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Madfan58

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    MDNA Press Reviews

    in ARCHIVE - Madonna

    Posted

    http://www.chron.com/default/article/The-queen-of-pop-isn-t-dead-3430567.php

    The Houston Chronicle

    The queen of pop isn't dead

    By Joey Guerra

    Rumors of Madonna's irrelevance have been greatly exaggerated.

    They started almost three decades ago, when her second album was supposed to be a flop. It was "Like a Virgin," and we all know how that turned out. Rumblings resurface every few years - "Shanghai Surprise," the "Sex/Erotica/Body of Evidence" trifecta, "American Life," 2008's uneven "Hard Candy."

    This year's Super Bowl extravaganza, an introduction of sorts to "MDNA"-era Madonna, was supposed to signal another downturn. She's too old to be doing that. Too weirdly muscular. Too slow. Too silly. Why is LMFAO there? (A fair question, unless you're not sorry for party rockin'.)

    At its core, however, it felt like a three-pronged attack: sexism, ageism and pop-ism. Nevermind that Madonna is the only pop star of an elite '80s group who has remained a true commercial force. (Prince, Cyndi Lauper, even fallen idols Whitney Houston and Michael Jackson were abandoned by radio years ago.)

    There's no denying Madonna's iconic status, legacy or influence. She's moved more than 300 million records worldwide and is the Guinness World Records' best-selling female artist of all time. She's a member of the Rock Hall of Fame. Her Sticky & Sweet Tour is the most successful by a solo artist - ever. That boast is likely to be smashed by the upcoming trek, her biggest in years, which plays Oct. 24 and 25 at Toyota Center.

    "MDNA" is already setting records, too. It hit No. 1 on iTunes in 50 countries and became the largest one-day preorder of any album in the site's history. Super Bowl-fueled first single "Give Me All Your Luvin" was Madonna's 38th top-10 hit, the most by any artist in chart history. More than Elvis. More than the Beatles. More than Jackson. (That song's shiny-happy sound, by the way, is nowhere near representative of the full album.)

    But it's not just about numbers. The best pop music captures moments in time and typifies movements. It's both immediate and timeless, like the best of Madonna's catalog. Few artists today will likely stand that test of time. (I'm talking to you, Katy Perry.)

    "MDNA," online and in stores Monday, flies, twirls and snaps in the face of all those accusations. It wisely draws inspiration from the fuzzy brilliance of "Ray of Light" and the luxurious grooves of "Confessions on a Dance Floor," two of Madonna's best albums.

    At its best, this is deep, dark, sometimes disturbing dance music. There are a few sonic themes happening throughout, from after-hours club sweat to pop-starlet sparkle. Madonna says she felt like a "caged animal" during the process, and that urgency anchors the best tracks.

    "Gang Bang" finds her wielding an ominous whisper atop a dank leather-bar groove. The lyrics are pure B-movie camp ("And if I see that bitch in hell/I'm gonna shoot him in the head again"), and as the title indicates, it evokes the smoky spirit of Cher's (or Nancy Sinatra, if you prefer) "Bang Bang." It's biting, aggressive and gleefully over-the-top.

    "I'm Addicted" soars like a fluttering haze of dance-floor strobe lights and plays on the album title. MDMA is the clinical name for the drug ecstasy, and the song revels in a mix of danger and euphoria. M.I.A. features on the kitschy, '80s-inspired "Some Girls" and lends the song's entire framework a bit of her swagger. (The collaboration repeats on frisky bonus cut "B-Day Song.")

    No current female is digging into such aggressive sounds. Not Gaga. Not Rihanna. Neither of whom would be around, by the way, if it weren't for Madonna. (Only Britney Spears, surprisingly enough, has mined similar territory on her past few albums.) It helps that Madonna doesn't pander to obvious production (RedOne, Max Martin, StarGate), instead enlisting William Orbit, Martin Solveig and Benny Benassi.

    Second single "Girl Gone Wild" is hardly ground-breaking, but the beat and hook are undeniably infectious and pound more intently with each listen. The newly released video is an orgiastic homage to some of Madonna's most iconic imagery, including her "Sex" book. And like the best of her clips, it ups the appeal considerably.

    To be sure, Madonna fills out the album with more commercial fare. "Turn Up the Radio" is a bright-eyed dance track tailored for airplay and sing-alongs; and "Superstar" is a pop trifle whose earnest wonder and lyrics ("You can have the password to my phone/I'll give you a massage when you get home") seem better-suited for a simpler singer. Daughter Lourdes contributes backing vocals, which might explain the girly feel.

    There's a retro, '60s line running through "I'm a Sinner" and "Beautiful Killer," accessorized with swoops of disco. Madonna revisits her "American Life" rap cadence during "I Don't Give A," a superstar mom credo of sorts that drafts another Nicki Minaj cameo and a kooky operatic finale. It's so random it works. And she's likely addressing her dissolved marriage to filmmaker Guy Ritchie on pointed, poignant tracks "Best Friend" ("I miss your brain/The way you think/But I don't miss the way you used to drink") and "I F'ed Up" ("I'm sorry/I'm not afraid to say/I wish I could take you back but I can't").

    "Falling Free" is the album's emotional showpiece, a somber, stop-start ballad built on eerie piano, gentle guitar licks and electronic twitches.

    "Deep and pure our hearts align/Then I'm free, I'm free of mine," she repeats throughout the song's five-plus minutes. Love and loss in one gorgeous swoon. That's not the sound of irrelevance. It's the Queen of Pop, settling back into her throne.

    joey.guerra@chron.com

    The MDNA Thread

    in ARCHIVE - Madonna

    Posted

    http://madonna.com/news/title/album-redemption-info-from-ticketmaster

    Album Redemption Info From Ticketmaster

    Madonna fans! For those of you who purchased Madonna 2012 World Tour concert tickets from Ticketmaster North America, your order comes along with a copy of MDNA. Ticketmaster distributed an email message to Madonna ticket purchasers, with instructions on how to redeem their album (either in digital or physical format).

    If you are a purchaser of tickets from Ticketmaster.com, and did not receive this message, please contact Ticketmaster Customer Service for assistance.

    Anyone know what's going to happen to the ones that purchased the VIP tickets through Live Nation?

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