Rebel Heart

The one thing I've admired about Madonna is her ability too drop her crown, know it, then pick it up & place it back on her head. After that horrid MDNA, she has done just that. Madonna has done at least 2 things. Written some thought-provoking songs & taken some much needed voice lessons. She sounds good vocally on this project. Stand-out Tracks 1. Living for love. A potentially strong first single. This is a nice throwback song. With a old-school house feel to it. I really like the remix by Offer Nissim. It has that 90's deep Chicago house music sound. 2. Devil Pray. A song about drugs, religion & the ability to make someone has powerful as the devil, actually pray. I love the hook. 3. Ghosttown. Personally I think this is by far the best song. Madonna sounds very good vocally. It's about Armageddon & two souls being left on earth. Great Video! 5. Illuminati. This song is by far the most controversial for obvious reasons. With many people believing she is a part of this secret society that allegedly worships greed, fame, human sacrifices & the devil, Madonna of course, decides to do what she does best, stir the pot & get people talking {about her of course}, lml. I don't believe Madonna is affiliated, but she sure wants u to ponder the possibility! It does make for a good song with a hot club beat. I like this one a lot. 6. Bitch, I'm Madonna. At Madonna's mature age, she shouldn't be singing a song like this, but she doesn't care. This song is def a club banger with a hot beat. I must say I do like it. 7. Hold Tight. I love the hook on this song. 9. Iconic. There are many different elements to this song. It sounds pop, then EDM & then R&B. I like that & the rap by Chance the Rapper is cool. 10. Heartbreak City. This song is about a relationship that has ended badly. Great song. Madonna sounds good singing this & I like that background chorus. 11. Body Shop. This is the most eclectic song Madonna has on the cd. I like the sped-up way she sings it. 12. Holy Water. Nasty ass song...Madonna mixing Sex & religion {what a shocker!}. This song is HOT I must say. Love the "Vogue" sample. "Bless yourself in genuflect, Yeezus loves my P***Y best" 13. Inside Out. This song is about exposing oneself flaws. It has a nice R&B sound. Love it. 15. Best night. Madonna promises to make u feel like u never did before. A nice R&B flow... I love the "Justify My Love" sample. One of my favorite songs. 16. Veni Vidi Vici. She reflects on her early days. She has a nice rap flow throughout the song & Nas murder's his part. 17. S.E.X. Self-explanatory. {The demo version is better} 18 .Messiah. I nice ballot with nice vocal & musical arrangements. {The demo version is better} Rebel Heart isn't as good as Hard Candy, but it's an definite upgrade from MDNA.With much hype about the leakage of the songs, Madonna promoted Rebel Heart massively & it only reached #2 on the chart. Obviously the leak from 3 months ago hurt her sales. And some fans didn't support. That's unfortunate... If u are a Madonna fan, then u will most likely enjoy this cd. It's Hot!! I originally gave the cd 4 stars, but after listening 2 it again. Several songs grew on me. I had 2 change it to 5 stars!!

I've been a Madonna fan for her entire career. Remember hearing "Holiday" in junior high school. Then "Material Girl" and "Dress You Up," songs that defined an era. I bought every album and saw her on tour a couple times, and those performances got the adrenaline pumping, to be sure. The story of "Rebel Heart" is much different than prior Madonna releases. The entire album leaked, at least the demo versions, and after a show-stopping performance at the Grammys, Madonna did something she had never done before on a major stage: she fell. Of course, it was not her fault; she was unable to untie the cord tying her magnificent cape quickly enough and when the dancers pulled on it to remove it in a dramatic gesture, the drama was all about Madonna being yanked from her perch atop a staircase to the floor. Since she is the consummate performer and is in great shape, she recovered gracefully and performed the rest of the song. I thought the drama surrounding MDNA set an insurmountable bar, but I was wrong. The preface for "Rebel Heart" attains controversial heights that surprised me, a long-time fan inured, I would think, to such shocks. Onto the album itself: first and foremost, the super deluxe version IS the version to buy. 25 tracks, including two fantastic remixes of "Living for Love." The packaging is unlike any other double album I've purchased -- lots of glorious photos as you reach in to retrieve the discs. I've bought every single Madonna album. I have NEVER been so pleasantly excited (or surprised) by the contents. With prior albums, I had 5 or 6 songs that truly spoke to me, songs that I listened to over and over again. Madonna, with this album, decided to package two albums with two distinct flavors: vanilla (the ballads) and chocolate (the chunky hip-hop, dance, reggae tracks). In the end, you receive two albums, which is a gift, really. Many reviewers say this is the best album since "Confessions" or "Music" or "Ray of Light." They are wrong. This is the best thing she's released. EVER. I own every album, but I love more than dozen songs from this one, which is something I can't say for any other album. This should get nominated for Record of the Year at the Grammys, it's that good. Standouts: Living for Love Devil Pray Ghost-town Unapologetic Bitch (fantastic!) Iconic Joan of Arc (delicate ballad addressing bullying, which could apply to many vulnerable teens and supply inspiration and courage) Hold Tight (reminds me of Ellie Goulding) Heartbreak City (WOW!!!) Body Shop (amazing song that Dolly Parton could have sung, but Madonna is the magical voice here, such a mesmerizing tune, like nothing she's written before) Inside Out (sounds like a dark Depeche Mode song, with sophisticated lyrics) Veni, Vidi, Vicci ("I came, I saw, I conquered) Madonna, Empress, revisits her catalogue of 38 top 10 hits S.E.X. (the song Madonna would have written during the Erotica era if censors had not been so vigilant) Beautiful Scars (her gift to long-time fans who purchase the deluxe edition, as this song sounds like something that could have graced the disco floors in the late 70s) Addicted (fantastic Avicci collaboration) My pet peeve is that I would have liked the Avicci version of "Wash All Over Me." The demo, which is a dance track, would have offset a ballad/mid-tempo heavy album. Avicci's version is THUMPING, and it would have enhanced an already fantastic album, had it been featured. Again, I own all of Madonna's albums. I've seen her on tour several times. This is the album of her career. Absolutely magnificent. It's an album I already know I'll listen to ten years from now.

It's hard to believe that 32 years after she arrived on the scene, Madonna, the Queen of Pop, is still in this crazy game with another Masterpiece. No pun intended. Her 13th studio album, "Rebel Heart" is everything Madonna is to me. I feel that it encompasses what we all fell in love with about her in the first place so many years ago: her hooks, her depth, her superficiality, her fun, her originality, her voyeurism, her irony, her beats, and her uncanny sense of what a good song should sound like. I think this album has something for everyone...hardcore fans or casual fans alike. I like that, once again, Madonna is progressive in sound and doesn't stick to one formula on this album. Some critics have applauded the diversity of the album, while others claim it isn't cohesive enough. I, however, appreciate the variety she offers on this gem. Like others have stated, she originally wanted a 2-disc album containing her more rambunctious songs, "the Rebel" on one disc, and her more personal songs, "the Heart" on the other disc. I think the formula she chose still works and highlights her range. Some songs sound like they could be remixes, again, something Madonna was a pioneer in. She has always been adamant about releasing remixes of her songs since the beginning of her career, and that translates well into some of the songs on "Rebel Heart" (i.e. 'Devil Pray', 'Illuminati', 'Hold Tight') and she also sticks to her classic pop-song formula with other songs (i.e. 'Ghosttown', 'Joan of Arc', 'Rebel Heart') I've found that this album gives you options. If you want to hear club-inspired-fun-songs, they're here. If you're feeling reflective, it gives you that option also. It also offers uplifting songs, several ballads, and something for those feeling provocative. I think Madonna proves that she is still on top of her game with this album. "Rebel Heart" experiments with different sounds, different styles, different topics, yet, Madonna makes them all her own so it doesn't sound extraneous. She is truly an artist and this album exceeded all my expectations. Favorites: Veni Vidi Vici (EPIC song with Nas and I can't get enough of her throwbacks to explain her story) Hold Tight, Ghosttown, Iconic, Wash All Over Me, Joan of Arc, Unapologetic B**ch, Body Shop) Also, I suggest getting the Super-Deluxe Edition of this album. 23 songs in total and 2 remixes of 'Living for Love'. My only complaint is that she chose not to add her songs 'Queen' and 'Autotune Baby' to the original concept. 'Queen' is an amazing song and I'd prefer it over a remix on this addition.

Quite frankly, this is one of Madonna's best albums EVER! This woman never ceases to amaze me. How is it possible that SO long into her career she can churn out such a quality product? It's usually the reverse with artists that have been around for a long time. What strikes me most about the songs on Rebel Heart are the amazing and honest, clean melodies present, the poignant lyrics written, and the power and emotion with which Madonna sings. She hasn't sounded this good in a long time. Like fine wine, she keeps getting better and better. For those who claim she's not as good as she used to be, or that "her old stuff is better," they just haven't given her a chance and are going along with whatever bandwagon they feel comfortable with. My favorites on the album are: Ghosttown, Devil Pray, Inside Out, Veni Vidi Vici, B*tch I'm Madonna, Unapologetic B*tch, Rebel Heart, Wash All Over Me, Joan of Arc, Beautiful Scars and Best Night. But, the album is FULL of great songs that are all very diverse. You're BOUND to like something off of it. That showcases Madonna's incredible diversity in her talent. Songs that I, personally, don't like are: S.E.X., Holy Water, Iconic; and most of the songs on the 2nd/bonus CD w/the exception of the great Beautiful Scars. However, this is just my humble opinion and you just might love the ones I dislike, and dislike the ones I love. That's what's great about this album. There are 24 songs to enjoy and choose from! Another very minor disappointing thing about the album, in my opinion, is its sequencing. I'm not a fan of the order in which the songs are played. Fortunately, that's very easy to fix on your smartphone. I just made my own playlist of it in the order in which I think the songs flow best. All in all, however, this ranks up there with Madonna's top 5 best albums. The songs are great, are created in such away that they can be either performed in an all-out, lavish production way, or in a stripped-down, acoustic guitar way. The melodies and lyrics are that strong! And, Madonna's voice is impressive and emotive. Get Rebel Heart. I am sure you'll enjoy it. :)

No Madonna review would be complete for me without a little personal Madonna history. I was 10 years old in 1983 when Madonna made her first big splash on MTV (and radio) with "Holiday", "Borderline" and "Lucky Star". I was watching (as an 11 year old with my parents) the first MTV Music Video Awards show in September 1984 when Madonna came bursting out of that wedding cake, writhing on the floor and exposing her under extremities--all with a smile, and making me sink with embarrassment into my chair (remember my parents were watching, too!) Then the video for "Like A Virgin", "Material Girl", "Dress You Up" and the song "Angel" (was there a video for that one? I don't remember seeing it.) 1985 brought "Crazy For You" from the "Vision Quest" soundtrack and "Into The Groove" from the "Desperately Seeking Susan" soundtrack. 1986 brought a shock for me--"Live To Tell" from the "At Close Range" soundtrack with her then-husband, Sean Penn. I think it was that song that changed my opinion (teenage opinion!) about her as an artist. Then came "Papa Don't Preach", "True Blue", "Open Your Heart" and "La Isla Bonita". 1987 saw "Who's That Girl?" from the "Who's That Girl?" soundtrack. "Causing A Commotion" was 1988 if I remember right. But, then came the major change--1989's "Like A Prayer". It was that album that really made me reconsider actually buying a piece of music from Madonna. I think I held off, because I chose to buy "The Immaculate Collection" in 1990 instead. Long story short, I bought "Like A Prayer" before "Erotica" emerged, and I have bought every album since, through thick or thin. I went back and bought "Madonna", "Like A Virgin" and "True Blue" at some point, and now, thanks to digital downloading, I have all the stray singles like "This Use To Be My Playground", "I'll Remember", "You Must Love Me", "Beautiful Stranger", etc. Before listening to "Rebel Heart", I prepared myself by diving headlong into Madonna's catalogue, starting with "Madonna" and working my way up to "Rebel Heart". I am always re-evaluating Madonna's catalogue, and this time I felt that her 80's albums all sounded pretty thin and weak compared to her later works. Perhaps it's time for someone to digitally re-master those albums with deluxe packaging and two discs--one the original album, and a second disc of b-sides, unreleased tracks, demos and live cuts--that would be nice for the fans. Now, I thought 2005's "Confessions On A Dance Floor" and 2008's "Hard Candy" to be rather average despite what any reviewers or fans felt. Those two albums don't have what "MDNA" and now "Rebel Heart" have--hooks! Yes, hooks, those things that make a song truly memorable. There's plenty here since this deluxe edition (red cover) basically gives you 23 tracks plus two remixes. But, let's not forget 2012's "MDNA" which should have made a bigger splash than it did. That album was just a warm up for "Rebel Heart", but a very good one. How shall I break down "Rebel Heart"? First, as you know if you read my reviews, 23 tracks is going to be too long, and some editing is in order. So, which tracks would I delete, you might ask? Well, "Unapologetic Bitch", "Illuminati" and "Bitch, I'm Madonna" are my first three choices as they're all rather annoying after repeated listening. And dare I add, that I, as a grown man, actually bothered to think about 56 year old Madonna singing those silly songs at her age. The next cut might be "Heartbreak City", but that track has grown on me with each listen. The next cuts would be "Inside Out" and "Wash All Over Me" since neither of those two tracks does anything for me. After that, you get into bonus tracks (because the 14 track version is the main version). So, the first five bonus tracks (on the deluxe version): I'd cut "Best Night", "S.E.X." and "Messiah". The next five bonus tracks (on the super deluxe red cover version): I'd cut the two pathetic remixes of "Living For Love" and also "Addicted". Thus, my five star version of "Rebel Heart" is as follows: 1. Living For Love 2. Devil Pray 3. Ghosttown 4. Hold Tight 5. Joan Of Arc 6. Iconic 7. Heartbreak City 8. Body Shop 9. Holy Water 10. Veni Vidi Vici 11. Rebel Heart 12. Beautiful Scars 13. Borrowed Time 14. Graffiti Heart I think some of the best tracks here are "Ghosttown", "Devil Pray", "Living For Love", "Rebel Heart", "Graffiti Heart", "Holy Water" and "Joan Of Arc". There really should be several Top 40 hits here, but you know, the public is fickle, and they'd rather hear the next Taylor Swift song instead. I'll stick with my Madonna, thanks. So, if you're wondering how "Rebel Heart" might stack up to her earlier works, well then, look no further: 1983 Madonna: Two and a Half Stars 1984 Like A Virgin: Three Stars 1986 True Blue: Three and a Half Stars 1989 Like A Prayer: Four Stars 1992 Erotica: Three and a Half Stars 1994 Bedtime Stories: Two and a Half Stars 1998 Ray Of Light: Four Stars 2000 Music: Four Stars 2003 American Life: Four Stars 2005 Confessions On A Dance Floor: Three Stars 2008 Hard Candy: Three Stars 2012 MDNA: Four Stars 2015 Rebel Heart: Four Stars

This is the version of this album to get. It's about 23 tracks of awesome sounding tunes on this Super Deluxe 2 disc set. I put it right up there with the "Confessions on a Dance Floor" album. I love every track on these two discs except for two songs, "Illuminati" and "B*** I'm Madonna." Other than those two, every track has an awesome sound, great melody, lyrics and the whole package. By the time I was on track 11, I thought, "Wow just about every song is great!" There are many moving songs that are reminiscent of the Ray of Light/Music era, but updated. These are stand out tracks that are included in the Super Deluxe version which is the version to get. For an artist to have 15 great songs on an album is pretty rare. This double disc has it with heart opening songs such as "Devil Pray", "Ghosttown", "Hold Tight", "Joan of Arc", "Iconic", "Heartbreak City", "Body Shop", "Inside Out", "Wash All Over Me", "Messiah", "Rebel Heart", "Beautiful Scars", "Borrowed Time, "Addicted" and "Graffiti Heart". It's fantastic to not only hear some good new music for a change, but from Madonna as well. She does manage to throw in some filler tracks that sound like the godawful music of today such as, "Illuminati' and "B****, I'm Madonna" , but that's only 2 out of 23 which is pretty awesome by today's standards where you're lucky to have a few good songs on an album.

Here's my brief (as possible) rundown of the album now that's it had time to really settle in: Living For Love - 4/5 Great song with a nice message, sets the tone for the album - some of the lines are really great, and in light of the fall seen round the world at the Brits, this song took on even more special meaning .. no matter what knocks you down, you can get up again. As a lead single, it's not bad, but it's also not a song you instantly love that gets stuck in your head. This one takes time to fully appreciate. Still, if the leaks hadn't happened and this album had been released as planned, I'm pretty certain this would have been a hit - maybe not #1 or even top #10, but I think it would have done well. It was kind of doomed from the start, unfortunately. Devil Pray - 5/5 Quintessential Madonna tune .. love it! Loved this instantly and still love it just as much today. It's also got that special Madonna touch - I can't imagine anyone other than her putting this song out - it's kind of weird, it's kind of folksy electronic (think Don't Tell Me and parts of American Life). Not sure how this would perform as a single, but I still want it released. It's screaming for an epic video. Ghosttown 4/5 Initially, I really loved this song - it screams big hit. It also stands up well to other big Madonna ballads. I think what others have said is very true - if this song had been put out by Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, etc, it would have been massive. W/out the leaks and with a stronger performing lead single, who knows how this might have impacted the charts? I still like it, but I don't find myself going back to it as much as other tracks. I can actually see other pop stars pulling this song off, which is part of the problem. For whatever reason, it doesn't stand up as a song I can only see M putting out. Still, great song - and great to see her put out a ballad. Unapologetic Bitch - 3/5 I love the reggae feel - the Diplo production is very forward-thinking and enjoyable. Over time, however, this song doesn't do it for me as much as others. I'm not a huge fan of the lyrics or vocal delivery. Still, not bad. Illuminati - 4/5 One of the biggest surprises for me - I'm not sure what I was expecting when I first heard she was going to have a song called Illuminati (I actually rolled my eyes) .. but, I love this track. It's weird and dark and dancy and fun. Great production too. You gotta love all the name-dropping as well (Jay Z and Beyonce, Kanye, Gaga, Obama, etc). I love that she's playing with the idea of the Illuminati and sort of turning it on its head. Bitch I'm Madonna - 4/5 The song itself isn't deep - it's a fun party song that will get you dancing. Taken in context of Madonna's life at the moment, this song (and video) is a statement. I see it as a big F*ck You to anyone trying to box her into a corner (you're too old to do that, why are you still putting music out, why are you trying to act young, etc). I'm not always a fan of the guest raps, but I like Nicki's contribution here. The production is also great. I know it grates on some people's nerves, but I really love the weird sawing sounds towards the end. This song is a treat and will be great live. Hold Tight - 5/5 Loved it from the first listen and still love it now - there's something so romantic and warm about this track. I actually like this better than Ghosttown at the moment and think it could be a great single. In ways, it reminds me of Rain - her voice is just so inviting in this track. Joan Of Arc - 4/5 This is one of the tracks that I would have initially rated as one of the best, but, for whatever reason, I don't find myself going back to it as much as others. I do think it's strong, and I like the vulnerability. It's also a great commentary on the age of the internet and how what we put out there has consequences, good and bad. Iconic - 3/5 I wasn't a huge fan of this one initially, but it's grown on me. The Mike Tyson opening is odd .. and something only Madonna could pull off. The rap from Chance the Rapper is also good. I might like this one more when I see what's done with it live, whether it be a performance or video interlude. HeartBreakCity - 4/5 A lot of fans love this song - it's grown on me, but isn't one of my favorites. Lyrically, it's pretty solid - great breakup song. Body Shop - 5/5 This is a great track with a wonderful middle eastern flair. Again, when I first heard that she would have a song called Body Shop, I rolled my eyes and couldn't imagine liking it ... well, I was wrong. This is a cute, flirty song that reminds me of True Blue in ways. There's an innocent charm. The production is good too (minus the weird volume thing). Holy Water - 5/5 for sure! I love this song. Call me crazy, but I think it's one of the most interesting tracks here - I think it's one of the most intriguing songs Madonna has ever put out. Everything about this song is a home run for me. I'm obsessed with it and haven't tired of it one bit. Bless yourself and genuflect!! Oh, and that Vogue sample is perfect. It really shouldn't work as well as it does. Inside Out - 5/5 Another highlight - this is a great song - sexy, dark, almost industrial production - I wouldn't change a thing about this song. When I first heard it, I was really surprised that it was a Madonna song - something about the production reminds me a little of Closer by Nine Inch Nails (believe it or not). This one could make for a great single and video. I hope to at least see it live during her upcoming Rebel Heart Tour. Wash All Over Me - 4/5 Great lyrics, but there's something slightly lacking about this track for me. I prefer the album version to the dance version that initially leaked, but I can't help but feel like they didn't take this song far enough. It's hard to describe, but it falls just a little short. It's like it should be an epic track, but it doesn't quite get there. Still, a definite highlight. Some of the best lyrics of the album. Best Night - 4/5 Love this song! This one is very sensual, the production is great - and the Justify My Love samples are amazing. I could see this doing well as a single. Veni Vidi Vici - 4/5 Great retrospective on Madonna's career - and the chorus is so nice. She sort of raps/speaks much of the song, dropping lines from many of her old hits to sum up her career. The Nas rap is great too. S.E.X. - 4/5 I know many people don't like this song, but it has enough going for it to satisfy me. The dark production is great. It's a song I can't imagine anyone else putting out. The weird chant of random things with her lispy grillz voice is fantastic. I like that she took a chance with this song. Messiah - 5/5 This is probably one of my favorite songs by Madonna ever - period. Amazing lyrics, amazing production - the religious metaphors, the sadness, the somber vocal delivery - everything works. I lump this together with Wash All Over Me - although I think this is the better track. It harkens back to the Like a Prayer days for sure. It's a mysterious track that no one else could pull off with as much passion. Rebel Heart - 4/5 There's a lot of talk about which is better - the album version or the leaked, more dance-oriented version. I don't think they're all that different, really. I'm happy with the album version, although I wish it was a little longer. This is Madonna looking back on her life - deciding that she's right where she's supposed to be and glad she took the road less traveled. Even though it's Madonna reflecting on her life, the message is universal. Beautiful Scars - 4/5 I like this song, which has some of the best lyrics of the entire album. I know some fans hate the final version, but I love it. It's sort of a ballad with a strong disco flair. Borrowed Time - 3/5 Not a bad track, and probably one of her better "message" songs, but it's not a real standout for me. Still, it's nice to have as a bonus. Addicted - 4/5 I think a lot of people love this - not sure why. It reminds me of Heartbreak City - neither are bad songs, but I think there are far better tracks. Madonna had a song called 'I'm Addicted' on her last album, MDNA - I think I'm Addicted is far better (granted, they're not really comparable other than similarities in titles). Graffiti Heart - 4/5 Of the last 3 bonus tracks, I prefer this one. It's a 80s throwback in ways - I love that Madonna writes about some of her old artist friends like Keith Haring and Basquiat. This song really honors them and their contribution to the art world. Overall, I rate Rebel Heart as a 5/5 album. There really is something for everyone here. I understand the criticism of it not being cohesive - the very random track order was jarring at first, but I look at it differently now. It just seems like a great collection of songs - Madonna gives us dance, she gives us something deep, she gives us something weird and unexpected, she gives us strong ballads , etc. This album really should have been a bigger hit than it has been. It's her best work since Music as far as I'm concerned - certainly her best album out of her last three. No one can accuse M of phoning it in this time around .. she comes off as newly inspired and experimental, which I love. The sheer volume of tracks available is astonishing. There really are no stinkers in the bunch.

Perfect vinyl, I wish she would have included Beautiful Scars, Borrowed Time, Addicted, and Graffiti Heart on it tho