Madonna Louise Ciccone is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Referred to as the "Queen of Pop", she is regarded as one of the most influential figures in popular culture. Madonna is noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, and visual presentation. She is also known for pushing the boundaries of artistic expression in mainstream music while remaining completely in charge of every aspect of her career. Her works, which incorporate social, political, sexual, and religious themes, have generated both critical acclaim and controversy. Madonna is often cited as an influence by other artists.
The Blond Ambition World Tour was the third concert tour by American singer Madonna. It supported her fourth studio album Like a Prayer (1989), and the soundtrack album to the 1990 film Dick Tracy, I'm Breathless. It began on April 13, 1990, in Chiba, Japan, and concluded on August 5, 1990, in Nice, France. The 57-show tour marked Madonna's first shows in Sweden and Spain.
Madonna is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter Madonna, released on July 27, 1983 by Sire Records. After having established herself as a singer in downtown New York City, Madonna was signed by Sire president Seymour Stein, due to the club success of her debut single, "Everybody" (1982). She became the sole writer for most of the album's tracks, and chose Reggie Lucas as its primary producer. Unhappy with Lucas's production outputs, she invited John "Jellybean" Benitez to complete the album, who remixed three tracks and produced "Holiday".
John Benitez (born November 7, 1957), also known as Jellybean, is an American drummer, guitarist, songwriter, DJ, remixer and music producer of Puerto Rican descent. He has produced and remixed artists such as Madonna, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson and the Pointer Sisters. In December 2016, Billboard magazine ranked him as the 99th most successful dance artist of all-time.
The Mudd Club was a nightclub in the TriBeCa neighborhood of Lower Manhattan in New York City, that operated from 1978 to 1983 as a venue for underground music and counterculture events. It was located at 77 White Street and was opened by Steve Maas, art curator Diego Cortez and downtown punk scene figure Anya Phillips.
"Lucky Star" is a song written and recorded by American singer Madonna for her eponymous debut album Madonna (1983). Sire Records released it as the fourth single from the album on September 8, 1983. The song was produced by Reggie Lucas, but Madonna was not impressed by his final version. She called her then-boyfriend John "Jellybean" Benitez to remix the track according to her ideas. "Lucky Star" is a medium-paced dance track and combines the heavy beats of a drum with the sounds of a guitar played in a high riff. The lyrics juxtapose the male body with the heavenly stars in the sky.
"Holiday" is a song recorded by American singer Madonna for her eponymous debut album Madonna (1983). Sire Records released it as the album's third single on September 7, 1983. Written by Curtis Hudson and Lisa Stevens of Pure Energy, the track was offered to Madonna by her producer John "Jellybean" Benitez when she was looking for a potential hit track to include on her debut album. After accepting the song, she and Benitez worked on it and altered its composition by the addition of a piano solo performed by their friend, Fred Zarr. "Holiday" features instrumentation from guitars, electronic handclaps, a cowbell, and a synthesized string arrangement, while its lyrics speak about the universal sentiment of taking a holiday.
"Burning Up" is a song by American singer Madonna included on her 1983 debut album, Madonna. It was initially released as a single on March 9, 1983. The song was presented as an early recorded demo by Madonna to Sire Records who green-lighted the recording of the single after the first single "Everybody" became a dance hit. Madonna collaborated with Reggie Lucas, who produced the single while John Benitez provided the guitar riffs and backing vocals. Musically, the song incorporates instrumentation from bass guitar, synthesizers and drums, and the lyrics talk of the singer's lack of shame in declaring her passion for her lover.
"Everybody" is the debut single by American singer Madonna, released on October 6, 1982, under the label Sire Records. The single was featured on her eponymous debut studio album Madonna (1983). Madonna had recorded a demo of the song with Steve Bray. She urged DJ Mark Kamins, who played at her dance club, to play it. He was impressed by the song and took her to Sire Records, who signed her for a two-song deal. However, after the recording of the two singles was over, Sire executive Michael Rosenblatt was not interested in the other song produced and decided to release only "Everybody".
"Into the Groove" is a song recorded by American singer Madonna for the 1985 film Desperately Seeking Susan. It was featured on the re-issue of her second studio album, Like a Virgin (1984), outside North America. Sire Records released it on July 15, 1985, as the album's fourth single. Madonna's inspiration behind the song was the dance floor, and she wrote it while watching a handsome Puerto Rican man, across her balcony. Initially written for her friend Mark Kamins, Madonna later decided to use it as the soundtrack of the film Desperately Seeking Susan.
The Virgin Tour was the debut concert tour by American singer-songwriter Madonna. The tour supported her first two studio albums, Madonna (1983) and Like a Virgin (1984). Although initially planned for an international audience, the tour was restricted to the United States and Canada. Warner Bros. Records decided to send Madonna on tour after Like a Virgin became a success. After an official announcement on March 15, 1985, Madonna and her team began production plans. She wanted the tour to be a reflection of her own self and collaborated with designer Maripol for the costumes.
The Girlie Show World Tour was the fourth concert tour by American singer and songwriter Madonna, in support of her fifth studio album, Erotica. Comprising 39 dates, the tour began in London on September 25, 1993, and ended in Tokyo on December 12 of the same year. The tour is estimated to have grossed over US$70 million. Additionally, it marked Madonna's first shows in Turkey, Israel, Puerto Rico, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, and Australia.
The Let's Get to It Tour was the fourth concert tour by Australian pop singer Kylie Minogue. As stated by Minogue herself in 1991, the tour was technically a continuation of the previous Rhythm of Love Tour which had already visited Australia and Asia. In addition to revising the setlist, she assembled a new band to work with her existing musical director and choreographer. Backed by her five dancers, Minogue mounted the tour in support of the album Let's Get to It.
Kevin Alexander Stea is an American dancer, choreographer, actor, singer, director and model. He has worked as a dancer and choreographer with a number of high-profile artists, including Madonna, Lady Gaga and Michael Jackson, and has appeared in several movies and television shows.
Madonna: Truth or Dare is a 1991 American documentary film by director Alek Keshishian chronicling the life of singer–songwriter Madonna during her 1990 Blond Ambition World Tour. Madonna approached Keshishian to do an HBO special on the tour after watching his Harvard senior project. Initially planned to be a traditional concert film, Keshishian was so impressed with the backstage life that he persuaded Madonna to do a full film focusing on that. Madonna funded the project and served as executive producer. The film was edited to be in black-and-white, in order to emulate cinéma vérité, while the performance scenes were edited to be in color.
"Sooner or Later" is a song recorded by the American singer Madonna from her soundtrack album I'm Breathless. Written by American composer Stephen Sondheim and produced by Madonna and Bill Bottrell, the song was used in the parent film, Dick Tracy. "Sooner or Later" was composed to evoke the theatrical nature and style of the film. A 1930s-style jazz ballad with piano, drum, double bass, and horns, the track conjures up the atmosphere of a smoky nightclub. Madonna sings in her lowest register accompanied by a variable pitch.
Blond Ambition World Tour Live is a video album by American singer-songwriter Madonna released exclusively on Laserdisc by Pioneer Artists on December 13, 1990. It contained the Blond Ambition World Tour's final show, filmed at the Stade Charles-Ehrmann in Nice, France on August 5, 1990. The concert had previously been broadcast on American network HBO as Live! Madonna: Blond Ambition World Tour 90, and became one of its highest rated specials. The decision to release it exclusively on Laserdisc grew when Pioneer Artists signed up to sponsor the tour; the company also wanted to use Madonna to reach a new demographic and increase Laserdisc sales. It received positive reviews, with some critics saying it captured the concert better than the documentary Madonna: Truth or Dare (1991) and the HBO broadcast. At the 34th Annual Grammy Awards, it won for Best Music Video-Long Form, becoming the first Grammy award Madonna received in her career. With over 100,000 copies sold, Blond Ambition World Tour Live was one of the highest selling laserdiscs of the time.
Founded in 1982, the House of Xtravaganza is one of the most publicly recognized “houses” to emerge from the New York City underground ballroom scene and among the longest continuously active. House of Xtravaganza members and the collective group are recognized for their cultural influence in the areas of dance, music, visual arts, nightlife, fashion, and community activism. House of Xtravaganza members continue to be featured in popular media and travel the world as ambassadors of voguing and the ballroom scene.
Jose Gutierez Xtravaganza is a dancer, choreographer, recording artist, New York City nightlife personality and the current father of the House of Xtravaganza. He is one of the most widely recognized personalities to emerge from the NYC ballroom scene of the 1980s. He is best known for his work with Madonna.
"God Control" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna from her fourteenth studio album, Madame X (2019). It was written by Madonna, longtime collaborator Mirwais, and American musician Casey Spooner. Madonna and Mirwais produced the song along with Mike Dean. Lyrically the song talks about gun control and also touches on the political climate of the United States at the time. It is an experimental pop, disco, hi-NRG and electropop song and features the Tiffin Children's Chorus repeating "We lost god control" all throughout. In the music video, we can see Madonna typing "we lost gun control" and not "god control" as the song title suggests.
