Rebel Heart Tour press reports, reviews, videos & pictures

[palladium75]

Well, that's actually what I meant. Connecting and talking to the audience = being less robotic and more approachable and 'human' to the GP

yeah, but someone like me likes more theatrical and organized and more dances.

this show seems more improvised and approachable but less organized and tight.

i prefer her dance and spectacle shows.

but i think she could do this kind of show once in a while.

i hope next tour will be more theatrical and grander with more dances.

Edited September 25, 2015 by palladium75

[Jazzy Jan]

[Glindathegood]

Great review, thanks! It's funny to see how people appreciate and love her more when her focus is less on theatrics and more on having fun and smiling througout the show. I believe it makes her seem more 'human' and that's what the GP wants.

Not just Madonna, but the GP goes to concerts by any artist to have fun and honestly to hear songs they like. We can talk about theatrics or story arcs and I know us hard core fans love that, but the general public doesn't analyze shows that deeply. They see a concert as a fun night out to sing and dance along to songs they like. They want to feel the artist connects with them on a personal level and appreciates them as fans. It doesn't matter if it's Madonna or any other artist. That is how most people view concerts.

[Glindathegood]

yeah, but someone like me likes more theatrical and organized and more dances.

this show seems more improvised and approachable but less organized and tight.

i prefer her dance and spectacle shows.

but i think she could do this kind of show once in a while.

i hope next tour will be more theatrical and grander with more dances.

I don't agree. I feel she and the audience is loving the more conventional concert feel. I think on the next tour she should go even more in this direction, maybe even changing the set list more from night to night. I think the dance and spectacle thing has become too predictable and some people are bored with it. This new style is refreshing and connects with people better.

[Jazzy Jan]

Not just Madonna, but the GP goes to concerts by any artist to have fun and honestly to hear songs they like. We can talk about theatrics or story arcs and I know us hard core fans love that, but the general public doesn't analyze shows that deeply. They see a concert as a fun night out to sing and dance along to songs they like. They want to feel the artist connects with them on a personal level and appreciates them as fans. It doesn't matter if it's Madonna or any other artist. That is how most people view concerts.

Pretty much the truth. We can debate it all till we are blue in the face, but the GP concert goers mainly want to hear songs they know and love. Pop classics and beautiful ballads. Sad songs that make people emotional also pack a huge positive punch with the General Public who go to concerts. Madonna is such a great entertainer that she puts the artistry and brilliance in everything. What makes her stand out from the basic pop stars.

[Glindathegood]

Here's a review of last night. Be aware slightly oversensitive people, it's a bit negative but not too bad. I guess it's her first slightly critical review. I don't think it's too bad though. For whatever reason, Philly didn't seem to have the same response as the earlier shows. Oh well, you can't win them all!

http://www.philly.com/philly/entertainment/20150926_Madonna_at_the_Wells_Fargo__Entertaining__but_doesn_t_catch_fire.html

One more night of sin before the Holy Father comes to town: On the eve of Pope Francis' historic visit to Philadelphia, the woman named after the Virgin Mother, a woman who has used rebellion against the Catholic Church as fuel for her three-decade career as a pop provocateur, served as The Pontiff's opening act in South Philadelphia.

Madonna brought her Rebel Heart tour to a not-quite-sold-out Wells Fargo Center crowd on Thursday night, with the 57-year-old dance pop superstar attracting a largely female crowd, mainly in her demographic range, that skewed younger and more multicultural among gay male fans.

The show opened with the new album's overbearing and strained "Iconic," with a filmed intro in which Madonna copped to "an insatiable desire to be noticed." Prerecorded video segments featured Mike Tyson and Chance the Rapper, and ill-conceived costuming positioned our heroine as half ninja warrior, half Joan of Arc.

That set the stage for a night of self-mythologizing, which included the new album's "Bitch I'm Madonna" and "Unapologetic Bitch" - clearly currently her favorite word, often used as a term of endearment to express love for her fans.

The show got better and somewhat less heavy-handed from there. But Madonna is never one for subtlety in her theatrical presentation. She surrounded herself with video screen flames in "Burning Up" - an oldie but goodie from her 1983 debut album, played early in the set - and acted out the double entendres of "Body Shop" while writhing on the hood of a classic hot rod onstage.

The segment most designed to make Pope Francis blush was the early combo of the Kanye West-produced "Holy Water" mashed up with "Vogue." The oral sex metaphor that asked supplicants to "bless yourself and genuflect" featured Madge and a barely dressed female dancer in nun habits spinning around on combination stripper pole/crucifixes before acting out a bacchanal on an onstage altar scene modeled after Leonardo's Last Supper. Forgive her, Father, for she has sinned.

The early parts of the show were weighed down by the heavily choreographed numbers and the need to include songs from the new album that even ardent fans seemed less than thrilled to hear.

But things loosened up in the midsection, with a barrage of playful hits like the delightfully camp, Spanish-tinged "La Isla Bonita" and the disco duo of "Dress You Up" and "Into The Groove."

After those two, Madonna took a breather at the edge of the extended stage that reached more than halfway across the sports arena floor and addressed her audience. "You know what I think is interesting is the Pope is stalking me," she said, pointing out that Francis' visit to New York this week also came a few days after her performance there. "Either that, or he's secretly in love with me." During that interlude, she urged her fans to express their love for her, and seemed underwhelmed by their somewhat tepid response.

Later, a Cotton Club-style extended production number included the glitchy Euro disco of "Music" and four-on-the-floor thump of "Candy Shop," and featured one dancer wearing a half-gown/half-tuxedo outfit. Madonna dedicated a portion of the medley to Il Papa.

As the show wore on, her stage patter - spoken in an oddly high-pitched voice that seemed unfamiliar - got more Pope-centric.

"Rules are for fools, right?" she said.

"That's why I like the new Pope; he seems really open-minded," she said, adding that "I've been excommunicated by the Catholic Church three times. I'm very proud of that. It shows that the Vatican cares." Later, after bringing an male audience member up to dance during "Unapologetic Bitch," she directed him off-stage and playfully said, "Go down and down, straight to hell, where I'll be waiting for you."

After that, Madonna still had plenty of hits at her disposal, but opted to finish with a single song encore of "Holiday." It never became the truly effusive celebration it aimed to be, and as Madonna, dressed in an Uncle Sam outfit, made her red-white-and-blue departure, lifted up to the rafters in a harness, it brought to a close a solidly entertaining two-hour show that never really caught fire.

[Routa]

"not so sold out" yeah... It was a sold out as far as I know but yeah, not that bad. Clearly a conservative/religious reviewer who just don't like her.

[calzolari]

" Not-quite- sold- out wells fargo"!

[Nikki]

seems the review focuses on audience reactions instead of madonna as a performer or singer. but at least it proves all reviews are honest. also proves that she has to add WTG

[graffitiheart]

The very first review of the opening show in Montreal by La Presse was negative, of course it was in French so few payed attention around the world , but this review in Philly is not the first nor the last critical one, what matters is that the overwhelming majority is loving the show (fans and press alike)

[Jazzy Jan]

Here's a review of last night. Be aware slightly oversensitive people, it's a bit negative but not too bad. I guess it's her first slightly critical review. I don't think it's too bad though. For whatever reason, Philly didn't seem to have the same response as the earlier shows. Oh well, you can't win them all!

http://www.philly.com/philly/entertainment/20150926_Madonna_at_the_Wells_Fargo__Entertaining__but_doesn_t_catch_fire.html

One more night of sin before the Holy Father comes to town: On the eve of Pope Francis' historic visit to Philadelphia, the woman named after the Virgin Mother, a woman who has used rebellion against the Catholic Church as fuel for her three-decade career as a pop provocateur, served as The Pontiff's opening act in South Philadelphia.

Madonna brought her Rebel Heart tour to a not-quite-sold-out Wells Fargo Center crowd on Thursday night, with the 57-year-old dance pop superstar attracting a largely female crowd, mainly in her demographic range, that skewed younger and more multicultural among gay male fans.

The show opened with the new album's overbearing and strained "Iconic," with a filmed intro in which Madonna copped to "an insatiable desire to be noticed." Prerecorded video segments featured Mike Tyson and Chance the Rapper, and ill-conceived costuming positioned our heroine as half ninja warrior, half Joan of Arc.

That set the stage for a night of self-mythologizing, which included the new album's "Bitch I'm Madonna" and "Unapologetic Bitch" - clearly currently her favorite word, often used as a term of endearment to express love for her fans.

The show got better and somewhat less heavy-handed from there. But Madonna is never one for subtlety in her theatrical presentation. She surrounded herself with video screen flames in "Burning Up" - an oldie but goodie from her 1983 debut album, played early in the set - and acted out the double entendres of "Body Shop" while writhing on the hood of a classic hot rod onstage.

The segment most designed to make Pope Francis blush was the early combo of the Kanye West-produced "Holy Water" mashed up with "Vogue." The oral sex metaphor that asked supplicants to "bless yourself and genuflect" featured Madge and a barely dressed female dancer in nun habits spinning around on combination stripper pole/crucifixes before acting out a bacchanal on an onstage altar scene modeled after Leonardo's Last Supper. Forgive her, Father, for she has sinned.

The early parts of the show were weighed down by the heavily choreographed numbers and the need to include songs from the new album that even ardent fans seemed less than thrilled to hear.

But things loosened up in the midsection, with a barrage of playful hits like the delightfully camp, Spanish-tinged "La Isla Bonita" and the disco duo of "Dress You Up" and "Into The Groove."

After those two, Madonna took a breather at the edge of the extended stage that reached more than halfway across the sports arena floor and addressed her audience. "You know what I think is interesting is the Pope is stalking me," she said, pointing out that Francis' visit to New York this week also came a few days after her performance there. "Either that, or he's secretly in love with me." During that interlude, she urged her fans to express their love for her, and seemed underwhelmed by their somewhat tepid response.

Later, a Cotton Club-style extended production number included the glitchy Euro disco of "Music" and four-on-the-floor thump of "Candy Shop," and featured one dancer wearing a half-gown/half-tuxedo outfit. Madonna dedicated a portion of the medley to Il Papa.

As the show wore on, her stage patter - spoken in an oddly high-pitched voice that seemed unfamiliar - got more Pope-centric.

"Rules are for fools, right?" she said.

"That's why I like the new Pope; he seems really open-minded," she said, adding that "I've been excommunicated by the Catholic Church three times. I'm very proud of that. It shows that the Vatican cares." Later, after bringing an male audience member up to dance during "Unapologetic Bitch," she directed him off-stage and playfully said, "Go down and down, straight to hell, where I'll be waiting for you."

After that, Madonna still had plenty of hits at her disposal, but opted to finish with a single song encore of "Holiday." It never became the truly effusive celebration it aimed to be, and as Madonna, dressed in an Uncle Sam outfit, made her red-white-and-blue departure, lifted up to the rafters in a harness, it brought to a close a solidly entertaining two-hour show that never really caught fire.

What a passive-aggressive review. Very obvious that the reviewer does not like her.

[dollhouse]

"The early parts of the show were weighed down by the heavily choreographed numbers and the need to include songs from the new album that even ardent fans seemed less than thrilled to hear."

?

[Flip The Switch]

"The early parts of the show were weighed down by the heavily choreographed numbers and the need to include songs from the new album that even ardent fans seemed less than thrilled to hear."

?

Shady mess.

[Moka]

An interesting interview of the guy who did the remix of Like a Virgin used in the Rebel Heart Tour (it's in french because he's french ) :

http://www.republicain-lorrain.fr/actualite/2015/09/25/un-lorrain-fait-chanter-madonna

He says he was contacted by an assistant of Guy O (Sara something) at the beginning of July, they were interested in his remix. He had no news until the end of August, he signed a contract with the lawers of Boy Toy Inc, and he was payed 3500€ for perpetual use of the remix. And the guy says he watched the first Montreal show live on a website (certainly Periscope ) to see Madonna sing his remix

I thought it would be interesting to share this!

[Roland Barthes]

An interesting interview of the guy who did the remix of Like a Virgin used in the Rebel Heart Tour (it's in french because he's french ) :

http://www.republicain-lorrain.fr/actualite/2015/09/25/un-lorrain-fait-chanter-madonna

He says he was contacted by an assistant of Guy O (Sara something) at the beginning of July, they were interested in his remix. He had no news until the end of August, he signed a contract with the lawers of Boy Toy Inc, and he was payed 3500€ for perpetual use of the remix. And the guy says he watched the first Montreal show live on a website (certainly Periscope ) to see Madonna sing his remix

I thought it would be interesting to share this!

He says he is not a Madonna fan ???? Who the fuck is he kidding ???

[surannée]

Context, people, context...

"même si lui-même avoue ne pas être un fan de Madonna qui fait de la musique, mais bien « un musicien qui apprécie certains albums de la madone »."

He's not a music-making Madonna fan, but a musician who appreciates some Madonna albums.

[Flip The Switch]

I hope to see her more often using fan mixes for her tours. There's some talent out there and IMO way better than official ones. Just what he did with rob and other fans for the artwork of Rebel Heart.

[Glindathegood]

Boy, they don't like her in Philadelphia. Here is another somewhat negative review. This is another one from a conventional music critic who does understand the theatrics or her sense of humor, but he finds a few positives! But he makes a mistake saying Ghosttown has been on the setlist from the start. All he seems to care about is if she sings every hit she ever recorded. He seems pretty conservative, when he says her provocation is without a point, which I don't think is true at all. And of course he throws in the usual age related desperate thing!

http://touch.mcall.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-84518353/

Two-thirds of the way through her concert Thursday at Philadelphia’s Wells Fargo Center, Madonna introduced the title track to her new album “Rebel Heart” by thanking her audience.

“You have allowed me to be provocative, experimental … and hopefully lovable,” she said. “And to be the rebel heart that I am.”

And certainly Madonna hasn’t made it this far into her career – more than 30 years and 65 million albums sold – by being static.

Trouble is, Madonna’s “experimentation” has often resulted in the weakest music of her career, and her provocation has often been without a point, making it, well, pointless. That’s even more true now – being a provocateur at 57 can sometimes seem like desperation.

So while much of Madonna’s 21-song show (with snippets of seven others and parts of four more played over the speakers during interludes when she left the stage) was unquestionably entertaining on some level, it wasn’t always the best music.

Instead, the show’s best points were when Madonna simply sang – even better when she sang simply.

The show also was weighted heavily to Madonna’s new disc, with 10 of the songs from that disc, including five of the first six.

That gave the show a decidedly slow start, despite it being by far the most theatrical part of the night. It opened with the new “Iconic,” with 14 ancient-Egyptian-looking dancers on stage as Madonna was lowered in a cage.

Even “Bitch, I’m Madonna,” with duet partner Nicki Minaj rapping on the big screen, failed to grab the listener. And the one old song she played early, “Burning Up,” didn’t have the heat the title implies.

The next half-hour of the show had Madonna targeting Catholicism, as six dancers wearing nuns wimples used crosses as stripper poles during “Holy Water” and Madonna climbed a cross as the song segued into a snippet of “Vogue,” then writhed atop the “Last Supper” table chanting the “Holy Cross” lyric “Yeezus loves my p---y best!” on the following “Devil Pray,” she writhed at the feet of a seated “priest.”

It all came off as bad theater, and if there was a desperation moment in the night, that seemed to be it. Organized Christianity is a very cliched target, and Madonna’s has (ab)used its imagery since 1989’s “Like a Prayer” – which surprisingly, given the religious overtones, she didn’t sing.

But Madonna is nothing if not opportunistic, and she spent a good deal of the night talking about Pope Francis’ visit to Philadelphia this weekend.

She said it seemed the Pope was stalking her – visiting New York a day after she was there and following her to Philadelphia. “He’s a copycat, right? Or he’s secretly in love with me.”

After climbing atop a table to dance energetically on a better number, “Music,” she said, “I made it. Can the pope do that?” She then dedicated the second half of the song, with a snippet of “Give It 2 Me,” to him.

Before a French-language version of “La Vie En Rose,” she said she had been excommunicated from the Catholic church three times. “I’d like a big round of applause for that; I’m very proud of that,” she said. “It shows that the Vatican cares.

“ And since the Pope – Popey-wopey -- is on his way over here, bless him, I want to dedicate this song to him. … Honestly, I don’t think there’s that much difference between me and the Pope. We both wear dresses. I’ll stop right there.”

And after a slow and theatrical version of another better song, “Material Girl,” she did a wedding march and tossed her bouquet to a gay male couple, she said, “Rules are for fools. That’s why I like the new Pope – he seems very open-minded. “

But the concert was immeasurably better when Madonna simply sang. “Body Shop” from her new disc, sung amid a full stage garage, including the front of a car -- was slow, yet far more intersting and fun. The following “True Blue,” largely acoustic, also was good. And she also seemed to really sing on the new “Heartbreak City,” which included a snippet of “Love Don’t Live Here Anymore.”

Her big hits were even better, even though she slowed “Like a Virgin” to a Caribbean lilt, taking some of the fun out of it, and added snippets of “Justify My Love” and “Heartbeat.” She also danced her most energetically – something in short supply on the night – and even twerked.

“Dress You Up” was rearranged as a Flamenco/Salsa number – also with snippets, of “Into The Groove” and “Lucky Star,” and the fact that her voice went off key just proved she was singing live. (Whether that was the case all night was unclear: on her hit “Music,” her voice continued as she danced with the mic at her side.)

And even when she did do a hit as a big production -- “La Isla Bonita,” with more than a dozen dancers in traditional Mexican garb – it made sense.

But the show skipped an awful lot of Madonna’s hits. She didn’t do “Borderline,” “Crazy for You,” “Live to Tell” “Open Your Heart” or “Cherish.” And despite her interest in religion, she also left out “Papa Don’t Preach.”

She also took an inordinate amount of time off stage – a total of 15 minutes, or one-seventh of the show -- to change costumes, filling the time with her dancers suggestively romping in bed to “S.E.X.” or swinging atop 10-feet-tall poles to “Illuminati.”

She saved the best of the new for late in the show, doing “Ghosttown” as a “request” (a bit of an untruth, it’s been on the set list since the tour started) with just her and guitar. And on the title track of “Rebel Heart,” she really sang.

She closed the main set with the new “Unapologetic Bitch,” bringing an audience member, “Stefan,” on stage to dance and get banana for his efforts before telling the crowd, “Goodbye, my bitches.”

Then she returned for a six-minute encore of her first charting single, “Holiday.” On it, she and the dancers simply filled the stage with an energetic performance.

No experimentation or provocation was needed to make it good.

[Flip The Switch]

[Glindathegood]

Yes, it's a total crap review. It's nice when she does her big hits and I certainly enjoy them, but I think her shows would lose their special quality if she was like every other artist who just sang their hits in a straightforward way without any other elements or theatre or provocation. I think this tour does a good job of balancing both things. But of course these uptight male critics want her to do just a conventional concert. But that's not to me a true Madonna show.

[surannée]

Revolting, unfair review. Disgusting! Ewwww!!!

[Glindathegood]

Revolting, unfair review. Disgusting! Ewwww!!!

This guy obviously has no taste. He also wrote a crap review of the Culture Club concert I went to which was the second best show I went to this year after Madonna!

[Flip The Switch]

Yes, it's a total crap review. It's nice when she does her big hits and I certainly enjoy them, but I think her shows would lose their special quality if she was like every other artist who just sang their hits in a straightforward way without any other elements or theatre or provocation. I think this tour does a good job of balancing both things. But of course these uptight male critics want her to do just a conventional concert. But that's not to me a true Madonna show.

Exactly. That's what's make her fabulous, not to mention her input and visuals on stage. After 30 years, some pretend to not *get her*.

[boy skeffington]

Madonna will always get negativity. It's the role she plays. Since the LOVE has been palpable for a few weeks, you can expect negativity to attempt to shout its way in.

Slagging off Madonna is always more in vogue than praising her.

[TrueBlue]

She really sang? Duh! What an idiot. Not getting facts straight to begin with (GT from the start of the tour..) it's sad that people get paid writing without having a clue.

Did she really incorporate Give It 2 Me?

[XXL]

Boy, they don't like her in Philadelphia. Here is another somewhat negative review. This is another one from a conventional music critic who does understand the theatrics or her sense of humor, but he finds a few positives! But he makes a mistake saying Ghosttown has been on the setlist from the start. All he seems to care about is if she sings every hit she ever recorded. He seems pretty conservative, when he says her provocation is without a point, which I don't think is true at all. And of course he throws in the usual age related desperate thing!

http://touch.mcall.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-84518353/

Two-thirds of the way through her concert Thursday at Philadelphia’s Wells Fargo Center, Madonna introduced the title track to her new album “Rebel Heart” by thanking her audience.

“You have allowed me to be provocative, experimental … and hopefully lovable,” she said. “And to be the rebel heart that I am.”

And certainly Madonna hasn’t made it this far into her career – more than 30 years and 65 million albums sold – by being static.

Trouble is, Madonna’s “experimentation” has often resulted in the weakest music of her career, and her provocation has often been without a point, making it, well, pointless. That’s even more true now – being a provocateur at 57 can sometimes seem like desperation.

So while much of Madonna’s 21-song show (with snippets of seven others and parts of four more played over the speakers during interludes when she left the stage) was unquestionably entertaining on some level, it wasn’t always the best music.

Instead, the show’s best points were when Madonna simply sang – even better when she sang simply.

The show also was weighted heavily to Madonna’s new disc, with 10 of the songs from that disc, including five of the first six.

That gave the show a decidedly slow start, despite it being by far the most theatrical part of the night. It opened with the new “Iconic,” with 14 ancient-Egyptian-looking dancers on stage as Madonna was lowered in a cage.

Even “Bitch, I’m Madonna,” with duet partner Nicki Minaj rapping on the big screen, failed to grab the listener. And the one old song she played early, “Burning Up,” didn’t have the heat the title implies.

The next half-hour of the show had Madonna targeting Catholicism, as six dancers wearing nuns wimples used crosses as stripper poles during “Holy Water” and Madonna climbed a cross as the song segued into a snippet of “Vogue,” then writhed atop the “Last Supper” table chanting the “Holy Cross” lyric “Yeezus loves my p---y best!” on the following “Devil Pray,” she writhed at the feet of a seated “priest.”

It all came off as bad theater, and if there was a desperation moment in the night, that seemed to be it. Organized Christianity is a very cliched target, and Madonna’s has (ab)used its imagery since 1989’s “Like a Prayer” – which surprisingly, given the religious overtones, she didn’t sing.

But Madonna is nothing if not opportunistic, and she spent a good deal of the night talking about Pope Francis’ visit to Philadelphia this weekend.

She said it seemed the Pope was stalking her – visiting New York a day after she was there and following her to Philadelphia. “He’s a copycat, right? Or he’s secretly in love with me.”

After climbing atop a table to dance energetically on a better number, “Music,” she said, “I made it. Can the pope do that?” She then dedicated the second half of the song, with a snippet of “Give It 2 Me,” to him.

Before a French-language version of “La Vie En Rose,” she said she had been excommunicated from the Catholic church three times. “I’d like a big round of applause for that; I’m very proud of that,” she said. “It shows that the Vatican cares.

“ And since the Pope – Popey-wopey -- is on his way over here, bless him, I want to dedicate this song to him. … Honestly, I don’t think there’s that much difference between me and the Pope. We both wear dresses. I’ll stop right there.”

And after a slow and theatrical version of another better song, “Material Girl,” she did a wedding march and tossed her bouquet to a gay male couple, she said, “Rules are for fools. That’s why I like the new Pope – he seems very open-minded. “

But the concert was immeasurably better when Madonna simply sang. “Body Shop” from her new disc, sung amid a full stage garage, including the front of a car -- was slow, yet far more intersting and fun. The following “True Blue,” largely acoustic, also was good. And she also seemed to really sing on the new “Heartbreak City,” which included a snippet of “Love Don’t Live Here Anymore.”

Her big hits were even better, even though she slowed “Like a Virgin” to a Caribbean lilt, taking some of the fun out of it, and added snippets of “Justify My Love” and “Heartbeat.” She also danced her most energetically – something in short supply on the night – and even twerked.

“Dress You Up” was rearranged as a Flamenco/Salsa number – also with snippets, of “Into The Groove” and “Lucky Star,” and the fact that her voice went off key just proved she was singing live. (Whether that was the case all night was unclear: on her hit “Music,” her voice continued as she danced with the mic at her side.)

And even when she did do a hit as a big production -- “La Isla Bonita,” with more than a dozen dancers in traditional Mexican garb – it made sense.

But the show skipped an awful lot of Madonna’s hits. She didn’t do “Borderline,” “Crazy for You,” “Live to Tell” “Open Your Heart” or “Cherish.” And despite her interest in religion, she also left out “Papa Don’t Preach.”

She also took an inordinate amount of time off stage – a total of 15 minutes, or one-seventh of the show -- to change costumes, filling the time with her dancers suggestively romping in bed to “S.E.X.” or swinging atop 10-feet-tall poles to “Illuminati.”

She saved the best of the new for late in the show, doing “Ghosttown” as a “request” (a bit of an untruth, it’s been on the set list since the tour started) with just her and guitar. And on the title track of “Rebel Heart,” she really sang.

She closed the main set with the new “Unapologetic Bitch,” bringing an audience member, “Stefan,” on stage to dance and get banana for his efforts before telling the crowd, “Goodbye, my bitches.”

Then she returned for a six-minute encore of her first charting single, “Holiday.” On it, she and the dancers simply filled the stage with an energetic performance.

No experimentation or provocation was needed to make it good.

Mediocre journalist and not because he's not lavishing 200% praise on her

From the way it was written, to most facts and data he relates, all wrong

It's obvious this isn't a big outlet piece because otherwise it wouldn't even get approved

[TrueBlue]

Mediocre journalist and not because he's not lavishing 200% praise on her

From the way it was written, to most facts and data he relates, all wrong

It's obvious this isn't a big outlet piece because otherwise it wouldn't even get approved

I wrote better reviews as an untrained unpaid student news paper journalist in the last century.. We wouldn't have printed such a mess of an article.

(Amongst others I reviewed a concert of Steve Wynn (of former Dream Syndicate) and interviewed him, and even if he kept messing up the interview with trying to chat me up as well as two other girls and I barely knew anything about him my review was better than this crap)

[XXL]

"And certainly Madonna hasn’t made it this far into her career – more than 30 years and 65 million albums sold – by being static.

Trouble is, Madonna’s “experimentation” has often resulted in the weakest music of her career, and her provocation has often been without a point, making it, well, pointless."

Poor thing

[Nikki]

just ignore them. they obviously don't care about her and just saw out of curiosity & free concert and excuse to give shit to her. they may be pope fans without humour

[XXL]

I wrote better reviews as an untrained unpaid student news paper journalist in the last century.. We wouldn't have printed such a mess of an article.