Aug 26, 2008

Entertainment - Can Madonna still cut it


A week after turning 50, Madonna's back on the road bringing her latest Hard Candy image to what she hopes is a new legion of fans.


Trouble is, having watched her exert more energy than seems humanly possible in a two hour set in Cardiff last night, it's questionable whether she's getting the audience she wants.

Most people seemed to be in the 30+ bracket, and teenagers that did make it were on a family outing with their 45+ parents. And we're talking "normal" parents, not the type that spend most days in the gym and wear leotards and fishnet tights.

Madonna is the queen of reinvention and while a lot of people left smiling and happy, just as many had not enjoyed the club atmosphere with big beats and rave versions of her old classics.

Madonna continues to keep herself relevant in today's music scene though, by working with high profile producers and artists half her age.

Justin Timberlake, Kanye West, Pharrell Williams and Britney Spears all appear in her latest Sticky And Sweet tour, if only on video screens.

Working with Justin and respected hip-hop producer Timbaland on her recent single 4 Minutes helped propel that to number one earlier this year.

Her 11th studio album Hard Candy also went to number one in most places it was released, including the UK, America, Germany, France and Canada.

More than two and half million copies of Hard Candy have been sold worldwide, but Madonna's 1990 compilation album The Immaculate Collection remains her best seller by far, with an estimated 22 million sold across the world.

It's those older fans that bought that compilation who are more likely to stomach the ticket prices for her current tour.

Reinvention

For Cardiff, the cheapest seat was £55, rising to £150, which could explain why some people leaving the Millennium Stadium were grumbling about the dance re-mixes of hits such as Like a Prayer, wishing Madonna had kept it simple.

We all know that will never happen though. When guitar bands ruled the music world a few years back, Madonna learnt the guitar.

After latching on to edgy gypsy band Gogol Bordello, she's now decided that dance music is what the kids want.

Madonna puts a lot of effort into staying young and she wants an audience that reflects that.

While there was inexplicably no support act in Cardiff, Madonna selected Swedish electro-pop artist Robyn, and dance DJs Bob Sinclar and Paul Oakenfold to accompany her for the rest of the tour.

She's also employed the hip-hop style of singing and playing over a loud backing track of her songs at times, leaving her free to breakdance, pole dance and skip rope through her set.

The younger crowd that had splashed out for a ticket definitely appreciated her latest incarnation though, jumping up and down in unison with their idol for the final rave section of the show.

If you needed any further proof that Madonna does not look back, always moves forward, watch her perform the track She's Not Me, which was written by Madonna and one half of NERD, Pharrell Williams.

Joining her on stage are dancers dressed up in Madonna images of old, including the pink satin Marilyn Monroe look from Material Girl, the net skirted outfit of Like a Virgin, and the conical bra get-up from Vogue.

As the song goes on, Madonna gradually attacks her old self, ripping off bits of their clothes, until they disappear and she's left exhausted on the floor.

If this is Madonna still fashionable, fit and cool at 50, the next decade can only get more interesting.

No comments: