Madonna's 'Rebel Heart': What The Critics Are Saying | Billboard Madonna's 'Rebel Heart': What The Critics Are Saying Courtesy Photo The cover of Madonna's 2015 album "Rebel Heart." Madonna dropped Rebel Heart, her thirteenth(!) studio album, in most of the world over the weekend. We already gave it three-and-a-half out of five stars , but what is the rest of the critical world saying about it? So far, the review aggregator Metacritic has tracked an average score of 68 out of 100, or, as they say, notching "generally favorable reviews," based on the 15 critics noted so far. Highlights from just a few are below. In a three-and-a-half out of five star review in Rolling Stone, Caryn Ganz writes, "Rebel Heart is a long, passionate, self-referential meditation on losing love and finding purpose in chilling times.

It's also a chance for the Queen of Pop to floss a bit and reflect on how she painstakingly carved a path others have happily twerked down in the years since her 1983 debut." In Time , Jamieson Cox opines, "Given all the turmoil, it's impressive -- and a little surprising -- that the final product is her most consistent album in a decade, and one that renders any hypothetical "bid for continued relevance" moot by remaining proudly scattershot. It's an album that places more emphasis on Madonna the person than Madonna the sonic visionary, and it benefits as a result." Kitty Empire's 3 out of 5 star review in The Guardian explains, "The ageism unleashed by Capegate makes you warm to much of Rebel Heart , Madonna's 13th album. The unseemly segments, where Madonna baits and gyrates, can be a hoot. When she acts her age, it is lacklustre and over-enunciated; lived-and-loved stuff trotted out in overblown ballads." Entertainment Weekly had two writers hash it out in a back-and-forth. Kyle Anderson wrote, "I have faith that she'll reveal herself with repeated listens.

(Weirdly, for an album mostly designed to move people in a club, it's actually a pretty fascinating headphone trip.) This may be damning it with faint praise, but this is Madonna's best outing since 2000's Music, and that earns Rebel Heart a solid B." EW's Adam Markovitz concluded, "I love that she's as frustrating and ambitious as ever--still difficult, complicated, and hard to pin down. But that's how I'd describe this album, too. If Like a Virgin is her A game, and something rocky but rewarding like Bedtime Stories is B level, then this gets a C+." In a three out of four star review for The Los Angeles Times , Randall Roberts shares, "The difference between pop agitators like Madonna and her lesser offspring is one of determination.

"Rebel Heart," like its creator, pushes through the pain and, more often than not, lands solidly and with great grace on its feet." The Associated Press writes, "In perhaps her most complex album, Madonna seems determined to plant a flag for her 30-plus year career, even giving a crash course in Madonna-ology on the self-referential "Veni, Vidi, Vici," featuring Nas, during which she playfully incorporate phrases and titles from past hits. At its best, "Rebel Heart" pulsates with a vibrancy that reveals both the sour and the sweet in Madonna's extremely complicated life and leaves no doubt that she still has a lot more to share." Elysa Gardner for USA Today says, "When Madonna sings on the title track of her latest album, Rebel Heart (***1/2 out of four; out March 10), that she has "outgrown my past and I've shed my skin," she is both protesting too much and engaging in understatement.

Our most durable pop star has indeed reinvented elements of her look and sound repeatedly over the past 30 years, but Madonna has retained the same essence: that of a woman who champions and demands love, in every sense of that loaded word. No single artist has been more crucial in shaping our modern view of celebrities as people who need people -- and attention." Hold Tight (song) | Madonnapedia | Fandom powered by Wikia "Hold Tight" is the first promotional single and fourth single overall off Madonna 's thirteenth studio album Rebel Heart . Background Initially, Madonna was set to release her thirteenth studio album, Rebel Heart, on March 2015, with its lead-single set to premiere on Valentine's day of the same year. However, fifteen demos of her songs were leaked to the Internet between November and December 2014, which led the singer to release six completed tracks as pre-order for the album on iTunes Store, on December 20, 2014. Three days later, fourteen other tracks leaked online, including the demo version of "Hold Tight".

On February 9, 2015, Madonna released three more tracks from the album, including the finished version of "Hold Tight", "Iconic" and "Joan of Arc", as well as the album's tracklist. After its full release, some websites suggested that Ryan Tedder was the song's producer, since he had confirmed to be he working on material for Rebel Heart, claiming that the songs were "[Madonna's] best stuff in over a decade" and that "[t]he tracks [he did] with her are really hard to explain". However, Tedder's productions were not used in the album's final track list, although rumours claimed him to be the producer of "Hold Tight". Later, Diplo was rumoured to be its producer, but eventually it was confirmed on Madonna's official website that the singer produced the track by herself. "Hold Tight" was selected as a promotional single only in Italy, being added to their radio stations on July 24, 2015. Composition "Hold Tight" is a "reflective and sombre" midtempo pop ballad, having atmospheric keyboards, military drums and flourishes of pastel electronics as its main instrumentation.

Lyrics Madonna’s Racy ‘Rebel Heart’ Super Deluxe Artwork Gets Parental Advisory Warning | Madonna : Just Jared see what i just did there? Hector JC Yanagihara That arwork really does have a statement and a significance that only fans that have followed her career can understand… which in my opinion is not only genious of her, but it also gives the fans something very special and exciting! and as for the harsh critics… some people criticize just for the sake of criticizing, without acknowledging there’s a background story and something truthfully representative behind it… Ref Fos Now this is just like Born this Way Popgirl Iconic, Hold Tight, Joan of Arc, and Heartbreak City are giving me life. Release this album already, Madonna. The full leak is out. You’ve finally put out some great music again minus a few cringeworthy immature duds. But the rest I’m loving. I never thought I would be so excited about a Madonna album again. She better tour this album. So much potential on stage. Popgirl She’s wrote so many beautiful ballads on this album. I ignore what I don’t like about her, because there are so many great songs on this album that are real bops.

Eils Clive Erotica 1992 or even her first album: Dirk_Reese-Fan Until now, I haven´t heard Mo´s “Living for Love” and none of the other songs of her new album “Rebel Heart”. But I´m gonna buy the album as soon as possible and then I´m gonna hear it first time in my bed ! *** Mo likes the bondage-style ! That´s a sign, that she wants to learn to lose her identity during the sex with the man of her future she is searching for. And when the sex is over, she comes back to her physical body. As if she has made an OOBE whilst sex. Coz´ she´s a master of tantrism too ! In a nutshell: She´s looking for the REAL GREAT LOVE, yup ! *** 217, give me 5, makes 222, 168 ! Highhhhhhhh 6 !!!!!! 3121-31+7=217=MakesMeDanceOn”Funk´NRoll”ForMo, yo ! *** THERE´s No BIG SHOW Witout MO ……………yo ! And she still has a lot of Moyooooooooooo !

“The Goldstandard !” And you will find it, Mo ! *** Dean DeParis Good for you. Fuck those haters…yes Rebel Heart has many beautiful ballads! I’ve already preordered my super Delux and can’t wait to listen to the whole album! Hopefully she will start world tour very soon. I loved MDNA tour! Super delux has all the great songs and ballads, including beautiful scars! Enjoy😊 Cummbottom Darling, Siren Ms.Sexy it’s. Tiring same antics indulgence. Of ecstasy Madonna question whom. Your desire sexual choice? Women or Men nothing to defend not. Erotic nor provocative motive going. Present best ever sexual desire. Mention this before you don’t. Have original concepts even photos. 50′s style Marilyn,Diana,Lana or Some stolen moment? Find yourself before you tour. Sex Madonna making whom wet? I bet what ever! Cummbottom Agree can we go out age. Caught up Ms.Sexy time knew. Musical style and direction Madonna. Confused same lame antics going. Seduce the audience guess not bemused Allure of siren long gone vanity. Ms.Vogue strike a pose!

Madonna, 'Rebel Heart': Track-By-Track (Part One) Unapologetic Bitch, Illuminati, & Bitch I’m Madonna are my faves on first listen. Can’t wait for Madge & Rih-Rih to save pop in 2015. FND74 Loved everything and currently Ghost Town is really getting to meh! I saw an article earlier of the writers of the tracks and I was surprised to find out that Ghost Town is written solely by Madonna. I thought it was the rumored Ryan Tedder collab. Ryan Tedder did Devil’s Pray surprisingly. Cant wait for the video for Living For Love. Unapologetic Bitch, Illuminati, & Bitch I’m Madonna are my faves on first listen. Can’t wait for Madge & Rih-Rih to save pop in 2015. Abraxas “going all the way back to the Founding Fathers (she was there, after all)” DEAD at this. Sean Okay so here’s my (personal) problem. I adore Madonna. She’s a brilliant being of epic proportions, and she knows her way around a studio. She knows her way around pop music period.

After all, this is the Queen we’re talking about. Now, I have tried so, so incredibly hard to love her music. I’ve been through her discography multiple times, waiting for it to click. I listened to MDNA over and over, trying to feel it in my bones, but it wouldnt hit me. That record wasn’t her best, so whatevs. But now I feel ashamed. Forgive me Mother Madge, for I have sinned. These tracks aren’t bad. They’re good. I have come to the realization that I don’t like her voice whatsoever, and never will. For me, the voice is everything, and I just honestly don’t care for her voice at all. It’s completely and utterly one-dimensional, and it comes through her nose. No depth, no strong character, barely a fragment of emotion, EVER. So there. I’m sorry, but for me and my ears, Madonna’s voice is almost unlistenable. MadMadWorld So who’s your favorite singer Sean? Sean I couldn’t pick a favorite but for the past few years, it’s been Lana Del Rey. Sean I also really, really love FKA Twigs right now.

MadMadWorld Lana has a great unique voice. If you like Lana, I think Madonna would not be your cup of tea really. They’re very different. So apples and oranges I guess. I think the appeal of Madonna to most people, especially those who grew up to her, is that they’ve been with her throughout her career – through all her images, music reincarnations, stages in her personal life, community support and etc, that they get her and what she’s gunning for. Years of reference to compare to see evolution and understanding of her lyrics and so on. So definitely not because of her voice alone. I love how this album is shaping into something really great. Can’t wait to hear final version of Rebel Heart! MadMadWorld I agree. Her voice is pretty distinctive and it’s a love and hate thing. I was just saying earlier that Madonna’s appeal is not in her voice. I mean, fans pay big money to see her and nobody cares if she’s lipsyncing because they are not there to hear her sing but to be part of the whole Madonna experience.

So to love Madonna, you gotta buy into the big picture of what Madonna stands for and I think to do so completely, you gotta be there when she was indeed setting bars for other to break. So I can understand if her fans tend to be older. I mean if you judge her by today’s standards most will probably go.”meh, what else is new”..without even realizing that if Madonna didnt do it back then and broke the mould, most people wont be able to what they do today. I still think she’s pretty cool today because I mean, she’s challenging the world’s perception on what it is to be pop singer at 56 while people are asking her to “act her age”! That’s pretty badass. So I’m a fan for that. Den I would like to know how this is going down, she must be nervous allright. How many times have these great songs been downloaded? How will it hold up towards Febuary? I hope we receive Madonna Madness again like the great promotions of COADF and ROL Sean You guys are awesome :) thank you for not chastising me. And I think you all made excellent points.

I agree that Madonna is about so much more than her voice, which is why I love her completely, in spite of my distaste for her singing. What’s funny is that I could listen to her talk for hours. I love watching her interviews. I’ve also noticed that I appreciate her voice in a different way when she’s performing live. The MDNA tour was incredible. I saw the DVD, and I was blown away by her showmanship so far into her career. GuestA Oh I love her interviews. She’s unfailingly clever and witty -and I do agree that her speaking voice is quite striking. I mean, Justify My Love was more of a spoken discourse and she nailed it. Ron Romijn de Snoo What a flawless review! Thank you!! GuestA I’ve decided to keep both versions of L4L -the leaked version sounds complete in its own right. Also, Nicki 50k-for-a-verse Minaj again? I like her but isn’t Madonna known not to repeat? Ique I love how she brought an amazing record when a lot of people was expecting something weak again.

even to raise from the ashes (and she’s never completely burned) she can do with mastery Teo Roque I didn’t hate MDNA but this is so much interesting but at the same time I’m no crazy about it either. I mean, I’ve been listening all day but I don’t feel the euphoria that I normally have. Maybe I’m tainted because the demos. Either way, there are some interesting choices. I love her voice in Ghosttown and Devil Pray and Unapologetic Bitch is iconic for me already (the chorus is just great). I’m glad and I hope the next part we get it’s gonna have the “euphoria” song for me, or at least several. BOW TO MADONNA! Agree. DEE Right now she is holding 5 positions in the Dutch top 10 iTunes chart! At christmas? WOW good job! mcnaugha It sounds as though you’re reviewing the demo version of Living For Love as the final release sounds much less 90s and a lot more 00s. I preferred the demo. Emil Sulaiman Aww she name-dropped Gaga in the first verse of “Illuminati”!

Is this still a big deal nowadays? lol Guest “Madonna, you bitch. You #unapologeticbitch.”. I’m gonna be using that line more often now. n8319596 “Madonna, you bitch. You #unapologeticbitch.” I’m gonna be using that line more often now. Yunafan She’s sounded more nasally since Hard Candy. Go listen to Ray of Light. There’s a lot of depth and emotion there. If you can’t hear it on ROL, then sorry, you must be tone deaf. Yunafan I decided not to listen to the leak of “Living for Love” because I didn’t want it to spoil the final version for me (plus, Madonna didn’t want us to listen to the leaks. I know, I’m a saint.). But now that I’ve heard that the demo was better than the final version, can somebody provide a link to the demo that actually works? All the links I’ve found have been taken down and I really want to hear it. DavidSask Illuminati wins shit song of the last decade, huge WTF, Madge deserves all shit slung at her for it!

The thing that lacks with Madge is she refuses to sing songs that are mature esp. single wise for a long while now.I have to say for those who DIDN’T listen to the leaks, they should as many of them are superior (Make the Devil Pray orig, Living For Love) as to what she called finished product. Ghosttown, new to the mix for all, Sucks. GT should have been replaced with something from the original leaked sessions instead,(Addicted-The One That Got Away) Take another fucking day to master a track lmfao. Bitch I’m Madonna, fucking slays with its beats, will be on repeat for long while, is preferable with demo minus Nicki. Unapologetic Bitch comes in close second on official release for okay tune. Yunafan Link to the leaks? Zahk Scott I’m a bit worried about the fate of ‘Wash All Over Me,’ ‘Addicted (One That Got Away),’ ‘Borrowed Time,’ and the title track. I’m hoping she doesn’t pay them dust like it was implied by her twitter update that half the demo tracks wouldn’t even make the album.

Hopefully Britney will save it too Bernardo Marra Not to be bitchy or anything, but why would she name the album Rebel Heart and then do away with the title track? (Okay well, Lana del Rey did that with Paradise, but that’s just because she probably fell asleep listening to her own music or something.) Robert Walton Evans only six songs so far and its looking like the best album of 2015, cant wait till 10th march, living for love is amazing my fav so far. randallross822 I love the new songs, especially Ghosttown and Devil Pray. Eagerly anticipating the new album in all its 19 songs! It’s going to be awesome! The move to release 6 songs early now is a brilliant marketing move and gets all her fans so excited to hear the rest. 5 of the Top Ten singles now on iTunes are from Madonna! It’s like releasing an EP of six songs now, more in February and then the whole album in March. Madonna knows how to market herself brilliantly and always has. Dan I think I love you Bradley. Thanks for saying what I feel.

Dan As if FND74 It sounds about 80% the same except for the bassline groove sounds like Kiesza Hideaway instead of this new one. I disagree that the demo is better because it would sound too much like a copy. If case you’ve never heard of Kiesza check out the video. I dont think Madonna would ever approve of that demo as a final version. Imagine all the controversy that would result from it, as Kiesza’s Hideaway was not some obscure track that nobody have heard. I bet they just used the bassline as guideline of what the feel of the final track should be. She also made some lyric changes during the choir part at the end from “Lord Lord Lift Me” to to “Love Lift Me Up Up Up” that fits this song now so much better. Pardon the typo. In case, not if case. Yunafan Oh It’s the mean gay again. I bought the iTunes version. I just didn’t listen to the leaks because I didn’t want them to spoil the finalized versions for me and Madonna asked us not to. What is the bug up your butt, telling Bradley not to listek to me because I’m too negative and everything?

All I ever did waa disagree with you about Madonna hiding her hands by wearing gloves. I never personally attacked Bradley. I just disagreed with him. This is why you’re a mean gay. From your comment below, you’re obviously a tool and a suck up. I get along with the other boy on here now. Stop with the sarcasm and shade. It’s not cute. I feel that same! I want to like her so much but I’ve just never ever been able to like her voice, it doesn’t do anything for me at all, it’s just so one dimensional. Sean I would rather eat glass. Humberto Rodriguez I personally love Madonna, however, this isn’t her best. The first two tracks sound the same and have the same skeleton. Verse/Chorus/Breakdown. They actually sound alike. Ghostown is probably the best song on the record so far (out of the 6). None of this is revolutionary, none of it is easily enjoyable or accessible. Madonna has truthfully lost her touch since the release of Confessions. Zahk Scott Yeah it has happened a lot more than just with Lana del Rey in the past.

Admittedly it mostly happens with rock and alternative albums, but I wouldn’t put it past Madge when what has been released of ‘Rebel Heart’ so far is much less like those demo tracks and the more upbeat dance productions I specifically mentioned. I mean, they turned ‘Illuminati’ from a dance-pop and guitar driven number a la ‘American Life’ to something with a slower beat and stranger production. She does have a tendency of naming her albums after a track (usually the lead single), but that doesn’t mean she couldn’t have just liked the title but done away with the song because it didn’t fit the mood of the rest of the album so far. But there are 12 more tracks coming (Joan of Arc already confirmed) so we will see. Zahk Scott I feel the same way. ‘Confessions’ is still her best recent work. I don’t understand what they were going for with the production on these tracks. ‘Living for Love’ has that dancey buildup and then it just fizzles out to a single note and a background singer.

‘Unapologetic Bitch’ and ‘Bitch I’m Madonna’ are practically interchangeable and both have this awful fog/diesel-horn sound effect in them that I thought we had done away with in the 90s. ‘Illuminati’ pains me with the change from an ‘American Life’ esque production in the demo to this disturbing and haphazard cacophony of sounds. ‘Ghosttown’ is the most accessible, but even then it’s not a very good track – it sounds like album filler. Patricio Lukas I’m loving it so much,, So intrigued by the rest of the album!!! Idunno These 6 songs honestly sound like a collection of singles from the women of the Real Housewives franchise. Pretty embarrassing tbh. :/ Az Butterfield Like you said there are another 12 tracks to come (!!) so I wouldn’t stress out too much. Addicted and Rebel Heart are incredible though so they better be on there! Yunafan She’s a great artist and she’s ambitious (hence, blonde ambition). She’s a good dancer and she’s reinvented herself many times.

She’s far from a great singer, but she’s a better singer than Paula Abdul and Janet Jackson (great dancers) and Katy Perry (no talent whatsoever). Her voice really improved in the late 80s and especially for Evita in the mid 90s. That’s why Ray of Light has her best vocals. She’s older now, so of course her voice hasn’t been the best the last few years. I hope that helps. Go listen to the Ray of Light album and come back to me. Also, if you can’t see the magnificence in songs like “Vogue,” “Like a Prayer,” and “Express Yourself,” I’m afraid I can’t help you. Those are artistic landmarks in pop. That’s why she’s lasted so long. sean heres hoping she has a killer video up her sleeve to keep momentum going with living for love. its a great song and needs a great video. Dan Dude as if someone is going to post a link to a leaked illegal album on a public website. I’m sorry you think pointing that out makes me a “mean gay” ha.

Yunafan Greg M posted a link on this site to the demo of “Living for Love” from Sharebeast, but it had already been taken down. It’s just a demo. I’ve seen links to leaks and demos posted by this website and others before. There’s lots of demos on Youtube. And I called you a “mean gay” because of your previous actions. What you said to Bradley about me was completely inappropriate and immature. If you have a problem with me and think that I’m “always negative,” respond to me, not to the guy who runs the blog. That’s middle school behavior that you should have grown out of by now. Thus, you’re a mean gay. And no, just because that sounds like Mean Girls doesn’t make it a compliment. That was a movie. In real life, being catty isn’t cool. Nick Perles Having only been alive for a few months in the tail end of the 80s, I feel like I never got my time with Madonna. I remember growing up and being intrigued by her (and strangely LOVING “Frozen”), but I was too young to appreciate her.

By the time I was older she was releasing Hard Candy and MDNA, which as I compared to her greatest hits, were lacking. So I am elated that this album is shaping up so well. She’s talking about politics, religion, abuse, love, life, the fucking the apocalypse? She’s analyzing humanity as it stands today, set to amazing pop productions (which, in their own right, are next level). It’s so creative and inspiring. I feel like my respect for her is even more justified now. I finally get to STAN for Madonna and I am going to do it whole-heartedly. bluesatellite Hmm I don’t know about Katy Perry having no talent… She writes her own songs (some of them are pretty damn good too!), plays the guitar well and is a great entertainer. I love Paula and Janet too — they put out some truly stellar stuff in their heydays. bluesatellite I think we all should know better by now that “the voice” is only one of the many factors that plays into a career. Madonna has always known to push the right buttons and aside from that, she’s made some truly amazing music! It should always be about the music first.

And I think it all comes down to what you think “vocal talent” is about. A lot of people are under the assumption that vocal talent = vocal prowess, therefore you can only be considered a good singer if you have a powerful voice that can do runs, belts, ad-libs, melismas and all that. I beg to differ tbh — it’s great if you can do all those things, but I’m all about vocal tone. If there’s something unique about your voice, so whenever I hear you, I KNOW it’s you, then you’re a good singer to me. I like Madonna as a singer, she has her own voice and she knows what to do with it. And that’s enough for me. A lot of my favourite singers don’t necessarily have huge voices, but they have distinctive voices: Madonna, Janet Jackson, Tracey Thorn, Vanessa Paradis, Dido, Natalie Merchant, Tanita Tikaram, and the list goes on.

bluesatellite It’s truly something that should be appreciated because you’re absolutely correct re: “she’s challenging the world’s perception on what it is to be pop singer at 56 while people are asking her to act her age.” And I think that somehow correlates to the “Rebel Heart” title because she IS (and has always been) a rebel at heart. People are slagging her off left and right, calling her all kinds of names (I see the words “old”, “hag”, “grandmadonna”, “ugly” A LOT) and yet she keeps on doing HER. No one would say such things about the Rolling Stones, Red Hot Chili Peppers, U2, Paul McCartney or Bruce Springsteen. It’s sexist, ageist and unfair and a lot of people just won’t give her a credit for maintaining a career of 30+ years with a lot of focus and creativity (no rehab, no meltdown… and it’s interesting how the likes of Whitney and Mariah succumbed to that, and those two were always regarded as superior to Madonna by the average public) and just for being true to herself all along. It’s pretty damn admirable. bluesatellite I’m liking these new tunes!

Not absolutely impressed, but there’s truly something about them that warrant repeated listens. There’s a beating human heart and soul that underlie these songs. I suppose it made sense that Living for Love is the single because it’s about the strongest offering from the six songs, but that’s not to say the other five aren’t strong… just less single-worthy imo. But these songs truly are interesting, to say the least. At first I kind of felt bummed reading her comment about the plan to put out Living for Love on Valentine’s Day (I wish it went on that way) but I think unleashing these 6 songs first was a smart move. It’ll allow the project to gain some momentum and kind of slow burn its way to the public. Imagine if the release was done as the initial plan, everything would be riding on that one single and I kind of feel like it wouldn’t be as interesting. I suppose the leak was somewhat a blessing in disguise; it prompted this release and gave people something to listen to/talk about. Dan Move on buddy. Have a good day. Yunafan I don’t think she writes her own songs. I think she jus changes a few words here and there.

And if she does write her own songs, the lyrics are nothing to write home about. “Do you ever feel like a plastic bag?” and “I went from zero to my own hero” are pretty bad lyrics. Plus, she rhymes fire with fire in “Roar.” Yet it was still nominated for Song of the Year at the Grammys. She can’t sing well. Instead, she yells most of the time. She also doesn’t play the guitar that well. Otherwise it would be featured on her songs. Lady Gaga is probably a better piano player than Katy Perry is a guitar player. And she can’t dance. She has very minimal talent. I think she waa probably signed because she’s All-American and busty. Yunafan I will move on if you stop negatively replying to my comments. Also, it would have been nice to get an apology. It seems like you can’t apologize. But whatever. Have a good night. bluesatellite There’s some valid points there but I wouldn’t be that harsh tbh.

Yes, a lot of her lyrics are silly or cliched but she also has other songs that aren’t like that if you dig deep into her discography, especially the stuff that was made in her singer-songwriter days. She was basically cut from the same cloth as Avril Lavigne/Michelle Branch but decided to take up the popstar persona because she knew that’s what would make her sell. I’m nowhere near a huge fan but I like Katy. Like Madonna, she knows how to package herself and work her way in the industry, and I suppose that’s why M has taken quite a liking to her. And I personally like her voice, there’s an interesting tone and grit to it — even when she supposedly “yells”, it doesn’t bother me tbh. I guess it comes down to taste… but there are moments when she straight-up sings well (you can look up acoustic performances of Thinking of You or Unconditionally and hopefully know what I’m talking about). Yunafan She’s had a few good songs like “Teenage Dream” and “Hot & Cold.” I also like “Ghost” off of Prism. But I’ve never seen a television performance where she sang well.

I once saw a decent performance of “Teenage Dream” on Letterman or one of those late night shows, but she was still yelling because she yells on the recorded version of the song as well. I guess it was written that way. It’s very forceful. People complain about Rihanna’s singing, but I’ve seen quite a few good Rihanna performances on television, especially in receny years. Plus, Rihanna’s voice is WAY more unique than Katy’s. Quite a few artists have had songs in which they sound like Katy, including Jessie J on “Domino” and some Karmin song. It’s really not that unique. I just think she’s the least talented out of her peers. Even Kesha is a better songwriter. Plus, her Candyland/juvenile image combined with lyrics about having a menage-a-trois and your “peacock” really turn me off. I don’t believe in marketing sex to kids and tweens when that’s obviously the target audience of your image. Rihanna and Lady Gaga make double entendres and have sexually explicit lyrics, but their images are much darker and adult, at the very least geared to older teenagers.

It’d be like if Taylor Swift’s recent music had double entendres and sexual references in it. It would be kind of gross because it’s supposed to be so family/kid friendly. Also, Katy Perry’s music is very bubblegum. For somebody who first came out with an Evangelical Christian album, her music isn’t very deep. Prism was a bit deeper, but only some of it. And the reason I say that I don’t think she writes her own songs, that she probably just changes a few words, is because Bonnie McKee, Max Martin and Dr. Luke write and produce most of her songs and they’ve done the same fir Britney, who we know doesn’t write anything anymore. Bonnie is like Rihanna’s Ester Dean, except Rihanna doesn’t try to pass herself off as a singer-songwriter. Also, go to thesmokinggun.com and read Katy’s tour rider. She’s a diva, but not in a good way. She won’t even let her bus driver talk to her. I just think she’s a phony. Beyonce is a phony too and probably more unethical than Katy, but at least she has talent and is a good performer.

I like Rihanna because she’s real, she has a unique voice and she doesn’t give a phuck what you think about her. Plus, she’s a style icon. I consider her the Black Madonna for today’s digital age without the dancing ability. And Lady Gaga is very talented, even though her music has gone downhill. I still think she could make a comeback or at least a return to semi-relavence/prominence if she plays her cards right. bluesatellite Hmm I suppose there’s truth to some of the things you said… but then again I don’t really keep up with her and as I said, I can’t even say that I’m a fan. But I like her stuff, and I certainly won’t agree if anyone says she has absolutely no talent or something to that effect, because let’s face, it takes at least an ounce of talent to have some success, especially in the music industry. And it’s not like she was an overnight sensation, she was hustling for many years before hitting it big. That alone should deserve some respect imo since you’ve got to have a huge love for music and yes, some freaking talent to be that dedicated. Some people would have just given up. But well.

I can’t believe I just defended Katy Perry! Haha I agree about Rihanna though, I’ve followed her since her debut, she’s progressed a great deal. But no, Lady Gaga should just stay away and become a thing of the past. At the rate she’s going, she’s heading there anyway, so there’s that. Big Ass Fan “Whitney & Mariah were always regarded as superior to Madonna by the average public” Yet the whole world recognizes Madonna as the Queen of Pop – not Whitney or Mariah. Madonna’s pissed off a lot of people over the course of her career but even those people cannot deny her impact not just in music, but in pop culture in general. That is why people still pay attention to every little thing that she says or does long after her prime: she transcends the industry that yielded her, like Marilyn, Elvis, Michael, and all those other pop culture icons before her. To see Madonna JUST as a musician or recording artist would only be seeing half of the big picture she has been painting her whole career. She is a living legend whose body of work will be discussed and dissected long (and especially) after she passes. bluesatellite You’re absolutely right.

But the thing is, I don’t know if it’s just me or if anyone else sees it like I do, or maybe it’s because I don’t live in America or Europe, but here I get a sense that the general public doesn’t quite think highly of her. Yes anyone will admit that she’s a popstar/icon/legend, but I doubt that “the whole world” quite realizes the sheer brilliance, creativity or even influence that she’s created over the course of her career. What I meant by those two being regarded as superior was really in a sense that Whitney and Mariah are singers in a traditional sense and they were successful in gearing the public into this perception of (as I mentioned above), you can be called a great singer if you’re all pretty and polished and have a big voice that can do all sorts of runs, belts, ad-libs and melismas. And that kind of perception is still prevalent in this day and age albeit to a lesser extent (or so I think). You said it brilliantly: “To see Madonna JUST as a musician or recording artist would only be seeing half of the big picture she has been painting her whole career”, that’s the truth.

But I sense that a lot of people DO view her as nothing but a typical popstar. Like I said, she gets slagged off all the time for the way she acts and wears, the things she says, or for simply existing! (see all the comments about her age) “She is a living legend whose body of work will be discussed and dissected long (and especially) after she passes”, that’s also true. But again, related to my comments above, I kind of feel like at this point people just don’t quite appreciate her the way they should. If you read things like this ( ) ( ) and articles comparing the impromptu release of Rebel Heart to Beyonce, don’t you get a sense that she’s still undervalued? These bbs just keep coming…Inside Out doesn’t have shit on Britney’s masterpiece but it’s still another winner for big M bluesatellite Wow who’s leaking all this stuff? The beats slightly remind me of Bjork’s “Army of Me” tbh bluesatellite Really. Well I don’t consider myself a Madonna “stan” (I’m a fan, thank you very much) and I used to like Gaga for a good minute, actually. She IS talented.

But she’s ridiculously obnoxious to the point of insufferable that I ended up overlooking her talent anyway. There are other artists with a gorgeous voice, songwriter ability and piano skills (Alicia Keys comes to mind) far more worth supporting. I’m aware of her stripped-down stuff and the duet album and as much as I love jazz music, I really couldn’t get into it. I feel cold and distant whenever I listen to her. She’s just so phony and calculated. There’s already Beyonce and it’s bad enough as it is but at least girlfriend has some genuinely amazing, classic tunes, both solo and with Destiny’s Child. Can we say the same about Gaga? I don’t think so. Greg M Madonna needs to update her security systems…it’s not 1980 anymore boo.

The internet is a dangerous place Tbh if the leaks are better than/provide a dope alternative to the album versions, then I’m all for it Big Ass Fan Just like they say, man: “They’re only biting at your heels when you’re leading the pack.” Madonna has been leading the pack for 30 years, and during that time she has taken some of the worst heat anyone in the industry has ever taken but get this: for everything she did to piss people off, *Madonna has never apologized.* She has never given the public and the tabloids what they want by saying sorry, and this is what drives them absolutely nuts. When they tore her to pieces during her Erotica era, instead of issuing some sort of apology she responded with Human Nature – the most blatant “Sorry, Not Sorry” song she ever made – then carried on with her career like the absolute boss that she is. She consciously refused to bend to society’s expectations, and by doing she was telling the world they *they could not dictate her.* The media tore MJ down and they were happy. They tore Britney down and they were happy.

But in 30 years of attempting, they have never, EVER succeeded in tearing Madonna down; she has had no breakdowns, no nipple slips, no shaved heads, nothing – and that’s why they actively talk shit about her to this day. They’ve grown so desperate at finding a chink in her armor, in fact, that they have actually resorted to throwing cheap ageist remarks at her, despite the fact that she’s said her piece on it twenty years ago. What I’m getting at here, my friend, is that all these negative articles about her have always existed but they have *never actually mattered.* The people who write these things are bitter souls who refuse to see what Madonna has accomplished, what she is continuing to do, and what she stands for. Empty barrels are the loudest. Ignore them. Sadly, as was the case with Elvis and MJ before her, the world may never talk about Madonna in a predominantly positive light until after her rebel heart stops beating, but until that time comes, she’ll keep on breaking stigmas and challenging notions – while making good music and putting on great shows along the way. Some people in the world may refuse to acknowledge her genius now, but you can bet that they will some day.

Joshua Williams My sentiments exactly….I’ve loved Madonna from the beginning and always will, however this persistence to follow trends is tiring….It seems like most of the fans say the exact same thing everytime she releases a new album, “it’s the best since…” No, it’s not….even the reviewer (whom I love and have respect for), gave an outstanding review to MDNA and now seems to diss it as dated while seemingly loving this. It seems rare that many Madonna fans are actually honest with themselves and will automatically love anything she releases. Confessions was a cohesive, brilliant dance record from beginning to end..not a mishmash of current producers in a desperate attempt to sound current & relevant. The Ray of Light and American Life, along with Confessions era, were true Madonna, setting trends, not following them. How many more times do we need to be reminded that she’s Madonna, bitch? We get it and we’re all aware, again. More Nicki? Please, fuck no. Kayne? Can’t think of a bigger piece of shit for her to work with. While I’m sad with these tracks, I’ll remain hopeful that there are better tracks in the unreleased material.

And I’ll remain even more hopeful that the next album will be a more cohesive, well thought-out journey, a la Confessions or Ray of Light that sounds nothing like current trends. FND74 Relax guys, just let her finish her stuff and release it in its complete form before we make all sorts of judgements. There are 13 more tracks to go and we dont even know what they will be. Lets not post the leaks here. Yunafan “Bad Romance,” “Paparazzi,” “The Edge of Glory” and “You and I” are all great tunes and “Bad Romance” is definitely a classic. What classic tunes does Katy Perry have other than “Teenage Dream” maybe? And The Fame Monster is a great pop album. That will go down as a classic. Yes, she can be insufferable, but I think you need to be objective and look past her insufferableness. Popgirl She’s always had a beautiful lower range and why her ballads are so beautiful. It’s a shame how these last years she hasn’t really cared about great vocals, because her voice can sound so lovely when she cares.

It’s why I like her ballads compilation that covers her ballads all the way up to ’95 I think, called Something to Remember, It’s such a beautiful album. YouTube “You’ll See.” It’s a beautiful ballad from it. mergong “Sorry, she’s not slipping on a gown, belting out orchestral renditions of her greatest hits and quietly fading into obscurity” ARE YOU SHADING KYLIE YOU PHUCKIN B*TCH Humberto Rodriguez Couldn’t have said it better myself… and didn’t ;) Gary What a nice honest comment. There is no one in the last decade that has even come close to the popularity of madonna at the height of her career. She was everywhere in the late 80’s/early 90’s…..when she released a new single or video it would be on the nightly news, that is how absolutely infatuated the world was with her. It saddens me that no one will ever be as big as she was then. The Beatles, Elvis, Michael Jackson, Prince and Madonna were all in a league of their own.

I am happy that this album is shaping up to be one of her best and that the youth of today just might latch onto it if radio supports her. Madonna is the biggest female pop singer the world has ever seen. Watch truth or dare to see a bit of how big she was in the 80’s. grey Madonna's "Rebel Heart" Tour Higher Secondary Ticket Prices Than Previous MDNA Tour Madonna's "Rebel Heart" Tour Higher Secondary Ticket Prices Than Previous MDNA Tour {{article.article.images.featured.caption}} Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. Full Bio The author is a Forbes contributor. The opinions expressed are those of the writer. Loading ... Loading ... This story appears in the {{article.article.magazine.pretty_date}} issue of {{article.article.magazine.pubName}}. Subscribe The Queen of Pop is set to hit the road, and may be on track to break tour records yet again as well. Madonna’s “Rebel Heart” tour, a tour in support of her thirteenth studio album, which she released in March, is scheduled to kick off on September 9 in Montreal.

The North American leg of the tour will wrap up in October (although several additional dates are scheduled in North America for 2016), and will cover Europe and the U.K. in November and December. In her touring past, Madonna has smashed records on the road. According to the Billboard Boxscore, Madonna's MDNA tour in 2012 grossed $305 million and moved 2.2 million tickets to 88 shows. That year, it was the highest grossing tour. On that run, the show made a stop at London’s Hyde Park, a stadium with a massive 65,000 capacity. The average ticket price for that show was $250, with a get-in price of $170. In the U.S., Madonna played two shows at Yankee Stadium, a venue with a 49,642 capacity, and the average ticket price was $204.70, with a get-in of just $28. On the second night, the average ticket price was $171.13 with a get-in price of $51.

To compare, on her upcoming Rebel Heart tour, the average Madonna ticket is $331 on the secondary market for her US dates. She is set to play two London dates in December at the O2 Arena, a 20,000 capacity arena. For her first show on December 1, the average ticket price to see Madonna is $366, with get-in ticket prices of $334. She is slotted to play two dates in New York City in September, one at Madison Square Garden (18,200 capacity), and the other at The Barclays Arena in Brooklyn (18,103 capacity). The MSG show on September 16 has an average ticket price of $387, with a get-in price of $114, and the Barclays Arena show has an average ticket price of $475, with a get-in price of $77, according to Ticketbis. Madonna’s 2006 Confessions tour grossed $194 million and had 1.2 million tickets sold to 60 shows.

Her most successful run yet, her 2008-2009 Sticky & Sweet tour, grossed $408 million for 3.5 million tickets sold. It continues to hold the record for the biggest tour ever for a female artist. With her ticket sales already competitive on the secondary market, Madonna may be on track to break more records with Rebel Heart. Rebel Heart Tour Tickets Selling Fast For Madonna's Stops In Australia, New Zealand Rebel Heart Tour Tickets Selling Fast For Madonna's Stops In Australia, New Zealand {{article.article.images.featured.caption}} Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. Full Bio The author is a Forbes contributor. The opinions expressed are those of the writer. Loading ... Loading ... This story appears in the {{article.article.magazine.pretty_date}} issue of {{article.article.magazine.pubName}}. Subscribe Madonna, the reigning Queen of Pop, is set to embark on her international tour, The Rebel Heart Tour, starting in Montreal on September 9. The tour is in support of Rebel Heart, her thirteenth studio album, which she released this past March.

The North American leg of the tour will wrap up in October (although several additional dates are scheduled in North America for 2016), and will lead to her covering Europe and the U.K. in November and December. The Rebel Heart Tour will continue on into Australia and New Zealand in March 2016, and will be historic tour stops for the singer – her New Zealand dates mark her first time ever touring in the country, and her return to Australia will be her first trip there in a long-awaited 23 years. Madonna’s Australian fans remain some of her strongest followers, as Rebel Heart opened at No. 1 on the ARIA Albums Chart in March, and marked her 11th No. 1 album in Australia. Madonna arrives at The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute benefit gala celebrating "China: Through the Looking Glass" on Monday, May 4, 2015, in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP) If history is any indication, Madonna’s upcoming tour will not disappoint in the box office.

According to the Billboard Boxscore, Madonna's MDNA tour in 2012 was a substantial success, grossing $305 million and moving 2.2 million tickets to 88 shows, making it the highest grossing tour of the year. In 2006, her Confessions tour grossed $194 million and had 1.2 million tickets sold to 60 shows. Madonna’s most dominant run remains her 2008-2009 Sticky & Sweet tour, which grossed $408 million for 3.5 million tickets sold. It continues to hold the record for the biggest tour ever for a female artist. Tickets for the Australian/New Zealand leg of the tour went on sale this morning at 10 AM, and tickets are moving quickly – the cheapest available seats sold out in just minutes. On international ticket marketplace viagogo.com, tickets to see Madonna are understandably competitive across the map. Currently, the average ticket price is $321.97 on the secondary market, and many of her dates present higher prices.

Her most expensive stop on the secondary market is the October 24 show in Las Vegas, where the average ticket price is $949.21, with a get-in price of $180, according to viagogo, the world’s largest source of live event tickets. Madonna’s cheapest stop is her October 12 date in Edmonton, Canada, where the average ticket price is $164.30, with a get-in price of just $44. Madonna's New Music: Rebel Heart Songs, Living For Love Review The singer's surprise release of several new songs reveals that the Queen of Pop hasn't lost her edge + READ ARTICLE When a handful of Madonna demos leaked last week — an event she called “artistic rape” and a “form of terrorism” — she decided to fight fire with fire by releasing the official versions of six songs cut from her upcoming thirteenth studio album, Rebel Heart. The bundle of new tracks represent her first collection of new material since 2012’s MDNA, a lukewarm flirtation with contemporary club music.

Thing is, though, there’s a joy to every new Madonna release that’s just separated from determining the quality of the actual music: at this point in her career she’s pop’s cockroach, resilient and hardy and shockingly adaptable. With each new record, there are lessons about the genre’s present and near future in the specific sounds and figures she chooses to help realize her vision. Based on this first batch of Rebel Heart material, Madonna is looking to strike a balance. First, there’s are the figures at the centre of EDM and synth-pop, her chosen modes of operation — meaning writers and producers like Diplo, Avicii, and Savan Kotecha. Then, she ropes in artists working at the vanguard across a variety of genres, from superstars like Kanye West to relative nobodies like producers Ariel Rechtshaid and Sophie. This is a savvy move — what a surprise, a smart play from one of the canniest pop stars to ever roam an arena — because it allows her to play to the masses while still pushing boundaries.

The songs that lead off this first Rebel Heart blast, lead single “Living for Love” and “Devil Pray,” could fit in neatly on the radio beside this year’s British house-pop crossovers and Avicii’s own “Hey Brother.” The ones that close it, namely the abrasive half-rapped Kanye collaboration “Illuminati” and caffeine-drunk trap anthem/Nicki Minaj feature “Bitch I’m Madonna,” hew closer to the spirit of PC Music’s obscure SoundCloud accounts and the sharp edges of Yeezus. And because Madonna exists in rarefied air, the kind reserved for luminaries like herself and Prince and very few others, each of her new releases is less of an independent statement than a response to everything she’s done before, another chapter tacked onto an epic novel with no definite end. The tones, themes, and imagery that make up her musical toolbox — the frank sensuality, the various methods of intoxication, the lapsed Catholicism, the uncompromising confidence — are gospel at this point, and they elevate some of the more forgettable Rebel Heart material to a base level of pleasure.

It’s fun to hear Madonna deliver a line like, “It might sound like I’m an unapologetic bitch / but sometimes you know I gotta call I like it is” (and try on 2 Chainz’ flow, just for kicks) because she has three’ decades worth of unapologetic bitchiness in her back pocket. It’s an easy score, sure, but it’s effective. And if the complete version of Rebel Heart, due March 10th via Interscope, can deliver a few more of those easy scores alongside a bit more adventurous songwriting, the album could be Madonna’s finest in almost a decade. Madonna On Stage - Rebel Heart Tour Tour Crew The Rebel Heart Tour is the tenth worldwide concert tour in support of her thirteenth studio album, Rebel Heart. It will begin on September 9, 2015, in Montreal (Canada) and continue throughout Europe, finally concluding in Puerto Rico on January 28, 2016 in San Juan (Puerto Rico)*. The tour was formally announced on March 1, 2015 on Madonna's official website.

Titled Rebel Heart Tour, it was initially scheduled to begin on August 29, 2015, from Miami and continue throughout Europe and end on December 20, 2015, in Glasgow, Scotland. According to Billboard, Rebel Heart would be an all-arena tour, and would visit cities where Madonna has not performed before. They assumed a total of 25–30 shows in North America and 20–25 shows in Europe, with additional dates being revealed later on. The tour is expected to visit Australia and Asia in early 2016, however no dates have been announced as of May 2015. It would be Madonna's first visit to Australia and Puerto Rico in over 21 years, when she last toured there with The Girlie Show World Tour in 1993. Rebel Heart Tour will be led by Live Nation Entertainment's Global Touring Division. It is Madonna's fifth collaboration with Live Nation, with more than $1 billion ($1.03 billion in 2015 dollars) in Boxscore grosses, and 7.8 million tickets sold for 289 shows from her previous ventures with the company.

Rebel Heart Tour will be Madonna's third and final tour under the 10 year multi-rights deal with Live Nation, struck in 2007 at a valued $120 million. General sales for the tour would start from March 9, 2015, and the North American tickets purchased online would be bundled with an exclusive digital download of the Super Deluxe version of Rebel Heart. Special access was granted to members of Madonna's official fan club known as Icon, including first access to tickets and VIP passes. Citi was listed as the official bank for the tour, with cardholders having the ability to buy tickets early. Ticket prices were kept the same as Madonna's last few tours, with the top price in $300–$350 range, and the cheapest being at $35. After the tickets were available, they started selling out fast. Tickets for the initially announced shows in Edmonton, Paris and Turin sold out within minutes after going on sale, resulting in the addition of additional shows in all cities. Additional shows have also been added in a number of cities in both North America and Europe.

On June 22, 2015 Live Nation announces first performances in Australia in over two decades & first ever appearance in New Zealand! Madonna will make a historic return to Australia performing live for the first time in 23 years as well as her first ever shows in New Zealand, with her Rebel Heart Tour. * On May 21, 2015, Madonna rescheduled the first five dates of the tour and moved them to January 20, 23, 24, 27 and 28 in 2016. The singer confirmed that the delay was due to all the assembling and arrangements for the tour not being done within the timeframe given. She released a statement saying, "As my fans already know, the show has to be perfect. Assembling all the elements will require more time than we realized. I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause my fans. I can promise you this show will be worth the wait."

Question: Whose thirteenth studio album released in March this year is Rebel Heart?
Answer: MADONNA