I know there is alot of hype sorrounding Madonna's new album, her last album had alot of hype 2 but didn;t go anywhere, Is this really going to be a MADONNA comeback? Madonna's success has always been based on innovation with this new album she is looking back to past success will this work or backfire?

or is MADONNA at a different stage of her career, is she now just happy do be where Tina,Barbara and Rolling Stone are and be a touring artists who gives fans a new cd of what they want every few years to keep them happy and no longer cares about comercial success?

I'm not big fan so maybe some can shed some non bias light on this?
[Edited 8/11/05 20:34pm]

what would you consider a commercial success?

lilgish said:

whatever is the standard album sales of the time? at the moment it would 2- 3 platinum in the us and at least 5 -6 in total worldwide to be considered a success

twink69 said:

Yeah. That'll happen.

Madonna isn't really looking back to past success with this album. She has always been a dance music artist in one way or another. I'm always interested to hear how she mixes up her sound, though. I need to hear the first single to make any sort of estimate on how the album is going to do, though. American Life completely killed its parent album. If she has made a decision on par with that one, the album will tank.

twink69 said:

Innovative with her sexual politics and visual presentation maybe.

I wouldn't say she did anything particularly innovative musically until 1990 with Vogue and Justify My Love.

TRON said:

Those tracks were innovative?

Do you also think Madonna invented Vogueing?

VoicesCarry said:

I guess we can't tell until we hear the first single, it just seems as though it's been looked at by the industry and the public as more like a new "Anita Baker ,Donna Summer or Barbara" release than say a new "Outkast" album. in the past they would have looked and antisipated a new Madonna album the same way people do about a new Outkast album. don't know if that makes any sense?

twink69 said:

No, I don't think Madonna has entered the realm of Babs, Donna or Anita. She can still command a young audience and have a hot radio hit *if* the single is good. I can't see the other three getting played no matter what they released.

VoicesCarry said:

Vogue was innovative in the way that Madonna is always "innovative." She took a sound that had fringe success and added some pop appeal to it to make it more radio friendly. House music found some success on the music charts, but I think Vogue really opened the door for house music's success in the early 90s. I still can remember when Vogue came out and thinking that I hadn't really heard anything like it get that much radio play. Same goes for Justify My Love. There was nothing like it being played on radio. It was some freaky, funky, scary shit.
[Edited 8/11/05 20:53pm]

VoicesCarry said:

Somewhat. Moreso than what she was doing before. She had a hit with a house track (Vogue) and sorta meshed a standard pop song with that style. There certainly wasn't much like it at the time in the charts. I'm not saying she invented house music or vogueing, but she certainly combined some elements that the mainstream wasn't used to. Justify My Love was pretty unusual too - the spoken word delivery, the nearly trip-hop music. I guess my point is that a lot of folks are always going on about how Madonna brings new styles to the mainstream and her career's been based on being edgy and different. I can see the edginess when it comes to her videos and messages and style in the early days. But I don't think she came up with anything particularly edgy or different until the 90's. I'd say her singles from 90, the Erotica album, and the last 3 are where she mined the underground for trends (musically). In the 80's, she was just pretty much straightforward dance and pop.

RipHer2Shreds said:

Ok, I was thinking "musically innovative" in the sense that you actually create something new, of your own. As opposed to lifting trends and making them acceptable for the mainstream. Let's call a spade a spade.
[Edited 8/11/05 20:55pm]

VoicesCarry said:

she invented the remix.

lilgish said:

Yeah, her and Diddy. Their legacy unto the world.

No.

It will probably flop harder than "American Life"

If it she was serious about making a hit. Madonna could do it. She still can spot talent in others and play the game.

AL sold 3-4 million worldwide had it caught on in the US it would have been 6 million world wide.

she just needs a good carefree dance track. Something along the lines of Music or Believe.

No one expected Music, the single. everyone thought her time had passed.

I honestly think that "American Life" was a rare mistep for a number of reasons. It also had very bad timing, being released at the begining of the war. Had it been released a year later, I don't think the critcism would have been as harsh. I'm sure Wal-Maert for example would have been a lot more thrilled to have Madonna release "Music" at the time rather than "American Life". That being said, the promotion for Madonna albums seems to get worse and worse as each one comes out. Then again, Madonna could have stuck to her guns with the AL video.

I really don't see it doing worse than "American Life". If it's really good and I mean an album that fans and even non fans will all dig, I wouldn't be shocked if it sold better than even ROL and competed with Madonna's eighties sales. Could be the return of pop to the mainstream. I would argue that "Ray Of Light" certaintly had an impact on popular music (althouh it was also influecned by the techno of the time as well). "American Life" on the other hand is probably her most forgetable disc in the public conscious.

twink69 said:

I think AL had worldwide sales of 5 million (I could be wrong). The only reason I think it flopped so hard here is because of the media and Iraq. Sorry, but it certainly didn't help.

twink69 said:

First off, for the comparison to be apt, Donna Summer would need to release a new CD (she hasn't released a full studio disc since 1991). Also, Anita last one was anticpated highly because she hadn't released anything in a while and it looked she had up and retired. Certaintly not the same thing.

I think Madonna is still in "Outkast" territory. She isn't an elder statewoman yet. Now if this CD doesn't do well, she might be in old diva land, yes.

VoicesCarry said:

:gasp:...but Donna's new single is so good....

I think many people were suspicious of Cher having another radio hit, but if you really "Believe". If anything, Madonna needs to get a radio hit to pave way for those elder divas (but especially Donna). Donna's current music is surpsingly "young" but it's dance pop. If radio played dance pop, I don't know that Donna's age would matter.

twink69 said:

If Madonna could ever start acting her age and be a mature adult like Cher (but better due to having an icon status), then (and ONLY THEN) will this new album be a commercial sucess.

yes. this record will be a big commercial success. it will be marketed as a dance pop record and she'll pull all the favors she needs from any of the people necessary.

this ain't her first time at the rodeo, y'all!

VoicesCarry said:

no. but she's the reason you've heard of it.

VoicesCarry said:

Yes, let's. Because they aren't trends until she gets her hands on them. Prior to that, they are underground and sideshow fads.

There is a difference.

the title defying gravity on the dance floor alone makes me

ehuffnsd said:

How did they explain Frozen, Ray of Light and Power of Goodbye all becoming Top 10 hits then?

Every Madonna album is a commercial success. Some people think 'Erotica' was a failure though it went to multi-platium status... She has an army of fans worldwide that's why I think it will be a hit album too...

VoicesCarry said:

Nobody really "creates" anything new in pop music.It's all been done before.Every artist is inspired by what came before them.The trick is to take a style,add your own "flavor" to it,and take it another level.That's exactly what Madonna did with "Vogue".She didn't invent house music or vogueing (nor did she ever claim that she did),but she came up with a dazzling,spectacular song that celebrates that culture.I don't know why so many people expect her to re-invent the wheel everytime she puts out a new CD.
[Edited 8/12/05 4:01am]

The 'no ballads, no messages' claim that Liz has been making seems as if they're going straight for charts with this one.

twink69 said:

Personally,I don't really care.If the album is spectacular,I don't really care how it does commercially.I love 'American Life' despite the fact that it wasn't a blockbuster.I think Madonna is at a point in her career where she is doing what she wants to do,musically.As a longtime fan,that's more important to me anyway.

Also,I think her days of selling HUGE numbers may be over.Don't get me wrong.She still has a large worldwide fanbase (even 'American Life' sold over 5 million copies worldwide,and reached Number One in over a dozen countries),but I don't think a new Madonna album will sell like 'True Blue' or 'Like A Prayer'.I could be wrong though.If the new singles are catchy and radio-friendly (and early reports indicate that they are),anything is possible.It was only a few years ago when Cher came out of nowhere and sold 10 million copies of her 'Believe' album.

DavidEye said:

Well, that's all well and good. But honestly, it's more important to me that she's doing, musically, what I want to hear. It would be absolutely wonderful if those 2 aims meshed, but at the end of the day, I only care about my needs

I mean, really.... it's great that Prince got out of his contract and could/did release any and everything that he wanted. But really, I'd have preferred him to be miserable and put out something good