Something in the MDNA

Watching the evolution of a musical performer, as is true with any relationship you have, can be a fascinating exercise. Madonna stands out as the queen of evolution. In the '80s Madonna mania quickly reached a fever pitch. Teen girls wanted to be her. Teen boys wanted to be with her. In the '90s Madonna learned quickly that the rollercoaster ride of shock tactics had to chill or else her career would wind up in free fall. Sex sold but only to those devoted followers willing to shell out the presumptuous price to enter her tawdry universe as condensed into coffee table book form. She's always been good at pushing people's buttons. Never has there been a controversy she hasn't been willing to ignite. As the '90s reached their close she traded in a passion for displaying sexuality outwardly to favoring explorations of faith inwardly. I personally enjoyed Madonna less once "Ray of Light" hit stores. She just seemed to be more fun when she wasn't trying to be so deep. Some of us ducks just prefer a good time gal. If I want deep I'll try reading War and Peace sometime. She was great at turning out danceable pop confections. By 1998 she had hopped aboard the techno music bandwagon that Prodigy and The Chemical Brothers helped give birth to. Her art was buoyed by sterile-sounding keyboard groove lines. Her embrace of techno continued with "Music". I'll admit the title track was an instant party starter. I'll also confess I showed less resistance to that project overall. In 2012 we're greeted with a new release, "MDNA". I salute her for remembering that, first and foremost, her bread and butter is dance music. Eschewing those roots would be an insult both to her and to her core following that's watched her career path since day one. For the most part she succeeds in reminding us that no matter how old she becomes she's still that naughty little minx with a gift for working dance floors into a lather. This record provides one heck of a wild trip through her medulla oblongata. Take a listen to "Gang Bang" and you'll hear how being connected to the world of movies has had a lasting effect on her art. This song screams "I'd like some popcorn please!!" "Masterpiece" also appeared on the soundtrack to her critically mixed movie W.E. More than any other female artist known to man, Madonna has this finger in every pot thing down to a science.