On Friday, February 3rd, Madonna released the much anticipated new single from her forthcoming 12th studio album, “M.D.N.A.” The song, “Gimme All Your Luvin,” is the first new music from the star since “Celebration” and “Revolver” off the singer’s 2009 greatest hits collection, and the album will be her first new set since 2008’s “Hard Candy.” As with any new release by the pop queen, this event was huge, with the video premiering live on public screens all around the world. Pre-orders of the new album quickly rose to #1 on iTunes and the hype is just beginning.
The song and accompanying video for “Gimme All Your Luvin” is an 80’s throwback, replete with a cheerleading chant and kitschy choreography. It features vocals by two of today’s hottest female rap stars Nicki Minaj and M.I.A., who both appear in the video and will accompany Madonna at the big show on Super Bowl Sunday. The football theme, of course, coincides well with the singer’s much hyped appearance at one of the most-watched television events of the year, but just how does this song stack up against Madge’s other lead singles?
Here’s a rundown of the lead singles from Madonna’s previous eleven studio albums:
Everybody – Madonna
Madonna’s very first single was released way back in 1982, and it was the one that first got her noticed, at least in the dance music world. “Everybody” is a total dance track, with a bassy backbeat and seductive lyrics. The song was released well in advance of her debut eponymous album, which contained even bigger hits such as “Lucky Star,” “Borderline,” and “Holiday.” This track did not chart as a pop single, but reached #3 on Billboard’s Hot Dance Chart. Check out an early performance of the song right here.
Like a Virgin – Like a Virgin
Who could forget the premiere of this one at the MTV Video Awards back in 1984? At the time, the singer had been aching to get some new material out, as the popularity of her debut album kept her from doing so through much of that year, and she got her opportunity at the VMA’s. The performance became Madonna’s first bit of real controversy, as she writhed and rolled around the stage in a wedding dress and early trademark “Boy Toy” belt. The song, though, continued in the dance style of her earlier tracks and quickly became her first #1 single, where it stayed for six weeks. Take a look at that famous performance right here.
Live to Tell – True Blue
One of Madonna’s best-loved ballads was also the lead single off of her 1986 album, “True Blue.” Featured in the film “At Close Range” starring Madge’s then husband Sean Penn, the song became her third #1 single and crossed over big time, hitting #1 on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary chart and #3 on the magazine’s Hot Dance Singles chart. The song is dramatic in composition, both lyrically and musically and you can watch the video for it right here.
Like a Prayer – Like a Prayer
One of Madonna’s most popular songs was also one of her most controversial. The lead single to the album of the same name was to be used in a television commercial for Pepsi, but was scrubbed soon after a firestorm of controversy erupted over the use of religious imagery in the video. Burning crosses and kissing a black Jesus were just two of the many scenes in the short that elicited such a backlash against the singer, but in the end she triumphed, as the song became #1 in several countries across the globe. Catch this beautiful, gospel-influenced tune right here.
Erotica – Erotica
The early 90’s were Madonna’s most controversial of times, as the singer pushed some major buttons with her infamous “Sex” book and the lead single to her 1992 album “Erotica.” Continuing in the same manner as her previous, sexually-charged controversial single, “Justify My Love,” from the “Immaculate Collection” greatest hits set, this song contained all sorts of taboo themes as S&M, homosexuality and the like. Still, by that time Madonna’s star had risen enough to take this less than stellar song all the way to #3, although considering the success of her previous albums, the backlash that followed its release made this excellent set one of her lowest selling records to date. Check out the video for “Erotica” right here.
Secret – Bedtime Stories
The song “Secret” came at a time when Madonna was in her prime musically and many of the songs on this set followed the same quality of her previous record. This mid tempo gem hit #3 on Billboard’s Hot 100 and the black and white video is vintage Madonna. Check it out right here.
Frozen – Ray of Light
The mystical images of this song unleashed a whole new sound for Madonna, who worked with well-known British record producer William Orbit for the first time. The 1998 record was a big success for the singer, starting with this wonderfully written and produced track. The gothic, monochromatic video featuring Madonna as a supernatural-type creature took home an MTV Music Award for Best Special Effects. Check it out here.
Music – Music
Madonna entered the new century with yet another new sound, and “Music” was a fun introduction to it. With a funky, dance-oriented musical track and an equally amusing video, this one is still a favorite amongst Madonna fans. Watch the video for “Music,” starring then relatively unknown comedian, Sacha Baron Cohen, right here.
American Life – American Life
The eponymous lead single to Madonna’s 2003 album came at a controversial time in American history, and the critical undertones of the song and video worked to quash its success. The country was headed towards an invasion of Iraq and thus the political and war themes to the video, as well as the divisive climate of Americans at the time caused her to pull the video from rotation. The singer takes a shot at rapping in this one, which was not so well-received by the public either and further diminished its success. Lines like “I drive my Mini Cooper and I’m feeling super-duper” were regarded as silly by many and the song peaked on the Billboard charts at #37. The video has resurfaced in altered versions and you can watch it here.
Hung Up – Confessions on a Dance Floor
Madonna returned to glory with the lead single to her disco-inspired 2005 album, “Confessions on a Dance Floor.” The song cleverly samples ABBA’s 1979 smash “Gimme Gimme Gimme (A Man after Midnight)” and struck a chord with music fans everywhere, propelling the song to #7 on the pop charts, her first top ten hit since 2002’s “Die Another Day.” Check out the crunking in this one right here.
4 Minutes – Hard Candy
For her 11th studio album, Madonna enlisted the services of singer Justin Timberlake and hot producer Timbaland. Timberlake is a featured vocalist on the lead single, which has Timbaland’s signature sound all over it. The fast and funky record reached the #3 spot on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart in 2008. Check out the video for it right here.
Clearly, Madonna’s had plenty of notable moments in the span of her 30-year music career, and with each new venture comes much anticipation and plenty of hype. Her newest explosion on the pop music scene is undoubtedly one of the most hyped to date, with the Super Bowl appearance to complement the release of “Gimme All Your Luvin.” How it will fare in comparison to past lead singles is anybody’s guess, as reviews so far have been decidedly mixed. Regardless, what is failure for someone with such star status as Madonna is great success for many others. We’ll just have to wait and see.