Satori

I’m kind of glad she’s single... I have no problem with her dating younger men but they always turn out to be flops or fucking creeps like Brahim Has she ever had a period like this where she’s not been with someone? For some reason the early 90s come to mind but that’s just because I can’t name people she was involved with during that period

I haven’t really listened to the others since Future came out. Except for the X in the Sphinx mix of Medellín which is fucking FIRE

Which one sis?

She’s so pretty here my goshhhhh someone I know said she looked like she’d had work down because of how tight and fresh-faced her skin is and I was like SEETHE BITCH

I am not talking about lyrics. Literally all of Madonna’s lyrics follow the same themes so of course there’s cohesion there, just like there is a modicum of that quality on every single one of her albums, however varied. I’m talking about the production side. We were sold on this project as a Latin-leaning Lisbon-centric change of pace for her—the Madame X personae = different genres thing feels like a lazy way of explaining another album that is just sort of all over the place. Which RH was too, but albums that play with duality always make more sense narratively. No I didn’t buy the romantic rebel thing, but it was definitely a coherent scheme, however uninspired. And visually it manifested much more seamlessly. The LFL stuff is a good example, combining the romantic side of things like the roses and the color red and some of her outfits with the more rebellious matador imagery. I’m making these observations despite having huge problems with the era and the album. Just because I complimented one aspect of it doesn’t mean I think it’s ROL quality and Madame Turd is all garbage. And I know you might not have meant it this way, but I really didn’t appreciate being lumped in with this group of people who are apprehensive of their faves dabbling in urban sounds or R&B.... nothing in my posts anywhere on this forum has suggested that, as I’m actually very fond of both the 90s style you slighted and contemporary/futuristic R&B, especially if we aren’t only talking about American artists and include British ones. To that point, I quite like Future and Crave I praised in the thread for it—but that doesn’t mean when I point out that her vocals are a mess or that they sound like they belong on the third R&B album we never got from Madonna (to complete the BS and HC trinity agh one can dream) that it’s because I dislike the genre or mind her playing with it. What I am struggling with is having a clearly RH-type ballad like I Rise with the two songs just mentioned plus Medellín... I’m sorry but it just doesn’t mesh for me except in the most ephemeral of “everyone listens to everything” ways. I prefer themeDonna and that extends to the music as well, which is something she hasn’t really done since HC, unless we call MDNA’s musical theme basicity, which I have done, most notably by insulting, btw, Girl Gone Wild on many occasions.

I totally agree with taking off the stan goggles but I don’t think Madonna knows about either Allie or Marina, sis. They’re cult pop stars even to pop fans let alone a granny like Madonna who only pretended to be listening to commercial stuff when she made MDNA. I think the more likely explanation is that the Madame X schtick is not original because the persona tactic is a tried and true pop star move. Madonna’s done it plenty of times, but this is the first time she’s playing with the idea of multiple personae because x is understood as a variable. The whole setup is incredibly rudimentary and it doesn’t make sense to attribute it to anyone as a result because it’s a standardized approach to themes to play with the idea of split personalities. The difference is that Marina and Allie probably pulled it off better than she has any hope of doing with this turd of an era.

I’m glad. Justin and Ed are both smug vile bitches and they deserve it. Not that the current #1 isn’t shit too but still

Europeans re Americans watching the Grammys

What a really.... interesting way of saying “they wheeled some stairs onstage in 40 seconds”

Ready to be dragged but LAP needs to be fucking retired for a while because between this and the Met performance it’s just awful in this rendition.... the most boring live performance of hers maybe ever... no choreography... recycled lewks and aesthetics from both the superior MDNA tour and Rebel Heart performances.... and she was even flatter here than during the Prince tribute. I’m sure the sound wasn’t entirely under her control so I’m not blaming her for that per se, but this was still disastrous. I feel like the narrative for this era just disappeared after Medellín, which even if people hated, set the tone for the record and had a definable concept AND boasted a superior live debut, even if it had problems too. Now we’ve been given this weird motley assortment of hip-hop leaning singles, which are definitely okay and I’ve enjoyed them, but it’s like what the fuck is this era about? It’s the messiest I have EVER seen Madonna and I don’t really know what to make of it.

It’s a fun song but it doesn’t feel finished to me. That annoying high-pitched squeaking synth sound in the background is annoying af.

I’ll keep it to the pop girls because there are too many non-pop ones to even begin to narrow them down: Madge: Ray of Light, Confessions, Bedtime Stories, Music, American Life Florence: all of them tbh Kylie: Aphrodite, Impossible Princess, Body Language Britney: Blackout Lana: Honeymoon Beyonce: Beyoncé (ST) Lorde: Pure Heroine Ellie Goulding: Halcyon Kacey Musgraves: Golden Hour Robyn: Body Talk I love some others by Katy and Gaga, e.g., but there are always a handful of songs that I dislike, whereas the albums above have few, if any, songs I don’t adore.

I agree with all the reservations about the way she’s singing. It’s very noticeable and annoying. However, I enjoy all the songs we’ve gotten so far on some level and listen to them regardless. I think I was naively expecting something more naturalistic this era, but it is what it is. I’ll acknowledge there’s some disappointment, but it doesn’t stop me from stanning. It’s Madonna, after all.

Does this mean we’ll get Disney+ and Hulu for 6.99 tho