Posted April 9, 20178 yr http://i.imgur.com/W2Fzkzf.jpg It's 5 years since the release of Madonna's 12th studio album, MDNA - the EDM influenced record that continues to divide fans and critics alike. In December 2010, following almost three years of working on her film W.E., Madonna announced on her social media that she was ready to return to the studio and make music that would make her move, sweat and dance, calling out for "the maddest, sickest, most bad ass people to collaborate with". Of course, the sight of new Madonna music on the horizon is enough to make any fan ecstatic, but the suspicion she must be brimming with ideas after a three year musical break, particularly following the divorce from Guy Ritchie, brought the excitement up several notches. She then went on to sign a three-album deal with Interscope Records - fresh new eyes to oversee the creative and managing process of the album. Throughout 2011, news and rumours of potential producers, writers and vocal collaborations began to circle: Jean-Baptiste, Nervo, Benny Benassi, Rihanna, Sia, Martin Solveig, Nicki Minaj and, the most exciting, William Orbit, who had been integral to the Ray of Light album. Alas, the Rihanna duet didn't seem to have any truth to it and the Sia-penned tracks were turned down, but it was confirmed that Madonna had indeed reunited with Orbit, more than a decade after their last musical collaboration. Speaking at the Golden Globes backstage, Madonna reflected that Orbit brought out her "introspective" and "thoughtful" side, helped by the fact they had worked together so intricately in the past that their writing process was so natural and comfortable - to the point they could "finish each other's sentences". Another key producer on the album was Martin Solveig who, despite only intending to work on one song, ended up with three tracks on the standard edition and a further three on the deluxe. Solveig, Madonna described, was the light to Orbit's dark, with his production being "fresh", "happy" and "puts a smile on your face". By the end of the year, it had been revealed the album would be hitting stores in March and, in January 2012, Madonna announced on The Graham Norton Show that the album would be titled MDNA. It was applauded by fans who very quickly picked up on the wordplay: it's an abbreviation of Madonna, the DNA of Madonna and refers to the drug MDMA that produces "euphoric feelings of love". A "triple entendre", if you will. The album artwork, photographed by Mert & Marcus and directed by Giovanni Bianco, perpetuates the latter, with a prism-like effect dividing Madonna's figure/face (depending on the standard or deluxe version) giving a slightly hallucinatory vibe. It also gives the impression of a bassline which highlights the largely electronic-dance sound of the album. MDNA explores a love for music, partying and feelings associated with drug taking, with contrasting themes of heartbreak and revenge also prevalent. Its pop-EDM style varies in mood, with some songs being happy and airy and others being more thumping and grittier. Upon release, reviews were generally positive, favouring the catchy pop hooks that felt much more in tune to Madonna's music than the Timbaland/Timberlake/Pharrell-infused R&B sound of Hard Candy. Others weren't so complimentary, criticising the album for its cliches, robotic vocals and direction. MDNA, as ever, was an immediate hit in the charts, debuting at #1 in many charts across the globe, notably selling an impressive 359k in the US on first week (although this was aided by fans being given the option to get the album as part of their ticket purchase for her tour). However, its chart performance worldwide headed south from here on, including a descent in sales of a record breaking 86.7% from #1 in the US. By the end of the era, MDNA had sold 2m copies - objectively, not a bad result, but much lower than Madonna was used to. Bad single choices, no promotion or just being a poor quality album were listed as reasons for the underperformance. It tends to find itself ranking low or even bottom on Madonna's all-time albums lists, even if select tracks are held in great regard. As we mark 5 years since its release, what are people's thoughts on the album? Is the often harsh reception it gets deserved or unnecessary? How would you improve the album campaign? Do you have any particular favourites? What are you memories of the era?
April 9, 20178 yr Author Here are some of the album rates from the first few weeks of release: 08 Girl Gone Wild 08 Gang Bang 10 I'm Addicted 09 Turn Up The Radio 07 Give Me Your Luvin' 07 Some Girls 06 I Don't Give A 08 I'm A Sinner 08 Love Spent 08 Masterpiece 09 Falling Free 09 I f***ed Up So, the only track missing now is 'Superstar', I'm actually very surprised with it. I was expecting it to be crap, but for the most part it's actually really good. Gang Bang in particular is a big surprise, I expected to hate it. 02 Girl Gone Wild 08 Gang Bang 08 I'm Addicted 11 Turn Up The Radio 08 Give Me Your Luvin' 08 Some Girls ?? Superstar 10 I Don't Give A 10 I'm A Sinner 10 Love Spent 03 Masterpiece 07 Falling Free ?? Beautiful Killer 09 I Fucked Up ?? B-Day Song ?? Best Friend Excellent excellent pop album. The best thing anyone's released since Born This Way in fact. I'm actually ashamed I ever doubted her. 08 Girl Gone Wild 09 Gang Bang 10 I'm Addicted 09 Turn Up The Radio 07 Give Me Your Luvin' 07 Some Girls 07 Superstar 08 I Don't Give A 08 I'm A Sinner 09 Love Spent 08 Masterpiece 09 Falling Free 09 I f***ed Up 06 B-Day Song RE-RATE already. I forgot how much FUN it is to be a Madonna loon around the time of a new album leaking *.* Been listening over the past couple of days, rate (no spoilers :P): 09 Girl Gone Wild 10 Gang Bang 08 I'm Addicted 07.5 Turn Up The Radio 07.5 Give Me Your Luvin' 07 Some Girls 06 Superstar 11 I Don't Give A 09 I'm A Sinner 10 Love Spent 10 Masterpiece 09.5 Falling Free 08 Beautiful Killer 08.5 I f***ed Up 04 B-Day Song 07 Best Friend
April 9, 20178 yr Author Not many people seem to have been listening to this on Buzzjack? Maybe next week there'll be more comments coming in when people buy the CD. 02 Girl Gone Wild 08 Gang Bang 08 I'm Addicted 11 Turn Up The Radio 08 Give Me Your Luvin' 08 Some Girls 07 Superstar 10 I Don't Give A 10 I'm A Sinner 10 Love Spent 02 Masterpiece 08 Falling Free 07 Beautiful Killer 09 I Fucked Up 05 B-Day Song 06 Best Friend Seriously improves toward the end of the tracklist although I've given it a rejig in my iTunes, added I Fucked Up as the closing track and got rid of Girl Gone Wild and Masterpiece altogether. 08 Girl Gone Wild 07 Gang Bang 05 I'm Addicted 02 Turn Up The Radio 10 Give Me Your Luvin' 07 Some Girls 02 Superstar 10 I Don't Give A 02 I'm A Sinner 07 Love Spent 08 Masterpiece 04 Falling Free 04 Beautiful Killer 01 I f***ed Up 01 B-Day Song 03 Best Friend This is just after one listen. Its not great. I Don't Give A and Give Me All Your Luvin' are easily the best two for me, by FAR. Maybe the rest will grow after a few more listens. 7 Girl gone wild 4 Gang Bang 6 I'm addicted 6 Turn up the radio 5 Give me all your luvin 4 Some girls 6 Superstar 5 I don't give a 7 I'm a sinner 6 Love spent 9 Masterpiece 9 Falling free 8 Beautiful killer 7 I f***ed up 5 Bday song 7 Best friend 6 Give me all your luvin (remix) Bought the deluxe Friday. After a few listens: 08 Girl gone wild 07 Gang Bang 06 I'm addicted 07 Turn up the radio 06 Give me all your luvin 06 Some girls 06 Superstar 06 I don't give a 07 I'm a sinner 06 Love spent 08 Masterpiece 07 Falling free 06 Beautiful killer 06 I f***ed up 03 Bday song 06 Best friend 06 Give me all your luvin (remix)
April 9, 20178 yr Author I got the album yesterday in the post: Bought the deluxe Friday. After a few listens: 07 Girl gone wild 10 Gang Bang 08 I'm addicted 02 Turn up the radio 07 Give me all your luvin 10 Some girls 09 Superstar 10 I don't give a 07 I'm a sinner 08 Love spent 08 Masterpiece 07 Falling free 10 Beautiful killer 10 f***ed up 06 Bday song 04 Best friend 08 Give me all your luvin (remix) 07 Girl Gone Wild 09 Gang Bang 09 I'm Addicted 10 Turn Up The Radio 07 Give Me All Your Luvin' 09 Some Girls 11 Superstar 10 I Don't Give A 09 I'm A Sinner 10 Love Spent 08 Masterpiece 09 Falling Free - 08 Beautiful Killer 08 I f***ed Up 03 B-Day Song 06 Best Friend This is a pretty fantastic album, a HUGE improvement on Hard Candy. :D 'Superstar' and 'I Don't Give A' are just amazing. :wub: 10 Girl Gone Wild 10 Gang Bang 07 I'm Addicted 10 Turn Up The Radio 09 Give Me All Your Luvin' 08 Some Girls 11 Superstar 08 I Don't Give A 06 I'm A Sinner 08 Love Spent 10 Masterpiece 09 Falling Free - 10 Beautiful Killer 07 I f***ed Up -9 B-Day Song 05 Best Friend 09 Love Spent (Acoustic) Well it is by far the worst on the album, I shall agree with you on that :P Updated rate: 08 Girl Gone Wild 10 Gang Bang 07.5 I'm Addicted 08 Turn Up The Radio 08 Give Me All Your Luvin' 07.5 Some Girls 07 Superstar 11 I Don't Give A 08 I'm A Sinner 10 Love Spent 10 Masterpiece 10 Falling Free - 07.5 Beautiful Killer 09.5 I Fucked Up 03 B-Day Song 05 Best Friend 08 Love Spent (Acoustic)
April 9, 20178 yr Author Her joint worst with Hard Candy. Just cheap basic trash. I unashamedly like Hard Candy and, despite being bottom of the heap for so many years, I've found that MDNA is actually pretty GOOD when you cut out the crap! :o
April 9, 20178 yr Remains today her 3rd best album for me :kink: after American Life and Hard Candy. Sorry not sorry.
April 9, 20178 yr Author Remains today her 3rd best album for me :kink: after American Life and Hard Candy. Sorry not sorry. Ever the supporter of the underdog! :D No-one can deny such support for American Life though.
April 11, 20178 yr Author I've really come to love this album this past month, at least now that I've cut the crap and re-ordered the tracking list slightly. To be honest, there wasn't actually much that needed to be tweaked, yet it made such a huge difference. I can now enjoy each song without them being tainted by particular songs surrounding them and I can now be taken on a journey with the album: she goes from "f*** everything, I'm free to do what I want now I'm divorced" mode to hitting a point of realisation and reflection, concluding that, truthfully, it's incredibly sad that she's now lost something once so great. 'I'm Addicted' is my top favourite on the album and I'd go as far as to say it's one of my all-time Madonna faves. Even though it wasn't produced by him, it has some great, Orbit-inspired electronic wizardry going on and it's such an intense listen - it's like a 2012 version of the song 'Ray of Light'. 'Gang Bang' is genius; she's realised the power and anger in dubstep and has used that to make an aggressive, Quentin Tarantino inspired thriller of a song. 'I'm a Sinner' has been the biggest grower - it's like several songs in one but it works so well, with the "ride the magic bus" and the Saint name-check verses being the best moments. I've now decided it would have been a great single, right after the lead of 'I'm Addicted'.
April 15, 20178 yr OK gonna say it, I actually really enjoy this and in terms of last.fm it's one of my most played album from her :') If i was to consider it as a whole piece, it's a pretty annoying FULL listen but it has so many incredible single moments throughout that I play on repeat which have racked up a huge total for it. I'm Addicted, Girl Gone Wild, Gang Bang, GMAYL, Love Spent, Beautiful Killer & Best Friend I ADORE, then there are a fair few I enjoy and then finally the utter CRAP in B'day Song which could be her worst ever song. So all in all A MIXED BAG but I actually enjoy it and it's the party pop tunes that I need before a night out so i'll always return to it *.*
April 18, 20178 yr Author I'm Addicted, Girl Gone Wild, Gang Bang, GMAYL, Love Spent, Beautiful Killer & Best Friend I ADORE, then there are a fair few I enjoy and then finally the utter CRAP in B'day Song which could be her worst ever song. Yes for the 'Best Friend' love! I've said before but having this as one of the closing tracks gives the album some direction - we start the album with a revenge-filled, wild Madonna until the dust settles and she's left in a reflective state. She knows she's made the right decision, but it doesn't stop the hurt and the knowledge that something once so good has come to an end. One of my favourites for sure.
April 20, 20178 yr OK gonna say it, I actually really enjoy this and in terms of last.fm it's one of my most played album from her :') If i was to consider it as a whole piece, it's a pretty annoying FULL listen but it has so many incredible single moments throughout that I play on repeat which have racked up a huge total for it. I'm Addicted, Girl Gone Wild, Gang Bang, GMAYL, Love Spent, Beautiful Killer & Best Friend I ADORE, then there are a fair few I enjoy and then finally the utter CRAP in B'day Song which could be her worst ever song. So all in all A MIXED BAG but I actually enjoy it and it's the party pop tunes that I need before a night out so i'll always return to it *.* Autotone Baby tho.
April 20, 20178 yr Author 'Autotune Baby' is definitely her worst, without a doubt. 'B-Day Song' is pretty bad but I can enjoy that ironically (I always play it on my birthday! :lol:).
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