MDNA ALBUM DISCUSSION (CONTINUED)

[Nikki]

There's absolutely no way that someone like lady gaga could make a song like love spent, i fucked up, or falling free and best friend. just compare the lyrics, emotion, and music of "edge of glory" or you & I and you'll get it.

Those are all signature madonna songs. gang bang is erotica on acid. it couldn't sound more madonna than that. and if we go that route why not ask yourself about the "madonna" sound in ray of light? what is "her sound" anyway? the only few songs that don't sound a lot like her or her "signature sound" are.. 4 minutes.. and love song. those are the two that pop in my mind right now but I'm sure there are a few others. heck, I've read reviews of people complaining that MDNA is almost "too" madonna, because she put in a lot of sounds of previous songs into her new album such as ashanti and hung up. but again what is her sound anyway? this is the first album where she has gone back in time and got inspired by her own older music. all of her other albums never truly referenced her earlier eras.

[Bill]

Why is the album performing so poorly on iTunes? I truly do not get that.

I think she definitely needs a to release Love Spent as a single. I picture a video reinacting her marriage, with a Guy look-a-like. I see it beginning with her riding a horse in the English countryside. Maybe even a courtroom scene with a dance sequence.

[vocalism]

Could it be that hardcore fans are buying the CD, so the iTunes sales aren't quite as good as they would be for an artist whose fans skew a little younger?

There's absolutely no way that someone like lady gaga could make a song like love spent, i fucked up, or falling free and best friend. just compare the lyrics, emotion, and music of "edge of glory" or you & I and you'll get it.

Those are all signature madonna songs. gang bang is erotica on acid. it couldn't sound more madonna than that. and if we go that route why not ask yourself about the "madonna" sound in ray of light? what is "her sound" anyway? the only few songs that don't sound a lot like her or her "signature sound" are.. 4 minutes.. and love song. those are the two that pop in my mind right now but I'm sure there are a few others. heck, I've read reviews of people complaining that MDNA is almost "too" madonna, because she put in a lot of sounds of previous songs into her new album such as ashanti and hung up. but again what is her sound anyway? this is the first album where she has gone back in time and got inspired by her own older music. all of her other albums never truly referenced her earlier eras.

Madonna's been referencing her own work for decades. As early as "Causing a Commotion" and "Deeper and Deeper." But it really started big time at the turn of the century.

[Guest groovyguy]

There's absolutely no way that someone like lady gaga could make a song like love spent, i fucked up, or falling free and best friend. just compare the lyrics, emotion, and music of "edge of glory" or you & I and you'll get it.

Those are all signature madonna songs. gang bang is erotica on acid. it couldn't sound more madonna than that. and if we go that route why not ask yourself about the "madonna" sound in ray of light? what is "her sound" anyway? the only few songs that don't sound a lot like her or her "signature sound" are.. 4 minutes.. and love song. those are the two that pop in my mind right now but I'm sure there are a few others. heck, I've read reviews of people complaining that MDNA is almost "too" madonna, because she put in a lot of sounds of previous songs into her new album such as ashanti and hung up. but again what is her sound anyway? this is the first album where she has gone back in time and got inspired by her own older music. all of her other albums never truly referenced her earlier eras.

MDNA = Musical DNA of Madonna

[ryan]

There is nothing Madonna about MDNA Hard Candy had more Madonna. It sounds like Lady Gaga and I hate Lady Gagas music

What is Madonna? And when has Madonna ever sounded like..., Madonna????

[Flip The Switch]

There is nothing Madonna about MDNA Hard Candy had more Madonna. It sounds like Lady Gaga and I hate Lady Gagas music

[Guest Xanthium]

Wtf????

This album sounds NOTHING like Lady Gaga's music.

Ok

Yeah I don't see Gaga in MDNA at all. And this is coming from someone who loves Gaga's music. Madonna's current sound, lyrics, and whole aesthetic are different from Ms. Germanotta's.

[Guest groovyguy]

Madonna - MDNA IN THE MIX (Megamix 2012) by DjCK

[Nikki]

Could it be that hardcore fans are buying the CD, so the iTunes sales aren't quite as good as they would be for an artist whose fans skew a little younger?

Madonna's been referencing her own work for decades. As early as "Causing a Commotion" and "Deeper and Deeper." But it really started big time at the turn of the century.

you're right about that

[drunkbysix]

There is nothing Madonna about MDNA Hard Candy had more Madonna. It sounds like Lady Gaga and I hate Lady Gagas music

Oh shut it.

That's far from true.

[vocalism]

The only thing that sounds even remotely like something Gaga would do is GB, and that's because it has a "darkness" to it, but that's about it.

[Guest Gigolo]

I'm really happy about MDNA, I actually quit Madonna right around HC, pretty much because that album did nothing for me.

Then came the leak for GMAYL and I luved it because it has a pop sound unlike her previous efforts. I did not listen to any of the songs until I bought the albm, and it was a nice experience, without any bias. GGW is one of her best, I dunno how some people claim it's generic, but then again, I'm a fan of Benassi. TUTR reminds me a bit of katie Perry's "Firework" , Gang Bang is a dark masterpiece, I luv it more now, but @ first I thought the violence was unnecessary, something Gaga would do for theatrical purposes. Masterpiece is grand, but then, I could be biased because of shit going on in my life that mimicked the lyrics, kinda when I heard Time stood still for the first time.

To me, MDNA is a solid, party album, made for lovers of dance music with electronica elements. This whole debacle of ageism is really irritating, and ultimately "reductive". I made peace with the fact that she'll never have radio play one of her songs (unless there's payola) because she is too old, not because her sound is not ''radio friendly".

Now I need to find tixs for her Miami concerts. I only saw her live during RIT, and while it was a great tour, she seemed a bit cold & distant, more than usual. Hopefully she'll be having a blast with this tour.

Sorry for the rant .

[Shane]

The only thing that sounds even remotely like something Gaga would do is GB, and that's because it has a "darkness" to it, but that's about it.

I always love your posts!

And even then it's a different sort of darkness. Plus, one thing I have always loved about M is that she actually did darkness and sorrow in pop music, beginning with LTT and Oh Father, onward through Playground, Mer Girl, and Voices. I found it different from other pop singers, so in that way she was original as well.

[Supernatural]

There is nothing Madonna about MDNA Hard Candy had more Madonna. It sounds like Lady Gaga and I hate Lady Gagas music

what album are you playing? "noise" "hard candy was better" and "sounds like lady gaga" does not describe mdna.

[MLVC82]

KELLY RIPA LOVES MDNA..............well...we expected that!

Kelly Ripa‏@KellyRipaReply

Retweeted

Danced down the mountain to it in Banff. Love it!!! RT @giolockedloaded: @KellyRipa what do u think of #MDNA

[Guest Xanthium]

I've been to Banff! Gorgeous place.

[MLVC82]

http://instagr.am/p/I-c1p5GmVY

TRENDING TOPIC WORLDWIDE!

[danniilo13]

Now it can be said, MDNA also topped the Billboard 200 with 359,000 sales. Everybody is happii at Madonnatown with these back-to-back US & UK Number 1 !!!

updated MDNA Chart positions on http://mymonumentalicons.blogspot.com/2012/04/madonna-mdna-album-chart-performance.html

[Shane]

In spite of the exceedingly diverse song selection (a plus) on MDNA, the album truly flows and works as a thematic whole for me. It does not seem disjointed or jarring. Whereas, as much as I love Hard Candy, Devil and Voices always seemed sort of tacked on and in a realm of their own (albeit a fantastic realm).

[Butter9]

Please lets not go down the MDNA sounds like Gaga road.

For me it's way better than Hard Candy. That was Madonna trying to be someone else with rejects from Timberland bin.

MDNA is pure Madonna's Pop. Love it. Imagine a world without Madonna and MDNA. It would be pretty dull.

[scottyenzed]

If anything GB reminds me more of I Love New York than anything Gaga has done

[Get Together]

Please lets not go down the MDNA sounds like Gaga road.

For me it's way better than Hard Candy. That was Madonna trying to be someone else with rejects from Timberland bin.

MDNA is pure Madonna's Pop. Love it. Imagine a world without Madonna and MDNA. It would be pretty dull.

Yes. Minus the Hard Candy part.

[Nightshade]

Why is the album performing so poorly on iTunes? I truly do not get that.

Well, for one you can now pick the album apart by purchasing singles, so that might be partially the reason. However, there really isn't a single propping the album anymore. GGW is not storming radio and the video only has a couple million views on YouTube. The singles promoting this record just aren't catching on, even though I thought GGW would've done better than GMAYL.

Oh well...the album is opening pretty big in the U.S., we got a great couple of videos and the tour is around the corner.

[AmericanLife95825]

MDNA is a good solid beautiful album with lots of variety and i am in love with it. that is all. #1 or #121

[Guest groovyguy]

Madonna’s On Top… Again

To celebrate the great sales of MDNA and the #1 in the USA charts, Interscope Records have issued a press release…

Madonna has returned for the 8th time to the top of the Billboard’s Pop Charts with MDNA selling 359,000 albums according to Neilsen Soundscan and is the biggest selling first week debut this year. MDNA is The Material Girl’s fifth No. 1 studio album in a row and her first album for Interscope Records.

On the Billboard Dance Club Play Charts, Madonna remains queen of the clubs with two songs from MDNA in the Top Ten including “Girls Gone Wild” which has gone to No. 4 and is the “greatest gainer” for the last three weeks. Her first dance hit from MDNA “Give Me All Your Luvin” after going to No. 1 remains in the Top Ten in the No. 8 spot.

The critical response to MDNA has been equally impressive:

“Madonna has made it through the wilderness to deliver one of the best albums of her career.” Daily News

“Her best album since “Ray of Light’” Chicago Tribune

“Still the Queen of Pop” The London Times

“Some of the finest musical moments we’ve heard from the pop legend in the last few years” MTV News

“The woman is pop’s most durable alpha female” USA TODAY

Other facts:

- MDNA debuted No. 1 on iTunes Charts in 40 countries and had the biggest one day pre sale on iTunes by any artist in history.

- Madonna’s “Girls Gone Wild” video is her most viewed video on YouTube with 32 million views.

- Barbra Streisand is the only other female to have more No. 1 albums (9) according to Billboard’s Keith Caufield.

- In the UK, the MDNA album puts Madonna in a league of her own. MDNA’s No. 1 spot gives Madonna the most No. 1 albums of all time in the UK (12) by a solo artist – surpassing Elvis Presley. The Beatles are the only artists who have had 15 No. 1 albums in the UK.

- In Japan, MDNA is her 22nd Top Ten album passing The Beatles record of l9 Top Ten albums in Japan. MDNA entered their Oricon international charts at No. 1 and the combined Oricon Charts at #4.

To celebrate the first week success with her millions of fans , Madonna will once again be on Twitter this Wednesday, the 4th of April at l0:00 pm @ http://www.madonna.com/askmadonna/

[Guest groovyguy]

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/madonna-mdna-guy-oseary-jimmy-iovine-308040

Madonna's 'MDNA' is No. 1: Guy Oseary, Jimmy Iovine on the Art of the Album Roll-Out

2:30 AM PDT 4/4/2012 by Shirley Halperin

The pop queen's longtime manager and brand new label head reflect on the road taken straight to the top of the charts and answer a nagging question: three decades in, is Madonna still selling scandal?

When Madonna’s twelfth album, MDNA, debuts at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 today with Nielsen SoundScan-certified sales of 359,000, she'll not only have the biggest first week of the year, but will instantly reinstate her place at the top of the pop heap.

That’s right, in this digital age of naysayers, haters, critics and cynics, Madonna is on her third decade of relevance. With MDNA, she trails only Barbra Streisand for the most chart-toppers ever by a female artist (Babs has nine, Madge is one shy) -- an extraordinary musical and cultural feat. Still, some will inevitably credit controversy for MDNA's out-the-gate success.

Have your pick of which one from recent months -- the album title, which is a letter away from MDMA, the common name for the drug ecstasy; the Super Bowl halftime performance during which guest M.I.A. gave some 150 million people the finger; a permanent ban by Piers Morgan and subsequent Twitter spat between the talk show host and Madonna’s manager Guy Oseary; or a surprise appearance at Miami’s Ultra Music Festival in March, where Madonna took the stage alongside Avicii and instantly riled up a crowd of 100,000 by asking if anyone had seen “Molly,” the street name for ecstasy, a comment that prompted superstar DJ Deadmau5 to take her to task publicly. All have kept Madonna’s name in the headlines just as new music hit the market.

“All those things didn’t start with us,” Oseary tells The Hollywood Reporter, shrugging off any insinuation that scandal is a step in the roll-out plan. “It's just part of the gig.” Indeed, Oseary and his client of 22 years can explain away each one -- the title has multiple meanings and came about like this, according to Oseary: “[Madonna] told me one day, ‘Here's what I'm calling my album.’ And I went, ‘Cool.’ She had a vision.” As for M.I.A.? She acted on her own accord; Piers Morgan’s people continue to reach out for a booking despite the ban; and Madonna was referring to a song by producer and DJ Cedric Gervais called “Have You Seen Molly,” not the staple drug of all-night dance parties. What may be harder to wrap the head around is the continued omnipotence of the eighties-bred pop star, who’s already topped the iTunes charts in 35 countries with MDNA presales alone.

"She gives me the forum to be honest and I give her the forum to yell at me." — Guy Oseary

Truth be told, Madonna did little in the way of traditional promotion for the album, her first for Interscope after some 30 years at Warner Bros. She skipped the club shows, the late night lead guest slot and the Diane Sawyer interview. Her only broadcast sit-down was with Jimmy Fallon on Facebook. She premiered her single at the Super Bowl and her video on American Idol (Interscope is the show’s music partner) rather than MTV or Vevo. If there’s a plan, says Oseary, it was for the music to speak for itself, and thanks to the current popularity of EDM (electronic dance music), it seems the former Danceteria regular is having her day yet again -- and at 53 years old.

“Anyone who can have a career as long and as healthy, strong and consistent as Madonna's, that’s a once-in-a-lifetime artist,” says Interscope Geffen A&M chairman Jimmy Iovine. “It's incredible what she's done. You can have an act earn money like her, but you can't have a career like that.”

Curiously, though her touring sets have featured many of her greatest hits, sometimes going deep into the catalog, like her first No. 1 dance smash, 1983’s “Burning Up,” Oseary says both he and Madonna rarely look back themselves. The decades spent at Warner Bros.? They hardly gave it a second thought when “friend” Jimmy Iovine came into the picture. “I have a lot of faith in him,” says the 39-year-old Israel-born Oseary. “I didn't shop a deal. I didn't go meet with every label and play the field. I was pretty confident with [universal Music Group chairman and CEO] Lucian [Grainge] and Jimmy as partners.” (Iovine returns the admiration, telling THR, "Guy is honest, straight-headed and talented -- a great combination.") Besides, adds Oseary, “One of the things that I've learned working with Madonna is you just move forward. It's really rare that she ever brings up the past.”

On this album cycle, she really doesn't need to “go retro” as so many veteran artists do. Always one step ahead of the latest sounds and production trends (Martin Solveig, Benny Benassi and William Orbit were each enlisted for their studio skills on multiple MDNA tracks), her brand of dance music meets delectable pop comes at a perfect time, just as EDM has, to put it plainly, taken over. “Dance music is Madonna’s base,” says Oseary, who can’t recall exactly how many club hits she’s had but knows it’s more than 40. “It's what she likes, it's what she listens to. It's not anything other than that. She doesn't read what's on the charts. And if it's on time, great. This is who she is.”

Still, there are those pesky detractors who insist Madonna’s MDNA motif -- from the cheerleader costume she wears in the video for “Give Me All Your Luvin’” to the album’s title to her Ultra appearance just before midnight on March 24, are simply age-inappropriate, a slag Oseary doesn’t take to kindly. “Didn’t Lionel Richie just make a country album?” he barks. “God bless him, I love Lionel, but how come no one is yelling at him? The ageism criticism is getting old. It’s, like, let's just talk about the music. Do you like it?”

Clearly, people do, what with first week sales of MDNA beating her last studio effort, 2008's Hard Candy, by more than 50 percent -- her best showing in over a decade. Partly to thank: a U.S. promotion where customers who bought a concert ticket had the option to receive the album as part of their purchase. These opt-in sales counted towards the chart's tally, according to Billboard. And Oseary says she’s also engaging more with her fans. Although Madonna has been reluctant to hop on the Twitter bandwagon, she’s logged on for one-night events (a second is coming up on Wednesday at 10 p.m.; the handle: @MadonnaMDNAday) and fielded hundreds of questions from fans, no doubt convinced by active tweeter Oseary.

All the awareness when you add the Super Bowl audience to that of Facebook and Twitter users coupled with a Smirnoff-sponsored dance contest that provides key primetime television advertising and an international tour kicking off May 29 in Tel Aviv, and you’re looking at more than a billion potential impressions within four months time.

But while the numbers make for a nice security blanket, positive reception from critics, fans and peers is ultimately how Oseary quantifies success, and so far, he’s more than pleased. “People are really digging it,” he says. “We feel good about the album, I’m proud of the work she’s done, [the EDM community] is giving the love back. It's her 12th album and the same story she had 30 years ago. That’s an amazing accomplishment.”

Twitter: @shirleyhalperin

[SkyHigh76]

great article

[MLVC82]

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/madonna-mdna-guy-oseary-jimmy-iovine-308040

Madonna's 'MDNA' is No. 1: Guy Oseary, Jimmy Iovine on the Art of the Album Roll-Out

2:30 AM PDT 4/4/2012 by Shirley Halperin

The pop queen's longtime manager and brand new label head reflect on the road taken straight to the top of the charts and answer a nagging question: three decades in, is Madonna still selling scandal?

When Madonna’s twelfth album, MDNA, debuts at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 today with Nielsen SoundScan-certified sales of 359,000, she'll not only have the biggest first week of the year, but will instantly reinstate her place at the top of the pop heap.

That’s right, in this digital age of naysayers, haters, critics and cynics, Madonna is on her third decade of relevance. With MDNA, she trails only Barbra Streisand for the most chart-toppers ever by a female artist (Babs has nine, Madge is one shy) -- an extraordinary musical and cultural feat. Still, some will inevitably credit controversy for MDNA's out-the-gate success.

Have your pick of which one from recent months -- the album title, which is a letter away from MDMA, the common name for the drug ecstasy; the Super Bowl halftime performance during which guest M.I.A. gave some 150 million people the finger; a permanent ban by Piers Morgan and subsequent Twitter spat between the talk show host and Madonna’s manager Guy Oseary; or a surprise appearance at Miami’s Ultra Music Festival in March, where Madonna took the stage alongside Avicii and instantly riled up a crowd of 100,000 by asking if anyone had seen “Molly,” the street name for ecstasy, a comment that prompted superstar DJ Deadmau5 to take her to task publicly. All have kept Madonna’s name in the headlines just as new music hit the market.

“All those things didn’t start with us,” Oseary tells The Hollywood Reporter, shrugging off any insinuation that scandal is a step in the roll-out plan. “It's just part of the gig.” Indeed, Oseary and his client of 22 years can explain away each one -- the title has multiple meanings and came about like this, according to Oseary: “[Madonna] told me one day, ‘Here's what I'm calling my album.’ And I went, ‘Cool.’ She had a vision.” As for M.I.A.? She acted on her own accord; Piers Morgan’s people continue to reach out for a booking despite the ban; and Madonna was referring to a song by producer and DJ Cedric Gervais called “Have You Seen Molly,” not the staple drug of all-night dance parties. What may be harder to wrap the head around is the continued omnipotence of the eighties-bred pop star, who’s already topped the iTunes charts in 35 countries with MDNA presales alone.

"She gives me the forum to be honest and I give her the forum to yell at me." — Guy Oseary

Truth be told, Madonna did little in the way of traditional promotion for the album, her first for Interscope after some 30 years at Warner Bros. She skipped the club shows, the late night lead guest slot and the Diane Sawyer interview. Her only broadcast sit-down was with Jimmy Fallon on Facebook. She premiered her single at the Super Bowl and her video on American Idol (Interscope is the show’s music partner) rather than MTV or Vevo. If there’s a plan, says Oseary, it was for the music to speak for itself, and thanks to the current popularity of EDM (electronic dance music), it seems the former Danceteria regular is having her day yet again -- and at 53 years old.

“Anyone who can have a career as long and as healthy, strong and consistent as Madonna's, that’s a once-in-a-lifetime artist,” says Interscope Geffen A&M chairman Jimmy Iovine. “It's incredible what she's done. You can have an act earn money like her, but you can't have a career like that.”

Curiously, though her touring sets have featured many of her greatest hits, sometimes going deep into the catalog, like her first No. 1 dance smash, 1983’s “Burning Up,” Oseary says both he and Madonna rarely look back themselves. The decades spent at Warner Bros.? They hardly gave it a second thought when “friend” Jimmy Iovine came into the picture. “I have a lot of faith in him,” says the 39-year-old Israel-born Oseary. “I didn't shop a deal. I didn't go meet with every label and play the field. I was pretty confident with [universal Music Group chairman and CEO] Lucian [Grainge] and Jimmy as partners.” (Iovine returns the admiration, telling THR, "Guy is honest, straight-headed and talented -- a great combination.") Besides, adds Oseary, “One of the things that I've learned working with Madonna is you just move forward. It's really rare that she ever brings up the past.”

On this album cycle, she really doesn't need to “go retro” as so many veteran artists do. Always one step ahead of the latest sounds and production trends (Martin Solveig, Benny Benassi and William Orbit were each enlisted for their studio skills on multiple MDNA tracks), her brand of dance music meets delectable pop comes at a perfect time, just as EDM has, to put it plainly, taken over. “Dance music is Madonna’s base,” says Oseary, who can’t recall exactly how many club hits she’s had but knows it’s more than 40. “It's what she likes, it's what she listens to. It's not anything other than that. She doesn't read what's on the charts. And if it's on time, great. This is who she is.”

Still, there are those pesky detractors who insist Madonna’s MDNA motif -- from the cheerleader costume she wears in the video for “Give Me All Your Luvin’” to the album’s title to her Ultra appearance just before midnight on March 24, are simply age-inappropriate, a slag Oseary doesn’t take to kindly. “Didn’t Lionel Richie just make a country album?” he barks. “God bless him, I love Lionel, but how come no one is yelling at him? The ageism criticism is getting old. It’s, like, let's just talk about the music. Do you like it?”

Clearly, people do, what with first week sales of MDNA beating her last studio effort, 2008's Hard Candy, by more than 50 percent -- her best showing in over a decade. Partly to thank: a U.S. promotion where customers who bought a concert ticket had the option to receive the album as part of their purchase. These opt-in sales counted towards the chart's tally, according to Billboard. And Oseary says she’s also engaging more with her fans. Although Madonna has been reluctant to hop on the Twitter bandwagon, she’s logged on for one-night events (a second is coming up on Wednesday at 10 p.m.; the handle: @MadonnaMDNAday) and fielded hundreds of questions from fans, no doubt convinced by active tweeter Oseary.

All the awareness when you add the Super Bowl audience to that of Facebook and Twitter users coupled with a Smirnoff-sponsored dance contest that provides key primetime television advertising and an international tour kicking off May 29 in Tel Aviv, and you’re looking at more than a billion potential impressions within four months time.

But while the numbers make for a nice security blanket, positive reception from critics, fans and peers is ultimately how Oseary quantifies success, and so far, he’s more than pleased. “People are really digging it,” he says. “We feel good about the album, I’m proud of the work she’s done, [the EDM community] is giving the love back. It's her 12th album and the same story she had 30 years ago. That’s an amazing accomplishment.”

Twitter: @shirleyhalperin

FANTASTIQUE!!!! Let them have it Guy..........let them alllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll read about the QUEEN!

[HolidayGuy]

Moderator should edit the last post, as the article was posted already. Great article, indeed, though.

[Guest groovyguy]

http://madonnalicious.typepad.com/madonnalicious/

UK Magazines: 'Look'

UK magazine 'Look' (02 April issue) gives Madonna's 'MDNA' the thumbs-up in a short-but-sweet review.