Madame X: Album Discussion

[Jim34]

1 hour ago, vertigokane said:

Inside Madonna's Ambitious 'Madame X' Album Campaign: Augmented Reality, Multiple Singles, Tour Prep and TikTok

Less than an hour after she delivered one of the most imaginative awards show performances in a career full of them, Madonna stood backstage in an eye patch at the Billboard Music Awards, explaining how the seeds of her forthcoming album, Madame X, were planted more than three decades ago.

“[Madame X] was a name given to me when I was 19 and I first moved to New York, by a woman who I looked up to and admired,” Madonna told Billboard's Senior Director of Charts Keith Caulfield. The woman she was referring to was modern dance genius Martha Graham, who influenced Madonna’s choreography as a mentor, prior to her death in 1991. “And she gave me that name because she said she couldn’t recognize all my different personas, because I kept changing the way I looked.

“And that was in the beginning of my career, when I didn’t think about who I should be or what I should be -- I was experimenting,” Madonna continued. “And so I felt like I had come full circle, and gave the record that name, because I’m in the same frame of mind.”

If the title of Madame X, Madonna’s fourteenth studio album due out June 14, reflects the complex, multifaceted nature of her pop aesthetic, so will the way in which the full-length is unfurled. There’s already been “Medellín,” the mid-tempo, multi-lingual Latin pop confection alongside Colombian heartthrob Maluma released last month, as well as its opulent, cinematic music video for the track, which clocks in at nearly seven minutes.

Then there was the pair’s Billboard Music Awards showcase of the song, which combined live dancers and light BDSM play with augmented reality technology, which allowed multiple avatars of Madonna to seemingly grace the stage on the ceremony’s telecast. Madonna says that she came up with the concept for the eye-popping set piece “many, many months ago,” and required weeks of rehearsals to properly configure her AR personas for the green screen.

Yet as ambitious as the visual presentations of “Medellín” have been, the song represents just the first piece of the multi-track pre-album rollout that Madonna has planned over the next six weeks. The Maluma collaboration has already been followed by “I Rise,” the theatrical solo song that closes out the Madame X track list and was unveiled on Friday (May 3). The inspirational track features a sample of speech made by Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School school shooting survivor Emma González

Next up is “Crave,” the combustible team-up with Swae Lee, on May 10; the Rae Sremmurd rapper is currently riding a hot streak as a featured artist thanks to his appearance on French Montana’s “Unforgettable,” Travis Scott’s “Sicko Mode” and Ellie Goulding and Diplo's “Close to Me.” After “Crave” comes “Future,” a Quavo collaboration that was also produced by Diplo, on May 17, and finally June 7 will bring “Dark Ballet,” one of the more multi-dimensional songs on the new album, according to President of Maverick Music Greg Thompson.

“[The album] is a journey, and there are a lot of chapters,” Thompson explains of the decision to slowly trickle out five tracks ahead of the release, a deviation from Madonna’s previous rollouts. Her last album, 2015’s Rebel Heart, suffered leaks months ahead of release, resulting in six songs being rushed out early for an iTunes pre-order. “In a world where we’re more song-driven than we’ve been in a long time as an industry, it became a real question and a challenge: How do we make sure that people really understand this album by the time it comes out, but still have songs that can be hit singles in certain areas?”

To that end, “Crave” with Swae Lee will become the de facto pop radio single upon its release, with an official music video to soon follow. Meanwhile, “Medellín” -- which received a global television launch across Viacom networks in April -- will continue being pushed in Latin markets. The decision to lead with “Medellín” instead of “Crave” came down to the belief that it was “the signature track to the body of work, and the right place to start telling the story,” says Thompson. He adds, “I think we have a good shot to get a top five club record with some [‘Medellín’] remixes, and get that song into people’s spaces that they might not anticipate.” (Madonna has notched a record 57 top five-charting hits on Billboard’s Dance Club Songs chart.)

https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/8509948/madonna-madame-x-album-campaign-rollout

Interesting read. I think this release strategy is in point. The rollout til now seems to work.

 

[CalinB]

1 hour ago, vertigokane said:

Inside Madonna's Ambitious 'Madame X' Album Campaign: Augmented Reality, Multiple Singles, Tour Prep and TikTok

Less than an hour after she delivered one of the most imaginative awards show performances in a career full of them, Madonna stood backstage in an eye patch at the Billboard Music Awards, explaining how the seeds of her forthcoming album, Madame X, were planted more than three decades ago.

“[Madame X] was a name given to me when I was 19 and I first moved to New York, by a woman who I looked up to and admired,” Madonna told Billboard's Senior Director of Charts Keith Caulfield. The woman she was referring to was modern dance genius Martha Graham, who influenced Madonna’s choreography as a mentor, prior to her death in 1991. “And she gave me that name because she said she couldn’t recognize all my different personas, because I kept changing the way I looked.

“And that was in the beginning of my career, when I didn’t think about who I should be or what I should be -- I was experimenting,” Madonna continued. “And so I felt like I had come full circle, and gave the record that name, because I’m in the same frame of mind.”

If the title of Madame X, Madonna’s fourteenth studio album due out June 14, reflects the complex, multifaceted nature of her pop aesthetic, so will the way in which the full-length is unfurled. There’s already been “Medellín,” the mid-tempo, multi-lingual Latin pop confection alongside Colombian heartthrob Maluma released last month, as well as its opulent, cinematic music video for the track, which clocks in at nearly seven minutes.

Then there was the pair’s Billboard Music Awards showcase of the song, which combined live dancers and light BDSM play with augmented reality technology, which allowed multiple avatars of Madonna to seemingly grace the stage on the ceremony’s telecast. Madonna says that she came up with the concept for the eye-popping set piece “many, many months ago,” and required weeks of rehearsals to properly configure her AR personas for the green screen.

Yet as ambitious as the visual presentations of “Medellín” have been, the song represents just the first piece of the multi-track pre-album rollout that Madonna has planned over the next six weeks. The Maluma collaboration has already been followed by “I Rise,” the theatrical solo song that closes out the Madame X track list and was unveiled on Friday (May 3). The inspirational track features a sample of speech made by Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School school shooting survivor Emma González

Next up is “Crave,” the combustible team-up with Swae Lee, on May 10; the Rae Sremmurd rapper is currently riding a hot streak as a featured artist thanks to his appearance on French Montana’s “Unforgettable,” Travis Scott’s “Sicko Mode” and Ellie Goulding and Diplo's “Close to Me.” After “Crave” comes “Future,” a Quavo collaboration that was also produced by Diplo, on May 17, and finally June 7 will bring “Dark Ballet,” one of the more multi-dimensional songs on the new album, according to President of Maverick Music Greg Thompson.

“[The album] is a journey, and there are a lot of chapters,” Thompson explains of the decision to slowly trickle out five tracks ahead of the release, a deviation from Madonna’s previous rollouts. Her last album, 2015’s Rebel Heart, suffered leaks months ahead of release, resulting in six songs being rushed out early for an iTunes pre-order. “In a world where we’re more song-driven than we’ve been in a long time as an industry, it became a real question and a challenge: How do we make sure that people really understand this album by the time it comes out, but still have songs that can be hit singles in certain areas?”

To that end, “Crave” with Swae Lee will become the de facto pop radio single upon its release, with an official music video to soon follow. Meanwhile, “Medellín” -- which received a global television launch across Viacom networks in April -- will continue being pushed in Latin markets. The decision to lead with “Medellín” instead of “Crave” came down to the belief that it was “the signature track to the body of work, and the right place to start telling the story,” says Thompson. He adds, “I think we have a good shot to get a top five club record with some [‘Medellín’] remixes, and get that song into people’s spaces that they might not anticipate.” (Madonna has notched a record 57 top five-charting hits on Billboard’s Dance Club Songs chart.)

https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/8509948/madonna-madame-x-album-campaign-rollout

 

 

I am soooo glad Greg Thompson, President of Maverick Music  published this!!!! It clarifies everything!! and confirm the roomers that the first song/video was intended for Latin markets specifically and that the big singles are still to come.

[M_Sinner]

Just now, CalinB said:

I am soooo glad Greg Thompson, President of Maverick Music  published this!!!! It clarifies everything!! and confirm the roomers that the first song/video was intended for Latin markets specifically and that the big singles are still to come.

I'M DEAD AND I'M READY. BRING IT ON.

She's serving us something every daaay

[CalinB]

Love the strategy... worm up your streaming services presents and dust off YouTube site.   Now that she has increased her numbers on Spotify and YouTube, and intrigue the masses on Instagram, everyone is ready for Crave!!!!

[vertigokane]

Just now, CalinB said:

Love the strategy... worm up your streaming services presents and dust off YouTube site.   Now that she has increased her numbers on Spotify and YouTube, and intrigue the masses on Instagram, everyone is ready for Crave!!!!

Agreed. Not to gripe, but I’m pretty mad at her team for not actively maintaining/building her social media presence during the non-album years. They’re doing great now, but they really did her a disservice in the past. 

[CalinB]

4 minutes ago, M_Sinner said:

I'M DEAD AND I'M READY. BRING IT ON.

She's serving us something every daaay

I know, right! Tonight GLAAD, Monday the Met Gala, and then next FRIDAY, CRAVE, which I already do!

[CalinB]

2 minutes ago, vertigokane said:

Agreed. Not to gripe, but I’m pretty mad at her team for not actively maintaining/building her social media presence during the non-album years. They’re doing great now, but they really did her a disservice in the past. 

So agree with you, they are doing a spectacular job so far with media and streaming services!!!

[Crystal Coffin]

1 minute ago, CalinB said:

So agree with you, they are doing a spectacular job so far with media and streaming services!!!

The subscribers keep increasing ...

[Nikki]

she has 2.5 million followers on yt. wasnt it just a million months ago?

and i hear shes on the today show monday. anyone confirm?

[Carey]

i feel like in terms of her youtube, social media and rollouts, her team is really starting to "get it"

 

the promotion was non existent for MDNA, the unfortunate leaks hurt rebel heart and here it's definitely third time lucky.

the singles may not smash chart records but there's a strategy, there's thought being put into this and there is classy, real time promotion being put into a project she's passionate about, i can't ask for more.

[jjmor95]

2 hours ago, vertigokane said:

Inside Madonna's Ambitious 'Madame X' Album Campaign: Augmented Reality, Multiple Singles, Tour Prep and TikTok

https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/8509948/madonna-madame-x-album-campaign-rollout

 

 

Interesting read, they’ve done a great job so far.

[elijah]

37 minutes ago, Carey said:

i feel like in terms of her youtube, social media and rollouts, her team is really starting to "get it"

 

the promotion was non existent for MDNA, the unfortunate leaks hurt rebel heart and here it's definitely third time lucky.

the singles may not smash chart records but there's a strategy, there's thought being put into this and there is classy, real time promotion being put into a project she's passionate about, i can't ask for more.

Sorry but there has been only one single released sofar. Lets see how Crave does at least before making that observation. I agree with you otherwise.

[Flip The Switch]

3 hours ago, Mensch said:

I know! Wtf!!! I want them now..keep the hype going. Right now would be perfect. With two songs gaining some traction. The live performance is at #11 in YouTube trending so that’s not bad at all

It’s silly at this point. Last weekend I went to a club and they played Medellín...obviously they cut the M parts. 

[RayOfLight5]

3 hours ago, Mensch said:

Ummm...so it’s looking more and more like a video album. That’s all I can say. Stay tuned...

Ohh my....fingers crossed this turns out to be true  

[Fender]

We are truly the luckiest fans of all. Greatness for nearly 40 years!

[boy skeffington]

It's a new strategy and it's necessary. It may work it may not. The answer of CRAVE being the single that will be promoted to American Pop radio sort of answers that question of why Medellin was not. I'm behind it. It's current and has vision, and she needs that. Success is defined in many different ways. Can't wait for it all. 

She's playing the long game. 

[stevo208]

I need to know if there will be lyrics in the album booklet. It's been 20 years since this happened. I want them.

[santiago]

I have it on repeat since yesterday!!

[trevorhog]

I found this on a Madonna fan account on Twitter

Edited May 3, 2019 by trevorhog

[robster]

5 hours ago, vertigokane said:

Inside Madonna's Ambitious 'Madame X' Album Campaign: Augmented Reality, Multiple Singles, Tour Prep and TikTok

Less than an hour after she delivered one of the most imaginative awards show performances in a career full of them, Madonna stood backstage in an eye patch at the Billboard Music Awards, explaining how the seeds of her forthcoming album, Madame X, were planted more than three decades ago.

“[Madame X] was a name given to me when I was 19 and I first moved to New York, by a woman who I looked up to and admired,” Madonna told Billboard's Senior Director of Charts Keith Caulfield. The woman she was referring to was modern dance genius Martha Graham, who influenced Madonna’s choreography as a mentor, prior to her death in 1991. “And she gave me that name because she said she couldn’t recognize all my different personas, because I kept changing the way I looked.

“And that was in the beginning of my career, when I didn’t think about who I should be or what I should be -- I was experimenting,” Madonna continued. “And so I felt like I had come full circle, and gave the record that name, because I’m in the same frame of mind.”

If the title of Madame X, Madonna’s fourteenth studio album due out June 14, reflects the complex, multifaceted nature of her pop aesthetic, so will the way in which the full-length is unfurled. There’s already been “Medellín,” the mid-tempo, multi-lingual Latin pop confection alongside Colombian heartthrob Maluma released last month, as well as its opulent, cinematic music video for the track, which clocks in at nearly seven minutes.

Then there was the pair’s Billboard Music Awards showcase of the song, which combined live dancers and light BDSM play with augmented reality technology, which allowed multiple avatars of Madonna to seemingly grace the stage on the ceremony’s telecast. Madonna says that she came up with the concept for the eye-popping set piece “many, many months ago,” and required weeks of rehearsals to properly configure her AR personas for the green screen.

Yet as ambitious as the visual presentations of “Medellín” have been, the song represents just the first piece of the multi-track pre-album rollout that Madonna has planned over the next six weeks. The Maluma collaboration has already been followed by “I Rise,” the theatrical solo song that closes out the Madame X track list and was unveiled on Friday (May 3). The inspirational track features a sample of speech made by Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School school shooting survivor Emma González

Next up is “Crave,” the combustible team-up with Swae Lee, on May 10; the Rae Sremmurd rapper is currently riding a hot streak as a featured artist thanks to his appearance on French Montana’s “Unforgettable,” Travis Scott’s “Sicko Mode” and Ellie Goulding and Diplo's “Close to Me.” After “Crave” comes “Future,” a Quavo collaboration that was also produced by Diplo, on May 17, and finally June 7 will bring “Dark Ballet,” one of the more multi-dimensional songs on the new album, according to President of Maverick Music Greg Thompson.

“[The album] is a journey, and there are a lot of chapters,” Thompson explains of the decision to slowly trickle out five tracks ahead of the release, a deviation from Madonna’s previous rollouts. Her last album, 2015’s Rebel Heart, suffered leaks months ahead of release, resulting in six songs being rushed out early for an iTunes pre-order. “In a world where we’re more song-driven than we’ve been in a long time as an industry, it became a real question and a challenge: How do we make sure that people really understand this album by the time it comes out, but still have songs that can be hit singles in certain areas?”

To that end, “Crave” with Swae Lee will become the de facto pop radio single upon its release, with an official music video to soon follow. Meanwhile, “Medellín” -- which received a global television launch across Viacom networks in April -- will continue being pushed in Latin markets. The decision to lead with “Medellín” instead of “Crave” came down to the belief that it was “the signature track to the body of work, and the right place to start telling the story,” says Thompson. He adds, “I think we have a good shot to get a top five club record with some [‘Medellín’] remixes, and get that song into people’s spaces that they might not anticipate.” (Madonna has notched a record 57 top five-charting hits on Billboard’s Dance Club Songs chart.)

https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/8509948/madonna-madame-x-album-campaign-rollout

 

 

Told ya’ll

[Bat-Fan]

2 minutes ago, robster said:

Told ya’ll

Never doubted you

[runa]

This Billboard article is very interesting and informative 

[Bill]

19 minutes ago, trevorhog said:

I found this on a Madonna fan account on Twitter

OMFG

[Apples388]

13 minutes ago, robster said:

Told ya’ll

[Confessit]

1 hour ago, boy skeffington said:

It's a new strategy and it's necessary. It may work it may not. The answer of CRAVE being the single that will be promoted to American Pop radio sort of answers that question of why Medellin was not. I'm behind it. It's current and has vision, and she needs that. Success is defined in many different ways. Can't wait for it all. 

She's playing the long game. 

I agree.

Brilliant album campaign she finally hired in some decent blood!

Madame X will be a true era not just a flash in the pan.

Bring on Crave !!! 

[ashtangi74]

Tomorrow….tour announcement?

[FreeMySoul]

1 minute ago, ashtangi74 said:

Tomorrow….tour announcement?

Monday

apparently that ad will appear in Sunday's NY Times

[Mensch]

News: I heard M dropped out of the met gala 

[Confessit]

Just now, Mensch said:

News: I heard M dropped out of the met gala 

Ohh I thought an appearance at the MET is a dead cert she even does it when she has nothing to promote !

[Mensch]

Just now, Confessit said:

Ohh I thought an appearance at the MET is a dead cert she even does it when she has nothing to promote !

We’ll see but I’m trusting the source.