eleven said:

Yes - I always need a hug.

I just thought it was funny that she just totally disregarded the plain fact that her international audience is who's responsible for 75% of her income from record sales, that they are the ones who can help her claim she sells 8 -10 million of each album, that she tried to position it as it's just a matter of which producers she uses and not that she still has more loyal fans and is a bigger star in other countries. It's just a plain, simple fact and it's so like her to just brush that off and say it's because she worked with an English producer - on the one hand, I think she's quick and smart to answer like that, on the other, it's like come on, just admit (like Tina Turner has for 15 years now) that you're bigger in Europe.

Madonna's voice is just not suited to modern R&B tracks. That problem was also apparent on Bedtime Stories, but it's even more noticeable here.

She's got the whole world in her hands!!!

midnightmover said:

Actually Madonna is pretty much aware of that. This is how she described the concept behind the Bedtime Stories album:

"I wanted a lot more of an R&B feel to this record," she explains. "The idea going in was to juxtapose my singing style with a hard core hip-hop sensibility and have the finished product still sound like a Madonna record. I began the process by meeting with the hip-hop producers whose work I most admired."

She intentionally wants to create something new with mixing R&B tracks with her non-R&B voice.

btw, I really don't like this "4 Minutes" song. I've really tried to. I listened to it on repeat for a half an hour 3 days in a row, and I just can't get into it.


The lyrics are horrible (as are those on the other 2 songs I've heard). I can't even tell what this song is supposed to be about, aside from showing off her new friends and them saying Madonna-Madonna over and over. It's like a big starfucking cirle jerk, but don't ask me what the lyrics are actually ABOUT. They're so cliched and non-sequitir that they have absolutely no meaning. And why is she always saying "Yeah" in her songs lately? It's the new "say goodbye" or "walking out the door" or "mmmmm-mmmmm"

And please, Madonna producers, PLEASE go back to processing her vocals. It was nice the first time ("I Deserve It"), but the novelty has worn off. Everything sounds pinched and nasally lately.

Strangely enough, I'm still looking forward to the album, though I hate all 3 songs I've heard from it so far. And they all suffer from exactly the same problems: lyrics, vocals, producer intrusion, etc.

And that snipped of "Miles Away" with people talking over it doesn't sound any more promising to me than the rest of it.

Chicago radio interview:

http://www.zshare.net/aud...224692ed6/

midnightmover said:

Actually Madonna is pretty much aware of that. This is how she described the concept behind the Bedtime Stories album:

"I wanted a lot more of an R&B feel to this record," she explains. "The idea going in was to juxtapose my singing style with a hard core hip-hop sensibility and have the finished product still sound like a Madonna record. I began the process by meeting with the hip-hop producers whose work I most admired."

She intentionally wants to create something new with mixing R&B tracks with her non-R&B voice.

badujunkie said:

damn...i don't even read your posts anymore...but I get bored 2 see them on the board

i like the magazine photos that have come out in this era,

i am however still at a loss as to how it was decided to have that "hard candy" cover

i hate the 2 images together, and know that they could have done better

Elle photoshoot leaked:



More Vanity Fair pics:

RockAbilly said:

I like the album cover for what it is,but truthfully,I like some of the fan-created artwork even better.Robster's fake 'Licorice' artwork is far superior than what Madonna came up with.

Raze said:

I agree totally. It's not just that she's using cliches. It's that the cliches have absolutely no relevance. What does "always the bridesmaid, never the bride" have to do with the theme of the song? Or "the road to hell is paved with good intentions"? They're just put in there for no reason. The whole thing is so sloppy that it's an insult to the craft of songwriting and to the audience who she wants to sell this to.

But her hubris is understandable. The fact is she's been doing this for years and never gets criticized for it, and the fans don't seem to notice or care. So what incentive does she have to raise her game?

midnightmover said:

Send us some links to your songs,so then I can take your comments seriously...

SoulAlive said:

whoa robster is still around?

soulalive - were you ever on madonnamad?

heartbeatocean said:

Another over-emotional fan. There's no need to get so defensive. Madonna's lyrics are all over the place. That's not an opinion. It's a fact. If you can tell me what the hell those cliches I mentioned have got to do with the song then go ahead. If not, then you're just showing yourself to be a zealot.

badujunkie said:

Yeah,I was on Madonnamad I loved that site!

Robster is still around.He's on one of the Madonna forums,I forgot which one.He's the one who comes up with those creative fake album covers.His 'Licorice' artwork even fooled the mainstream media!

[Edited 3/29/08 14:21pm]

speaking of Robster,here's another excellent album cover he came up with...


Early on,there was a rumor that the album would be titled 'Madame'.I think this cover would have worked well with that title.

SoulAlive said:

who were you? i was sh*thead. ha.
wonder whatever happened to Pud Whacker...

SoulAlive said:

that is FUCKING genuis. I remember seeing that awhile back - the music that would go with that album cover would be dope as hell.

If madonna continues the R&B streak I would love 2 see her work with dallas austin again, maybe james poyser, ?uestlove, 9th Wonder, even Jam & Lewis...

midnightmover said:

No,Midnightmover,it's an OPINION,not a fact.You spend all your time,on this thread and others,spewing worthless opinions.Nothing you say is a fact,so stop pretending that your words carry any weight.

Like heartbeatocean said....send us some links to YOUR SONGS and let's see if you can come up with something better.Become the superstar that Madonna is.Let's see YOU have the same success that she has had.You bitch about everything she does,but I don't see you doing any better.After 25 years,Madonna still has a career,so she must be doing something right.

.
[Edited 3/29/08 15:09pm]

Raze said:

I agree totally. It's not just that she's using cliches. It's that the cliches have absolutely no relevance. What does "the road to hell is paved with good intentions" have to do with the theme of the song? It's just put in there for no reason. The whole thing is so sloppy that it's an insult to the craft of songwriting and to the audience who she wants to sell this to.

midnightmover said:

Yes! And to take the point even further, what IS the "theme" of the song? Is it about sex? dancing? love? saving the world? what?

Raze said:

It's about peddling out Timbaland/lake as her new high profile friends.

Raze said:

I agree totally. It's not just that she's using cliches. It's that the cliches have absolutely no relevance. What does "the road to hell is paved with good intentions" have to do with the theme of the song? It's just put in there for no reason. The whole thing is so sloppy that it's an insult to the craft of songwriting and to the audience who she wants to sell this to.

But her hubris is understandable. The fact is she's been doing this for years and never gets criticized for it, and the fans don't seem to notice or care. So what incentive does she have to raise her game?
[Edited 3/29/08 17:04pm]

midnightmover said:

this is exactly my problem with the song. the beat is actually cool for me, it's the fact that the lyrics sound like they were harvested from a bunch of other songs that never made it to completion. there is no consistency or coherence, no real theme.

i can dance to it at the clubs but i have no interest in listening to it anywhere else. and still...why does she only have 4 minutes to save the world? from what? or whom? too much mess for me.