Everything you need to know about Madonna’s upcoming album – EXCLUSIVE Update: Illuminati added!

Illuminati

“Everybody in this party is shining like illuminati!”
Don’t you worry, there’s no politics involved, here.
Madonna gives her own view on what illuminati stands for and is naming names on a pumping beat!
“It’s not Jay-Z and Beyoncé, Lil Wayne, Oprah and Obama, the Pope or Rihanna, Queen Elizabeth or Kanye, Gaga, Prada, triangles or stacks of cash.”
A fair portion of the track is speak-sung in a similar way Britney Spears did on her “Work B**ch” single. Madonna confidently plays with the words and syllables like it’s an Addicted to Sweat work-out routine.
This song is a mix of various styles and can best be described as acoustic meets electronic. The breaks transition progressively from a brilliant melodic construction to an EDM sound. We only wish there was no vocoder involved as it gives a very forced and dated feel to the whole song.
Co-penned by Toby, Mozella and S1, Illuminati could become a thrilling, forward-thinking dance-pop hit.

Keep in mind that we’re reviewing demos and not finished/mastered tracks.

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The original article continues below:
Madonnarama can confirm that Madonna has already recorded over 40 different songs in various styles for her upcoming album and we’re going to give you an exclusive look into the recording process.
Thanks to a rather unusual Skype chat with a mysterious anonymous contact, we’ve been able to have a first listen to multiple tracks from various recording sessions for Madonna’s forthcoming album.
Madonna has worked with many producers and collaborators, including Avicii, Diplo, Natalia Kills, Martin Kierszenbaum, S1, Toby Gad, MoZella, MNEK and even Pharrell!
Some of the songs are incredibly good, some are forgettable, but only Madonna will have the final say on which tracks will make the cut.
The original demos with Avicii (Rebel Heart, Messiah…) have a great concept and it’s everything you can expect from a Madonna album. It’s smart, mature and rich, but it lacks the real radio hits.
Madonna’s work with Diplo (Bitch I’m Madonna, Living for love, Unapologetic Bitch…) is more trap/electro pop. Some of these tracks are a better fit for radio play, although they can sound a little immature at times.
The Toby/Mozella/S1 (Iconic, Body Shop, Joan of Ark…) collaboration has some truly great songs, in constrast to the sessions with Natalia Kills and Martin Kierszenbaum which aren’t particularly interesting.
Needless to say that with nearly 50 songs, Madonna has enough material to release a double album.
A lot of the track titles have already been revealed on Instagram, but they’re hidden in what seems like random Madonna banter. Madonnarama can confirm that the following tracks (mentioned by Madonna) have been recorded during the sessions for the new album…

Autotune Baby
Bitch, I’m Madonna
Body Shop
Holy Water
Iconic
Inside Out
Joan of Ark
Living for Love/Carry On
Messiah
Rebel Heart
Unapologetic Bitch
Veni Vedi Vici
Wash all over me

The following tracks haven’t been mentioned by Madonna on any social media, but we at Madonnarama can confirm they’re real…

Addicted/The One That Got Away
Illuminati

Please keep in mind that no final tracklist has been selected for the album yet!
Here are some descriptions, which will be updated with time…

Autotune Baby
This might sound like an odd title but “Autotune Baby” is actually a truly sweet and incredibly catchy tune.

It starts off with the sound of a crying baby and a rattle, which slowly gets autotuned creating the base sample for the rest of the song, until Madonna starts singing.
The acoustic guitar that accompanies Madonna’s vocals gives the track a very raw and relaxing vibe.
In a sweet little voice, which reminds us of the “Like a Virgin” album era, Madonna deals with her own vulnerability and explains how she needs to be taken care of…. like a baby!
She continues “In the middle of the night, you can hear me crying loud”, asking her partner to put her head on his shoulder and rock her back to sleep.
Madonna ends the Diplo song with her own version of a famous playground song “You and me sitting in a tree. You’ll be the daddy, I’ll be the baby.”

Addicted/The One That Got Away
This incredible song is another case of self-examination for Madonna.
It deals with being under the spell of a poisonous love and how pain can turn into an addiction.

The song is about how manipulative people can be when they deal with a partner in love.
“I’m addicted to the one that got away” sings Madonna as she sees clearly through the lies of her partner: “Your truth is a lie… Bittersweet, but oh so divine.”
It’s a powerful bittersweet song about Madonna being attracted to the dark. She knew she was gonna get her heart broken, but still went for it and the guy got away with it.
This mid-tempo track includes both the electric and acoustic guitar on a totally infectious electro beat.
It’s Avicii at his best and should definitely be on the album!

Living for Love/Carry on

“Living for love, I’m gonna carry on, love’s gonna lift me up”, goes this snappy track about the sanctity of survival, using a luminescent collection of escalating 90s influenced tempos.
Madonna recorded a few “I survived a hard breakup and am stronger for it” anthems, but “Living for Love/Carry on” is probably the most accessible and club friendly one.
She assures her audience that her past flame is in the past, and that she’s ready to move on, with a little help from God.
Madonna talks about how allowing herself to love made her strong and feel reborn, but by letting down her guard, she forgot who she was and didn’t hear the alarm.
Now that the love is over, she says she’s willing to forgive but will never forget.
With the help of a choir, Madonna addresses a kinda odd sounding prayer to God to help her heal fast and allow her to love again.
With an undeniable, instantly catchy hook, in typical Madonna fashion, she’s telling off her ex-boyfriend, but there’s a festive flair that makes the whole break-up seem rather uplifting than dour.
Although the unfinished version of the song lacks a little originality in its production, Living for Love translates the soulful optimism of Madonna. It’s all about empowering yourself after a breakup, getting back on your feet and giving a chance to new love.

Unapologetic Bitch

Madonna’s new track slams the dancer’s sexual prowess as well as mocking his lack of wealth, following their break up in 2013 after three years of dating.
The song contains the lyrics: “I know you’d like it if I stayed home and cried. But that ain’t gonna happen, here’s the reason why: When we did it, I’ll admit it, wasn’t satisfied.”
Another line boasted: “I’m popping bottles that you can’t even afford. I’m throwing parties and you won’t get in the door.”
The track has a reggae-themed chorus, which Madonna ends with an expletive-filled rant against her former lover, with the line: “You know you never really know how much your bullshit cost me, but fuck you.
The reggae-influenced track has a strong statement about Madonna taking responsibility for being considered a bitch because sometimes you have to call it like it is.
Madonna suffered from the breakup of the three year relationship with Brahim Zaibat, and the lyrics “Unapologetic Bitch” reinforce this: “It almost killed me but I’m better off alone.”
Even though Madonna had a tough time, she starts the song off saying she’s waking up happy to know he’s gone and that she’s ready to move on with her life.
Madonna also give the impression that Zaibat expressed some regrets about leaving as the chorus goes “You know you never really knew how much you loved me til you lost me, did you?

Heartbreak City

This track has absolutely nothing to do with Guy Ritchie but deals with Madonna’s recent break-up with Brahim Zaibat. We’ve been informed that more than one track on the album is about the ending of their three year relationship which left Madonna more vulnerable than most people might think.
Some lyrics:
“Cut me down the middle, fucked me up a little. You said I was your queen. I tried to give you everything. And now you want your freedom.”
“You got just what you came for, a bit of fame and fortune, and I’m no longer needed.”
“You tore me into pieces, you didn’t have no damn reason. I let you in my kingdom, you helped yourself with everything.”
“I curse the day we met. This memory is haunting me. I wish I could forget.”

Two Steps Behind

The song isn’t directed towards Lady Gaga, but to all younger artists trying to steal Madonna’s recipe. Even though Madonna had fun writing and recording this track, there’s a big possibility that it won’t be included on the album.
Some lyrics:
“You’re a copycat [...] Where is my royalty? [...] You’re a pretty girl, I’ll give you that.”
“Did you study me hard enough? [...] You’re never gonna be, you’re just a wannabe me. [...] Like a sister all messed-up, who’s gonna help you out? [...] In your fantasy, you can try it all. But you can’t be me.”
“You can walk the walk, even talk the talk. But you’ll always be two steps behind me.”

Stay tuned for more details on Madonna’s upcoming album!