Tuesday, December 27, 2005

Madonna - a fading brand?



In 1985, Madonna's navel ruled the world. That year - which opened with "Like a Virgin" perched at Number One, and would later see "Crazy for You" knock "We Are the World" off the top of the charts...

Coming off her last album, the tepid American Life, the forty-seven-year-old mother of two wants to show that she can still stay up late. Confessions on a Dance Floor won't stand the test of time like her glorious early club hits, but it proves its point. Like Rakim back in the day, Madonna can still move the crowd.


That's what Rolling Stone magazine had to say but I don't have as charitable an assessment. I am a Madonna fan but remain unmoved by this new album.

The 80s had dozens of female singers with catchy tunes going for them - Cyndi Lauper, Belinda Carlisle, Paula Abdul. But Madonna had something more - she had attitude.

Madonna was no musical genius but one thing you could not accuse her of being was a 'me-too'.

Yet, 22 years into her musical career that's exactly what's she's become. The video of 'Hung Up' has the 47 year old prancing around in a neon pink bodysuit - the kind favoured by 16 year old Russian gymnasts.

"Ooh! she's almost 50 and can still look like that?" we're all supposed to gush admiringly. And hopefully, we'll be so busy looking we'll pay less attention to the music. And also forget to notice how much of a tribute to Britney Spears the whole effort is. (remember the 'Slave for You' video - note the many echoes in 'Hung Up')

And the strenuous dance movements? They reminded me of uthak-baithak style punishments at military boot camp...

The thing is, when a 47 year old tries to emulate someone half her age she ends up looking silly. Like a mom desperately trying to be as cool as her 16 year old daughter.

Certainly Madonna should be proud about looking and feeling great, but it's time to style a whole new image, both musically and otherwise.

Because this looks hollow. And fake. So despite amazingly positive reviews and great initial sales, 9 weeks on the album is no 21 on the Billboard charts . In fact, it did not climb beyond no 7.

A musician, after all is the brand. And this brand - in her quest for eternal youth -has abandoned her core customers. The fans who grew up on her music and are not getting any younger themselves.

They want the old Madonna who sang tuneful songs with simple lyrics that one could understand and hum along with. Not some dig-tik-dig-tik-dig-tik interspersed with mumblings. Call it dance or trance or electronica.

And no, looping Abba's "Gimme gimme" into one of songs does not qualify as 'experimental'. It's just being smart and cashing in on a current trend. Although she did have to grovel for it.

Incidentally the 50-something, mother-of-two Sharon Osbourne recently pronounced that Madonna 'dresses like a hooker'. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black!

11 comments:

  1. i have enjoyed a few of madonna's songs when she was in her prime.over the years i lost track of her releases and did not care much to follow her career.

    Abba has commented that this album 'Hung up' is solid pop music. your article links to another in BBC UK. You think it is bad stuff whereas the Abba thinks otherwise.

    You say "They want the old Madonna who sang tuneful songs with simple lyrics that one could understand and hum along with".

    You also say "A musician, after all is the brand. And this brand - in her quest for eternal youth -has abandoned her core customers"

    these two lines of yours appear to be non sequitur.

    if lyrics mattered to you why bother about her looks and her dance movements?

    just listen to the audio track as we did in those days(1985) when we could not see music videos on MTV.

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  2. never bothered to hear the new album. that neon pink look was disturbing enough. i really believe madonna should call it a day! i mean, really, really.

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  3. hi! long time since the last blog appeared...
    as for ageing stars, be they pop, actors, celebrities, the sense of dressing is inversely proportional to their ageing. And.. the older the star gets, more colourful his wardrobe becomes. Don't need to look very far. Our very own Amitabh seems to be going from bad to worse (KBC2). More cases... Compare Salman & sanju's dresses in maine pyar kiya/sajan to maine pyar kyun kiya. So one can explain Madonna's pink panties to the same syndrome.
    Next to go neon- my guess is aishwarya rai (or has she already?)

    ali

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  4. The thing is, Madonna has nothing to lose. Or to prove for that matter. I don't think she's out there to prove that she can still dance and fit into something that small. She's one woman who's got what she wanted and in fact has given hits one after the other and maintained the top spot. A tribute to Britney? Well, highly unlikely.

    "...looping Abba's "Gimme gimme" into one of songs does not qualify as 'experimental'. It's just being smart and cashing in on a current trend." Maybe, maybe not. But what I've heard is that the album IS A TRIBUTE to what ABBA stands for. Its the spirit. I haven't heard the whole album so I can't say if all the tracks are good or bad. But whatever I have heard, has the characteristic Madonna signature... But yes, the pink dress is a bit of a disaster!

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  5. every generation has their own heroes. few can conquer time like jagger.

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  6. Let me tell you what "Like a virgin" is about. It's all about a girl........

    Oh, nevermind.

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  7. hey rashmi. i'm a madonna fan as well. and have watched her use her prodigious talent over the years. experimenting every time to come up with hits. and maturing as a singer in her experimentation. so it really was diappointing to see her latest. no experimentation. pandering to what seems to be popular now. its so not madonna! was she really tryimg to be retro? dunno. is she reveling in her body and fitness? at what cost? she really has left us fans cold. good post!

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  8. In my opinion, Madonna was never "great". Now, she sucks!

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  9. I hate your comments, but maybe my blog will change your mind!

    http://www.madonnasthoughts.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  10. WAH! Apne pet ke liye, BECHARI MADONNA KE PET PAR LAAT MAARI JA RAHI HAI..

    Good

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