FEATURE:
In Vogue
IN THIS PHOTO: Madonna in 1994/PHOTO CREDIT: Bettina Rheims
Madonna at Sixty: How the Pop Icon Has Remained Untouched and Ever-Inspirational
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IT is rather wonderful…
IN THIS PHOTO: Madonna in 1995/PHOTO CREDIT: Mario Testino for Versace
that I get the chance to wish a happy sixtieth birthday to two female music icons in the space of a couple of weeks! Although Madonna does not hit the big six-o until the 16th of this month; many publications and fans are coming out and wishing her all the best. The other artist who I paid tribute to was Kate Bush – it seems strange far fewer people have celebrated her birthday and contribution to music! I will bring in other articles, that mark Madonna turning sixty, but I wanted to put my thoughts together; two different periods where Madonna’s music has made an enormous impact on me. It is undeniable they (music) make fewer genuine personalities than they used to. When talking about Kate Bush, I was keen to explore her attachment to literature and nature; her love of dance and how her personality and unique edges fed directly into the music. I will talk about her more a bit later this year but, right now, it is the turn of Madonna. We all know about her musical talent and her activism; the way she fights for gender rights and, alongside that, you get the raunchy, controversial and always-exciting star – who has not tamed or dimmed since she announced her musical presence in 1982. I was born, literally, a year after Madonna was (musically).
IMAGE CREDIT: Getty Images
Although I did not truly connect with Madonna’s music until, say, 1987-ish; I was instantly aware of who she was and why people were crazy about her. True Blue had been out a year – Like a Prayer was a couple of years down the track! Having True Blue as the first taste of Madonna is a rather eye-opening and in-at-the-deep-end revelation. The album was dedicated to her then-husband Sean Penn but if you think it is all matrimonial bliss and safe music, you’d be very wrong! Unlike her earliest work, which I will track back to, there was something unapologetically raunchy and direct. Songs like Papa Don’t Preach showed she was not a crowd-following Popstar or someone playing it safe. Looking at subjects like pregnancy, sex and true love (explored on the album’s title-track); there was a lot more for eager ears than what the mainstream was providing. It is the album where we saw the Popstar Madonna dubbed an icon and legend. Taking more control as a writer – fewer cooks in the kitchen than previous records – everything about the young superstar caught the media’s eye. From her rebellious fashion – she managed to mix sexy and alluring with stylish and chic – and songs that sparked conversation and debate…this was all very exciting for a child who was not used to an artist like Madonna.
Whilst, in 1986, Madonna was joining the ranks of music royalty like Prince and Michael Jackson; I was making up for lost time and discovering her previous albums (through my parents plaing them). I feel her first ‘big’ hit, Holiday, is a bit of a red herring. It is undeniably catchy and populist but it shows Madonna in a more traditional Pop mould. It is amazing to think the artist who performed that song in 1983 would, very quickly, ditch the cutesy clothing and choruses to produce something much rawer and adult. Madonna’s eponymous album (1983) contained blistering songs like Borderline but, as a writer, a lot of other people were telling her story. Even in 1983, Madonna had her own style and sense of flair – more on that later. Like a Virgin, in 1984, saw the controlled and directed Madonna take more control and call shots. She was unhappy regarding her debut and the men making calls – too many songs written for her and producers like Reggie Lucas exerting too much influence. For Like a Virgin, she selected Nile Rodgers to produce. She was impressed by his work with Chic and felt he would allow her more control (Madonna is listed as a co-producer on the album). The reason the record struck me was that self-expression and strength come through. Look at the changing fashions and sonic shifts; the way her music retained its catch and memorability but employed more sass, funkiness and tautness – a true artist coming into her own and shining a light for female musicians and artists.
Tracks (from Like a Virgin) like Material Girl and Like a Virgin showed a transition and what was to come: the awakening and revolution from the put-upon and slightly muted artist taking a stand and standing out. If materialism and sexual revolution were, by her later standards, a bit tame; one cannot deny how Madonna’s rise and popularity changed music. I am too young to remember the album when it first came out but was discovering it when I was at school. The reason why Madonna’s early music made such an impression on me was, like Kate Bush, because of her immense talent and strength. So many artists of the time were being directed and moulded to be rather average and boring. These incredible artists, like Madonna, inspired generations to come and show female Pop artists could write and plan their own music. My female role models, outside of my family, were limited at that age. Music took over and, in the 1980s, most of the music I was being exposed to male-recorded; a lot of band stuff and musicians like Michael Jackson and Prince. Female empowerment was being explored and brought into the limelight on 1989’s Like a Prayer. I remember that album arriving and being blown away by this blonde-haired (although, she might have been slightly brunette at that point) siren whose Like a Prayer video caused all sort of shocks and headlines.
Independence, power and family were playing big roles in her music. Like a Prayer talks about Madonna’s mother, father and her Catholic upbringing; female empowerment and this young woman growing up in a very saucy and brilliant way. As a boy, I was struck by the music but was aware of her iconography and consistency. The U.S. artist was changing her fashion once more and lyrical themes. I had never encountered an artist as chameleon-like and primal. Her 1990s work like Erotica (1992) and Bedtime Stories (1994) kept up that move from traditional Pop artist to a sexualised and emancipated woman. Songs from those albums like Erotica, Rain and Human Nature were the talk of the playground for boys and girls alike! I will return to my love of her music and the second stage of her career that caught my mind. But, right now, I want to bring in a few other like-minded features that talk about the icon turning sixty. This article charts the fashion progression and how Madonna’s looks inspired other musicians and fans alike. It is clear that sex and female expression were big areas for exploitation:
“More than anyone, Madonna knows that sex sells. From her early performance at the first-ever Video Music Awards in 1984, writhing on the floor in a wedding dress while she sang Like a Virgin, she knew that shock was the surest route to superstardom. Her stylist at the time, the much-overlooked Maripol (Madonna is better known for working with the stylist Arianne Phillips), was one of the few people close enough to witness the backlash she received, recalling how ‘they [MTV] tried to destroy her that day… they went under her skirt with the camera, trying to intimidate her’. If this early example of upskirting was intended to break Madonna, it actually did the opposite. It made her”.
IMAGE CREDIT: Getty Images/The Guardian
Even for a boy at school, I was aware of the ‘Madonna effect’. So many girls were copycatting her fashion during the 1980s and 1990s. In the 1980s, there was the teenage/young woman with all the excess of the period. There were bangles and hair tied back; lots of makeup and plenty to catch the eye. The more raunchy and revealing her albums became, so too did her fashion choices – much more provocative and rebellious. We all remember the 1990s conical corset that become part of Madonna’s Blond Ambition tour. That iconic fashion was designed by Jean Paul Gaultier and made a huge impact. Although that look was not mimicked at school – an unwise decision that would see many being expelled! – other artists were taking chances and liberating themselves. Madonna’s sexual pride and feminism has caused a stir throughout her career:
“Equally revolutionary, of course, is Madonna’s refusal to ‘put it away’. Feminism may have come a long way, but the vitriol aimed at Madonna’s sexuality as she ages is a stark reminder that when it comes to equality, we still have a long way to go. Slammed by some commentators at the 2016 Met Ball for wearing a gown that showed her (very pert) breasts and butt, it’s little wonder that she used her speech at the 2016 Billboard Women In Music Awards to highlight age discrimination.
‘Thank you for acknowledging my ability to continue my career for 34 years in the face of blatant misogyny, sexism, constant bullying and relentless abuse,’ she said. ‘Do not age. Because to age is a sin. You will be criticised. You will be vilified. And you will definitely not be played on the radio’”.
IN THIS PHOTO: Madonna during her Blond Ambition tour of 1990/PHOTO CREDIT: Sandy Hill/AP
Look at this piece in The Guardian and there is a lot of evidence to suggest Madonna’s fashion and iconic looks have managed to remain to this very day:
“In truth, popular culture still reeks of Madonna’s influence for a good reason: she’s earned it. Far from being a shallow shape-shifter, she always knew her way around a pop classic (her oeuvre is full of them), and developed a flair for choosing talented collaborators to keep her music fresh. Moreover, back when she could have played it safe, Madonna called herself an artist and acted like one, tirelessly reinventing herself. From plonking a black saint in the Like a Prayer video to putting out a book called Sex, at the peak of her fame, just about everything Madonna did alienated middle America, because she wanted to define the zeitgeist, not merely reflect it”.
Madonna managed to establish real change for women and shone a light on feminism (and not being controlled). She was the engaging and always-hungry artist who spoke out and represented those whose stories were not being heard. Madonna was a big supporter of gay culture and gay rights. At a time when the Aids epidemic was in the news (in the 1980s) Madonna was seen as irresponsible – often promoting gay culture and shining a light for the community.
IN THIS PHOTO: Madonna in 1982/PHOTO CREDIT: Gary Heery for the album, Madonna
If some saw her patronage as a catalyst for sexual expression, good times and recklessness; in actuality, she was representing members of a community hidden and cloistered. Gay rights have improved since the 1980s but artists like Madonna openly discussed the scene and gave many gay people a voice and sense of confidence. If it were not for her then many would have, as I am reading reports, taken their own lives or hidden their sexuality. She provided that flame and fire in order to bring to the masses the warmth, energy and togetherness of the gay community. Many also argue Madonna has helped advance the cause of L.G.B.T.Q.I.A. rights and opened many doors. Before I move on and conclude; I want to bring in an article where SOPHIE talks about Madonna’s impact on her – one of many modern artists who has been inspired by the icon - whether it is her fashion, boldness or music:
“Whatever is the established, easy‑to-consume current thing, Madonna always seems to push past that. I think anyone who has struggled with having their voice heard can relate to what Madonna stands for and feel empowered by her story and her music. She is not buying into people’s bullshit.
I think what I’ve learned from her is that you can work hard and still be a good person. Anyone who fights so long and so hard deserves to be an important figure in music.
And she looks like she’s having more fun than a lot of people I know at that age, so whatever she’s doing, in my opinion she’s doing it right”.
IMAGE CREDIT: Getty Images
After I had digested all the brilliant 1980s and 1990s work from Madonna – I shall fill some audio gaps in with a playlist at the end of this feature – it was her 1998 work, Ray of Light, that opened my eyes once more. Madonna has, since then, produced some brilliant albums and continues to be a major and always-changing force in music. Ray of Light, to many people, is her finest hour – I cannot argue against that declaration! I adore all the fashion, awakenings and perfect moments you get on records such as Like a Virgin and Bedtime Stories: Ray of Light was the rebirth and reinvention of a legend. There was a period, between 1994-1998, when many asked what Madonna would do next. She had not really put a major musical step wrong since her introduction to music – there was a lot of pressure to create another album that looked at sex, liberation and after-dark themes. Although Ray of Light does have its saucier moments; the album is more noticeable because of its sonic surprises and new maturity. Bringing in producer William Orbit meant Ray of Light effortlessly fused Pop (a Pop icon) with Electronic music. Ray of Light is the first album to truly fuse disparate genres like Trip-Hop, Pop and Dance and have it articulated by such an established and famous artist. Madonna had given birth to her first child and was embarking on a new phase in life...
Still in her thirties (just) when the album was released; it is an incredibly mature (that word keeps coming up!) record that remains her highest-rated and celebrated work. It won four Grammy Awards and has sold over 16 million copies; helped break new ground and, as you’d expect, inspire generations and change music. I was fourteen when the album came out and was still in high-school. British Dance music was a bit limited and tame – it was another year or so before Basement Jaxx came out and shook things up – and me, as a Madonna fan already, was not expecting what was to come. I think Frozen was the first song from the album that caught me. Its captivating and stylish video was a perfect accompaniment to a song we had never heard from Madonna – a complete change of pace but, still, distinctly her. By 1998, Madonna’s attachment to spirituality was making the news. We can all recall her talk of Kabbalah and how much mocking that accrued (The Simpsons even had a little dig!). In fact, it is the more spiritual and meditative moments of Ray of Light that stick out. Transcendent and beautiful songs such as Mer Girl and Shanti/Ashtangi showed Madonna in a new light and added new dimensions to her music.
More traditional and Madonna-like tracks such as Ray of Light and Nothing Really Matters sat alongside gems lik Candy Perfume Girl and The Power of Good-Bye (I am quoting from the U.S. version of the album). I was amazed at how an artist who had been in the public eye since 1982 has managed to not only sustain a career but seemingly hit a peak some sixteen years later! This article explored Ray of Light on its twentieth anniversary (earlier this year):
“The 41st edition of the awards properly reflected the female energy coursing through late 90s mainstream music. Only one out of 10 nominees for the record and album of the year categories was male-fronted, while Shania Twain, Sheryl Crow and Garbage’s Shirley Manson were all in their mid-30s; The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill ran out eventual winner in the album bracket. Madonna, snubbed in any meaningful category for so long, also finally got her dues. She took home three for Ray of Light and its title track. But, if anything, the album’s stock was modest then compared to now.
…For one, the themes tackled are more complex than your usual dance-pop smash. She reconciles her complicit role as a bratty star in a male-controlled industry (Nothing Really Matters), the breakdown of love with Lourdes’ father, Carlos Leon (Frozen), and, purportedly, her stormy marriage to Sean Penn (The Power of Good-Bye). For Anna Cafolla, the Quietus pop critic who had an Irish-Catholic upbringing, the stark closer Mer Girl, wherein Madonna lets loose the weight of witnessing her mother’s overgrown grave, hit home hardest: “Lush, haunting, one I still feel particularly close to as a woman now … It also makes me want to give my own mum a really big hug”.
IN THIS IMAGE: Madonna in a promotional shot for the album, Rebel Heart
Although post-Ray of Light Madonna albums have varied in quality – from the below-par American Life (2003), Hard Candy (2008) and MDNA (2012) to the brilliant Music (2000) and 2005’s Confessions on a Dance Floor…I am still undecided which camp to put Rebel Heart (2015) in! – it has been an interesting period for her. I love the fact she managed to follow up the critical success and enormous impact of Ray of Light with the very different Music a couple of years later. Brilliant tracks like Music and Don’t Tell Me – with William Orbit still on board – became big hits and cemented her new-period reputation for reinvention and glory. Genre-hopping, curious and endlessly experimental; Music was another critical success and proved the Queen of Pop was not going to grow older with disgrace or any sign of retreat.
PHOTO CREDIT: Carl Timpone/BFA/Rex/Shutterstock
Now, in 2018, there is a lot of talk as to whether Madonna will release another album. She has said, in recent interviews, how she is not going to perform on her sixtieth because she is enjoying semi-retirement. I am sure we will see more material from Madonna but she continues to speak her mind and enjoy she is in the public eye. Whether you are drawn to her fashion and changing styles or her feminism and political activation; her incredible music and the way she manages to change skin and remain essential and world-class – her sixtieth birthday is a good time to look back at her glorious back catalogue and discover why she remains timeless and ageless – someone with no equals and one of the most innovative talents from all of music! Let us, on the 16th, raise a glass for Madonna but, as it is her, make sure it is full of booze, in a glittery and provocative glass...and, once we have downed the contents, smash the bloody thing and…
IN THIS PHOTO: Madonna in 1987/PHOTO CREDIT: Bert Stern for Vanity Fair
DANCE the night away!