Nobody fucks with the queen.
In 1984 when Bercy opened Madonna had her first success. She released Borderline, the fifth single from her first album. A scrunchy in her crippled blond hair, graffiti on her jean jacket, lace fingerless gloves, navel on show, chewing her gum while hitting on a bad boy that was not paying attention to her. Then Like a virgin, 21 millions records sold. Dancing on a gondola or shaking in a wedding dress, she was already fresh and full of energy but nothing then predicted the undisputed queen she is now. She was an hyperactive and hot little singer among many. Like the author Fatou Diome says "to have long teeth one must have a strong jawline". Meaning ambition is not enough if you don't walk the walk.Madonna was about to show us.
In 1985 playing susan in "Desperately seeking Susan" directed by Susan Seidelman made her an icon.She became a model in attitude, the ultimate newyorker of the 80's - street smart, self assured, friendly, immoral and bold. She was a look of course, but most of all she was an attitude. *For years Madonna like Bowie in the 70's she reinvented herself on each album. In 1989 she's a brunette again and released Like a Prayer.Her problems with the Vatican become serious, they ask for her excommunication. Watching the video today, you don't know what really disturbed them : the idea of a black saint, Madonna kissing his feet, the finale scene where she's dancing freely in a spaghetti straps form fitting dress like she's in her bedroom making us voyeurs peeping her intimacy. This woman body in a church, self assured in her joy, unashamed, showing her joy of dancing, maybe that's the real blashpemy. And Madonna, all along her career will go back to that theme : when she thinks of Jesus, je wants to fuck. The Vatican is right to protest : it's a blashphemy. Her pleasure is offensive to the idea of what is a good woman at the time.
In 1990 she's blonde again for the movie Dick Tracy. She starts her Blond Ambition tour. An apotheosis. I urge any pop fan having the winter blues to watch this tour. Seeing her move gives you incredible pleasure. She does not focus on technic. It looks effortless, no discipline, only her pleasure. It's the era of the Gaultier pointy bras worn over a man 3 pieces. She conquers the stage, behind her only back up singers and 10 dancers. It's enough. SHE is the show. This girl who grew up in Detroit, the city of Motown and Punk, succeeds in mixing brashness and agressivity. Madonna takes from masculinity, escaping from the rules of her gender with boldness. She's a pin-up and a trucker, she mixes the messages and opposite roles.Without any guilt.The catholic church bans her concert in Rome. They are right to do so, no other mainstream artist before her broke the myth of the good wife, shy and virtuous like Madonna did. She never apologizes to be good, she takes advantage of it. A whole generation hears her message and is ready to follow her.
At the time of the Blond Ambition tour, i was not interested in Madonna. Her music hurt my ears. I even missed the Justify my love video directed by Mondino ans it's a big deal. It's during the Erotica era that she hit me in the face. When she released Sex. For the first time, i paid attention to Madonna seriously. Every commenters were saying she went too far this time. I adore this book. I'm not the only one. This b&w picture of her hitch hiking naked, this other one in pastel colors, showing her from the back wearing big boots, butt naked. Her muscular body, the body of somebody who enjoys herself and of a soldier. The tattooed lesbians with their heads shaved she kisses and laughs with, i had never seen girls like that. Her trio with Naomi Campbell and Big Daddy Kane. The Madonna in leather harness and black mask, legs open with the words "I'll teach you how to fuck" next to the picture. the thighs of Madonna, the ass of Madonna, her nudity is a declaration of power. Troubling because she's the one running the show, saying something very clearly : i am the active subject of my pornography. I want sex. And i want it hardcore please. No girly cutie things. She does not care about modesty, romance she can do without, morality is not of her concern. Sex is about all this and it's wonderful.
Madonna is going to pay for it. Her first slap in the face. The book is a huge success, the million of printed copies all found a public. But for the critic it's too much for putitans and not enough for radicals. Like everytime an artist plays with pornography it's never how it should be. Never at the right time or the right place. It's never our fascination for pornography that is criticized but the way we do it, it's never the "right way". This way we keep repeating that the right place for pornography is in a ghetto. It should be kept a taboo. Nobody is shocked but everybody has an opinion - wether to feel sorry for her because only a troubled woman could deny herslef like this. Or to say that "She's an aging artist using provocation and scandal to stay in the spotlight" like Martin Amis wrote it in The Observer - In the 90's a 33 y/o woman was considered too old to pretend arousing men. They did not understand that the book was made for women. When Madonna published Sex, a lot of people were thinking that women did not have libido, they were just there to satisfy men. Critics crucified her. They were not letting her taking from them without a fight. People said she was over. She was going to pay with her career the price of her impudence. Little did they know that Madonna's forte is not to avoid falling but to always stand back up. Even today when she falls - it happens a lot- we"re amazed : fuck she stands back up so well. She's the Terminator in micro-shorts. She transitions sweetly. With Bedtime Story her first incursion in electronic music.
She's a brunette again, puts her clothes on, discovers the Kaballah and at the end of the 90's cements her position of international star with Ray of Light. She invents a new character, more political, more spiritual, less provocative, and makes a wonderful record. It's only a step on the left, to give people time to forget Sex. She's back in bitch mode with Music, the record she made with Mirwais. The brashness that his her trademark is back too, dance is her manifesto. The album is her biggest success since Like a Prayer. American Life her second album with the french guy from Taxi Girl will not know the same success. Her comments on the Bush era America did not sell, it's even her worst selling album. It's a very different album, she doubts, contradicts herself. Maybe her most intimate.
Then the music industry starts showing signs of collapse because of illegal downloading. Madonna adapts herself : records are an excuse to tour. Starting with the Confessions tour she became the solo artist making the most money on tour. She even beat her own record of attendance with the Sticky and Sweet tour in 2008. She always was mostly a performer and it's on stage that she reigns supreme.
Her shows are gigantic, a marathon during 2 hours this Picasso of pop sums up and mixes all her sides. Madonna goes after her audience with her teeth, with her pin-up-trucker energy, it looks like her life depends on convincing the guy way in the backthat yes, she is the best. You get out of her boxing match stunned and happy, feeling good and fluffy like someone who had the best time.
In the end, she's always repeating the same thing over 3 decades, taping on her shoulder like an angel a bit pissed off but full of enthusiasm "Don't give up, it's gonna be alright".
