(Album artwork shot by Herb Ritts)
Welcome back on Blogger!
Today I'm going to review Madonna's legendary third album, "True Blue"!
Siete pronti? Siete caldi? Allora andiamo!
Before the release of True Blue, Madonna drastically changed her image and style. The sexy, voluptuous, colorful girl with wild hair, ribbons, necklaces, sunglasses and gloves was a thing of the past. She instead opted for more sophisticated clothes, short, wavy, platinum blond hair and showcased a more toned, athletic, muscular body.
This was the first major reinvention of Madonna's career.
This was the first major reinvention of Madonna's career.
(photo by Herb Ritts)
A change like that couldn't just be confined to her image. With True Blue, released on June 30, 1986, Madonna wanted to show the people who dismissed her during her previous era that she wasn't a commercial product with no talent.
Madonna co-wrote and co-produced every song on the album, which ended up sounding quite eclectic. Genres like adult contemporary, latin pop, doo-woop, dance-pop and synthpop succeed one another, allowing Madonna to sing in different ways, proving her versatility.
The album also sounds more mature compared to her previous efforts thanks to the mixture of topics the songs offer (teenage pregnancy, spirituality, introspection, world peace). With this album more than any other, I think Madonna showed the world she could craft perfect and timeless pop songs.
(photo by Herb Ritts)
Critically and commercially, True Blue was a triumph. Critics appreciated Madonna's stronger and clearer vocals, they complimented her lyrics and the polished production of the songs. Commercially, the album has sold over 25 million copies worldwide and it's Madonna's best selling studio effort to date. True Blue was also included in the 1992 edition of Guinness Book of World Records as the best selling female album ever at the time.
The album was promoted by five incredibly successful singles that have since become some of Madonna's biggest and most revered hits, all accompanied by iconic music videos that showcased our Diva's new image.
True Blue was the first major "female pop era" and since then, when female popstars see critical and commercial success, multiple chart topping singles and highly popular music videos, people refer to it as their "True Blue era". The promotional campaign of this album is absolutely part of its legacy. With True Blue Madonna became the Shakespeare of pop, as the whole era was a perfect blend of heartfelt art and commercialism.
Truly a moment in pop music history.
(photo by Herb Ritts)
REVIEW
Papa Don't Preach: The album starts with the second single, Papa Don't Preach, one of Madonna's biggest classics. The song was written by Brian Elliott with additional lyrics by Madonna and produced by her and Stephen Bray. A dance-pop track, it incorporates classical music during the intro and strings, acoustic and electric guitars during the bridge. Lyrically, Papa Don't Preach deals with teenage pregnancy and abortion; Madonna sings about wanting to keep her baby and marry her boyfriend but she's still not completely sure about it and she desperately cries for help: "He says that he's going to marry me / we can raise a little family / maybe we'll be all right / it's a sacrifice. / But my friends keep telling me to give it up / saying I'm too young I ought to live it up / what I need right now is some good advice, please."
Madonna's voice sounds fuller and stronger and perfectly conveys the teenage girl's inner conflicts. The song was acclaimed by music critics and it ended up receiving a nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the 1987 Grammy Awards.
Commercially, Papa Don't Preach was a smash, peaking at #1 in the US (Madonna's fourth number one) and becoming the world's best selling single of 1986.
Open Your Heart: The album proceeds with the fourth official single, Open Your Heart. The track was originally a pop-rock tune written by Gardner Cole and Peter Rafelson, titled "Follow Your Heart". Madonna completely re-wrote the lyrics and changed the composition, turning the song into a dance-pop number. Open Your Heart is a declaration of love enriched by sexual innuendos: "Don't try to run I can keep up with you / nothing can stop me from trying / you've got to / open your heart to me, baby / I hold the lock and you hold the key / open your heart to me, darling / I'll give you love if you / you turn the key". Vocally, the song is easily Madonna's best performance on the album (if that glorious chorus doesn't give you life nothing will).
Critically acclaimed, Open Your Heart also achieved commercial success, becoming Madonna's fifth number one single in the US.
It is one of my favorite classics.
White Heat: A unique pop track in Madonna's catalog, White Heat was named after the famous film from 1949 starring James Cagney, to whom the song is dedicated. Two quotes from the movie are also included in the song (one is used as the intro and the other can be heard during the bridge).
Written and produced by Madonna and Patrick Leonard, White Heat is a dance-pop track that curiously compares wooing to a bust: "Get up stand tall / put your back up against the wall / 'cause my love is dangerous / this is a bust". Madonna also quotes Clint Eastwood's iconic "Make my day" line from the 1983 movie Sudden Impact, right before the chorus: "I don't want to live out your fantasy / love's not that easy, this time you're gonna / gonna have to play my way / come on make my day".
I think this song should have been released as a single, a number one that got away in my opinion.
Live to Tell: Released as the lead single from the album, Live to Tell is a hauntingly beautiful synthpop ballad. One of Madonna's most cryptic and introspective songs, it was written and produced by Madonna and Patrick Leonard, who had initially written it as an instrumental theme. Madonna wrote all the lyrics, composed the bridge and later co-produced the song with Leonard.
Live to Tell can be interpreted in different ways. It can be about deceit, it can be about a childhood trauma or even rape. The song reflects on human nature, good and evil, unexpressed pain, strength, loneliness and fear: "A man can tell a thousand lies / I've learned my lesson well / hope I live to tell / the secret I've learned, 'till then / it will burn inside of me". Madonna's gentle, melancholic singing is highly evocative and perfectly conveys all those feelings.
Our Diva once said about the song: "I thought about the relationship with my parents and the lying that went on. The song is about being strong, and questioning whether you can be that strong but ultimately surviving".
Live to Tell received critical acclaim and it's considered Madonna's best ballad by many music critics. Commercially, it was a worldwide smash, becoming one of the ten best selling singles of 1986 and peaking at #1 in the US (Madonna's third number one).
A masterpiece that will be celebrated until the end of time.
Where's The Party: The record keeps on playing and here comes one of Madonna's most popular album tracks, Where's The Party. A dance-pop song, it was written and produced by Madonna, Patrick Leonard and Stephen Bray. It tells of a working girl who wants to spend her weekend having fun, after a stressful week: "Working Monday to Friday / takes up all of my time / if I can get to the weekend / everything will work out just fine. / That's when I can go crazy / that's when I can have fun / time to be with my baby / time to come undone". This song emanates positive vibes and it instantly puts the listener in a good mood.
Like White Heat, I think this song should have been released as a single; it would have become a chart hit for sure. Still, its popularity is high thanks to its multiple live performances (Who's That Girl Tour, Blond Ambition Tour and Confessions Tour) and remixes (it was included on You Can Dance, Madonna's first remix album, that I can't wait to review!).
True Blue: The sixth track on the album, True Blue was written by Madonna and Stephen Bray and was released as the third official single. It is a lovely dance-pop song with doo-wop elements and it's a tribute to Motown's girl groups from the 1960's. Lyrically, it is a declaration of love to Sean Penn, Madonna's husband at the time: "True love / you're the one I'm dreaming of / your heart fits me like a glove / and I'm gonna be, true blue / baby I love you".
Critically appreciated, it also achieved worldwide commercial success, peaking at #1 in the UK, #3 in the US and becoming one of the ten best selling singles of 1986, along with Live to Tell and Papa Don't Preach, as already stated.
An adorable pop tune.
Trivia: Madonna stopped performing the song after her divorce from Sean Penn in 1989 and only performed it again in 2015, at her Rebel Heart Tour, after her renewed friendship with the actor.
La Isla Bonita: Released as the fifth and last single from the album, La Isla Bonita is a latin pop masterpiece and one of my favorite songs ever. The track was written and produced by Madonna and Patrick Leonard and it tells of a beautiful, exotic island: "Tropical the island breeze / all of nature wild and free / this is where I long to be / la isla bonita / and when the samba played / the sun would set so high / ring through my ears and sting my eyes / your spanish lullaby". According to Madonna, the song is a tribute to the beauty of Latin people and I think it could be considered, along with its official music video, as her first take on spirituality.
La Isla Bonita was a critical and commercial success, peaking at #1 in the UK, #4 in the US and becoming one of the world's biggest hits of 1987. A timeless classic that will never get old.
Jimmy Jimmy: The album is coming to an end. The eighth track is Jimmy Jimmy, an incredibly catchy and fast dance-pop song written by Madonna and Stephen Bray. The song is dedicated to James Dean, according to Madonna: "I used to fantasize that we grew up in the same neighbourhood and that he (James Dean) moved away and became a big star".
The lyrics of the song are obviously based on that fantasy: "You're much too wild for this town / there's not much here that's gonna hold you down / you gotta lotta style it should take you far / take you further than my back yard".
An underrated little track that is the epitome of 80's bubblegum pop.
Love Makes The World Go Round: The last track on the album, Love Makes The World Go Round was written by Madonna and Patrick Leonard. It is a song about world peace, an anti-war anthem that promotes love, compassion and positivity: "Make love not war we say / it's easy to recite / but it don't mean a damn / unless we're gonna fight / but not with guns and knives / we've got to save the lives / of every boy and girl / that grows up in this world". A message that we, human beings, inhabitants of the same planet should really pay attention to.
Musically, the song is a dance-pop tune enriched by latin elements during the irresistible bridge. Like Jimmy Jimmy, this track is incredibly underrated and overlooked.
In conclusion...
True Blue is one of my favorite Madonna albums ever, I almost see it as a greatest hits album (and it pretty much is). On this record, Madonna's composing, songwriting and singing abilities started to shine. The versatility she shows is another plus, both as a musician and as a vocalist.
True Blue was also the start of her prolific professional collaboration with Patrick Leonard, one of her best ever collaborators, with whom she'd end up creating more incredible music.
The aesthetic she showcased during this era is also one of the reasons why I love it so much. Each music video portraits Madonna in a different way. We have the teenage girl in Papa Don't Preach, the sexy stripper in Open Your Heart, the Latin goddess in La Isla Bonita, the 50's girl in True Blue, the beautiful, mysterious, almost rarefied entity in Live to Tell. Each of these characters has a defined style and outfit. In particular, the red flamenco dress used for La Isla Bonita and the black pointy corset of Open Your Heart confirmed Madonna's status as a fashion icon and have since become two of her most iconic and influential looks. Finally, the beautiful album cover shot by Herb Ritts only seals the deal. That picture represents one of those moments when Art and Pop blend.
And the whole True Blue era was one giant Pop Art masterpiece.
"Let your body move to the music"
Madonna's voice sounds fuller and stronger and perfectly conveys the teenage girl's inner conflicts. The song was acclaimed by music critics and it ended up receiving a nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the 1987 Grammy Awards.
Commercially, Papa Don't Preach was a smash, peaking at #1 in the US (Madonna's fourth number one) and becoming the world's best selling single of 1986.
Open Your Heart: The album proceeds with the fourth official single, Open Your Heart. The track was originally a pop-rock tune written by Gardner Cole and Peter Rafelson, titled "Follow Your Heart". Madonna completely re-wrote the lyrics and changed the composition, turning the song into a dance-pop number. Open Your Heart is a declaration of love enriched by sexual innuendos: "Don't try to run I can keep up with you / nothing can stop me from trying / you've got to / open your heart to me, baby / I hold the lock and you hold the key / open your heart to me, darling / I'll give you love if you / you turn the key". Vocally, the song is easily Madonna's best performance on the album (if that glorious chorus doesn't give you life nothing will).
Critically acclaimed, Open Your Heart also achieved commercial success, becoming Madonna's fifth number one single in the US.
It is one of my favorite classics.
White Heat: A unique pop track in Madonna's catalog, White Heat was named after the famous film from 1949 starring James Cagney, to whom the song is dedicated. Two quotes from the movie are also included in the song (one is used as the intro and the other can be heard during the bridge).
Written and produced by Madonna and Patrick Leonard, White Heat is a dance-pop track that curiously compares wooing to a bust: "Get up stand tall / put your back up against the wall / 'cause my love is dangerous / this is a bust". Madonna also quotes Clint Eastwood's iconic "Make my day" line from the 1983 movie Sudden Impact, right before the chorus: "I don't want to live out your fantasy / love's not that easy, this time you're gonna / gonna have to play my way / come on make my day".
I think this song should have been released as a single, a number one that got away in my opinion.
Live to Tell: Released as the lead single from the album, Live to Tell is a hauntingly beautiful synthpop ballad. One of Madonna's most cryptic and introspective songs, it was written and produced by Madonna and Patrick Leonard, who had initially written it as an instrumental theme. Madonna wrote all the lyrics, composed the bridge and later co-produced the song with Leonard.
Live to Tell can be interpreted in different ways. It can be about deceit, it can be about a childhood trauma or even rape. The song reflects on human nature, good and evil, unexpressed pain, strength, loneliness and fear: "A man can tell a thousand lies / I've learned my lesson well / hope I live to tell / the secret I've learned, 'till then / it will burn inside of me". Madonna's gentle, melancholic singing is highly evocative and perfectly conveys all those feelings.
Our Diva once said about the song: "I thought about the relationship with my parents and the lying that went on. The song is about being strong, and questioning whether you can be that strong but ultimately surviving".
Live to Tell received critical acclaim and it's considered Madonna's best ballad by many music critics. Commercially, it was a worldwide smash, becoming one of the ten best selling singles of 1986 and peaking at #1 in the US (Madonna's third number one).
A masterpiece that will be celebrated until the end of time.
Where's The Party: The record keeps on playing and here comes one of Madonna's most popular album tracks, Where's The Party. A dance-pop song, it was written and produced by Madonna, Patrick Leonard and Stephen Bray. It tells of a working girl who wants to spend her weekend having fun, after a stressful week: "Working Monday to Friday / takes up all of my time / if I can get to the weekend / everything will work out just fine. / That's when I can go crazy / that's when I can have fun / time to be with my baby / time to come undone". This song emanates positive vibes and it instantly puts the listener in a good mood.
Like White Heat, I think this song should have been released as a single; it would have become a chart hit for sure. Still, its popularity is high thanks to its multiple live performances (Who's That Girl Tour, Blond Ambition Tour and Confessions Tour) and remixes (it was included on You Can Dance, Madonna's first remix album, that I can't wait to review!).
True Blue: The sixth track on the album, True Blue was written by Madonna and Stephen Bray and was released as the third official single. It is a lovely dance-pop song with doo-wop elements and it's a tribute to Motown's girl groups from the 1960's. Lyrically, it is a declaration of love to Sean Penn, Madonna's husband at the time: "True love / you're the one I'm dreaming of / your heart fits me like a glove / and I'm gonna be, true blue / baby I love you".
Critically appreciated, it also achieved worldwide commercial success, peaking at #1 in the UK, #3 in the US and becoming one of the ten best selling singles of 1986, along with Live to Tell and Papa Don't Preach, as already stated.
An adorable pop tune.
Trivia: Madonna stopped performing the song after her divorce from Sean Penn in 1989 and only performed it again in 2015, at her Rebel Heart Tour, after her renewed friendship with the actor.
La Isla Bonita: Released as the fifth and last single from the album, La Isla Bonita is a latin pop masterpiece and one of my favorite songs ever. The track was written and produced by Madonna and Patrick Leonard and it tells of a beautiful, exotic island: "Tropical the island breeze / all of nature wild and free / this is where I long to be / la isla bonita / and when the samba played / the sun would set so high / ring through my ears and sting my eyes / your spanish lullaby". According to Madonna, the song is a tribute to the beauty of Latin people and I think it could be considered, along with its official music video, as her first take on spirituality.
La Isla Bonita was a critical and commercial success, peaking at #1 in the UK, #4 in the US and becoming one of the world's biggest hits of 1987. A timeless classic that will never get old.
Jimmy Jimmy: The album is coming to an end. The eighth track is Jimmy Jimmy, an incredibly catchy and fast dance-pop song written by Madonna and Stephen Bray. The song is dedicated to James Dean, according to Madonna: "I used to fantasize that we grew up in the same neighbourhood and that he (James Dean) moved away and became a big star".
The lyrics of the song are obviously based on that fantasy: "You're much too wild for this town / there's not much here that's gonna hold you down / you gotta lotta style it should take you far / take you further than my back yard".
An underrated little track that is the epitome of 80's bubblegum pop.
Love Makes The World Go Round: The last track on the album, Love Makes The World Go Round was written by Madonna and Patrick Leonard. It is a song about world peace, an anti-war anthem that promotes love, compassion and positivity: "Make love not war we say / it's easy to recite / but it don't mean a damn / unless we're gonna fight / but not with guns and knives / we've got to save the lives / of every boy and girl / that grows up in this world". A message that we, human beings, inhabitants of the same planet should really pay attention to.
Musically, the song is a dance-pop tune enriched by latin elements during the irresistible bridge. Like Jimmy Jimmy, this track is incredibly underrated and overlooked.
(photo by Herb Ritts)
In conclusion...
True Blue is one of my favorite Madonna albums ever, I almost see it as a greatest hits album (and it pretty much is). On this record, Madonna's composing, songwriting and singing abilities started to shine. The versatility she shows is another plus, both as a musician and as a vocalist.
True Blue was also the start of her prolific professional collaboration with Patrick Leonard, one of her best ever collaborators, with whom she'd end up creating more incredible music.
The aesthetic she showcased during this era is also one of the reasons why I love it so much. Each music video portraits Madonna in a different way. We have the teenage girl in Papa Don't Preach, the sexy stripper in Open Your Heart, the Latin goddess in La Isla Bonita, the 50's girl in True Blue, the beautiful, mysterious, almost rarefied entity in Live to Tell. Each of these characters has a defined style and outfit. In particular, the red flamenco dress used for La Isla Bonita and the black pointy corset of Open Your Heart confirmed Madonna's status as a fashion icon and have since become two of her most iconic and influential looks. Finally, the beautiful album cover shot by Herb Ritts only seals the deal. That picture represents one of those moments when Art and Pop blend.
And the whole True Blue era was one giant Pop Art masterpiece.
"Let your body move to the music"
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