title: Rebel Heart

text: To promote "Rebel Heart", Madonna gave several performances on television and embarked on the Rebel Heart Tour, which visited North America, Europe, Asia, and Oceania, from September 2015 to March 2016. "Living for Love", "Ghosttown", "Bitch I'm Madonna", and "Hold Tight" were released as singles from the album. "Rebel Heart" received predominantly positive reviews from music critics; multiple reviewers called it Madonna's best effort in a decade. It debuted and peaked at number two on the US "Billboard" 200 and the UK Albums Chart, while reaching number one in major music markets such as Australia, Canada, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, and Switzerland. "Rebel Heart" was certified gold or platinum in seven countries.


title: Rebel Heart

text: Following the release of her twelfth studio album, "MDNA" (2012), Madonna embarked on The MDNA Tour to promote it. The tour created widespread controversy over her statements on violence, human rights, politics, her use of fake firearms, and her on-stage nudity. She was threatened with several lawsuits. Madonna was enraged by many world events, which she claimed were acts of "injustice" against humanity. In September 2013 she released "Secretprojectrevolution", a short film she directed with Steven Klein, dealing with artistic freedom and human rights. The film launched a global initiative known as Art for Freedom to promote freedom of expression. Madonna said in a "L'Uomo Vogue" interview her next album would be connected with Art for Freedom. She is committed to the initiative and must use her voice as an artist.


title: Rebel Heart

text: By December 2013, Madonna's manager Guy Oseary commented that the singer was "eager to get started" on her next album. However, she had another project in mind: developing the screenplay for a film adaptation of Andrew Sean Greer's novel "The Impossible Lives of Greta Wells". Madonna decided to split her time between writing the screenplay and writing songs for the new album. In February 2014, Madonna confirmed she had begun working on her thirteenth studio album. Her previous work had been produced with a small core group of people developing the music. Working with many collaborators on "Rebel Heart", Madonna encountered problems keeping a cohesive sound and creative direction for it. She observed that many of the people she enlisted to work on the album could not stay in one city for any length of time due to their schedules. This resulted her not finishing songs in one session. "It was challenging ... with people coming and going in a revolving door of creativity."


title: Rebel Heart

text: In March 2014, Madonna began posting a number of images on Instagram hinting at possible songwriters and collaborators with hashtag captions. First, she posted about going into the recording studio with Swedish DJ and producer Avicii. Record producer Carl Falk spoke with the "Dagens Nyheter" newspaper in April 2014 about these sessions. He recalled that eleven demos with acoustic guitars and piano were recorded within a week at Henson Recording Studios in Hollywood. Avicii's manager Arash "Ash" Pour Nouri selected six people. They were divided into two groups, the first consisted of Falk, Rami Yacoub, and Savan Kotecha; the second consisted of Salem Al Fakir, Vincent Pontare, and Magnus Lidehäll. Avicii worked with both groups to create the demo songs, while Madonna arrived at the studio in the afternoon and stayed until 7:00 am. She worked closely with both teams while writing and changing melodies, and was in charge of the process.


title: Rebel Heart

text: A few days later, Madonna posted an image of a sunset with the words "Rebel Heart" on them, and a caption which the media interpreted as lyrics from a new song. The lines posted were: "Day turns into night. I won't give up the fight. Don't want to get to the end of my days... saying I wasn't amazed." Additional images showed Madonna with singer Natalia Kills in front of a microphone, and with Martin Kierszenbaum, the founder and chairman of Cherrytree Records, and senior executive of A&R for Interscope Records, Madonna's label. By mid-April 2014, she had also revealed on Instagram the names of songwriters Toby Gad and Mozella and record producer Symbolyc One with images of the group working in studio. The list of personnel grew to include producer Ariel Rechtshaid and sound engineer Nick Rowe.


title: Rebel Heart

text: In May 2014, Madonna posted a selfie in which she talked about working with American DJ Diplo. She had invited him for her annual Oscar party, but he could not attend. They eventually started talking about music through texts and decided to collaborate on the album. Madonna asked him to provide his "craziest record" for the album. Together they wrote and recorded seven songs. "Those records are gonna be crazy-sounding. We really pushed the envelope with some of the stuff we were doing... [S]he was up for anything. I love when an artist gives a producer the confidence, he needs to work with them, and Madonna was very open-minded to my ideas", Diplo added.


title: Rebel Heart

text: One song was composed using a hook Madonna had sung in the studio; Diplo described it as "super weird". Another one, later confirmed as "Living for Love", had nearly twenty versions recorded ranging from a piano ballad to an EDM version. Ultimately Madonna and Diplo compromised on a version midway between the two styles. Rechtshaid and British singer MNEK also joined their writing sessions, improving the song's verses. Diplo also confirmed another track, known as "Bitch I'm Madonna", which he believed would push the lyrical boundaries for a pop song. Alicia Keys also contributed to the album by playing piano on "Living for Love". Madonna confirmed two other songs, "Messiah" and "Devil Pray", in different interviews.


title: Rebel Heart

text: Thematically, Caryn Ganz of "Rolling Stone" felt the album focused on two subjects: listening to one's heart, and being a rebel. Madonna explained that these concepts were not her initial inspiration but emerged during the sessions with Avicii. Madonna observed two distinct themes emerging organically, and felt the need to express them. The record was titled "Rebel Heart", since it dealt with two different aspects of the singer's character—her rebellious, renegade side, and her romantic side; she wanted the album to represent both. On the French radio station NRJ, she explained that "Rebel Heart" could be both autobiographical and fictional, since she mixed both her own experiences with imaginary narratives while writing the songs. The title stemmed from Madonna's belief that contemporary music artists are not encouraged or inspired to be rebellious, take risks, or speak-up, and she wanted to highlight this. However, she understood the importance of having love in the rebellious nature, so added the word "Heart" to the title.


title: Rebel Heart

text: Introspection was also listed as one of the foundational themes prevalent on the album. "[G]enuine statements of personal and careerist reflection [are] scattered among the posturing of 'Bitch I'm Madonna' and 'Unapologetic Bitch'" according to "Slant Magazine"s Sam C. Mac as well as her "obsessive self-regard". Madonna explained to Jon Pareles of "The New York Times" that, although she has never looked back at her past endeavors, reminiscing about it felt right for "Rebel Heart". "And it's bittersweet for me to think about that. It just seemed like a time where I wanted to stop and look back. It's kind of like survivor guilt. How did I make it and they didn't?" During the album's development phase, she became comfortable expressing her ideas in front of a few people, comparing it to "writing your diary in front of somebody and reading it out loud... It was almost like an acting exercise, you know, just putting myself in a room and letting ideas flow even if I didn't feel so connected to the people."


title: Rebel Heart

text: Further inspiration for the album came from Madonna's exploration of other cultures and art, literature, and music, referencing them in the songs. She believed that the tracks should stand on their own, so that one could sing them accompanied by just a guitar. Madonna enlisted the help of her daughter Lourdes and son Rocco, calling them her A&R advisers. They visited night clubs and were able to provide her with news about up-and-coming music and artists, helping to create the sounds she gravitated towards for the album.


title: Rebel Heart

text: Generally, a pop record, "Rebel Heart" was different from Madonna's releases in the last decade according to Bradley Stern of "MuuMuse". He called it an "eclectic record" citing the merging of an array of musical genres like 1990s house, trap, and reggae along with the use of acoustic guitars. Stern felt that unlike "Hard Candy" (2008) and "MDNA" which chased then current musical trends, this album's sound was progressive. Adding to this, Mitchell Sunderland from "Vice" felt that "Rebel Heart" was a "lesson learned" from the criticism Madonna had received for her previous two albums. Jed Gottlieb of the "Boston Herald" found the album continued Madonna's "increasingly interesting, innovative approach" by combining contemporary musical styles with her previous tastes. He found "Rebel Heart" to be an improvement over the generic dance tunes on "MDNA". For Jon Pareles of "The New York Times", "Rebel Heart" was like a sequel to "MDNA" in its composition. While "MDNA" was marred by its cold mechanized vocals and clichéd songwriting, "Rebel Heart" portrays Madonna's musical abilities and as a lyricist "who ponders sin along with romance and fame." Jay Lustig of "The Record" believed that Madonna had always lacked a thematic coherence with her previous endeavors. However, with the songs from "Rebel Heart", she was able to create potentially successful singles, despite the tracks' different styles, thereby maintaining consistency on the record.


title: Rebel Heart

text: "Rebel Heart" opens with the song "Living for Love". Composed in the house genre, it begins with Madonna singing over a "regal" piano line, eventually joined by percussion. Although a breakup song, it talks about being triumphant and hopeful. According to Dean Piper of "The Daily Telegraph", the song has "some classic Madonna traits: religious references, a gospel choir, '90s piano beats and a whirling bass". It was compared to her 1989 singles, "Like a Prayer" and "Express Yourself" by Jason Lipshutz of "Billboard". The second track, "Devil Pray", was inspired by how one could be enticed to partake of narcotics to achieve a higher level of consciousness and connect to God. Lyrically it asks for salvation from a variety of drug abuses, making allusions to Saint Mary and Lucifer, as well as the pain of healing from drug abuse. Produced by Madonna with Falk, Avicii, DJ Dahi, and Blood Diamonds, "Devil Pray" starts with gentle guitar sounds which build up to an electropop production, accompanied by a house beat. "Ghosttown" talks about civilizations ending and the world encountering an armageddon, but humans seeing hope amid the destruction. Written with Jason Evigan, Evan Bogart, and Sean Douglas, it is a power ballad song, which Madonna sings in "piercing" and "warm" vocals like those of Karen Carpenter; the production is comparable to her 1986 single, "Live to Tell". According to Douglas, "Ghosttown" was written in three days, after Madonna personally requested studio time with him and the other songwriters. The fourth track, "Unapologetic Bitch", has reggae, dancehall, and dubstep influences. It is a ska song where Madonna speaks negatively about a break-up and her lover, with lyrics such as: "It might sound like I'm an unapologetic bitch but sometimes you have to call it like it is." Madonna explained that the song is about having fun regardless of the situation one is in.


title: Rebel Heart

text: "Illuminati", the fifth song, was inspired after Madonna learnt that she was considered one of the Illuminati's members. She decided to research the real Illuminati and then wrote the song. Lyrically it refers to the Illuminati conspiracy theory, the Egyptian pyramids, the Phoenix, the Age of Enlightenment, and the Eye of Providence among others, with the chorus's lyrics: "It's like everybody in this party is shining like Illuminati." According to Madonna, Kanye West, who produced the track, loved the melody and changed the composition adding his own spin to it. Minaj appears on the sixth track, "Bitch I'm Madonna", where she raps, asking everybody to "go hard or go home", while Madonna shouts lyrics like: "I just want to have fun tonight, I wanna blow up this house tonight." Produced by Diplo and Sophie, the track has a tearing sound alongside the "bleepy electro" and "churning dubstep" composition. During the writing sessions, Minaj had to rewrite the lyrics until she got the sentiment Madonna wanted. "Hold Tight" consists of an "arresting" chorus and a drum beat sound, described by Sam C. Mac of "Slant Magazine" as: "innocuous, lyrically platitudinous pop that briefly works itself up into something exciting when it threatens to become a gospelized stomp." Track eight, "Joan of Arc", is a ballad where Madonna sings about the media scrutiny of her life, singing: "Each time they take a photograph, I lose a part of me I can't get back." It also references the Roman Catholic saint of the same name. Madonna's hushed, vibrato-tinged vocals, and confessional lyrics on "Joan of Arc", are enhanced by a new beat instrumentation that utilizes strings and acoustic guitars in the bridge.


title: Rebel Heart

text: "Iconic" features Chance the Rapper and boxer Mike Tyson. Tyson does a spoken word introduction to the song, similar to his addition to Canibus's debut single, "Second Round K.O." (1998). Madonna invited him to the recording studio where he talked about his life; he recorded the introduction in one take. Consisting of a "weird" beat, "Iconic"s lyrics find Madonna embracing herself as an icon. "HeartBreakCity" follows "Iconic". A piano ballad talking about lost love, Madonna sings in a deeper vocal register, inspired by baroque pop. With its synths, banjo sounds, and hollow drums, "Body Shop" describes love as a damaged car on a highway, requiring a body repair to be alive. West also produced the next track, "Holy Water", where the singer compares her bodily fluids to the title. With hedonistic sound effects, the song is reminiscent of Madonna's 1990 single, "Justify My Love" and contains a lyrical excerpt from "Vogue". A bassline accompanies the chorus, consisting of moaning sounds, arcade game music, and synths. "Inside Out" was produced by Mike Dean, and features Madonna's vocals with reverb, accompanied by piano sounds and restrained chords. "Wash All Over Me" follows, and is the last track on the standard version of the album. Baroque piano sounds, and a steady military beat, lead up to the chorus as Madonna sings about the world changing, heartbreaks, and acceptance. A gospel choir and minimum synths back the song's sound.


title: Rebel Heart

text: The deluxe version of "Rebel Heart" continues with the track "Best Night", an '80s electro composition reminiscent of Sade's songs with drums and Indian flute instrumentation. Madonna begins the song with the line, "You can call me M tonight" but her voice is not discernible in the chorus, only in the harmonies. There is another reference to "Justify My Love" at one point during the intermediate bridge. "Veni Vidi Vici" appears next, and is a rap "origin story song" with its lyrics built around Madonna's songs: "I expressed myself, came like a virgin down the aisle / Exposed my naked ass, and I did it with a smile / And when it came to sex, I knew I walked the borderline / and when I struck a pose, all the gay boys lost their minds." Madonna sings the chorus over simple guitar beats, uttering "I came, I saw, I conquered", the English translation of the song's title. Nas appears for a guest verse talking about his own life as Diplo backs it with shotgun and crunching horn sounds. "S.E.X." is the next track where Madonna asks sarcastically "tell me what you know about sex" over sounds of bass, synths and a string arpeggio. Near the end she lists a number of bondage items like: "Twisted rope, handcuffs, blindfold, string of pearls". Described as both an embodiment and critique of the act, "S.E.X." talks about the lack of intimacy with Madonna rapping in a "dispassionate" voice; she purposely made it sound like she had a lisp as she articulated the words.


title: Rebel Heart

text: "Messiah" is a dramatic pop ballad with an orchestra backing and violins. Madonna sings in a "deeper velvety" tone. The lyrics talk about lighting candles, necromancy, and casting love spells. The title track finishes the deluxe version and was changed completely from its leaked demo. It consists of acoustic guitar and violins, with autobiographical lyrics. Amy Pettifer of "The Quietus" noted, "'Rebel Heart' quietly [acknowledges Madonna's] part in building the scene and popularizing stylistics that are the foundation of current trends." The super deluxe version presents tracks like "Graffiti Heart", where Madonna drew inspiration from artists, such as her former boyfriend Jean-Michel Basquiat and friend Keith Haring, evoking the power of art in gaining freedom. It was described by the "Pretty Much Amazing" blog as "a galloping love letter to creativity", while "Beautiful Scars" is a disco-lite throwback track. "Borrowed Time" deals with war and social issues while "Auto-Tune Baby" features a baby wailing in the background.


title: Rebel Heart

text: In May 2014, photographer Mert Alas posted on his Instagram account that he was listening to a new Madonna album. "Billboard" clarified that she was still in the process of recording it in Los Angeles. They later posted a 50-second snippet of an instrumental which media claimed was from Madonna, but the sample was traced back to Dutch DJ Sander Kleinenberg and his song "We Are Superstars". Oseary confirmed that Madonna looked forward to a 2015 release date for the album. However, on November 28, 2014, two songs titled "Rebel Heart" and "Wash All Over Me" were leaked onto the Internet; the songs were taken down immediately, and Oseary tweeted asking for help finding the source of the leaks. On December 17, 2014, thirteen songs were leaked, as well as artwork suggesting the album was to be named "Iconic". An aggravated Madonna clarified that the songs were demo versions from earlier recordings; she described the leak as "artistic rape". The singer was criticized for referring to the hack as "terrorism", due to the then-recent Peshawar school massacre and the Sydney hostage crisis. Madonna said in a "Billboard" interview that after the leak she and her team tried to trace it to the source, but ultimately decided to release the finished songs. Referring to the Sony Pictures hack, she was critical of the Internet and explained that the incident led to her securing her laptop and hard drives, and disabling the Wi-Fi. "I wanted to plan everything in advance. Release the single, shoot a video, start talking about my record. And you know, prepare for the release of the entire album and have everything set up just so... But we sort of were left with no choice", she added.


title: Rebel Heart

text: On December 20, 2014, the album was made available for pre-order at the iTunes Store. Once ordered, six tracks, "Living for Love", "Devil Pray", "Ghosttown", "Unapologetic Bitch", "Illuminati" and "Bitch I'm Madonna", were automatically downloaded. Madonna said the songs were meant to be "an early Christmas gift" for her fans, with the final release of the album scheduled for March 10, 2015. Originally, "Living for Love" was intended to serve as the album's lead single. It was to be released on Valentine's Day, with the rest of the record slated for the spring. However, due to the leak, the release date had to be pushed up. Oseary recalled that they did not receive a confirmation until Friday night whether the pre-release could be executed, since iTunes was closing for the Christmas weekend. After much discussion on the pros and cons of the release, and with the aid of Interscope Vice-Chairman Steve Berman, and Apple Inc.'s Robert Kondrk, they were able to go live slowly. The six songs Madonna chose had to be polished, and since the tracks' producers were unavailable, she mastered and mixed them herself.


title: Rebel Heart

text: The album's release was compared to singer Beyoncé's 2013 surprise album release, with "The Guardian" calling it a "partial "Beyoncé"". The leaks continued with fourteen new demos being revealed between December 23 and 27. Three new tracks, "Hold Tight", "Joan of Arc" and "Iconic", became available following Madonna's Grammy performance in February 2015. The final track list for "Rebel Heart" was revealed on January 20, 2015, including the standard and deluxe version song names. A day later Israeli police arrested a man suspected of hacking into Madonna's, as well as other musicians' computers, stealing and leaking content. Lahav 433, an Israeli crime-fighting umbrella organization, had led a month-long investigation after the leaks occurred, working closely with the FBI. Although Israeli police refused to name the suspect, media identified him as former reality show contestant Adi Lederman, who had participated in the Israeli singing competition, "Kokhav Nolad", season ten. As the deluxe edition leaked in full, Lederman was charged by Israel's Magistrate Court on four counts: computer trespassing (two charges), prohibited secret monitoring, copyright infringement, and obstructing investigation. The investigation also revealed that Lederman had leaked the demo of Madonna's lead single from "MDNA", "Give Me All Your Luvin'". Copies of songs, including rehearsal recordings of upcoming Madonna performances, were sold for more than $1,000 to various clients. Lederman was ultimately sentenced to fourteen months in a Tel Aviv prison.


title: Rebel Heart

text: The cover art, featuring Madonna's face inter-crossed with black wires, became popular on social media resulting in numerous memes being created on Instagram, Tumblr and Twitter. Fans wound black wires across their faces imitating the cover, and created memes using the images of celebrities, including Britney Spears, Michael Jackson, Jim Carrey, and Marlon Brando. Madonna forwarded many of the images to her social media accounts. However, three of the images—those of Martin Luther King Jr., Nelson Mandela and Bob Marley with the same wires around their faces—were heavily criticized for being "disrespectful and racist". The singer explained the photos the next day, saying that she was flattered by the comparison to the three and characterized herself as a "freedom fighter". "Rebel Heart" became the singer's fourth studio album to bear the Parental Advisory label after "Erotica" (1992), "American Life" (2003) and "MDNA", due to the profanity and sexual references in tracks such as "Holy Water". In 2022, Madonna named "Rebel Heart" the "most stressful" album she's ever done due to its multiple collaborators.


title: Rebel Heart

text: Madonna confirmed her appearance at the 57th Annual Grammy Awards on February 8, 2015; Oseary clarified she would also sing during the ceremony. The singer performed "Living for Love" wearing a one-piece, matador red outfit, surrounded by male dancers dressed as minotaurs similar to the song's music video. "Forbes" reported that Madonna's performance was the most-watched moment of the night. Her choice to sing live without Auto-Tune during the choreographed performance was widely praised. She also performed the song at the 2015 Brit Awards, on February 25, 2015. However, in the early stages of the performance, a wardrobe malfunction caused her to be pulled down a flight of stairs that made up part of the stage. She later took to Instagram to confirm she was well, posting: "Thanks for the good wishes! I'm fine." It was later revealed that her cape was tied too tightly. When her dancers attempted to remove it from her neck, this caused her to crash to the floor, leaving the audience in shock. After several seconds, she continued her performance as planned.


title: Rebel Heart

text: Madonna partnered with the geosocial networking app, Grindr to promote "Rebel Heart". A contest was held, and five of the app's users were selected for an exclusive interview with the artist. The contest required re-creating the artwork for "Rebel Heart" and posting it as a Grindr profile picture. Other winners received signed copies of the album. Joe Stone from "The Guardian" considered this a "savvy" promotional method allowing Madonna to connect directly with her gay audience. Madonna appeared on "The Jonathan Ross Show", for her first UK television interview in three years, on February 26, 2015 (aired on March 14). She performed an edited version of "Living for Love", as well as "Ghosttown" for the first time. On March 1, she traveled to Italy for an appearance on the television show "Che tempo che fa" (aired on March 8). She performed "Devil Pray" and "Ghosttown" while talking with host Fabio Fazio about a number of topics including the album's development process. The next day she appeared on France's "Le Grand Journal" show, performing an edited version of "Living for Love" and "Ghosttown". Another interview aired on "The Today Show" on March 9 and 10, 2015, where she spoke to host Carson Daly about the "Rebel Heart" leaks. Madonna appeared for the first time on a special edition of "The Howard Stern Show" on March 11, 2015. She discussed her life and personal relationships, as well as confirming that "Ghosttown" was to be "Rebel Heart"s second single.


title: Rebel Heart

text: Madonna appeared and performed on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" in the US for the entire week of March 16 to 20. Songs performed included "Living for Love" with DeGeneres herself joining the singer onstage. She also sang a stripped-down version of "Joan of Arc", "Ghosttown", and finally, her 1985 single "Dress You Up", during a bathroom concert sequence with DeGeneres. On March 29, 2015, Madonna performed "Ghosttown" at the 2nd iHeartRadio Music Awards in Los Angeles, where singer Taylor Swift joined her on stage playing guitar. Two days later, the BBC's Jo Whiley interviewed her for Radio 2, the singer's first radio interview in the UK. Madonna appeared on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" on April 9, 2015, singing "Bitch I'm Madonna" and her 1983 single, "Holiday".


title: Rebel Heart

text: "Living for Love" was the first single from the album, released along with five other tracks. It was sent for radio play in the US on February 10, 2015. The song received positive feedback with "Slant Magazine" listing it at number 25 on their year-end top songs list for 2015, saying: "Overworked and overthought, for sure, but the song's essence remains intact, and if Madonna's message of life after love didn't register as a commercial comeback on the scale of, say, Cher's 'Believe', it remains a pop-gospel sequel of the highest order." An accompanying music video, directed by the French duo Julien Choquart and Camille Hirigoyen, together known as J.A.C.K., was released in February 2015. Its storyline incorporates mythological elements and shows Madonna as a matador, fighting her dancers dressed like minotaurs on a red circular stage. "Ghosttown" was first sent for radio airplay in Italy on March 13, 2015, and a week later in Australia. Jonas Åkerlund directed the music video, which starred actor Terrence Howard. The video's main theme was "an apocalyptic situation mimicking the end of the world", showing the singer and Howard as the sole survivors in a destroyed city.


title: Rebel Heart

text: The third single, "Bitch I'm Madonna", was released as a remix EP, featuring remixes by various collaborators. Åkerlund again helmed the video for the song, which featured Minaj and Diplo with Madonna, and cameo appearances by: Rita Ora, Chris Rock, Jon Kortajarena, Miley Cyrus, Alexander Wang, Beyoncé, Katy Perry, Kanye West, and Madonna's two sons, Rocco and David. Shot at the Standard Hotel in New York City, the video shows Madonna and her entourage partying throughout the building, ending on the rooftop. Technical difficulties plagued the release of the video to the streaming service Tidal; it was met with a mixed response. Critics complimented the craziness of the clip but panned the absence of the guest stars from the set. "Hold Tight" was a radio only single in Italy, released for airplay on July 24, 2015, and served as the fourth single from "Rebel Heart" in that country.


title: Rebel Heart

text: "Bitch I'm Madonna" became the only track from the album to enter the "Billboard" Hot 100. It debuted and peaked at number 84 on the chart, aided by a total of 2.6 million streams of the song's audio and video. The first three singles reached the top of the "Billboard" Dance Club Songs. This extended Madonna's record as the artist with the most number one songs on the chart. As well, she became the artist with the most number-one singles ever on a "Billboard" chart, breaking a tie with country singer George Strait who earned 44 number-ones on the Hot Country Singles chart. "Living for Love" reached number 26 in the United Kingdom, becoming Madonna's 71st top-forty single, extending her record as the female artist with the most top-forty UK singles.


title: Rebel Heart

text: Many news outlets began reporting on the concert tour supporting "Rebel Heart". The Italian newspaper "Torino Today" reported Madonna was planning on returning to Turin with the tour on November 20 and 21, 2015. The Rebel Heart Tour kicked off on September 9, 2015, and visited North America, Europe, Asia and Oceania. "Billboard" reported it would only use arenas, and visit cities where Madonna had not performed previously. The initial itinerary included 25–30 shows in North America and 20–25 shows in Europe, with additional dates being revealed later. It was the singer's first visit to Australia since 1993's The Girlie Show, as well as her first time performing in New Zealand and the Philippines.


title: Rebel Heart

text: The tour's main stage was elevated and set up at the end of each arena. A long catwalk extended from the middle into the audience ending in a heart-shaped stage. The catwalk was bisected by an arena-wide cross stage. Designers working on the tour's wardrobe included: Jeremy Scott for Moschino, Alessandro Michele for Gucci and Alexander Wang, along with Fausto Puglisi, Prada, Miu Miu, Swarovski, Lebanese designer Nicolas Jebran, as well as Madonna's longtime collaborator Arianne Phillips. The tour generated positive critical reviews, many noting that Madonna appeared to be in a happy mood onstage. It grossed a total of $169.8 million from 82 shows, with over 1.045 million ticket sales. A live album of the tour was released on September 15, 2017, as DVD, Blu-ray and digital download.


title: Rebel Heart

text: On its release, "Rebel Heart" received predominantly positive critical reviews. At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted mean rating out of 100 to reviews by music critics, the album received an average score of 68, based on 29 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews". "The Daily Telegraph" writer Neil McCormick, Andy Gill of "The Independent", AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine, and Lauren Murphy of "The Irish Times" each gave the album 4 out of 5 stars. McCormick felt that "(f)or the first time in years, [Madonna] doesn't sound desperate", praising it in comparison to "Hard Candy" and "MDNA". Murphy wrote "the indisputable pop icon is back with a tentative bang" after "MDNA" had "few memorable pop hits". For Gill, the most impressive aspect of "Rebel Heart" was Madonna's vocals, while Erlewine found the album a revival of Madonna's defiant side and her confessional mood. Saeed Saeed of "The National" called it: "a fine collection of sturdy pop tunes in which Madonna finally allows herself to look back and sometimes pilfer from her peak periods of the late 80s and early 2000s."


title: Rebel Heart

text: Writing for "The Quietus", Amy Pettifer praised the album, describing it as: "a darker return to the club culture roots [for Madonna], and it seems—on some level—to face up to the missteps of her more recent releases. Giving it 3.5 out of 4 stars, "USA Today" writer Elysa Gardner described the album's sound and lyrics as "piercingly direct". "Chicago Tribune" writer Greg Kot and Randall Roberts of the "Los Angeles Times" awarded it 3 out of 4 stars. Kot believed the album would have been better without the songs referencing sexuality, but still considered it "fascinating". Roberts believed "Rebel Heart" stood out "sturdily" because of its production. Writing for "The Boston Globe", James Reed opined that the album was a, "welcome detour in the artist's recent discography... her most satisfying effort in a decade and nimbly connects the dots between Madonna's various eras and guises." Critic Joey Guerra of the "Houston Chronicle" called "Rebel Heart": "a complex, consistently strong album".


title: Rebel Heart

text: "Slant Magazine" editor Sal Cinquemani, Joe Levy of "Billboard", and Caryn Ganz of "Rolling Stone" each awarded the album 3.5 out of 5 stars. Cinquemani wrote that the album was "all over the map", yet felt it was "a surprisingly coherent one". Levy wrote that the album was "subtle" compared to "current standards", adding that: "These songs unfold slowly, building through foreplay-like intros before hooks are displayed over a shifting series of textures". Ganz felt that "Rebel Heart" "is at its strongest when Madonna shoves everyone to the side and just tells it to us straight", adding: "Deep down, Madonna does have a rebel heart – and you can't fault her for reminding us that pop music is all the better for it." Jamieson Cox of "Time" commended the album for its consistent production and sound, and for Madonna's vocals and songwriting. Giving it a rating of "B", Kyle Anderson and Adam Markovitz of "Entertainment Weekly" called the album "Madonna's best outing since 2000's "Music"". Alexis Petridis of "The Guardian" and "Time Out" writer Nick Levine gave the album 3 out of 5 stars. Petridis felt that the two contrasting sides of the album did not "quite gel", reasoning that: "the former might represent the music Madonna wants to make, while the latter is the music she feels obliged to make". Levine wrote: "'Rebel Heart' may lack cohesion, but she's definitely not down for the count: this contains some of the best music Madonna's made in a decade."


title: Rebel Heart

text: Annie Zalesky of "The A.V. Club" said the record had its "fair share of those head scratching moments", but found it to be a move in the right direction musically. "Spin" writer Andrew Unterberger gave "Rebel Heart" a 6 out of 10 rating. While calling it "clunky", he felt the album "contains a number of Madonna's best songs in years." "Instinct"s Samuel Murrian opined that "["Rebel Heart"] might have been something like a home run if it were a few tracks shorter". Writing for "The New Zealand Herald", Lydia Jenkin gave it a mixed review, deeming the album a "bit of a mess" and "confused". Lindsay Zoladz of "New York" magazine was disappointed, feeling the songs sounded "safe", adding that: "Madonna of "Rebel Heart" [has] succeeded once again in the increasingly empty goal of sounding current". Gavin Haynes of "NME" panned the album, saying that it "feels like a wasted opportunity. Trite self-empowerment anthem 'Iconic' informs us that there's only two letters difference between Icon and I Can't. Sadly, there are also two letters between class and ass."


title: Rebel Heart

text: According to Andrew Hampp of "Billboard", pre-orders for "Rebel Heart" were strong after its global release to iTunes Store. They were estimated at around 50,000 to 60,000 copies by industry prognosticators. "Rebel Heart" debuted at number two on the "Billboard" 200 chart with 121,000 album equivalent units, behind the soundtrack of the TV series "", which sold 9,000 units more. While it was the best-selling album of the week—ranking number one on "Billboard"s Top Album Sales chart with pure album sales of 116,000 copies (96% of overall units)—it fell behind the soundtrack when it came to streaming and track equivalent album units, with just over 1,000 and 4,000 units respectively. It became Madonna's 21st top-ten album, but was her first studio release not to debut atop the chart since "Ray of Light" (1998). "Rebel Heart"s concert tour bundle amounted to less than 10,000 copies compared to the 180,000 copies sold for her previous album, "MDNA". The release also saw Madonna debut at number seven on the "Billboard" Artist 100 chart, moving up by 2,919% in overall Artist 100 points and gaining 31% in social media activity. In Canada, "Rebel Heart" debuted at number one on the Canadian Albums Chart. With 18,000 copies sold in the first week, it became Madonna's seventh number-one there during the SoundScan era. The next week, the album dropped 19 places on the "Billboard" 200, while in Canada it dropped only one position. "Billboard" reported sales dropped by 78% to 26,000 units, a reflection of the high pre-orders during the first week. The album was present for a total of 11 weeks on the chart, and ranked at number 151 on the "Billboard" 200 year end chart for 2015. As of December 2016, the album has sold 238,000 copies in the US according to Nielsen SoundScan.


title: Rebel Heart

text: Despite outselling its nearest competitors by a ratio of nearly 3:1 within 24 hours on sale in the United Kingdom, "Rebel Heart" entered the UK Albums Chart at number two with 37,245 units. The chart-topper of that week, Sam Smith's "In the Lonely Hour", pushed ahead at the last minute and sold 12,000 copies more than "Rebel Heart". It became Madonna's first studio album to miss the top spot since "Bedtime Stories", which also debuted at number two in 1994. The following week, the album dropped to number seven, with sales declining by 67.46% to 11,983 copies. The album had sold 76,490 copies as of June 2015, and was later certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) for 100,000 units. "Rebel Heart" debuted at the top of the German Albums Chart, becoming her twelfth chart-topping record there. Madonna surpassed the Beatles and Robbie Williams as the foreign act with the most number-one albums in German chart history. She equaled Herbert Grönemeyer for third place overall, behind only Peter Maffay and James Last with 16 and 13 chart-toppers respectively. In France, the album debuted at number three on the SNEP Albums chart, with three-day sales of 17,000 copies. "Rebel Heart" also debuted at number one on record charts in: Austria, Belgium (Flanders), Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Switzerland, as well as in the top ten in the rest of Europe.


title: Rebel Heart

text: In Australia, "Rebel Heart" debuted at the top of the ARIA Albums Chart with sales of 6,962 copies. It was Madonna's eleventh number-one album in the country tying her with U2 as the act with the most number-one albums since ARIA's establishment in 1983. "Rebel Heart" became Madonna's 19th week atop the chart, ranking her at number 24 on the list of artists with most accumulated weeks at the top. The album had a sharp drop the next week, selling 1,312 copies and falling to number 18 on the album chart. In New Zealand, it debuted at number seven on the Official New Zealand Music Chart. In Japan, "Rebel Heart" debuted at number eight on the Oricon Albums Chart with first-week sales of 7,548 physical units, becoming her record-extending 23rd top-ten album there. It also entered the Oricon International Albums Chart at number one, staying there for a second week. In South Korea, the album gave Madonna two top-ten entries simultaneously on the Gaon International Albums Chart, with the deluxe edition at number one and the standard edition at number seven. "Rebel Heart" ended 2015 as the 39th best-selling album of the year with sales of 900,000 copies. As of 2018, "Rebel Heart" has sold one million copies worldwide.


title: Rebel Heart

text: In its year end review of albums released in 2015, "Rolling Stone" ranked "Rebel Heart" at number 45 noting: ""Rebel Heart" was [Madonna's] finest album in a decade, picking up the disco-stick baton of her 2005 "Confessions on a Dance Floor" as Madonna voyages back into the groove and reflects on where she's been lately." It was also listed at number six on its ranking of the 20 Best Pop Albums of 2015. Similarly, in its year end review, "Spin" magazine listed the album at number 21 as Andrew Unterberger noted that: "For most artists who spent whole decades defining the mainstream, titling an album "Rebel Heart" would seem misguided at best, but for Madonna, it's truer now than ever: A fifty-something refusing to bend to public demands about how she should age gracefully... is as big an act of defiance as you can stage in contemporary pop music." AllMusic called "Rebel Heart" one of their Favorite Pop Albums of 2015, describing it as: "Bold, messy, and life-affirming record that finds Madonna simultaneously looking forward and back."


title: Rebel Heart

text: For its year end tabulation, "Digital Spy" listed "Rebel Heart" at number 10 on the list of Top 25 Albums of 2015. Lewis Corner noted the tracks ranged from: "brilliant, dancehall groove to more reflective and somber pop ballads". He added that: "At this stage in her career, if Madonna doesn't have 'pop chameleon' on her LinkedIn profile... then "Rebel Heart" alone is enough to endorse that title." He listed "Devil Pray" as a standout track. About.com ranked the record as the fifth best Pop Album of 2015, with reviewer Bill Lamb calling it a "return to form", and her strongest endeavor since "Music" (2000). Associated Press music editor Mesfin Fekadu ranked the album at number five, describing the album as a "contemporary classic that puts albums from other female artists half [Madonna]'s age to shame." Fekadu felt it "unfortunate" radio stations did not play songs from the album, listing "Bitch I'm Madonna" and "Joan of Arc" as highlights. "Billboard" listed the Deluxe edition album cover at number 15 in their ranking of the Best Album Covers of 2015.


title: Bryan Harsin

text: Bryan Dale Harsin (born November 1, 1976) is an American football coach and former player who was most recently the head coach at Auburn University. Prior to leading the Auburn Tigers, he coached the Boise State University Broncos from the 2014 season through the 2020 season where he posted a 69–19 overall record while at Boise. He began his head coaching career at Arkansas State University for the 2013 season. Harsin was the co-offensive coordinator at the University of Texas for two seasons where he played a major impact in the teams development on that side. Before leaving for Texas in 2011, Harsin was an assistant at Boise State for 10 seasons, the last five as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.


title: Bryan Harsin

text: From Boise, Idaho, Harsin is a graduate of Boise's Capital High School, and a former quarterback at Boise State. He was the first alumnus of Boise State to serve as the Broncos head football coach.


title: Bryan Harsin

text: Born and raised in Boise, Harsin graduated from Capital High School and was a quarterback at Boise State University from 1995 to 1999, where he was a three-year letterman and earned a bachelor's degree in Business Management in 2000.


title: Bryan Harsin

text: Harsin got his start at Eastern Oregon University in La Grande, coaching running backs and quarterbacks in the 2000 season.


title: Bryan Harsin

text: In 2001, he returned to Boise State as a graduate assistant under first year coach Dan Hawkins. Harsin was hired as tight ends coach in 2002 and remained in that position through 2005. During this period the Broncos led the nation in scoring twice and remained in the top 10 scoring offenses all four years. In 2005, four Broncos tight ends combined to catch 27 passes for 298 yards and three touchdowns.


title: Bryan Harsin

text: When Hawkins left BSU for Colorado, offensive coordinator Chris Petersen was promoted to head coach for the 2006 season. Harsin was moved up to offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, and guided the Broncos offense to an undefeated season. Running back Ian Johnson rushed for 1,713 yards and led the nation in rushing touchdowns and scoring. In 2008, Kellen Moore took over the quarterback position and under Harsin's guidance earned WAC Freshman of the Year honors, completing an NCAA freshman record 69.4 completion percentage (281–405) with 25 touchdown passes and only 10 interceptions.


title: Bryan Harsin

text: During Harsin's tenure as offensive coordinator, Boise State posted a 61–5 () record, which included two undefeated seasons and two Fiesta Bowl victories, over Oklahoma (2007) and TCU (2010).


title: Bryan Harsin

text: After the 2010 season, Harsin moved to the University of Texas in Austin for the 2011 and 2012 seasons and was the primary play-caller for the Longhorns, paired with Major Applewhite as co-offensive coordinators. During this time he also served as quarterbacks coach for the Longhorns.


title: Bryan Harsin

text: Harsin became the 29th head coach at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro on December 12, 2012, succeeding Gus Malzahn, who left for Auburn after just one season. Because Malzahn and his predecessor Hugh Freeze left after just one season in Jonesboro, Harsin's contract at Arkansas State included a $1.75 million buyout clause.


title: Bryan Harsin

text: Harsin led the Red Wolves to a 7–5 record in 2013 and a share of the Sun Belt Conference title with a 5–2 record. They earned a berth in the GoDaddy Bowl against Ball State University on January 5.


title: Bryan Harsin

text: Harsin returned to Boise State as head coach on December 11, 2013. He replaced his mentor Petersen, who left for the University of Washington in Seattle. In his first season at helm, he had led his team to winning the Mountain West Championship against Fresno State 28–14, and earned a spot in the Fiesta Bowl vs Arizona. The Broncos went on to win the Fiesta Bowl 38–30 and Harsin won 12 games in his first season. Harsin led the Broncos to 10+ wins in 5 out of his 7 seasons.


title: Bryan Harsin

text: Harsin was hired on December 22, 2020, as the 27th head coach of the Auburn Tigers, taking over after the termination of Gus Malzahn. His salary was $5.25 million. In his inaugural season with the Tigers, Harsin went 6–7, the team's worst record since 2012. Following the season, Harsin fired offensive coordinator Mike Bobo and hired former Seattle Seahawks quarterback coach, Austin Davis (American football), to replace Bobo before losing Davis just six weeks later due to personal reasons. Harsin also lost defensive coordinator Derek Mason to Oklahoma State Cowboys football where Mason took the same role for less money. In addition to the coordinatoring changeovers, twenty players left the program including starting quarterback Bo Nix.


title: Bryan Harsin

text: Following the loss of players and coaches, as well as rumors that began circulating in February 2022, Auburn began to collect information to understand any issues surrounding the football program. Harsin told ESPN that "I'm not planning on going anywhere". Multiple players, current and former, came out in support of and in opposition to Harsin. In the end, Auburn decided to retain Harsin as head coach. Harsin would later, in July 2022, describe the situation this way: "There was an inquiry. It was uncomfortable. It was unfounded. It presented an opportunity for people to personally attack me, my family and also our program. And it didn't work."


title: Bryan Harsin

text: Harsin was fired as Auburn's head coach on Monday, October 31, 2022. He finished with a 9-12 record and recorded the lowest win percentage by an Auburn head coach since Earl Brown (1948-1950).


title: 1920 Summer Olympics

text: The 1920 Summer Olympics (; ; ), officially known as the Games of the VII Olympiad (; ; ) and commonly known as Antwerp 1920 (; Dutch and German: "Antwerpen 1920"), were an international multi-sport event held in 1920 in Antwerp, Belgium.


title: 1920 Summer Olympics

text: In March 1912, during the 13th session of the IOC, Belgium's bid to host the 1920 Summer Olympics was made by Baron Édouard de Laveleye, president of the Belgian Olympic Committee and of the Royal Belgian Football Association. No fixed host city was proposed at the time.


title: 1920 Summer Olympics

text: The 1916 Summer Olympics, to have been held in Berlin, capital of the German Empire, were cancelled due to World War I. When the Olympic Games resumed after the war, Antwerp was awarded hosting the 1920 Summer Games as tribute to the Belgian people. The aftermath of the war and the Paris Peace Conference, 1919 affected the Olympic Games not only due to new states being created, but also by sanctions against the nations that lost the war and were blamed for starting it. Hungary, Germany, Austria, Bulgaria, and the Ottoman Empire were banned from competing in the Games. The newly formed Soviet Union chose not to attend the Games. Germany did not return to Olympic competition until 1928 and instead hosted a series of games called Deutsche Kampfspiele, starting with the Winter edition of 1922 (which predated the first Winter Olympics).


title: 1920 Summer Olympics

text: In March 1912, during the 13th session of the IOC, the bid on the behalf of Belgium to host the 1920 Summer Olympics. It was made by Baron Édouard de Laveleye, president of the Belgian Olympic Committee and of the Royal Belgian Football Association. No fixed host city was proposed at the time.


title: 1920 Summer Olympics

text: Among the 22 vice-presidents of the committee were people with a military or industrial background, and further people from sports organizations like Paul Havenith, president of the football and athletics club K. Beerschot V.A.C. and Nicolaas Jan Cupérus, president of the Belgian Gymnastics Federation.


title: 1920 Summer Olympics

text: The first action of the committee was to send an official letter to the IOC in Paris, confirming Antwerp as the city for the Belgian Olympic bid. With Antwerp confirmed as the Olympic Games host, Belgium began reconstructing the Beerschot Stadium into the Olympisch Stadion. Construction on the new Olympic stadium began in July 1919 and finished in May 1920.


title: 1920 Summer Olympics

text: In 1914, a 109-page brochure was created to promote the idea of Antwerp as a host city for the Olympics: "Aurons-nous la VIIème Olympiade à Anvers?" ("Will we have the 7th Olympiad at Antwerp?"). It was sent to all IOC members and was used during the 6th Olympic Congress in Paris in 1914, where the candidacies of Amsterdam, Antwerp, Budapest, and Rome were discussed. Despite a slight preference at the time for Budapest, no final choice was made, and the outbreak of World War I soon afterwards prevented any further progress.


title: 1920 Summer Olympics

text: In 1915, Lyon made a bid for the 1920 games, but after some discussion, they agreed to support Antwerp and postpone their bid until 1924 if Antwerp was liberated in time to organize the games. The support for Belgium by cousin country France, then the leading country of the IOC, also meant that Amsterdam, and Budapest, in an enemy state, made no chance for the 1920 games against Antwerp. New candidacies from American cities did not have that disadvantage and bids were received from Cleveland, Philadelphia, and Atlanta (which would eventually host the 1996 Summer Olympics), and Cuba also planned a bid for Havana. But shortly after the armistice in November 1918, the IOC decided to give Antwerp the first choice, if they still wanted to host the 1920 Games. In March 1919, the Belgian Olympic Committee decided to go ahead with the organization, and on 5 April 1919, in a meeting in Lausanne, Antwerp was officially declared the host city for the games of the VIIth Olympiad.


title: 1920 Summer Olympics

text: The 1920 Summer Games organizers had very little time to prepare. The time between the IOC's decision of choosing Antwerp as the host city and the start of the Olympic Games was less than two years.


title: 1920 Summer Olympics

text: An executive committee was established on 17 April 1919, with Henri de Baillet-Latour as chairman and Alfred Verdyck, the secretary of the Belgian Union of Football Clubs, as general secretary. Seven commissions were created, to deal with finances, accommodation, press relations, propaganda, schedules, transport, and festivities. Finances and scheduling proved to be the two hardest parts to tackle: the program of events only was published in February 1920, six months before the official start of the Games.


title: 1920 Summer Olympics

text: Between 23 and 30 April 1920, an ice hockey tournament marked the early start of the Games. Held in the "Palais de Glace" or Ice Palace in Antwerp, it was the first time that ice hockey was an Olympic sport.


title: 1920 Summer Olympics

text: The first stone of the new Olympisch Stadion was laid on 4 July 1919 by Jan De Vos, mayor of Antwerp, and inaugurated less than a year later on 23 May 1920 with a gymnastics demonstration.


title: 1920 Summer Olympics

text: When the Olympic Games began, the stadium was still unfinished with some events being built over fortifications and others using existing locations. The athletes quarters were crowded and athletes slept on folding cots.


title: 1920 Summer Olympics

text: The nautical stadium or Stade Nautique d'Antwerp was built at the end of the Jan Van Rijswijcklaan, using the city ramparts there as a spectator's stand. Other events, like shooting, boxing, and equestrian sports, were held at pre-existing locations in and around Antwerp and as far away as Ostend.


title: 1920 Summer Olympics

text: The amount of spectators were low throughout Antwerp's Summer Olympics since not many people could afford tickets. In the closing days of the Olympic Games, students were allowed to attend the event for free. After the conclusion of the Olympic Games, Belgium recorded a loss of more than 600 million francs.


title: 1920 Summer Olympics

text: 156 events in 29 disciplines, comprising 22 sports, were part of the Olympic program in 1920. The Sailing program was open for a total of 16 sailing classes, but actually only 14 sailing events were contested. The number of events in each discipline is noted in parentheses.


title: 1920 Summer Olympics

text: Seventeen sports venues were used in the 1920 Summer Olympics. This marked the first time that the football tournament was spread throughout the country, which has mostly been the case since.


title: 1920 Summer Olympics

text: A total of 29 nations participated in the Antwerp Games, only one more than in 1912, as Germany, Austria, Hungary, Bulgaria and Ottoman Empire were not invited, having lost World War I. From the newly created European states, only Estonia took part, and Czechoslovakia, succeeding Bohemia which had sent athletes prior to World War I as part of the Austrian Empire. Poland and the Soviet Union were busy with the Polish-Soviet War and therefore were unable to form an Olympic team. Argentina, the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, Brazil, and Monaco competed as nations at the Olympic Games for the first time. New Zealand, which had competed as part of a combined team with Australia in 1908 and 1912, competed on its own for the first time.


title: 1920 Summer Olympics

text: As the local Olympic Organizing Committee went bankrupt during the Antwerp 1920 Games, no official report of the Games was ever produced. The documents of the Games were archived at the Belgium Olympic Committee headquarters in Brussels.


title: 1920 Summer Olympics

text: These are the top ten nations that won medals at the 1920 Games. These were the first Olympics where the host nation did not win the most medals overall.


title: Alan Taylor (director)

text: Alan Taylor (born January 13, 1959) is an American television director, film director, screenwriter, and television producer. He is best known for his work on television series such as "The Sopranos", "Sex and the City", "Mad Men", and "Game of Thrones". He also directed films such as "Palookaville", "", "Terminator Genisys", and "The Many Saints of Newark".


title: Alan Taylor (director)

text: In 2007 Taylor won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series for "The Sopranos" episode "Kennedy and Heidi". In 2008 and 2018 he was also nominated in the same category for the "Mad Men" episode "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" and the "Game of Thrones" episode "Beyond the Wall", respectively.


title: Alan Taylor (director)

text: Taylor's father, James J. Taylor, was a private in the U.S. army translating for Voice of America, stationed in Yokohama, who subsequently held numerous jobs before becoming a videographer in Washington, D.C. Taylor's mother, Mimi Cazort, was "curator emerita" for the National Gallery of Canada. His sister is the indie rock musician Anna Domino.


title: Alan Taylor (director)

text: He spent part of his life in Manor Park, Ottawa, Canada, and attended Manor Park Public School and Lisgar Collegiate Institute high school. As part of the Communications Club at Lisgar, he acted in its production of "The Mouse That Roared". He went on to major in history at the University of Toronto and then at New York City's Columbia University before transferring to New York University in his late 20s to study film under instructors including director Martin Scorsese.


title: Alan Taylor (director)

text: Taylor has directed for numerous programs on both network television and premium cable, most often on HBO.


title: Alan Taylor (director)

text: Taylor's early work on television include work on "The Sopranos", "Sex and the City", and "The West Wing". Taylor joined the crew of the HBO western drama "Deadwood" as a director for the first season in 2004. Taylor directed the pilot episodes of "Mad Men" ("Smoke Gets in Your Eyes") and "Bored to Death" as well as subsequent episodes of each. He joined the HBO series "Game of Thrones", directing seven episodes including critically acclaimed season 1 episode "Baelor." He worked on a television adaptation of the Strugatsky brothers' 1971 science fiction novel "Roadside Picnic" for the WGN America network. Besides his television work, Taylor's early films include "Palookaville", "The Emperor's New Clothes", and "Kill the Poor."


title: Alan Taylor (director)

text: In the 2010s, Taylor began working on large budget blockbuster films. He was hired to direct "" (2013) a superhero film and sequel to 2011's "Thor". He was approached by Marvel producer Kevin Feige following director Patty Jenkins exit from the project and hoped he would inject a darker tone into the project after seeing Taylor's work on "Game of Thrones". Taylor's next film was "Terminator Genisys," a film that Taylor hoped to fix following his reading of the script, citing his love of the first two Terminator films. After directing nine episodes for the HBO series The Sopranos, Taylor was approached by show creator David Chase to return to direct the 2021 prequel film "The Many Saints of Newark."


title: Alan Taylor (director)

text: In August 2022, it was announced that Taylor was hired to direct multiple episodes of the second season of "House of the Dragon".


title: Alan Taylor (director)

text: Taylor currently lives in Brooklyn, New York, he has three children with award-winning makeup artist Nicki Ledermann


title: Alan Taylor (director)

text: Below is the critical, public and commercial reception to films Taylor has directed, as of October 11, 2021.


title: Gautam Rode

text: Gautam Rode (born 14 August 1977) is an Indian television actor known for his roles in "Baa Bahoo Aur Baby", "Lucky", "Saraswatichandra", "Suryaputra Karn", and "Kaal Bhairav Rahasya 2".


title: Gautam Rode

text: Rode was born on 14 August 1977. Earlier, Rode and his family used to stay in New Delhi, but later they shifted to Mumbai. Rode's father, Surendra Rode is a retired broker and his mother, Sangeeta Rode is a jewellery designer. Rode did his schooling from Army Public School, Dhaula Kuan in Delhi. He completed his college from Shaheed Bhagat Singh College.


title: Gautam Rode

text: Rode made his debut to Indian television with the show "Jahan Pyaar Mile" on Zee TV. In 2000, he played episodic roles in TV shows such as "Rishtey", "Apna Apna Style" and "Thriller at 10". In 2002, he made his debut to Bollywood with the film "Annarth" co-starred Sanjay Dutt, Sunil Shetty and Preeti Jhangiani. He played the role of Inspector Sameer Deshmukh in this film. Taran Adarsh of entertainment portal of Bollywood Hungama wrote of his performance, "Newcomer Gautam Rode has good screen presence and impresses as an actor. He does very well in stunts."


title: Gautam Rode

text: In 2005, he appeared in his second film, "U, Bomsi & Me" alongside Sonal Sehgal and Vivek Madan. He played the role of Sam Mac Patel a radio jockey who wants to be a writer and a famous one at that. Taran Adarsh wrote of his performance, "Gautam, who made his debut in ANNARTH [with Sanju, Suniel], has evolved as an actor. He is excellent in [emotional] sequences when his wife walks out on him." In 2005, he played his first noticeable role of television of Anish Kotak in "Baa Bahu Aur Baby".


title: Gautam Rode

text: In the same year he also played his first lead role and the title role of Lucky in the show, "Lucky". He later did supporting and cameo roles in shows which include "Princess Dollie Aur Uska Magic Bag" (2006), "Betiyaan Apni Yaa Paraaya Dhan" (2006), "Ssshhhh...Koi Hai" (2008), "Simplly Sapney" (2008), "Rubi" (2008), "Babul Ka Aangann Chootey Na" (2008). In 2009, Rode featured in the film "Agyaat" alongside Nithin and Priyanka Kothari. He played the role of Sharman Kapoor a completely self-obsessed man with no other concern except for his muscles and the leading lady, Aasha. Taran Adarsh wrote of his performance "Gautam Rode enacts the hot-headed superstar with conviction." "Agyaat" grossed domestically.


title: Gautam Rode

text: In 2010, he did supporting and cameo roles on television in the shows "Mata Ki Chowki", "Kashi – Ab Na Rahe Tera Kagaz Kora", "Crime & Bollywood", "Maan Rahe Tera Pitaah" and "Aahat". In 2010, he entered the show "Mera Naam Karegi Roshan" as Samvad, a guy who tries and spreads joy and cheers in everybody's life. In 2011, he entered the show, "Parichay" as Vineet Saxena. In 2012, he played an episodic role of "Tarun" in the show, "Teri Meri Love Stories". In the same year, he hosted the reality dance show "Nach Baliye 5" alongside Karan Wahi.


title: Gautam Rode

text: cIn 2013, he played the lead and title role in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's show, "Saraswatichandra" opposite Jennifer Winget. The show proved to be a turning point in his career and got him lot of popularity and appreciation. In 2013, he also hosted "Nach Baliye 6" alongside Karan Wahi. The show "Saraswatichandra" ended on 20 September 2014.


title: Gautam Rode

text: In 2015, he did another show, "" a mythological thriller. He played the role of Rudra in the show who is a "Garud", who has the duty of saving mankind. The show failed to impress the audience and ended in April 2015. In 2015, he entered the show "Suryaputra Karn" as the lead of the show, Karna. The show ended in July 2016. In August 2016, Rode signed Anant Mahadevan's "Aksar 2" opposite Zarine Khan. The motion poster of the movie was released on 4 August 2017 on YouTube.


title: Gautam Rode

text: In 2018, Rode starred as Prince Veer in the Star Bharat's mystery thriller show "Kaal Bhairav Rahasya Season 2" alongside Additi Gupta. From 2019 to 2020, he has been played Abhijeet in SAB TV's "Bhakarwadi". In 2021, Rode played the role of Major Samar in the action thriller film "," which was directed by Ken Ghosh and released on Zee5 on 9 July 2021. Later that year, Rode starred as Pawan Bisht in the MX Player original series "Nakaab" alongside Esha Gupta and Mallika Sherawat.


title: Gautam Rode

text: He is a fitness enthusiast and a vegetarian. He currently stays in Kandivali, Mumbai. He married his co-actress Pankhuri Awasthy Rode.


title: Honda Center

text: The Honda Center (formerly known as the Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim) is an indoor arena located in Anaheim, California. The arena is home to the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League.


title: Honda Center

text: Originally named the Anaheim Arena during construction, it was completed in 1993 at a cost of US$123 million. Arrowhead Water paid $15 million for the naming rights over 10 years in October 1993. In the short period of time after the Mighty Ducks franchise was awarded and before the naming rights deal with Arrowhead, Disney referred to the Arena as the Pond of Anaheim. In October 2006, Honda paid $60 million for the naming rights over 15 years, and renewed the deal for another decade in 2020.


title: Honda Center

text: The idea for a large indoor arena in Anaheim emerged from entertainment attorney Neil Papiano, who in 1987 randomly selected two of the city's councilmen from the telephone directory to sell them his idea. They approved of the concept, and one year later following location surveys, the placement was chosen at a seven-acre parcel at Douglass Road and Katella Avenue, that at the time was owned by the German social group Phoenix Club. Papiano also managed to get financial backing from two New York-based firms, Ogden Corporation and Nederlander Organization. Even if there was a dispute to build an arena on Orange County with a Santa Ana project led by Spectacor, and there were discussions of feasibility of the arena given the National Basketball Association and National Hockey League were at the time unwilling to expand to the area, the city of Anaheim pushed forward to built the Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum, Inc.-designed arena, which broke ground in November 1990. A tenant was finally found in 1992, as The Walt Disney Corporation had just been awarded an NHL franchise for Anaheim, entering negotiations to lease the arena. Once the deal was broken, the arena's final cost ended at $121 million, as $18 million were added to finance hockey franchise fees and facility improvement.


title: Honda Center

text: The arena opened on June 19, 1993, with a Barry Manilow concert as its first event. The then-Arrowhead Pond's first NHL game was also the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim season opener on October 8, 1993, against the Detroit Red Wings, preceded by a 20-minute pregame show at the cost of $450,000. The Ducks lost 7–2. Since then, the arena has been host to a number of events, such as the 2003 and 2007 Stanley Cup Finals. On June 6, 2007, the Anaheim Ducks defeated the Ottawa Senators, 6–2, in game five of the Final at Honda Center to clinch the franchise's first Stanley Cup championship.


title: Honda Center

text: Honda Center has hosted several UFC events, starting with UFC 59 in 2006. It hosted the 2005 IBF World Championships for badminton in 2005.


title: Honda Center

text: From 1994 to 1999, it served as a second home for the NBA's Los Angeles Clippers. It was the home arena for the Anaheim Bullfrogs of Roller Hockey International from 1994 to 1999 and for the Anaheim Piranhas of the Arena Football League from 1996 to 1997.


title: Honda Center

text: This arena has also hosted a PBR Bud Light Cup (later Built Ford Tough Series) event annually since 1998. Since 1994, the arena has hosted the annual Wooden Legacy basketball tournament.


title: Honda Center

text: In 2011, the arena began hosting the Big West Conference Men's and Women's Basketball tournaments. The arena has also hosted the NCAA men's basketball tournament seven times, as the West Regional site – 1998, 2001, 2003, 2008, 2011, 2014, 2016 and 2019. It even hosted the Frozen Four, the semifinals and final of the NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship, in 1999, underscoring the popularity of hockey in the region.


title: Honda Center

text: On December 6, 2000, music legend Tina Turner played her last concert at the arena for the record breaking Twenty Four Seven Tour, but after popular demand, Turner returned to the arena before a sellout crowd on October 14, 2008, for her .


title: Honda Center

text: The Honda Center lies northeast across California State Route 57 from Angel Stadium (the home stadium of Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Angels) and roughly from Disneyland Park. It is also across the street from Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center with service by Amtrak ("Pacific Surfliner"), Metrolink ("Orange County Line"), Anaheim Resort Transit, Orange County Transportation Authority and private transportation companies.


title: Honda Center

text: The arena seats up to 17,174 for its primary tenant, the Ducks. It takes only five hours to convert Honda Center from a sporting arena to an 8,400-seat amphitheater. There are 84 luxury suites in the building, which has hosted 17.5 million people, as of 2003. In 2005, the arena became the first in the U.S. to have two full levels of 360° ribbon displays installed. Daktronics of Brookings, South Dakota, designed, manufactured and installed the of full-color LED technology. Outside the venue, the marquee was upgraded with two large video displays measuring high by , and a new marquee was built with more LED video displays.


title: Honda Center

text: Broadcom chairman Henry Samueli owns the company that operates the arena, Anaheim Arena Management, LLC, and the arena's primary tenant, the Ducks, giving him great flexibility in scheduling events and recruiting new tenants. AAM was founded in 2003 to take over operations of the arena from the bankrupt Ogden Corp., which had already sold the arena's concession deal to Aramark in 2000 - who remained providing foods and drinks until 2013, when concessions became an in-house operation.


title: Honda Center

text: During the 2014–2015 NHL Season, it was announced that Honda Center would get a new scoreboard that will replace the one that was in place since its opening in 1993. The new scoreboard made its debut in a Ducks pre-season game against the Los Angeles Kings.


title: Honda Center

text: In March 2020, the arena would lose all its scheduled events because of the COVID-19 pandemic. For the rest of the year, Honda Center would instead host charity events, such as blood drives, food bank distributions, and a collective wedding, along with serving as a drive-through voting location for the 2020 United States presidential election. The Ducks would only play again in the arena once the following NHL season started in January 2021, with a reduced audience of 2,000 being allowed to attend the final five games of the season, starting with an April 17 matchup with the Vegas Golden Knights.


title: Honda Center

text: Honda Center has the second highest gross ticket sales from special events on the West Coast, following only Crypto.com Arena. These events have included the following over the years:


title: Ejaculatory duct

text: The ejaculatory ducts ("ductus ejaculatorii") are paired structures in male anatomy. Each ejaculatory duct is formed by the union of the vas deferens with the duct of the seminal vesicle. They pass through the prostate, and open into the urethra above the seminal colliculus. During ejaculation, semen passes through the prostate gland, enters the urethra and exits the body via the urinary meatus.


title: Ejaculatory duct

text: Ejaculation occurs in two stages, the emission stage and the expulsion stage. The emission stage involves the workings of several structures of the ejaculatory duct; contractions of the prostate gland, the seminal vesicles, the bulbourethral gland and the vas deferens push fluids into the prostatic urethra. The semen is stored here until ejaculation occurs. Muscles at the base of the penis contract in order to propel the seminal fluid trapped in the prostatic urethra through the penile urethra and expel it through the urinary meatus. The ejaculate is expelled in spurts, due to the movement of the muscles propelling it. These muscle contractions are related to the sensations of orgasm for the male.


title: Ejaculatory duct

text: Sperm is produced in the testes and enters the ejaculatory ducts via the vas deferens. As it passes by the seminal vesicles, a fluid rich in fructose combines with sperm. This addition nourishes the sperm in order to keep it active and motile. Seminal fluid continues down the ejaculatory duct into the prostate gland, where an alkaline prostatic fluid is added. This addition provides the texture and odor associated with semen. The alkalinity of the prostatic fluid serves to neutralize the acidity of the female vaginal tract in order to prolong the survival of sperm in this harsh environment. Semen is now a fructose-rich, alkaline fluid containing sperm as it enters the bulbourethral glands below the prostate. The bulbourethral glands secrete a small amount of clear fluid into the urethra before the ejaculate is expelled. The functions of this fluid are not entirely known but are suggested to aid in lubricating the male urethra in preparation for the semen during ejaculation. The amount of semen produced and expelled during ejaculation corresponds to the length of time that the male is sexually aroused before ejaculation occurs. Generally, the longer the period of arousal, the larger the amount of seminal fluid.


title: Ejaculatory duct

text: Ejaculation and orgasm may occur simultaneously, however they are not coupled, in that one may occur without the other. For example, a man may have a dry orgasm (termed retrograde ejaculation); there is no expulsion of ejaculate however the man still experiences orgasm. Also, paraplegics may ejaculate seminal fluid but not experience the sensation of orgasm.


title: Ejaculatory duct

text: Ejaculatory duct obstruction is an acquired or congenital pathological condition in which one or both ejaculatory ducts are obstructed. In the case that both ejaculatory ducts are obstructed, this illness presents with the symptoms of aspermia and male infertility.,


title: Ejaculatory duct

text: Surgery to correct benign prostatic hyperplasia may destroy these ducts resulting in retrograde ejaculation. Retrograde ejaculation empties the seminal fluid formed in the emission phase into the bladder of the male instead of expelling it through the urethra and out the tip of the penis. This results in a dry orgasm, where orgasm may still be experienced but without expulsion of semen from the ejaculatory ducts.


title: Max Ehrich

text: Ehrich was raised in Marlboro Township, New Jersey, in a Jewish family with mother Rhonda Ehrich and father Bruce Ehrich. He made his film debut starring in "One Easy Job" (2004), then had a supporting role as principal dancer in "". Breaking into television, Ehrich played Randy in two episodes of "Ugly Betty". He then played 16-year-old jock Jesse Moretti in the 2009 Lifetime TV-movie "The Pregnancy Pact", starring Thora Birch, Camryn Manheim, and Nancy Travis. He filmed two pilots for CBS in 2010, and has since shot another pilot as a recurring guest star for the new Country Music Television sitcom "Working Class", starring Melissa Peterman. He played Adam in "iStart A Fan War", a TV-movie for the Nickelodeon show "iCarly".


title: Max Ehrich

text: In 2012, Ehrich joined the American CBS Daytime soap opera "The Young and the Restless" as Fenmore Baldwin. The following year he received a Daytime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Younger Actor in a Drama Series for his portrayal. Ehrich chose a scene where Fenmore tells Jamie that Summer is the one cyberbullying him. From 2014 through 2015, he appeared in a recurring role throughout CBS' "Under the Dome", as Hunter May. He additionally has appeared on series including "". He had a recurring role on the Nickelodeon show "100 Things to Do Before High School", and appeared as Quinn in six episodes of "Embeds". In 2019, Ehrich appeared in the Netflix film "Walk. Ride. Rodeo."


title: Max Ehrich

text: Ehrich, and singer-songwriter, Demi Lovato had first began dating, in March 2020, and became engaged, in July 2020. Two months later, the couple called off their engagement.


title: Christopher O'Neill

text: Christopher Paul O'Neill, KNO (born 27 June 1974) is a British-American financier and husband of Princess Madeleine, Duchess of Hälsingland and Gästrikland, with whom he has three children. He did not take any titles or become a Swedish citizen; he could then continue as a businessman with no royal duties.


title: Christopher O'Neill

text: O'Neill was born in London to Paul O'Neill (d. 2004), an American investment banker who came to London in the 1960s to set up the European head office of Oppenheimer & Co. His mother is Eva Maria O'Neill (). O'Neill has two half-sisters on his mother's side: Tatjana d'Abo and Countess Natascha von Abensberg und Traun, and three on his father's side: Stefanie, Annalisa and Karen. He grew up in London, St. Gallen, Austria and Germany, and holds dual American and British citizenship.


title: Christopher O'Neill

text: O'Neill was educated at Eaton House and Westminster Under School in London, Institut auf dem Rosenberg in St. Gallen, Switzerland, and graduated with a BA degree in International Relations from Boston University. He also obtained an MBA from Columbia Business School in New York City. He was a Partner and Head of Research at Noster Capital and former employee of NM Rothschild and Sons and Steinberg Asset Management. His marriage to a Swedish princess necessitated that, if he continued with Noster Capital, the fund would have to divest entirely from companies that traded on the Stockholm Stock Exchange and, moreover, divest from any company which had more than a third of its sales in Sweden. O'Neill resigned from Noster Capital in consequence of these demands.


title: Christopher O'Neill

text: The first time Princess Madeleine and O'Neill appeared publicly together was in January 2011. Their engagement was announced in an official interview on 25 October 2012, and in late April 2013 it was announced that their wedding would take place on 8 June 2013 at the Royal Chapel, Stockholm Palace, and be followed by dinner at the Swedish Royal Family's residence, Drottningholm Palace.


title: Christopher O'Neill

text: Unlike his brother-in-law Prince Daniel and his sister-in-law Princess Sofia, O'Neill is untitled and undertakes no royal duties, since members of the Swedish Royal Family must hold Swedish citizenship, which O'Neill has declined. The Royal Court refers to him in Swedish as "Herr Christopher O'Neill", a form of title which is not normally used (it would normally be "herr"). Thus, remaining a private citizen, he can continue his career in finance.


title: Christopher O'Neill

text: Their daughter, Princess Leonore, was born in New York on 20 February 2014. Their second child, Prince Nicolas, was born in Stockholm on 15 June 2015. In February 2015, the Swedish Royal Court announced that the family had moved to Stockholm from New York. In May 2015, the Swedish Royal Court announced that O'Neill had moved to London in April. In Autumn 2015, several months after the birth of Prince Nicolas, the entire family moved to London, where O'Neill's business is located. On 9 March 2018, their second daughter, Princess Adrienne, was born at Danderyd Hospital, Stockholm.


title: Mordvins

text: The Mordvins (also Unified Mordvin people, Mordvinians, Mordovians; (no equivalents in Moksha and Erzya)) is an obsolete but official term used in the Russian Federation to refer both to Erzyas and Mokshas since 1928 until the 2010s.


title: Mordvins

text: On the First Erzya and Moksha Peoples' Congress in 1989 the first point of the Congress Declaration was renaming Mordovia to Moksha and Erzya Autonomous Republic and banning the term "Mordva".


title: Mordvins

text: The Erzya and Moksha intelligentsia representatives, namely Professor , admit they never believed in the Unified Mordvin people project.


title: Mordvins

text: Mokshas are identified with Dyakovo culture since 1970s and so-called "Gorodetsk culture" which is presently considered a Soviet pseudoscience concocted by Prof. and based on Soviet autochtonal theory (all Volga Uralic ethnicities are autochtonal to the region and never migrated). Erzyas have a nomadic ancestry and are associated with Oka-Ryazan culture


title: Mordvins

text: Until ca. 2010s most Finnic linguists considered Mordvinic and Mari languages as a single subdivision of so-called Volga-Finnic branch of the Uralic family.


title: Mordvins

text: Currently this approach is rejected by most scholars, and Mordvinic and Mari are considered distinct from each other: Mordvinic languages are believed to have a common ancestor with Balto-Finnic languages (Estonian and Finnish), while the Mari languages are closer to the Permic languages.


title: Mordvins

text: According to Russian historiography dogmatic view preserved from till today Mokshas and Erzyas speak dialects of the same language and therefore share common ancestry. As to the degree of the languages proximity Arnaud Fournet presumes that if Moksha and Erzya had been a single language, they started to diverge 1500 years ago- the same time as French and Italian divided. Serebrenikov proves that Moksha preservs more archaic forms than those existing in Erzya.


title: Mordvins

text: The Mordvinic languages, a subgroup of the Uralic family, are Erzya and Moksha, with about 500,000 native speakers each. Both are official languages of Mordovia alongside Russian. The medieval Meshcherian language may have been Mordvinic, or close to Mordvinic.


title: Mordvins

text: Erzya is spoken in the northern and eastern and north-western parts of Mordovia, as well as in the adjacent oblasts of Nizhny Novgorod, Penza, Samara, Saratov, Orenburg, and Ulyanovsk, and in the republics of Chuvashia, Tatarstan, and Bashkortostan. Moksha is the majority language in the western part of Mordovia.


title: Mordvins

text: Due to differences in phonology, lexicon, and grammar, Erzya and Moksha are not mutually intelligible, to the extent that Russian language is often used for intergroup communications.


title: Mordvins

text: The two Mordvinic languages also have separate literary forms. The Erzya literary language was created in 1922 and the Mokshan in 1923.


title: Mordvins

text: While Robert G. Latham had identified "Mordva" as a self-designation, identifying it as a variant of the name "Mari", Aleksey Shakhmatov in the early 20th century noted that "Mordva" was not used as a self-designation by the two Mordvinic tribes of the Erzya and Moksha. Nikolai Mokshin again states that the term has been used by the people as an internal self-defining term to constitute their common origin. The linguist underlines that the Mordvins do not use the name 'Mordvins' as a self-designation. Feoktistov wrote "So-called Tengushev Mordvins are Erzyans who speak the Erzyan dialect with Mokshan substratum and in fact they are an ethnic group of Erzyans usually referred to as Shokshas. It was the Erzyans who historically were referred to as Mordvins, and Mokshas usually were mentioned separately as "Mokshas". There is no evidence Mokshas and Erzyas were an ethnic unity in prehistory". Isabelle T. Keindler writes:Gradually major differences developed in customs, language and even physical appearance (until their conversion to Christianity the Erzia and Moksha did not intermarry and even today intermarriage is rare.) The two subdivisions of Mordvinians share no folk heroes in common – their old folksongs sing only of local heroes. Neither language has a common term to designate either themselves or their language. When a speaker wishes to refer to Mordvinians as a whole, he must use the term "Erzia and Moksha"


title: Mordvins

text: The ethnonym "Mordva" is possibly attested in Jordanes' "Getica" in the form of "Mordens" who, he claims, were among the subjects of the Gothic king Ermanaric. A land called "Mordia" at a distance of ten days journey from the Petchenegs is mentioned in Constantine VII's "De administrando imperio".


title: Mordvins

text: In medieval European sources, the names "Merdas, Merdinis, Merdium, Mordani, Mordua, Morduinos" have appeared. In the Russian Primary Chronicle, the ethnonyms "Mordva" and "mordvichi" first appear in the 11th century. After the Mongol invasion of Rus', the name Mordvin rarely gets mentioned in Russian annals, and is only quoted after the Primary Chronicle up until the 15th–17th centuries.


title: Mordvins

text: The name "Mordva" is thought to originate from an Iranian (Scythian) word, "mard", meaning "man". The Mordvin word "mirde" denoting a husband or spouse is traced to the same origin . This word is also probably related to the final syllable of "Udmurt", and also in and perhaps even in .


title: Mordvins

text: The first written mention of "Erzya" is considered to be in a letter dated to 968 AD, by Joseph, the Khazar khagan, in the form of "arisa", and sometimes thought to appear in the works of Strabo and Ptolemy as "Aorsy" and "Arsiity", respectively. Estakhri, from the 10th century, has recorded among the three groups of the Rus people the "al-arsanija", whose king lived in the town of "Arsa". The people have sometimes been identified by scholars as Erzya, sometimes as the "aru" people, and also as Udmurts. It has been suggested by historians that the town "Arsa" may refer to either the modern Ryazan or Arsk In the 14th century, the name Erzya is considered to have been mentioned in the form of "ardzhani" by Rashid-al-Din Hamadani, and as "rzjan" by Jusuf, the Nogaj khan In Russian sources, the ethnonym Erza first appears in the 18th century.


title: Mordvins

text: The earliest written mention of Moksha, in the form of Moxel, is considered to be in the works of a 13th-century Flemish traveler, William of Rubruck, and in the Persian chronicle of Rashid-al-Din, who reported the Golden Horde to be at war with the Moksha and the Ardzhans (Erzia).


title: Mordvins

text: Mokshin concludes that the above grouping does not represent subdivisions of equal ethnotaxonomic order, and discounts Shoksha, Karatai and Teryukhan as ethnonyms, identifying two Mordvin sub-ethnicities, the Erzya and the Moksha, and two "ethnographic groups", the Shoksha and the Karatai.


title: Mordvins

text: Erzya practices Christianity (Eastern Orthodox and Lutheranism brought by Finnish missionaries in the 1990s) and "Ineshkipaza", a native monotheistic religion with some elements of pantheism. Almost all national-oriented intellectuals practice Ineshkipazia or Lutheranism.


title: Mordvins

text: Mariz Kemal, well-known Erzyan poetess, is also an organizer of traditional Erzyan religion communities. This phenomenon appeared after formation of Mordovian diocese of ROC in 1990. In those days Erzyan intellectuals were hoping to introduce of Erzyan language into worship ceremonies as well as to revive of Erzyan religious and cultural identity, even within ROC structure. Failure of these hopes made many Erzyan believers more radical and stimulated national-oriented intellectuals to renew their ethnic Ineshkipaza religion.


title: Mordvins

text: The 1911 "Britannica" noted that the Mordvins, although they had largely abandoned their language, had "maintained a good deal of their old national dress, especially the women, whose profusely embroidered skirts, original hair-dress large ear-rings which sometimes are merely hare-tails, and numerous necklaces covering all the chest and consisting of all possible ornaments, easily distinguish them from Russian women."


title: Mordvins

text: "Britannica" described the Mordvins as having mostly dark hair and blue eyes, with a rather small and narrow build. The Moksha were described as having a darker skin and darker eyes than the Erzya, while the Qaratays were described as "mixed with Tatars".


title: Mordvins

text: Latham described the Mordvins as taller than the Mari, with thin beards, flat faces and brown or red hair, red hair being more frequent among the Ersad than the Mokshad.


title: Mordvins

text: James Bryce described "the peculiar Finnish physiognomy" of the Mordvin diaspora in Armenia, "transplanted hither from the Middle Volga at their own wish", as characterised by "broad and smooth faces, long eyes, a rather flattish nose".


title: Mordvins

text: According to Tatiana Deviatkina, although sharing some similarities, no common Mordvin mythology has emerged, and therefore the Erza and Moksha mythologies are defined separately.


title: Mordvins

text: In the Erza mythology, the superior deities were hatched from an egg. The mother of gods is called "Ange Patiai", followed by the Sun God, "Chipaz", who gave birth to "Nishkepaz"; to the earth god, "Mastoron kirdi"; and to the wind god, "Varmanpaz". From the union of "Chipaz" and the Harvest Mother, "Norovava", was born the god of the underworld, "Mastorpaz". The thunder god, "Pur’ginepaz", was born from "Niskende Teitert", (the daughter of the mother of gods, "Ange Patiai").


title: Mordvins

text: The creation of the Earth is followed by the creation of the Sun, the Moon, humankind, and the Erza. Humans were created by "Chipaz", the sun god, who, in one version, molded humankind from clay, while in another version, from soil.


title: Mordvins

text: In Moksha mythology, the Supreme God is called "Viarde Skai". According to the legends, the creation of the world went through several stages: first the Devil moistened the building material in his mouth and spat it out. The piece that was spat out grew into a plain, which was modeled unevenly, creating the chasms and the mountains. The first humans created by "Viarde Skai" could live for 700–800 years and were giants of 99 "archinnes". The underworld in Mokshan mythology was ruled by "Mastoratia".


title: Mordvins

text: Latham reported strong pagan elements surviving Christianization. The 1911 "Britannica" noted how the Mordvins:


title: Mordvins

text: Proof that the Mordvins have long been settled in the vicinity of the Volga is also found in the fact that they still call the river "Rav", reflecting the name "Rha" recorded by Ptolemy (c. AD 100 – c. 170).


title: Mordvins

text: The Gorodets culture dating back to around 500 BC has been associated with these people. The north-western neighbours were the Muromians and Merians who spoke related Finnic languages. To the north of the Mordvins lived the Maris, to the south the Khazars. The Mordvins' eastern neighbors, possibly remnants of the Huns, became the Bolgars around 700 AD.


title: Mordvins

text: Researchers have distinguished the ancestors of the Erzya and the Moksha from the mid-1st century AD by the different orientations of their burials and by elements of their costumes and the variety of bronze jewellery found by archaeologists in their ancient cemeteries. The Erzya graves from this era were oriented north-south, while the Moksha graves were found to be oriented south-north.


title: Mordvins

text: The Mordvin language began to diverge into Moksha and Erzya over the course of the 1st millennium AD. Erzyans lived in the northern parts of the territory, close to present-day Nizhny Novgorod. The Mokshans lived further south and west of present-day Mordovia, closer to the neighbouring Iranian, Bolgar and Turkic tribes, and fell under their cultural influence.


title: Mordvins

text: The social organization of Moksha and Erzya depended on patriarchy; the tribes were headed by elders "kuda-ti" who selected a "tekshtai", senior elders responsible for coordinating wider regions.


title: Mordvins

text: Around 800 AD two major empires emerged in the neighborhood: Kievan Rus in present-day Ukraine and Russia adopted Eastern Orthodox Christianity, the Bolgar kingdom located at the confluence of Kama and Volga rivers adopted Islam, and some Moksha areas became tributaries to the latter until the 12th century.


title: Mordvins

text: Following the foundation of Nizhny Novgorod by Kievan Rus in 1221, the Mordvin territory increasingly fell under Russian domination, pushing the Mordvin populations southwards and eastwards beyond the Urals, and reducing their cohesion.


title: Mordvins

text: The Russian advance was halted by the Mongol Empire, and the Mordvins became subjects to Golden Horde until the beginning of 16th century.


title: Mordvins

text: Christianization of the Mordvin peoples took place during the 16th to 18th centuries, and most Mordvins today adhere to the Russian Orthodox Church all carrying Russian Orthodox names. In the 19th century Latham reported strong pagan elements surviving Christianization, the chief gods of the Erzyans and the Mokshas being called "Paas" and "Shkai", respectively.


title: Mordvins

text: Although the Mordvins were given an autonomous territory as a titular nation within the Soviet Union in 1928, Russification intensified during the 1930s, and knowledge of the Mordvin languages by the 1950s was in rapid decline.


title: Mordvins

text: After the fall of the Soviet Union, the Mordvins, like other indigenous peoples of Russia, experienced a rise in national consciousness. The Erzya national epic is called "Mastorava", which stands for "Mother Earth". It was compiled by A. M. Sharonov and first published in 1994 in the Erzya language (it has since been translated into Moksha and Russian). "Mastorava" is also the name of a movement of ethnic separatism founded by D. Nadkin of the Mordovian State University, active in the early 1990s.


title: Mordvins

text: Finnic peoples, whose territories were included in the former USSR as well as many others, had a very brief period of national revival in 1989-1991. Finnic peoples of Idel-Ural were able to conduct their own national conventions: Udmurts (November 1991), Erzya and Moksha (March 1992), Mari (October 1992), the united convention of Finnic folks of Russia in Izhevsk (May 1992). All these conventions accepted similar resolutions with appeals to democratize political and public life in their respective republics and to support the national revival of Finnoic peoples. Estonia had strong influence on moods and opinions that dominated these conventions, (especially among national-oriented intellectuals) because many students at the University of Tartu were from Finnic republics of Russia.


title: Mordvins

text: At the time of the Soviet Union’s disintegration, Erzya and Moksha accounted for only 32,5% in total structure of population in Mordovia. The return of many Erzyans and Mokshans to their national identities was strongly challenged by Russification, urbanization and demographic crisis. In addition, part of Moksha national elites (and Erzyan to a lesser extent) came forward with an idea, that Erzyans and Mokshans are just sub-ethnic groups within the united Mordovian nation. This concept was readily supported by Russian authorities, but most representatives of the Erzyan national movement reacted very negatively. National activists perceived the idea of “united Mordovian nation” as another tool for hard Russification.


title: Mordvins

text: In 1989 Veĺmema community center emerges in Mordovia. Very soon it becomes popular attracting both Erzyans and Mokshans. In some time only cultural activity becomes quite a narrow scope for part of radical activists, and Veĺmema experiences a major split. Moderate members create Vajģeĺ organization focused on revival and popularization of national traditions, and a more radical group founded Mastorava, Erzan-Mokshan civic movement, that aims not only a cultural revival of both nations but also wants the presentation of their interests in government bodies.


title: Mordvins

text: Erzya has its own system of national representative bodies. Every time before Raskeń ozks that takes place every three years, Aťań Eźem (erz. Council of elders) is convened. Aťań Eźem is a collective body that discusses the major problems of Erzyan people. Aťań Eźem elects chief elder, Inyazor, by a secret ballot. Inyazor represents all Erzyan people till next Raskeń Ozks.


title: Mordvins

text: During the period from 1999 through 2019 position of Inyazor was held by Kshumantsian’Pirguzh, who was awarded Order of the Cross of St. Mary’s Land (est. Maarjamaa Risti teenetemärk) by President of Estonia in 2014. In 2019 during regular Raskeń Ozks Syres’ Boliayen’, chairman of Erźań Val Society, co-founder of Free Idel-Ural civic movement was elected as new Inyazor. His candidature was supported by 12 from 18 elders. Russian authorities do not recognize the legitimacy of the national representative bodies of Erzyan people. Syres’ Boliayen’ is now in exile in Ukraine and representatives of Aťań eźem, as well as first Inyazor Kshumantsian’Pirguzh, repeatedly reported about political pressure from Russian authorities.


title: Mordvins

text: According to Russian laws, the activity of national political parties (Erzya, Mari, Tatars, Chuvashs or any other) is forbidden. Consequently, the national representative agency of Erzya people is the only possible instrument to express the political aspirations of Erzya.


title: Mordvins

text: Due to the activity of Veĺmema, Vajģeĺ and Mastorava situation with human rights for Erzyans and Mokshans in Mordovia has changed significantly. Mordovian National theatre and faculty of national culture were founded in the republic, Language Law was adopted, productive relationships and contacts with foreign diaspores were established. Aforementioned organizations became a “talent foundry” for new associations of Erzya and Moksha, namely Od Vij, Erźava, Ĺitova, and Jurhtava; as well as for Mastorava and Erźań Mastor newspapers. Exactly due to the activity of all mentioned organizations and societies Erzyan and Mokshan national movements become able to progress from the ethnographic stage of their struggle to a political one.


title: Mordvins

text: At the end of the 1980s Pirguzh Kshumantsian’, human rights defender, and Mariz’ Kemal, poetess, became leaders of Erzyan national movement. They revived the tradition of Raskeń Ozks (erz. Family Prayer). 5 days before the very first Raskeń Ozks Kshumantsian’, as main organizer of the event, was arrested by Russian authorities. Police forced him to abandon the realization of Prayer, however, he refused to comply with the demands. In 1999 Pirguzh Kshumantsian’ was elected as the first Inyazor (chief elder) in the newest history of Erzyan people. He held this position up to 2019.


title: Mordvins

text: Mariz’ Kemal adhered to the principle of "Kavto keĺť - kavto raśkeť" (erz. "Two languages - two nations"), that denied the existence of the single Mordovian nation as the combination of sub-ethnic groups, namely Erzya and Moksha. National life in the Republic of Mordovia began to draw down with the installation of Vladimir Putin’s rule. The new president of Russia considered national republics and native peoples as “enemies inside”.