Madonna's New Album 'Magic' Is (Mostly) A Disaster

Oh my god, the reddit fan is back....

This album sounds like MDNA with a little bit of Hard Candy .....in other words? SHIT.

She really is at the point of her career when most pop artists release albums of standards.

Can you see Madonna singing Rodgers & Hart?

[quote]Can you see Madonna singing Rodgers & Hart?

Actually yes: as an old hooker singing "Ten Cents A Dance"

Actually, I would love to hear her take on some standards, perhaps "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered" (with the original dirty lyrics).

Hey, Lady Gaga's already singing standards.

Where can I actually hear the (non live version) Beautiful Game song?

I love the MDNA album.

Oh dear... I've always been a huge Madonna fan and paid $500 to see her last concert but she needs to pack it in now.

She needs to take a break and go away for a few years, do charity and patronise the arts, be a mentor, enjoy her children, start dressing age appropriately and aging gracefully and then have a massive comeback with a greatest hits tour. It would be a worldwide sell out.

I just don't know who the fuck she has advising her. They need to be fired.

[quote] Actually yes: as an old hooker singing "Ten Cents A Dance"

LMFAO.

Oh Maddie. I've never been a huge fan but I've liked her. Why oh why is she still doing the sex stuff? Nothing wrong with mature people being sexy but Madonna is pretending to be young and hip, and it all ends up looking embarrassing once again. Since she likes to create different alter egos for every album she should definitely go back to Ray of Light's Veronica Electronica. She was classy and mysterious, and not overtly sexual. Instead she seems to keep reliving her Like a Virgin period over and over.

I think of her as a dance song artist, and that's about it. Some of her stuff is pretty, and some of it's fun, but I wouldn't call it groundbreaking in any way.

What do you expect from such overrated performer ... magic?

No This is NOT my new music 🎶💕🎶💕🎶🎶💕🎶💕 But im having fun in the studio in between takes!! 💕💕🌈🎤🎼🎶. #music #mirwais #magic 🔥

Tragic Magic. Beautiful Game is Tragically Lame.

Headlines write themselves.

There are thousands of songwriters , why doesn't she use them?

R1,, Aging well is all in the eye of the beholder, I suppose?

Quelle surprise.

Where can I listen to her new music ?

Unfortunately she has been irrelevant for many years now music wise.

I like some of the songs from her last album, including Ghosttown, Joan of Arc, Wash All Over zme, Beautiful Scars, Borrowed Time, none of which is a dance song. None is exceptional, either. Some songs, like Illuminati, HeartBreakCity et al make me feel embarrassed for her.

She keeps trying. I don’t fault her for it. In my opinion, Congress should pass a law that prohibits her from *choke* rapping, but she would break that law, anyway.

Meh, whatever. She’s an older woman now who got ass implants and who wears a gold grill and who is beginning to look and act like Baby Jane and, like Baby Jane, sees herself as a vital young ingenue. Whatchagonnado? Most crazy old people twirl and sing in privacy and Madonna has enough money to buy herself a public platform on which to bounce and old white lady rap. C’est la vie.

Hey R17 she’s over 70, not bad.

Re regretting an abortion, listen, every pro-choice woman I know has said she supports women’s rights to have the procedure even though she doesn’t feel like she could personally ever do it. OR in a couple of cases women I know have had abortions and are rather ambivalent about it, feeling like it was the best thing for the child but also living with or haunted by a lifetime of “what ifs?” The reality is that very, very few women are actually pro-abortion—they’re not gung ho about aborting a fetus, but feel it’s a necessary, unfortunate option for a lot of women. Political partisanship has made people idiotically black and white about an aspect of life that is unpleasant for everyone.

I might fart on her new album.

Her last duet with Nicki Minaj barely made it into the US top 100, and didn't even chart in the UK (not that I'm complaining, it was absolute crap).

R22 ?

Drive, Determination, Discipline, Desire

Desperation

"There are thousands of songwriters , why doesn't she use them?"

Because she rips them off - she's infamous for it...

[quote] Smartgun I don’t keep up with rap much, sorry, but I think it’s a duet with Nicki Minaj.

This is the only "Niki" Madonna should ever duet with:

Why would a woman of Madonna’s literary mastery hire a songwriter?

My mo-ther died when I was five and all I did was sit and cry I cried and cried and cried all day un-til the neigh-bores went a-way They couldn’t take my loneliness I couldn’t take their phoniness My father had to go to work I used to think he was a jerk

That’s like telling Virginia Woolf to use a ghost writer!!!!

I wish her handlers and family would step in and do a Glen Campbell on her. Obviously the dementia is past covering up and she needs a retrospective "Poor Pathetic Alzherimers Madge" tour. She can sit in a chair with her knees apart while canned music plays and dancers spin around.

another album of the same ol shit, huh. boring.

Guy Oseary has helped ruin her. He is a TERRIBLE manager.

She's almost 60!!!! Time to accept your age and live with it Madonna. Enough with the trying to act hip and do music like you're still 25 and stuff, you just look ridiculous at this point.

Learn how to grow old gracefully.

Might be time to walk away from Guy Oseary, he hasn't done her career any favors.

It’s a bad sign anytime she tries to do a duet, especially with a rapper.

This assessment is one (anonymous) persons opinion. Learn to think for yourselves.

And as the saying goes, “it’s better than fail being yourself than to succeed being someone else.” Let Madonna be Madonna and appreciate that (for now, at least) we still live in a world that allows freedom of expression and doesn’t demand that people silence themselves at a certain age.

Gee, another "Let's bash Madonna" thread.

Wow, how original.

The album isn't finished. Songs might be redubbed, retweaked, or scrapped altogether. What is the point of giving "insider" information when things can change between now and the drop date?

Building buzz, R38. Get people curious, maybe leak an unsuccessful demo or two, vow to get that naughty leaker, and then release a polished album that is surprisingly good compared to leaked tracks.

Demo from last album

Doesn't sound real.

She should do a ballad album. She has had many great ballads throughout her career -- "Something To Remember", "Take A Bow", "This Used To Be My Playground", "Love Tried To Welcome Me", "The Power of Goodbye" -- she's at a point where she would get a pass for making a more "adult" album. The last two were dreadful.

The adult songs on Rebel Heart were good. She would have had a great album on her hands if she ditched the other tracks. But she wants to be young and hip.

"What is the point of giving "insider" information when things can change between now and the drop date?"

So people can put down Madonna and feel better about themselves.

She's an easy target for people to emit bile.

Her Vogue days long over sadly

She's an easy target for people to emit bile because she's so skeevy and her music 95% of it anyway sucks buffalo ass.

[quote]She really is at the point of her career when most pop artists release albums of standards.

I think if she wasn’t so focused on finding the “Magic” again or recreating her success from 82’-01’ and concentrated on better writing and quality arrangements (e.g not working with the Chainsmokerscalvinharrisdiplos), she’d have some better stuff. I mean...go to Sweden and work with some UNKNOWN DJs and stop trying to appeal to the young. They don’t care about you and never will.

Quality over quantity. Accept your place in life and put on some clothes. If you need assistance growing old gracefully in this business, see Kylie Minogue.

I think it sounds fabulous. I'm very intrigued now. The anon poster tried to drag the album, but instead he made it sound like a masterpiece.

I agree with R36.

Why should she stop creating, and therefore, working, because she is getting older?

We’re all getting older. Imagine if someone came to you, and told you that you could no longer do something that you genuinely enjoy, because you’re too old?

What should she do? Hide? Remove herself from doing things that make her happy? Is she responsible for our happiness, or that of herself?

I’ve never understood the ill will toward her. I think she looks fantastic, and I’m happy that she’s still doing her thing. And even if I felt otherwise, what she does is entirely her business, not mine.

Madonna sings Joni and Dolly and Mama Cass and Barbra. All autotuned!

Nobody is saying Madonna should retire and stop making music, people are only saying she should accept her aging and do age appropriate music because the kind of music she keeps putting out makes her look foolish.

That's all.

Seriously, that Illuminati song in which she sings about Jay-Z and Beyonce...why, Madonna? And the cheerleading song with Nicki Minaj? Why? Do something sophisticated.

Madonna should gather together everyone still alive who worked in creating the following songs with her - Physical Attraction, Over and Over, Angel, Everybody, Borderline, Lucky Star, Dress You Up, Where’s The Party, Causing A Commotion – and plagiarise herself/release an album of similar sounding dance tunes. Those sounds would still work today as dance music is more popular than ever. Oh, and she should not appear in the music videos - instead find young unknown artists and dancers to make those for each song.

That might work r53, she'll never do it but it might work.

She may as well do a retrospective-type album with former producers now. Her lyrics often are very self-referential these days, so she should just make La Isla Bonita 2. Actually, as a Tori Amos Troll, I’ll mention that a bonus track from her new album is called Upside Down 2, a follow-up to a 1992 B-side called Upside Down. Just the song name alone built a lot of excitement among her fans in anticipation of what a “sequel” might be. It’s entirely unlike the original in all ways, but it does relate in sensibility. So if Madonna wants to do a song about regretting Abortion, why not relate it back to Papa Don’t Preach? Or if she wants to do something about personal growth, how about Immaterial Girl or something? At one point she had a strong point of view that her fans could pinpoint. She needs to reclaim that because these days when someone says “Madonna,” instead of thinking “liberation through sex” or “strong woman,” I think “cosmetic surgery!” and “stunts to stay relevant!” All she really needs to do to be relevant is to listen back to her old music and comment on who she was then and who she has become over time. That would make for some interesting new music...IF she had the right producers and songwriters to guide her.

Any word on when this album is coming out?

Well, at least she's being consistent...with one shitty album after the other...go Madge!

Madonna's a disaster alright. This wothless freakazoid. Ugh. GTF away.

How does Madonna’s shitty music affect anyone? I won’t likely hear a note of it because I don’t listen to dance music or Hot 100 radio stations. I can’t imagine being bothered by her stuff. It won’t chart or get major play anyway.

It’s not like you’ll be tormented by Madonna every time you walk into a store, the way I am by Bruno Mars and Rhianna and Taylor Swift and worse.

Ha Kylie Minogue aged horrible. She's had so much work done and is so desperate for success that she she made a half ass country album.

I truly wish she would go out dancing or not.

The reddit poster is out of his mind--Janet and Cher aged well? They both aged as badly as Madonna. How far can Janet stretch her forehead back????

She had her clit removed and just about her whole nose. What the fuck is wrong with these people?

OP = Janet Jackson

Madonna's brother, the one she had a falling out with and who wrote a book about her, was the brains behind her image and operation all along. Not her, but her brother.

She has been lost without him ever since and has revealed just how not smart she truly is.

Plus she is a bazillionaire and has lost her edge, however much she had in the beginning.

Fame and attention must be the most addictive things on Earth. People just can't seem to retire and find something productive to do with their time and money.

Her naked Instagram posts are just sad. Has the swelling in her face gone down at all?

I wish she'd do the kind of stuff Lana Del Rey is (with Madonna's own spin, of course). A little edge but mostly pretty and lush and popular despite not being Top 40. It could be a sister to "Ray of Light" many years later. But I don't want to listen to her rap with Nicki Minaj anymore, seriously. (And I like the last two CDs better than most do).

[quote]I wish she'd, She should do..., Why won't she, etc. etc.

Madonna won't do any of the things you think she should do. You Vadgestains are nuts and old.

R64=Christopher

R64, did he really control her image? I don't think so. He definitely did a lot of stuff on her tours but I don't think he impacted her that much.

The Reddit post in the OP has been taken down. Oops!

Miriwais AGAIN?!?!? Learn your fucking lesson.

When is this supposed to be released?

Who cares? Nobody's gonna buy it anyway.

No one wants to fuck Grandma's pussy.

THE FACT THAT ALL OF YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT HER ALBUM MAKES HER STILL RELEVANT!

DO YOU THINK SHE GIVES A FLYING F*CK WHAT ANY OF YOU WIRTE OR SAY ABOUT HER OR HER MUSIC?! NOT AT ALL!

AND WHAVE 36 YEAR CAREER DO YOU HAVE THAT IS BETTER THAN HERS? SHE'S BEEN SELF DISCIPLIEND WITH HER IMAGE, BODY, AND LOOKS FOR DECADES!

WHEN YOU'RE 60, LET'S SEE WHERE YOU ARE IN LIFE!

R74 You dug up an 8 month old thread to say that? Looks like YOU are the only one talking about her, dear.

“it’s better than fail being yourself than to succeed being someone else.” What old saying IS that exactly?

So nothing this supposed insider said about the new album is accurate or factual ... even the title was wrong.

R8=JABBA

Like we believe you, you fucking retard.

Another win for the so-called DL insiders!!!

R78 is insufferable, you realize how many people can't stand Madonna? It's not just janbot.

Whatever you say, JABBA/R80.

R29 "Mother and Father" was a terrible song both lyrically and sonically like the rest of "American Life." And the fact that a few critics said it sounded like something off of Kylie's album "Fever" was very insulting to say the least.

Duet with Nicki Minaj ? That right there told me how shite it would be.

magic???

r84

That is my song

I actually love the new songs that have been released from the new album. Medellin is a great song - if it was Swift or Beyonce or the new flavor of the moment, it would be a Top Ten. Crave and I Rise are really great songs too. Can't wait to listen to more from the album. I don't know if I'll buy it though. I don't actually buy music anymore. It's just there and I get to hear what I get to hear. That's the world we live in now.

Early listenings to the album have some critics praising the work as some of Madonna's best in years.

so the first 4 singles she released are not on the album? Because those were all trash.

I liked all of them except Medellin, and I didn't really like her last couple of albums. Even then, they had some good songs, so she's never released a truly bad album.

you and no one else r89, Crave is still under 2 million views on youtube.

I lisen on spotify I honestly don't care about music videos.

She hasn't aged well like Cher or Janet? Someone is blind. NEITHER of these women have aged well.

Reviews for the album have been very positive, all pretty much saying it's her best album since Confessions. THE TIMES calls it "her most boldest album yet"; THE GUARDIAN "adventurous, progressive and original"; THE DAILY STAR says it is "her most experimental album of her career"; NME: "Bold, Bizarre and unlike anything Madonna has done before."

She'll be on Graham Norton on June 14th with Sir Ian McKellan as part of the sofa set.

Love this picture from the recent NYT photoshoot ...

god, why is she so awful?

She's not REL-A-VENT.

Her new video for "Dark Ballet" ... quite a trip:

The batshit in this thread is off the charts. I love how the haters have to resort to lies.

I've dragged her to hell and back but I also respect facts. Her haters always have to lie in order to score points. So, you score no points with lies. The haters have made me appreciate her more because I realize much of what I said was unfair but all in good fun. Also, I know it is a few fans of other female entertainers who are behind this. That is what makes it all the more pathetic. We know exactly which divas the haters love.

First, the reviews for her new album have been very positive. Her metacritic score right now is around 80. From what I have heard from reviews, the album is not playing it safe, is quite bizarre, and really takes some wild turns. What other pop bitch would take such a risk? So I understand the frantic need to diminish her when others half her age would never dare take ANY risks. And she has honestly been taking musical risks since early on. Who else?

You haters do not convince any one, change any minds, with your lies, frantic almost suicidal need to put her down.

Madonna has made some fucking bizarre choices in her life and half the time I question what the hell she is doing but for gay or lesbians to tell someone to "act appropriately" and other ageist and misogynist comments is so fucking insane, bizarre, hypocritical, deeply sad, comical, next level mental. If you feel the need to denigrate another person to the point you throw away every shred of decency you have to "drag them", fuck all, you're a rotten shell of a human being. Silver lining, she will always be the legend, best selling, most influential female even with your attempts to "put her in her place". That, to me, is so fucking hysterical because I can see the fear in you through the keyboard.

r98, I totally agree with your post - you said it beautifully. But don't pay attention to the haters. Just ignore the hate. Honestly, they can't do anything but hurt themselves.

The video is a trip. And why does she start rapping over Tchaikovsky?

r99 I don't buy anything they say. They use lies first of all which is a deal breaker. Anyone with one functioning brain cell understands the lies they tell. If you have to resort to lies ( I don't give a shit about their opinions on her voice, dancing, songwriting, mothering, appearance, existence) but the lies get to me. They are as bad as deplorables.

r100 The video is a fucking trip. I don't know who I feel about it. Was she even in it? But it wasn't boring. Would any pop bitch today even dare? I give her that. From what the reviews say, she isn't playing it safe. I have to give her that. I respect that.

I understand sticking up for Madonna re: ageism and creativity, but she is most undeserving of your support. I remember reading that when her career was ascending, she went to a party and David Bowie was there, and she laughed and called him old, and over the hill. Sorry , Babe, it's your turn!!!

r102 That reads lies. I can see Trump saying that. You are fucking lying your ass off. Links?

For one thing, HE asked HER to induct him into the Rock Hall of Fame. I bet you didn't know that. You are a fucking pathetic piece of human filth to make up, yes fucking lie, to try to get a score against her. Why? What is your goal? I could say a lot about the state of your existence but I doubt I need to remind you of the sad state its in.

You Madonna haters get this- your faves will never be elevated by dragging her. If your fave isn't at her level, and who is, then THEY, not her, need to move the needle. And not into their arm.........

R103 - Two words - Eurovision performance.

What a shitfest from a used up old hag. . .

r104 Oh yes, because that will be what anyone talks about even months from now. I live in America and I wouldn't have known about it unless I read this forum. OML she gave a shit performance. That will destroy decades of her career........except it won't. In your mind, your hysterically fantasizing this is the end of her. I am on my sides in laughter. OML a bad performance. OML. It is over. Teeheeeteeeheeeteeeeheeee. What a FREAK you are!

R105 - I'll make you a future prediction - Madame X will be a colossal flop. If it charts at under 200 on iTunes, I'd be surprised.

Come back to this thread a few days after it's release, and let me laugh at you. . . She's so ovah.

In a couple of years, she'll be doing her classics aboard cruise ships for the free buffets, and the company of fellow geriatrics. She still needs the attention and adoration.

If you take your daily cocktail then perhaps you can be a geriatric one day.

I will probably get the album. I always give her a shot because she has made a lot of good music over the years despite often-terrible lyrics and a generally annoying personality. I used to really resent her because of her interviews, but eventually I realized how often I play her music from the beginning through Confessions and I had to admit that musically she was never just hype.

Here is a serious question, though: is her voice shot due to age, or is the robo-voice thing a creative choice? She used to sing. Her voice is her voice; it was never outstanding, but she embraced it and she just sang as well as she could. For several albums now, she’s all vocoder, like Kanye West when he sings, and it’s killing her music for me. That Dark Ballet clip above is what I’m talking about. Cher used the robo-voice thing all the way back in 1998. Two decades ago. Surely, if it’s used to cover up poor singing, the tech should have improved to the point of making people sound at least vaguely human, like Siri. But Madonna is always doing this Speak-and-Spell robot voice thing these days and it just doesn’t make for music I want to hear.

R103, I wasn't lying. I actually am a fan of Madonna-- loved her beauty, her moxie, her music... I read that little nugget years ago--& it hurt me, because I didn't like that type of behaviour, and it bothered me. I realized that Madonna was probably not the person you'd want to meet socially, as she could be cruel and catty and full of herself... Now, do I have a link to that info? No. Is it possible that story I read is a lie? Of course. I will say this though. In the 90s, a friend met Madonna, and asked for an autograph. He showed it to me. On a scrap of paper was scrawled, Fuck You, signed Madonna.

Madonna is a brat a half century old with a shitty personality and an ego the size of Venus.

That is all separate from her work. It’s just a ststed observation of how she behaves. Pretending it’s not true doesn’t make it less true. She has an impressive body of work and she holds a place in musical and cultural and feminist history—all also true.

And still, she is a jerk of a person. She seems to have little sense of humor and a grandiose sense of self that in many ways she has manifested.

And still, she’s a jerk. If I saw Madonna coming my way in a social setting, I would just walk away. I like her music just fine but as someone who has interviewed scores of musicians because I am interested in their minds and their creative processes, Madonna’s personality turns me off so much that I am not interested at all in what she has to say about her work. Let it speak for itself.

[quote] For several albums now, she’s all vocoder, like Kanye West when he sings, and it’s killing her music for me.

You've just summed up the main factor in the identity crisis of Madonna 2019. She thinks doing all things Kardashian will make her the biggest star in the world again, and yet she fucking hates herself for letting it come to this.

R111 I agree. I see one major flaw with today’s iteration of Madonna: confidence. And it manifests in two ways that work at odds with her careerlong persona:

1. Feelings of inadequacy/obsolescence. Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, Nicki Minaj, all her new singles feature duets with “current” pop stars in an effort to update Madonna and make her relevant and sellable by association. But (arguably) with the exception of “Four Minutes,” every collaboration of this type has seriously limited her potential and creative output. The Nicki Minaj cheerleader thing was heartbreakingly pathetic to me and it shifted my view of Madonna because it looked like she was willing to reduce herself to anything while singing a shitty song in a desperate effort to pick up a younger audience. She should stop these stunts.

2. Cover ups. Physical, literal cover ups. Her career in a way was built on a foundation similar to Oprah’s: She was always honest and open, emotionally and in Madonna’s case physically naked—just take it or leave it; I’m not ashamed. And now, for years, she has covered up her aging hands with gloves, covered up her teeth with grills despite them being a decade outdated, covered up her aging with face and body injections and implants, etc. It all reeks of insecurity. And that is contrary to the Madonna persona and the reason people are particularly hard on her for showing insecurity. It’s different than emotional vulnerability, too, which is endearing; Madonna is reactive and defensive in such a way that when she is made vulnerable she claims she is being victimized. She is 60 years old and could well be rebellious AND proud of it, but instead she is rebellious and ashamed of it and in such denial that she thinks her cover ups are fooling the world into thinking she is young, and so she gets angry at reporters for referring to the reality of her age, as if she is being outed to the fans she has duped. It’s really sad.

I think Madonna' s problem now is she has garnered very few new fans. Her base remains made up of the same devotees as always. Younger people seem to have respect for older stars like Cher and Dolly Parton because they are fun. They are old and plastic like Madonna ,but they are fun. Madonna isn't . Madonna craves intellectual importance, but has never been intelligent enough for that. Her 'message' songs are and always have been weak and clumsy . She produced naughty pop bubblegum best, but wants to be remembered as a great artist., however her obituary will feature 'Like a Virgin ' She is grumpy and bad mannered, fans think this is Diva stuff, but real Divas have a level of talent that makes the shitty behaviour tolerable .These are some of the reasons people chuckle at Madonna's descent Aging pop fans are so vapid , going on about 'haters', Madonna never had a talent level worthy of her success, she impressively inflicted herself on the public regardless but that means she isnt as beloved as a star of her longevity usually is ...Madonna is reaping as she has sewn.

R113 The irony is that (in my 41-year-old Gen X opinion) gender identity and feminist concerns used to be concerns of intelligent people, primarily academics and some activists. Now they are mainstream, but generally in a pretty superficial and thoughtless sense...which is really Madonna’s level of intelligence. She should be embraced by Gen Z kids because she has so many tantrums based on platitude-level ideas, but she is simply too old by circumstance and they don’t know who she is.

Her creativity well has run dried. It’s time to retire, grandma or perform at Las Vegas like other major has beens Cher Janet etc

You all are triggered asf that her album is scoring with critics so all your criticisms are complete projection. Your screeds read desperate and laughable. You are like Trump. You've made up this fake world and just lie, project all to "insult" but your insults are based on nothing. For all the bratty, ill mannered things you can cite, there are an equal number where the opposite is true but in your constructed narrative, they can't exist. Pathetic and speaks more about you than her.

I don't give af if Madame X is a hit or not. Why does that matter to you whether it is or not? Guess what? It doesn't matter whether it is or not because, when they do documentaries on her or movies about her or news reports about her, the success of Madame X will not even be a foot note.

As for the use of the vocoder, I think, for this album, it is a creative choice and I agree, I don't like it. Again, I've dragged her a lot. I consider myself a fan but not a stan. Stanning is juvenile. As various vocal coaches on youtube have explained, one was lengthy but very insightful, she has not taken care of her voice with proper technique. Her brother even said this in his book. That leads her to tongue and throat tension and she doesn't know how to recover when her pitch is off. But last year at the Met gala, she gave a great vocal for Hallelujah. I'll link it. On Rebel Heat tour, she would often be really on or really off. She gave some great, I mean really great vocals for La Vie En Rose and some terrible ones. Plus, like Bono, touring so much is taking its toll. One of the vocal coaches said it was clear she had not been actually singing much lately and I agree. When she took a vocal coach around with her during Reinvention Tour, as was documented in some documentary she did around that time, it was her most impressive and vocally consistent tour. Her 'Lament' from Evita was vocally phenomenal. Look that up if you want.

R116 I’m the one who mentioned the robo-vocals. It really does turn me off. I don’t know the first thing about what’s necessary to maintain and protect vocal cords, but as the resident “Tori Amos troll,” I can say that at 55 her astonishing vocal prowess has suffered greatly with time, and as a consummate musician, I feel certain that she has done all she can do techniquewise to preserve her ability (aside from not touring; she is an absolute ‘road dog,’ as she puts it). I think some diminished ability is inevitable for most vocalists as they age. Tori’s last album did a very good job of producing her vocals to make the best of them without dehumanizing her voice in any way, and when she tours, she sings, and what you hear is what she has to give. That’s something I appreciate from a musician. I am not here to attack Madonna (although I have always found her personality unbearable; that is true). I do feel that her attempts to mask her voice and her face and her hands are hurting her career and her artistry because she’s now hampered by insecurity. Maybe I am overthinking it. But the reason I care at all is because some of her music has been great pop music, and some (despite often overly simplistic lyrics) has been movingly honest and raw, and that kind of music does show some vulnerability that 1) makes for good art; 2) compensates somewhat for her pretense and 3) compensates somewhat for her attitude.

r117 I fucking love Tori. Point me to a thread on her and I may join it later on. Out of the females, she may be #1 for me.

I do think you are overthinking it a bit. This is a woman who never goes out dressed to the nines when she isn't going out to an event. She is in track suits, no make up, hair isn't done. To me, that doesn't scream insecurity or overly concerned about her looks. She posted some very unflattering photos on IG when she is not made up. I can name dozens of stars where you never see them where they aren't dressed to the nines but Madonna, it is usually the opposite.

Madonna's lyrics are either really great or she falls on cliches. I think Madonna is a great lyrist but her writing can get clunky at times.

I'm with you on the vocoder messing with the enjoyment of the newer music but I do think it is an artistic choice. She has proven recently she can still sing and sing very well. There is no need to mask anything in the studio because she is capable. Does that make sense?

Thanks for having an adult conversation.

Flopdonna's legacy is solely dependent on the chart performance of Madame X and any singles she releases. Things are not looking good...

r119 bwhahahahahahahaha sure thing, toots. Yes, you're so right. It all rides on this. Everything. You sure nailed it!

R95 - I can't believe she's single?

R98 can you upload a picture of the Madonna shrine you pray to every night?

r122 Awww why so triggered?

She should record a "More Confessions on a Dance Floor" album if she ever wants another hit. If Madonna isn't catchy dance-pop, she's not anything, as far as the public is concerned. Go back to the well, Madonna, or go home.

It could be that Madonna shelved the MAGIC album and decided to go in a different direction as MADAME X.

Barbra Streisand, Prince and other artists have shelved entire albums, so maybe Madonna did, too.

Yes, 'Confessions On A Dance Floor - AGAIN!' would be a terrific idea!

An 80 is the lowest 'B' possible.

Not a good B, but an almost C.

r113 I agree with you

JFHC, Old Madge has some of you losing your shit. Old gal still got it judging by some of the off the charts derangement. Some of you seem rattled.

Madonna shooting to the #1 spot on the best albums of 2019 list.

Will she be nominated for Album of the Year at the Grammys next year?

[R113] [R114] I agree. Well put. Dolly and Cher have warmth and humor. Both had iconic movie roles in addition to their distinctive musical careers. They will stand the test of time in ways that brittle, defensive Madonna and her eternal quest for trendiness will not. I’m glad she has her stalwart fans though! She’s never been my cup of tea but to each their own. I don’t know anybody under forty that listens to her.

what r129, is her album even released yet? I'm not sure uproxx is the authority on the best albums, but it does look like a list Madonna is striving to be on, considering the bozos with whom she has collaborated.

Weyes deserves to be #1.

r130 IOW you must lie in an effort to attempt to take her down a peg. Got it. You're a very scary, sad human being.

[R133] Bless your heart.

r134 Ahhh, what's wrong dear? Is your world falling apart because of Madonna yet again? Find a nice hobby.

R130 is right, no one under 40 pays attention to Madonna. Her very small auditorium tour will be a sea of caftans.

Madame X will put the long overdue final nail in the coffin

But here’s the catch: Madonna is including CDs or paid downloads with her concert tickets. If ticket buyers redeem their links or CDs, it will count on the charts as a sale. It’s quite possible that Madonna will edge out Bruce at number 1 based on this crazy catch. If she doesn’t, then you know things are really bad. In any case, each time Madonna has used this loophole to hit number 1, she’s dropped by 70 or 80 percent the following week.

r136 So are you suggesting no one counts if they are over 40? Is that what you are saying? Seriously? What kind of insult is this supposed to be? The kids aren't down with Madonna? This is an insult?

I am loving the mental breakdowns in this thread.

r138 You're lying out your ass. This is all too hysterical. I've never witnessed grown ass men behave like fucking teens. I'm laughing so hard I almost farted. I'm sending links to my friends to they can read the batshit loon haters. This is heaven on a Friday!

R138 is a quote from the article in R137

THE SUN: by Dan Wootton

BOLD experimentation, controversial political comment and downright epic pop.

That’s why Madonna’s highly anticipated new album marks yet another phase of her groundbreaking chart career.

For the creator of some of the biggest pop choruses in history to throw caution to the wind and create some of her most daring music ever, at the age of 60, is a welcome reminder of why Madonna has remained at the cutting edge of music for four decades.

It’s further proof that none of her young rivals are coming anywhere close to making pop music this exciting and boundary-pushing.

5 out of 5 stars.

r140 You little sad bitch. Lemme guess- that article was written by #1 Madonna hater loon Roger Friedman. (Hi Roger, you shady asf hack).

Yeah, all Madonna haters are ugly trolls who resent she gets so much hot dick. They are the ones who run to a certain diva who makes their freakishness seem normal when it's now. Ugly is ugly. Often ugly inside and out as you all are clearly demonstrating here. That goes for you, Roger. I know all about your shady ways.

I am living for you rattled, triggered trolls clearly quaking that Madonna is in the news.

Madonna is a joke to today's youth.

r143 Oh that stings. The youth don't like her. OH MA GURSH. Say it ain't so. The kids aren't down with Madge. OH MA GURSH. Why cruel world. WHYYYYYYYYYYYY

well you know it bothers her r144, why else would she feature all these artists 40 years younger than her.

r145 OH MA GURSH yes gurl, you got her. it bothers her soooooo much. you nailed it. bingo. OH MA GURSH. yeah, damn. we've all been schooled. why else would she feature artists 40 years younger? OH MA GURSH. you're so wise.

I don't think most people consider 60 to be old anymore. If the music was good, radio would play it. The songs just have sucked.

r147 so wise. wise beyond your years. Harvard? No, Columbia? Has to be Ivy league. you're brilliance is too much for this place. expertly shady. I am so amazed.

someone upthread made a good comparison r147 to cher and dolly who are pretty much universally well liked and older than vadge. It's not necessarily her age, she's just so damn unlikable, in addition to the shitty music.

R148 is teetering

r149 are you referencing yourself? bwhahahahahaaha u should take ur wonderfully insightful skills and make millions. ur brilliant and don't at all read sad, pathetic, delusional, demonic, unhinged at all. not a big. you go girl. you are reading us to filth.

R102, what are you talking about? Bowie and Madonna liked each other.

r152 Of course, he asked her to accept his Rock and Roll Hall of Fame award. Her adored her.

Here’s a radical thought:

The music will speak for itself when it comes out. If the music is legitimately very good, then she has made a vital record. If it’s “good for Madonna of late,” then OK, it’s respectable. If it’s not good, it will just be not good and no amount of arguing on her behalf will change that. Just wait and see. No amount of hype will change the quality of the music.

I always love great new music and so I am hoping it’ll be great. If it isn’t, I won’t be surprised.

R151 did you just binge watch old episodes of Drag Race?

R154 how many songs do we have to hear to confirm this album is a stinker....she's put out 5 duds in a row.

R156 If I can answer honestly...I would wait. For my tastes, singles are often the worst tracks on an album. We’ll see.

I liked a pretty good share of Rebel Heart, but the songs haven’t stood the test of time. I never listen to them.

exactly

Poor desperate trolls. Their faves are flopping so they need Madonna to. But flop or not, Madonna will always be Madonna and your fave will always be a nobody.

R159 see R158 for instructions on how to ruin a legacy. For further reference, see also: Theater Tour.

r160 see doctor for help with mental breakdown over Madonna having an 80 metacritic score for Madame X. It just BURNS you inside.

Tori troll again here. Question.

Do most of you guys think that Madonna (and anyone else) should release music solely for the sake of scoring high on Billboard charts and winning awards? I’m genuinely curious. What if she were to make strong music but it didn’t rank well because her following has dwindled. Would you consider that a failure?

I’m all about the music (from anyone), and so I am curious because it seems like most people both in favor of and against Madonna are focusing on her sales and not much if at all on the music itself.

r162 Hi Tori troll. No, I don't care about the sales. She can't get more successful than #1, right? I just want to hear what she has. As I told you, Tori might be my #1 and she isn't charting. Does that mean she should stop making music? I don't get the anti Madonna trolls. They want her to fail so badly and I can't figure out why an adult is this sick in the head they care so much about a singer they hate?

R162 exactly, the Madonna troll continues to post old tour numbers for Madonna from decades ago, as if that means anything? It's bizarre.

R163 She does still chart. :) But yeah, she doesn’t sell huge numbers and she was never a pop megastar, just a poetic musician who polarized listeners. That’s why I asked the question. If music speaks to me and only sells 400 downloads, I’ll love it despite the sales.

But people have different ideas of “success.” Some people see music as a competitive industry and success in it as being on top of all the competitors. That’s why I was asking. There are some fans here who argue that (fill in the black pop star) is as vital as ever, and the discussions seem always to focus on downloads and ticket sales and awards and nominations...rarely discussions about what people love about the music itself. I find that curious and would like insight into why that matters so much to so many people. Is someone good because masses of people buy their music? Or because their music is good?

r164 Oh dear. You can't do math. 2016, 2012, 2015, 2008, 2009 were not decades ago. A decade is 10 years. Decades would be at least 20 years or more. Also, the years I listed are not in chronological order.

r165 Some cannot like music if it isn't successful. Which is quite sad. I have always liked Madonna's hits but it wasn't until my ex BF, who was a huge Madonna fan, got me to listen to album tracks that I became a fan. I liked the album tracks more than the hits. That is just me, though. Awards mean nothing now. All award shows are shit and I will say that even if Madame X wins every Grammy out there.

I could have sworn madonna had tours before 2008...

"awards mean nothing now", because she doesn't win them, r167. You'd be the first person to start a post if Madonna received an award (other than the gay award she bought this year).

r169 Projection does not look good on you. I won't care. Never have. Do you know who will win all the Grammys? Taylor. Fine by me.

I don’t love her newest music, but as long as she has the creative urge and energy to keep putting music out, I way go for it. That is evidence of artistry over commerce if it doesn’t sell that well. And if she doesn’t stop touring from shame because she only sells smaller venues, that’s also in my opinion to her credit. Her reputation is that of a “brilliant marketer” more than that of an artist. How she reacts to dwindling sales will suggest whether that’s true or not in my opinion.

she will not be playing any of her old songs at the smaller venues. I think she should sprinkle a few in so the reviews aren't a total blood bath.

r171 Reputation and truth are not the same. Trump is labeled a brilliant businessman when the opposite is true. Madonna was given that moniker by a rival's svengali. Madonna is, in fact, the most critically acclaimed female artist as well posted upthread. If you want to read up on what all her collaborators have written about her, from writers, to instrumentalists, to dancers, to back up singers, read Lucy O'Brien's Like An Icon. Lord knows my ex made me. But they all paint a picture of a deep musicality within Madonna. We are talking some of the best songwriters of all time who all say she is a brilliant lyricist, writes great melodies, has a perfect ear for music, how she can call out an instrument among hundreds as being out of tune. These are people who have worked with greats like Leonard Cohen saying Madonna is among the best they have ever worked with. It is eye opening and really shows what other artists think of her and it is quite positive.

none of what r173 is true and I am starting to get worried for it's safety...

Ok Roger, time to post another hit job at your Showbiz411 ghetto site. r174 I know facts give you hives but prove me wrong.

Don't worry, a lot of trolls on DL aren't used to having anyone fight back about most divas. The two here are used to having their way with Madge and cannot take being challenged with facts. Let the obese have their fun. Incels need some hobby.

well, it's a long time rumor...

“We are talking some of the best songwriters of all time who all say she is a brilliant lyricist...”

I’m sorry, but no. This is the woman who wrote and rapped “My mother died when I was five and all I did was sit and cry I cried and cried and cried all day until the neighbors went away! They couldn’t take my loneliness; I couldn’t take their phoniness. My father had to go to work; I used to think he was a jerk!”

She writes a lot of *personal* lyrics and they seem sincere, but she has a particular knack for clunky, anti-poetic lyrics.

Bjork also said that she misunderstood and mangled some of the lyrics for Bedtime Story so that the song no longer makes sense.

I’m not bashing Madonna. I like a lot of her music. Like anyone, she has strengths and weaknesses, and lyrics writing is not her strength by any stretch.

R177, WTF!! Lady Gaga describing herself as spontaneous? Nothing she has done after 2010 has been spontaneous. She is completely calculating. U

Madonna even made a song called “Nobody’s Perfect.” Her fans shouldn’t feel a need to fight to the death to prove her sainthood worthiness.

r177 and r 178 Now the true colors come out. Well, all the people documented in Like An Icon" say otherwise. I'll take their words over the jealous LG (who needed 5 writers to win an Oscar and cannot have a hit without RedOne) or you. Madonna, like many many artists, has had clunky lyrics as well as brilliant ones.

the Beatles wrote, "I wanna hold your hand" times 1000. Brilliant song writing? No. Were they brilliant songwriters? Yes. Both McCartney and Lennon have been raked over the coals for their lyrics to various songs. As have ALL writers.

Again, read Like An Icon because I'll believe actual artists.

you are not comparing the Beatles to Madonna r181....Madonna! You have officially lost your mind.

R181 I mean, I don’t need to read other people’s opinions to form my own.

I don’t understand why you’re so defensive. Do you expect people to bow down to her and pledge their first borns to her? She’s a human being, not Shesus Christ. Isn’t it OK to like her without having to submit to an assertion that she is flawless and supreme?

r183 I almost called you out earlier, Tori troll. I knew you were an undercover hater. You are one of those posters who try to slowly build of credibility by seeming neutral but later can't help but show your true colors. You are just a run of the mill hater and the worst kind because you're a coward about it. I knew you were full of shit because of course you don't care to read a book where you might learn some new things about Madonna. No, no, not you. You've made up your mind and your verdict was always the same. A fucking hater but a coward. At least the others are upfront you fucktard. LOL. You probably don't even like Tori. You're a phony fuck. LMFAO.

I KNEW IT! I can call em.

What in the world are you talking about? Now this has taken a strange turn. I hope you find peace.

r185 Fraud! You were caught flat out. You are just as biased as the true haters. I knew it in our interaction this afternoon. I was waiting to see what you would say when you came back. It didn't take long for me to bait you into showing your true colors along with an assist from a friend.

Yeah, Tori troll was busted big. Niiiice.

Hit one ignore button and the whole thread collapses like a slinky hitting the bottom of a staircase.

you wish r188, so many people hate Madonna, but there's only one of you....

Tori troll was busted when he cited the lyrics he did. ALL Madonna haters cite those lyrics as proof she can't write. It is like Madonna haters 101.

Google McCartney's worst lyrics or Lennon's lyrics. You will find plenty.

Yes, hit ignore on the haters and the collapse is epic.

She needs to hire another vocal coach and then retain them for the remainder of her career. But knowing her massive ego and how cheap she is, it probably won't happen.

r104, one "bad" performance isn't going to cancel out three decades. I'm wondering what you've done with your life?

The SUN: "BOLD experimentation, controversial political comment and downright epic pop."

This is the first time in years Queen Bee-itch has got me excited about something she's done. Can't wait to hear the album.

The SUN review:

She is a brilliant woman, a visionary, a legend, a philanthropist, an artist. She is the best person who ever lived and the most inspiring idol. She’s on a whole other plane of existence, we are like amoebas compared to her superior evolution as not only a human, but as a God. Her followers will achieve eternal life. Her snatch smells like honey and roses. She’s a virginal Queen, untouched by any man, given to us mortals as the greatest gift we will ever know. Her Music is better than Mozart, Miles Davis, Elvis, The Beatles and every other music ever. Her beauty surpasses Cleopatra. She is smarter than Einstein. She’s a better artist than Michelangelo. She keeps the world spinning on its axis and is in charge of global warming. If she dies, the world will cease. So beware, Madonna detractors, you shall be gnashing and grunting in hell soon enough.

r195 You try way too hard Tori troll who got the fuck busted. That was a thing of beauty. You so thought you had it going but you were very easily goaded into losing your shit.

Tori troll doesn't even like Tori. Try hard! "I'm going to gain some independent cred by saying I'm the Tori troll because yeah that totally doesn't give my game up."

a true visionary

Can't see 197. Too bad. I'm sure it added much to the discussion. LMAOOOOOOOOOOO

oh you can see it

I love Madonna, but I did find r197's post funny. So would she.

The fact 197 went through the trouble to find that pic that he remembered would prove she rents a place in his head for free.

Some screaming fanatic mentioned upthread that we're all jealous (the haters) of all the dick she gets. Please, she's single and friendless. Did you see the disgust on Drake when she sexually molested him? Desperate old woman. . .

Like Trump, she's a marketing bullshiter, or was. Her corny personas and 'controversy' are so contrived and deliberate. We were so naïve to her in the 80's and 90's, but everyone (aside from the obese and incel lunatic 'fans' of today)) now see the bullshit for what it is, and her 'music' is one failure after another, as she attempts to maintain her status from a few decades ago. She's an unapologetic narcissistic, but can't handle being exposed for this horrid personality trait, or for having her age being mentioned. The woman is a delusional fool, and deserves every word of ridicule thrown her way. I always knew she wouldn't age well -

r201 Tries way too hard

epitome of trying to hard

r203, she looks 80 there, what a horrible picture.

"Mr. Demille, I'm ready for my close up" indeed.

R204, You may have to explain that reference to the Madbot, since in another thread they don't know that movie.

R204, "I AM big. It was the music that got smaller!!!!".

Explain ancient movies where you attempt, poorly, to suggest she is, GASP, old? How original! The old argument has been going on since she was 29. Yet here she is, being successful at whatever she does. Even MDNA was #8 of the best selling albums of 2012, worldwide. She gets under your skin and it is a thing of beauty.

80 on metacritic. This is why the haters are losing their shit. Put on some more diapers.

A new, glowing review.

I think turning 50 really did something to her. The music she put out during her 50s were reflective of a sense of not being in control and trying to grasp control. She now appears to be more comfortable in her life, her skin and her career as a 60-year old. I was watching a behind-the-scenes clip of the filming of the Crave video and she joked to the director, "Just don't show my varicose veins". She was always at her best when she laughed at herself, and during her 50s, that was truly missing - she was becoming a parody because I think she was a little lost in herself. Moving to Portugal really did the trick. She's back in true form. She'll never be the graceful matron that most of these gay men on DL seem to think she should be. She'll always be weird and outlandish and OTT, but that's just who she is.

We should be celebrating this kind of behavior with relish - isn't that what we want from our celebrities? They are supposed to live out our wildest fantasies. Instead, I hear from the gay community via DL (which maybe I shouldn't be doing) that they should conform and conservatize. Ridiculous. My fellow gay brothers are becoming more and more boring.

r209 I shake my head when I hear gay men telling someone they should conform to some pre-existing notion of what society wants. Like WHAAAT? Think about that and let it sink in. It is top shelf psychosis. Society tells gay men to conform. Someone in this or another thread on her, said we should check out what middle America thinks about her rape comment to which the reply was, why don't you ask middle America what they think of gays.

It is all about scoring points for the diva they stan for. Yes, that is what it comes down to. Most of the nutjobs like Madonna but she is the apex alpha so they must take her down to elevate their fave. Because if this were about anything else, their comments do not speak highly of them and their mental health nor gays in general.

what if people just think madonna is whack r211?

I don't see you 212. LMFAOOOOOOO

Rapper Mykki Blanco on playing a gay male Joan of Arc in her new video Dark Ballet:

Since when was Madonna raped? at 19?

How did I miss her revealing this pertinent fact about her life?

r212, that's fine. I've been gay all my life - out and proud - and I never understood the appeal of Streisand, Garland, Cher, etc. It's the people who think Madonna's "whack" that appear to spend an inordinate amount of their time tearing her down that I have a problem with. I don't spend my time on threads attacking Streisand or Cher because I think they're "whack" (which I do, especially the former), but alot of people who don't like Madonna are compelled to lash out.

Which I guess is how she became one of our all-time legends ... if you love her, you love her. If you hate her, you don't go away - you stay and throw the biggest rocks you can pick up. I don't think alot of Madonna haters realize that. She needs her detractors just as much as she needs her supporters to perpetuate the myth she has built.

So, in a complete turnaround from where I started - go ahead and hate, and detract, and make stuff up, and laugh, spit and throw stones ... cause you are ensuring her fame as much as the fans who will buy her albums and go to her concerts.

r215, she talked about it openly quite some years ago. It happened in her early New York days. A man took her up to a rooftop by knifepoint and raped her.

She will always be a target. She sits at the top since day 1. The ultimate alpha female. Many people who have issues with woman or their mothers particularly hate Madonna.

The haters think their words hurt her fans because hateful words against their faves hurt them to their core. I've seen fans of other divas cry hysterically if you don't agree they are talented or likable. Like full on mental breakdowns. I had a boyfriend, a little younger (I'm early 30's) who did this when I said I said his favorite singer was not really all that popular anymore and her music was not very good. He cried for hours. It freaked me out. But he is not the only one I've seen lose it over someone even saying lightly negative things about their faves. So they think we react in the same way. Madonna has been around a long time. Her fans have heard all the insults. There is nothing new. So we don't react like that. Madonna attracts a much emotionally stronger type of person as a fan. She doesn't attract the weaklings.

I think most people here have been fans of her at some point and their attacks on her are based on being disappointed in what she is and stands for today.

This will be the best-selling album of the year.

r219 They all want her to be the exact way THEY want her to be. If she isn't, it pisses them off. It has nothing to do with what she stands for. If she doesn't do and act exactly how they like, they react as if she murdered their pet poodle.

Their attacks on her do not hurt her fans like the attacks on their favorites hurt them. Stanning attracts nutjobs who develop such an unhealthy bond with the one they stan for any attack on their favorite is an attack on them personally. I stay very clear of anyone who says they stan for a certain singer because there is always something very wrong with them.

meh, i don't know, i think the madonna troll is as bad if not worse than the haters r216. It thinks if you don't lick madonna's ass crack, then you are a hater, janbot, gagabot, or a super fan of some other female singer. But, the reality is that most of the people commenting just don't like madonna's music video, or single, or her as a person. The subject of this thread is Madonna's new album, all released singles have been trash, EW gave the album a B- with a so-so review. Sounds like the thread title might be accurate.

Just curious, r222 - do you like things because you like them or do you wait for EW to tell you what to like?

I don't expect this album to give Madonna the kind of mainstream glory she had when she was in her 30s and 40s, but it sounds like the best thing she's done in years. I'm going to like it because I like the ideology behind it, the songs I've heard so far, and the risk she's taking to do it. I didn't like American Life or MDNA, but I usually decide for myself what I like. I liked Hard Candy and Rebel Heart. I don't care what the sales are. If I like it, I like it.

So how did the OP get it so wrong? Is it a case of a psycho who just wanted to have some temporary moment of fame and pretend to have some insights, or was he/she tricked into listening some decoy material?

r223 The haters are 100% fans of other singers and take shots at Madonna because they want their favorite to have what Madonna has like if they bring down Madonna their fave will replace her. Like you, I think it was you, pointed out, they seem far too joyous in dragging Madonna. It is personal for them. They are such broken people, they've become so bonded with their new favorite (and this new breed of celeb traffics in making people feel close to them) they feel they personally must help their favorite overtake Madonna even when their favorite is never going to come near Madonna never success. Madonna doesn't attract the weak. They resent her for being more successful than the singer they feel is their savior. It is out of this world sick.

I love r225's insanity.

I believe the OP was right but Madonna shelved the MAGIC album for some reason.

Many other artists have shelved complete albums before, like Barbra and Prince.

Madge probably thought MAGIC would flop so she scrambled to find something new, new, new to replace it with, which is MADAME X.

Well r223, did you miss the where i said all the released singles have been trash - 5 singles / 25% of an album? Haven't seen you comment on the multiple sub-par reviews that the madonna troll keeps posting (unless of course you are the madonna troll, which is still up in the air). Do you reserve your snarkiness for people who don't blindly support everything Madonna does (stating that you do or don't like certain albums isn't supporting your "i like what i like" position, as much as you thought it would).

Enlighten me, what is the ideology of this album (based on what's been released - don't quote any reviews!)? How is she "taking a risk" here? 3 or 4 of the songs have had features by more current, younger artists...is this the risk? Seems more like a "throw it against the wall and see what sticks" rather than a calculated move on her part, especially with the rapidness of the single releases. The risk certainly isn't creating something new that hasn't been done before, the songs released are carbon copies of "hit" / billboard charting songs (by some of the artists featured). Is the eye patch the risk?

r226 That's because, it appears, he has you pegged.

Yep, 226 is a huge stan of a certain singer he thinks is related to him and he finds going after Madonna to be on par with cumming.

R229, Why are you referring to yourself in the 3rd person?

Do you feel better, r228?

The poor stans of other divas hate the over 80 metacrtic rating Madame X has. Actual critics not crazed fans of other divas.

R233 - you're so desperate. Let the album speak for itself. So far, from the singles released, it is in my personal opinion, a stinker and a total flop. Sales, or lack thereof will determine weather or not I'm right, but I don't feel I'm going out on a limb to say, sales will be dismal. She's so over, but her deluded ego won't allow her to quietly fade into the darkness. Her shtick (corny personas, Catholic fetish) is tiresome and her voice is shot. Poor dear, even though the writing on the wall was made with a large sharpie, her old eyes can't read it, and she's to vain to put her bifocals on.

There seems to be something missing on the top 100 iTunes chart - oh yeah, any songs from Madonna. And don't give me this 'she's an artist, it doesn't matter'. She markets pop music, and it's all about being on top. People like Sade don't care about chart positions, Madonna's existence depends on it.

R233 - Dedicated to you

r234 I didn't bother reading that long term paper. You're triggered asf.

Even the DailyMail, who hate her with a passion, gave it a 4 out of 5 stars.

"Yet on her 14th album, the music hits you instantly with its vitality and variety."- DailyMail

The songs she has released so far are good ... exciting and different. The album may not be for mass consumption, but it will be included in her best for posterity. I agree her days of top 10s and number 1's are over - but I am deeply suspect of the way the industry runs today. I still do not understand how anyone can be a Top Ten star anymore. When I was a kid, my parents and grandparents knew who the "Top Tens" were because we all listened to the same radio and watched the same TV. That just isn't what we do anymore. My parents have no idea what Beyonce or Taylor Swift sings, for example, but her fans do. I don't listen to the radio, so I haven't heard "Me" yet because I'm not going to watch her VEVO video, but her fans will. My parents were not Madonna fans, but they knew "Material Girl", "Like A Virgin" and "Vogue" when they were all in constant replay. We are all separated now. We are all listening to what we want to listen to these days - the Top Ten doesn't speak for the masses anymore. Those days are over.

Snippets of songs from the album have leaked. Even in their brevity they sound better than most of the songs she's released so far. It would be true to form for her as of late; she either doesn't release the best songs as singles or she uses them as the 3rd or 4th singles when everyone has stopped caring.

And the "review" OP listed was obviously fake. I don't know how anyone could have fallen for that.

Yes, even if you didn't like a song or artist, when a song was a hit everyone knew the song and who sang it. I don't know what happened to that or why it isn't like that anymore. Also, everyone from old to young would know a hit song or hell, even a top 30 song. Growing up in the 90's, all ages listened to Top 40. I remember our neighbors who were grandparents, probably in their 60's, loved Nirvana. We've lost that.

From what I am gathering from the reviews of Madame X, Madonna didn't go for radio friendly and I am shocked. She hasn't had a top 10 song in 6 years on the US. Why did she go for an album full of songs critics like because the reviews are stellar but are calling bizarre, out of the mainstream? I admire that about her. She takes risks and critics reviewing this album have said this album is full of risks.

I'm not saying she would have had hits had she written an album full of full on pop bangers. You age out pop-rock success by 30ish yet she kept the hits coming until her 50's. It was inevitable, even for someone who people are still interested in her new music, that success on the singles charts would end. I guess she went for music she wanted to make, instead.

Gretchen, r238, stop trying to make Madame X happen!

The reviews have mentioned the variety of the music but that also who they are linked together, and not just lyrically. I wonder how that is going to work.

I've never seen this pic. Where is it from?

Or this one.

From Max magazine I think. Not the first one, obviously.

Steven Miesel.

Yep, these were my favorites.

here's my favorite, stunning

Another review but they didn't cite the source. Supposedly a US publication. This is just of one song which is Killers.

"Instead, it's a slow CREEPY folksy song. Very eerie. Haunting. European. It gets a beat in the final 1.5 minutes. The lyrics are always repeating "I will be X if X is Y"

I know what I am and I know what I'm not

Then the chorus is in Portuguese

After the chorus we hear twisted circus horns going up and down with some digital manipulation

It's a very haunting, powerful, slow song. Atmospheric and moody.

[quote] I guess she went for music she wanted to make, instead.

Oh please, this woman is so thirsty for a hit, and her desperation is so obvious. She just can't accept the reality that very few care at all about Madonna.

^^ bingo, hence all the random featured artists

"“People think that I’m insane/The only gun is in my brain/Each new birth, it gives me hope/ That’s why I don’t smoke that dope.”" Madonna channeling Nancy Reagan.

Poor dear. What's wrong?

mostly true

It seems most critics have kept the score from being perfect for Madame X due to one song with very clunky lyrics. Other than that, it seems lyrically solid and sonically interesting. This may not be my cup of tea but I'll wait and see.

DogMother...............🐶 👑. @SnoopDogg #madamex

R254 - So, even her corny personas are stolen from others?

she stole the madame x alter ego from an underground dj in england

Bless the trolls little hearts. Miss Madonna bothers you so much. Poor dears.......

R259 - Yes, I dislike mediocrity, and fruadsters with a narcissistic personality disorder. . The Trump of pop is so fitting for this aged con woman.

r260 Yes but this is not about Lady gaga it is about Madonna stay on topic!

Good artists borrow. Great artists steal.

Calling LG a great artist is stretching it by a lot. She isn't even that popular amongst her peer set. Her peers demolish her on the charts. I guess she always has Tony.

r261 I can't see their responses but it is no surprise who they favor. Pray for them. Their fave, who is half Madonna's age, hasn't had real chart success since Madonna had her last top ten, in 2012, yet Madonna is twice her age. Sad. And Beyonce would have made that movie an EVENT and she would have gotten 2 Oscars!

For awhile, Madonna was using the hashtag #magic for quite awhile. I don't know if that was to throw people off or she was seriously thinking about calling the album Magic. She also used #mambo for quite awhile, too. Maybe she had a change of heart and preferred Madame X.

I'm excited about the album because of the reviews but I am fearing it's going to be all autotuned to death. Her voice has really weakened in the last few years.

r265 You realize (I know you're a troll but I'll play) all the songs have been leaked in snippets. It is all vocodered or autotuned. But you knew that. LOL. Does she NEED it? I doubt it since she just toured and gave a great version of Hallelujah last year at MET gala but you'll believe what you want. Why would she use heavy vocoder or autotune on studio tracks? Because it fits the songs she is singing. I hate it and it doesn't appeal to me but I know where you are going. Just be blunt that you are a hater. LOL

225. "The haters are 100% fans of other singers and take shots at Madonna"

Nope. I don't have a favorite lady singer.

I've just disliked Madonna going back to the 1980s. She had some great songs under her name, but she has always been rude, arrogant, smutty, and unoriginal, yet, the media and the feminists keep promoting her.

234, "you're so desperate. Let the album speak for itself. So far, from the singles released, it is in my personal opinion, a stinker and a total flop. Sales, or lack thereof will determine weather or not I'm right, but I don't feel I'm going out on a limb to say, sales will be dismal. She's so over, but her deluded ego won't allow her to quietly fade into the darkness. Her shtick (corny personas, Catholic fetish) is tiresome and her voice is shot. Poor dear, even though the writing on the wall was made with a large sharpie, her old eyes can't read it, and she's to vain to put her bifocals on."

I agree. I didn't even like her back in the 1980s, when "Like A Virgin" sold millions of copies. I don't know why her fans think that her selling a lot of tour tickets or albums means everyone else has to like her, or approve of her arrogance, unoriginality, or rude behavior.

She had a lot of good songs in the 1980s and some in the 1990s, but the stuff I've heard off her Madame X album so far has not been any good.

I will be surprised if it sells well. Even if it does, it's not going to make up for her horrible personality.

And yes, she's been using the same Roman Catholic imagery in videos and tours going back to the 1980s. It is stale.

I can't see 267 or 268. Bless their hearts. Poor souls.

From the German WELT

"it's a femist and futuristic masterpiece"

Irish Times- 3/5 stars- they say too experimental

"it’s a big and ballsy production that’s so bizarre in places, you can’t help but be impressed."

A journo posted this on Twitter- Ernesto Sanchez

"I just listened to #MadameX as a journalist. I can say it’s craaazy!!! It’s a wild trip. Extremely interesting! The best since COAD? Yes, finally. Will everyone like it? No. The best songs? God Control and Faz Gostoso. My review tomorrow."

Wow, tickets on sale today for Madonna's tiny little theater tour and SOOOOO many seats available. Opening night not sold out, hundreds of seats available, for a tiny 2000 seat theater. Also, Boston and Philly dates are a sea of blue dots on the ticketmaster website. How embarassing.

I wish I knew what 273 said but either way, I'm giggling.

Not sold out.

[quote]New Music Included! Each ticket purchased online for the upcoming Madame X 2019 tour comes with a CD copy of the upcoming new album 'Madame X', scheduled for release on 6/14/19. After your ticket purchase, you'll receive an additional email in the coming weeks with instructions on how to redeem your album. US/CAN purchasers only. Not Valid for Fan to Fan Resale. Please Note: Not all events will be participating in the album bundle offer. Maximum of 4 albums redeemed per household.

Madonna is the bundling queen, she's always giving away her music to try to increase first week sales. You will see a HUGE drop in second week sales, guaranteed. But, i think they planned on selling more tickets/albums than are actually selling judging from all the blue dots on ticketmaster.

Madonna hid behind smoke and mirrors for decades. We all knew this. So the idea of her doing a stripped-down show with no smoke or mirrors means: her feeble vocals. Yikes.

Can't see , 275, 276, 277, 278 but I can smell the rising blood pressure and smoke coming out of their ears. They hate their favorite diva is lame. Yes, Beyonce would have made ASIB an event, it would have been huge and she would have gotten more awards for it. Beyonce can sing better as well and of course Beyonce can dance. Beyonce can write better. She doesn't need 5 writers on every song like LG. So ASIB was diminished because it didn't have the superior talents of Beyonce.

I, too, have those same posters blocked. It makes for a breezier and less annoying read. And, for the record, I didn't block them because they don't like Madonna. Dislike her all you want. I blocked them because they lie and make up "facts". I do the same thing on political threads. You don't get to make shit up. Sorry.

r280 Same here. I don't give af if they or anyone likes or dislikes Madonna. As you said, they lie and go so overboard with insults. I'm not going to sit through it and read the same stupid misogyny, ageism, and just plain psycho rambling. I know plenty of friends who like and dislike her for various reasons. But I don't know anyone who foaming at the mouth hates her like these whack jobs do. I don't care to see they mental anguish Madonna obviously causes them. I laugh at it but I'm done reading it. I am also vigilant about the poster who will seem like they are neutral then always get in their digs, the same kind I mentioned. They bore me to tears and none of what they say hurts me or anyone else like insults to their favorites do to them. My ex, and he's in his 30's like me, had an epic freak out because lightly criticized his favorite. Tears, snot, the works. Discovered later he is just a very weak person. Madonna doesn't attract weak fans.

I hope she comes to Canada.

R279 - R281 is the same demented Madonna fan.

There's been some stirrings she is going to do a greatest hits tour in 2020 or early 2021. Someone who knows someone from Live Nation said no decision has been made but to look a stadium availability in the US(Even Hawaii), EU (every country including Estonia where she had 80,000 attend, Lithuania, all eastern block), Scandanavia, Turkey, UAE, Israel, Asia (Japan, South Korea, China, India, Singapore, Philippines), Africa (I think only South Africa), Australia/New Zealand, and an huge South American leg. The tour would be stadium only and spread out over 2 years.

MADAME X is a vanity release which makes her feel good. Fine.

But the REAL tour is next year - yay!!!!!!!

"NOW I KNOW YOU'RE MINE!"

Lol r284-r285, again the same crazed Madonna fan who "knows someone". Madonna's looking to book Stadiums when she can't even sell out an 1800 seat theater...uh ok, sure.

How did Madonna's touring numbers decline from ten years ago when she had the biggest solo female tour ever? Too much touring? Ticket prices?

R287 it's been a steady decline for years. There is zero interest in any new music. Fans from the 80s have aged out or died. She doesn't resonate with anyone under 40, and that demographic are the ones buying up concert tickets. This theater thing is probably her last go round, unless she considers the summer music tents.

Stevie Nicks' Fleetwood Mac has NO problem selling tickets all over the world. Sellouts everywhere!

Monster success in Germany this week!

r287 Not playing the hits. Saturation of the same markets. Very high ticket prices. Rebel Heart Tour was never intended to be a stadium tour. That being said, she can't expect to play 6 huge tours in 14 years and not play a lot of your hits and expect to keep your numbers the same. Rebel Heart Tour did fantastic. Every artist out there would kill to have Rebel Heart tour numbers.

Oh look, I can't see 288 or 289. Must be lies, tears, delusion. Bless your little hearts.

I wonder if the lateness thing also contributed to the decline. It was bad on MDNA and was even worse with Rebel Heart.

Rebel Heart was a great tour, though.

She is the only major musical star who doesn't play a concert with 90% of her hits. I am shocked she has been able to have such huge touring numbers. I guess it speaks to her overall popularity and name.

it's sad that she's having problems selling out these small theaters, i know that the madonna troll said that she had sold out all of those dates and that is why they were adding more, but if you look on ticketmaster, not a one is sold out. Not even for the 1800 seat theater. It's sad that it had to lie about the numbers. It's not for a lack of trying to unload tickets though, she hired dancers to do flashmobs in front of the various theaters she's playing (normally flashmobs are put on by fans, not hired help).

She also doesn't tour nearly as much, in terms of number of dates, each tour as everyone else yet she pulls in behemoth numbers. Most people play 40, 50, 80 more dates than she does yet she beats them or it is close. I just checked and every tour that beat her biggest, Sticky and Sweet, played 30 to twice as many dates as she did.

I don't know how she pulled in Rebel Heart numbers when that is her 6th tour in 14 years playing a lot of new material. Had she played the same number of dates other artists did, her numbers would be similar to MDNA.

I wonder what lies and trash 295 is spewing cuz I can't see it. Bwhahahahahahaha. "You only see what your eyes want to see" damn straight, Madonna!

No one cares who you blocked R296

Another poor soul in mental health decline I can't see at 297

Well maybe login into your other device and you'll see. I like how at R229, you forgot which device you were logged into and referred to yourself in the 3rd person. Kind of sad actually.

I wonder what 299 said? Probably some ageism and other rabid ranting.

Meanwhile, 80 on metacritic.

please tell me someone started a thread for this....

wow, this is being reported at multiple sources

A Flash Mob for MADAME X that uses 1990's "Vogue."

If indeed ticket sales are slow for this theater tour then it means that besides her die hard stans who will support her regardless, the casual fans have moved on or are holding back. None of the new Madame X songs have made much impact; tour after tour with few hits performed, the late starting times; and gaining very few if any younger fans.

R303, Madonna could use the choreography if she could dance.

r304 you can validate how slow the sales are on ticketmaster