Madonna, along with Michael Jackson and Prince, are the true superstars from the era before the internet who made these trail blazing songs and videos and lived lives we didn't really know about and understand. Look at George Michael. After Wham and Faith he decided not to make so much pop music, with an image, but to make music people wanted to buy. An album, not a collection of singles, and no pop videos. Prince abandoned the prince identity, in a much misunderstood campaign, to let his music be heard for what it was.
2008 Madonna should be making music that is not heard on the radio, and certainly not with these ridiculous music videos. She should make albums that people can listen to and appreciate. And that is what takes artistry to a new level. Madonna, even after all these years, craves an audience.
When Prince abandoned the name and started using the symbol, the first song on that album was My Name Is Prince, also the lead single. The last song is Sacrifice Of Victor, which is taken as the interpretation of the symbol.
Then there was the whole Slave thing with Sony, on vinyl a slave, on stage free. George Michael went through the same thing with Sony. In his book he decided he didn't want to be a made up character anymore, his album Listen Without Prejudice, where no pics of him appear, and the songs are taken as what they are, including the single Freedom 90, are ground breaking.
2008 Madonna, in still wanting to make vids and be seen as a young sexy woman, which she no longer is, has been holding in what could be her best lifetime work. She can be who she wants in her life, on stage, and now on record. But she still hangs on to this ridiculous image. She needs to do what George and Prince did and give it up.
Prince has taken his music and performance to a whole new level. What he doesn't do is play that Prince character that he did as a young man, doesn't have huge hit singles and doesn't make videos.
What Madonna is doing here, rather than evolving like Prince, is stuck in a time warp where she thinks she is still a young sexy woman making pop videos. She needed to hand that to Britney and the young generation and let herself evolve. After all the Erotica album and book, which was groundbreaking, she settled down and her next album was Ray Of Light, an older more mature album. I would like to see another Ray Of Light from her. Nobody wants to see her try and do another Erotica. Not now.
