Chart queen Madonna has blasted manufactured pop acts and the stream of TV talent searches.

She said the pop world had become "homogenised" and accused record chiefs of working out how wannabes can be marketed rather than finding true talents.

Madonna said she could not understand the direction the music world was taking.

In the UK acts spawned by talent shows Pop Idol and the two Popstars series have enjoyed a number of huge successes.

And in the US, where Madonna is currently based although she still has a home in the UK, American Idol 2 is again enjoying a large audience.

Madonna said: "I arrived at a different time - before the time of Svengalis holding talent searches; finding a girl that looks right and can carry a tune and then figuring a way to market her."

Referring to Pink, Christina Aguilera and Britney Spears, she said: "I'm not saying those girls can't grow into something, but I really don't know where we're going with the world. Everything's so homogenised."

Madonna, 44, was also critical of young hopefuls craving for celebrity for its own sake, rather than finding acclaim for their actual abilities.

"It's the allure of this beautiful life. Drive this car, you're gonna be popular," she said.

"It's a very powerful illusion and people are caught up in it, including myself - or I was."
from skynews.co.uk

Good for her. Even if it's a smidge hypocritical. Good for her.

katt said:

sad but true

i disgree w/ Christina..who does hav a miraculous voice..and the peeps on American Idol CAN sing...

Anxiety said:

It's actually very hypocritical of her. No one knew that Madonna would develop into an artist. These women have to have time to develop.

She has a Strong Valid Point because while there are alot of Talented People out here:Everything after a while is Clonned off One Good Idea&therefore Stock-piled&Lumped with one another.Madonna started off&took Her Lumps but She has tried to Move in many directions&Good or Bad She has been able to Be Herself as a Artist unlike alot of these Puppets Going around now.I like Christina Vocally but She isn't gonna be allowed to Strech fully as a Artist unless She takes the lead.

mistermaxxx said:

You really think that Madonna was, in the beginning, ORIGINAL. It took time. This is Christina's second cd...Pink's second cd. I think they both can grow and develop.

Rhondab said:

I wrote that Madonna Started Off&Took Her Lumps,but She wasn't Lumped with the Same Producers&as a Matter of fact She tried different things&wasn't Sounding like Cyndi Lauper&others at that time period.Pink&Christina Share Linda Perry as a Writer.Madonna wasn't sharing the same folks when She was doing Her Stuff early on.Madonna at least tried different things.Christina can Sing,but everything goes on Her Musical Choices.Pink is just a Window Dress Act.I don't see no Legit Long-term Career there.

Next up: Andrew Ridgeley blasts Jazzy Jeff and John Oates for being "dispensable."

Madonna has that right 20 Years in the Game&She also Spoke the truth that time was different because you had to Prove yourself&also you wanted to seperate Yourself as a Artist unlike now where anybody can Hit&also Guest on other people's Records&just Hang on.if Madonna hadn't have Seperated Herself from the pack we wouldn't be having this Conversation&She would have been a Footnote.

Rhondab said:



Yeah, but to play devil's advocate a little here, Madonna was discovered in the nightclubs of the East Village, where she was influenced by stuff by Keith Haring and old-skool hip-hop, and managed to spin those influences into something marketable to the mainstream.

These folks on American Idol, meanwhile, are as prefabricated as a Starbucks - this path to success is less organic, less eventual...imagine if Prince had won a contest to become a household name, rather than having to claw his way in with those first three or four albums before hitting the crossover bigtime - what would we have missed out on? Hell...what would HE have missed out on?

The struggle gives you character. Character's becoming more and more rare these days. There's gotta be a connection between those two thoughts somewhere, yeah?

Supernova said:

hahahahaha...

Rhondab said:

Which is why Madonna said "I'm not saying those girls can't grow into something, but I really don't know where we're going with the world. Everything's so homogenised."


...so I guess this means she's not gonna be sporting a Britney Tshirt again any time soon?

Sorry Madonna, but while a somewhat support some or your arguement, you're picking the wrong examples.

Stop being hypocritical! Like your music in the last three years hasn't sounded completely homogenized? Please...

If you make some music that sounds like the music you made before 1999, then maybe you can talk...

jtgillia said:

I prefer Her Older Stuff&Especially before 99 as well.

i have a strong feeling that even if madonna said "all the people who buy my cd's are idiots", the people who love her would find a way to agree.

this is just absolutely ridiculous. madonna has made a career out of grabbing the latest trend and tweaking it. she has made her multi million$ by relying on peeps who follow trends. sorry, folks, it might be a tough pill to swallow but it is the truth nonetheless.

if electronic music had not become "cool" or the newest commercial thing back before ray of light, do you really think she would be doing that sound right now? That crap was not some dream she had where she woke up and said "and today I shall mess around with bleeps and buzzes"! she was following a trend!

Gosh, it frustrates me to see people so desperate to believe something that they shove the obvious aside. sorry, just had to vent about it.

Good for her! She's right. And those who don't think she came into her own from the get-go need to listen to hear debut album, which gets FIVE stars from AMG!

imnotsayinthisjust2bnasty said:

As Madonna explained in the W magazine interview,she is constantly changing and evolving.That means trying new things and exploring new sounds.Why is that so hard for you to understand? It's not about "following trends",it's about finding new inspiration.Have you ever thought that,maybe,just maybe,Madonna does electronica/techno because she herself is actually A FAN OF THAT MUSIC TOO?? Why shouldn't she explore music that interests her? And,for the record,electronic music was never really all that "commercial".It has always been more of an underground sensation.William Orbit and Mirwais were not exactly Top 10 hit-making producers when Maddy decided to work with them.

endorphin74 said:

Thank you for reminding us that this is the same woman who wore a britney t-shirt in SUPPORT of britney fuckin' spears. People kill me reflecting. There were people who said if there were no videos Madonna wouldn't have made it. Another group...reflecting on how they made it vs. the people currently out.

I'm sory...Madonna's ass would have been trying to get on American Idol if she was 20 now.

I understand the point that Madonna was trying to make.Let's face it,most pop acts today ARE very homogenized.They're just puppets,created and controlled by the record companies.They're making disposable pop crap.I've always felt that,for the most part,Madonna was always independent and in charge,even during the early days of her career.She wrote most of the songs on her debut album (including her hit "Lucky Star").But more importantly than that,she actually *EVOLVED* with each album,something she is still doing to this day (20 years later).Let's see if Britney and company will still be around even 10 years from now.

I agree with most of what Madonna says, and most of all I agree with the quote above... however, wasn't fame and fortune the first thing on Madonna's mind when she started out? She certainly gave that impression with her first 2 albums.

Rhondab said:

Well she did audition for The Kids From Fame

imnotsayinthisjust2bnasty said:

Just wondering,do you consider Madonna's 'I'm Breathless' album to be "trendy"? What about 'Music'? How about 'Evita'? I'm just trying to figure out what you mean when you say she is just "following trends".Please explain what you mean.As for her "relying on peeps who follow trends",that is absolutely ridiculous! Mirwais is not a "trendy" producer.Before 'Music',the world didn't even know who he was!! There is nothing trendy or mainstream about him,or the music he creates.

In the 80s,Madonna routinely worked with Patrick Leonard and Steve Bray.Do you consider these guys to be "trendy" producers? If Madonna wanted to "follow trends",she would just do like everyone else does and hire Jam and Lewis,The Neptunes and Rodney Jerksins to produce her songs.

DavidEye said:

the man has a point here!

endorphin74 said:

I just can't see why so many people keep accusing her of following trends.To me,this is just a lame cop-out from people who are constantly trying to explain or rationalize her amazing success and longevity.My point of view is,Madonna has only done TWO albums that could truly be considered "trendy"...the 'Like A Virgin' album (1984),in which she worked with the hotshot producer Niles Rodgers,and the 'Bedtime Stories' album(1994),in which she worked with hotshot producers like Babyface and Dallas Austin.And even THOSE albums didn't sound like everything else on the radio.Her last album 'Music' features some of her most original,unique-sounding songs ever.

DavidEye said:

I can see madonna as a titch trendy at times, it's just not main-stream trendy, but underground trendy. She feels the pulse of what's going on in less mainstream scenes and draws that into her work. Of course, as you pointed out, there was no trend-motive behind I'm Breathless or Evita. Evita was just a Madonna dream-come-true.
I think Madonna's "underground trendiness" is what keeps her sounding relevant, though. While Janet has started to basically make the same album with each release (and change the words) Madonna's albums continue to sound different with each release and show growth.
Whatevs, to each their own, but I think this woman ROCKS!

(I just wish I could find a way to like 'American Life' more...)

as 4 Madonna's music... *EROTICA* is crazay!
her 80s stuff i love...
even stuff from Bedtime Stories...
however Ray Of Light & Music are just,well...


not in2 it at all.
she picked up on the dance craze that hit several years ago & now it seems like she is just running with that.
i dunno...im not a hardcore madonna fan,but i just prefer the pre 'Ray Of Light' Madonna

but she does have a point.

Joshy84au said:

And a better point than say Elton John the hypocrite who blasts the teen pop acts of today... about 5 minutes after he achieved his last UK #1 single duetting with boy band Blue.

DavidEye said:

i'm saying that her public persona changes with the climate of the public. she creates an image and pretends it is really her true self. Nothing wrong there, as long as you don't really buy into it. She's fun...david bowie was also a chameleon, it was fun...did anyone believe he was actually from mars? no.

i don't think it is a coincidence that madonna's first electronically sounding album came at the peak of electronica. i don;t think it is a coincidence that at bjork's peak, madonna took one of her songs and put it on an album. i don't think it is coincidence that everytime madonna has a new look...it is the new look. sometimes she plays a part in creating that look and sometimes she is mimicking. why is that so hard to believe?

yes, i'm sure madonna was interested in every single sound on all of her albums, i don't debate that. what i'm sayin gis that they were all indicative of that period in musical history...they were not new music forms that she was involving herself in, just new to her. who is she to make assumptions that britney, christina and pink are not really interested in what they are doing. and if they are, does it matter that they all sound alike? i mean, in the mid-late eighties madonna did have a very universal sound...nothing groundbreaking.

imnotsayinthisjust2bnasty said:

YOU ARE WRONG, ALL WRONG