How Madonna's Second 'MDNA' Single 'Girl Gone Wild' Came Together

by Kerri Mason | February 21, 2012

"Girl Gone Wild," the second single from Madonna's " MDNA," was born from the remote union of two Italian producers and a Canadian writer, all signed to Patrick Moxey's Ultra Music.

"Obviously it's huge for us," Moxey tells Billboard.com. "We have both the producer and the top-line writer; that's 100% share."

The mid-tempo, four-on-the-floor party track is a tougher take on the style of Madge's 2005 effort, "Confessions On A Dancefloor," produced by Stuart Price: It's undeniably dance, but with stronger electro than house markings. ("MDNA" in totality will probably be more diverse, featuring the production of disco house champion Martin Solveig on four tracks, and the darker, trance-ier William Orbit on five.)

Moxey traces the song's beginning back to early 2011, when Ultra Records artist Benny Benassi was preparing to release "Electroman," his fourth studio album. Moxey thought his aggressive style would "work well with some of the major American superstar artists," so he requested additional tracks from Benny and his longtime production partner, Ale (Alejandro) Benassi, also his cousin.

Benassi is best known for single "Satisfaction," a robotic take on the Rolling Stones original, which snagged a high-profile Wendy's synch back in 2003. Since then, he's made his mark with a hard-hitting electro-focused singles and DJ sets that nonetheless mesh with different genres, snagging a "Best Remix" Grammy in 2008 for Public Enemy's "Bring The Noise." (Skrillex just took the same award this year for his take on "Cinema," a Benassi original.)

Moxey selected a few tracks and shared them with Jenson Vaughan, a young top-line writer based in Vancouver. Vaughn had done extensive work with U.K. producer Ian Carey, on collaborations with artists like Timbaland, Kelly Rowland and Snoop Dogg. "I was really attracted to his lyrics," says Moxey, "and I feel Benassi in my bones, because those bass-driven tracks are so inspiring. It's a bit like cooking, like, 'Ooh, what would this sound like together?'"

Vaughn returned a demo just a week later, which Moxey shared with Benassi's European co-manager Paul Sears, who in turn sent it to Guy Oseary, Madonna's manager. Soon, the Benassi boys were on their way to London (from their home of Parma, Italy) to record with Madonna. "She loved them," reports Moxey. "Benny is such a quality person; I think that made it all flow so much easier."

Two tracks from that session -- "Girl" and "I'm Addicted" -- made it onto "MDNA," with "Girl" opening the album.

"A brilliant way to have hits is to create hits," says Moxey. "When you have very talented people around you, you just make the introductions, and maybe give them some direction. It's the essence of the A&R process, but it's so natural -- it's not contrived."

Looking toward the release of the "GGW" video, Moxey says he isn't concerned with a reported lawsuit from Joe Francis, creator of the "Girls Gone Wild" series of co-ed flasher videos. "When I looked at ASCAP, I noticed there were approximately 50 records called 'Girls Gone Wild,'" he says. "This guy just thinks too much of himself."

..

[Edited 3/26/12 17:49pm]

it is obviously not a masterpiece, and not one of her best songs, but the song is catchy.
A potential top 10 hit

Madonna's "Girls Gone Wild" video is being shot this week.It is going to be directed by fashion photographers Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott…
They're responsible for the MDNA album photoshoot, as well as the Give me all your Luvin' single cover and Madonna World Tour poster.

One of our sources tells us exclusively that there will be some sort of religious theme in the video.
Possibly some kind of biblical imagery or prayers.

"Girls Gone Wild" will be their first music video and also their first collaboration with Madonna as video directors.

Last year Alas & Piggott also directed a short film "What Lies Beneath" to accompany the controversial editorial for Love magazine.

Looks like this record would be better than Hard Candy (that's not sayin' much), but still a far cry from the (often underrated) excellence of Confessions, an album which just gets stronger & more respectable as years go by...

.

LiLi1992 said:

it is obviously not a masterpiece, and not one of her best songs, but the song is catchy.
A potential top 10 hit

I don't know about Top 10,but this will definitely be a hit with her core audience.It'll do well in the clubs.

JoeTyler said:

Looks like this record would be better than Hard Candy (that's not sayin' much), but still a far cry from the (often underrated) excellence of Confessions, an album which just gets stronger & more respectable as years go by...

"Girls Gone Wild" reminds me of the Confessions material...only faster

"Turn Up The Radio"----should this be a future single from MDNA?

I was expecting the whole song.

sorry but that shit is WACK! if this sounds like a single to the ears of her record label and maybe Madonna herself, then I'm kinda scared to hear what the album sounds like. GGW is repetitive, boring and possibly even cheesier than GMAYL. wtf is she thinking?

Oh, my... I don't know what to say!

meh..

piepie1976 said:

GGW is repetitive, boring and possibly even cheesier than GMAYL.

GMAYL is silly and absolutely not interesting song in the style of Beyonce "Run The World", but even worse, just awful lead single and one of the worst songs in the career of Madonna.
The other two songs at least catchy, they will be popular on the radio, that's for sure.

But I noticed that all these fragments of songs absolutely no different from anything that played on the radio, there is no personality .... It`s the main problem with most pop songs past 10 years.
Perhaps Orbit` tracks much better. In another case, a weak return after a hiatus of 4 years.

Souns like a hit, but no thanks.

When I first heard that Madonna was working with Orbit again, I was elated. I thought there'd be another "Ray of Light; something deep, spiritual and moving. I'm thinking NOW that this album will, like "Confessions," be geared more toward the dancefloor, but in a more contemporary vein (like Gaga.) Either way, what I've heard sounds catchy, but I'm not counting on the fluidity or poetry of ROL this time out. It's even a step ahead of "Hard Candy" and I liked that one TOO where it was so steeped in Hip-Hop Sauce. Guess we'll have 2 wait and see. So far, it all sounds just "average" to me. Nothing really "special" or unique (yet.) At 53 y/o, she's still doing MUCH better and making more intelligent musical choices than Janet was when she was 40 preTENDING to be 20 y/o. Hehe.

whitechocolatebrotha said:

When I first heard that Madonna was working with Orbit again, I was elated. I thought there'd be another "Ray of Light; something deep, spiritual and moving. I'm thinking NOW that this album will, like "Confessions," be geared more toward the dancefloor, but in a more contemporary vein (like Gaga.) Either way, what I've heard sounds catchy, but I'm not counting on the fluidity or poetry of ROL this time out. It's even a step ahead of "Hard Candy" and I liked that one TOO where it was so steeped in Hip-Hop Sauce. Guess we'll have 2 wait and see. So far, it all sounds just "average" to me. Nothing really "special" or unique (yet.) At 53 y/o, she's still doing MUCH better and making more intelligent musical choices than Janet was when she was 40 preTENDING to be 20 y/o. Hehe.

So far, it sounds like a mixed bag of tricks to me with too many different contributers. I think that there may be songs that long time fans like but not the entire album. Maybe she's spreading herself too thin trying to please too many people in different demographic groups....as other musical artists have been accused of in recent years...

Hudson said:

I was expecting the whole song.

I'm sorry

piepie1976 said:

sorry but that shit is WACK! if this sounds like a single to the ears of her record label and maybe Madonna herself, then I'm kinda scared to hear what the album sounds like. GGW is repetitive, boring and possibly even cheesier than GMAYL. wtf is she thinking?

repetitive? You only heard a brief snippet of it

whitechocolatebrotha said:

When I first heard that Madonna was working with Orbit again, I was elated. I thought there'd be another "Ray of Light; something deep, spiritual and moving. I'm thinking NOW that this album will, like "Confessions," be geared more toward the dancefloor, but in a more contemporary vein (like Gaga.) Either way, what I've heard sounds catchy, but I'm not counting on the fluidity or poetry of ROL this time out. It's even a step ahead of "Hard Candy" and I liked that one TOO where it was so steeped in Hip-Hop Sauce. Guess we'll have 2 wait and see. So far, it all sounds just "average" to me. Nothing really "special" or unique (yet.) At 53 y/o, she's still doing MUCH better and making more intelligent musical choices than Janet was when she was 40 preTENDING to be 20 y/o. Hehe.

I think ROL is one of those once-in-a-lifetime albums that can't be duplicated.An insider recently described the new album as "a cross between Like A Prayer and Confessions" but we'll see...lol....if the song titles are any indication,I think it's gonna be more 'fun' than serious.

SoulAlive said:

whitechocolatebrotha said:

When I first heard that Madonna was working with Orbit again, I was elated. I thought there'd be another "Ray of Light; something deep, spiritual and moving. I'm thinking NOW that this album will, like "Confessions," be geared more toward the dancefloor, but in a more contemporary vein (like Gaga.) Either way, what I've heard sounds catchy, but I'm not counting on the fluidity or poetry of ROL this time out. It's even a step ahead of "Hard Candy" and I liked that one TOO where it was so steeped in Hip-Hop Sauce. Guess we'll have 2 wait and see. So far, it all sounds just "average" to me. Nothing really "special" or unique (yet.) At 53 y/o, she's still doing MUCH better and making more intelligent musical choices than Janet was when she was 40 preTENDING to be 20 y/o. Hehe.

I think ROL is one of those once-in-a-lifetime albums that can't be duplicated.An insider recently described the new album as "a cross between Like A Prayer and Confessions" but we'll see...lol....if the song titles are any indication,I think it's gonna be more 'fun' than serious.

I agree! Did u get my orgnote, Uncle Dave?

1.”Girls Gone Wild”
2. “Gang Bang”
3. “I’m Addicted”
4. “Some Girls”
5. “I Don’t Give A”
6. “Turn Up the Radio”
7. “Give Me All Your Luvin’”
8. “B-day Song”
9. “Superstar”
10. “I’m a Sinner”
11. “Masterpiece”
12. “Falling Free”
13. “Love Spent”
14. “I Fucked Up”
15. “Beautiful Killer”

***To all of you with dirty minds....Gang Bang is not about what you think it is it's a serious song that talks about bullying

***I Don't Give A... is a defiant song in which Madonna addresses her critics and haters.She's basically saying that she doesn't give a fuck...she's gonna keep on doing her thing,no matter what those people say.I'm thinking that,lyrically,the song is probably similiar to "Like It Or Not"?

***Some Girls is another collaboration with Nicki Minaj,while Birthday Song is another collaboration with M.I.A.

***The album contains three ballads.Masterpiece and Love Spent are two of them.Beautiful Killer may be the third one.

whitechocolatebrotha said:

SoulAlive said:

I think ROL is one of those once-in-a-lifetime albums that can't be duplicated.An insider recently described the new album as "a cross between Like A Prayer and Confessions" but we'll see...lol....if the song titles are any indication,I think it's gonna be more 'fun' than serious.

I agree! Did u get my orgnote, Uncle Dave?

I got it,bro

SoulAlive said:

whitechocolatebrotha said:

I agree! Did u get my orgnote, Uncle Dave?

I got it,bro

Sweet, man! Think about it and know it's here if u want it.

"Love Spent" sounds promising....

"Love Spent" is a beautiful album track that Madonna co-produced with William Orbit and that she co-wrote with an incredibly talented up-and-rising artist named Priscilla Renea.

Priscilla Renea Hamilton is an American singer and songwriter, born in Florida in 1988, who published two solo albums so far and also co-wrote tracks for Cheryl Cole, Rihanna and Selena Gomez.

SoulAlive said:

JoeTyler said:

Looks like this record would be better than Hard Candy (that's not sayin' much), but still a far cry from the (often underrated) excellence of Confessions, an album which just gets stronger & more respectable as years go by...

"Girls Gone Wild" reminds me of the Confessions material...only faster

only with shallow lyrics

[Edited 2/21/12 17:21pm]

Liked Turn Up The Radio...Girls Gone Wild......meh sound like ANOTHER song that should have given to Gaga or Perry

On the business side...the woman has always been brilliant, re-inventing herself to remain relevant.

On the artistic and just plain "Bitch u gettin old" side...it's starting to sound desperate tryin to do songs that sound like the chicks her daughter's age.

Something's gone funny in the universe when you got this almost-60 releasing this dumb crap about "Girls Gone Wild" and a 21 year old sweeping the Grammys with quality stuff.

Please forgive me, I've been a bad Gay.

paisleypark4 said:

Liked Turn Up The Radio...Girls Gone Wild......meh sound like ANOTHER song that should have given to Gaga or Perry

It would at least be age-appropriate album-filler stuff for Gaga or Perry.

Madge's version should be MILF-Gone-Wild.

johnart said:

On the business side...the woman has always been brilliant, re-inventing herself to remain relevant.

On the artistic and just plain "Bitch u gettin old" side...it's starting to sound desperate tryin to do songs that sound like the chicks her daughter's age.

Something's gone funny in the universe when you got this almost-60 releasing this dumb crap about "Girls Gone Wild" and a 21 year old sweeping the Grammys with quality stuff.

Please forgive me, I've been a bad Gay.

You just preached to to the gospel

Gunsnhalen said:

johnart said:

On the business side...the woman has always been brilliant, re-inventing herself to remain relevant.

On the artistic and just plain "Bitch u gettin old" side...it's starting to sound desperate tryin to do songs that sound like the chicks her daughter's age.

Something's gone funny in the universe when you got this almost-60 releasing this dumb crap about "Girls Gone Wild" and a 21 year old sweeping the Grammys with quality stuff.

Please forgive me, I've been a bad Gay.

You just preached to to the gospel

Aww Miss Patti.

johnart said:

Gunsnhalen said:

You just preached to to the gospel

Aww Miss Patti.

You where droppin that knowledge like you where at her concert