Line #132 Music/Madonna


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4	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/madonnablondambitionconebra.png]]
5	[[caption-width-right:350: The undisputed Queen of Pop.]]
6	[floatboxright:Influences:
7	+ Creator/MarilynMonroe, Creator/SylviaPlath, Music/NancySinatra, Music/{{Carpenters}}, Music/LedZeppelin, Music/TheSupremes, Martha Graham, Rudolf Nureyev, Music/WolfgangAmadeusMozart, Music/FryderykChopin, Creator/CaroleLombard, Creator/JudyHolliday, Creator/MarleneDietrich, Creator/RitaHayworth, Creator/BetteDavis, Frida Kahlo, Creator/AndyWarhol, Guy Bourdin
8	]
9	[floatboxright:Influenced:
10	+ Music/BritneySpears, Music/ChristinaAguilera, Music/AlanisMorissette, Creator/{{RuPaul}}, Music/LinkinPark, Liam Gallagher, Music/KylieMinogue, Music/{{Rihanna}}, Music/SpiceGirls, Music/{{Pink}}, Music/GwenStefani, Music/LadyGaga and so much more
11	]
12
13	->''"I love you, baby\
14	But face it, she's Madonna\
15	No man on earth\
16	Could say that he don't want her"''
17	-->-- '''Music/RobbieWilliams''', "She's Madonna"
18
19	Madonna Louise Ciccone (born August 16, 1958) is an American recording artist, actress and entrepreneur.
20
21	Born in Bay City, UsefulNotes/{{Michigan}}, and raised in Rochester Hills, Michigan, she moved to UsefulNotes/NewYorkCity in 1977, for a career in modern dance. After performing as a member of the pop musical groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her self-titled debut album in 1983 on Creator/SireRecords, a division of Creator/WarnerBrosRecords. The album was a hit, as well as a few of its singles, and with it Madonna started her rise to fame.
22
23	With her second album, ''Music/LikeAVirgin'' (1984), Madonna rocketed to super-stardom. The album spawned a slew of hit singles (especially the titular single), and a live performance by the singer at the very first MTV Music Video Awards sealed the deal towards Madonna's ascension to super-stardom. Madonna's relationship with MTV further made her a household name; alongside Music/MichaelJackson and Music/{{Prince}}, she became one of the defining artists of the 80s as her videos and sexually charged, often ironic and catching lyrics made her an icon of the era.
24
25	By this time, Madonna landed a supporting cast role in ''Film/DesperatelySeekingSusan'' (1985), playing the title character Susan. The film was a commercial and critical hit and was the first of many movie roles for Madonna. Unfortunately, her follow-up films ''Film/ShanghaiSurprise'' (1986, with then-husband Creator/SeanPenn) and ''Film/WhosThatGirl'' (1987) didn't fare as well.
26
27	Her third album, 1986's ''Music/TrueBlue'', saw the first of many re-inventions for Madonna, as she shed her "mall rat" persona and adopted a more sophisticated "sex kitten" image. The album also contained "Live to Tell", one of the most important songs Madonna ever put out. The ballad won critics (many of whom had dismissed Madonna as a teenybopper act) over and breathed new life to her career. Additionally, the single "Papa Don't Preach", about an impregnated teenage girl who wants to keep her baby, caused some controversy.
28
29	Expanding on the use of religious imagery with ''Music/LikeAPrayer'' (1989), Madonna received positive critical reception for her diverse musical productions, while at the same time receiving criticism from religious conservatives and the Vatican. The video for the title track gained massive controversy, costing Madonna a hefty contract with Pepsi for use of the song in its commercials. Madonna's marriage to Sean Penn also collapsed under accusations of spousal abuse, which Madonna addressed (for the first and only time) in the song "Till Death Do Us Part".
30
31	Madonna made her Broadway debut in 1988 in Creator/{{David Mamet}}'s ''Theatre/SpeedThePlow'', but her acting career took off again in 1990's ''Film/DickTracy'', which also spawned one of her biggest hits, the song "Vogue". As the 1990s began, Madonna founded the Maverick corporation (the name is a portmanteau of "Madonna" and "Veronica", her confirmation name), a joint venture between herself and Time Warner, and released ''Music/TheImmaculateCollection'', a "best of" album that featured the controversial single "Justify My Love". The video for the song was [[MoralGuardians banned on MTV]], kicking up more controversy as Madonna entered into her "Sex" period.
32
33	1992 saw the joint release of the studio album ''Music/{{Erotica}}'' and the coffee-table book ''Sex''. This, plus the 1993 critical flop ''Film/BodyOfEvidence'' (which had Madonna playing a black widow nymphomaniac who used sex to kill men), created a firestorm of controversy regarding the artist.
34
35	1994 saw the release of ''Music/BedtimeStories''; besides featuring a collaboration between Madonna and Music/{{Bjork}} (the album's title track) and the commercially successful video/song "Take a Bow", the album was released as Madonna landed the lead role in the 1996 film version of the musical ''Music/{{Evita}}''. Winning the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy, the film was a turning point as Madonna began the transition towards a more respectable mother image, which was enhanced with the birth of her firstborn child.
36
37	Madonna's seventh studio album ''Music/RayOfLight'' (1998) became her big comeback album, as it was one of her most critically acclaimed and commercially successful albums. The album mixed dance music with introspective lyrics about motherhood and religion, as Madonna became involved in Kabbalah. With ''Music'' (2000), Madonna returned to dance music full-time, the album also introduced Creator/SachaBaronCohen, whose Ali G character was featured in the video for the title track, to American culture. Sadly, Madonna's decision to try her hand at rap and political commentary caused her 2003 album ''Music/AmericanLife'' to flop. However, she rebounded with ''Music/ConfessionsOnADanceFloor'' (2005), a hugely successful album.
38
39	Departing from Sire/Warner, Madonna signed an unprecedented $120 million contract with Live Nation in 2008. Her eleventh album ''Hard Candy'' was released the same year; it received a pretty mixed reaction from hardcore fans and casual listeners alike for its hip-hop / RAndB sound because many thought she was trying to pander to listeners of urban music. In any event, it did feature some interesting collaborations with Music/JustinTimberlake, Music/KanyeWest, Music/PharrellWilliams, and Timbaland.
40
41	2012 saw the release of her twelfth studio album ''MDNA'', launched by a single featuring Music/NickiMinaj and Music/{{MIA}}, and not to mention a major UsefulNotes/SuperBowl halftime performance as well. It was a return to her dance-pop sound. However, it wasn't the comeback people were expecting. Many fans blame it on poor choices for lead singles and lack of promotion from Madonna. In December 2014, '''30''' songs from the recording sessions of Madonna's upcoming 13th album were leaked, even before Madonna even properly announced the album. Due to this, Madonna announced that her 13th album, entitled ''Rebel Heart'', would be released on March 10, 2015. Her latest album, ''Madame X'', was released on June 14, 2019.
42
43	Madonna is ranked by the Recording Industry Association of America as the best-selling female rock artist of the 20th century and the second top-selling female artist in the U.S., with 63 million RIAA-certified albums; she has sold over 200 million albums worldwide. She also has had 50 singles reach #1 on ''Billboard''[='=]s Dance Club Songs chart, the most for any artist on ''any'' ''Billboard'' chart. In 2007, Guinness World Records listed her as the world's most successful female recording artist of all time, and she was inducted into the UsefulNotes/RockAndRollHallOfFame (2008). Considered to be one of the most influential women in contemporary music, Madonna has been known for continually reinventing both her music and image and for retaining a standard of autonomy within the recording industry; she is recognized as an influence among numerous music artists.
44
45	!!Discography:
46	!!!Studio albums:
47	* ''[[Music/MadonnaAlbum Madonna]]'' (1983)
48	* ''Music/LikeAVirgin'' (1984)
49	* ''Music/TrueBlue'' (1986)
50	* ''Music/LikeAPrayer'' (1989)
51	* ''Music/{{Erotica}}'' (1992)
52	* ''Music/BedtimeStories'' (1994)
53	* ''Music/RayOfLight'' (1998)
54	* ''[[Music/MusicAlbum Music]]'' (2000)
55	* ''Music/AmericanLife'' (2003)
56	* ''Music/ConfessionsOnADanceFloor'' (2005)
57	* ''Music/HardCandy'' (2008)
58	* ''MDNA'' (2012)
59	* ''Rebel Heart'' (2015)
60	* ''Music/MadameX'' (2019)
61	!!!Soundtrack albums:
62	* ''Film/WhosThatGirl'' (1987; only four Madonna songs are on this OST[[note]]"Who's That Girl," "Causing a Commotion," "The Look of Love," and "Can't Stop."[[/note]])
63	* ''[[Music/ImBreathless I'm Breathless]]'' (Film/DickTracy Soundtrack) (1990)
64	* ''Music/{{Evita}}'' (1996)
65	!!Compilation albums:
66	* ''You Can Dance'' (1987)
67	* ''Music/TheImmaculateCollection'' (1990)
68	* ''Something to Remember'' (1995)
69	* ''[=GHV2=]'' (2001)
70	* ''Remixed and Revisited'' (2003)
71	* ''Celebration'' (2009)
72	----
73	!!Material Tropes:
74
75	* AbusiveParent: "Oh Father" from ''Music/LikeAPrayer''.
76	* AdvancingWallOfDoom: In the music video for "4 minutes."
77	* AntiLoveSong: "Love Song," her duet with {{Music/Prince}} on ''Like A Prayer'', has it right in the words that ''it isn't a love song''.
78	* AsTheGoodBookSays: In "Justify My Love (The Beast Within Mix)," the verses taken from the Literature/BookOfRevelation are as follows: 1:3, 7; 2:1-4, 9-10; 13:1-10; 21:1-8; and 22:10-13.
79	* AutoTune: Madonna has used vocoders on "Nobody's Perfect," "Die Another Day," "Nobody Knows Me," and "Revolver."
80	** On ''Madame X'', several songs feature vocoders, including "Future," "Dark Ballet" (with some Daft Punk-like vocals at a point), "God Control" and "I Rise," among others.
81	* AwardBaitSong: “Sooner or Later” from ''Film/DickTracy''; “I’ll Remember” from ''With Honors''; “You Must Love Me” from ''Film/{{Evita}}'' (which actually ''did'' [[{{MediaNotes/Academy Award for Best Original Song}} win the 1997 Oscar for Best Original Song)]].
82	* BadGirlSong: "Girl Gone Wild."
83	--> ''I know, I know, I shouldn't act this way''
84	--> ''I know, I know, I know, good girls don't misbehave, misbehave''
85	--> ''But I'm a bad girl anyway''
86	** "Bad Girl," on the other hand, is a deconstruction. It's about a woman leading an unhappy life consisting of smoking, drinking, and having sex.
87	* BerserkButton:
88	** When the ''Rebel Heart'' demos leaked, Madonna called the whole incident "artistic rape" and "an act of terrorism." (She later deleted the post.) She also for some reason smashed an iPhone.
89	** During the 'Sex Kitten' and 'Sexy' stages of her career she was {{Flanderized}} into an ExtremeOmnisexual, usually by her detractors.
90	* BoastfulRap: "I Don't Give A."
91	--> ''I'm moving fast, can you follow my track''
92	--> ''I'm moving fast and I like it like that''
93	--> ''I do ten things all at once''
94	--> ''And if you have a problem''
95	--> ''I don't give a''
96	** A sorta of ironic and surreal one happens on "American Life," in which she raps about the privileges she has and sarcastically demands more.
97	* BoyishShortHair: Her hairstyle during the ''True Blue'' and the later part of the ''Erotica'' era.
98	* BreakupSong: ''MDNA'' is full of songs relating to her divorce with Creator/GuyRitchie.
99	** "Love Spent" is about how Creator/GuyRitchie got a lot of money from Madonna after the divorce, and how he probably cared more about the money than her.
100	** "I Don't Give A" is about Madonna dealing with post-divorce problems. In addition, Madonna states that she tried her best to save her marriage, but she doesn't care if she was a failure.
101	** "Some Girls" is speculated to be how Madonna's so much better than Guy Ritchie's new girlfriend.
102	** The murdered lover in "Gang Bang" is speculated to be Creator/GuyRitchie. While Madonna never confirmed that he was the lover, she did say that the song was directed at someone who pissed her off, and the song was her way of blowing off steam.
103	** "I Fucked Up" and "Best Friend" are less spiteful songs about the divorce. In these songs, Madonna acknowledge that she "fucked up" and that she lost her "very best friend."
104	** A few on Rebel Heart as well. "Living for Love" in which Madonna refuses to let the break bring her down, "Unapologetic Bitch" in which claims she is not at all sorry for the way she feels, and "Heartbreakcity" which describes how she was the last to find out she was being betrayed.
105	* BurgerFool: Before hitting it big as a recording artist, she worked in a New York Dunkin' Donuts, and was actually fired for squirting jelly in a customer's face.
106	* ButNotTooWhite: Her debut single, "Everybody," was initially marketed without her image, since the record execs thought audiences wouldn't take her seriously as a white girl singing urban music. The single's [[http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/8a/Everybody.jpg cover]] is a picture of a black neighborhood, implying that Madonna was a black artist. She had to fight to make a video for the song and actually be in it.
107	* CanonDiscontinuity:
108	** The video for "Holiday." Also the original video for "True Blue," which was done by an amateur director as part of a MTV contest where people were able to submit a homemade music video for a chance for it to become the "official" video shown on MTV. Keep in mind that MTV had a day dedicated to showing all of the other submissions -- every single one, which means if some mom filmed her daughter on a crappy VHS camera singing along to the song, ''MTV aired it''.
109	** "True Blue" is also a major source of discontinuity, since the song was written about love for ex-husband Sean Penn and Madonna has pretty much disowned the song, going so far as refusing to ever perform it in concert. However, she eventually performed it again at the Rebel Heart Tour (once with Penn in the audience).
110	** Madonna had "Material Girl" filed under CanonDiscontinuity by the late 1980s, due to the MisaimedFandom of the song and the way that the media and fans basically used the title as their de facto nickname for Madonna. It was performed on the Re-Invention Tour, but only because she couldn't learn how to play the chords for "Dress You Up" in time, and the tour director (Jamie King) convinced her to put the song on the setlist.
111	** She directed a critically panned and mostly nonsensical film called ''Filth and Wisdom'' in 2008. Three years later, when her next project came out, promotional materials claimed it was her "directorial debut." In an interview, Madonna claimed she only directed ''Filth and Wisdom'' so she could learn how to make a film, so apparently it doesn't count.
112	* CapeSnag: Madonna [[http://www.mashable.com/2015/02/27/madonna-brits-cape-whiplash/ had one happen to her at the 2015 Brit Awards]]. In spite of meticulous planning of her routine, the cape she'd been wearing caught, [[http://rack.2.mshcdn.com/media/ZgkyMDE1LzAyLzI3Lzk3L3RyaXAxLjBkNzJhLmdpZgpwCXRodW1iCTEyMDB4OTYwMD4/e981a444/3ad/trip-1.gif pulling her]] off the stage and onto her back. Luckily for her, she wasn't hurt and continued with her performance.
113	* CelebrityResemblance: Has done this often in her career. Her music videos from the 1980s have her dressed in glamorous shout-outs to famous movie stars of the past, most notably Creator/MarleneDietrich and Creator/MarilynMonroe.
114	* CharityMotivationSong: "Hey You," the theme song for Live Earth.
115	* ClearTheirName: The music video for "Like a Prayer" revolves around this.
116	* ControversyProofImage: Madonna has survived every possible scandal, many created by herself, and is still considered an admirable star.
117	* CoverVersion: Madonna covered "American Pie" by Music/DonMcLean on ''[[Music/MusicAlbum Music]]'', "Fever" by Little Willie John, "If You Go Away" (a pop standard), "Imagine" by Music/JohnLennon, "Love Don't Live Here Anymore" by Rose Royce, "I Want You" by Music/MarvinGaye, and "Santa Baby" by Eartha Kitt.
118	** And there are two tribute albums called ''Virgin Voices'' that feature covers of Madonna's songs.
119	* TheCoverChangesTheMeaning: "American Pie"; Madonna omitted most of the lyrics from the song that referred to the music scene of the late 1960s, to make it more of a dance song about music and love.
120	* CrucifiedHeroShot: Madonna had herself "crucified" on a glittery disco ball-like cross with a crown of thorns on her head during a live performance of "Live To Tell" from the Confessions Tour.
121	* CulturallyReligious: Okay, she may dance provocatively in front of religious symbols but they're ''Catholic'' religious symbols. The symbolism in ''Like A Prayer'' is Catholic, and overall it probably takes a Catholic to pee the Church off so many times. She said in an interview that she's a lapsed Catholic: "there are certain things in Catholicism [...] that I can't get rid of." She also named her daughter (Lourdes) after [[Film/TheSongOfBernadette a Catholic pilgrimage site]].
122	* CurseCutShort: "I Don't Give A," natch.
123	* CurtainCall: At the end of "Like a Prayer."
124	* DarkerAndEdgier: Downplayed but still present with ''Ray of Light'', which (despite the upbeat title track) is probably the dreariest/saddest album in her discography.
125	* DatedHistory: When her song "Vogue" was released on March 20, 1990, more than half of the people on her list were still alive (Creator/GretaGarbo, Creator/MarleneDietrich, Joe [=DiMaggio=], Creator/MarlonBrando, Creator/GeneKelly, Creator/GingerRogers, Creator/LaurenBacall, Creator/KatharineHepburn, and Creator/LanaTurner). Garbo became the first to die, about a month after "Vogue" was released; and by the time the last person on the list died on August 12, 2014 (Bacall), you'll never listen to the song in the same way again, as the anthem for the lost glamour of Old Hollywood is now turned into a [[invoked]]TearJerker.
126	* DeliberatelyMonochrome: The music video of "Vogue" was shot in black and white, to invoke MediaNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfHollywood.
127	* DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment: "I'd like to direct your attention, to something that needs directing to" from "Where Life Begins."
128	* DisorganizedOutlineSpeech: Which she at least had the decency to {{lampshade\|Hanging}}, from the June 1990 ''Interview Magazine'':
129	--> ''You know how religion is, guys get to do everything. They get to be altar boys. They get to stay out late. Take their shirts off in the summer. They get to pee standing up. They get to fork a lot of girls and not worry about getting pregnant. Although that doesn't have anything to do with being religious.''
130	* DomesticAbuse: "'Til Death Do Us Part" and "Oh Father" from her ''Music/LikeAPrayer'' album both deal with abuse, first husband/wife, and second parent/child.
131	** The first example has a RealitySubtext of her (alleged) abuse at the hands of former husband Sean Penn.
132	* DoubleStandard: Madonna is often criticized for sexuality that would be considered pretty standard for a male rocker. She especially explores the topic in "What It Feels Like for a Girl" with the lyrics "Girls can wear jeans, And cut their hair short, Wear shirts and boots 'Cause it's OK to be a boy. But for a boy to look like a girl is degrading 'Cause you think that ''being'' a girl is degrading."
133	* EthicalSlut: The subject of many songs like "Erotica" and "Human Nature".
134	* FadingIntoTheNextSong: The entirety of ''Confessions on a Dance Floor''.
135	** "Sanctuary" --> "Bedtime Story" from ''Bedtime Stories''.
136	** "Dear Jessie" --> "Oh Father" from ''Like A Prayer''.
137	** "Drowned World/ Substitute For Love" → "Swim" from ''Ray of Light''.
138	* {{Fangirl}}[=/=]{{Ascended Fan\|boy}}girl: Has a mutual supportive fangirl relationship with Music/BritneySpears where since about 2002 she's made sure to work with her a lot, on songs and videos, multiple different performances, wearing her shirt as support once or twice, even flirting with her on Twitter, implying they'll work together again, and doing interviews about Britney voluntarily for many of Brit's documentary's like ''Film/ForTheRecord''. She generally tends to say she sees a lot of herself in Britney Spears and her career and understands some of her more unusual choices personally and professionally.
139	* GirlOnGirlIsHot: Her infamous onstage kisses with Music/ChristinaAguilera and Music/BritneySpears.
140	** She appears to be enjoying the bikini girls making out in "Music."
141	* GoodGirlsAvoidAbortion: "Papa Don't Preach" discusses and deconstructs this trope, laying out the conflicting views and incentives for each decision. Her boyfriend wants to keep the baby and [[HonorableMarriageProposal proposes to her]], while her friends fear she is too young to be a mother and instead encourage her to "live it up." She wants her father's advice, but fears he will be too judgmental. In the chorus she declares, "I've made up my mind," but the video ends with her having a [[DaddysGirl heart-to-heart with her dad]], leaving her ultimate decision somewhat ambiguous.
142	* GratuitousForeignLanguage: ''Madame X'', her latest album, features several songs partially sung in Portuguese, including "Faz Gostoso" (self-evident), "Killers Who Are Partying," "Crazy," "Batuka" and "Funana" (a song included in the super deluxe edition).
143	* GratuitousFrench: "Love Song", a duet with Music/{{Prince}}, starts with her speaking the line, "Je suis prête. Vous êtes prêt aussi?" ("I am ready. Are you ready too?")
144	* GratuitousSpanish:
145	** "La Isla Bonita," ([[BilingualBonus "the beautiful island."]])
146	** "¿Quién es esa niña?" and "señorita, más fina" in "Who's That Girl."
147	** "Spanish Lesson" is full of this.
148	** "Medellín" and "Bitch, I'm Loca" on ''Madame X''. Both songs feature popular Colombian singer Maluma. The latter's song, "Soltera," in which Madonna features on, also counts.
149	* GriefSong:
150	** Madonna's mother died when Madonna was only five. Her death influenced the songs "Promise to Try," "Mer Girl," "Inside of Me" and "Mother and Father."
151	** "In This Life" was based on various friends that died from AIDS.
152	* GunPorn: The "Transgression" segment of the MDNA Tour, especially "Revolver" and "Gang Bang," revolves around guns. EveryoneIsArmed, and the video backdrop for "Revolver" glamorizes guns and bullets.
153	** "God Control" and "I Rise" from ''Madame X'' lyrically discuss the failed gun control of America. The former also includes gunshot sounds, while the latter features a sample of X Gonzalez’s speech on demanding stricter gun control, following February 2018 Stoneman Douglas High School shooting.
154	** Also, the "American Life" video.
155	* HairyGirl: She flaunted her underarm hair. Also, way back before she was famous, she posed for nude photographs, displaying truly heroic amounts of pubic hair, even for 1979.
156	* HeartbeatSoundtrack: "Heartbeat," natch.
157	* HellBentForLeather: A staple of her wardrobe, including high-heeled boots, riding crops etc.
158	* HotterAndSexier: Depends on the song; some have very blatant sexual content (see MoralGuardians, BannedInChina) while others are LighterAndSofter.
159	* HymnToMusic: "Music."
160	--> ''Music, music\
161	Music makes the people come together\
162	Music mix the bourgeoisie and the rebel''
163	* IconicOutfit
164	** Her corset with its garter straps and famous conical brassiere from the 1990 ''Blonde Ambition'' tour.
165	** All kinds of bras, bustiers and corsets, worn as outerwear or just showing under skimpy clothes.
166	** Visible bra straps (a look that was considered very tacky before Madonna popularized it).
167	* InformedJudaism: Okay, a somewhat "mystic" brand of Judaism in Kaballah, but Madonna rarely discusses it publicly.
168	* InitialismTitle: ''MDNA''
169	* InMediasRes: The music video for "Like a Prayer" opens up with the heroine running in distress toward a church, while flashbacks of what has happened before briefly appear.
170	* IntercourseWithYou: "Where Life Begins," "Like a Virgin" (self-explanatory), "Erotica," "Justify My Love" (especially the notorious video), "Bitch, I'm Loca" (a duet with Maluma) and more.
171	* ItsAllAboutMe: Her infamous "tribute" to Music/ArethaFranklin at the 2018 VMAs came off like this to a LOT of people, as she went on a long-winded tangent about herself and her struggles to make it as a singer, with Aretha herself getting a throwaway mention.
172	* IWasYoungAndNeededTheMoney: One reason given for her nude photos taken pre-fame in 1978. Subverted, in that she's since proudly done similar.
173	* JustAStupidAccent: During her marriage to Creator/GuyRitchie, she infamously tried to adopt a British accent publicly, which just left everyone confused at what the point was.
174	** She also sings her version of "Santa Baby" with a [[YiddishAsASecondLanguage New York Jew accent]], for some reason.
175	* KinkySpanking: "Hanky Panky."
176	* LastNoteNightmare: The final song of ''Like a Prayer'', "Act of Contrition." The whole song is pretty ominous, but the last four seconds will make you jump out of your seat. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN, IT'S NOT IN THE COMPUTER?!"
177	* LeFilmArtistique: Some of her more "high concept" videos, such as "Justify My Love," "Frozen," "Bedtime Story," "Dark Ballet," etc.
178	* LighterAndSofter:
179	** Madonna's ballads, such as "Frozen."
180	** ''Bedtime Stories''. After [[CreatorBreakdown the highly controversial "Sex" phase]], Madonna aimed to soften her image with the album, which had a far less sexual approach.
181	** ''Hard Candy'' has generally been criticized for being closer to the fluff pop of her earlier style than later works such as ''Ray of Light'' and ''Confessions on a Dancefloor''.
182	* ListSong: "Vogue" has a list of celebrities from UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfHollywood near the end of the song.
183	** "Justify My Love," which is also an IWantSong.
184	** "Killers Who Are Partying" lists all the things Madonna is to be if they happen to suffer.
185	* LonelyPianoPiece: "Promise to Try."
186	* LoveIsADrug: Madonna compares love to MDMA in "I'm Addicted."
187	* LyricalColdOpen: Many songs start out like this, including "Hung Up," "American Life," "4 Minutes," "Girl Gone Wild," "Love Profusion," "Sorry," "Medellín" and "I Don't Search I Find." The quotes in "White Heat," "What It Feels Like for a Girl" and "I Rise" also start at the very beginning.
188	* LyricalDissonance:
189	** "Till Death Do Us Part," a bouncy song about a woman who's vows to leave her abusive husband, only to go back to him and the implication that "Till Death Do Us Part" is going to be the only way she'll get free from him.
190	** "Inside of Me" is a smooth and sexy 90s R&B song about Madonna's reliance upon the memory of her mother who died when she was five.
191	** The "Bang Bang" demo, a {{Music/Mika}}-esque song about murder.
192	* MidVidSkit: In "Music", driver Ali G [[DiegeticSwitch turns down the radio]] and [[StylisticSuck tries to audition for her next single]]. Fortunately, she cuts him off, ensuring that the skit lasts less than ten seconds.
193	* MissingMom: Madonna's mother died when she was very young. Her song "Promise To Try" from ''Like A Prayer'', which was played during a scene from the documentary film ''Truth Or Dare'', is about her coming to terms with her mother's absence in her life. In the video for "Oh Father," the absence of the mother also affects the father's relationship, resulting in domestic abuse in one scene where the actor playing him roughly scolds the little girl playing the young Madonna for wearing her mother's clothes and jewelry.
194	* ModelingPoses: "Vogue" is about the dance called the same name. In the videos and performances, she and her backup dancers all do modeling poses like the dance.
195	* MoodWhiplash: Most of her albums have at least one song, but the worst offender is MDNA with two. The entire album is pretty dance-happy, and then you get to "Masterpiece," which is a slower romantic song, and then "Falling Free," a power ballad that will make anyone cry as you get closer and closer to the end.
196	* MoralGuardians: The reason she was so controversial in the 1980s and early 1990s, and still is to some extent today. The music videos for "Justify My Love" and "Erotica" was almost entirely banned from appearing on TV; "Like a Prayer" was challenged almost as much.
197	* MrsRobinson: Recent music videos have shown her cavorting with boys who look like they're barely legal.
198	** In "Open Your Heart," she kisses and dances with a prepubescent fan.
199	** Even in real life, she does tend to date men who are younger than her.
200	* MyGirlIsNotASlut: Then-husband Sean Penn's Series/SaturdayNightLive appearance, during which he got into a fistfight with the Church Lady when "she" provided (music) video evidence that indeed, [[MyGirlIsASlut his girl]] ''[[MyGirlIsASlut was]]'' [[MyGirlIsASlut a slut]].
201	* NewSoundAlbum: She's known for having worked in many genres. Some of these would be synthpop, disco, house, ambient, techno, Latin, rock, gospel, funk, and R&B.
202	* NonIndicativeName: "Gang Bang," which isn't even about sex in the slightest! It's actually about ''[[NeverTrustATitle murder...]]''
203	** Some have speculated that this was done to avoid comparison with the Cher single "Bang Bang," [[JustForFun/OneMarioLimit which contains similar themes and a nearly identical title]].
204	*** Wait, don't you mean [[Film/KillBill Nancy Sinatra]]?
205	*** Nope, Cher did it first.
206	* OfCorsetsSexy: Pretty much single-handedly introduced the word [[EverythingSoundsSexierInFrench "bustier"]] to the English lexicon.
207	* OlderThanTheyLook: For many years. Started changing around the 2000s when she started to show her age.
208	* JustForFun/OneMarioLimit: There is no possible association for the name "Madonna" other than her.
209	** Unless, of course, you're Roman Catholic, and the first thing that comes to your mind upon hearing the name "Madonna" is the Virgin Mary.
210	* OnlyOneName: Hardly ever uses her surname.
211	* ParodyAssistance: Remarked in a casual conversation, “When is [[Music/WeirdAlYankovic Weird Al]] gonna make 'Like a Surgeon'?” Word got back to Weird Al, and [[AsYouKnow the rest is history]]. Weird Al has said this is the only time he has made a parody based off the originator's suggestion.
212	* PepTalkSong: "Hey You," which contains general and vague statements like "Don't you give up/It's not so bad for us."
213	* PrecisionFStrike: "I Fucked Up."
214	* PrettyInMink: Has worn some furs in her videos, like a white fur wrap in "Material Girl" and a white mink coat in "Music."
215	* ProtestSong:
216	** "American Life" is partially about how the American dream is not what it seems. The original video protested the Iraq War.
217	** Starting with The Confessions Tour, Madonna would have a video interlude that was politically-charged, usually protesting poverty, war, religious intolerance, homophobia, greed, certain politicians, and environmental pollution.
218	* {{Pun}}: The print ad for ''[[GreatestHitsAlbum Something To Remember]]'' featured the {{Tagline}} "Multi-Platinum Blonde."
219	* RapeAsBackstory: She was sexually assaulted at knife-point by two men before becoming famous.
220	* RearrangeTheSong:
221	** For the Confessions Tour Madonna used a less vulgar demo ("You Thrill Me"), added some lyrics from the final version of "Erotica," and reworked it into an electronic/dance/disco song.
222	** "Deeper and Deeper" was re-invented into a jazz song on the Re-Invention Tour.
223	** Most of her old songs have received this treatment when performed on recent tours.
224	** "Bang Bang," a happy-sounding song about murder, was transformed into "Gang Bang," a much darker song about murder.
225	** She does it right in the same album, ''Music/ImBreathless''. "Now I'm Following You (Part 2)" is a rearrangement of Part 1 so that it would sound like a 1990s-style dance song.
226	** Her version of [[Music/AmericanPie "American Pie"]] took a few liberties, to say the least. Music/DonMcLean himself gave it a positive review, however, saying that the album's cover was "a gift from a goddess," and that her version was "mystical and sensual."
227	** The dance remix of "Don't Cry for Me Argentina."
228	* RecordNeedleScratch: Madonna does this twice on the song "Now I'm Following You (Part 2)" from her ''Film/DickTracy'' soundtrack album ''I'm Breathless''...the first time is when the record skips, presumably when it finishes playing the previous song on the album, "Now I'm Following You (Part 1)," and near the end when she says "Will you knock it off, please?" -- a CallBack to her response in the song "Cry Baby."
229	* RecycledLyrics:
230	** Madonna recycled a lyric from "Love Song" into "Hung Up."
231	---> ''Time goes by so slowly for those who wait''
232	** Madonna recycled lyrics from "Vogue" into "Deeper and Deeper" at the near end, which fits quite oddly in a song that is less about fun and dancing and more about dancing and coming out as homosexual in an otherwise very sophisticated and conscious song.
233	---> ''You got to just let your body move to the music''
234	---> ''You got to just let your body go with the flow''
235	** She also uses a snippet of Vogue in Rebel Heart's "Holy Water," also near the end.
236	** Some lyrics from "Don't Tell Me" appear in "Future"
237	---> ''Don't tell me to stop 'cause you said so''
238	---> ''Tell the sun not to shine 'cause you said so''
239	* RefugeInAudacity: Plenty of what she has done counts, starting with her stage costumes.
240	** Most of the appeal of the song "Holy Water" comes from this.
241	* RemixAlbum: ''You Can Dance'' remixes songs from her first three albums, plus one new song.
242	* RepetitiveAudioGlitch: Her song "Now I'm Following You (Part 2)" begins with the record skipping, presumably after Part 1 finishes playing if you're listening to the entire album ''I'm Breathless'' straight from the CD. Madonna says "Oh, dear" and fixes the record player so that it starts with the playing of Part 2's music.
243	* RepurposedPopSong: In 1989, Pepsi-Cola paid $5 million to use Madonna's single "Like a Prayer" in a commercial, but the soft drink company chickened out after protests by religious groups in the wake of the song's video release... A video that, for anyone that doesn't know, includes burning crosses, stigmata, and Madonna having sex with what they assumed to be "Black Jesus"[[note]]It was actually a black saint, inspired by St. Martin de Porres[[/note]]. Mmm, Pepsi.
244	* RereleaseTheSong:
245	** "Holiday" was re-released in 1985 and 1991 in the UK.
246	** "Crazy for You" was re-released in 1991 in the UK.
247	** "Oh Father" was re-released in 1995 in Europe.
248	* RevolversAreJustBetter: Why else would Madonna compare her love to a revolver in "Revolver"?
249	* TheRival: In light of the "Two Steps Behind Me" controversy (Rumors claimed that the song was directed at Lady Gaga), [[http://instagram.com/p/xIfgaGmEbK/ Madonna stated that she doesn't "wish ill will" towards any female artist and that she never has.]] The entries below... contradict that.
250	** Madonna and Music/JanetJackson were definitely not [=BFFs=], to put it lightly. They did bury the hatchet after Michael Jackson's death.
251	** Madonna almost started a rivalry with, of all people, Music/SineadOConnor. Madonna, who was raised Catholic and been criticized by the Church for her stage acts, "Like A Prayer," "Erotica," the Sex book, and so on, spoke out against O'Connor's incident on Series/SaturdayNightLive. O'Connor claimed that Madonna said she "[looks] like [she] had a run in with a lawnmower and that [she] was about as sexy as a Venetian blind."
252	** Madonna also has a distaste for Music/MariahCarey. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9GFBi_MnLs She apparently said Mariah wasn't "particularly bright" and that "she'd rather kill herself than be Mariah Carey."]]
253	** Has a love-hate relationship with Music/CourtneyLove. See their MTV interview at the red carpet in 1995.
254	** Madonna is certainly perpetuating the idea that Music/LadyGaga is an up-and-coming rival.
255	** Madonna isn't exactly on good terms with [[Music/{{Deadmau5}} Joel Zimmerman]].
256	* {{Rockumentary}}: ''Truth or Dare'' and ''I'm Going to Tell You a Secret''. The latter shows how much Madonna has changed in 14 years after having kids, marrying Creator/GuyRitchie, and converting to Kaballah.
257	* SelfDeprecation: In one segment of ''The Hire'', a series of big-budget short promotional films done by BMW, she plays a bitchy, entitled singer. The segment was directed by her then-husband, Creator/GuyRitchie.
258	** She once did an SNL sketch where her character at one point went off on a tirade about what a horrible slut Madonna is.
259	* SelfTitledAlbum: Her debut album.
260	* {{Sexophone}}: Used in "Where Life Begins."
261	* SheCleansUpNicely: For a former teenybopper whose style became known as "mall rat" fashion, Madonna cleaned up rather well.
262	* ShoutOut:
263	** "Hung Up" is a five-minute love song to the 1970s, with the video being based on ''Film/{{Saturday Night Fever}}'' and the song's hook being a sample from Music/{{ABBA}}'s "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! A Man After Midnight."
264	** The video for "Ray of Light" is a ShoutOut to {{Film/Koyaanisqatsi}}.
265	** ''Vogue'' references glamorous Hollywood actors: Creator/GretaGarbo, Creator/MarilynMonroe, Creator/MarleneDietrich and Monroe's husband baseballer Joe [=DiMaggio=], Creator/MarlonBrando, Creator/JamesDean, Creator/GraceKelly, Creator/JeanHarlow, Creator/GeneKelly, Creator/FredAstaire, Creator/GingerRogers, Creator/RitaHayworth, Creator/LaurenBacall, Creator/KatharineHepburn, Creator/LanaTurner, Creator/BetteDavis (''we love you'')
266	** Her album "Madame X" gets its title after Sargent's scandalous (at the time) {{painting\|s}} the ''Art/PortraitOfMadameX''.
267	* SillyLoveSongs: Many of Madonna's songs deal with love in some way, but special attention should go to "Cherish," "Superstar," "True Blue," "Love Profusion," "Crazy" and so on.
268	* SpellingSong: Music/NickiMinaj and Music/{{MIA}} tell us to L-U-V Madonna in "Give Me All Your Luvin'."
269	* SpokenWordInMusic:
270	** The beginning quote in "What It Feels Like for a Girl" was said by Charlotte Gainsbourg in ''Cement Garden''.
271	** "White Heat" quotes the titular movie.
272	** Mike Tyson open "Iconic" with one.
273	** "Medellín" starts this way, with Madonna whispering "one, two, cha-cha-cha" which recurs throughout the song, as well as saying "Slow down, papi" several times.
274	** Both "Bitch, I'm Loca" and "Soltera" (a Maluma song featuring Madonna) have similar lyrical beginnings: they call out each other's names.
275	* StoryArc: The video for "You'll See" is basically the same storyline as that of "Take A Bow", as both are about a woman cheated on by a matador.
276	* SurrealMusicVideo: "Fever," "Bedtime Story," "Dear Jessie," and "Nothing Really Matters."
277	* TakeThat:
278	** "Human Nature" is entirely about [[EthicalSlut having a healthy attitude about sex]], and a TakeThat against the criticism she routinely gets for being [[HotterAndSexier too provocative.]]
279	** Madonna directed several take-thats towards Music/LadyGaga.
280	*** Madonna said outright that Music/LadyGaga's "Born This Way" was a great cover of "Express Yourself."
281	*** She sang a bit of "Born This Way" during her MDNA Tour performance of "Express Yourself," then followed that up with the lyric "she's not me."
282	** A take that from the critics: a few reviewers described ''MDNA'' and/or its singles as "reductive," a word Madonna used to describe ''Born This Way''.
283	* TeamMom: She plays this role to her dancers in ''Truth or Dare''.
284	* ThisIsASong: Madonna acknowledges in-song that she wrote "American Life" because she tried to be various things (i.e. a boy, a girl, a mess, the best), but apparently messed them up.
285	* ThisIsForEmphasisBitch:
286	** "Thief of Hearts" ("Bitch! Sit your ass down!").
287	** Madonna uses 'bitch' in "Gang Bang" to the point of RefugeInAudacity.
288	** "Bitch, I'm Madonna."
289	** The similarly titled, "Bitch, I'm Loca."
290	* ThreeMinutesOfWrithing: Not uncommon in her videos.
291	* TickTockTune: "Hung Up" opens with clock ticking, then ends with an alarm that flows into "Get Together."
292	** A recurring premise in "4 Minutes" as well.
293	* TruckDriversGearChange: Actually quite rare in her body of work, only two of her singles use this as a trope:
294	** "Rain": the key change occurs during the bridge (after "and I say, never go away"). The song reverts back to the original key for the final chorus [[DoubleSubversion only to go back up for the coda]].
295	** "Hollywood" plays it straight, though her vocal after the change is so heavily auto-tuned and high pitched it may also verge on a parody.
296	* {{Undercrank}}: Her "Ray Of Light" video is mostly sped-up film of everyday life.
297	* UnscaledMerfolk: The "Cherish" music video has merfolk that are half cetacean.
298	* UrbanLegends: According to 1980s lore, Madonna recorded "Papa Don't Preach" as a biting answer to her father's criticism of an abortion she had in 1985 (i.e. what he would have said if she'd decided to keep the baby). Needless to say, none of this is fact.
299	* VocalEvolution: She started out with a much higher voice, which some critics compared to "WesternAnimation/MinnieMouse on helium", that eventually lowered when that type of vocal went out of style. For ''Music/{{Evita}}'' she underwent extensive vocal training as the play's songs were outside her usual range. This permanently expanded her vocal abilities which are evident on subsequent recordings.
300	* VideoFullOfFilmClips: "Into the Groove" for ''Film/DesperatelySeekingSusan''; “[[TitleTrack Who’s That Girl?]]” from ''Film/WhosThatGirl''; “This Used to My Playground” from ''Film/ALeagueOfTheirOwn''; “I’ll Remember” from ''WithHonors''. Though, in each case except "Into the Groove," [[DownplayedTrope movie clips only played over the chorus or the musical solo]].
301	* VillainSong: Madonna has "Back In Business" from her ''Film/DickTracy'' soundtrack album ''I'm Breathless'', probably reflecting her character in the film "Breathless" Mahoney. Surprisingly, a different song called "Back In Business" appears in the movie instead of Madonna's version.
302	* AWildRapperAppears:
303	** Music/NickiMinaj and Music/{{MIA}} appear on "Give Me All Your Luvin'."
304	** Nicki Minaj also appears on "I Don't Give A."
305	*** Nicki appears again on "Bitch I'm Madonna."
306	** Music/LilWayne appears on "Revolver."
307	** Music/MissyElliott appears on "Into the Hollywood Groove."
308	** Music/KanyeWest appears on "Beat Goes On."
309	** Meshell Ndegeocello appears on "I'd Rather Be Your Lover."
310	** Ali G tries it in the video for "Music," to Madonna's annoyance.
311	** Chance The Rapper appears on "Iconic."
312	** Maluma appears on "Medellín" and "Bitch, I'm Loca." Madonna also featured on Maluma's song, "Soltera," recorded at the same time as the other two songs.
313	** Quavo appears on "Future."
314	** Swae Lee appears on "Crave."
315	* WorldOfSymbolism: The music video for "Like a Prayer" revolves around this, despite it being very controversial. [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Like_a_Prayer_(song)#Themes_and_analysis See here.]]

Context Music / Madonna