Why Madonna's 'Bitch I'm Madonna' Video Is the Video She Needed to MakeBy Jason Lipshutz, New York | June 18, 2015 3:00 PM EDT (Billboard)
Madonna's new music video for "Bitch I'm Madonna" is almost brazen in its quest to divert your attention. The clip for the Nicki Minaj-assisted single, which premiered on Tidal on Wednesday (June 17) and was unlocked for the rest of the world one day later, promised appearances from Beyonce, Miley Cyrus, Katy Perry and Rita Ora prior to its release, then tossed in Kanye West, Chris Rock and song co-producer Diplo for good measure.
It's a fun game of spot-the-cameo -- wait, was that Alexander Wang?! -- where Madonna brings out the big guns and lets artists like Kanye and Katy sing along to the crunchy electro-pop track from remote locations. "Bitch I'm On Skype," basically, but with the candy-colored post-ADD concept, Madonna is daring audiences not to be entertained. Madonna's 'Bitch I'm Madonna' Video: A Power Ranking of the Cameos Everyone is talking about this music video, because when you round up Kanye, Bey, Nicki and Madonna in one video and the phrase "streaming platform" isn't involved, people are going to want to watch. The thing is, everyone's been talking about Madonna for months now, but not for the right reasons. We gasped when she made out with Drake at Coachella, raised our eyebrows when she hoisted a leg upon that Tidal table, and made sure she was okay when she tumbled backwards during her BRIT Awards performance. However, how many casual pop fans can sing the hook to "Living For Love" or "Ghosttown"?
Those two songs were the first two singles from Rebel Heart, Madonna's thirteenth studio album released in March, and neither charted on the Hot 100. So far, Rebel Heart is Madonna's only studio album without a hit on the Hot 100 -- a testament to her unbelievable, three-decade run of hits... and to how much pop radio has simply ignored this new project. The celeb-studded video for third single "Bitch I'm Madonna," then, can be interpreted as a no-holds-barred attempt to return her fans' focus to Rebel Heart and mine a real hit from her new album. Judging from the widespread reaction to the video over the past 24 hours -- 500,000 views in a matter of hours -- the plan appears to be working. Madonna has actually been promoting Rebel Heart far more rigorously than her previous album, 2012's MDNA. This press run has included multiple TV and awards show performances, a handful of sound byte-ready interviews, a more concerted social media push and a game of Never Have I Ever with Justin Bieber, among other appearances.
For MDNA, Madonna didn't do too much… but she did perform at the Super Bowl less than two months before its release. The pop superstar got to perform her "Give Me All Your Luvin'" on the biggest stage in the world days after the song hit the Internet, and the lead single quickly became a top 20 hit. MDNA debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 upon its release in March 2012, and three years later,Rebel Heart started at No. 2 in March, losing a close race for the top spot to theEmpire soundtrack. Amy Schumer To Open for Madonna at NYC Shows Fast-forward to June and the "Bitch I'm Madonna" video; the time was right for Madonna to make this move. Her legacy does not change one bit if Rebel Heartfails to produce a hit, but the returns from her fast-approaching Rebel Heart world tour might. Madonna has a new network of super-friends called Tidal, and can hit up Beyonce and Kanye to appear in a video that will debut exclusively on the platform. And Taylor Swift's "Bad Blood" video, which debuted exactly one month prior to "Bitch I'm Madonna" and shot to the top of the Hot 100 soon after its release, was a good reminder that star-studded music videos are juicier than non-star-studded music videos. This is nothing new -- Katy Perry, Pharrell Williamsand Jay Z have all landed on the superstar-filled-video option at different points in their respective careers. It was simply Madonna's time to play that card as well.
Essentially, Madonna has pulled a Queen of Pop move with this one: she opened her Rolodex, surrounded herself with high-profile collaborators and moved the needle. At the end of the day, it's cool to have Beyonce vogue-ing in your music video! And she can do it, because bitch, she's… well, you know.
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we go hard or we go home....
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I hope it's not the last single. There are better tunes than all 3 released singles. My vote would be for Best Night with a seductive video. And enough with the Kanye, can't someone shoot him? | |
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Why doesn't Madonna ever have old ladies in her video? as someone pointed out earlier.... why doesn't she have older stars in her videos? why isn't only current celebs? she always clings on to who's famoud at the moment. And sucks them dry until she leeches off the next relevant celebrities. Pistols sounded like "Fuck off," wheras The Clash sounded like "Fuck Off, but here's why.."- Thedigitialgardener
All music is shit music and no music is real- gunsnhalen Datdonkeydick- Asherfierce Gary Hunts Album Isn't That Good- Soulalive | |
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Since it's now clear that people prefer the "fun" Madonna,she should release "Holy Water" as the next single
All jokes aside,I think "Inside Out" would make a stunning single.That song has really grown on me.I think it's brilliant. | |
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Do you ever ask this question of Prince? He recently said that he prefers playing with young musicians these days,saying that they're more "open-minded".
And for the record,Yoko Ono makes an appearance in the "Bitch,I'm Madonna" video | |
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Inside Out would be great too. Minus a few filler tracks it's really her best since Ray of Light. | |
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Prince hasn't made a good album in over a decade. Pistols sounded like "Fuck off," wheras The Clash sounded like "Fuck Off, but here's why.."- Thedigitialgardener
All music is shit music and no music is real- gunsnhalen Datdonkeydick- Asherfierce Gary Hunts Album Isn't That Good- Soulalive | |
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oops,my bad....Yoko is not in this video | |
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That seems to be the general consensus: that Rebel Heart is her best album since ROL,or depending on your view,her best album since Confessions.It really is a strong album.The fans love it.
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COAD is overrated, this song sucks and the video is horrible and looks ridiculuos, should never been a single. For me the next single shoul be Devil Pray or Best Night | |
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Horrible.... And that has nothing to do with her age. I think Madonna prefers saying 'i dont get airplay because of my age' rather than 'i dont get airplay because the song sucks.... | |
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If that's true why aren't they lots of hits by people over 40? Is it possible that all the older artists still making new music all suck too? If airplay is based on quality, then do all the songs on current radio like Katy Perry and Rihanna of high quality? | |
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agirl said: Horrible.... And that has nothing to do with her age. I think Madonna prefers saying 'i dont get airplay because of my age' rather than 'i dont get airplay because the song sucks.... Was "Ghosttown" a horrible song? What about "Living For Love"? Most people seem to think those were great songs.My point is...it's not about the quality of the music.Madonna is 56.No matter what she releases,radio is not gonna embrace it.It's the same with Prince,Bruce Springsteen,Mariah,Janet and all the other veteran artists. | |
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Inside Out rules. So do Best Night and Holy Water. If i were a casual fan hearing the singles only you'd have no idea how many great tracks there are (Illuminati, Joan of Arc, etc). I'll leave it alone babe...just be me | |
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Maybe if you're including all Jackson 5 and Jacksons material. I'll leave it alone babe...just be me | |
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I like the beat. Let's get unconscious MrsFelicityCrumble said:
I sincerely do, sir For all time I am with you, you are with me. | |
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Bedtime Story a bad song? really, wow "different strokes for different folks" i guess it applies here | |
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Response to your signature: But it sure does today!!! "Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything." --Plato
https://youtu.be/CVwv9LZMah0 | |
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favorite part of the video: Madonna's son David dancing up a storm
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I bet you she is VERY proud of him! Kudos to her for raising him as a urban child, That is VERY important for his heritage...... will ALWAYS think of like a "ACT OF GOD"! N another realm. mean of all people who might of been aliens or angels.if found out that wasn't of this earth, would not have been that surprised. R.I.P. | |
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Keith Richards in Twitter...
"America is a continent..." | |
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You don´t know anything about this kid. How do you know if she is rasing him as an urban child? How do you know they think that's important?
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^ "can't someone shoot him?" LMAO! Hungry? Just look in the mirror and get fed up. | |
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Little man's AWESOME and he got himself a AWESOME Momma TOO!
Hungry? Just look in the mirror and get fed up. | |
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PREACH!!!!!! It's TRUE! At 56, these hatin' bitches can only HOPE they're in the amazing physical shape Madonna's in! Truth IS they refuse to acknowledge the societal door this little woman literally KICKED IN over 30 yrs. ago. They also seem 2 think that they're so "cool" and once again. fail to realize where their "coolness" came from way back WHEN. Madonna is and will ALWAYS BE an innovator, a hard worker and a very rich woman. It's because she kicks BUTT!
Hungry? Just look in the mirror and get fed up. | |
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She seems like a fun mother | |
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Wow!! Keith Richards wrote this?! | |
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NICE!!!! I totally didn't even catch the author on this! WORD! 100% TRUTH! She deserves nothin' but R-E-S-P-E-C-T! She's a pioneer societally, musically and will always BE! I salute the excellence of her artistry! Hungry? Just look in the mirror and get fed up. | |
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I know that the Hip Hop/break dancing style is an Urban dance. So he has obviously had dancing lessons. Madonna knows it is important for him to know his urban roots to be more aware of his ethnic heritage. will ALWAYS think of like a "ACT OF GOD"! N another realm. mean of all people who might of been aliens or angels.if found out that wasn't of this earth, would not have been that surprised. R.I.P. | |
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