FEATURE:
Madonna at Sixty-Four
The Artists She Has Inspired: A Playlist
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AHEAD of Madonna’s sixty-fourth birthday…
on 16th August, I have written a few features about her. The final one is about the artists that she has influenced. The best way to represent this wide-ranging influence is through a playlist. I will end with songs from those who have followed Madonna’s lead. Recently, she hooked up with Beyonce for Break My Soul (The Queens Remix). This article from Variety explains more:
“Beyoncé’s critically acclaimed “Renaissance” album has only been out a week, but the pop titan is already gifting fans with more to dance to.
On Wednesday, the singer released an EP of “Break My Soul” remixes by Will.I.Am, Terry Hunter, Honey Dijon and Nita Aviance. Today, Beyoncé dropped yet another spin on the disco-inspired single, featuring none other than Madonna. However, it appears that Madonna did not record anything new for the remix beyond (possibly) a few spoken words, but rather had snippets of previously released, decades-old songs, particularly “Vogue,” dropped in.
As of now, “Break My Soul (The Queens Remix)” is only available on Bey’s online shop for $1.29. The song will land in fans’ emails in upon purchase. There is no current indication whether the remix will hit streaming services.
This marks the first official collaboration between the two queens of pop. Emulating Madonna’s classic spoken-word section of “Vogue,” Bey name-drops iconic Black women in music, from Aaliyah to Nina Simone to her sister, Solange Knowles. Of course, Beyoncé also shouts out Madonna, who doesn’t seem to appear on the track other than in the form of a “Vogue” sample.
“Queen Mother Madonna, Aaliyah, Rosetta Tharpe, Santigold, Bessie Smith, Nina Simone, Betty Davis, Solange Knowles,” Beyoncé sings. “Lauryn Hill, Roberta Flack, Toni, Janet, Tierra Whack. Missy, Diana, Grace Jones, Aretha, Anita, Grace Jones.”
In Variety’s review of “Renaissance,” Ilana Kaplan described “Break My Soul” as “a necessary balm and ‘hot girl summer’ anthem to usher in this new era. But it was also an ideal track to showcase the experimental, retro-futuristic terrain bursting from the album’s 16 tracks. You can hear the influence of ‘70s and early ‘80s disco as it melds with trap, soul, Afrobeats, soul-funk, thotty rap, hyperpop, dancehall”.
There is no doubting the fact that Madonna has had a huge cultural impact. She has also made an enormous impact on so many other artists. There is a lists here that gives you a sense of those who follow Madonna. Prior to her sixty-fourth birthday on 16th August, I wanted to end a run of features with a playlist of great songs from artists who nod to…
THE Queen of Pop.