You've got to hand it to prolific and talented musical artists like Madonna. Not only has she continually reinvented herself, generating interest for her life and craft; she has also been working so hard to produce great albums.
Her upcoming one, Rebel Heart, is her 13th studio album, and fans of the pop icon can hardly wait to get hold of it. Part of the huge appeal is the pronouncement that the new album of the "Material Girl" is about Madonna as a person, rather than Madonna the idolized pop icon. The new album features collaborations with various music producers & songwriters who are hitmakers. These include Toby Gad, who co-wrote the John Legend song "All of Me" as well as Beyonce's "If I Were a Boy" and Martin Kierszenbaum, chair of Cherrytree Records.
A slew of popular artists that include Avicii, Natalia Kills, Kanye West, Nicki Minaj and Diplo have also collaborated with Madonna for the new album. The result: an intriguing and 'sexed up' album touted as one of her best over the last decade.
At 56, Madonna has gone full circle. She rose to stardom in the early 80s as a solo artist. The catchy song "Everybody" rose on the dance charts in 1982, and then a string of hits followed. Her self-titled album Madonna, came out in 1983. It featured the hugely popular hit songs "Borderline," "Holiday," and "Lucky Star." By early 2008, Madonna was adjudged the wealthiest female musician in the world by Forbes magazine. Madonna's distinctive sound was difficult to replicate. At one point in her career, though, she sounded just like every other singer. Pundits noted that she lost herself.
Rebel Heart is just what Madonna needs to reignite focus on her music, and also to have fun. Musical artists come and go, but Madonna is, well, Madonna. The highly anticipated album, which had leaked a few months before its release date, delves on life's crucial moments - loss of love, post-relationship angsts, moving on, and search for purpose, among others. There are buoyant songs, hip & cool tunes, and selections with a strums-and-beats vibe. It can be said that the Queen of Pop has gotten her groove back.
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