Devil Pray

Last updated

"Devil Pray"
Song by Madonna
from the album Rebel Heart
ReleasedDecember 20, 2014 (2014-12-20)
Recorded2014
Genre
Length4:05
Label Interscope
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Rebel Heart track listing
24 tracks
  1. "Living for Love"
  2. "Devil Pray"
  3. "Ghosttown"
  4. "Unapologetic Bitch"
  5. "Illuminati"
  6. "Bitch I'm Madonna"
  7. "Hold Tight"
  8. "Joan of Arc"
  9. "Iconic"
  10. "HeartBreakCity"
  11. "Body Shop"
  12. "Holy Water"
  13. "Inside Out"
  14. "Wash All Over Me"
Deluxe edition
  1. "Best Night"
  2. "Veni Vidi Vici"
  3. "S.E.X."
  4. "Messiah"
  5. "Rebel Heart"
Media Markt deluxe edition
  1. "Auto-Tune Baby"
Super deluxe edition (Disc 2)
  1. "Beautiful Scars"
  2. "Borrowed Time"
  3. "Addicted"
  4. "Graffiti Heart"
Licensed audio
"Madonna - Devil Pray (Official Audio)" on YouTube

"Devil Pray" is a song recorded by American singer and songwriter Madonna for her thirteenth studio album, Rebel Heart (2015). It was written and produced by Madonna, Avicii, DJ Dahi, and Michael Diamond (BloodPop), with additional writing by Arash Pournouri, Carl Falk, Rami Yacoub, and Savan Kotecha. During the early stages of the album, Madonna was encouraged by her manager to work with Avicii and his team of songwriters. Together, they worked on seven songs and "Devil Pray" was composed after Madonna desired to talk about her experiences with drugs and quest for spirituality. Lyrically, the song deals with themes of drug addiction, sin, temptation, and the desire for salvation.

Contents

"Devil Pray" is a techno-folk song, which combines elements of country-pop and has similarities with Madonna's own single "Don't Tell Me", Avicii's previous work and The Animals' version of the traditional folk song "The House of the Rising Sun". The song received high praise from critics for its musical elements, while also being highlighted for its self-conscious lyrics. However, there was some criticism towards the list of drugs used in the chorus. Following its release as a pre-ordered song from Rebel Heart, the song charted in many European territories, reaching the top-25 in Finland, Greece, Hungary and Lebanon. Madonna performed the song for the first time on the Italian TV show Che tempo che fa , wearing a black robe and various rosaries, and on her 2015–16 Rebel Heart Tour.

Background and release

Avicii co-wrote and co-produced the song. Avicii 2014 003cr.jpg
Avicii co-wrote and co-produced the song.

Madonna and Avicii first met in 2012 when the singer appeared on the Ultra Music Festival to premiere a remix of her single "Girl Gone Wild", produced by the DJ. [1] Later, while developing her then-upcoming album, Madonna's manager Guy Oseary suggested the singer to work with Avicii's songwriting team; the singer accepted since she was a fan of Avicii's work. [2] On March 7, 2014, the singer posted a picture of herself on her Instagram account with the caption, "Doing some house work before heading to the studio with Avicii." [1] [3] A week later, she posted photos with Avicii and his team of songwriters, claiming that they did "so many great songs". [4] In an interview with David Blaine for Interview , Madonna said of the song:

It's about how people take drugs to connect to God or to a higher level of consciousness. I keep saying, 'Plugging into the matrix'. If you get high, you can do that, which is why a lot of people drop acid or do drugs, because they want to get closer to God. But there's going to be a short circuit, and that's the illusion of drugs, because they give you the illusion of getting closer to God, but ultimately they kill you. They destroy you. I mean, I tried everything once, but as soon as I was high, I spent my time drinking tons of water to get it out of my system. As soon as I was high, I was obsessed with flushing it out of me. I was like, 'OK, I'm done now'. [5]

In the same interview, she said the song was not written to anyone in particular and that she was merely sharing her experiences. [5] Rolling Stone published an article in which Madonna advocated "intense personal exploration" over drug use. [6] While being asked if "Devil Pray" could run the risk of being misunderstood as a song encouraging drugs, Madonna replied: "I'm certainly not judging people who take drugs or saying 'don't do drugs', however, I'm saying you can do all of these things to connect to a higher level, but ultimately you're going to be lost. People who are getting high are instinctively also trying to connect to a higher level of consciousness, but are doing it in a way that will not sustain them." [7]

The demo version of "Devil Pray" leaked onto the Internet in December 2014, alongside 12 other demos from the upcoming album. [8] Following this Madonna released the album, titled Rebel Heart , for pre-order on December 20, 2014. When ordered, the first six tracks were automatically downloaded, including "Devil Pray". [9] Madonna stated that the songs were meant to be "an early Christmas gift" and added that she would prefer her fans hear the completed versions of some of the songs instead of the incomplete tracks that were circulating. [10]

Recording and composition

The lyrics of "Devil Pray" talk about consuming psychoactive drugs like MDMA (ecstasy). Ecstasy monogram.jpg
The lyrics of "Devil Pray" talk about consuming psychoactive drugs like MDMA (ecstasy).

"Devil Pray" was written and produced by Madonna, Avicii, DJ Dahi and Michael Diamonds, with additional writing done by Savan Kotecha, Carl Falk, Rami Yacoub and Arash Pournouri. Avicii and Falk were also responsible for providing keyboards and programming, with Falk also providing guitars. Additional recording and mixing was done by Angie Teo, while Demacio "Demo" Castellon was the song's engineer and mixer. [11] "Devil Pray" has been described as a "moody mid-tempo semi-acoustic pop", techno-folk, [12] "lite-EDM" [13] and "acoustic guitar-with-electro-cowboy" [14] song about overcoming addiction, with a more "country-tinged" and "folksy" style in comparison to other tracks on the album. [15] [16] Critics found similarities between the song and Madonna's own single "Don't Tell Me" (2000) for its "country-pop elements" and the traditional folk song "The House of the Rising Sun", due to its "bluesy-vibe". [6] [17]

"Devil Pray" brings Madonna "as a devoted disciple, drawn to a darker kind of prayer", as noted by The Quietus 's Amy Pettifer, [18] and its story deals with sin, temptation and deliverance. [19] The song starts with hand claps and guitar, "whose country edge is [...] characteristic of Swedish producer Avicii's own output", claimed Pettifer. [18] The chorus contains "an intoned, warning list of narcotic distractions" that "offer brief relief", as she sings, "And we can do drugs, and we can smoke weed, and we can drink whiskey  /  Yeah, we can get high, and we can get stoned  /  And we can sniff glue, and we can do E, and we can drop acid." [20]

During the second verse, Madonna "seems to understand her own spiritual plight when she sings [...], 'Mother Mary, can't you [help] me? / 'Cause I've gone astray / All the angels that were around me / Have all flown away'," [19] before warning, "Lucifer is near". [21] Later, she advises that although providing brief relief, the use of those drugs will not provide any positive effect on the user, warning, "Yeah, we can run and we can hide / But we won't find the answers" and invite them to "get help" for making the "devil pray". [19] Then, a "pitched down" voice joins in a "plea for [her] soul to be saved". [18] As she sings, "Ooh, save my soul, save my soul, save my / Devil's here to fool ya", a "bed of throaty, orgasmic samples rises in the mix", and "a hundred tiny Madonna-voices in coital abyss." [21]

Critical reception

"Devil Pray" received mostly positive response from music critics. While noting that the song "reaches back smartly, not only to the hoe-down pop of [her single] 'Don't Tell Me', but to the subject matter, and bluesy gait of 'The House of the Rising Sun'", Jim Farber of New York Daily News praised "[t]he addition of a pulsing house beat [that] gives it yet another lure." [22] Bernard Zuel of Sydney Morning Herald also found similarities in "Devil Pray" with both songs, defining it as an "acoustic guitar-with-electro-cowboy" song, whose melody "doesn't attempt to hide its familiarity with 'House of the Rising Sun'." [14] The Huffington Post 's Matthew Jacobs pointed out that Madonna evoked "the more traditional dance palate for which she is known." [16] Jamieson Cox of Time enthusiastically wrote that the song "could fit in neatly on the radio beside this year's British house-pop crossovers and Avicii's own 'Hey Brother'." [23] Kathy Iandoli of Idolator praised Avicii and Blood Diamonds for "becom[ing] a divine pair for ['Devil Pray'] where you can hear both of their styles woven into the beat." [24] Andy Gill of The Independent found that "Devil Pray" recalled "the career-apex achievements of 'Like a Prayer', [25] while Gavin Haynes of NME opined that the song is "reminiscent of Lady Gaga's crazed 2013 dance tune 'Aura'." [26]

Madonna performing "Devil Pray" during the Rebel Heart Tour Madonna - Rebel Heart Tour - Antwerp 3 (cropped).jpg
Madonna performing "Devil Pray" during the Rebel Heart Tour

Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic picked it as one of Rebel Heart's best songs, calling it "an expert evocation of her folktronica Y2K." [27] Caryn Ganz of Rolling Stone agreed, noting that "Avicii helps Madonna revive the strums-and-beats vibe of 2000's Music ." [28] Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine went further, calling it "her best song in 15 years". He continued praising "Devil Pray" for "reimagin[ing] The Animals as a folktronica band with witch-house tendencies... Her ruminations on salvation and the existential pitfalls of sniffing glue [that] rid[es] an unexpected low-end groove." [29] Annie Zaleski of The A.V. Club also saw the song as a highlight, describing it as a "gospel-tinged, acoustic-guitar irresistible plea for salvation and divine guidance in the face of temptations such as drugs." [30] Sasha Geffen of Consequence of Sound considered "Devil Pray" one of Madonna's best release in years and its chorus as "one of her strongest in decades". She praised "Madonna's voice [which] is pitch-shifted into a ghostly echo — and unlike those 'Bitch' beats, the production slides in perfectly. It's one hell of a song about getting fucked up on every molecule imaginable, but it's also heavy with the longing for self-purification and direction." [31] The New York Times also shared this view, noting that the song "showcase[s] some of Madonna's best singing in years." [32] Saeed Saeed of The National felt that the song was similar to The Animals' version of "The House of the Rising Sun" and praised it for being a better country–dance song than Madonna's cover of Don McLean's "American Pie". [33]

However, there were some criticism directed at the list of drugs used in the chorus of "Devil Pray". Chris Richards from The Washington Post criticized the fact that the "lyrics on Rebel Heart feel almost violently resistant to wisdom", citing the menu of intoxicants used in the chorus and asking, "Which one will best help us forget that this is happening?" [20] Andrew Unterberger of Spin also wrote about the "laundry list of intoxicants" referenced in the song, noting that it "makes 'Devil Pray' sound like a mid-80s PSA." [34] Jessica Hopper of Pitchfork Media went on to criticize the list for being "a strange, tender, comical thing, [...] but ultimately, it's a boring stadium-throb lite-EDM song about seeking sobriety and/or big-G, God. It's also a Madonna-doing-Madonna cliche [ sic ], which is too often the downfall of Rebel Heart." [21] Alexis Petridis of The Guardian was negative about "Devil Pray"'s production, claiming that "[it's] a pretty transparent attempt by Avicii to come up with something along the lines of his hit 'Wake Me Up'." [35]

Chart performance

"Devil Pray" charted in many European territories after its release along with the other album's five tracks, on December 20, 2014. The song reached the top-ten in Greece and Hungary, peaking at numbers 9 and 10, respectively, [36] [37] while in Finland, Lebanon and Sweden, "Devil Pray" managed to reach the top-twenty, reaching numbers 16, 18 and 14. [38] [39] [40] In Spain, the song reached number 50 and was the album's lowest charting song, while in France, "Devil Pray" was the third highest charting song, after "Living for Love" and "Ghosttown", the album's first and second single respectively, and peaked at number 62 with over 800 downloads. [41] [42] [43]

Live performances

On March 1, 2015, Madonna performed the song for the first time on Italian TV show, Che tempo che fa , along with "Ghosttown", the album's second single. [44] An episode featuring her appearance was aired on March 8. [45] For the performance of "Devil Pray", Madonna wore "an extravagant black robe and various rosaries." [46] A writer for Yahoo! noticed that both performances were warmly received by the audience, while Lionel Nicaise appreciated that Madonna put more emphasis on the melodies and her vocals during the performance, rather than costumes and stage props. [47] [48] Bianca Grace of Idolator noted that the performance "will have you repenting your weekend sins, as the singer emotionally sings the tune." [46] "Devil Pray" was performed on Madonna's 2015–16 Rebel Heart Tour. Following the Last Supper-themed mashup performance of "Holy Water" and "Vogue", Madonna climbed down to the center stage to perform "Devil Pray"; during the performance she straddled one of her male dancers, who was dressed as a priest, and engaged in a dance-off with other dancers. [49] Jordan Zivitz from the Montreal Gazette said that she found the performance to be "challenging". [50] Previous to this the song was also used for promotional videos related to the tour's rehearsals and dancer interviews. [51] The performance of "Devil Pray" at the March 19–20, 2016 shows in Sydney's Allphones Arena was recorded and released in Madonna's fifth live album, Rebel Heart Tour . [52]

Credits and personnel

Management

Personnel

  • Madonna  – vocals, songwriter, producer
  • Avicii  – songwriter, producer, keyboards, programming
  • DJ Dahi  – songwriter, producer
  • Jimmy Austin – songwriter
  • Blood Diamonds  – songwriter, producer
  • Arash Pournouri – songwriter
  • Carl Falk  – songwriter, keyboards, guitars, programming
  • Rami Yacoub  – songwriter
  • Savan Kotecha  – songwriter
  • Demacio "Demo" Castellon – engineer, mixer
  • Nick Rowe  – engineer
  • Angie Teo – additional recording, additional mixing

Personnel adapted from Madonna official website. [11]

Charts

Chart (2014–2015)Peak
position
Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Wallonia) [53] 80
Finland Download (Latauslista) [38] 16
France (SNEP) [42] 62
Greece Digital Songs ( Billboard ) [36] 9
Hungary (Single Top 40) [37] 10
Italy (FIMI) [54] 43
Lebanon (The Official Lebanese Top 20) [39] 18
Spain (PROMUSICAE) [41] 50
Sweden (DigiListan) [40] 14
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade) [55] 59

Related Research Articles

Ruth-Anne Cunningham, known professionally as RuthAnne, is an Irish singer-songwriter. She is best known for co-writing "Too Little Too Late", performed by the US singer JoJo, "In the Name of Love" performed by Martin Garrix and Bebe Rexha, "Work Bitch" performed by Britney Spears, "Slow Hands" performed by Niall Horan, "Where Do Broken Hearts Go", "No Control" performed by One Direction and "Beautiful World" performed by Westlife. She also wrote and vocally features on the Fifty Shades Darker soundtrack with her song "Pray". In 2013, she also has uncredited vocals for the EDM-oriented song, "All You Need is Love", on Swedish DJ Avicii's True album.

Carl Anthony Falk-Gramer, is a Swedish songwriter, record producer and musician and has worked with artists such as Demi Lovato, One Direction, 5 Seconds of Summer, Nicki Minaj, Ellie Goulding, Madonna, Avicii, Ariana Grande, Charlie Puth, Jason Derulo, Westlife, Hilary Duff, Iggy Azalea, Liam Payne.

<i>MDNA</i> (album) 2012 studio album by Madonna

MDNA is the twelfth studio album by American singer Madonna, released on March 23, 2012, by Interscope Records. The album was conceived while the singer was busy throughout 2011 with filming her directorial venture, W.E. Madonna started the recording in July 2011 and collaborated with a variety of producers such as Alle Benassi, Benny Benassi, Demolition Crew, Free School, Michael Malih, Indiigo, William Orbit, and Martin Solveig, the last two serving as primary producers of the record. The album features guest features by female rappers M.I.A. and Nicki Minaj.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Masterpiece (Madonna song)</span> 2012 single by Madonna

"Masterpiece" is a song by American singer Madonna for the soundtrack of the 2011 film W.E. The song was later included on her twelfth studio album MDNA (2012). It served official radio release in the United Kingdom on April 2, 2012, to promote the album. Madonna composed the song alongside Julie Frost and Jimmy Harry, and produced it with William Orbit. "Masterpiece" is a midtempo pop and folk-pop ballad which is reminiscent of her works from the 1990s. The song garnered positive reviews from contemporary critics, who praised its lyrical content and Madonna's vocal performance.

"Unapologetic Bitch" is a song recorded by American singer and songwriter Madonna for her thirteenth studio album, Rebel Heart (2015). It was written by Madonna, Thomas Wesley Pentz, Shelco Garcia, Bryan Orellana, Maureen McDonald and Toby Gad, with production being done by Madonna, Garcia & Teenwolf, BV, Diplo and Ariel Rechtshaid. The song's demo was leaked to the internet in December 2014, with twelve other tracks from the album. Its final version was released on December 20, 2014, with five other tracks on the iTunes store, as "an early Christmas gift" to avoid more leakage. The song was conceived while Madonna was in the studio with Diplo, who worked with the singer on more than eight songs for the album.

"Wash All Over Me" is a song recorded by American singer Madonna for her thirteenth studio album, Rebel Heart (2015). The song is a pop ballad that makes use of a "baroque piano" over a "contemplative melody". Madonna co-wrote and co-produced the song with Avicii, Mike Dean and Kanye West; additional writers include Arash Pournouri, Salem Al Fakir, Magnus Lidehäll, Vincent Pontare and Tommy Brown, with Charlie Heat serving as a co-producer.

<i>Rebel Heart</i> 2015 studio album by Madonna

Rebel Heart is the thirteenth studio album by American singer-songwriter Madonna, released by Interscope Records on March 6, 2015. She worked on the album throughout 2014, co-writing and co-producing it with various musicians, including Diplo, Avicii and Kanye West. The album also features guest vocals by boxer Mike Tyson and rappers Nicki Minaj, Nas and Chance the Rapper.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Living for Love</span> 2014 single by Madonna

"Living for Love" is a song recorded by American singer Madonna for her thirteenth studio album, Rebel Heart (2015). It was written and produced by Madonna, Diplo and Ariel Rechtshaid, with additional writing from MoZella and Toby Gad. Originally intended for a Valentine's Day 2015 release, the song was rush-released as the lead single from the album on December 20, 2014, by Interscope Records, after demos recorded for the album leaked on to the internet. An EDM, diva house, disco and electropop track on which Madonna experimented with different musical genres, "Living for Love" contains instrumentation from percussion and piano by singer Alicia Keys, along with a gospel choir. Madonna composed the track as a break-up song, however she wanted to deviate and make the lyrics as uplifting in nature, talking about counteracting negative thoughts with positive responses.

"Illuminati" is a song recorded by American singer and songwriter Madonna for her thirteenth studio album Rebel Heart (2015). It was written by Madonna Ciccone, Toby Gad, Maureen McDonald, Larry Griffin Jr., Mike Dean, Kanye West, Ernest Brown and Jacques Webster. The song was produced by Madonna, West, Dean and Symbolyc One, with co-production by Charlie Heat and additional production by Travis Scott. The song's demo was leaked to the internet in December 2014, with twelve other tracks from the album. Its final version was released on December 20, 2014, with five other tracks on the iTunes Store as "an early Christmas gift" to avoid further leaks. The song's demo version features dance synths and acoustic guitars; after showing the song to West, he felt connected to the song and changed it to a darker sound. The song was conceived after Madonna was accused of being a member of the Illuminati; she wanted to write a song about who they really are and what they are not.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bitch I'm Madonna</span> 2015 single by Madonna

"Bitch I'm Madonna" is a song by American singer Madonna from her thirteenth studio album, Rebel Heart (2015), featuring guest vocals from rapper Nicki Minaj. The artists co-wrote the song with MoZella, Toby Gad, Ariel Rechtshaid, Diplo, and Sophie. It was released as the third single from the album by Interscope Records on June 15, 2015, along with a number of remixes commissioned. Produced by Madonna and Diplo, it is an EDM song with lyrics about Madonna having continuous fun because she is Madonna.

"Joan of Arc" is a song recorded by American singer and songwriter Madonna from her thirteenth studio album Rebel Heart (2015). It was written by Madonna, Toby Gad, Maureen McDonald and Larry Griffin Jr., with production being done by Madonna, Gad, AFSHeeN and Josh Cumbee. The song's demo was leaked onto the internet on December 17, 2014, with twelve other tracks from the album. Its final version was released on February 9, 2015 with two other tracks on the iTunes store. "Joan of Arc" is the eighth track on Rebel Heart and has similarity to the demo version, but with a lift in its tempo during the chorus. It is a guitar-led pop and electro-folk ballad, with drums and guitars being added as the song's instrumentation.

"Rebel Heart" is a song recorded by American singer Madonna for her thirteenth studio album of the same name (2015). Madonna co-wrote and co-produced the song with Avicii, Arash Pournouri, Salem Al Fakir, Magnus Lidehäll and Vincent Pontare. An early demo of "Rebel Heart", as well as the final version, leaked to the internet prior to the album's scheduled release. The final version was made available on March 6, 2015, when Rebel Heart was released. It was included as a bonus track on the deluxe version of the album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hold Tight (Madonna song)</span> 2015 single by Madonna

"Hold Tight" is a song recorded and produced by American singer Madonna from her thirteenth studio album, Rebel Heart (2015). She co-wrote the track with Diplo, MoZella, Toby Gad, Ariel Rechtshaid, and MNEK. A demo of "Hold Tight" was leaked onto the internet on December 22, 2014, while its final version was released by Madonna on February 9, 2015 on the iTunes Store. The song was later sent to Italian radio on July 24, 2015, as the third single from Rebel Heart in that country.

"Iconic" is a song recorded by American singer and songwriter Madonna for her thirteenth studio album Rebel Heart (2015). It was written by Madonna, Toby Gad, Maureen McDonald, Larry Griffin Jr., Chancelor Bennett, Dacoury Natche and Michael Tucker. "Iconic" was produced by Madonna, Gad, AFSHeeN and Josh Cumbee, while DJ Dahi and Tucher served as additional producers. It features American rapper Chance the Rapper and a spoken intro by American professional boxer Mike Tyson. The song's demo was leaked onto the internet on December 17, 2014, alongside twelve other tracks from the album, with "Iconic" also being rumored as the album's title. Its final version was released on February 9, 2015, with "Hold Tight" and "Joan of Arc", on the iTunes store.

"Holy Water" is a song recorded by American singer and songwriter Madonna for her thirteenth studio album, Rebel Heart (2015). The song was written by Madonna, Martin Kierszenbaum, Natalia Keery-Fisher, Mike Dean, Kanye West and Tommy Brown. It was produced by Madonna, Dean and West, with Charlie Heat serving as co-producer. The demo of "Holy Water" leaked on to the internet in late December 2014 and the final version leaked in February 2015, a month prior to the album's release. "Holy Water" is an electronica and technopop song, and it features minimalist bass stutter, ricocheting synths and "martial beats" in its instrumentation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ghosttown (Madonna song)</span> 2015 single by Madonna

"Ghosttown" is a song recorded by American singer Madonna for her thirteenth studio album, Rebel Heart (2015). It was released to radio stations on March 13, 2015, as the album's second single. It was written by Madonna, Jason Evigan, Evan Bogart, and Sean Douglas, and produced by Madonna, Billboard and Evigan. Having listened to Douglas' previous works, Madonna requested studio time with him. Together with the other songwriters, they wrote "Ghosttown" in three days. The song was inspired by the imagery of a destroyed city after armageddon, and how the survivors carry on with their lives with love being the only thing they can hold onto. Musically, "Ghosttown" is an uplifting pop, electropop and electro ballad, featuring an organ and drums in its instrumentation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rebel Heart Tour</span> 2015–16 concert tour by Madonna

The Rebel Heart Tour was the tenth concert tour by American singer Madonna, staged in support of her thirteenth studio album, Rebel Heart (2015). Comprising 82 shows, the tour visited North America, Asia, Europe and Oceania. It began on September 9, 2015, at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada, and concluded on March 20, 2016, at the Allphones Arena in Sydney, Australia. The tour was officially announced on March 1, 2015, through Madonna's website and was led by Live Nation Entertainment's Global Touring Division, helmed by Arthur Fogel; this was the fifth collaboration between Madonna and Live Nation as well as her third tour to be promoted by the company. Additionally, the tour marked the singer's first visits to Taiwan, Thailand, Hong Kong, Macau, Philippines, Singapore, and New Zealand, and was her first to visit Australia and Puerto Rico since the Girlie Show (1993).

Dacoury Dahi Natche, known professionally as DJ Dahi, is an American record producer, songwriter, disc jockey and singer from Inglewood, California. Working primarily in hip hop and R&B music, he has been credited on commercially successful singles including "Money Trees" by Kendrick Lamar, "Worst Behavior" by Drake, and "I Don't Fuck with You" by Big Sean—the latter rose to number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100. He made his vocal debut on Lamar's 2018 single "Loyalty", which he also produced.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Rise (song)</span> 2019 song by Madonna

"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.

References

  1. 1 2 "Madonna Reveals She's Headed to the Studio with Avicii". Fuse . March 7, 2014. Retrieved July 26, 2015.
  2. ↑ "Madonna Interview Again for NRJ". NRJ . January 30, 2015. Retrieved January 31, 2015.
  3. ↑ Coleman, Miriam (March 8, 2014). "Madonna Announces Collaboration With Avicii". Rolling Stone . Retrieved July 26, 2015.
  4. ↑ Copsey, Robert (March 13, 2014). "Madonna, Avicii working on "great songs" in the studio". Digital Spy . Retrieved July 26, 2015.
  5. 1 2 Blaine, David (November 26, 2014). "Madonna". Interview : 4. Retrieved December 2, 2014.
  6. 1 2 Hauk, Hunter (December 23, 2014). "Madonna returns: We review the 'Rebel Heart' songs released over the weekend". The Dallas Morning News . Archived from the original on December 25, 2014. Retrieved January 28, 2015.
  7. ↑ Ganz, Caryn (December 21, 2014). "'Rebel Heart': Madonna Reveals the Story Behind Six Surprise Songs". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on December 25, 2014. Retrieved January 28, 2015.
  8. ↑ Stern, Bradley (December 17, 2014). "Madonna's New Album Leaks Way, Way Ahead Of Schedule". Idolator . Retrieved December 19, 2014.
  9. ↑ Corner, Lewis (December 20, 2014). "Madonna premieres new single 'Living For Love' from Rebel Heart". Digital Spy . Retrieved December 21, 2014.
  10. ↑ "Madonna Responds to 'Rebel Heart' Leak by Releasing Six Songs". Rolling Stone . December 20, 2014. Retrieved December 20, 2014.
  11. 1 2 "Rebel Heart – Credits". Madonna.com. Archived from the original on June 21, 2015. Retrieved June 21, 2015.
  12. ↑ McCormick, Neil (March 9, 2015). "Madonna, Rebel Heart review: 'she's in the game again'". The Telegraph. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
  13. ↑ Hopper, Jessica (March 13, 2015). "Madonna: Rebel Heart Album Review". Pitchfork . Retrieved July 26, 2020.
  14. 1 2 Zuel, Bernard (December 22, 2014). "Madonna's Rebel Heart early review: Something old, something new, something borrowed". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved July 26, 2020.
  15. ↑ Lustig, Jay (December 27, 2014). "Madonna's six new songs worth listening to". The Record . Retrieved January 28, 2015.
  16. 1 2 Jacobs, Matthew (December 22, 2014). "What Everyone Said About Madonna's New Songs This Weekend". The Huffington Post . Retrieved January 28, 2015.
  17. ↑ Zuel, Bernard (December 22, 2014). "Madonna's Rebel Heart early review: Something old, something new, something borrowed". The Sydney Morning Herald . Retrieved July 26, 2015.
  18. 1 2 3 Pettifer, Amy (February 25, 2015). "Madonna's Rebel Heart: A Track By Track Review". The Quietus . Retrieved July 28, 2015.
  19. 1 2 3 R. Holz, Adam (March 3, 2015). "Rebel Heart Album Review (2015)". Plugged In (publication) . Retrieved July 29, 2015.
  20. 1 2 Richards, Chris (March 9, 2015). "Be still, the unseemly beating of Madonna's 'Rebel Heart'". The Washington Post . Retrieved July 28, 2015.
  21. 1 2 3 Hopper, Jessica (March 12, 2015). "Madonna: Rebel Heart". Pitchfork Media . Retrieved July 28, 2015.
  22. ↑ Farber, Jim (December 20, 2014). "Madonna songs leaked: 'Rebel Heart' tracks are best when pop star favors classic over trendy". New York Daily News . Retrieved January 28, 2015.
  23. ↑ Cox, Jamieson (December 22, 2015). "Madonna's Next Album Is Shaping Up to Be Her Best in a Decade". Time . Retrieved July 27, 2015.
  24. ↑ Iandoli, Kathy (March 7, 2015). "Madonna's 'Rebel Heart': Album Review". Idolator . Retrieved July 28, 2015.
  25. ↑ Gill, Andy (March 6, 2015). "Madonna, Rebel Heart — album review: A confirmation of Madonna's sustained musical relevance". The Independent . Retrieved July 27, 2015.
  26. ↑ Haynes, Gavin (March 4, 2015). "Madonna – 'Rebel Heart'". NME . Archived from the original on March 14, 2015. Retrieved July 27, 2015.
  27. ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas (March 10, 2015). "Rebel Heart — Madonna". AllMusic . Retrieved July 27, 2015.
  28. ↑ Ganz, Caryn (February 25, 2015). "Madonna gets down with Kanye, Avicii and more on a supercatchy, sexed-up album". Rolling Stone . Retrieved July 27, 2015.
  29. ↑ Cinquemani, Sal (February 26, 2015). "Madonna: Rebel Heart". Slant Magazine . Retrieved July 27, 2015.
  30. ↑ Zaleski, Annie (March 10, 2015). "Rebel Hear → Madonna". The A.V. Club . Retrieved July 27, 2015.
  31. ↑ Gefen, Sasha (March 26, 2015). "Madonna – Rebel Heart". Consequence of Sound . Retrieved July 27, 2015.
  32. ↑ "Music Review: Madonna's 'Rebel Heart' Is Lovely". The New York Times . March 9, 2015. Retrieved July 28, 2015.
  33. ↑ Saeed, Saeed (March 2, 2015). "Track-by-track review: Rebel Heart – Madonna". The National . Retrieved October 13, 2015.
  34. ↑ Unterberger, Andrew (March 10, 2015). "Review: Madonna Becomes the Heel of Pop on the Admirably Shameless 'Rebel Heart'". Spin . Retrieved July 28, 2015.
  35. ↑ Petridis, Alexis (March 5, 2015). "Madonna: Rebel Heart review – braggadocio v self-examination on an album of two halves". The Guardian . Retrieved July 28, 2015.
  36. 1 2 "Greece Digital Songs: Week of December 27, 2014" . Billboard . Retrieved December 29, 2014.
  37. 1 2 "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Single (track) Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved December 29, 2014.
  38. 1 2 "Madonna: Devil Pray" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat. Retrieved January 3, 2015.
  39. 1 2 "Lebanese Top 20". The Official Lebanese Top 20. Archived from the original on February 6, 2015. Retrieved May 9, 2015.Click English to see chart position
  40. 1 2 "Swedish Digital Chart" (in Swedish). DigiListan. December 28, 2014. Retrieved January 5, 2015.
  41. 1 2 "Madonna – Devil Pray" Canciones Top 50. Retrieved December 25, 2014.
  42. 1 2 "Madonna – Devil Pray" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved December 25, 2014.
  43. ↑ Decant, Charles (December 26, 2014). "Top Singles : Mark Ronson et Bruno Mars en tête, Madonna débarque, Louane démarre fort" (in French). Charts in France. Archived from the original on December 26, 2014. Retrieved April 8, 2022.
  44. ↑ Scanzi, Andrea (March 9, 2015). "Madonna a 'Che tempo che fa' – Ciccone contro Fazio: che 8 marzo!". Il Fatto Quotidiano (in Italian). Retrieved September 26, 2015.
  45. ↑ Fazio, Fabio (March 8, 2015). "Madonna – Che tempo che fa del 08/03/2015". Che tempo che fa (in Italian). Retrieved March 9, 2015.
  46. 1 2 Gracie, Bianca (March 9, 2015). "Madonna Performs 'Devil Pray' & 'Ghosttown' On Italy's 'Che Tempo Che Fa': Watch". Idolator . Retrieved August 2, 2015.
  47. ↑ "Madonna a Che tempo che fa: "Ancora senza regole, ma prego tutti i giorni"" (in Italian). Yahoo!. March 9, 2015. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 9, 2015.
  48. ↑ Nicaise, Lionel (March 7, 2015). "Madonna: Devil Pray SA Performance a la TV Italienne" (in French). MCM. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved March 9, 2015.
  49. ↑ Stevenson, Jane (October 5, 2015). "Madonna puts on rebellious show for Toronto fans". Toronto Sun . Retrieved November 26, 2015.
  50. ↑ Zivitz, Jordan (September 15, 2015). "Concert review: Madonna's Rebel Heart Tour starts beating at the Bell Centre". Montreal Gazette . Retrieved September 15, 2015.
  51. ↑ "Madonna Gives Behind-the-Scenes Look at Rehearsal Before Tour Kickoff". WFJA. September 8, 2015. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved September 16, 2015.
  52. ↑ Madonna (2017). Rebel Heart Tour (2× CD, DVD, Blu-ray). Eagle Records.
  53. ↑ "Madonna – Devil Pray" (in French). Ultratip. Retrieved January 2, 2016.
  54. ↑ "Top Digital Download — Classifica settimanale WK 11 (dal 2015-03-09 al 2015-03-15)" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana . Retrieved June 14, 2015.
  55. ↑ "Madonna – Devil Pray". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved December 25, 2014.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.