Madonna’s ‘Celebration’ Art Reflects Dwindling Legacy
Rohin Guha
July 23, 2009
Yes, yes, there's been much hullabaloo about Madonna maybe-killing two of her dancers, which after figuratively castrating ex-husband Guy Ritchie and kidnapping a Brazilian boy and a little Malawi girl, may not seem like such a stretch. But appropriately enough, she's also making time to celebrate her legacy, one that bottomed out right before the 21st century. For which reason, it's no surprise that this collection, her third greatest hits package -- second in nine years -- banks on the appeal of her earlier work.
Everything about the campaign for this third volume of greatest hits—Celebration—smacks of long-ago nostalgia. Jonas Åkerlund is directing the collection’s first single of the same name. He lent his aesthetic brilliance to many of her past videos. This includes “Ray of Light”, a single spawned from what was arguably the final bit of pop brilliance the singer put out before her attempts at breaking trends started sliding, becoming contrived, though still respectable but then simply tragic.
Even the album art, designed by Mr. Brainwash, hearkens back to East Village street art. Though troublingly enough, it seems like imitation of street art, like the Urban Outfitters-ization of a Warholian prototype. Which may be the most succinct way of summarizing the pop star’s career—from her early Basquiat-dating days to eventual superstardom and megalomania. It also kind of hits that middle ground between when she started becoming more noted for sparking trends than pathetically limping to keep up with them.
It’s fine that the art visually places a notable emphasis on “Express Yourself” and “Vogue” over the travesties that would come much later; her body of work from the first 20 years of her career is nothing short of iconic. It’s just the near-decade since where Madonna has sabotaged the greatness of her own back-catalog with silly media stunts and cynical career choices. Nevertheless, that’s almost 30 years in the business, two thirds spent at the top. This is something no contemporary pop aspirant will achieve. Or at least not anytime soon.
We could hope for this collection to inspire the singer to take a hard look at the direct relation between her creative decline and the increased frequency of creative flops. But that’s foolishness. For Madonna’s uneven legacy, Celebration will probably be a band-aid on a bullet wound.
Madonna Tickets
Comments (26)
Posted by jural on Thu Jul 23, 2009 at 08.21 pm
Gosh, I’m not even a Madonna fan and wouldn’t spend a dime on her music, but what kind of bitter bulls**t is this? Is this what journalism has become? It’s like..lets put together the most insults we can come up with just so we can get more page hits.
Posted by Jim on Fri Jul 24, 2009 at 02.17 am
I agree with everything in this post. I haven’t purchased any of her music since 1990’s “Immaculate Collection”. Before that I had everything from “Cosmic Climb” and “Sidewalk Talk” to both the 12” and cd5 of “Keep it together”, and the CD, Cassette, and promo-only singles version of “You Can Dance.”
Since “Justify my Love” it’s gone from “meh” to “huh?”.
Posted by carl corby on Fri Jul 24, 2009 at 06.30 am
It sounds to me like rohin guha has a personal bone to pick. This article is nothing but personal opinion and not based on facts! Madonna has only continued to shine in an industry that continues to fail. I can’t believe this was even printed. How can an artist be putting a “band-aid” over a bullet hole when she continues to ride the wave of the most successful tour ever by a female solo artist breaking her own record? Not to mention Madonna’s last album went number one in over 31 countries. Greatest hits collections are supposed to reflect on the past. what an idiot! Madonna is the last global superstar this world has.
Posted by James on Fri Jul 24, 2009 at 09.49 am
Ahem, I’m not the hugest Madonna fan, but I would not categorize her work as a vast bullethole over the past ten years. She’s just been largely uneven. Moments of pop brilliance (i.e., Music & Confessions) to laughable (American Life & Hard Candy). No, she’s no longer setting trends, but you seriously need to fuck off you pretentious bitch.
Posted by flowerpetal on Fri Jul 24, 2009 at 10.08 am
To Carl Corby and others: Madonna may sell out the occasional tour date, but her music has not fared as well.
I enjoyed some of Madonna’s ‘80s pop hits, which were written by other people such as Pat Leonard and Stephen Bray (not by her), but somewhere starting in the early 1990s, most of her songs sounded bland, strange, or horrible.
American radio stations will not play Madonna’s music because her newer music is terrible and most Americans simply aren’t as interested in her anymore, especially the teens and 20-somethings.
Only in areas such as Europe and Japan can washed-up, has-been American entertainers (such as Michael Jackson, David Hasselfhoff) still command a fan base, sell records, etc., and Madonna is in that camp, which is why she still manages to sell a few albums in Europe.
And Carl Corby- you don’t find it strange that more recent “hits” by Madonna (as though she’s had any) would feature an 1980ish/1990ish photographic image of her, rather than one taken in 2008, or 2009? Whoever is selling this album is clearly trying to bank on the past, since “current day” Madonna is not popular.
Posted by Cartone on Fri Jul 24, 2009 at 12.02 pm
flowerpetal, Madonna sold out all but one of her dates in the Sticky & Sweet tour last year (over 50 shows), all reported dates thus far of the 2009 leg have been sold out, and aside from one show each in her 2006 and 2004 tours, every date she’s played this decade, so your comment about her selling out “the occasional tour date” is misinformed. Equally as misinformed is your comment about Stephen Bray and Patrick Leonard writing her 80s pop hits without input from Madonna - check out the credits and you’ll find that she has a 50% writing, publishing and production credit for each of her collaborations with those writers.
As stated by others, Rohin Guha’s article smacks of bitterness and reads more like a blog entry than an informative, objective article.
Posted by prufrock on Fri Jul 24, 2009 at 01.36 pm
Wow, this editorial is an embarrassment to journalism AND blogging. That first sentence alone should get you fired. What was the point? Madonna was hugely influential and managed to survive for 25 years while others like Prince and Michael Jackson (RIP) struggled to maintain their relevance. She’s slipping now that she’s FIFTY. Cue the violins while she continues to cash her tour checks and residuals from comps like this. I think the cover art is appropriate and cool.
Posted by josh on Sat Jul 25, 2009 at 01.25 am
This sounds like something you would read on the Onion. I agree that Madonna’s work has been crap over the past ten years. But there’s not such thing a a “Dwindling” Legacy when you are the most paid and talked about singer on the planet. Madonna is a brilliant businesswoman. She realizes that it’s not worth much money to put her effort into her music anymore. The $$ is all in the concert performing buiness and that’s where she excells these days—certainly more than she did 10 years ago.
Posted by John Powell on Sun Jul 26, 2009 at 01.15 am
Yes, Madonna is pathetic, she only managed to have a flourishing vital career for the last 25 years or so. And who are you, exactly?
Post a Comment
Anonymous comments are moderated. To comment instantly, register with BlackBook. Click here to login.
Posted by Justin on Thu Jul 23, 2009 at 02.51 pm
this is a lot of bitter bullshit