Making songs like these shows how she's still creating works that challenge and intrigue us, rather than just phoning it in churning out basic pop hits. Such a filmic and intense video. If you thought this is intense, wait till you see the video for God Control 😁 Glad you enjoyed this!
Madame X is one of my favorite albums with great artistic videos. Madonna is an artist more than anything else. My favorite quote of her during one of her Madame X shows was " I'm not here to be popular, I'm here to be free".
The artistic scope and inspiration and influence for the Madame X videos and visuals are probably the best, most challenging and complex artistic statements of her entire career. She's so meticulous and exact and deliberate and artistically adventurous and bold in this Madame X era. All the videos are stunning and unique and artistically courageous. Challenging our modern understanding and treatment of some very relevant and controversial issues we still haven't come to terms with. Such a clever and brave woman. And yeah all the videos for this album are beautiful short films that are so cinematic and epic in visuals and concept and scale. She has nothing to prove to anyone but herself and I think that is what she did for these videos. She only had to make herself happy with the end results. And she went all out. Medellin is a visually stunning, gypsy influenced orgy of colour and atmosphere that looks magical and mysterious and wild. God Control is spectacular and thought provoking and intense and brave and in your face it takes your breath away. Crave is beautiful and sorta haunting and dreamlike and cryptical like a visual poem. And my favourite of these Madame X video's is the secluded, emotional and inspirational melancholy masterpiece Batuka shot on the beautiful, wide open Cape Verde islands. It is a cinematic storytelling masterpiece that will hypnotize and entrance you. Can't wait for you to see them. It's astonishingly and inspirational to me to see a 62 year old woman(after 40 fucking years in the music industry) be this creative and daring and experimental and curious and fearless and unique. Bow down bitches. J
100%…you nailed it! A song and music video that’s not meant to entertain but as a powerful artistic statement of her career-long advocacy and activism for female empowerment, racial and gender equality, and portray the historical and current struggle of discriminated people against an authoritarian, patriarchal establishment.
Allow me to correct that Batuka was not filmed in Cape Verde but on São Julião beach, near Ericeira in Portugal. Portugal where Madonna lived at the time of Madame X. The women (batucadeiras), these yes, are or have roots in Cape Verde. There are 2 more videos that were filmed in Portugal: Dark Ballet and Medellin. Dark Ballet in Cabo Espichel and Batalha Monastery. Medellin close to Lisbon and in the Comporta beach area. Madame X has many influences on Lusophone culture, such as Portuguese Fado, Brazilian Funk from Rio de Janeiro, Morna and Cape Verdean Batuque, among others. as Madonna revealed: “Hello, Portugal. I'm Madonna and my new album, Madame X, was inspired by and is a love letter to you, Portugal, and its beautiful culture. Thanks!"
Okay. I am an idiot. Jeez you see, that's what assumptions does. I assumed. You just totally schooled me. Thanks for taking the time to explain and clarify things so beautifully. That is so cool. I love that you are so well informed with the Madame X era. I sorta low key fell in love with Lisbon from Madonna's social media posts about the city and its magical atmosphere and musical diversity and people. I love that Batuka video and it's very profound and heartfelt and celebratory way of telling that story. It gives me the chills everytime. It's really powerful and inspirational. Consider myself edumicated. J
Awesome post and replies, thank you. I got excited about the Cape Verde comment as I've been there! Was hoping to recognise some stuff, but nevermind. Thank you all for contributing some great comments.
She always speaks her mind! She always goes defending the minorities. She has used her huge platform over and over again to say what others are afraid of. She probably has the biggest balls in the industry. She has risked her career so many times, they have cancelled her so many times and she's still going! I dare you to name another public figure that has done what she has, there isn't. Amazing artist! She's changed our world, our culture, probably when she's gone we are going to give to her the credit she deserves.
I love this song and video! The Madame X era was really interesting, and one of her best albums in awhile. Kinda like American Life that you have to be in the mood to listen to it, but props to Madonna for continuing to push her art forward.
Madame X has many influences on Lusophone culture, such as Portuguese Fado, Brazilian Funk from Rio de Janeiro, Morna and Cape Verdean Batuque, among others. as Madonna revealed: “Hello, Portugal. I'm Madonna and my new album, Madame X, was inspired by and is a love letter to you, Portugal, and its beautiful culture. Thanks!"Batuka was not filmed in Cape Verde but on São Julião beach, near Ericeira in Portugal. Portugal where Madonna lived at the time of Madame X. The women (batucadeiras), these yes, are or have roots in Cape Verde. There are 2 more videos that were filmed in Portugal: Dark Ballet and Medellin. Dark Ballet in Cabo Espichel and Batalha Monastery. Medellin close to Lisbon and in the Comporta beach area.
ABOUT THE "Like a Prayer" VIDEO: The black figure in that video IS NOT a "black Jesus". It is a black CATHOLIC SAINT known as Saint Martin of Porres (from Peru). Madonna herself explained this in an interview decades ago. The actor that played that character also said so. The controversy back then was mainly because the whole thing was considered SACRILEGIOUS and offensive to Catholics. No artist before Madonna had ever used catholic imagery with sexual overtones. This was almost unfathomable back then.
Dark Ballet is not my favourite off the album that would be God Control, which I think is an underrated masterpiece... experimental and slightly bonkers, but both lyrically and musically, it's outstanding.
There is so much to unpack from "Like a Prayer", there is so much more to unpack with the above video. Madonna has loved to rail against the Catholic Church for decades. I'm not Catholic and don't pretend to understand their Faith. However, some of her videos, songs, and concerts do go too far for me. That's ok. There is plenty to love! There is a song called "Joan of Arc" on Madonna's album, Rebel Heart.
