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Rate Madonna's last 4 albums


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Madame X - Flawless. The best of this decade. Dark, conceptual and with a lot of personality

Hard Candy - Not a big fan, but songs makes sense together

MDNA - The idea to work EDM was cool, but it should have had 10 songs. A lot of ups and downs throughout the album

Rebel Heart - My least favorite since ROL. 200 producers going to different directions. RH is a hot mess with very few great songs, in my opinion.

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I always loved and still love Rebel Heart, which contains some of my all time favorites like Ghosttown, Joan of Arc, Iconic, Holy Water, Inside Out, Wash All Over Me, and Messiah.

However, there is a momentum with Madame X and a critical response (minus Pitchfork and Uncut) that seems like something special and larger than life, an album in the traditional storytelling sense, and the beginning of what I feel could be her most creative decade to date.

Just my two cents.

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1. Madame X

2. MDNA - just because of Love Spent

3. Rebel Heart - Album version  kinda ruined it

4. Hard Candy 

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20 minutes ago, Shane said:

I always loved and still love Rebel Heart, which contains some of my all time favorites like Ghosttown, Joan of Arc, Iconic, Holy Water, Inside Out, Wash All Over Me, and Messiah.

However, there is a momentum with Madame X and a critical response (minus Pitchfork and Uncut) that seems like something special and larger than life, an album in the traditional storytelling sense, and the beginning of what I feel could be her most creative decade to date.

Just my two cents.

I still think she pulled out some of her strongest melodies for RH. So many great songs! It's very much a "playlist" era type of album though. It doesn't provide the "album experience" in the way MX does. She just seems so free on this record, liberated in a way......"another me could now begin"......more than ever she seems to really be doing her own thing unapologetically. MX definitely feels like a seminal album in the way LAP and ROL sort of signify the beginnings of her next creative journey at those times. I do think her most experimental work lies ahead!

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8 hours ago, jtrover said:

I know, right?

Make no mistake, I'm devastated about it. I feel like I'm grieving. This has never happened to me since 1983 with a M album. I'm beyond thrilled for the excellent reviews and even more for the fans who are absolutely in love with it, since they're the ones that truly matter. I certainly will not go into the reasons why I don't like the album out of respect (I don't think anyone would be interested anyways, and I like to keep things positive as much as possible). I'm a fan for life regardless. 

Get lost

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:confused:

9 hours ago, KalamazooJay said:

Ah and the Rebel Heart backlash has arrived. I guess this forum is all dried up from the orgies we had over it 5 years ago. 

 

8 hours ago, Jazzy Jan said:

The Rebel Heart backlash is sad. People that loved the album for years are now talking about it so negatively.  Not just in this thread, but all over the forum in many threads. Seems to happen when new albums are released. 

I have found  that the saddest part of this new era. Love that people are enjoying Madame X but the sudden trashing of Rebel Heart from people that previously loved it has been sad to read. 

 

 

8 hours ago, Shaun said:

I’m hating this also, Jan.

You are all missing the point, sorry. There's no "backlash", and there's nothing that is "sad" going on here. 

I almost feel like a robot for saying the same thing again that many others have already pointed out, but most fans clearly love many INDIVIDUAL songs from RH (and also MDNA), yet the ALBUM, taken as a whole, is just obviously not in the same league as her seminal works like LAP, ROL, COADF, and to many of us, Madame X is THE album of her fourth decade that does measure up to that incredibly high standard. We are talking about FULL, A TO Z experience of ALBUMS here, not just about some enjoyable songs with great songwriting here and there. 

Obviously you can love RH all you want, nobody can or should stop that, but what I have said above is the fact about the general consensus on her latest album that you just have to concede to and before you impose your prediction "Oh when the next album came out everyone will trash Madame X, the cycle continues", please, Madonna is not a predictable artist, we do not know what exactly would be her future direction, but if the next studio album happens to be an even stronger continuation of the distinctly bold, bizarre (for a good reason) and experimental mode she put into effect for Madame X, I will surely give deserving credit for Madame X as the necessary stepping stone to achieve that. 

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1 hour ago, Crystal Coffin said:

I almost feel like a robot for saying the same thing again that many others have already pointed out, but most fans clearly love many INDIVIDUAL songs from RH (and also MDNA), yet the ALBUM, taken as a whole, is just obviously not in the same league as her seminal works like LAP, ROL, COADF, and to many of us, Madame X is THE album of her fourth decade that does measure up to that incredibly high standard. We are talking about FULL, A TO Z experience of ALBUMS here, not just about some enjoyable songs with great songwriting here and there.

I agree. I love Rebel Heart (more than Madame X actually) but it does feel more like a collection of songs than an actual album. I know everyone’s tired of the word “cohesive” but that’s exactly what Madame X is.

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2 hours ago, LVX said:

I agree. I love Rebel Heart (more than Madame X actually) but it does feel more like a collection of songs than an actual album. I know everyone’s tired of the word “cohesive” but that’s exactly what Madame X is.

Indeed, I agree Madame X is a more cohesive album and has a unique atmosphere, just as BS, Erotica and those greats do. However I really do like those RH songs. I effectively have RH and MX tied. 

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I don't think madame x is all that cohesive, the pop songs like crave clash with the world music sounds of batuka.  I personally like the songs on MX better than rebel heart so it works better for me

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4 hours ago, Crystal Coffin said:

:confused:

 

 

You are all missing the point, sorry. There's no "backlash", and there's nothing that is "sad" going on here. 

I almost feel like a robot for saying the same thing again that many others have already pointed out, but most fans clearly love many INDIVIDUAL songs from RH (and also MDNA), yet the ALBUM, taken as a whole, is just obviously not in the same league as her seminal works like LAP, ROL, COADF, and to many of us, Madame X is THE album of her fourth decade that does measure up to that incredibly high standard. We are talking about FULL, A TO Z experience of ALBUMS here, not just about some enjoyable songs with great songwriting here and there. 

Obviously you can love RH all you want, nobody can or should stop that, but what I have said above is the fact about the general consensus on her latest album that you just have to concede to and before you impose your prediction "Oh when the next album came out everyone will trash Madame X, the cycle continues", please, Madonna is not a predictable artist, we do not know what exactly would be her future direction, but if the next studio album happens to be an even stronger continuation of the distinctly bold, bizarre (for a good reason) and experimental mode she put into effect for Madame X, I will surely give deserving credit for Madame X as the necessary stepping stone to achieve that. 

This.

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6 hours ago, Crystal Coffin said:

:confused:

 

 

You are all missing the point, sorry. There's no "backlash", and there's nothing that is "sad" going on here. 

I almost feel like a robot for saying the same thing again that many others have already pointed out, but most fans clearly love many INDIVIDUAL songs from RH (and also MDNA), yet the ALBUM, taken as a whole, is just obviously not in the same league as her seminal works like LAP, ROL, COADF, and to many of us, Madame X is THE album of her fourth decade that does measure up to that incredibly high standard. We are talking about FULL, A TO Z experience of ALBUMS here, not just about some enjoyable songs with great songwriting here and there. 

Obviously you can love RH all you want, nobody can or should stop that, but what I have said above is the fact about the general consensus on her latest album that you just have to concede to and before you impose your prediction "Oh when the next album came out everyone will trash Madame X, the cycle continues", please, Madonna is not a predictable artist, we do not know what exactly would be her future direction, but if the next studio album happens to be an even stronger continuation of the distinctly bold, bizarre (for a good reason) and experimental mode she put into effect for Madame X, I will surely give deserving credit for Madame X as the necessary stepping stone to achieve that. 

I don’t think any of us are missing a point nor do we have to concede anything in regards to what we think of Rebel Heart or any other Madonna album for that matter. In my opinion, Rebel Heart is superior to Madame X and is absolutely in the same league as her career standouts. 

And you nor any other fan are kingmakers in declaring what album is the heir to stand aside the likes of LAP, ROL, and Confessions. 

Every single time Madonna releases a new album it’s automatically crowned as her magnum opus. And RH absolutely was 5 years ago. I remember reading about how members were “crying and shaking in the corner” over several moments, performances, and songs from that era. Now Madame X comes along and it’s the same thing. The next album will come along in a few years and I can ASURE you it will be cast aside by certain members as too cold, not cohesive enough, etc. It’s just the way things go around here. 

Anyway. You know I like you and appreciate your humor, posts, and opinions. So I’m not here for a pissing match. There are fans who think BOTH records are career highlights and it’s I think it’s fair to leave it at that. 

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49 minutes ago, KalamazooJay said:

I don’t think any of us are missing a point nor do we have to concede anything in regards to what we think of Rebel Heart or any other Madonna album for that matter. In my opinion, Rebel Heart is superior to Madame X and is absolutely in the same league as her career standouts. 

And you nor any other fan are kingmakers in declaring what album is the heir to stand aside the likes of LAP, ROL, and Confessions. 

Every single time Madonna releases a new album it’s automatically crowned as her magnum opus. And RH absolutely was 5 years ago. I remember reading about how members were “crying and shaking in the corner” over several moments, performances, and songs from that era. Now Madame X comes along and it’s the same thing. The next album will come along in a few years and I can ASURE you it will be cast aside by certain members as too cold, not cohesive enough, etc. It’s just the way things go around here. 

Anyway. You know I like you and appreciate your humor, posts, and opinions. So I’m not here for a pissing match. There are fans who think BOTH records are career highlights and it’s I think it’s fair to leave it at that. 

4 years ago I said that RH contains her most melodious songs since LAP, and I still stand by that view now. The melodies on that album are scrumptious. But the scope of musical evaluation is much wider than that. I (and many other fans) have to be honest that as an ALBUM (dear God, again the same point), Rebel Heart does fall flat and it's far from being a sturdy start-to-finish record.

Obviously not everyone agrees, but that is the clear consensus of the fanbase. Consensus is a GENERAL agreement among a group of people, conceding to a consensus does not mean you have to subscribe to that particular dominant point of view. Not at all. 

I don't think Celine Dion is a great singer, but I do concede to accept the consensus that PEOPLE have on her, generally people do regard her to be a great vocalist. 

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Ok, my rating:

1. Madame X-10/10, it's Madonna finaly being Madonna after her divorce to Guy and to Warner. I think she has found balance in her life personally and artistically. 

2. Hard Candy 8/10-It was the first time I felt that Madonna was chasing trends instead of creating them but the songs are fun, catchy and personal.

3. Rebel Heart 7.5/10 I really like most of the album and it feels like Madonna was  trying to experiment and taking her time to get inspiration but it doesn't feel cohesive, I could do without Holy Water, Sex and Illuminati.

4. MDNA 7/10 I don't like teh production at all, except for the Orbit songs. I enjoy the album and I think it's fun but it's not Madonna at her best IMO.

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On 6/17/2019 at 7:15 AM, Carey said:

MDNA though I feel it is underrated as a collection was the nadir of this aspect of her talent because other than the late second half of the record, it was literally a handful of dance tracks that she sang over and sounded a little detached from.

MDNA came out in my mid 20s where I had a lot of fun making dumb mistakes as most people do at that fun curious stage, so regardless of its quality and how detached it felt at times, it still holds a soft spot for me...FALLING FREE in my opinion is one of her most underrated songs

 

 

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On 6/17/2019 at 5:43 PM, Dindi said:

2. Rebel Heart - 8/10  (I don't get the sudden distaste for the album recently by some fans.  I think it has some of her best, most heartfelt songs in recent years,  after seemingly phoning it in for the last two albums. It's a good step back in the right direction. )

Riight????

I haven't logged in on this forum in 4 years and I remember last time 95% of fans here were saying Rebel Heart was in the same league as ROL and LAP lol 

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