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Prima donna of pop

Madonna's newest album reinvents dance music for Gen Now

STILL GOING STRONG Madonna is back to rock your party again

Come 2006 and pop diva Madonna will be three decades old in the music industry. Ever since she shifted base from her native Michigan to New York in 1977 in pursuit of a career in ballet dancing, there has been no looking back for her.

Interestingly, three years in New York changed her ambitions for a lifetime. In 1980, she joined a pop-dance band called the Breakfast Club as its drummer, only to graduate to become its lead singer. Two years later, her debut solo single, "Everybody" became a dance-floor rage. The quick follow-up single, "Physical Attraction", did equally well.

But what critics call the real Madonna brand of feel-good energetic music began with the popular party anthem, "Holiday", which even today, is spun on the turntables by the world's best DJs. What followed was a whirlwind of hits such as "Lucky Star" and the more daring tracks, "Like a Virgin" and "Material Girl", from her second album.

After that was a period in Madonna's (musical and otherwise) career which most prefer not to comment on. A scandalous lifestyle, which pervaded into her music videos and song lyrics, resulted in an anti-Madonna movement as a set of teenage wannabe Madonnas sprung up across college campuses in the U.S.

A comeback

"Papa Don't Preach" and Playboy covers later, she made a thundering comeback with the movie, Evita, and the song, "Don't Cry for Me Argentina". A couple of years later, "Frozen" from the album Ray of Light became a worldwide hit. By then, the in-your-face performer had graduated into a spiritual, culturally conscious vocalist, christened as diva.

"American Pie" did make an impact in more recent years, but it is only a a couple of weeks ago that Madonna released her new full-length dance album titled Confessions on a Dance Floor (EMI, CD, Rs. 395).

The concept behind the album, according to the official Madonna website (plus numerous other fan sites), is to reinvent feel-good dance music and package it for Generation Now. On listening to the non-stop album, you realise that Madonna has impeccably maintained a happy, elevating vibe all through, a feat which not many singers in their 40s can dream of.

Unusual rhythm

The first single, "Hung Up", has an unusual rhythm, which makes you sit up and take notice. Tracks such as "Got to Be There" and "Future Lovers" create an ambience of electronic music. But it is "Jump" which stands out with its high energy level, which makes you tap your feet instantly.

Other tracks in the album reveal the inner manifestations of the diva set against the backdrop of dance music grooves.

The operative word for the album is: different. Go for it if you are looking for some familiar yet new sounds.

A. VISHNU

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