Ten days ago, Madonna released three new songs in advance of her new Rebel Heart album, but before I share my thoughts on those new ones, I thought I'd repost my reviews of the first six here since they originally appeared on John's World and not this music blog. So check out these reviews and stay tuned for the next four coming very soon,..
Living For Love
What was supposed to be the first single of Madonna's new album, Rebel Heart, is also its opening track. Now I may be biased, but I absolutely LOVE this one! The tune opens with Madonna's nasally vocals over an accompanying piano on the verse, and slowly but surely building up towards an uplifting electronic house crescendo on the chorus. The track is by far her best lead single in a long time, perhaps signalling a new reign over at least the dance charts for this queen. Check it out...
Devil Pray
The second track off of Madonna's new Rebel Heart album is both an acoustic and a religiously-themed track, two things which Madonna fans have become used to over the years (see I'm a Sinner, Miles Away, Nothing Fails, etc.). These two aspects of Madonna music have never really boded well on the charts (with the exception of Like a Prayer, of course, and that was many moons ago!), and this one probably won't either.
That being said, Devil Pray is a pretty good song, and serves as yet another signal that Ms. M will be making a big splash onto the music scene once again. This one picks up where I'm a Sinner left off. On that track, our heroine was reveling in her sins, (I'm a sinner, I like it that way...), though towards the end she calls upon the saints to wash them away. In the same vein, this one speaks to the darker side of life, only in a more serious tone...
And we can do drugs
And we can smoke weed
And we can drink whiskey
Yeah we can get high
And we can get stoned
And we can sniff glue
And we can do E
And we can drop acid
Forever been lost with no way home
Yeah, the aim of the track is to make the Devil pray, pray to keep her upon the path of sin, as she once again calls upon the holy to help her and set her back upon the right path.
Mother Mary, can you help me?
Cuz I’m gone astray
All the angels that were around me
Have all flown away
The ground beneath my feet’s getting warmer
Lucifer is near
Holding on, but I’m getting weaker
Watch me disappear
Ooh ooh ooh sing hallelujah
Ooh ooh ooh save my soul
Ooh ooh ooh the devil was here to fool ya
Until my story’s told
Oh those sing hallelujah's! I always love that. Devil Pray probably won't make much of a splash on any type of chart, but it's got a great, steady rhythm and it's surely good enough by far to fall into the realm of songs to remember for Madonna fans everywhere.
Ghosttown
Ghosttown is one BIG song! Though I always prefer uptempo songs, every once in awhile a ballad really gets to me, and such is the case with this one. The first few times I listened to it, I kept thinking to myself that it sounds like someone else's song, not a Madonna tune...and it still does. I could surely hear Celine, P!nk, Gloria Estefan, or even Gaga doing this power ballad...and Madge nails it, again in a big way. This one's as dramatic as a song gets and it's yet another good sign that Ms. M is pushing envelopes again, breaking new ground and finding even newer ways to reinvent herself. It's the one song off the newly released tracks that was not leaked beforehand, and it's a gem!
Unapologetic Bitch
Ah, pushing new musical envelopes still! Yes, Madonna's new stuff is surely her best in a long, long time. Not that I'm diminishing anything she's done in recent years, but this new set of six songs is super-stellar and is quite possibly her most innovative since the continuous neo-disco classic Confessions on a Dance Floor. The 4th track on Rebel Heart hearkens classic dancehall music. That is, it's got a slow, infectious steady sort of reggae beat, and Madge's vocals blend perfectly with the music. With all of these great songs, it's hard to pick a favorite, but this one makes me shake mah booty, lol. If you'd like to pre-purchase the album and get the new tracks, click on the link below.
Illuminati
The Illuminati conspiracy is a conspiracy theory which holds that there is a "global elite" society that is either in control of the world or is seeking to take control of the world. As with most conspiracy theories, beliefs regarding the Illuminati conspiracy vary widely. As a result, it is virtually impossible to give a synopsis of the Illuminati conspiracy. Popularized in recent books and movies, the Illuminati conspiracy has definitely reached "cult fiction" status.
In this, the sixth new track off Madonna's Rebel Heart album, the singer tackles the age-old conspiracy of a secret ruling class, proclaiming its existence, but that no major players within today's pop culture are a part of it...
It's not Jay Z and Beyoncé
It's not Nickii or Lil Wayne
It's not Oprah and Obama
The Pope or Rihanna
Queen Elizabeth or Kanye
It's not pentagrams or witchcraft
It's not trying to s-stack for cash
Black magic or Gaga
Gucci or Prada
Riding on a golden cat
...but it's out there somewhere...
The all-seeing eye is watching tonight
That's what it is
Truth and Light
The all-seeing eye is watching tonight
Nothing to hide
Secrets inside
It's like everybody in this party, shining like Illuminati
Musically, this tune is vintage Madonna, electronica-dance style. It may not turn out to be a chart-topper, but it just might get some play on dance floors with its nice, thumpy, bass-y dance jam.
Bitch I'm Madonna
The last of the six new tracks from Madonna's Rebel Heart album was co-written and produced by deejay/producer Diplo and features the return of Nicki Minaj providing a rap interlude on the tune. This one's similar in scope to the MDNA track, I Don't Give a F***, which also featured Minaj, and is even more frenzied than their prior collaboration. Bitch I'm Madonna is a lighthearted and fun track, and it sounds like they all had a good time making it. It's not my favorite of the new tracks, but it does remain in the brain for awhile after a listen and it does have a great hook, too!
Let me tell you, this new album is going to be one of the great ones. Mark my words! I've been lucky enough to check out a lot of what's been put out there from the forthcoming album, and the tracks I've heard are mostly all stellar. Stay tuned for the next Rebel Heart track review coming very soon and mark your calendars for March 6th, which is the official release date for the set. Also, be sure to catch Ms. M live from the Brit Awards 2015 streaming live on YouTube at 8 p.m. next Wednesday, February 25th.
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