The Rebel Heart Tour

There is approximately a month and a half until Madonna begins her tour which is bound to break records. The one thing that keeps us on the edge of our seats is her setlist. Whilst she has teased some potential songs that will be on her tour, this is the ideal setlist for me. Let us assume she perform 25 song.

1. Papa Don't Preach
2. Like A Prayer
3. La Isla Bonita (elements of Holiday)
4. Vogue (elements of Express Yourself and Dress You Up)
5. Erotica
6. Deeper and Deeper
7. Justify My Love
8. Rescue Me
9. You'll See (elements of the Power Of Goodbye)
10. Drowned World
11. The Power of Goodbye
12. Hung Up
13. Revolver
14. Girl Gone Wild
15. Music (elements of Celebration)
16. Like A Virgin
17. Living For Love
18. Devil Pray
19. Ghosttown
20. Bitch I'm Madonna
21. SEX
22. Holy Water
23. Iconic
24. Rebel Heart
25. Unapologetic Bitch

The Next Steps For Madonna

Madonna has certainly suffered a chaotic year with mixed reviews of her stage antics and Instagram photos all relating back to her age and deeming her a 'inappropriate'. Nevertheless her album has gone on to sell 800,000 copies worldwide which is impressive so far as it is the 19th best selling album of the year along with the misfortune of the December leaks. I previously did a blog on the singles Madonna should release to fuel further sales and hype for her Rebel Heart Tour. Speaking of which, it is deemed to become one of the highest grossing tours of the year and of all time. Her Youtube, Facebook and Twitter channels are also like her Instagram page are increasing and she is becoming more streamed meaning younger audiences are beginning to be attracted by her flair completing eradicating the notion she is over.

Bitch I'm Madonna is the driving force to make her viral right now to get attention with 55 million views in a month = more subscribers. I think what Madonna needs to do in order to attract more attention from younger audiences this year that are addicted to the internet is to use this jumbo packed album Rebel Heart and release video after video. This will overall get her more views and streams. In addition to this, remix EPs should accompany these singles along with potential extended remixes to add to the hype.

In terms of touring, I believe that Madonna should adopt a Katy Perry approach in her future tours, long, big arenas and stadiums worldwide as she can sell more records too and more fan loyalty in each country. Madonna is fortunate to have a huge fanbase in Europe, South America and potentially Asia to maintain her excellent record track. The Prismatic Tour is a whopping 150 gigs and has raked in $200 million on a Katy Perry price range. Imagine a Madonna one. By releasing an extra date as another one sells out will keep the fuel running.

She should potentially get back into the film industry and maybe attempt to crack it again as well as directing. Perhaps making more soundtrack appearances such as the Sia method will maintain diehard fans their appetite until the next album. Maybe whilst directing she could compose the music and create an instrumental soundtrack for herself or do a soundtrack of original tracks such as in I'm Breathless.

Madonna could also release a Christmas album to add to her catalogue of reinvention and fuel more sales during the seasons. The good thing about Christmas albums they are pretty much a guarantee to sell during the holidays.

Maybe more featured collaborations can help her improve her career performance. Why not use the Calvin Harris and David Guetta approach, that way she receives more attention in the clubs and gets her name out there. This is a fuel to the fire approach as we can see Madonna has only done one major released duet with Britney Spears and can stand on her own two legs.

A live album as soon as the Rebel Heart tour is over would be a good idea to add to the catalogue of her live albums so fans can here different and fresh versions of each song with Madonna's live vocals.

A compilation could potentially be a good idea but maybe a bit more into the future. Compilation album demands have steeply declined in last years so it might not sell on the level of Immaculate, GHV2, Something to Remember and Celebration.

A remix album could also be a good idea for EDM Listeners and Japanese fans however they are still not in demand as much but it could be the new soundtrack to the clubs and sound fresh and appealing to younger artists.

Rebel Heart Era of Madonna

Be ready for more summer blog surprises but meanwhile I would like to discuss what I briefly discussed last year about the potential collaborations that could appear on Rebel Heart. Some of my predictions were right, some disappointingly never made to the final cut. However, Rebel Heart is another piece to the ever evolving puzzle of Madonna's career. Whilst haters seem to deem it as a flop, let me give my opinion on the argument.

1. In less than 2 months, Rebel Heart is on the verge of having sold 700,000 copies worldwide.

2. Whilst its sold less in its first week than MDNA, the so called flop of 2012, there are various factors at play here which argue that Rebel Heart has had simply had bad luck:

• Firstly, during December, constant leaks of Madonna's demos for Rebel Heart were leaked. Bearing in mind, the world was on the edge of their seats waiting for a small ray of hope that a snippet would be heard out of all the teasing Madonna had done on Instagram, it led people to download illegally the demos. This attracted a lot less potential buyers in purchasing the album itself as they felt they already had it.
• In addition to this, we live in 2015, a world where streaming is mainly conducted and digital downloads, whilst not unheard of, have reduced in sales in both singles and albums terms. Since Madonna has been silent on social media such as Facebook and Twitter, her growth rate of followers were a lot slower so promotion would have been quite slow initially.
• MDNA was promoted by the Superbowl which received the recognition of 100 of millions of people. Rebel Heart pulled out a partial Beyonce with even less promotion at first than Rebel Heart. In addition to this, Living for Love was a solo effort, the first of lead album singles to be since Hung Up. People are overly dependant on hearing a collaboration with two fresh artists yet Madonna does it differently.

3. Rebel Heart was critically acclaimed on 25 songs whilst MDNA had positive yet lacklustre reviews on 17 which gave people the indication Madonna is back. 

4. The album should've been Madonna's 6th number one on the USA charts however, the new rule of streaming came abroad and Empire simply beated her on that. Madonna had largest physical sales.

5. It should have been Madonna's UK 13th number one album however, due to Sam Smith's Lay Me Down remix, it was toppled the day before the new chart release. Had she released the Digital EP of the Super Deluxe tracks, she could've scraped number one in both USA and UK.

6. She has heavily promoted this album through social media, infamous stunts such as Drake's kiss, BRIT Awards fall as well as collaborating live with Taylor Swift. By doing more interviews, live performances and attending events such as the Met Gala, it clearly shows Madonna in the spotlight at all times. By releasing music videos through Snapchat and Meerkat, she has made history again, being the first to do so. This made the new generation get to know Madonna a bit better, for better or for worse. She has always been controversial and by posting provocative images and promoting her album as what might appear unorthodoxly (laced faces of iconic figures e.g. Thatcher, MLK) she is basically giving a big middle finger to the world saying that her artisitc integrity will not change for the wishes of haters.

7. Rebel Heart Tour was announced which according to Billboard will also visit Australia and Asia meaning a potential surge in the popularity of Australian and New Zealand fans that have been neglected of a tour for 25 years. Madonna is constantly known for having high grossing tours and this tour shouldn't be any different. If she releases a live album, that will definitely give her a surge in album sales from Rebel Heart and older albums. This tour will surely bring controversy and once again display Madonna's full talent. She should also go to Japan and promote herself further. Sales are greatest in Japan and many non-Japanese artists can have lifelong success or loyalty in Japan e.g. Mariah, Avril, Lady Gaga.

8. Due to the wardrobe malfunction of Madonna, whilst it received mass attention, people have been incredibly ageist even further to her giving her a bad reputation. What Madonna is doing through her action of work is proving to the world that being a 56 year old woman doesn't mean you are disabled and unable to move or have fun. She is attempting to open society's mind of a subject not mentioned enough and nothing done about it. Like Sex and religious controversies, she is under fire for personal ones. However, she gets the last laugh as loyal fans, celebrities are supporting her cause and in the long term will make a difference to the world. People in years to come will understand Madonna's message. Whilst they might not agree with everything she does, its a symbolic gesture. Loyalty has been seen in Radio 1's Madonna music ban calling her old and irrelevant. Many fans went on to make a petition to ban Radio 1 from ever playing music to UK audiences.

What should Madonna do next for Rebel Heart?

• Release more singles than her usual average of 3-4. In this period, release of singles are essential for the survival of albums, it keeps their heart beating. Bearing in mind Madonna has 25 songs, it would be appropriate to release a fair selection.

Devil Pray - she love this song and is Avicii produced. Maybe a re-release or new version of Devil Pray could simmer on the charts. Potential music video ideas I have could be: a trance like video with religious references and to drugs. Or better yet, a throwback to the 60s, Flower Power video with colours and once again, trance like effects.

Bitch I'm Madonna - is already confirmed to be the third single. Perhaps a more urban or comedic approach to this song with the presence of Nicki Minaj in the music video. It could gain public attention and once again prove Madonna is breaking taboos.

Unapologetic Bitch - a reggae song will no doubt add to her catalogue of reinvention. Maybe a reggae, african beat remix to this song along with Rihanna on it could spice up the charts this summer or whenever. Maybe a throwback to Rihanna's Man Down Reggae Rapping. 

Messiah - a medieval video could be done for this along with references to religious imageries.

Iconic - boxing match video with Mike Tyson and Chance the Rapper, similar to the Sticky and Sweet backdrop of Die Another Day.

Veni Vidi Vici - perhaps with a battlefield seen to symbolise the problems she has endured and her constant determination to succeed and always ending up succeeding. 

Sex - to bring back media attention and to laugh at her ageist haters. A potential 50 shades of grey type video, throwing back to the Days of Erotica and Justify My Love. In addition to this, a remix with a rapper like Drake.

Joan of Arc - a throwback to Drowned World and displaying an incredibly vulnerable Madonna, a side that is hard to see. By letting her walls down, she becomes more human to the eyes of her fans.

Graffiti Heart - could be an urban street dance video with graffiti and freedom of expression. This is her experimenting with drums and bass which once again shows her reinvention.

Rebel Heart - a dance remix by Avicii in the fashion of Wake Me Up, Hey Brother and the Nights could bring Madonna back up on the charts. This could be a country styled video.

The more singles she releases the more albums she can sell and the more chart success.

This album overall has been successful and this is simply the beginning. Hopefully, Madonna will put in greater effort visually with this album and stick to her promise of visiting Australia. In addition to this, the album itself could break further records as Ghosttown is closing in to be her 45th number one song on the dance charts. This would extend her reign as most number ones on that chart, but also on any Billboard chart. 

Was Madonna's MDNA Era Really A Flop?

As Madonna is my religion, I am here to give you an analysis one a very confusing debate many fans and general admirers have had over her 12th album MDNA as we are moving away from that era and into the Rebel Heart era. Was Madonna's MDNA a flop?

Well, for me I don't think it was. In fact, this album had far greater potential to break the market rather than Hard Candy. Whilst Hard Candy had a good selection of pop hits, you could argue that the 3 singles chosen were enough to dazzle and more singles could have been overkill. For MDNA, I think the exact opposite. Whilst the album itself sounds as if it is following the current EDM trend on iTunes, lets not forget that Madonna brought electronica to popularity 20 years ago with her hit album Ray of Light. Technically, she is carrying or continuing her futuristic beats that have been reflected in her previous albums.

People are only highlighting that Madonna is a flop due to the lower album sales and the plunge it had after its first week of debut. What people do not realise is that Madonna, unlike modern artists, did not promote this album apart from the Superbowl performance, which astonishingly at the time became the most watched halftime show in history, a Smirnoff sponsor and a mega 88 date tour and a bunch of interviews. The Superbowl featured guests such as LMFAO, Nicki Minaj, MIA and Cee Lo Green. The mega MDNA Tour generated almost $310 million  and Madonna is the first to have 2 tours be in the top 10 of the biggest selling tours of all time. The tour itself involved stripping, speaking of politics, human right and LGBT  awareness. The interviews also raised attention when Madonna began her feud with Lady Gaga, stating Born This Way as reductive. In addition to this, she directed her beautiful film W.E. prior to the Superbowl. Whilst it was a box office flop, the song Masterpiece, featured on the album got a Golden Globe.

In total, MDNA is Madonna's lowest selling studio album. However, 2 million in 2014 sounds like a great number, particularly when 2014's suffered to even reach 1 million! Her debut sales in the US were 350,000, a debut so big, it took Beyonce to sale the same amount almost 2 years later. In addition to this, when it was announced it became the fastest pre-ordered album in history. By the end of the year it was the second best selling Dance Electronic Album and the biggest selling album in Russia. It made Madonna the solo artist with the most number albums in the UK (12) only behind the Beatles. In the US, it is her 8th number one album and her 5th consecutive to debut at number one. She also has more number one albums in Australia than any other artist. It was the 12th best selling album of the year in 2012. She also won three Billboard awards for her tour and her album.

The three singles Give Me All Your Luvin', Girl Gone Wild and Turn Up The Radio also had a certain impact. All 3 topped the Dance Club Songs at number one, giving her 43 number one songs in total more than any other artist. A few more number ones on the Billboard chart and she will be the artist with the most number ones in history. Give Me All Your Luvin' featuring MIA, LMFAO and Nicki Minaj reached the top 10, extending her 38 record streak, more than any artist in history. Girl Gone Wild got remixed by Avicii and Turn Up The Radio was remixed by Far East Movement.

Why did people have a problem with these 3 singles? Nothing! Give Me All Your Luvin' was criticised as weak yet, it was the perfect bubblegum, teen pop song that was radio friendly and had a cheerleading beat, linked to that of her superbowl performance. Girl Gone Wild was an amazing dance song and Turn Up The Radio was a throwback to her earlier work in the 80s.

Whilst not many singles were released, this could have been the problem. For example, these are my views:

1. Gang Bang - an amazingly dark, cinematic and dubstep song that deserved to be a single. I would have thought she would release a video linked with Revolver in a seedy motel with guns, blood and crime and sirens. It would have been an epic, controversial and visual way to bring out the song. Maybe a Skrillex remix could have been in place.
2. I'm Addicted - the rave element to it is so catchy and could have been an amazing festival/party song. A potential video could have been trance like, focusing on the effects as if the video was a window to the drug world. MDNA MDNA MDNA!
3. Love Spent - a memoir to American Life and Music. The bango segment could be have been the 2012 Timber. It would have been very unique.

To conclude, judging these facts, we can't deny, Madonna is not going anywhere and that MDNA overall was very successful. Had it been for more promotion, remixes and videos, chances are it would have been far greater.