Interpretations / theories / analysis of the MDNA Tour

[Apples388]

Let's use this thread for our theories and analyses. I will start by...

BEST FRIEND VIDEO INTERLUDE

Of course lyrically it's about Guy Ritchie.. but the video projection and the contextuality of it (closing the Transgression segment) add an extra flavour.

1. The cemetery setting - religious undertone. Madonna as the "girl gone wild" (i.e. lapsed Catholic) finally closes that chapter in her life. Death of Madonna the Catholic girl. Death of her "relationship" with the Christian ideology of God. Closure.

2. One of the tombstones reads "BROTHER". Christopher was once her best friend. His betrayal is somewhat unforgivable. Chapter closed. Death of sister/brother relationship.

3. Guy Ritchie. Cemetery = death of love / marriage.

[ChaunceyD]

wow...can't wait to see this interlude in person. i've not seen any clips of this online and i'm kind of glad now....need at least a few surprises!

[Apples388]

My interpretation of the TRANSGRESSION segment

1. "Girl Gone Wild" - Catholic girl Madonna gone wild. She is seen praying but then shatters the glass and grabs the gun. The gun here is a symbol for her sexuality. And by controlling it she has control of her sexuality and herself.

2. "Revolver" - the symbolism becomes literal. My love's a revolver - pretty straightforward here. Of course this song is with a group of girls. Madonna as the sexual liberator and the feminist icon.

3. "Gang Bang" - male figures try to bring Madonna down and she shoots them one after the other. You can interpret these male figures whichever way you choose: sexist journalists, past lovers, record company execs who doubted her vision etc. etc. The point is that Madonna is still in charge and is unstoppable.

4. "Papa Don't Preach" - a moment of guilt, perhaps? Regret? Remorse? Repentance? The fun and games of "Girl Gone Wild" and "Revolver" are over as this sexual awakening / liberation has taken on a darker undertone and she is then taken on to the tightrope.

5. "Hung Up" - insanely re-interpreted lyrically as a plea to God (rather than the original plea to a lover to pick up the phone!). Madonna walks the tightrope towards heaven or hell as she is "waiting" for a God that she possibly now realises does not exist to give her a call, but she's "fed up" and thus...

6. "I Don't Give A" - the final awakening and empowerment as she embraces who she is and simply realises that she does not give a FUCK.

7. "Best Friend" - after all the anger and violence, a moment of sadness to remorse the death of all the relationships that got her to where she is today.

I truly believe with all my heart that the TRANSGRESSION segment is possibly the best theatrical presentation of her music that she has ever put her name to!

[Mat.Guy]

I love this!

Seriously, I could read these kind of interpretations for days! Can't wait to your interpretaion of the third segment! Please keep doing! And one of her past tours would be very welcome too!

PS: I didn't watch the MDNA tour yet so I can't tel, but do you think Transgression is better, deeper and with more meaning than LAV-PDP from Blond Ambition?

[MPowered]

IV REDEMPTION

I'm Addicted -> Madonna getting stronger from the love she recieves from her newest crush. (Brahim?) He makes her feel young his gives her strength, which could be an explanation for the Kung Fu stuff in the performance.

I'm a Sinner -> People say Madonna is a sinner, but in fact it's them criticizing her what makes her stronger. She likes being a sinner because it's the only way she can live her life the way she wants it. She's free to love who she wants and free to have whatever religios belief she wants (Cyber-Raga).

Like a Prayer -> The sinner-train brought her home from her journey and now she's free.

Celebration -> final redemption, absolute freedom of mind soul and spirit, etc.

[Starman]

Trangression : Exacly what Suede has said , she is a rebel , Hung up now is kind of apocalyptic

Prophecy : For me its about the society in general and how people expect her to be substituted ,

Its Madonna X Society

Express Yourself is her main message , her anthem , her hymn . We have consumism in the background,

But no product is gonna be like her

in GMAYL its the Madonna cheering , her supporters screaming for her like a football match against the society

She goes down and back to her roots in Turn up The Radio , coz thats where all started

Open Your Heart and Masterpiece is to show that also she doesnt need all that fame and money (gypsy like) to give love to the world

MASC/FEM : No we explore another part of MDNAs , her sexuality

The Justify my love show us that we dont know what she does behind close doors , its on our imagination, when she goes out she wears a mask . Vogue is all about that appearance a celebration of vanity , in Candy shop/erotica she takes of her corset (a female cage) and explores sex in general like a man , having a lover beside her . Human Nature still has the same meaning , shes not sorry of being sexual , NO FEAR

Finally in LAV she is very fragile after all , thats part of being a woman , shes there using just a bra , the song about having sex for the first time like it was something bag very sad , Her lover comes with the corset to put her in a cage again , and shes willing to do that for lovee (guy years??)

Redemption is the last chapter

Shes for once barefeet on stage , fighting for all that she believes , she finally realizes that shes a sinner , shes wrong and she likes it that way !!

In LAP is the ultimate redemption , a religion experience without religion , she thinks that god after all is gonna fix everything , is gonna save her soul , sooo she can finally party in Celebration

---

Oh well thats how I view it

[Guest bluejean]

What are the names of the sections? All I know is 'Transgression'

[Guest bluejean]

2. One of the tombstones reads "BROTHER". Christopher was once her best friend. His betrayal is somewhat unforgivable. Chapter closed. Death of sister/brother relationship.

I hadn't noticed that. I bet some of that song is directed at him also, that betrayal must have devastated her almost as much as the marriage breakdown.

[adreeyen]

MASC/FEM : No we explore another part of MDNAs , her sexuality

The Justify my love show us that we dont know what she does behind close doors , its on our imagination, when she goes out she wears a mask . Vogue is all about that appearance a celebration of vanity , in Candy shop/erotica she takes of her corset (a female cage) and explores sex in general like a man , having a lover beside her . Human Nature still has the same meaning , shes not sorry of being sexual , NO FEAR

Finally in LAV she is very fragile after all , thats part of being a woman , shes there using just a bra , the song about having sex for the first time like it was something bag very sad , Her lover comes with the corset to put her in a cage again , and shes willing to do that for lovee (guy years??)

Ooooh, I really like this interpretation. It's a great one. Good work!

And bluejean, it's Transgression, Prophecy, Masculine/Feminine, and Redemption.

[jonski43]

To paraphrase all of the above, for me it's 'tits and Crucifix time' again.

[Guest]

Actually the last section is Celebration. It used to be Redemption but it's not.

[Nikki]

Interesting read:

Vogue is absolutely fierce on a visual level. I'm a bit annoyed they kept the SuperBowl version, though it sounds quite good with the whole 20s concept.

Problem of this section which may actually be missed by those still having to see the concert, is that it goes theatrical only with Vogue and Erotica-Candy Shop. Human Nature and Like A Virgin are a statement of sexual freedom, a statement against censorship. This is clearly heavily implied in Human Nature - 'No Fear' slogan, nipple in Istanbul, ass in Rome - , but somehow implied even though Like A Virgin. And this is unexpected.

It would be a mistake to consider LAV some kind of theatrical rendition à la Girlie Show, as I thought before the concert.

It s so slow to become a burden, and totally sad. It's one of her saddest performances in last 10 years, I'd argue. not even Lament in ReInv or You Must Love Me had similar impact, which is totally unexpected. It's not moving on an 'easy' and expected way. It's something new. It's something to think about, I'd say. It's more of a death march then anything.

Coreography should be taken into account. After having screamed for sexual freedom and gender play for the previous 4 songs - including JML - what happens here is her man/dancer puts her back in a corset, laces it strongly and firmly, lets her hair down making her a ''real'' woman - or, better, her stereotype image - . All of this while she sings of lovin her man for the first time and how his love affected her, in a death-march tune..

And this is so sad, I think... Is that the only way for a woman to be loved?

It's not like his love saved her, but rather let her fell in some kind of dark hell.

[Mat.Guy]

^ So sad. I'm actually in a sad mood today, just watched IGTTYAS for the first time. It's sad at the end, makes you think about your life and what have you done for it that really matters...

[CJM]

Interesting read:

Coreography should be taken into account. After having screamed for sexual freedom and gender play for the previous 4 songs - including JML - what happens here is her man/dancer puts her back in a corset, laces it strongly and firmly, lets her hair down making her a ''real'' woman - or, better, her stereotype image - . All of this while she sings of lovin her man for the first time and how his love affected her, in a death-march tune..

And this is so sad, I think... Is that the only way for a woman to be loved?

It's not like his love saved her, but rather let her fell in some kind of dark hell.

Wow

[Guest]

This tour has so much amazing iconography and non verbal language. It's amazing as usual.

[pasqual]

opening is black mas btw...i would like to know what she has to say about why she choose that...(it is not my view...if you google about satanism and staff you ll get informations about red ropes and staff)

anyway i don t have a problem with that

and another interesting thing is the cross in paradise hotel durring gang bang...there is desime cross as thisone on pic from the place of ex twin towers...

and yes...nubmer 7 is the number of Saturn.

it is ironic to sing gang bang and pointing the gun to public in Abu Dhabi

hope nobody will get me wrong. i m just telling what i saw

[aorlaan]

wat do yall think the justify my love backdrop means? the clowns especially baffle me

[pasqual]

i think the clowns are all those people who want to sneak pick in her private life...and she is playing with them...that also could mean us...

[Guest]

Interesting read:

Vogue is absolutely fierce on a visual level. I'm a bit annoyed they kept the SuperBowl version, though it sounds quite good with the whole 20s concept.

(...)

And this is so sad, I think... Is that the only way for a woman to be loved?

It's not like his love saved her, but rather let her fell in some kind of dark hell.

Interesting, where is this from

[karbatal]

the like a virgin one is such a CLEVER CLEVER performance!

[Louise Oriole]

From phoenixfaith

I think she is being rescued at the end of Hung Up. She crawls and holds a rope which takes her away from that dark ritual. I don't know if i'm over-analyzing it but when the platform rises up in I Don't Give A, it looks like she's being impaled by that cross. After that they carry her coffin in Best Friend interlude. It's my interpretation though, it may be wrong.

A different point

I think she falls into hell, at that point.. that was my interpretation. Then Kalakan arrive again, and it's judgement. After that, at the end of I Don't Give A, she dies..

There are enchanting details as well. One of them is lighting during Revolver, which is similar to police flashlights. They look like they're searching the stadium when Madonna walks around with her gang. Then we hear police sirens before Gang Bang.

[Louise Oriole]

From Tumblr (madonnaisthebest)

The Queen of Life gets emotional during Like a Virgin, one of the most meaningful parts of the show.

For those who did not get the meaning of the Like a Virgin performance and are wondering why Madonna would get emotional, here’s what it means:

In that section of the show, Madonna presents the mundane aspects of one’s life:

Fashion, sex, parties, drinking and a world of self-indulgence and sinning.

She enters a “brothel” and gets “dirty” with the girls and boys in that world. She is a sinner, just like all of them. One thing is for sure: she is not a saint. Amidst all of that, she meets a man who apparently does not mind how dirty, used, experienced (and apparently abused) she is/has been.

He helps her get on her feet. He takes care of care. He dresses her up. And for our (and her) surprise, he also abuses her. He demands a lot from her.

The corset the man puts on her is a metaphor for the control and pressure he had over her. He did not rescue her from that world because he loved her, he wanted to possess her as an object. He wanted to oppress her, humiliate her, abuse her.

Right before the song ends, when she is about to run out of air (he is taking it away from her), he let her go - by then, he had taken everything he wanted from her: her dignity, her love, and her hope.

Have you heard of a gold-digger named Guy Ritchie?

The fact that Madonna turned an old classic of hers and transformed it into this wonderful and painful performance shows her brilliant and honest artistry.

She is a true performer - and every single piece of her show resonates with her, with her life and the experiences she has had. It’s beautiful to see a real artist on stage.

[Mensch]

Act of Contrition / Girl Gone Wild - She's in heaven or someplace holy in relation to catholicism. She knows she's about to embark on this journey for vengeance and is leaving her faith behind. There calling upon Madonna. When she appears, the setting changes to night. After the bridge, she jumps from the heavens and falls to the material world to get some vengeance.

Revolver- Gets her gun from her cholas and practices before going for the kill.

Gang Bang - she has no home so she stays at a hotel to get vengeance on her ex-lover, and all the haters. Kills them off.

Papa Don’t Preach - steals from dead body and feels remorseful what she's done.

Hung Up - this is a ritual. Exercising her demons. Crossing the fire and finally escaping the "demons."

I Don’t Give A - holding it all together. Making it on her own.

Best Friend / Heartbeat (INTERLUDE)-knowing she must let go of past relationships (Guy, Christopher etc...) but that she isn't done yet and isn't going anywhere. That her legacy will live on forever. What she's created is immortal.

Express Yourself -anthem of being true to yourself. Selling the message she's most famous for. Inspiring others to love themselves. Oh and fuck off gaga!

Give Me All Your Luvin’ -cheering for the true and one only Queen Madonna

Turn Up The Radio- back to basics, feel-good rock n roll

Open Your Heart / Sagarra Jo by Kalakan - traveling as a gothic bohemian gypsy. Experiencing cultures and talented dancers and artists (Kalakan trio)

Masterpiece - I think this goes back to her own self. I know it sounds super conceited (considering herself a Masterpiece but i expect her to be fully aware of how her fans perceive her)but I think she's saying that she's not indestructible and she seems to really be trying to take the experience of her life, her fans, her children, traveling, touring...all in. It has a sad undertone to it, especially and obviously after her speech.

Justify My Love (INTERLUDE) everyone laughing at her but she's the last one laughing. The mask represents that ultimately no one really, truly knows who she is.

Vogue -fashion show. Everyone's a star. Be fierce.

Candy Shop / Erotica- she enters the nightclub (notice the screens) and the woman at the door coat-checks her jacket (her corset) and she's the pimp at the bar showing the masculinity but ending with her femininity.

Human Nature - self-explanatory, fuck ageism.

Like A Virgin- this is the full-circle moment of the show. A 30 year career. Famous for the tongue and cheek Like a Virgin and now she's singing it in a completely different context. It's not about Brahim. It's about her loss. It's probably about Guy but even moreso she's baring it all in front of the audience that loves her so much but ultimately she doesn't have that void of love filled.

Nobody Knows Me (INTERLUDE) self-explanatory.

I’m Addicted- Fighting for love, psychedelic-Imagry that continues through to I'm a Sinner

I’m A Sinner / Cyberraga- accepting that no one is perfect. She's laughing off the saints and finding peace elsewhere. I think the realization comes from traveling (the screens) and finding peace in spirituality and not in a specific religion or God but in the voyage of life and the beauty of nature. Then it goes into Cyberraga which has a hippie feel to it.

Like A Prayer she's accepting her old faith and uniting her audience with a classic.

Celebration- time to party. Reconnects with GGW for a full-circle feel.

I'm clearly watching the concert way too much and obsessing over the screen imagry and how it relates to the choreography, songs, lyrics etc...

[Guest itisforfun]

Can I just ask that when will the boxoffice come out? It;s July already

[Mat.Guy]

From Tumblr (madonnaisthebest)

WOW.

I think this is one of, if not the most meaningful performance of her career. Just for reading I cant wait to watch it live.

[Narendra Sen]

I love this!

Seriously, I could read these kind of interpretations for days! Can't wait to your interpretaion of the third segment! Please keep doing! And one of her past tours would be very welcome too!

IKR

Surely, this must be one of the best threads ever?

[MadFan]

i think the clowns are all those people who want to sneak pick in her private life...and she is playing with them...that also could mean us...

Yes and your avi represents that well. She's a voyeur like the rest, or @ least takes her share of accountability. Reminds me of Oprah '98 when she says "well we're" the ones feeding the mags."

[whyme?]

_{What's the huge golden urn in the beginning called? I remember it had a really weird name. I wonder what's it's normally used for}

[MadFan]

It's a thurible.

[whyme?]

It's a thurible.

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