On March 6, 2015, pop icon Madonna released her 13th studio album, Rebel Heart. She was forced to release the album before the original date due to illegal leaks of demos, which probably hurt the album's sales, but it still did pretty well on the charts, often peaking a number one. Madonna has been promoting the album with live performances of the first two singles, TV interviews, social media, and the upcoming Rebel Heart Tour. I personally think this is the best album she has made since 2005's Confessions on a Dance Floor, and I like it enough to write a review of it on my blog. I'm completely in love with this new phase of Madonna's career, and I hope I get to see her live this time around. This is a review of the standard version; I wish she had included the title track and the amazing "Veni Vidi Vici" instead of some tracks that did make it on this version, but it's still a great album. Here's my humble opinion on it:
1. Living for Love – The lead single of the album and Madonna’s
reintroduction into the music scene. It’s a catchy tune, with a lot of
potential. I’m 100% convinced that if it was sung by Rihanna it would have been
a massive hit, but due the ageism Madonna herself spoke about, it didn’t make
as big a splash as it should have. However, it reached number one on the Hot
Dance Club charts, making Madonna the female with the most number one hits on
Billboard (44 in total, tied with George Strait). The song’s promo video has a
Spanish matador theme which she has explored before in the “Take a Bow” video,
and some dance steps that remind me of “Papa Don’t Preach”, so while it looks
and sounds current, it’s still very Madonna-like. It’s edgy in the sense that
she combines the Minotaur image with black and red colors which can be a
demonic reference, but here it is a metaphor for men being animals, and
dominating the animal within. That ties in with the meaning of the song of
rising above and being in charge. It’s probably the most commercial song in the
album, and while it’s not my favorite, she couldn’t have picked a better lead
single for this new era.
2. Devil Pray – Pulling a classic Madonna stunt, she stirs a
bit of religion controversy on this one. Lyrically it’s a powerful song about
abusing drugs to reach a divine state of mind and connect to God, and the
struggles of a drug user drowning in the vice while trying to reach salvation.
The song starts with a guitar sound and gradually escalates to an electronic beat.
It’s a mature and current sound, and it has a taste of church music in its
background, which Madonna has definitely used before with beautiful results.
3. Ghosttown – The first ballad of the album, the song starts
slow and soft, and then explodes into a catchy, powerful, dubstep-ish chorus.
If taken literally, the song is about the desperation of a fallen civilization
and two people finding hope and comfort in each other, but I personally think
that is just a metaphor for being a rock to a loved one during the crazy times
we live in, being there for them when all hope is lost, their light at the end
of the tunnel. Vocally, Madonna is at her best here; I’ve read some reviews
where her vocals are compared to Karen Carpenter’s, which threw me off at first
(I believe Karen had one of the most beautiful voices in recorded history) but
after listening carefully to the song I couldn’t agree more; if Karen Carpenter
had today’s technology when she was alive, she would sound very much like
Madonna here. Ghosttown has been released as the second single of the album,
and Madonna has been performing it live on TV, proving she does have the voice.
At this time, the music video has yet to be released.
4. Unapologetic Bitch – This is my absolute favorite song in
the album. The crescendo synth intro leads to a reggae beat and a constant
drumming that serves as background to Madonna’s vocals. She sings about a bad
breakup that took time to heal, but now she is above it and has a lot of
negative things to say about her ex. She uses some pretty raunchy terms, so I
doubt this song would ever be a single because bleeping out the bad words would
erase the essence of the lyrics. But I really hope she performs it live, it’s a
delicious song and I can listen to it on loop a million times.
5. Illuminati – This song is a response to people who say
Madonna is associated with the Illuminati. Unlike them, she did her research on
the subject and was inspired to write the song. She cites a list of influential
celebrities who have been accused of being part of the secret society, making
fun of the conspiracy theories they have all been victims of (she even mentions
Lady Gaga in her song!) She sings about all the imagery associated with the
term, such as the All-Seeing-Eye, the Phoenix, and the Pyramids, among others.
Sometimes the ignorant public oversees all the hard work artists put into their
careers, and how much they struggled to be where they are, and it’s easier for
them to accept that celebrities became famous because of some exclusive cult,
and this song is a ballsy reminder that it’s not exactly like that.
6. Bitch I’m Madonna (feat. Nicki Minaj) – This song doesn’t do
much to me, but it is a great example of how to put dubstep to good use. It
does sound cool and fun, with some retro electronic music in the background,
and the hook is quite catchy. Nicki Minaj has a part, where she raps about being
Madonna and “these hoes know”. The lyrics are about, well, being Madonna, nothing
much deeper than the fact that she realizes who she is. If anyone can write a
song this egotistical and get away with it, it’s Madonna.
7. Hold Tight – At first this song seems like it’s going to be
one of those album fillers that we tend to overlook and skip, but it builds up
to an exciting hook. The song, as I interpret it, is about being in a
relationship and holding tight for the ride, which is bumpy and difficult, but
if they stay together they can make it. Not a bad song at all, and it’s very
refreshing to hear after the previous track.
8. Joan of Arc – One of the most beautiful songs Madonna has
ever written, it’s the first song of the album that called my attention. Her
voice sounds amazing, and it’s become a huge fan favorite. The song references
Joan of Arc, the 1400’s French heroine who died at the stake. Madonna sings
about the media’s negativity towards her and how much that has hurt her, which
is surprising since she has pushed the boundaries and stirred controversy throughout
her career, and she has always been nonchalant towards public scrutiny and has
always fought back. Here she confesses how much the hateful words affect her,
showing a more vulnerable side of the legend we don’t always get to see. I
really hope it becomes a single because it has a great message that people need
to hear.
9. Iconic (feat. Chance the Rapper and Mike Tyson) – The song
begins with an introduction by boxer Mike Tyson, who talks about being on the
top of his game with a cheering crowd in the background. This track is Madonna’s
acknowledgement on her status as an icon, and she sings inspiring lyrics about
not giving up because if you were born to be iconic, it will happen in the end.
It’s an interesting song, with a very exciting beat that reminds me a little of
the late 90’s and early 2000’s dance music. I don’t understand Madonna
fascination with young rappers, but to each his own, I guess.
10. HeartBreakCity – This ballad is a heartfelt breakup song
about picking up the pieces after a devastating end of relationship, and it may
or may not be a reference to Madonna’s own love life (she sings the lines “You
got just what you came for/ A bit of fame and fortune/ And I’m no longer
needed"). While the song is mainly piano and deep vocals, the chorus has some
other elements, such as fanfare drumming similar to the ones she used in “Give
Me All Your Luvin’” from her previous album.
11. Body Shop – In this song Madonna compares her love to an
automobile needing repair, and loving a new person is like taking a car to the
mechanic, and they have to do whatever it takes to fix it. The constant and
linear banjo sound throughout the song is absolutely delicious to listen to,
and the 80’s-like synth leading to the hook works harmoniously with it. While I
love the melody and the message of the song as a whole, I do feel like there’s
a disconnection between the two; the melody begs for lyrics that were not provided, and I feel that if she had spent more time on this one she could have a
masterpiece.
12. Holy Water – She successfully and masterfully stirred
religion controversy in “Devil Pray” and she should have stopped there. I think
she went too far with this one, and it was absolutely unnecessary. The somber
sound of this track only adds up to the feeling of “oh no she didn’t”, and the
chorus is more reminiscing of a Britney Spears song than Madonna (minus the
moaning). Mixing sex and religious terms is something she has done a thousand
times before, it’s getting really old. It’s not provocative or edgy, it’s
simply too redundant.
13. Inside Out – Another ballad-ish song. It’s a love song about
loving someone completely, getting to know them physically and mentally and
loving them exactly the way they are. It’s about letting your guard down, not being defensive and letting yourself be loved. It doesn’t really stand out in the
album, but it’s a nice transition into the last song.
14. Wash All Over Me – I didn’t pay much attention to this song
until I started to write this, and I just realized what a great song this is!
She sings about the injustice and unfairness in the world, about not turning a
blind eye and facing all the ugly truths, even if you can’t do anything to
change them. With some piano, synth, and robotic autotune voice she gets the
message across, and she projects a helpless feeling of suffering. This song is
great in every way, and it’s a great way to close a great album.
Watch the video for "Living for Love"
