MDNA is the twelfth studio album by American singer Madonna, released on March 23, 2012, by Interscope Records. The album was conceived while the singer was busy filming her directorial venture, W.E., throughout 2011. Madonna began recording in July 2011 and collaborated with producers including Alle Benassi, Benny Benassi, Demolition Crew, Free School, Michael Malih, Indiigo, William Orbit, and Martin Solveig, with Orbit and Solveig serving as the record's primary producers. The album features guest appearances by female rappers M.I.A. and Nicki Minaj.
The recording process was smooth, although Madonna had difficulty working with Benny Benassi, who did not speak fluent English, and used his cousin Alle Benassi as an interpreter. A pop and EDM album, MDNA consists of upbeat songs whose lyrics explore themes of partying, love for music, and infatuation, as well as heartbreak, revenge, and separation. The album's title is a triple entendre, alluding to DNA, MDMA, and Madonna's name. Its allusion to MDMA drew criticism from an anti-drug group.
MDNA was Madonna's first release under the 360 deal she had signed with Live Nation in 2007 and the three-album deal with Interscope in 2012. The record was promoted through Madonna's performance at the Super Bowl XLVI halftime show and the MDNA Tour, the latter of which became one of the highest-grossing tours of all time. Four singles were released—"Give Me All Your Luvin'", "Girl Gone Wild", "Masterpiece" and "Turn Up the Radio". Its first single reached number ten on the Billboard Hot 100, extending Madonna's then-record as the artist with the most top-ten singles in the chart's history.
Music critics were ambivalent toward the album. MDNA topped the record charts in many major music markets. Madonna set a new record for the most number-one albums by a solo artist in Australia and the United Kingdom. MDNA was the twelfth best-selling album of 2012 globally, and went on to sell two million copies. Billboard ranked Madonna as the ninth top-charting female artist of the year.
Background and collaborations
Following the end of her eleventh studio album, Hard Candy (2008), Madonna branched out into different ventures. She released her third greatest-hits album, Celebration (2009), introduced her Material Girl clothing line, opened Hard Candy Fitness centers across the world, and unveiled fashion brand Truth or Dare by Madonna which included perfumes, footwear, underwear, and accessories. She also directed her second feature film, W.E., a biographical piece about the affair between King Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson.
While filming W.E., Madonna posted a message on her Facebook page writing: "Its official! I need to move. I need to sweat. I need to make new music! Music I can dance to. I'm on the lookout for the maddest, sickest, most badass people to collaborate with. I'm just saying." She started working with producer William Orbit, with whom the singer had not collaborated since her eighth studio album, Music (2000). Noting that they shared strong camaraderie, Madonna felt that Orbit would align with her musical choices.
In July 2011, French DJ Martin Solveig was invited for a writing session in London. Madonna originally enlisted Solveig for one song, but they ended up composing six in total: "B-Day Song", "Beautiful Killer", "Give Me All Your Luvin'", "I Don't Give A", "I Fucked Up" and "Turn Up the Radio". In an interview with Billboard, Solveig said that being Madonna's record producer would have been intimidating, so he avoided "thinking about the [singer], and do something that just makes sense". Several other producers joined the album, including Alessandro "Alle" Benassi and his brother Benny Benassi, The Demolition Crew, Michael Malih and Indiigo. Madonna enlisted female rappers Nicki Minaj and M.I.A. because she wanted to collaborate with "women who [...] have a strong sense of themselves". Australian singer Sia also submitted several proposals for the album, but none made the final cut. In 2020, French disc jockey David Guetta claimed that Madonna had been interested in working with him on the album, following the success of his remix to her 2009 single "Revolver". However, after he disclosed his Scorpio star sign, Madonna did not pursue the idea further.
In May 2012, producer William Orbit stated that some of the best tracks from MDNA did not make the final track listing because of timing issues, saying that those "breathtaking" records ended up on Chris Brown's Fortune and Kreayshawn’s Somethin' 'Bout Kreay.
Recording sessions On July 4, 2011, Madonna's manager Guy Oseary announced that she had begun recording the album. Sessions took place at Sarm West Studios and Guerrilla Strip in London, Studio at the Palms in Las Vegas, MSR Studios in New York, 3:20 Studios in Los Angeles, and Free School in California.
In an interview with Channel V Australia, Solveig recalled that the recording sessions were smooth because of his camaraderie with Madonna. After the three songs were composed, the producer drafted another track called "Beautiful Killer", inspired by the French film Le Samouraï (1967), which he and Madonna both admired. For Madonna, Solveig's "methodical" thinking was important because she could reject ideas during the process without worrying about hurting his feelings. Solveig commented about Madonna's involvement in the production of the album: She is as involved as you can be in the recording process. This was a very good and big surprise for me! I was assuming that she would spend only an hour or two in the studio per day and come and see where we were and say, "Ok I like this, I don't like that. I'll sing this. Bye!" And absolutely not... I mean we co-produced the track and it's not just written on the credits "co-produced by Martin Solveig and Madonna", we literally co-produced the tracks. I mean, at some point she wanted to choose the sound of a snare drum or a synth and that kind of stuff. She was really in the session! While working with the Benassis, Madonna faced language barriers because Benny was not fluent in English. She was shy about it but ultimately asked Alle Benassi to serve as an interpreter, which was difficult for all three before they eventually overcame the issue. "With music it's so much about the vibe and the energy and you know when things are working and when they're not," clarified the singer.
Titling and artwork
The album title was announced by Madonna as MDNA during an interview on The Graham Norton Show on January 11, 2012. When discussing the album on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Madonna explained that the title is a triple entendre, representing both her name and her DNA, as well as a reference to the drug MDMA, commonly known as ecstasy. During her gig at the Palau Sant Jordi as part of the MDNA Tour, Madonna told her audience: "Do you understand this concept? That we share DNA, regardless of beliefs or sexual orientation...? That we are all one?". Lucy Dawe, a spokesperson for the anti-drug campaign group Cannabis Skunk Sense, called the title "ill-advised".
The record's artwork was shot by Mert and Marcus and directed by Giovanni Bianco. The deluxe edition cover was unveiled on Madonna's official Facebook page on January 31, 2012. Jocelyn Vena of MTV News described the image as a "glamorous, deconstructed photograph" where Madonna "cocks her head up, her curly hair pulled back. She's wearing lots of mascara, bright red lipstick, a choker and a silky bright pink top. The photo has some kind of broken mirror filter over it, giving it a funky, dance-queen vibe." Robbie Daw of Idolator compared the artwork to the singer's third studio album cover, True Blue (1986), with similarity in Madonna's blond locks and the tilting of her head. The standard edition cover was revealed on February 6, 2012. Its art direction used the same color palette and distorted appearance as the deluxe edition image, but featured a full-body shot of Madonna in a red dress, gloves, and jewelry.
Music and lyrics MDNA is predominantly a pop and EDM album, which can be divided into two categories: "introspective" tracks created with Orbit, and "more ironic and funny and upbeat" tunes with Solveig. Christopher Rosa of Glamour noticed that although the album did not reference her ex-husband Guy Ritchie, he was a direct inspiration for the songwriting after their 2008 divorce. Thematically, it explored the different facets of a post-divorce scenario, from somber mourning to releasing one's inhibitions after being suppressed in marriage, as well as anger and disdain. The album opens with the track "Girl Gone Wild", which contains influences of four on the floor and sounds similar to songs from Madonna's tenth studio album, Confessions on a Dance Floor (2005). Its introduction includes elements of "Act of Contrition" from her fourth studio album, Like a Prayer (1989), while the chorus speaks of "a girl gone wild" with "burning desire". The next song, "Gang Bang", is an EDM track with a dubstep breakdown and industrial beats. The lyrics describe a woman taking revenge on her lover by shooting him in the head.
In "I'm Addicted", Madonna compares her infatuation with a person to narcotic addiction, singing over a beat consisting of electro house and eurodance music. Fourth track "Turn Up the Radio" begins with a keyboard sequence before turning into a 1980s-inspired dance-pop number. Lyrically, it urges the audience to relax while listening to music. "Give Me All Your Luvin'" had elements of bubblegum pop, synthpop, new wave and disco. The track features cheerleading chants between the verses while Minaj and M.I.A. rap during the intermediate section. The dance song "Some Girls" was inspired by hardstyle, and Madonna lists different types of girls. "Superstar" has backing vocals from her daughter Lourdes. A dance-pop song with a dubstep hook and influences of electronica, the lyrics find Madonna comparing her lover to famous men including John Travolta, Abraham Lincoln and Al Capone, while she claims to be their "biggest fan".
"I Don't Give A" contains industrial beats and hip-hop influences, and lyrically addresses Madonna's daily life while responding to her critics. Minaj's guest rapping verse praises the singer, "There is only one queen, and that's Madonna, bitch" and references Madonna's "Material Girl". A 1960s-inspired mix of rock and roll and country music forms the backbone of "I'm a Sinner", with Madonna naming different saints and their virtues, and calling herself a transgressor. "Love Spent" has a contrasting composition from banjo and electronic music, creating a "refreshing, contemporary, radio-friendly pop sound". The song discusses how money was a triggering factor in ending Madonna's marriage. The overall tempo on MDNA slows down with the next two songs. "Masterpiece", which was also included in the soundtrack of W.E., is a ballad with traces of Latin music. The song has instrumentation from strings, guitars and percussion, and speaks about the pain of being in love with someone perfect. The standard version of the album ended with "Falling Free", a ballad with a simple melody on a bassline, and complex lyrics that highlighted love, freedom and exaltation.
The deluxe version of MDNA includes "I Fucked Up", a slow-paced song whose lyrics find Madonna admitting the reasons her marriage failed. The concept song "Beautiful Killer" has a string arrangement reminiscent of Madonna's 1986 single "Papa Don't Preach". The singer portrays the point of view of a victim and a murderer. "B-Day Song" is a "goof off" tune featuring M.I.A., with a punk style bassline and percussion. According to Jon Pareles, Madonna laments the loss of a lover in the closing song "Best Friend", and admits to feeling guilty and remorseful in the "haunting slow jam".
Release and promotion