Madonna - Rebel Heart | Album Review

How does a 56 year old manage to keep up with pop princess' 30 years her junior after a career spanning more than 30 years? Madonna reveals her master plan behind still sounding relevant on new album Rebel Heart.

Beats. Lots and lots of energetic beats. Which sometimes works in her favour like the Diplo produced “Unapologetic Bitch” which is a fun reggae/pop infusion song that sounds like a nod to No Doubt’s 2002 hit “Hey Baby”. 

But other times the production steals the show, resulting in the beats sounding more rebellious than Madonna does. The production on the noisy “Bitch, I’m Madonna” featuring Nicki Minaj overpowers her mumbling on the chorus and verses. 



If the declarative title “Bitch, I’m Madonna” is anything to go by, Madonna is certainly aware of her status in pop music. The singer also isn't afraid to tap into her previous hits for inspiration for a few of the songs on the 19 track (deluxe) album.  Her gay anthem “Vogue” is sampled on one of the stand out songs “Holy Water”. The sample is used subtly and effectively enough to not detract from Madonna’s irresistible potty mouth hook ‘Bitch get off my pole’. Plus “Veni Vidi Vici” featuring rapper Nas, is essentially just Madonna referencing some of her biggest hits before bragging ‘I came, I saw, I conquered’ on the chorus. But this is okay, after selling an incomparable 300 million records, if anyone is allowed to brag, it’s Madonna. 

One of the main criticisms that Madonna has faced during the last decade is that she is considered too old to be making songs with raunchy and risqué lyrics like most relevant pop stars are doing today. Agreed, hearing the 56 year old sing about ‘sniffing glue’ and ‘smoking weed’ on the moody “Devil Pray” is a little laughable. Nevertheless, it is a catchy pop song with a pulsating beat that shouldn’t be taken too seriously. 

Rebel Heart doesn’t offer anything particularly innovative to the world but being 13 albums in, was that really expected?  The album title may not be the perfect way to describe the songs, but proves that the Rebel Heart is in fact Madonna herself. She has done it all, and this album shows no signs of her stopping. Like she says on the album's lead single “Living For Live” – she’s not giving up and she’s not going to stop. She hasn't taken 5 years off to put out new music. She hasn't opted in a Vegas residency like younger singers such as Mariah Carey and Britney Spears have. She carries on, because after all; she's Madonna.


Rebel Heart has its moments and those moments remind us just why fans and critics alike have branded Madonna the “Queen of Pop”.


Recommended Tracks: Living for Love, Holy Water, Illumanti, Iconic, Devil Pray

Rating: 6/10