle?
A: I want it to be spectacular, definitely. But I also want to have more intimacy in my show. So you can expect more of that.

4 stars
 
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/madonna-rebel-heart--album-review-a-confirmation-of-madonnas-sustained-musical-relevance-10090878.html
 
"It’s fortunate, then, that this ironic triumph should be followed by confirmation of her musical relevance."

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/arts/music/albumreviews/article4373132.ece
The Times review
Will Hodgkinson Published at 12:01AM, March 6 2015   4 out of 5 stars    One of the more colourful explanations for Madonna’s near garrotting by her own cape at the Brit Awards last week puts the blame on a cabal of all-powerful figures intent on ruling the world through a combination of blood sacrifice and song-and-dance routines.   Halfway through Rebel Heart, her 13th album, comes Illuminati, a robot-voiced listing of all the people — or shape-shifting lizards, according to David Icke — who are said to belong to this sinister order. Jay-Z, Beyoncé, even that poor lost man-child Justin Bieber get a mention in a catchy disco tune that pokes fun at conspiracy theorists’ fondness for mythologising famous people.   Those same theorists are now suggesting that the Illuminati took revenge on Madge by subjecting her to a terrible punishment at the Brits: tying her cape on too tight.   In fact, Madonna’s accident showed her to be not only human after all, but also possessed of a strength of character that has seen her through four decades of outrageous fortune. She knew how to fly backwards without breaking her neck, she bounced up in seconds and got on with the show and, rather than sack her mortified dancers, she took them out for dinner.   All this won public approval, which she needed badly after melodramatically describing the leak of Rebel Heart in December as “artistic rape and terrorismâ€. Madonna’s fall became the story of the Brits, but it was her reaction to it that casts her album in such a benign glow.   It’s not perfect. Like so many recent albums by major pop stars, it’s too long. Why do we need a standard and a deluxe edition? Would an author offer an extended version of their new novel for a few quid more? It takes away from the idea of an album as a complete work.   Madonna has drafted in all manner of modish producers, including Kanye West, resulting in a modern pop equivalent of a bring-and-buy sale. And the lyrical rudeness can be less sexy, more downright gynaecological. When she sings “kiss it better, make it wetter†onHoly Water, you don’t know where to look. Yet at her best Madonna remains head and shoulders above everyone else in pop.   There’s a price to pay for reinventing yourself as a postmodern figure of worldwide fame and controversy and Madonna weighs it up onJoan of Arc, a ballad that is as smart as it is heartfelt. “Each time they take a photograph I lose a part I can’t get back,†she sings. “Each time they write a hateful word, dragging my soul into the dirt, I want to die.†  The agonies of fame and fortune is not a subject we non-rich, non-famous people traditionally have much sympathy for, but Madonna throws a light on to her reality by being honest and it draws the listener towards her.   Heartbreak City is another cri de coeur, a piano ballad on which she tries to make sense of the end of a relationship. There’s more than a tinge of bitterness to the words about an ex-boyfriend (or husband? Watch out, Guy Ritchie) who hitched a ride on Madonna’s coat-tails.   “You got just what you came for, a bit of fame and fortune, and now I’m no longer needed,†she sings, adding: “And then you had the nerve to say that we could still be friends.†It’s reassuring to know the most disingenuous pay-off in the history of relationships is used not just on teenagers getting chucked for the first time, but on multimillionaire queens of pop too.   The hi-octane pop songs here recall the hook-laden glories of Madonna’s Eighties heyday. Living For Love and Devil Pray have tinges of the irreligious gospel that made her 1988 classic Like a Prayer so irresistible, and the aforementioned Illuminati recalls Vogue, her 1990 paean to posing in nightclubs, while also serving as a reminder that a fun, throwaway tune can be clever too.   Things fall apart on Iconic, on which Madonna comes across less like a cultural icon and more like a motivational speaker reading out platitudes of empowerment, but for the most part the album jumps happily between revelation and disco escapism.   Frustratingly, some of the best songs are on the deluxe edition only. Madonna has a Julius Caesar moment on Veni Vidi Vici, giving us a quick run-through of her myriad achievements before deflating her own pomposity by adding, “I exposed my naked arse and I did it with a smileâ€.   The (deluxe) album ends with the title track, a combination of country rock and electronic pop. “I’ve spent time as a narcissist . . . trying to be provocative,†sings Madonna before telling herself, “Never look back. It’s a waste of time.†It sums up the message of this flawed but vibrant album: still in the game, still pushing forward, now in a position to reflect on all that has happened with sagacity.(Out now, Interscope)