The whole album is a masterpiece and yes her voice is altered throughout the entire album as an artistic expression. I'll never understand why it bothered so many.
I've never understood people's problem with this type of treatment either. It's an art form, and it just gives you endless possibilities to be creative. I absolutely love it.
To me that's what ruined the album. And this is coming from someone who loves electronic music and all kinds of effects. I found it unnecessary here and thought she abused it, but I appreciate that she still tries to be creative.
@Samantha Díaz Rebel Heart was an amazing album, MDNA had some great deep cuts and Madame X had a powerful message. Hard Candy is actually the worst of the bunch.
@Samantha Díaz you mean Like a Nap? That album aged bad. With the exception of the title track of course that song is timeless and arguably Madonna's best ever. But more than half of that album is kinda boring lbr
Madame X became one of my top Madonna albums. Many ppl Disliked it but I loved how experimental she was and bringing different sounds. A work of art, the tour was deff an experience.
The Madame X album is just pure art. You love or hate it! The critics loved it, the fans were divided, the radio stations ignored it. But who cares, she has nothing left to prove. Listen to the audio version, without the breaks and guns. Batuka, Dark Ballet and Crave are great video's too. She wasn't even nominated for MTV or Grammy awards, can you believe it? It should have been album of the year, Oh well...F*ck it!
At the beginning of the song she sings like she is gagged. She's said she wanted to sound like this because this is what society and the government try to do when you talk about these things (gun control)...they just want you to shut up.
Madame X album should have been appreciated a lot more than it was. While critics didn't bash it in but mostly gave favorable reviews, the industry certainly didn't reward her for it. It was very much overlooked. It's a great album through and through, and even more so when you think that this is an artist who has been in the game 30 plus years yet manages to come up with such a fresh experimental album. This track was perhaps the first 70s influenced disco track before all the younger artists jumped on that bandwagon with all their happy songs (not throwing shade, I've enjoyed all of their work) but M definitely had her finger on the pulse again.
Derek, even this song, this video or album werent nominee for no one music or video award. As you said, "shame, shame, shame". Ageism and sexism make the music industry and tue mainstream close their eyes to this necessary treasure into madonnas discography/videography.
First off....the song is fantastic. Brilliant use of word play, experimental sound, funky and shifting genres between disco, choir, weird rap and spoken word. The clenched teeth vocals at the beginning symbolize frustration and anger, the choir depicting the sadness but the song builds in intensity mimicking the futile state of affairs. Artistically brilliant. With that said, listen to the song without all the triggering effects of the video, and stops and pauses. I love the song when I can separate the imagery of the video. With that said, the video is uncomfortable but necessary. The reverse order and the violence make it less than enjoyable but in Madonna’s mind art is meant to be uncomfortable. I have been successfully able to listen and love the song on the album without connecting it to the video.
Like most of Madonna's work, it never gets the respect it deserves until a decade or so later. People are so consumed with her age instead of her message, the artistry gets lost. Thank you for recognizing this historic moment, which I am sure will be discussed as brilliant and trailblazing as it is.
This album is referred to as the sequel to “American Life”, she uses the vocoder & auto tune to manipulate her voice in quite a few songs in the album. You definitely need to hear this album!!!! 💯
This album was experimental and brave, both aesthetically and politically. Most critics seemed to be a bit stunned by the album and, of course, didn't want to give it its due. There was nothing like it out there at the time from American artists, but imv the only other artist who could match that level of aesthetic experimentation is the Spanish artist Rosalia. I think it's an important album in Madonna's discography, just like 'American Life.'
@@gjnoto1 Some did, yes, even some very complimentary. I got the sense, tho, that some did so begrudgingly. But there were mixed reviews, at least from those that I read.
After a career of 4 decades always at the top, you expect that Madonna will try to maintain the "commercial" level of her works in addition to the artistic level, but then you come across Madame X, an unsettling album. An artistic maturity and a courage that only very few artists dare to have and Madonna has shown once again that she has it to sell, before and better than any other artist who has ever done. An extraordinary job for a courageously extraordinary and extraordinarily courageous Artist ... even more, Legendary!
I really love to see a generation younger than me enjoying the Madonna's works and realizing her message, her layers. Have no doubt that this album it's a musical journey. It's very human e full of amazing lyrics and sounds.
I feel in the beginning she sounds like a mob boss kinda and I love that effect.. This video was so powerful... I love how it went backwards in telling the story
To me, this is the more grown up version of when she put out Deeper and Deeper and Music combined along with what happened with the Pulse night club shooting
The best part is towards the end, when she is getting ready to go out and does not pay attention to the news on TV reporting about deadly shootings. This is reflection of the wide part of people/society not taking the matter seriously (neglecting reality and live the "it will never happen to me" mode) but then may have to deal with it, as the character she portrays will eventually die during the shooting in the club. We are so used to not pay attention to things, or just commit to 5 minutes of expected outrage but forgetting about it the day after, unless we are directly confronted with it and then it will be usually too late. This video is a masterpiece (along all the album), and Madame X did not received the recognition it deserved. Madonna is an amazing artist, she has been tackling and exposing important/controversial matters throughout all her career.
I cry everytime I see a reaction of this video. The message is SO POWERFUL. God I love Madonna! Nobody's talking about this. In the video she says it very clearly: "everybody knows the damn truth". Of course, 'cause of ageism and the motherf******* music industry, this song and video were heavily overlooked by critics and awards show that year. The Madame X didn't got the recognition it deserved.
In terms of music videos, Madame X is very prolific: God Control, Dark Ballet, Batuka, Crave and Medellin. Eminem took notes from God Control theme and video to make Darkness.
madame x era is very powerful and emotional video like this and dark ballet ,batuka and the world of madame x mini documovie about the album song after song madonna explains how the music and the new lyrics were born is great
Disco revived in 2020 but Madonna was doing God Control in 2019. In the music video at 4:09 Monet X Change left the tour she was on, nearly got sued for breaking contract only to be in only 2 seconds. When Madonna calls, you don't say no
This is a video that should be awarded due to a artist using their platform to discuss the issues in this Country!!! We are quick to award and acknowledge videos that shouldn't be given that platform... Then dismiss videos that matter it's sad... Great review 👏 Looking forward to seeing you review more videos of this caliber...
Yes ageism played a huge role but honestly the album is so experimental and left of center that it was never going to be palpable with the general public to begin with . Which I do love. She has nothing left to prove so she can take risks more than ever.
thank you very much for your attention to Brazilian fans, we have several groups, people here in Natal -RN we accompany you and we thank you for the subtitles, the subtitles attract more Brazilian publics we love MaDonna MajEstade.
Watch again ,Take notice she presses the Keys “D” “C” which stands for Washington DC ,also the Album playing & Pictures on wall are all Significant...The Marquee of Club has “Wake Up” On it ,so much is easily missed in this awesome Video
The video was snubbed by the Grammys, VMAs, EMAs, everybody, except a German magazine. It didn't even receive a nomination, despite being one of the most powerful videos in recent history.
Fantastic reaction- love your reactions. This isn’t my favourite Madonna album but this song is a stand out. Could you do Madonna Hallelujah from the MetGala 🙂many thanks from the U.K. x
Great reaction, yes please keep reacting to this awesome album . The juxtaposition of this song with a dance beat and such a heavy subject will get our attention in a very different way. Love your reviews 💜👑💜
So happy you got to react to this very special music video! Everybody should share it on their socials, it’s important. ... everybody knows the damn truth ...
You ask us what Madonna put in her mouth when she sing... so she sound different? but did you notice at 6.53 minute your voice sound different like anger built in you... it;s the same way why Madonna sound like that.. she keep the anger inside her to deliver the song, to express her feeling
So happy to see the Madame X love. Upon release I didn’t see a lot of hate for it but people have said otherwise. It’s an absolute return to form and as time progresses will only be seen for the masterpiece it is. Rebel Heart is having people turn back to it and loving it for what it is. Madame X will go beyond that and be seen as a true highlight in a catalogue so full of highlights.
This album was ahead of her time and still so classic, I won't say it's a masterpiece but damn it's unique and different from what the industry offers. Batuka and Dark Ballet videos are dope too. But my favorite song is I Rise
This was 2019, she delivered an album so unique, some loved it, some didn't, critics did, plus the critics raved about the tour (one of her best tours, got to see it in London)
This song and I Rise are must watch videos! I wish people would stop telling women in music to shut up and sing. WAKE UP! Ps. The Madame X tour was amazing! Thank you Derek!
She’s singing through clenched teeth at the beginning. To show the frustration and anger. She later whispers and when people whisper you tend to listen closer. She keeps trying to type up stories but can’t find the “right” ways to express her thoughts. The shooting is a reference to the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando. It’s disturbing but this is just a video and pales in comparison to experiencing a mass shooting or any traumatic event.
madonna has never shy'd away from controversial subjects. will this video help? being that its 2 yrs old now it doesnt appear so.. mass shootings happen all the time.with no results to stop them. thank you dereck for reacting to this. with your following on youtube people will see this for the first time. and in some small way will enlight people to make a change.
Madame X was true art - and radios shamefully ignored it. However, "Crave" got tons of play on AC radio (and then M strangely didn't promote the song on TV). Crave is one of her best songs/ballads in ages. "Medellin" - the first video/single with Maluma is definitely worth checking out too.
A lot of the songs on the album are experimental, and most of them have a message like in this one. You should do a reaction to Madame X it's a very interesting album.
Amazing video. It's very confronting but important. The juxtaposition shows that at any moment it can all be taken away from us with the act of gun violence from one individual. The song is just amazing with the various elements that all come together epically at the end. Check out another dark, haunting video Dark Ballet from the same album, or the beautiful Crave with Swae Lee.
PLEASE make an entire reaction of Madame X album, experimental AF, Madonna came back to her spirituality, listen to “Ciao Bella” “Killers Who are Partying” “Batuka” “Looking for Mercy”
Vocoder used slot on this album but not because she can’t sing as a lot of people suggested in 2019 but because it’s an artistic choice through the album that unifies each of the world music genres. Madame X is a masterpiece. But not as easy to digest upon first listen, for some. It has a lot of layers
It's a very mixed up messages, it makes me cry too. This is from the least money making album Madonna album, as far as I know, and she had to quit the small venues tour because of Covid.
Some people were mad that she made this video so explicit but they don't understand that art reflects society and this is what happens in reality, people should be mad at that reality and not the artists who are reflecting that reality. And tbh there are so many movies out there which have way more explicit and violent stuff. People need to understand artistic freedom and it's important in sending political messages.
You have to react to the Album Version. The music video distracts from the song. I heard first the album and was amazed by it. My favorite song along with I Don't Search I Find. React the album version please. Greetings from Rio de Janeiro,Brazil
I think that losing God control means that because of guns people decide when others die and not God. When M says "the only gun is in my brain" is probably a reference to the criticism she received during the MDNA tour where she was using guns, however she explained the reason of that as being "metaphorical", there's a lenghty explanation online if anyone wants to know better.
You've got to listen to the album version of the song. The video doesn't do justice to the song itself. Too much interruptions (even if the purpose is great).
