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MADAME X: official reviews are in: MADAME X is a hit with the critics!


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1 minute ago, Kurt420 said:

That NME review is perfect!! Focuses just on the music. Clear the reviewer has no agenda going in. 

Between Eurovision and now this, it's clear to me everyone in German media has some sort of stick up their ass. Blech! Hasn't it warmed up there yet for summer?? Maybe some sun will do those people good. Miserable cunts.

☀️☀️☀️

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7 minutes ago, elijah said:

How has NME reviewed her latest albums? This one sounds good.

Well, if I am not mistaken I remember they really hated Rebel Heart, so it is very nice to see that they like Madame X

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1 minute ago, Geiger83 said:

Well, if I am not mistaken I remember they really hated Rebel Heart, so it is very nice to see that they like Madame X

yes I found and posted their RH review some posts before yours. They were so unfair.

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Just now, elijah said:

yes I found and posted their RH review. They were so unfair.

I agree, specially how they finish it

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Guest Future feat Quavo

Ultimately, ‘Rebel Heart’ feels like a wasted opportunity. Trite self-empowerment anthem ‘Iconic’ informs us that there’s only two letters difference between Icon and I Can’t. Sadly, there are also two letters between class and ass.

I'm dying :lmao: 

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On 6/2/2019 at 3:53 AM, Katypatra said:

Madame X is ahead of its time!!! That’s why we’re all taken aback a bit upon first listens. It’s almost like wtf is that?? But then we start to catch on, like ok, I see you!!! And then we’re obsessed! That happened to me with EVERY song so far, including Medellín and especially Future. 

The progression of the songs, the sound engendering, the production, all have super experimental qualities. Even M’s voice sounds almost like out of this world. Not really what we’re used to. But when it’s all put together, as weird as it sounds, the songs do come across like they're visiting us from the future. And we’ve only heard 4 songs! Lol 

I’m thrilled!!!! 

 

 

To me this was the perfect way to describe it! Because that's literally what happened to me with the first 4 songs! Literally.  Thanks for putting into words!

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So happy about the NME review! i won' bother with the German review as it has no star rating. 

Reviews so far:

The Sun 100/100

Daily Mirror 100/100

Alternative Press 84/100

Q Magazine 80/100

The Times 80/100

The Guardian 80/100

NME 80/100

Rolling Stone 60/100

The Telegraph 60 / 100

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It seems we are on track for a solid mid-70s Metacritic rating. Possibly high-70s if more 4 star ratings keep rolling in. High-70s is GREAT for a pop album. 

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1 hour ago, alcermag said:

NME: Bold, bizarre, self-referential, and unlike anything Madonna has ever done before
Score: 4/5 stars

 

Madonna’s latest persona ‘Madame X’ borrows her name from the historical figure Virginie Amélie Avegno Gautreau: a socialite and occasional muse who scandalised genteel French society when she bared naked flesh – her entire shoulder, would you believe it – in a portrait. And while Madge’s own eye-patch wearing interpretation prefers taking a more enterprising approach to the current job market (Madame X is a mother, a child, a teacher, a nun, a singer, and a saint many among other things) it’s a fitting moniker for a record that restlessly explores all sides of contemporary pop at full divisive pelt: visiting Latin pop, all-out Eurotrash, gloomily percussive trap, NYC disco, house, and reggaeton.
 

During its most reckless moments, ‘Madame X’ is bold, bizarre, and unlike anything Madonna has ever done before. The frantic ‘Dark Ballet’ harnesses gloomily spun strings and robotic overlord vocals; it’s as villainous and foreboding as ‘Ray of Light’s darkest moments, or her ‘Die Another Day’ Bond theme. Then, quite out of nowhere, an extended piano interlude morphs into a mangled, glitching excerpt of ‘Dance of the Reed Pipes’ from Tchaikovsky’s ballet ‘The Nutcracker’ – it’s brilliant, overblown ridiculousness. “I want to tell you about love…. and loneliness,” Madonna husks dramatically.

Touching heavily on both these things, ‘Madame X’ explores the state of the world (spoiler: it’s not doing great) at large – as well as Madonna’s place within it – from her new base in Lisbon.  ‘Madame X’ isn’t flawless in its vision: at times, Madonna’s attempts to lead the future revolution can come off as ham-fisted. ‘Killers Who Are Partying’ features some absolute clanging missteps: booming lines like “I’ll be Islam if Islam is hated” and “I’ll be Native Indian if the Indian has been taken” seem like tone-deaf expressions of solidarity, especially from a wealthy white woman who seems to be planting herself at the centre of multiple minority narratives. And moments like ‘I Rise’s rehashed quote from the French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre – “Freedom’s what you choose to do with what’s been done to you” – can border on inspirational fridge magnet territory, too broad to establish real connection.

‘Madame X’ is a far more interesting prospect when the focus moves back onto Madonna herself. ‘Crazy’ – produced by Jason Evigan and Kanye West collaborator Mike Dean – is a self-referential accordion bop: “I bend my knees for you like a prayer,” she sings, pointedly name-checking her 1989 album, and flipping from the original’s religious innuendo, towards doomed, dead-end infatuation  “oh god, look at me now”. Elsewhere, the rhythmic whisper of “cha cha cha” on opener and lead single ‘Medellín’ recalls ‘Hard Candy’s ‘Give It 2 Me’.

‘Bitch I’m Loca’, meanwhile, is the sort of swaggering anthem that campy Disney villain Ursula might belt out from the depths: Maluma (who also appears on lead single ‘Medellín’) the ideal sidekick. “Where do you want me to put this?” he drawls with a comedy wink. “You can put it inside” she replies. It’s like Madonna’s diva sketch at the end of ‘Act Of Contrition’ turned Carry On… Madame X. Her cover of ‘Faz Gostoso’ – originally by Brazilian pop star Blaya – is equally great fun. And the House-inflected standout ‘I Don’t Search I Find’  – bringing to mind Shep Pettibone’s production on ‘Vogue’, and repurposing a quote from Pablo Picasso for its title – is just as playful. “Finally, enough love,” Madonna announces.

Throughout her forty year career, outrage has always tailed Madonna closely; a point which is referenced on the likes of ‘Extreme Occident’ and the vulnerable admissions of ‘Looking For Mercy’ (“flawed by design, please sympathise,” she pleads) . “People have always been trying to silence me for one reason or another, whether it’s that I’m not pretty enough, I don’t sing well enough, I’m not talented enough, I’m not married enough, and now it’s that I’m not young enough,” Madonna recently expanded, speaking to Vogue,

In reality, if age wasn’t the chosen topic of the moment, the star would be “too much” of something – anything – else: too sexual, too attention-seeking, too weird, too controversial, too outspoken, too unwilling to disappear quietly into the good night. Instead, Madonna will do no such thing, happiest dancing said night away to the beat of her own creative drum.

 

For the first time since ‘Confessions on a Dance Floor’, perhaps, there’s a glint in Madonna’s eye; her visible, un-eyepatched one, at least.  Sonically restless, ‘Madame X’ doesn’t imitate current pop trends as much as it mangles them into new shapes. A record that grapples with being “just way too much”, ultimately, it refuses to tone things down.

https://www.nme.com/reviews/album/madonna-madame-x-review

I like this  review, very well written and most important, it’s  positive!

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4 hours ago, elijah said:

https://www.haz.de/Nachrichten/Kultur/Uebersicht/Madame-X-besser-als-nix-Alles-ueber-das-neue-Album-von-Madonna2

Horrible German review. saying she is no longer relevant. Hope a German member would translate it... Or not.

Sorry Germany. Zero point.

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Great review from N.M.E., well written and informative. I still can't get over the RS review, totally out of tune with other respected music magazines. "The album is too weird" basically reveals that the reviewer lacks musical sophistication.

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15 hours ago, Shane said:

It’s interesting how little self awareness so many people have.  To even write the sentence “Although minimally talented, she rose to the top with sheer ambition and by picking the right collaborators” seems like the most tired tact a critic could take, and frankly it’s been tired for twenty five years.  And yet they continue to write it, feeling the need to somehow explain their love of her music.  So damn odd.  I mean David Bowie couldn’t technically sing well (I LOVE him btw) yet is considered a vocal genius.  Sexist much?

Preach it.  The list of sub-par male vocalists that are still heralded as outrageous talents is, regrettably, a long one - David Bowie, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Chris Martin, and countless others.  They barely ever get any criticism or even a mention on their mediocre-or-below vocal ability, instead being heralded.  Apparently, only female singers are judged by their perceived vocal talents - especially M.  It is definitely sexist and sad.

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1 minute ago, Sideris said:

Omg I’m reading the German review.... wtf happened to him/her ??? 😂 I mean why he/she is so angry with M ? 😂

Every review I see from there is so "extra".....I can't even take them seriously. 

Bad vocals in a live performance and a bad album REALLY illicit THAT kind of reaction?? Naw.....this person obviously has some sort of OTHER bee in their bonnet about M.

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6 minutes ago, Kurt420 said:

Every review I see from there is so "extra".....I can't even take them seriously. 

Bad vocals in a live performance and a bad album REALLY illicit THAT kind of reaction?? Naw.....this person obviously has some sort of OTHER bee in their bonnet about M.

probably wanted a "disco stomper" on Eurovision

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1 hour ago, smirnoff_ice said:

So happy about the NME review! i won' bother with the German review as it has no star rating. 

Reviews so far:

The Sun 100/100

Daily Mirror 100/100

Alternative Press 84/100

Q Magazine 80/100

The Times 80/100

The Guardian 80/100

NME 80/100

Rolling Stone 60/100

The Telegraph 60 / 100

Awesome. Thanks for keeping track of this! 💫💫✨✨👸🏼👸🏼

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11 hours ago, Kurt420 said:

Like there's "shame" showing unapologetic love to a "pop star" so a certain amount of nitpicking must take place......even if it's obvious the person is grasping at straws or playing to a tired, disproven (time and time again) narrative that she's "not that talented". Someone around here made the comparison to Hillary Clinton recently and I think that's a great way to put it tqqh. Not saying everything Madonna has done is perfect but there are certain untrue narratives that have become "fact" over the years in regard to her and people simply believe them without even questioning it or really even fully understanding why. 

I LOVE Bowie and his voice but to call him a vocal genius is a huge stretch.....it's certainly a unique and distinctive voice but Sinatra he's not.....same can be said of Jagger, Dylan and so many others that seem to be unquestionably "worshipped". Men singing "rock" music will always get a pass though for their voices because "they rock". I've always said Madonna is a rock star that just happens to do "pop songs" and in my opinion that's where people tend to go wrong in their approach to her. They always like to compare her with other "divas" that are all about "the voice" or basic pop girls that want to please their audience and just be "sexy" and sing cute little pop ditties and Madonna has NEVER been about any of that. Preaching to the choir here but Madonna doesn't do what she does because she thinks she's an amazing singer or because she thinks she's sooooo hot and sexy, she does it so she can have a huge platform to say what she wants to say. Perhaps if people could grasp that, their whole approach to reviewing her would be different. 

+1!!!

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12 hours ago, Kurt420 said:

Madonna is a rock star that just happens to do "pop songs" and in my opinion that's where people tend to go wrong in their approach to her. They always like to compare her with other "divas" that are all about "the voice" or basic pop girls that want to please their audience and just be "sexy" and sing cute little pop ditties and Madonna has NEVER been about any of that

 

Spot on!!

You can see that from very early on. Particularly when in 87 with the WTG Tour. The first mega glimpse of what Madonna is actually worth on stage compared to so many other acts that preceded and followed her, male or female

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2 hours ago, KalamazooJay said:

I still can't get over that Rolling Stone review. 

They've celebrated her -albeit begrudgingly- for the duration of her career. I guess the divisiveness of it all just gets under my skin. It's as if he was on his phone, checking emails, while Madame X played in the background. Plus I've always found RS reviews of her albums to be quite fair on pretty spot on so this is really disappointing. 

I'll always hold a grudge against that magazine for the scathing, misogynistic, and outright unprofessional review of Tori Amos' Boys For Pele. Talk about a review with an agenda.

 

Rolling Stone magazine is not the serious publication it once was. Just like Billboard and MTV and countless other media outlets. Nothing but a plastic payola friendly bastardised versions of themselves

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2 hours ago, alcermag said:

NME: Bold, bizarre, self-referential, and unlike anything Madonna has ever done before
Score: 4/5 stars

 

Madonna’s latest persona ‘Madame X’ borrows her name from the historical figure Virginie Amélie Avegno Gautreau: a socialite and occasional muse who scandalised genteel French society when she bared naked flesh – her entire shoulder, would you believe it – in a portrait. And while Madge’s own eye-patch wearing interpretation prefers taking a more enterprising approach to the current job market (Madame X is a mother, a child, a teacher, a nun, a singer, and a saint many among other things) it’s a fitting moniker for a record that restlessly explores all sides of contemporary pop at full divisive pelt: visiting Latin pop, all-out Eurotrash, gloomily percussive trap, NYC disco, house, and reggaeton.
 

During its most reckless moments, ‘Madame X’ is bold, bizarre, and unlike anything Madonna has ever done before. The frantic ‘Dark Ballet’ harnesses gloomily spun strings and robotic overlord vocals; it’s as villainous and foreboding as ‘Ray of Light’s darkest moments, or her ‘Die Another Day’ Bond theme. Then, quite out of nowhere, an extended piano interlude morphs into a mangled, glitching excerpt of ‘Dance of the Reed Pipes’ from Tchaikovsky’s ballet ‘The Nutcracker’ – it’s brilliant, overblown ridiculousness. “I want to tell you about love…. and loneliness,” Madonna husks dramatically.

Touching heavily on both these things, ‘Madame X’ explores the state of the world (spoiler: it’s not doing great) at large – as well as Madonna’s place within it – from her new base in Lisbon.  ‘Madame X’ isn’t flawless in its vision: at times, Madonna’s attempts to lead the future revolution can come off as ham-fisted. ‘Killers Who Are Partying’ features some absolute clanging missteps: booming lines like “I’ll be Islam if Islam is hated” and “I’ll be Native Indian if the Indian has been taken” seem like tone-deaf expressions of solidarity, especially from a wealthy white woman who seems to be planting herself at the centre of multiple minority narratives. And moments like ‘I Rise’s rehashed quote from the French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre – “Freedom’s what you choose to do with what’s been done to you” – can border on inspirational fridge magnet territory, too broad to establish real connection.

‘Madame X’ is a far more interesting prospect when the focus moves back onto Madonna herself. ‘Crazy’ – produced by Jason Evigan and Kanye West collaborator Mike Dean – is a self-referential accordion bop: “I bend my knees for you like a prayer,” she sings, pointedly name-checking her 1989 album, and flipping from the original’s religious innuendo, towards doomed, dead-end infatuation  “oh god, look at me now”. Elsewhere, the rhythmic whisper of “cha cha cha” on opener and lead single ‘Medellín’ recalls ‘Hard Candy’s ‘Give It 2 Me’.

‘Bitch I’m Loca’, meanwhile, is the sort of swaggering anthem that campy Disney villain Ursula might belt out from the depths: Maluma (who also appears on lead single ‘Medellín’) the ideal sidekick. “Where do you want me to put this?” he drawls with a comedy wink. “You can put it inside” she replies. It’s like Madonna’s diva sketch at the end of ‘Act Of Contrition’ turned Carry On… Madame X. Her cover of ‘Faz Gostoso’ – originally by Brazilian pop star Blaya – is equally great fun. And the House-inflected standout ‘I Don’t Search I Find’  – bringing to mind Shep Pettibone’s production on ‘Vogue’, and repurposing a quote from Pablo Picasso for its title – is just as playful. “Finally, enough love,” Madonna announces.

Throughout her forty year career, outrage has always tailed Madonna closely; a point which is referenced on the likes of ‘Extreme Occident’ and the vulnerable admissions of ‘Looking For Mercy’ (“flawed by design, please sympathise,” she pleads) . “People have always been trying to silence me for one reason or another, whether it’s that I’m not pretty enough, I don’t sing well enough, I’m not talented enough, I’m not married enough, and now it’s that I’m not young enough,” Madonna recently expanded, speaking to Vogue,

In reality, if age wasn’t the chosen topic of the moment, the star would be “too much” of something – anything – else: too sexual, too attention-seeking, too weird, too controversial, too outspoken, too unwilling to disappear quietly into the good night. Instead, Madonna will do no such thing, happiest dancing said night away to the beat of her own creative drum.

 

For the first time since ‘Confessions on a Dance Floor’, perhaps, there’s a glint in Madonna’s eye; her visible, un-eyepatched one, at least.  Sonically restless, ‘Madame X’ doesn’t imitate current pop trends as much as it mangles them into new shapes. A record that grapples with being “just way too much”, ultimately, it refuses to tone things down.

https://www.nme.com/reviews/album/madonna-madame-x-review

 

NME giving her so much love this era. And judging by what we've gotten so far alone, understandably so. Loving it all

 

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1 hour ago, Kurt420 said:

That NME review is perfect!! Focuses just on the music. Clear the reviewer has no agenda going in. 

Between Eurovision and now this, it's clear to me everyone in German media has some sort of stick up their ass. Blech! Hasn't it warmed up there yet for summer?? Maybe some sun will do those people good. Miserable cunts.

 

Yes, indeed

German media as a whole has been pretentious and snobbish towards her for a decade at least. Without telling you why in a convincing manner. As it's often the case in general with Madonna when she gets criticised or downright lambasted for supposedly being "desperate"

I appreciate even an unfavorable review as long as you don't read between the lines that it's an actual personal issue against her with the writer

But constructive and REAL critiques are very welcome and sometimes helpful. You don't get any of that when you read some of those German articles from the past few years

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Just now, Shane said:

NME loves Crazy and is the first to say something nice about Looking For Mercy!

Crazy has been pretty well received aside from The Daily Mail I believe.

I'd say God Control, Batuka, and I Don't Search I Find are the most consistently liked overall. Haven't seen much negative out Come Alive either. And then Medellin and Crave from the already released songs have been pretty universally praised. 

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