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Madonna news - June 2020
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A Dua Lipa and Madonna collaboration could be on the way
Source: NME - 30 June 2020"We're about to try and get Madonna on a record. I'm going to write the email and see if she's up for a track"
A team-up between Dua Lipa and Madonna could on the cards after the Queen of Pop was reportedly asked if she'd be interested in a collaboration.
In a new interview with Music Week, Lipa's manager Ben Mawson revealed how the '80s aesthetic of Dua's 'Future Nostalgia' album was influenced by Madonna's 'Confessions on a Dancefloor' – with both records featuring songs produced by Stuart Price.
When asked if Dua could emulate Madonna, Mawson responded: "Well it depends what you mean. She's definitely going to have a long career. She's definitely the complete pop star and obviously the album was heavily influenced by Madonna.
"In fact, we're about to try and get Madonna on a record. I'm going to write the email and see if she's up for a track."
He added: "Dua told me she aspired to be Madonna when I met her, when she was 17, and there was something about the way she said it that made me believe her! It was about her personality, her charisma, her competitiveness and her drive and that came across. Dua's got it all, so she's unlimited potential."
It is unclear whether Madonna has responded to the request.
Madonna's most political videos: from Like A Prayer to God Control
Source: Madonna - 28 June 2020Madonna continues to post political messages related to Black Lives Matter and anti-Trump. In a post this week, she referred to her Like A Prayer video, which was released more than 30 years ago, while discussing the same issues as today:
1. I depicted police brutality and an arrest of an innocent Black Man.
2. I went to a church to pray for justice and discovered a Black Saint
3. That Saint was crying-he had feelings
4. I kissed that Black Saint
5. I did my best to get him released from prison for a crime he did not commit.
Like A Prayer wasn't the only time Madonna used her voice to bring a political message across. Let's take a look at her most political messages.
Papa Don't Preach
Adoption is still a hot topic today, imagine how sensitive it was in 1986. When Madonna released Papa Don't Preach as 2nd single off the True Blue album, it revived the discussion surrounding the adoption debate. Those opposing abortion saw Madonna's message to "keep her baby" as a sign that Madonna too was opposing adoption. M herself said she didn't want the song to be used in the debate, and that it was only meant to "celebrate life".
American Life
Madonna's most controversial political video was for 2003's American Life. The original video denounced the role of the US in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. With a range of very violent war images, Madonna disapproved of the way then US president George Bush handled these wars. The video also shows Bush smooching with Iraq dictator Saddam Hussein.
The controversy surrounding the video caused Madonna to retract the video herself, issueing an apology and replacing it with another video showing nothing but herself in front of some flags. But the damage was done, ever since this incident most US radio stations followed a boycott on Madonna's music.
God Control
The most recent controversion politically charged video is of course the Jonas Akerlund-directed video for God Control. Even the title explains the problem: the US has a big problem with gun control, and God and religion plays an important role in it. A hot topic for decades: Gun violence, school shootings,... they've been a disturbing part of American life for too long and nothing is done about it.
While the God Control video makes references to the disco scene of Studio 54, it also depicts a shooting that reminds many of the catastrophic shooting at the Pulse night club in Orlando. It is very hard to watch and that was exactly the point Madonna and Akerlund wanted to make: if it bothers you, then do something about it! Wake up!
The God Control video also makes reference to the Like A Prayer video. Madonna is assaulted in the streets, just like the women in the LAP video was. There's also the reference of a crucifix seemingly crying blood.
Original Human Nature remixes now available on streaming platforms
Source: Madonna - 23 June 2020To celebrate the 25th anniversary of Human Nature's single release, its original remixes have now been made available on online streaming services, such as Spotify, Deezer, Apple Music and Youtube Music. Start listening today at https://lnk.to/humannature.
One year Madame X, the political album that warned us for 2020
Source: Mad-Eyes - 14 June 2020On this day one year ago, Madonna released her 14th studio album Madame X. It came after two months of teasers on social media and a promotion campaign unlike all the previous ones.
For this album, Madonna and her team threw overboard the traditional promo work that was no longer valid in the current music industry. The new era was kicked off by lead single 'Medellín', a duet with Colombian singer Maluma. The song was performed at the Billboard Music Awards, which used impressive technology to include holograms of Madame X's different personas.
After 'Medellín', several other songs were used for promotion, while it wasn't always clear if they were singles or not. There were impressive music videos for 'Crave', 'Dark Ballet', 'God Control' and 'Batuka'. Remix packages were made for 'Medellín', 'I Rise', 'Crave' and 'I Don't Search I Find', resulting in all of them reaching #1 in the Billboard Hot Dance chart.
After many years of following the industry trends of hip producers, Madonna returned to Mirwais, the mastermind behind the albums Music and American Life. Influenced by the many musicians and singers she met during her stay in Lisbon, Madonna made a collection of worldly songs, influenced by Fado, Morna, and Batuque. She sang parts in Portuguese and played with musicians from Cabo Verde. The result was a refreshing and innovative record with brand new sounds. After years of trying to break the radio ban due to her age, Madonna finally seemed to say "Fuck off! I'm just gonna make the music I want and inspire those who want to be." If I can speak for many fans, I full-heartedly concur she succeeded in this.
Like the other Mirwais produced album American Life, Madame X turned out as a very political album. 'God Control' and 'I Rise' talk about the problem of gun violence in the US, 'Killers Who Are Partying' sympathizes with the problems faced by many minorities, and 'Future' paints a somber image of the future, because "Not everyone is learning from the past, not everyone can come into the future." For the performance of that last song at the Eurovion Song Contest we saw dancers wearing gas masks.
Looking back at this performance and the many political messages from the 2020 perspective puts the album in a different light. Some will argue that Madonna warned us, for the epidemic, for the protests against police brutality. Protests to which Madonna has been participating herself in the past few days. Would the album have been viewed differently had it been released today? Perhaps. But if it can make some of us think about the things we can change to make a better world, Madonna has succeeded in her attempt.
Madonna honours Pulse, Pride Month and Black Trans Lives Matter
Source: Insta - 13 June 2020In the past few days, Madonna has gone in full activist mode. After marching with the Black Lives Matter movement in London and L.A., she posted several videos on her social media channels about the battle, including interviews with Muhamed Ali, Harry Belafonte and Trevor Noah, as well as anti-Trump documentaries.
With the start of Pride Month and the 4th anniversary of the Pulse massacre, Madonna has combined the BLM movement with the issues in the queer community in a series of Instagram stories.
After posting a selfie in a Versace rainbow outfit with the hashtag #pridemonth, Madonna continued with posts to commemorate the Pulse massacre in 2016.
Madonna also highlighted a group that is too often overlooked: the many black trans victims. In a series of posts, she told the story of Dominique "Rem'mie" Fells and Riah Milton, two black trans women who have been murdered in the past 24 hours.
Madonna joins L.A. protests to oust District Attorney Jackie Lacey
Source: LA Mag - 12 June 2020Just days after she attended a Black Lives Matter protest in London (on crutches, no less), Madonna shared a photo of herself protesting outside L.A. City Hall on Wednesday. Flanked by Black Lives Matter international ambassador Janaya Khan and Insecure actor and activist Kendrick Sampson, the pop superstar joined activists calling for District Attorney Jackie Lacey's ouster.
In a caption she wrote,
"Every Weds for the last few years Black Lives Matter LA, has gathered in front of City Hall to demand the resignation of D.A. Jackie Lacey and to grieve with mothers mourning the loss of their children to police brutality. I urge you to join them next Wed. And every Wed. I did today and had the honor of meeting these two compelling and impassioned activists…I cried for two hours feeling the anguish of the mothers who spoke but at the same time I saw hope in the leaders of this generation."
Seeing Lacey go has been a rallying cry for Black Lives Matter activists long before the recent George Floyd protests, but since his death, the push has gotten more forceful. BLM reports that during Lacey's tenure as DA, more than 400 people have been killed by L.A. law enforcement; just one LAPD officer has been charged by her office.
In March, when BLM activists visited Lacey's home to confront her, the DA's husband pulled a gun on them.
Madonna attends Black Lives Matter protest in London on crutches
Source: NME - 7 June 2020Madonna attended a Black Lives Matter protest in London yesterday (June 6) while on crutches.
Thousands gathered in the city to march on Parliament Square, demanding justice for George Floyd and all those killed by police brutality.
Photos of the pop star in the crowd were shared by fans on Twitter and showed her walking on crutches. She was forced to cancel a number of shows on her 'Madame X' tour earlier this year because of a knee injury.
The pictures and videos showed Madonna talking to protestors and hugging them as she joined them on the march. One video also showed her joining in with a chant of "No justice, no peace". See some of the posts below.
Protests around the world began last week after George Floyd was killed while being arrested by police in Minneapolis. One of the arresting officers, Derek Chauvin, kneeled on Floyd's neck for nearly nine minutes, despite his pleas that he couldn't breathe.
@Madonna in London at the #BlackLivesMatter protest! ♥️ pic.twitter.com/L936haKoGK
— Leo (@platinumgoldxo) June 6, 2020
Madonna at the #BlackLivesMatter protest in Central London OMG pic.twitter.com/oCNizug7SG
— zoe (@mdnagoat) June 6, 2020
man said Madonna was at the BLM protest in London today pic.twitter.com/dlb6dKeAep
— Sofia K 🇯🇲 🇵🇰 (@Iamsofiak_) June 6, 2020
