Saturday, July 30, 2011

The 30 All-TIME Best Music Videos


Madonna, 'Express Yourself' (1989)


Madonna has always been a keen student of pop-culture history, and her creative powers were probably at their peak in the late 1980s on the album Like a Prayer. But while the title track generated the most controversy, the multimillion-dollar video for “Express Yourself” generated the most praise. 


Shamelessly ripping off the 1920s Fritz Lang classic Metropolis (the epigraph of the clip — “Without the heart, there can be no understanding between the hand and the mind” — paraphrases a recurring mantra of the movie), a young director by the name of David Fincher expressed himself by harnessing all of Madge’s signature leitmotifs (the blond hair! her outfits! naked men! a running metaphor to do with a cat!). The video is as powerful to watch as the star herself.

Madonna: Express Yourself 12" Record - VINYL

Madonna fanatically measures her cellulite & rages at people who mock her

What does Madonna love more than anything else? She loves herself, for sure, but I think “money” and “gristly-body obsession-fanaticism” is right up there with self-love. So it was love at first sight when Madge met Tracy Anderson, the fraud “trainer” who made Madonna into the piece of gristle she is today. A few years ago, Madonna and Tracy split up, and I always assumed the whole thing was over money. Tracy wanted to open gyms and trade on her association with Madonna, and Madge balked. Now Tracy is in business with Gwyneth Paltrow, who coincidentally is no longer BFFs with Madge. Anyway, this Star Mag story is kind of a blast from the past, but I want to buy it just because this completely comports with the image I have of Madonna: a 50-something woman terrified of aging, who will pay any amount of money to look younger, who will fly into a rage at the mere mention of cellulite.

Friday, July 29, 2011

Guess Who Loves Beth Ditto As Much As We Do?!



You've all seen Beth Ditto shake her amazing stuff to Madge's Vogue. Don't deny it - you loved every second of it!
Well, turns out that her Madgesty herself has seen the video and she too loves what Beth has done! Guy Oseary, Madonna's manager, posted on his Twitter that Madge thought Beth was "great" after watching the video!
What a compliment!!! Well deserved!!! The girl just exudes confidence and power! WE LOVE IT!!!
In case you haven't seen what we're talking about, check out the video above to see for yourself!!!

I'll Remember...1994

Bettina Rheims



Can You Spot the Difference?

1989                                                        2008

I'll Remember...2005

Madonna & SMAP!

December 12, 2005
As you all know, Madonna spent last week in Japan connecting with her Japanese fans for the first time in 12 years. Madonna performed the song HUNG UP at the SMAP v SMAP show, which will air on December 19th. After wards, Madonna did an interview which was interupted by a man on a horse who wanted to audition for her next video! He did a little dance sample to like a virgin, Vogue, and Hung Up. He knew all the steps to Hung Up. Enjoy this exclusive picture from backstage!

MADONNA.COM

For Inspiration...?

Thursday, July 28, 2011

A Few Words of Advice Ms Madonna

By the time Madonna finishes her next album, it will be almost four years since the opinion-dividing Hard Candy was released.  While it was by no means a flop – it was number one in 37 different countries – fans haven’t hailed it a classic like Confessions On A Dancefloor, Ray Of Light or Like A Prayer.

Even a two-part, two-year Sticky and Sweet tour that relied heavily on new Hard Candy material failed to re-ignite much interest in the album. It was, in short, all sugar and no substance.

In the time she’s been away, one name shines above all others in the world of female pop – Lady Gaga. While Britney, Christina, Kylie and a host of other Madonnabe’s failed to live up to the hype, Gaga has come the closest to stealing the Queen of Pop’s crown.

According to Guy Oseary, Madonna’s manager, she returns to the recording studio next month with some as yet unnamed producers to start work on her 12th proper album.

Different Scene offers some words of advice in an open letter to Ms Ciccone on how to stay on top 28 years into her career.

1. Don’t forget the lyrics.
Sex, relationships, divorce, motherhood and fame – there’s not much your lyrics haven’t touched on. You had a lot, possibly too much, to say on American Life. You found a balance on Confessions On A Dancefloor. But Hard Candy’s lyrics were just banal. No, we didn’t want to see your 52-year-old booty get down; yes, we’re sure your sugar was raw and big deal, you had four minutes to save the world. In fact the lyrics were so Cascada-lite, you didn’t even bother reproducing them in your sleeve notes. You were at your lyrical best when you collaborated with Patrick Leonard on Ray Of Light and Like A Prayer and so much has happened since Hard Candy. You’ve directed a film, adopted two children, divorced Guy Ritchie, dated men young enough to be Rocco’s playmates (well, almost). Surely there’s some mileage in that? And please, no more with the ‘tick tocks’ or ‘waiting/ anticipating’ couplets. And while we’re thinking about it, leave your mother alone. She died, we get it, and we’re very sorry for you, but to be honest, we’re bored of hearing about it.


2. Steer clear of established producers.
Mirwais brought you an edge, Stuart Price helped you rediscover your dancefloor roots and William Orbit got you taken seriously and won you four Grammys. What did Timberlake, Timbaland and Pharrell do? They turned you into a bandwagon jumper. They were already past their creative peak when you hooked up with them; you had the off-cuts of songs others had already recorded as demos. 4 Minutes was a global hit, but can anyone other than a die-hard Madonna fan remember its follow up? (Give It 2 Me, by the way.) Oakenfold said Celebration was ‘the sound of tomorrow’ and he was right – if the tomorrow was 1995. And Frank E autotuned you and Lil Wayne on Revolver so much you sounded like Alvin and the Chipmunks. You’re at your most creative when you choose relative unknowns and those without egos to steer you in the right direction.

3. Don’t try and compete with Gaga.
Why? Because you can’t and if you do, you’ll fail. You just about got away with turning 50 and sporting a leotard and fishnets, so let’s not push it, shall we? Let Gaga wear dresses made of dead Bulgarian orphans and glue angular rhombuses to her shoulders with the tears of unicorns. You’re tool old for that, Madge. You’ll look like an old loon who’s covered herself in Velcro then run around a Help The Aged shop throwing herself at clothing rails. Gaga is flogging her wares like she knows the exact date when she’s going out of business. She’s yet to learn that less is more when it comes to self-promotion, and already the backlash has begun. But like any attention seeking hyperactive child, Gaga will burn herself out then need a nap or a stint in rehab. Then your time will come to remind us what feats you’re capable of.

4. Be age appropriate with your image.
You’re 52. We know it, you know it. While you might still be able to hold a twenty pence piece between those tightly clenched buttocks and could burst a balloon with your razor-sharp cheekbones, no-one wants to see their Nan in her knickers mooching about on an X Factor. Image has always been a carefully considered factor with your albums – you were a boy toy for Like A Virgin; sex-monkey for Erotica; earth mother for Ray Of Light and Jessie from Toy Story for Music. Think carefully before you drop your drawers for this new album.

5. Hit the road with your album for more than a week.
You seemed to lose interest in Hard Candy before the fans did and that’s never a good sign. A whirlwind of promotion, including Radio One’s Big Weekend, announced Hard Candy’s impending arrival, and then what? Nothing until the Sticky and Sweet tour, and let’s be honest, it was more Girlie Show than Blonde Ambition. Everyone knows that most tours these days don’t promote album sales, and gigs and merchandise make more money than albums ever do. But where’s the ‘artistic integrity’ you once harped on about in that?

6. Make us want you.
Madge, it’s time to bring your promotional strategy into the new millennium. It’s not 1985 – releasing just one song before your album is no longer enough to create demand. Sure, you have a built-in fan base, but it’s the casual buyers you also want to appeal to. Find innovative ways to do it via the Internet, join Twitter, give us teasers, offer it on multiple formats, and then make us buy it again six months later with bonus tracks. Just don’t cheapen the brand like Gaga and her $0.99 cents Amazon giveaways.

7. Promote yourself properly.
You don’t need to do a Beyonce, Rihanna or an Usher and throw song after song at iTunes in the hope one resonates with fans. Hire a young, innovative marketing team that will come up with some amazing ideas. And stop doing interviews just with arty publications like Pop or worthy magazines like Saturday’s Guardian. Their readers don’t buy your records – DS readers do! And when it comes to TV appearances, you can’t go wrong with X Factor. Til now you’ve shied away from appearing on it and shows like American Idol, but you need to appeal to a demographic that wasn’t born when you rolled around onstage at the MTV music awards in a wedding address begging to be touched for the very first time. If in doubt, ask Lourdes!

8. Make more videos – and make them memorable.
It’s understandable, I guess, when you’ve made more than 50 promos – some of which are the greatest of all time – you must have run out of ideas. So find a director to steer you in the right direction. Your output since the brilliant American Life video (which only saw the light of day online as you pulled it due to its controversial war themes) has been patchy. Yes, Hung Up and 4 Minutes were memorable. But what about Give It 2 Me, Get Together, Sorry and Love Profusion? Was that really the same woman who once bared her boobs in Vogue and had doves flying out of her chuff in Bedtime Story? And don’t get us started on the abominations that were Jump and Celebration. You made just two videos for Hard Candy despite having one in the can as the backdrop for your live performances of Beat Goes On/ Get Stupid. If Beyonce can make eight videos for her I Am Sasha Fierce project, you can stump up the cash for at least two more per project.

Conclusion
This is a make or break album for you Madonna. This is where we find out if your heart really still lies in music, or whether you’re best days are behind you. No-one’s saying if this album fails to deliver the goods then that’s it – look how many times Cher’s been written off before she comes back more sequined than ever. But is that really what you want, a residency at Caesar’s palace and countless drag acts paying homage to your better days? I think not. So we implore you Madge, come back and show us we’ve been going gaga over the wrong woman.

I'll Remember...1987


Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Madonna And Rihanna Duet!?!


Word on the street is…
Rihanna was in New York City today recording with the queen herself -Madonna!!!
Though it's unconfirmed, this is beyond exciting!
Fingers crossed it's true!!!!

tiff


W.E.



Second-time director Madonna returns with W.E., featuring Abbie Cornish as Wally Winthrop, a woman in 1998 who is infatuated with the 1930s marriage of King Edward VIII (James D'Arcy) and American divorcée Wallis Simpson (Andrea Riseborough). Spanning six decades, W.E. gracefully weaves the past and present into two parallel love stories.

Madonna Making The Film Festival Rounds With New Movie W.E.

We SO can't wait to see this!
Last month, we were VERY excited to report that Madonna's U.S. directorial debut W.E. had been picked up by The Weinstein Company for domestic distribution.

As a reminder, the film's story is about "a modern-day New Yorker obsessed with the royal love story between Britain’s King Edward VIII and American divorcee Wallis Simpson."
Should be inneresting to see what people have to say about her film, as she brings it to the film festivals, including the Venice Film Festival, and the 2011 Toronto Film Festival.

We're thrilled for her! How cool would it be if Madge started getting Oscar buzz for her film?!?!?

What do U think? Could Madonna's movie be an Oscar contender this year?

Paparazzi...1989

Immediate Family Premiere - 1989

Friday, July 22, 2011

NAME THAT TUNE!

What song do the lyrics below belong to?

"We can make you dance, we can make a party last all night"



Rihanna Inspired By Madonna

Mel B might not be a fan of Madonna but Rihanna sure is.
During a recent interview with We Love Pop, RiRi revealed Madonna was the star who had inspired her the most!

She said:  "I think that Madonna was a great inspiration for me, especially on my earlier work.  If I had to examine her evolution through time, I think she reinvented her clothing style and music with success every single time.  And at the same time remained a real force in entertainment in the whole world."
Great choice. We love us some Madonna as well!

Did you Know...

That Madonna has said the narrative for the video "Bad Girl" was suggested by the book and film "Looking for Mr. Goodbar?"

The 1977 film, starring Diane Keaton as Theresa Dunn, traces the sexual awakening of a young teacher searching for excitement outside of her mundane existence. Originally in search of the "perfect man," whom she refers to as "Mr. Goodbar," she begins losing control of her life as her sexual appetite grows. Quiet and reserved teacher by day, sexual adventuress and bar-hopper by night, Dunn begins to dabble in drugs and unstable men. One such sexual partner, Tony, played by Richard Gere, turns jealous and possessive, and begins to threaten her life. Ultimately, she is raped and murdered.






Thursday, July 21, 2011

The MADGESTY COLLETION: 1993

Fever
In 1992, Madonna recorded a cover version of "Fever" for her fifth studio album Erotica. She was in the studio putting down tracks for her the album and had just recorded a song called "Goodbye to Innocence". She was going through the final stages of production on it when she suddenly started singing the lyrics to "Fever" over the top of it. Madonna liked the way it sounded so much that she recorded it. "Goodbye to Innocence" was never released on a Madonna album, although it did appear on Just Say Roe, a charity record, and a dub mix of it titled "Up Down Suite" was a bonus track to the "Rain" maxi-single.

Maverick Records released Fever” as the fourth single from Erotica on March 22, 1993. It was released in the United Kingdom on 12", CD single and as a limited edition 7" picture disc featuring a still from the "Bad Girl" video. In the United States it was never officially released as a single and instead was the B-side to the single "Bad Girl", although the maxi-single of "Bad Girl" predominantly featured "Fever" remixes. In fact "Fever", as played on radio stations and shown on music channels, was not the original but a remixed version instead, a version called Edit 1 and is only commercially available on the German "Rain" CD single and 7" single, although it is known as Edit 2 on the latter format.

"Fever" became her highest debuting single from the Erotica album in the UK, entering at its peak position of #6 and comfortably selling over 85,000 copies, many of which were sold on the back of airplay alone as the video was not ready for release. The single entered just four weeks after the UK number 10 hit "Bad Girl", which was the fourth release from the Erotica album in the UK, with the fifth and final being the number 7 hit "Rain".

The heavy singles release schedule from Erotica in the UK charts was to aid sales of the parent album and keep Madonna songs on the radio airplay schedules.  The video wasn't finished in time for release and with "Bad Girl" stalling at number 10 in the UK charts, Warner decided on an earlier than predicted release of "Fever". Warner quickly produced a montage of videos from her earlier works to promote the single. The original Stéphane Sednoaui-produced video has since been made commercially available on the DVD collection, The Video Collection 93:99. In the U.S. it became her fifteenth song to hit number one on the Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart.


The music video, directed by Stéphane Sednaoui, was shot on April 10–11, 1993 at Greenwich Studios in Miami, Florida and world premiered on May 11, 1993 on MTV. The music video, set to the tune of the "Edit One" remix, alternately features Madonna with a red wig and silver body paint in a variety of costumes dancing in front of funky, kaleidoscopic backgrounds. This can be considered her first foray into the world of special effects before the award winning video to her hit "Bedtime Story" was conceived 2 years later. The King and I and the Balinese influences of Hindu and Buddhism inspire the costumes in the video.

Madonna first performed "Fever" on Saturday Night Live, in January 1993 along with her other hit single "Bad Girl". 


She also performed "Fever" on The Girlie Show World Tour. 


Madonna performed a jazz version of the song on the 1000th show special of The Arsenio Hall Show at the Hollywood Bowl in 1993. 


In September 2008, "Fever" was used in television promos for the fifth season of Desperate Housewives.




Rihanna & Britney Thank Jamie King, While Madonna Confirms Next Tour!

Britney and Rihanna placed full page thank you ads in the recent issue of Variety magazine, along with Madonna confirming her next tour with him!


King's 20 or so major concert tours, for major pop acts including Madonna, Christina Aguilera, Ricky Martin, Avril Lavigne, Rain, Celine Dion, and the Spice Girls, have cumulatively grossed an estimated $2 billion at the box office. No wonder he's known as the master of the traveling pop extravaganza!