Review: Madonna – Rebel Heart

If you don’t know that ‘ageism’ is intertwined with ‘sexism’, Madonna is here to set the record straight. “I don’t think men have to deal with ageism, so it’s a sexist discrimination”. In a recent interview, the icon expressed her feelings on working in an industry where youth is the gold standard. “I find it tremendously unfair that people would have issues with me exploring areas of sexuality in my music, or continuing to be sexually provocative, for instance in my performances. Or just having fun. I guess you’re not allowed to have fun when you’re in your 50s …if you’re a girl. I think Mick Jagger is allowed to have fun. But I’m not allowed to have fun. And if you’re Mick Jagger then you’re allowed to date a 25-year-old. But if you’re me, you’re a ‘bitch’, ‘cunt’, ‘whore’”. Provocative words by the 56-year-old mother of four. But unapologetic, subversive provocation has been Madonna’s card since the early ‘80s. Thirteen albums in, the Queen of Pop does not escape controversy. For her new album, Rebel Heart, said controversy began in December when unfinished tracks were leaked, forcing Madonna to rush release six songs from the album before she was ready. Issues continued with fan art memes that included images of Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King Jr., whose faces crisscrossed with black wire reflected Madonna’s official cover photography for the project. While her team had nothing to do with the creation of these images, Madonna reposted them, creating a social media firestorm that is not uncommon for her. Whether it’s her choice of parenting or racially charged statements or falling off of the stage, Madonna stays in some mess. Despite this, Rebel Heart is finally ready to make its mark. With a team of producers consisting of Kanye West, Diplo, Avicii, and Billboard, among others, the finished product of 19 tracks, ranging from club hits to hip-hop-inspired collaborations, as well as vulnerable folk-pop ballads, is a strong statement that Madonna is remaining right where she is: an icon.

Even with her team of super producers, Madonna’s goal for this album was to write the type of music that, if all of the electricity went out, she could sit down with the lyrics, strum her guitar and sing the songs. Hard to imagine with such an intricate, layered production of signature sounds and ultra-creative compositions. While it’s difficult to single out many of the gems on this album, the opening track, “Living For Love”, is a great representative of classic Madonna club anthems. True to form, the album’s themes are interlaced with religious imagery and irreverent dismissal of the almighty illuminati. Then there’s the obligatory sexual overtones and self-assuredness in being a sensual woman of a certain age. It’s not really surprising because it’s Madonna, but for those who like to remind you that she’s nearly sixty and a mom, she turns up the heat on songs like “Unapologetic Bitch”, “Bitch I’m Madonna” featuring Nicki Minaj, “Holy Water”, “Best Night”, and “S.E.X.”, the most obvious of them.

Once you get past all of her over-compensating and statement-making, there are some really beautiful songs on the album. Take for instance “Body Shop”, a song that sweetly matches up her rhythmic, percussive delivery to a world music vibe. “Ghosttown”, “Joan Of Arc”, and “Messiah” represent much of the ‘heart’ in Rebel Heart. An absolute highlight of the album includes Mike Tyson as a guest, opening the track “Iconic” which also features Chance the Rapper. Feeling that the Champ has been through so much, survived, and now, evolved as a human being, has his own stories to tell, he was definitely on icon status in her mind, and therefore was asked to be on the album. Nas makes an appearance on the autobiographical song “Veni Vidi Vici” where they both reflect on the life and times of their respective careers and personal lives proclaiming, at the end of the day, that they’ve conquered. Fearlessly keeping her career on track and clearly with nothing to prove, or perhaps with everything to prove in this moment, Madonna’s new album is sure to be one of her best in recent years.

Written by Mai Perkins

Originally from Los Angeles, Mai Perkins is living a genuine bona fide love affair with NYC and the music that keeps its spirit moving. While spending the majority of the last decade in Brooklyn, many of her adventures around the globe are documented on her blog: Mai On The Move! www.MaiOnTheMove.com

Author’s rating for Rebel Heart

Pop Magazine’s official rating for Rebel Heart

Rating key
MASTERPIECE a must-have
SUPERB for heavy rotation
EXCELLENT a great achievement
VERY GOOD a respectable result
GOOD worth checking out
FAIR an average outcome
WEAK not convincing stuff
BAD an underwhelming effort
VERY BAD quite a waste
FAIL a total failure