Madame X | |
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Directed by |
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Written by | Madonna |
Based on | Madame X by Madonna |
Produced by |
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Starring | Madonna |
Edited by |
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Production company | |
Distributed by | Paramount+ |
Release date |
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Running time | 117 minutes |
Language | English |
Madame X is a 2021 documentary concert film starring American singer-songwriter Madonna, chronicling her Madame X Tour. [1] Written and produced by Madonna herself, the film was shot in January 2020 when she held her concerts in Lisbon, Portugal at the Coliseu dos Recreios. [2] The film was directed by Ricardo Gomes and SKNX (Sasha Kasiuha and Nuno Xico). [3]
The film's official premiere was held on September 23, 2021, at the Paradise Club on top of the Times Square Edition hotel in New York City. [4] [5] It was released on October 8, 2021, on Paramount+, and MTV in regions where Paramount+ is unavailable. [6] An accompanying live album was released on the same day as the film. [7] Critical response to Madame X film was generally positive, with many reviewers praising its visuals.
The introduction features a montage of newspaper articles and shots from Madonna's music videos, showing her fight against misogyny, sexism, ageism, bigotry, racism, and promoting feminism and artistic liberation. This is done to the backdrop of Honey Dijon's remix of "I Don't Search I Find". The official show begins with a quote by James Baldwin: "Art is here to prove that all safety is an illusion... Artists are here to disturb the peace." Then, a silhouetted woman sits at a typewriter; each key press sounding like a gunshot, accompanied by a dancer jerking and flinching as if he has been shot. Madonna then appears to sing "God Control" while being bounced between two police officers’ shields. The number has cops attacking dancers under a video montage of news footage. "Dark Ballet" is performed next, with Joan of Arc references and the singer fighting dancers in gas masks reminiscent of the mice in The Nutcracker (1892); it counted with a ballet breakdown halfway through. Afterwards, Madonna yells "Fuck the patriarchy!" before being dragged by dancers dressed as policemen into a circular cell in the stage. This leads into a rendition of "Human Nature", as pointing fingers are projected across the stage. Towards the end, she plays a bongo solo and was surrounded by 11 black women − including her daughters Stella, Estere, and Mercy James − and chanting the phrase "I'm not your bitch!" An a capella rendition of "Express Yourself" and a brief interlude where Madonna addresses the audience follows. Madonna and her daughters make reference to the possibility of God being a woman, the MeToo and Time's Up movements. Madonna then has a costume change behind some vanity mirrors with two of her dancers dressed in trench coats, sunglasses and blowing their fans wait for her. Meanwhile, she makes comedic jokes with the crowd including Mozart's music coming out of her vagina and poking fun at her age.
"Vogue" and "I Don't Search I Find" are performed with lookalike dancers dressed in blonde wigs, trench coats, shades, and high heels. Afterwards, she played guitar for "American Life" while uniforms fell down from above the stage, and dancers dressed as soldiers dragged a coffin. Madonna then wears a faux fur coat and takes selfies using a polaroid camera. Shots are shown across multiple shows whereby fans donate money for the pictures, which goes to her charity Raising Malawi. "Batuka" has 14 women of the Batukadeiras Orchestra playing the drums while Madonna sits to the side on a stairwell before eventually joining them and doing batuque moves. Following this, Isabel De Oliveira's "Fado Pechincha", and Madame X album tracks "Killers Who are Partying" and "Crazy" – the last one was played with an accordion. A cha-cha-chá mashup of "La Isla Bonita" and a new song called "Welcome to My Fado Club" is performed next, with elements of Cesária Évora's "Sodade". The next numbers were "Medellín", with Maluma appearing on the backdrop screens, and album track "Extreme Occident". Within the Medellin performance, her son David Banda joins her to form a conga line within the theatre. Following that she interacts further with the crowd including comedian Dave Chappelle who praises Madonna for being a revolutionary. An interlude of dancers doing synchronized moves to lyrics of "Rescue Me" follows.
"Frozen" sees the singer performing in the middle of a massive projection of the video of her daughter Lourdes. For "Come Alive", Madonna and the dancers wear colorful flowing robes. The film features shots from her 2018 holiday to Morocco with her family. She then plays the piano for "Future" and is joined by dancers with red lights on their eyes; the word "Warning" flashes on the stage behind her as she sings. "Like a Prayer" has her performing in front of an X-shaped staircase while surrounded by a choir and the song's music video projected on the stage. The final number, "I Rise", begins with elements from her speech from the 2019 GLAAD awards, and the video interlude shows news footage of protests and marches, from her 2019 music video for the song with Times magazine. Halfway through, the screen turned the colors of the Rainbow flag as Madonna and her dancers left the stage with their fists raised.
Madonna released her fourteenth studio album, Madame X , in 2019, while she was living in Lisbon, Portugal. She was inspired to write the album after frequently getting invited to "living room sessions" with local musicians playing fado, morna, and samba music. [8] She also brought these musicians to the stage of the Madame X Tour, an all-theatre concert tour to promote the album. The tour was held in ten cities across North America and Europe, between September 17, 2019, and March 8, 2020, and earned $51.4 million in ticket sales. [9]
On January 12, 2020, Lisbon-based production service company Krypton International posted, via their official Instagram account, a picture of an "All Stage Access Pass" for the Lisbon tour evening happening that day, followed by the information that they were shooting and recording that concert. [10] During February 2021, after months of teasing the editing process from her home, Madonna re-shot specific elements of the show for the film. [11] On April 14, 2021, she posted on her official Facebook account that a private screening of Madame X had been held at a 500-seat theatre. [12]
The film was projected at three exclusive screening events, on October 8 at Le Grand Rex in Paris, on October 9 at NiteOwl Drive-In in Miami and on October 10 at TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles. On October 8, Madonna appeared during The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon to promote the film. She made a surprise performance in Harlem singing "Dark Ballet", "Crazy", "Sodade" and "La Isla Bonita" at The Red Rooster, and later walked down the streets singing "Like a Prayer" in front of the St. Andrew's Episcopal Church along with Jon Batiste and a little choir.
On October 22, 2021, Madonna uploaded a teaser on Instagram from the Q&A session from the film's premiere. The recording of the Q&A session is directed by SKNX (Sasha Kasiuha and Nuno Xico) and was released on Paramount+ on November 18, 2021. The discussion was assisted by RuPaul's Drag Race winners Symone and Aquaria. On October 28, 2021, Madonna went on to tease a list of artists who submitted a question to her including, Lil Wayne, Billie Eilish, Doja Cat, Amy Schumer, Katy Perry, Kim Kardashian, Snoop Dogg, FKA Twigs, Jeremy Scott, Lil Nas X, Ariana Grande, and Jimmy Fallon.
Madame X received generally positive reviews from critics. On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, Madame X has an approval rating of 67%, based on 6 reviews from critics. [13] At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average rating, the film has received an average score of 62 out of 100, based on 4 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [14] Mick LaSalle from San Francisco Chronicle praised the film for Madonna's ability to reimagine herself and come up with new ideas, and described it as "somewhere between a success and a triumph". [15] Nick Levine from NME gave the concert film four out of five stars, stating: "Feels like an opportunity to end the experience on a positive and empowered note". [16]
Alexis Petridis of The Guardian gave the concert film three out of five stars describing it as a "fascinating behind-the-scenes documentary" and "beautifully shot". In his review, Petridis also asserts "the staging is impressive and wilfully arty". [17] John DeFore from The Hollywood Reporter praised its visual variety, but described the setlist as "weighted toward lesser material". [18] Writing for USA Today , Melissa Ruggieri reported that Madame X "is artistically impressive but often confounding". [19] Johnny Loftus from Decider opined that "the creative scope of Madame X is its most impressive thing" that "mixes high-concept [and] artfully constructed performance". [20] In a negative review, Owen Gleiberman from Variety criticized the film's serious tone and the usage of songs from the Madame X album. [21]
The film was nominated for Best Long Form Video at the 2022 MTV Video Music Awards, but lost to Taylor Swift's All Too Well: The Short Film . [22]
A music album was released digitally in October 2021 to accompany the film, followed by a vinyl edition in September 2023. [23]
Madonna Louise Ciccone is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Regarded as the "Queen of Pop", she has been recognized for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting and visual presentation. Madonna's works, which incorporate social, political, sexual, and religious themes, have generated both controversy and critical acclaim. A cultural icon spanning both the 20th and 21st centuries, she remains one of the most "well-documented figures of the modern age" according to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, with a broad array of scholarly reviews, literature, and art works about her, as well as an academic mini subdiscipline devoted to her called Madonna studies.
"Papa Don't Preach" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Madonna, released on her third studio album True Blue (1986). It was written by Brian Elliot with additional lyrics by Madonna, and produced by Madonna and Stephen Bray. "Papa Don't Preach" combines pop and classical styles, with lyrics about teenage pregnancy, and the choices that come with it. Elliot was inspired by the teen gossip he heard outside his recording studio.
"American Life" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna. It is the title track from her ninth studio album American Life (2003), and was released digitally as the lead single from the album on March 24, 2003, by Maverick Records. It is a pop, techno and folk song written and produced by Madonna and Mirwais Ahmadzaï; the lyrics to "American Life" feature violent transitions and a political and religious view from Madonna. She questions the shallowness of modern life and the American Dream during the presidency of George W. Bush. Towards the end of the song, Madonna raps, naming the people who were working for her.
"La Isla Bonita" is a song by American singer Madonna from her third studio album True Blue (1986). Patrick Leonard and Bruce Gaitsch created it as an instrumental demo and offered it to singer Michael Jackson, who turned it down. When Leonard met Madonna to start working on True Blue, he played the demo for her. Madonna came up with the title, wrote the lyrics and produced the song with Leonard. It is her first song with Latin influences. Its instrumentation features flamenco guitar, Latin percussion, maracas, and includes four lines sung in Spanish. The lyrics talk about an island named San Pedro, whose location has been debated. Madonna said the song was her tribute to Latin Americans.
"Vogue" is a song by American singer Madonna from her soundtrack album, I'm Breathless (1990). Written and produced by herself and Shep Pettibone, it was inspired by voguing, a dance which was part of the underground gay scene in New York City. The song was released as the lead single from the album on March 20, 1990, by Sire Records and Warner Bros. Records. "Vogue" is a house song with influences of disco, which contains escapist lyrics describing the dance floor as "a place where no boundaries exist". Its middle eight features Madonna name-dropping several actors from the Golden Age of Hollywood. "Vogue" was later included on three of Madonna's compilation albums: The Immaculate Collection (1990), Celebration (2009), and Finally Enough Love: 50 Number Ones (2022).
The Re-Invention World Tour was the sixth concert tour by American singer-songwriter Madonna, in support of her ninth studio album American Life (2003). The tour began on May 24, 2004, at The Forum in Inglewood, United States, and ended on September 14 at the Pavilhão Atlântico in Lisbon, Portugal. Additionally, it marked Madonna's first concerts in Portugal and Ireland. Rumors of a concert tour first began circulating on October 2003, but nothing was confirmed until March 2004. According to some, the title Re-Invention was a dig at Madonna's critics who, throughout her career, had talked about her "reinventing herself"; the singer said she chose this name because she wanted to "re-invent" her old material. A number of songs were rehearsed for the tour, with twenty-four making the final setlist. Like past Madonna tours, Re-Invention was divided into different thematic acts: Marie Antoinette, Military, Circus, Acoustic, and Scottish-Tribal; the wardrobe was created by designers Arianne Phillips, Stella McCartney, Christian Lacroix, and Karl Lagerfeld.
I'm Going to Tell You a Secret is a 2005 American documentary film that follows singer Madonna on her 2004 Re-Invention World Tour. Directed by Jonas Åkerlund, the film premiered on MTV on October 21, 2005, and was released on DVD on June 20, 2006, by Warner Bros. Records. The documentary was originally called The Re-Invented Process, referencing the tour and the Steven Klein exhibition titled X-STaTIC Pro=CeSS. It starts with imagery from the exhibition and Madonna auditioning dancers for the tour, continues with her entourage travelling through different cities and performing, the singer's introspection on her life, her marriage, her religion, and her children, and ends with Madonna's visit to Israel in the midst of protests.
I'm Going to Tell You a Secret is the first live album by American singer and songwriter Madonna, containing songs from the documentary of same name. The film chronicled the behind-the-scenes of Madonna's Re-Invention World Tour (2004), and was directed by Jonas Åkerlund. The album was released on June 20, 2006, in a two-disc format, a CD with 13 songs from the show plus a demo from her tenth studio album Confessions on a Dance Floor (2005), and a DVD with the documentary film. The documentary and the album were also released as digital download to the iTunes Store.
MDNA World Tour is the fourth live album by American singer and songwriter Madonna. It was released on September 6, 2013, by Interscope Records as a full concert on all formats including a double-disc CD, DVD, and Blu-ray. Madonna had embarked on the MDNA Tour for promotion of her twelfth studio album MDNA. The tour was a commercial success although it courted a number of controversies. The performances at the American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida during the North American leg of the MDNA Tour were documented for video release. The recording was directed by Danny B. Tull and Stephane Sennour who included footage from other shows of the tour.
Rebel Heart Tour is the fifth live album by American singer and songwriter Madonna, chronicling her tenth worldwide concert tour of the same name, recorded at the Sydney SuperDome. It was released on September 15, 2017 by Eagle Vision on DVD and Blu-ray formats and by Eagle Records for audio versions. Rebel Heart Tour also contains bonus content like excerpts from the Tears of a Clown show (2016) at Melbourne's Forum Theatre, as well as a 22-song double CD. Danny Tull and Nathan Rissman, who had worked on Madonna's previous concert films, directed Rebel Heart Tour.
"Crave" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna and American rapper Swae Lee, from the former's fourteenth studio Madame X (2019). The song was written by the two artists and Starrah, while production was handled by Madonna, Mike Dean, and Billboard. It was released by Interscope Records for digital download and streaming as the album's second single on May 10, 2019. The song has been noted as a pop, trap, and hip hop ballad inspired by Fado music, with the lyrics talking about desire and craving for someone who's running away. It was one of the first songs Madonna wrote for Madame X, but she put the work on hold when she began working with other musicians in Lisbon. When she revisited the song, Madonna came to the conclusion that a male voice was needed for inclusion and approached Swae Lee to sing with her, as she was a fan of his voice.
Madame X is the fourteenth studio album by American singer and songwriter Madonna. It was released on June 14, 2019, by Interscope Records, as Madonna's final album with the label. The record was creatively influenced by her expatriate life in Lisbon, Portugal, after Madonna relocated there in mid-2017 to put her son David Banda into a top football academy. Madonna co-wrote and co-produced the album with a number of musicians, including Mirwais, Mike Dean, Diplo, the Picard Brothers and Jason Evigan, during a process that lasted 18 months. Madame X also features guest appearances by artists Maluma, Quavo, Swae Lee and Anitta.
"Medellín" is a song by American singer Madonna and Colombian singer Maluma from Madonna's fourteenth studio album Madame X (2019). The song was produced by Madonna, Mirwais, who wrote it alongside Maluma and Edgar Barrera. It was released as the lead single from the album on April 17, 2019, by Interscope Records. The song is named after the city in Colombia, in which Maluma was born, and is a Latin pop track with elements of reggaeton and dance-pop. Lyrically, it finds Madonna and Maluma reflecting on past struggles while dreaming about a trip to Medellín.
"Dark Ballet" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna from her fourteenth studio album Madame X (2019). It was released on June 7, 2019 as the album's third promotional single. Written and produced by Madonna and longtime collaborator Mirwais, the song contains a sample from The Nutcracker (1892) by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, and was inspired by the historical figure Joan of Arc. It is an experimental pop and electro-gospel piano ballad, with the use of vocoder on her vocals and lyrics about rebelling against the patriarchy.
"Future" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna and American rapper Quavo, from her fourteenth studio album Madame X (2019). The track was written by Madonna, Diplo, Quavo and Starrah, and was produced by the former two. "Future" was released as the second promotional single from the album on May 17, 2019, by Interscope Records. Musically it was described as a roots reggae and hip hop song, while lyrically it deals about looking to what is ahead, celebrating the present and also contemplating the past.
"I Don't Search I Find" is a song by American singer Madonna from her fourteenth studio album, Madame X (2019). The track was written and produced by Madonna, alongside Mirwais Ahmadzaï. It was released to Italian contemporary hit radio by Interscope Records as the fourth single from the album on May 22, 2020. Two EPs containing several remixes had previously been released to accompany the song. It is an EDM and house influenced track that takes inspiration from Madonna's previous works, including "Vogue" (1990), Erotica (1992) and Confessions on a Dance Floor (2005).
"I Rise" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna from her fourteenth studio album Madame X (2019). The song was written by the singer herself, alongside Starrah and Jason Evigan, while produced by Madonna and Evigan. It was released on May 3, 2019, by Interscope Records, as the first promotional single from the album, and later sent to Italian radio on October 4, 2019, as the album's third single, by the aforementioned label. The song is a mid tempo pop track which lyrically deals about self-empowerment and draws attention to gun violence in the United States, and contains a sample from a speech by American activist X González.
The Madame X Tour was the eleventh concert tour by American singer Madonna, in support of her fourteenth studio album, Madame X (2019). It began on September 17, 2019, at the BAM Howard Gilman Opera House in New York City, United States, and ended on March 8, 2020, at the Grand Rex in Paris, France. An all-theater tour, it was the singer's first time playing small venues since the Virgin Tour (1985); she had previously shown interest in doing a smaller-scale show during a 2017 interview. The tour consisted exclusively of dates in the United States, Portugal, England, and France; mobile phones and smart watches were banned from the concerts, which was met with mixed reactions from fans.
"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.
Madame X: Music from the Theater Xperience is the sixth live album by Madonna, released by Warner Records on October 8, 2021, through all digital platforms, to accompany the release of the concert film of the same name. The live album contains the audio of all performances from the film. It is Madonna's first release with Warner since Sticky & Sweet Tour (2010).