Madonna

[jio]

That wouldn’t be my 12, and I think the fact the first 6 songs were finished and ready to go in December 2014 means they were always going to be part of the album as far as Madonna was concerned - especially when the only singles came from that first 6!

I never thought it that way but you are definitely right now that I think about it... but still that doesn't mean I agree with her choices lol

[MusicGoddess]

Yeah the MDNA album is not her best of course, but had a good songs like Masterpiece, Love Spent, Falling Free, Im A Sinner, Girl Gone Wild, I Dont Give Up, Im Addicted, Turn Up The Radio, but had her worst songs ever: Super Star, Good Girls, Give Me All Ur Luving.

I live the MDNA ALBUM more than Rebel Heart album, but RH had better songs.

[jio]

I would’ve included Never Let You Go, Heaven, Alone With You; heck, even Two Steps Behind me. Stir the pot. Not sure why M held back.

I would have included "Queen" and maybe "Heaven", the rest definitely not. They are good enough for a 41 songs list but not for a 12-14 tracks album

[Zeph]

In the end, I think Madonna made the best out of a bad situation for Rebel Heart. I really enjoy the album - it’s not her best and it’s not her worst, but in the end, I have a playlist with 41 songs that I really enjoy.

Well, 39 different songs + the original leaked Avicii versions of Wash All Over Me and Rebel Heart. I don’t listen to demos of officially released material (how many different versions of a song do you need?) but Avicii’s WAOM and RH are basically different songs.

Totally agree with WAOM and RH are totally different songs and shows you how production can change everything and how the producers/DJ/mixers earn their credit on the record.

I actually posted those two not too long ago here as two of the best and overlooked tracks...

[Artoo]

The leak definitely impacted the era and Madonna’s rush to release. I just don’t understand why release over produced inferior versions of tracks when the Avicii tracks were EXCEPTIONAL. And, I don’t use that word lightly or gratuitously.

Tracks like Ghosttown and Devil Pray (or as I facetiously call it Devil’s Prey because of M’s constant play on words and entendres) were amazing. Along with the dozen or so other tracks recorded but never to make the light of day as I wrote in response to jio

I think we have to assume that Avicii never finished production on the songs he did for Madonna and they remained in demo format. As great as Avicii Heart is, it’s still a demo and I can only assume is as far as it got before he had to withdraw from the project.

Where he has production credits on the album, I think it’s more a courtesy than anything - someone else clearly came in and did the bulk of the work in terms of the final production.

Personally I find it such a shame we never got the whole album produced by him, because they were on the right path and I think it would have been very special. Interestingly, Guy Oseary is the one who suggest Madonna work with him - not such a bad idea from a supposedly terrible manager

[Zeph]

I would have included "Queen" and maybe "Heaven", the rest definitely not. They are good enough for a 41 songs list but not for a 12-14 tracks album

The reason I didn’t include Queen because it gives me an impression that Madonna has realized she is losing her relevance in a society that gages and then suddenly limits success due to age. Suddenly she is realizing that Midas touch is fading.. providence, no evidence. If included, it should’ve closed the album.

Black parade, motorcade
Destiny sings farewell, church bells
Is anyone listening?
Everywhere bowed in prayer
Tears are falling
Coming down, coming down
I hear the heavens calling
Providence, no evidence
There's no confirmation
And only silence remains
We only know one thing


The queen's been slain
She'll never rule again
The queen's been slain
She'll never rule again
Your queen's been slain
Queen's been slain


Who will take her place?
It's written on everyone's face
The truth is slowly dawning
I hear tomorrow calling
Some things can't be replaced
The realization of a new generation
On the eve of imitation
All gone, overthrown

[Artoo]

I actually saw it 7 times. I was obsessed. In one of the shows we were standing right behind Pharrell. I thought the Re-Invention tour was awesome when Liz Rosenberg picked me out to go to the pit but Sticky and Sweet never got stale. Especially I love the way they extended it with Round 2 with some changes in the set list. The whole concert...um, event was awesome.

I saw it three times in the end - Cardiff, Wembley and the The o2 for part two: I went to The o2 on the day and bought production seats for the fourth row and managed to find a spot in the second.

I have two vivid memories of that last show - Madonna singing Dress You Up to me and, annoyingly, watching Madonna (with her hand down her shorts) thrusting her lady parts into the face of an older, heterosexual man (I assume he was with his wife - they were easily mid 50s) and Madonna getting absolutely nothing from him. I’ve seen statues move more.

[Zeph]

I think we have to assume that Avicii never finished production on the songs he did for Madonna and they remained in demo format. As great as Avicii Heart is, it’s still a demo and I can only assume is as far as it got before he had to withdraw from the project.

Where he has production credits on the album, I think it’s more a courtesy than anything - someone else clearly came in and did the bulk of the work in terms of the final production.

Personally I find it such a shame we never got the whole album produced by him, because they were on the right path and I think it would have been very special. Interestingly, Guy Oseary is the one who suggest Madonna work with him - not such a bad idea from a supposedly terrible manager

Hmm...Madonna has always been on the look out for new flavors, sounds and DJ’s. After all that’s where she started, the club scene. But it’s actually comforting to hear at least one good thing Guy (somewhat) achieved in guiding her to work with Avicii. Unfortunately he failed miserably in protecting the album. He let down his guard...

[Artoo]

The reason I didn’t include Queen because it gives me an impression that Madonna has realized she is losing her relevance in a society that gages and then suddenly limits success due to age. Suddenly she is realizing that Midas touch is fading.. providence, no evidence. If included, it should’ve closed the album.

Agreed. There’s certain things Madonna doesn’t seem to want touch upon on in her music, and she never releases songs where she relinquishes her power - there’s literally one or two in her entire catalogue.

The ones that come to mind are One More Chance, Heartbreak City and Joan of Arc. The original leaked version of ‘I ****ed Up’ ended with the lyric ‘I wish I could have you back maybe one day’ and she added ‘... or not’ to the final version.

Even the leaked version of HBC had a final lyric - ‘... and I still feel shitty’ which was removed I assume to stop her appearing weak in her movement of vulnerability.

[Artoo]

Hmm...Madonna has always been on the look out for new flavors, sounds and DJ’s. After all that’s where she started, the club scene. But it’s actually comforting to hear at least one good thing Guy (somewhat) achieved in guiding her to work with Avicii.

I know that’s the popular opinion, but Madonna hasn’t done that in decades. The last time she really went after a DJ was Orbit in 1998. Mirwais submitted a demo to Maverick (which was also brought to Madonna by Guy), Stuart was already part of Madonna’s band and everyone else she’s worked with since have been known names - Timbaland, Danja, Oakenfold, Benassi, Solveig, Avicii, Diplo etc.

[Zeph]

Her attachment to Diplo is interesting; Madonna definitely was into Stuart Price until someone on her team had an affair with him. Seems like she’s looking for love and apparently.....is still feeling things out.

[Zeph]

I know that’s the popular opinion, but Madonna hasn’t done that in decades. The last time she really went after a DJ was Orbit in 1998. Mirwais submitted a demo to Maverick (which was also brought to Madonna by Guy), Stuart was already part of Madonna’s band and everyone else she’s worked with since have been known names - Timbaland, Danja, Oakenfold, Benassi, Solveig, Avicii, Diplo etc.

It just seems that once Guy achieved the relevance in the industry he’s been pursuing ever since dating Freddy DeMann’s daughter in Bev Hills HS just to get introduced to him and then become his assistant, his effort and focus on M became less and less a priority along with Madonna’s lack of desire to do anything in the first place. When M was his sole source of $$ or cash cow, as they say, he was on top of things. When he got the keys to the castle/industry and became Mr Big Shot, that scheming kid she spoke of in her R&R HOF induction speech was now a high level exec who generating money from more avenues and the focus on M fell on the back burner. Nobody is denying she is difficult or a perfectionist or an amazing businesswoman. I just believe some lines were blurred to their close relationship and her career took a hit as a result.

[BodyShop]

I listened to Avicii's demos for WAOM and Rebel Heart now for the first time and I'm shocked at how amazing they are.
Now wondering how fantastic Rebel Heart (the album) would've been had it been produced by Avicii ...

[Mpol]

My MDNA revised list from that thread:

If I were to redo the album and tweak some songs, this is what I would have done. I think it could have been a great album. The below track list takes you on the theme of darkness to light, a theme she played with on her tour. The album suffers in its first half, being filled with absolute cheese. I would have taken some of the EDM production out and used the kalican trio and a more instrumental production, much like we saw in the amazing tour where many of these songs came to life, laced with electronic elements.

My MDNA track list would have been:

1. Intro (Act of Contrition)
2. Girl Gone Wild (using the dance break from the tour)
3. Gang Bang
4. Beautiful Killer (lead single)
5. Love Spent
6. Best Friend (using the heavier crunchy production seen on your)
7. I’m A Sinner (using the Kalican trio outro from tour)
8. I ****ed Up
9. I’m Addicted
10. Masterpiece
11. Falling Free

[RayRay]

Those are my 26 favorite songs of the Rebel Heart era:

Addicted (The One That Got Away)
Alone With You - Demo
Beautiful Scars - Demo
Borrowed Time
Freedom - Demo
Ghosttown
God Is Love - Demo
Graffiti Heart
HeartBreakCity
Heaven - Demo
Iconic - without rap
Inside Out
Joan Of Arc
Living For Love
Devil Pray - Demo
Messiah
Never Let You Go
Nothing Lasts Forever
Rebel Heart - Demo
Revolution
Tragic Girl - Demo
Two Steps Behind Me - Demo
Veni Vidi Vici
Wash All Over Me - Demo
Wash All Over Me
Queen

[Mpol]

Hard Candy needed to be titled Sticky and Sweet and really have a contrast between the moody darker Timberland production vs the Pharelle sweet plush sounds.

My revised Hard Candy track list:

1. 4 Minutes (with extended horn intro as seen on demo)
2. Across the Sky
3. Latte
4. Beat Goes On
5. Dance 2Nite
6. Heartbeat (tweak the verses to get them up to the level of the chorus and include the awesome rock outro from the tour)
7. Candy Shop (again Pharelle needed to amp up the verses, those tribal drums could have been so slick of being more of a feature)
8. Give It To Me (horn synths in the final chorus need to be used throughout the entire song they are an ear worm. Also beef up that first verse again!)
9. She’s Not Me
10. Miley Away
11. Devil Wouldn’t Recognise You
12. Voices

Again, another great little pop album.

[Artoo]

Hard Candy needed to be titled Sticky and Sweet and really have a contrast between the moody darker Timberland production vs the Pharelle sweet plush sounds.

My revised Hard Candy track list:

1. 4 Minutes (with extended horn intro as seen on demo)
2. Across the Sky
3. Latte
4. Beat Goes On
5. Dance 2Nite
6. Heartbeat (tweak the verses to get them up to the level of the chorus and include the awesome rock outro from the tour)
7. Candy Shop (again Pharelle needed to amp up the verses, those tribal drums could have been so slick of being more of a feature)
8. Give It To Me (horn synths in the final chorus need to be used throughout the entire song they are an ear worm. Also beef up that first verse again!)
9. She’s Not Me
10. Miley Away
11. Devil Wouldn’t Recognise You
12. Voices

Again, another great little pop album.

That’s a horrid track listing

[Artoo]

I listened to Avicii's demos for WAOM and Rebel Heart now for the first time and I'm shocked at how amazing they are.
Now wondering how fantastic Rebel Heart (the album) would've been had it been produced by Avicii ...

How have you never heard them? I swear Avicii Heart gets mentioned here every month

[Mpol]

My Rebel Heart revised track list. I feel this album was quality it just needed to use the right demos and I’m taking her idea of splitting in two and splitting it into three (a little like Chromatica).

1. Love Manifesto (intro used in promotional performances)
2. Living For Love
3. Rebel Heart (Avicii version)
4. Wash All Over Me (Avicii version)

5. Veni Vedi Vici Interlude Part 1 (splice up the song and turn it into an interlude. Part 1 to include verse 1)
6. Devil Prey (prairie demo version with elements of final production)
7. Unapologetic Bitch
8. Inside Out
9. Body Shop
10. Best Night

11. Veni Vesi Vici Interlude Part 2 (includes second verse)
12. Ghost Town
13. Heartbreak City
14. Messiah
15. Joan Of Arc
16. Beautiful Scars

[Mpol]

That’s a horrid track listing

You have no taste it’s fine.

[Forreal]

My MDNA track list would have been:

1. Intro (Act of Contrition)
2. Girl Gone Wild (using the dance break from the tour)
3. Gang Bang
4. Beautiful Killer (lead single)
5. Love Spent
6. Best Friend (using the heavier crunchy production seen on your)
7. I’m A Sinner (using the Kalican trio outro from tour)
8. I ****ed Up
9. I’m Addicted
10. Masterpiece
11. Falling Free

I m loving your track list

[Mpol]

How have you never heard them? I swear Avicii Heart gets mentioned here every month

Also when those demos were released they weren’t that popular. They only grew with love as the final version was released.

[BodyShop]

How have you never heard them? I swear Avicii Heart gets mentioned here every month

I know but I swear ,I never really cared.
tbh back in 2015 I think I listened to a small part of his version for RH but didn't pay much attention to it. I did love the final version when the album was released
The only other demos I've listened to are Queen (which I love and sou da like a finished version) and 2 steps behind me.
Through the years,I saw so many different opinions about the demos that whenever I see someone talking about them, I just roll my eyes and think "uh not this again" lol But as you do talk so passionately about "Avicii Heart" I decided to go listen to it on yt

[spiritboy]

Avicii Heart is the best thing she has done in the last decade, it could've been a decent sized hit in UK & Europe.

[Artoo]

You have no taste it’s fine.

I mean. You want a song called 4 Minutes to be extended