Madonna – MDNA

MDNA is Madonna’s twelfth studio album, and the first since 2008’s Hard Candy. Anticipation has been high for MDNA, particularly after the singer’s widely praised performance at this year’s Super Bowl XLVI half time show, which scored a record audience of 114 million. Lead single Give Me All Your Luvin’, featuring Nicki Minaj and M.I.A., became Madonna’s record-extending 38th top 10 single in the United States, whilst the music video for latest single Girl Gone Wild, a throwback to the singer’s Erotica days, has been banned on open view on YouTube due to sexually explicit content. Needless to say, this has all generated a huge amount of publicity for the singer’s latest album. Early reviews of the record were glowing, with Billboard referring to it as ‘sheer brilliance’. So, does it live up to the hype? In short, yes. MDNA is an eclectic album, full of dance tracks practically made for summer, pop songs and reflective ballads. Whilst perhaps not as strong as earlier albums, such as Ray of Light or Like A Virgin, MDNA is a solid album that reestablishes Madonna alongside her contemporaries.

Girl Gone Wild – The opening track of the album. Girl Gone Wild is a catchy dance track – produced by Benny Benassi – that is polarising opinion from critics. Its subsequent visual, banned from YouTube, is reminiscent of Justify My Love, which was banned from MTV in 1990.

Gang Bang – Potentially the most controversial track on MDNA, Gang Bang is also a highlight of the album. Sinister and mechanical, the beat is similar to that of Lady GaGa’s standout track Government Hooker. Gang Bang features Madonna fantasising about murdering her love, concluding with a shocking final minute, including the singer yelling ‘I said drive bitch! / And while you’re at it, die bitch!’.

I’m Addicted – An instant dance-classic, I’m Addicted is similar to earlier Madonna songs, such as Get Together. The track features the rather cliché lyrical conceit of using drug addiction as a metaphor for love, yet the beat and overall composition of the song is very refreshing.

Turn Up The Radio – As the fourth track on MDNA, Turn Up The Radio is a summer anthem, with the ‘temperatures pounding’, that highlights music as a form of escapism when ‘the world starts to get you down’.

Give Me All Your Luvin’ – The lead single from MDNA. The cheerleader-style song was performed at Madonna’s half time show at this year’s Super Bowl, and found moderate success in the United States due to its throwback sound, reminding some critics of Madonna’s compositions in the 1980s. Give Me All Your Luvin’ failed to chart successfully in the United Kingdom, however, due to a promotion where the track was given away free with pre-orders for the album.

Some Girls – The track, produced by William Orbit, the man responsible for Madonna’s global hit Ray of Light, is another dance song, and one of the most unique compositions on the album.

Superstar – Described by one critic as an ‘obvious’ choice for the next single, Superstar is once again a song made for summer. Content-wise, the track sees Madonna using hyperbole to express her feelings about love, with lyrics such as ‘You’re like Brando on the silver screen / You’re my hero in a mythical dream’, even including a reference to Julius Caesar later in the song.

I Don’t Give A… – As we enter the second half of the album, we encounter I Don’t Give A…, an album highlight. Featuring an excellent verse from Nicki Minaj, the track sees Madonna contemplating relationships (and her marriage to Guy Ritchie), featuring lyrics such as ‘I tried to be your wife / Diminished myself, and swallowed my light’.

I’m A Sinner – Another exemplary track on MDNA, I’m A Sinner is reminiscent of songs from Ray of Light. An upbeat and carefree composition, the track features an unexpected religious interlude halfway through.

Love Spent – Drawing parallels between romance and money, Love Spent opens on a Spanish-themed note (echoing Hard Candy’s Spanish Lesson), and features a pounding chorus with the lyrics ‘Hold me like your money / Tell me that you want me / Spend your love on me’.

Masterpiece – The penultimate track of MDNA, Masterpiece is a Golden Globe-winning song that was featured on Madonna’s directorial debut W.E.. The song is a mid-tempo ballad that sees the singer comparing her lover to a ‘work of art’.

Falling Free – The final song on the standard edition of the album. The track opens with a piano, with the vocals being recorded in near-acoustic fashion. ‘When I move a certain way / I feel an ache I kept at bay’, Madonna sings, remarking ‘Deep and pure, our hearts align / And then I’m free, I’m free of mine’. Falling Free, a romantic ballad, draws the album to a close with the lyrics ‘I let loose the need to know / Then we’re both free, free to go’.

The deluxe edition of the album features six additional songs, including an excellent remix of Give Me All Your Luvin’, courtesy of LMFAO.