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MDNA Press Reviews


Guest groovyguy

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Digital Spy

Earlier today Digital Spy was invited to Abbey Road Studios to listen to Madonna's 12th studio album MDNA.

There were crab salads, multicoloured cocktails and, as if that wasn't enough, a chunky notepad with the album cover on the front waiting for us on our chair. We presume it was there for us to scribble our notes on, but we didn't feel comfortable putting our ugly scrawlings over something so clearly amazing.

We've posted our thoughts on each of the LP's 17 tracks below:

1. 'Girl Gone Wild' (produced by Madonna, Benny Benassi)

Most of you will have heard this one by now, and truth be told we're still not sure about it. Our guess was that it was chosen for its appeal to a wide audience and radio stations, but as a Madonna album trailer it's surprisingly weak. That said, it makes for a brilliant opening track.

2. 'Gang Bang' (produced by Madonna, The Demolition Crew)

Ignore the title - this isn't about a 53-year-old woman singing about having lots of group sex. "Bang bang shot you dead/ Shot my lover in the head," she chants over a relentless, pulsating electro beat before announcing: "I'm going straight to hell - I've got a lot of friends there." Just when you think things are wrapping up, she interrupts, "If you're gonna act like a bitch, you're gonna die like a bitch!" before firing off a gun. It's completely ridiculous and amazing.

3. 'I'm Addicted' (produced by Madonna, Benny Benassi, The Demolition Crew)

We noted that this would have probably been a better single choice than 'Girl Gone Wild'. "I'm addicted to your love" she admits on the chorus that is a mixture of hard house beats with a club classics melody. It all climaxes in the song's finale, in which she chants "M D N A" over and over.

4. 'Turn Up The Radio' (produced by Madonna and Martin Solveig)

After three hard-faced club bangers, Madge offers up the softer but equally dancey 'Turn Up The Radio'. "When the world starts to get you down and nothing seems to go your way... turn up the radio," she professes over a propelling beat that Daft Punk wouldn't cock a snook at. It might be weak lyrically, but the message is genuinely uplifting.

5. 'Give Me All Your Luvin'' (produced by Madonna, Martin Solveig)

Madonna's "Superbowl Single" doesn't seem to have lived up to a lot of people's expectations, but we'll happily admit that we're still enjoying it. It also serves as a welcome break from what is so far a high-wired run of songs.

6. 'Some Girls' (produced by Madonna, William Orbit)

"Some girls wanna be on top...some girls got a filthy mouth," she sing-speaks with a distorted vocal over a squelchy bassline. It's a confident number about female empowerment in 2012, and probably highlights best how MDNA isn't simply about hopping on the dance bandwagon, but pushing it into new and exciting realms.

7. 'Superstar' (produced by Madonna, Indiigo, Michael Malih)

This is where the record makes a distinct shift lyrically between basic one line choruses to surprisingly intimate details of her life. Here she compares her man to the likes of James Dean, Caesar and Al Capone, promising to "give you a massage when you get home". It's less in-yer-face than most of the LP, and where she sounds at her most relaxed.

8. 'I Don't Give A' (produced by Madonna, Martin Solveig)

Madonna opens up about life as a 53-year-old divorced mum in a sing-rap fashion - "got to call the babysitter...got to sign the contract" - but insists that she "don't even feel the pressure". The best bit comes at the end when Nicki Minaj announces: "There's only one Queen and that's Madonna, bitch," before a regal orchestra ensues that sounds like it was lifted straight out of a blockbuster movie.

9. 'I'm A Sinner' (produced by Madonna, William Orbit)

It took us all of 30 seconds to realise that this sounds like a sequel to Ray Of Light's 'Beautiful Stranger' which, given the producer, we're sure isn't a coincidence. "I'm a sinner and I like it that way," she sings on the psychedelic chorus, before preaching "Jesus Christ hang on the cross, died for our sins it's such a loss" on the middle eight.

10. 'Love Spent' (produced by Madonna, William Orbit)

We'll be honest, we weren't particularly taken with this one. There's a banjo on the intro that re-appears later on, but it's worth sticking with for a glorious ending of crashing symbols and booming electronics.

11. 'Masterpiece' (produced by Madonna, William Orbit)

It's the first ballad on the album, and it feels like it arrives just at the right moment. The production is more "organic" (there's drums, guitars and Orbit's trademark wobbly bits),and it doesn't try to be anything other than a solid pop song. "I can't tell you why it hurts so much to be in love with a masterpiece," she sings on the chorus.

12. 'Falling Free' (produced by Madonna, William Orbit)

This one is even more stripped back, relying solely on strings, piano and some synths littered throughout. "Our hearts are intertwined and I'm free, I'm free of mind," she sings with what is easily her strongest vocal on the record.

13. 'Beautiful Killer' (produced by Madonna, Martin Solveig)

We're surprised this was demoted to deluxe-only, as it is easily one of our favourites. A thumping pop hook and glitchy beats play out as she confesses her penchant for bad boys. "You're a beautiful killer with a beautiful face," she admits before rolling out the best line of the song (and possibly the album): "Baby, I can't talk with a gun in my mouth."

14. 'I F**ked Up' (produced by Madonna, Martin Solveig)

A thumping midtempo number in which Madonna confesses that sometimes (though probably not that often), she isn't perfect. "I made a mistake/ Nobody does it better than myself," she admits before the pace picks up dramatically in the middle and tails off at the end.

15. 'B-Day Song' (produced by Madonna, Martin Solveig)

It's essentially the complete opposite of what you'd expect from a Madonna and MIA collaboration. It's unashamedly fun, has no political agenda (that we can tell anyway) and, in truth, is a bit pointless.

16. 'Best Friend' (Madonna, The Demolition Crew)

The album closes with a dubsteppy ballad in which Madge talks about missing her closest pal. "I won't pretend, I feel like I lost my very best friend," she says, before singing "It wasn't always perfect, but it wasn't always bad" in isolation at the end.

17.'Give Me All Your Luvin'' (Party Rock Remix)

They didn't play this at the showcase, so we can only assume their feelings about it are the same as ours.

MDNA is by no means a perfect Madonna album, but it certainly has the potential after repeated listens to be up somewhere in the top six. There are some glorious highs and, unfortunately, one or two misfires, but it wouldn't be a Madonna album if she wasn't taking risks. Perhaps the most surprising aspect of this record is that there are no obvious hits on it, but as a body of work it makes for a thrilling and genuinely fascinating listen.

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the person who reviewed MDNA from the stylist (by not looking I could tell it was a woman) she is very, very annoying. filled with backhanded compliments. as if to say..the music is good, but madonna is old, so we have to throw in some sexist & ageist remarks there.. and of course a bit of botox.

disgusting!

Agreed, she sounds like a cunt. :thumbsdown:

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I'm really glad about the positive reviews so far from the press and wonder how the rate will be for MDNA at Metacritic in a few weeks. Confessions and Music got 80/100, American Life only 60 and Hard Candy 65. Would be great if she would reach 80 again.

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^ I expect 72~78, with a lot giving this 3.5/5 stars

That stylist reviewer is a funking cuct!!!!!!

"It's catchy and forgettable" :manson: I'm like hey ey ey ey ey ey is she insane???? :lmao:

Edited by loowee
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great reviews...but have i read.. "the eroticaìhuman nature" and "the natural following to ray of light's beautiful stranger..(or something similar)"??? :sneaky:

--or maybe it's late and i'm tired...no comment to the "stylist" review and why she was there...

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Jaykay!

Srsly though all these reviews sound pretty good. excited for the full album, accompanying remixes, live performances of new songs and new mixes of the oldies for the tour. :wow:

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http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/first-listen-madonna-mdna-interscope-7544751.html

First Listen: Madonna, MDNA, Interscope

4 out of 5 stars

Madonna shows the new generation of divas she's still top of the pops

Andy Gill Author Biography

Thursday 08 March 2012

With digital technology making it possible to create hits quite acceptably in your spare room, the older studios are feeling the pinch, and keen to find new ways of monetising their profile. Which may be why Abbey Road's Studio 2, is tonight playing host to a playback of the new Madonna album, MDNA.

She's opted to work primarily with three co-producers, the Italian Marco "Benny" Benassi, Frenchman Martin Solveig, and Englishman William Orbit – all of them celebrated for their cutting-edge work in electronica. Orbit, of course, has worked with Madonna before, helming the hugely successful Ray Of Light album; but he's not the only echo of former glories present on MDNA, which at times seems determined to remind one of her previous achievements.

There's the faint melodic similarity to "Hung Up" in part of "Give Me All Your Luvin'"; the reference to Brando in the obvious hit single "Superstar", which reminds us of "Vogue"; and the religious undertones of "I'm A Sinner", with its lines about "Mother Mary, full of grace" and "Jesus Christ up on the cross", which is like a less complex play with the same themes so brilliantly manipulated in "Like A Prayer".

Is she, one wonders, bringing the full weight of her CV to bear in re-establishing her pop dominance in the face of inroads made by the likes of Rihanna, Beyoncé and Lady Gaga? Because MDNA represents a determined, no-nonsense restatement of the Madonna brand following the lacklustre Hard Candy, on which her hip-hop collaborators failed to apply their talents as rigorously as they might.

Here, the likes of Solveig and Benassi, for all their parochial successes, are still hungry enough to ensure the zonking great beats and synthesiser riffs are sculpted for maximum propulsion. "Girl Gone Wild" opens the album with a variant on the "girls just wanna have fun" theme, Madonna's introductory spoken "confession" quickly giving way to a fulsome electro stomper laced with blurry dubstep touches. "Gang Bang" is all too eager to court controversy, its martial beat and twitchy minimal strands of synth hosting the star's arch commands to "Die, bitch!". M.I.A. and Nicki Minaj guest on "Give Me All Your Luvin'", chanting "L! U! V! Madonna!" before contributing babble-raps swamped by the techno pulse.

Minaj reappears on "I Don't Give A", like a henchman adding muscle to Madonna's assertive claims of being the best: "There's only one queen, and that's Madonna, bitch!". Wherever Lady Gaga is, her ears are probably burning.

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“THERE’S only one queen...and that’s Madonna,” she sings on new tune I Don’t Give A, but Madonna knows she’s been overtaken by Lady Gaga and Katy Perry in the four years since Hard Candy.

That was hardly her best album anyway, so it’s surprising and a joy to report that Madonna is back at her absolute best with the biggest all-out dance album she’s ever made.

The opening trio of songs are brutal techno, as heavy as The Prodigy, especially the bonkers murder fantasy Gang Bang.

There are classic catchy pop songs such as Superstar and the only two slowies at the end, but MDNA is so geared up for the clubs it makes her previous disco album Confessions On A Dance Floor look chilled out.

When Madonna’s able to rock a dancefloor as assuredly as I’m Addicted or Some Girls, it’s time for Gaga to start taking notes again. Madge’s regal boast sounds genuine again. MDNA?

It’s prtty dmn grt.

MDNA is out on March 26.

http://www.dailystar.co.uk/playlist/view/239360/First-Listen-MDNA-Madonna/

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I'm soooo excited for this right now. Every review I've read ranges from positive to GUSHING. And they all have different favorites. YAY!

I know! Someone was saying you learn every detail of the songs from the reviews, but I kind of feel the opposite. Every review says something different. Some call Love Spent a ballad, some say mid tempo, and did one not say upbeat? Also the first couple of reviews were WILD about Beautiful Killer but some of today's seemed indifferent. And I can't make heads or tails of what Gang Bang sounds like, except amazing!

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Why did one review say there is no potential hit on the album ??

And that Stylist ( ! ) review was just stupid.

Anyway am veryyyy excited about MDNA. Can NO LONGER wait!

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The stylist reviewer feels the need to make some lame pun at the end of every comment. It would work better if she wasn't desperately unfunny.

I know, it seemed like such a desperate attempt to sound funny or "in" with the gossip crowd, whoever that may be. its a music review for fuck's sake. unless there's some free actual botox that comes with MDNA, her point is invalid

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Guest groovyguy

heat & heatworld ‏ @heatworld

We've just been to the official listening party for Madonna's new album #MDNA & it's a real corker!

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Guest groovyguy

http://madonnalicious.typepad.com/madonnalicious/2012/03/mdna-london-playback.html

MDNA London Playback

The UK playback of MDNA for critics, commentators (and a fan!) took place in two sessions at Abbey Road Studios today. Mobile phones were sealed away, wristbands were given out and we were led to Studio Two for the listening party.

mdna_playback_madonnalicious1news.jpg

The studio featured a huge MDNA album cover on canvas on the wall, white upholstered chairs and placed on each chair was an MDNA notebook, pencil and an MDNA card giving details about the album tracks and producers.

mdna_playback_madonnalicious2news.jpg

We were served MDNA mocktails (rather nice!), wine and water. Some tasty food was sampled - Thai crab salad, lemon chicken with roast potatoes and anchovy butter, and paneer dumplings with corriander rice.

mdna_playback_madonnalicious3news.jpg

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As for the album, the trouble is madonnalicious forgets to be a journalist for the day and becomes a fan. We cannot write long wordy pieces like other reviewers, we can only give you our essence of the album, our feelings.

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On just one listen, fear not, there is hope! For a long-time Madonna fan the William Orbit tracks are the standout ones - or maybe more 'traditional Madonna'. It seems as if the album is almost in two parts - Before WO and After WO - maybe if the sequencing was different it might not have seemed so obvious.

The Orbit tracks are the more introspective melodic ones, the Martin Solveig and 'Benny' Benassi tracks are the ones you could dance to in a club, but not maybe choose to just listen to at home.

This seems definitely to be the 'divorce' album, there is a lot of looking back at failed relationships and even admitting that she 'f*cked up'.

Our favourite tracks and ones we cannot wait to listen to again are (not including GMAYL and Masterpiece which we have heard lots of times):

Girl Gone Wild - just keeps growing on us, wanted to get up and dance to it right there! A good opener to the album with the spoken intro.

Superstar - ooh-la-la you're my superstar, light pop-song. New era Vogue-rap name-checking Bruce Lee, John Travolta and James Dean.

I Don't Give A - although quite hard to hear the lyrics clearly, we loved the whole song - and the Nicki Minaj rap which claims 'there is only queen and thats Madonna...bitch' - it is almost like a grown-up version of a playground rhyme.

I'm A Sinner - or Beautiful Stranger part II - which isn't a bad thing! Could have been on Ray of Light. Classic Madonna and William Orbit.

Love Spent - we are sure we heard some of the Hung Up/Gimme Gimme Gimme tune mixed in very quietly - need to hear it again.

Falling Free - with an almost Evita-like voice, very stripped down with piano and strings 'We're both free, free to go' Is this the divorce song?

Best Friend - quite a good ending to the (deluxe) album as the final line is 'Its so sad that it has to end' SILENCE...

I'm Addicted, Turn Up The Radio, Some Girls, Beautiful Killer, B-Day Song weren't stand-out tracks for us, but they were not bad either. Maybe on additional listens they will grow on us. And don't forget our opinion is always subject to change!

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Pretty much all of the reviews so far seem to be very positive! :bow: Except for that bitch from Stylist. What a cunt.

Edited by dancefloorjunkie
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Guest groovyguy

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/music/4179490/Madonna-rolls-back-the-years-on-MDNA.html

Madonna rolls back the years on new album

By GORDON SMART, Showbiz Editor

Back to her best ... Madonna's new MDNA album

SINCE Madonna was old enough to wear a leotard she's lived for dancing.

Now the singer is 53 and knocking out her 12th studio album, you might expect her tastes to change.

But no. Her appetite for making music to get a sweat on to is showing no sign of dinner lady's arm.

I've had a listen to new collection MDNA and it is packed with special little chemicals – including dubstep.

Her daughter Lola is a huge fan of producer Skrillex and it sounds like mum might have been listening in.

In fact, Lola gets a gig on backing vocals on the album's stand-out track Superstar. Opener Gang Bang also follows the dubstep trend.

Madge has gone back in the Confessions On A Dancefloor direction for an album packed with big pop classics.

Her past release, Hard Candy, was a let-down for even her most loyal followers. So it's a wise move to return to what she does best.

And it's all thanks to her successful partnerships with top European producers.

William Orbit – who was behind Ray Of Light – is back on board, plus Benny Benassi and French club DJ Martin Solveig.

Having rappers M.I.A. and Nicki Minaj on board was a shrewd move and they bring quality as well as credibility to their guest appearances.

Lyrically, she spits out a few harsh words for ex-husband Guy Ritchie on I Don't Give A.

But she also accepts some responsibility for a broken marriage on bonus track I F***** Up.

Fans will love I'm Addicted, Turn Up The Radio and Some Girls – they are classic Madge.

Falling Free is the most stripped-down Madonna track I've heard for years.

The album should be the spine of an incredible live show – just what her army of followers will want to hear.

It's a return to form and out on March 26.

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Guest groovyguy

6 Mar Keith Caulfield Keith Caulfield ‏ @keith_caulfield

My Madonna "MDNA" review: Coming very soon to @Billboard.com

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