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Is the next Madonna single the most important one in her career?


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Guest bluejean

No. I don't think Madonna has anything to prove anymore. She should release an incredible song not something generic designed for the charts (again.)

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Frozen and Hung Up were the singles that saved her career. Without those singles she would be out of business years ago. Think Madonna pos-Evita (years working on softening her sexual image made the public forget that she still was a popstar) and think Madonna pos-American Life (an english lady that dares to question american politics, hated by 99% of the US, banned from american radio, and OLD).

Music and 4 minutes were big as well...I do think they could have got a better benefit from MDNA singles, but the choices were not the best, especially for the lead single...let's see how she does or doesnt screw it next time :laugh:

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I think it's one of the most important ones, although not THE most important. I think MDNA was a hugely important one, and yes, it did miss its mark, but this one is an opportunity to again make a splash, or signify that she is in the waning ages of her career.

So with that said, I think the content is more important than the charts at this point. The name is established. People know Madonna. She doesn't need to be safe. I don't care what she does as long as it's arresting, forward-thinking and vital. I have faith in her to do it, if she cares to.

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I don't think her next single is the most important at all. I think her pop hit days are over, but you never know.

What I do want to comment on is the "parts" of her career. I think lumping 83 - 98 together is totally off the mark. From 93 - 92 she was unstoppable. Her biggest "flop" was "Oh Father" and it was a downer of a ballad about abuse, so it's a testament to her invincibility that it even went Top 20. I would divide her career this way:

1983 - 1991 = Commercial peak (self-explanatory)

1992 - 1997 = The Second Tier Years (post-Sex backlash, her commercial success and public image was largely hit or miss and she was eclipsed by the likes of Janet, Mariah, Whitney, etc.)

1998 - 2002 = Renaissance (regained her critical, commercial, and touring mojo)

2003 - present = Legacy Act (respected legend making big bucks on the road but failing to appeal to the kiddies)

There are obviously eras within each part, but this is focused solely on her commercial/critical/public appeal.

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Music and 4 minutes were big as well...I do think they could have got a better benefit from MDNA singles, but the choices were not the best, especially for the lead single...let's see how she does or doesnt screw it next time :laugh:

Music and 4 minutes were huge but not essential to save her career like Frozen and Hung Up were

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Music and 4 minutes were huge but not essential to save her career like Frozen and Hung Up were

Sorry but Frozen didn't save her career, as there wasn't much that needed saving. America forgave her the SEX/Erotica era with Take a Bow and then came Evita. In Europe people loved her for Erotica and the SEX book. Of course ROL was another major transformation but hardly anything that saved her career

ROL and Music just brought her closer once again to her 80s 20m copies per album figures. Prior to Frozen she sold 8m with a ballad collection and 11m with a soundtrack album released 15 months apart basically

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Sorry but Frozen didn't save her career, as there wasn't much that needed saving. America forgave her the SEX/Erotica era with Take a Bow and then came Evita. In Europe people loved her for Erotica and the SEX book. Of course ROL was another major transformation but hardly anything that saved her career

ROL and Music just brought her closer once again to her 80s 20m copies per album figures. Prior to Frozen she sold 8m with a ballad collection and 11m with a soundtrack album released 15 months apart basically

Yes, her legacy was solidified. ROL didn't "save" her career, but it did elevate her even higher. Instead of being in the realm of a Prince or Michael Jackson, a relic of the '80s (and early '90s), she proved she could continue to reinvent herself and remain relevant, musically and critically. And I highly doubt an album of ballads a la "Take a Bow" and "You'll See" would have done as well as ROL did.

1992-1997 second tier? Hit or miss?

She sold 31m albums within that 5-year time frame

^ Yes. Her sales dipped (Erotica and BS were her lowest to date at that point), many of her singles ("Bad Girl," "Human Nature," Bedtime Story," "Love Don't Live Here Anymore") flopped. In relative terms (that is, compared to 1983 - 1991, when she was selling 5+ million of each studio album, she landed most of her #1's, a record-breaking string of Top 5 singles, wasn't getting trashed by the media, and wasn't being outsold by her fellow divas), YES. You can't stay on top forever. But she had a great renaissance during a time when her peers' careers (and personal lives) were falling apart. And she has endured as the Queen. So no need to dwell on the reality of her "slump."

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Music and 4 minutes were huge but not essential to save her career like Frozen and Hung Up were

Who are you to say that though? 4 Minutes made her relevant to this current Youtube generation and the inclusion of Justin Timberlake, Pharrell, and Timbaland brought in an entirely new legion of young fans (like myself) who thought of Madonna ONLY in the past tense.

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Sorry but Frozen didn't save her career, as there wasn't much that needed saving. America forgave her the SEX/Erotica era with Take a Bow and then came Evita. In Europe people loved her for Erotica and the SEX book. Of course ROL was another major transformation but hardly anything that saved her career

ROL and Music just brought her closer once again to her 80s 20m copies per album figures. Prior to Frozen she sold 8m with a ballad collection and 11m with a soundtrack album released 15 months apart basically

To keep being relevant on the pop landscape she needed a single like Frozen, she was quickly becoming an artist with no touch on youth and Frozen was much needed single to present her as a gothic pop goddess and remind everyone that she was still the queen of pop.

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I think this thread wasn't 2 imply she has something 2 prove or say something negative.

But let's face it, we're at crossroads here, in a way, for a female pop star, this is uncharted territory.

Will she finally join the likes of Prince, Elton John, Bowie et all...when it comes

2 new material? Or will legenDonna rise again & b a commercial & critical success at age 102.

It's never really been done before. Her & U2 r the only ones left from the Megastar era that still

have commercial pulse, give or take a relative flop.

Just my thoughts.

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Who are you to say that though? 4 Minutes made her relevant to this current Youtube generation and the inclusion of Justin Timberlake, Pharrell, and Timbaland brought in an entirely new legion of young fans (like myself) who thought of Madonna ONLY in the past tense.

In 2008 she was still surfing on the COAD benefits, 4 Minutes wasn't essential for the world but she clearly wanted to regain her popularity in the USA once she had guaranteed her popularity in Europe in the previous album.

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MDNA launched the new Madonna in a new era and new decade. No more Warner. Total freedom. Pulling in album sales is not a concern anymore. I don't see her doing anything "prolific," but I doubt there will be any strategic plan for the single and album release.

So yes, in a kinda sorta way, the next single could be important for, since music sales arnt high anymore.

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She would probably do well on the radio with a nice pop-ballad like Live To Tell, The Power of Goodbye or Masterpiece.

There's still a market for ballads in the US. For the last three years we've had these, to name a few:

"Someone Like You" and "Set Fire To The Rain" - Adele

"A Thousand Years" and "Jar of Heart" - Christina Perri

"I Won't Give Up" - Jason Mraz

"When I Was Your Man" and "It Will Rain" - Bruno Mars

"Stay" - Rihanna

"Wide Awake" and "Unconditionally" - Katy Perry

"Let Her Go" - Passenger

"Say Something" - AGBW with Xtincta Phoenixlera

We NEED a Madonna ballad released with an amazing black and white video.

I agree.A stunning ballad is her best chance to have a hit single these days.I still insist that "Falling Free" should have been a single.She's released enough dance singles,it's time to go in a new direction.

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I think the expectation was big for GMAYL and she fucked it up. Now the tone has been set for this stage of her career, and the next tour is where the biggest expectations/hopes lie in.

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Who are you to say that though? 4 Minutes made her relevant to this current Youtube generation and the inclusion of Justin Timberlake, Pharrell, and Timbaland brought in an entirely new legion of young fans (like myself) who thought of Madonna ONLY in the past tense.

THIS

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I think this thread wasn't 2 imply she has something 2 prove or say something negative.

But let's face it, we're at crossroads here, in a way, for a female pop star, this is uncharted territory.

Will she finally join the likes of Prince, Elton John, Bowie et all...when it comes

2 new material? Or will legenDonna rise again & b a commercial & critical success at age 102.

It's never really been done before. Her & U2 r the only ones left from the Megastar era that still

have commercial pulse, give or take a relative flop.

Just my thoughts.

Thank you. At least someone got it

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Lol Madonna is an Icon both her career and legacy are secure. The next single/album or whatever comes next is just the cherry on top a delicious 30 layer cake.

That is how I feel. She has nothing left to prove beyond what she wants to do next. A massive hit would only add another coat of bronze to an indestructible pop legacy. Even if she "flops" from here on out, she will never diminish culturally. That said, a big pop hit (at least in Europe) might help the touring aspect.

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Personally, I think the most important singles of Madonna's career could be tied with Live to Tell and Like a Prayer. Live to tell showed that Madonna could still be a massive influence with a totally different look, image and sound. Like a Prayer just cemented her as a Superstar. I really don't think she has anything to prove anymore at all. She is just a legend who is copied, admired and referenced the World over.

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I do think Frozen was the most "shocking" single release of her career...

Nobody was expecting that. Even her voice sounded like someone else upon 1st listen...

This was before I was online savvy, so I missed the leak on The Madonna Singapore Net...

But I remember a lot of people telling me how they loved the song, some didn't even realise it was her.

This was before the video was released & u had to still camp out in front of the radio 2 catch it...

:inlove: I turned 18 that week.

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It was a huge risk to release ballad i.e. Frozen according to one of the critics.

Was Frozen, the 1st high profile song 2 b leaked on the internet, in the history of the WorldWideWeb? :D

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I could be way way off here, but going by current trends in the music world and the fact that she doesn't have a REAL record deal (like her WB days), I think many fans are going to be in for a rude awakening come next album release as far as it's commercial performance and airplay of singles. Some fans like to downplay the success of the MDNA era, but right about now comparing it to some of the relative failures from some big name pop princesses this year, the MDNA era as a whole is pretty damn impressive. This is where the rude awakening comes in.......I highly doubt that next era she's gonna win a Golden Globe, 3 Billboard awards, have the most watched moment in US TV history, add yet another top 10 single to her seemingly endless list of US hits, add another Gold single to her US tally, add another Gold album to her US tally, sell almost 2 million copies ww with little promo, highest grossing tour of the year (this one will happen again of course), one of the top ten most successful tours ever (this one as well), become the highest earning all around entertainer for the year. When it's all spelled out, she had some great success with the MDNA era.

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