"I Don't Give A" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter
Madonna
Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...
for her twelfth studio album ''
MDNA'' (2012). The song features rap vocals by American recording artist
Nicki Minaj
Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty (; born December 8, 1982), known professionally as Nicki Minaj ( ), is a Trinidadian-born rapper based in the United States. She is known for her musical versatility, animated flow in her rapping, alter egos and accent ...
. It was written and produced by Madonna and
Martin Solveig
Martin Laurent Picandet (; born 22 September 1976), better known by his stage name Martin Solveig (), is a French DJ, singer, songwriter and record producer. He hosts a weekly radio show called ''C'est La Vie'' on radio stations worldwide, incl ...
, with additional songwriting by Minaj and Julien Jabre. "I Don't Give A" is an
song with syncopated
electronic
Electronic may refer to:
*Electronics, the science of how to control electric energy in semiconductor
* ''Electronics'' (magazine), a defunct American trade journal
*Electronic storage, the storage of data using an electronic device
*Electronic co ...
hip hop and
industrial
Industrial may refer to:
Industry
* Industrial archaeology, the study of the history of the industry
* Industrial engineering, engineering dealing with the optimization of complex industrial processes or systems
* Industrial city, a city dominate ...
beats.
Lyrically, the song is about a day in Madonna's life with some portions of it directed at her ex-husband, film director
Guy Ritchie
Guy Stuart Ritchie (born 10 September 1968) is an English film director, producer and screenwriter. His work includes British gangster films, and the ''Sherlock Holmes'' films starring Robert Downey Jr.
Ritchie left school at age 15 and wor ...
, when she sings about a failed marriage. The song received generally favorable reviews from music critics who praised Minaj's appearance and its personal lyrics. Following the release of ''MDNA'', the song peaked at number 117 in the
Gaon Chart
Gaon may refer to
* Gaon (Hebrew), a non-formal title given to certain Jewish Rabbis
** Geonim, presidents of the two great Talmudic Academies of Sura and Pumbedita
** Vilna Gaon, known as ''the'' Gaon of Vilnius.
* Gaon Music Chart, record chart ...
of South Korea. Madonna performed the song on
the MDNA Tour
The MDNA Tour was the ninth concert tour by American singer Madonna, launched in support of her twelfth studio album, '' MDNA'' (2012). Comprising 88 shows, the tour began on May 31, 2012, in Tel Aviv's Ramat Gan Stadium and concluded in Córd ...
as the closing track of the show's first segment.
Background and production
![Martin Solveig Pukkelpop 2009](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a9/Martin_Solveig_Pukkelpop_2009.jpg)
Madonna's manager
Guy Oseary
Guy Harley Oseary ( he, גיא עוזרי; born October 3, 1972) is an Israeli-American talent manager and writer. His clients include Madonna, U2 and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Biography
Guy Oseary was born on October 3, 1972, in Jerusale ...
had contacted
Martin Solveig
Martin Laurent Picandet (; born 22 September 1976), better known by his stage name Martin Solveig (), is a French DJ, singer, songwriter and record producer. He hosts a weekly radio show called ''C'est La Vie'' on radio stations worldwide, incl ...
wanting to know if he would be available to work with the singer, to which he responded affirmative.
[ In July 2011, the singer invited Solveig for a writing session in London for her twelfth studio album, '' MDNA''. This session produced three songs, including "I Don't Give A", "]Give Me All Your Luvin'
"Give Me All Your Luvin'" is a song by American singer Madonna from her twelfth studio album, '' MDNA'' (2012). It features guest vocals by Trinidadian-American rapper Nicki Minaj and English rapper M.I.A. The song was written and produced b ...
" and " Turn Up the Radio", the last two later becoming official singles off the album. According to the producer, few days after he had finished the composition, Madonna completed writing the lyrics of "I Don't Give A" . Solveig understood that the lyrics were probable references towards Madonna's life and thus received coverage in the press. However, he was not aware of the inner meaning behind the lyrics. With ''Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' magazine, the producer further explained:
At first I thought we were going to work on one song; that was the original plan. Let's try to work on one song and take it from there -- not spend too much time thinking about the legend, and do something that just makes sense. ..We did one song and another song, and we were having fun making music. And actually it was a very privileged time. She wasn't under any kind of pressure, she had time to spend on it; it was the only thing she had to work on.[
]
In an interview with Channel V Australia
Channel Australia was an Australian subscription television music channel that was available on Foxtel, Optus TV and Austar satellite and cable services. It was also previously available in New Zealand on TelstraSaturn's cable TV service in W ...
, he recalled that the two of them were able to communicate their thoughts about the tracks they developed, "on an organisational level", thus accelerating the process. Madonna was completely involved in the recording which was a surprise for Solveig, since he had expected the singer not to stay more than an hour or two in the recording studio and then leave. Madonna expressed her thoughts about the composition, including the instrumentation to be used as Solveig added, "at some point she wanted to choose the sound of a snare drum
The snare (or side drum) is a percussion instrument that produces a sharp staccato sound when the head is struck with a drum stick, due to the use of a series of stiff wires held under tension against the lower skin. Snare drums are often used ...
or a synth
A synthesizer (also spelled synthesiser) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis and f ...
and that kind of stuff. She was really in the session!" Madonna reciprocated the feelings saying that she liked Solveig's way of working: "He's very organised and methodical in his thinking so I like his work process". The singer also stated that she was able to disapprove something which she did not like without hurting his feelings.
Regarding having Minaj feature as a guest vocalist, Madonna explained that she wanted to collaborate with female singers she believed had a "strong sense of themselves". They were shy of each other in the beginning but were able to pass that and dedicate to the tracks. Solveig described Minaj as a "pro
Pro is an abbreviation meaning "professional".
Pro, PRO or variants thereof may also refer to:
People
* Miguel Pro (1891–1927), Mexican priest
* Pro Hart (1928–2006), Australian painter
* Mlungisi Mdluli (born 1980), South African retired f ...
" and recalled that she spent some time with the songs and wrote her rapping verse and recorded it within a short span of time.
Recording and composition
"I Don't Give A" was written by Madonna, Solveig, Minaj and Julien Jabre. Production was handled by Madonna and Solveig, while Minaj provided rap vocals for the track. It was mixed by Demacio "Demo" Castellon for The Demolition Crew, while it was recorded by Castellon, Philippe Weiss and Graham Archer, with additional recording by Jason "Metal" Donkersgoed, also for The Demolition Crew. The recording took place at Sarm West Studios
Sarm Studios is an independent recording studio in London. Originally founded in east London in 1973, the studio's original location was renamed Sarm East Studios in 1982 when Jill Sinclair and Trevor Horn purchased Basing Street Studios from Isl ...
, London, England and MSR Studios
Sound on Sound Studios, formerly known as MSR Studios (Manhattan Sound Recordings) is a photography and movie producing company Recording studio, recording facility in Montclair, New Jersey. Its forebear, MSR Studios, was located in Manhattan, just ...
, New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
, New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
. Minaj appeared for one day during the recording, finishing off her work in "I Don't Give A" as well as "Give Me All Your Luvin'".[ Jabre also provided ]electric guitars
An electric guitar is a guitar that requires external amplification in order to be heard at typical performance volumes, unlike a standard acoustic guitar (however combinations of the two - a semi-acoustic guitar and an electric acoustic gui ...
, drums
A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...
and synths, while Solveig provided additional instrumentation. Ron Taylor did the vocal editing for the track while Michael Turco added the outro music for The Demolition Crew. Other personnel working on the song included Romain Faure and Angie Teo, the latter of whom worked as mixing assistant.
"I Don't Give A" is a midtempo " pop-flavoured" song with "ballsy" electronic
Electronic may refer to:
*Electronics, the science of how to control electric energy in semiconductor
* ''Electronics'' (magazine), a defunct American trade journal
*Electronic storage, the storage of data using an electronic device
*Electronic co ...
hip hop and industrial
Industrial may refer to:
Industry
* Industrial archaeology, the study of the history of the industry
* Industrial engineering, engineering dealing with the optimization of complex industrial processes or systems
* Industrial city, a city dominate ...
beats. Tracklisted after the initial dance tunes in ''MDNA'', the mood for the song is dark and somber, with a Sturm und Drang
''Sturm und Drang'' (, ; usually translated as "storm and stress") was a proto- Romantic movement in German literature and music that occurred between the late 1760s and early 1780s. Within the movement, individual subjectivity and, in particul ...
chorus and backed by an orchestra
An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families.
There are typically four main sections of instruments:
* bowed string instruments, such as the violin, viola, c ...
that ''The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' reviewer Jon Pareles
Jon Pareles (born October 25, 1953) is an American journalist who is the chief popular music critic in the arts section of ''The New York Times''.Carl Orff
Carl Orff (; 10 July 1895 – 29 March 1982) was a German composer and music educator, best known for his cantata ''Carmina Burana'' (1937). The concepts of his Schulwerk were influential for children's music education.
Life
Early life
Car ...
's cantata
A cantata (; ; literally "sung", past participle feminine singular of the Italian verb ''cantare'', "to sing") is a vocal composition with an instrumental accompaniment, typically in several movements, often involving a choir.
The meaning of ...
, ''Carmina Burana
''Carmina Burana'' (, Latin for "Songs from Benediktbeuern" 'Buria'' in Latin is a manuscript of 254 poems and dramatic texts mostly from the 11th or 12th century, although some are from the 13th century. The pieces are mostly bawdy, irreverent ...
''. The ending of the song consists of a big outro, with "grandiose" choirs
A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which sp ...
, "crashing" cymbals
A cymbal is a common percussion instrument. Often used in pairs, cymbals consist of thin, normally round plates of various alloys. The majority of cymbals are of indefinite pitch, although small disc-shaped cymbals based on ancient designs soun ...
and "escalating" strings. Critics noted that Madonna's rap in the song is similar to that on her 2003 single "American Life
''American Life'' is the ninth studio album by American singer Madonna. It was released on April 21, 2003, by Maverick and Warner Bros. Records. The album, produced by the singer and Mirwais Ahmadzaï, features references to many parts of Ame ...
".
Lyrically "I Don't Give A" describes a day in the life of Madonna, with the singer working through her schedule. The verses during the chorus are representative of how Madonna had previously ignored her detractors, instead choosing to express it with her music with the lines, "I'm moving fast, Can you follow my track, I'm livin' fast, And I like it like that, I do ten things all at once, And if you have a problem, I don't give a." During the bridge
A bridge is a structure built to span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or rail) without blocking the way underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, which is usually somethi ...
, the lyrics presumably talks about a marriage which did not work out for unknown reasons, "I tried to be a good girl/ I tried to be your wife/ I diminished myself/ And I swallowed my light." Many critics agreed that the song has pretty direct lyrics that seem to take aim at her ex-husband, film director Guy Ritchie
Guy Stuart Ritchie (born 10 September 1968) is an English film director, producer and screenwriter. His work includes British gangster films, and the ''Sherlock Holmes'' films starring Robert Downey Jr.
Ritchie left school at age 15 and wor ...
.[ However, when asked if Ritchie was indeed the subject of the song, Madonna's representative Liz Rosenberg added that " adonnahas not explained the lyrics and if they are about someone specifically ... utI appreciate that people will speculate."] The song ends with Minaj uttering the final line, "There's only one queen and that's Madonna. Bitch!"
Brandon Soderberg from ''Spin
Spin or spinning most often refers to:
* Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thread by twisting fibers together, traditionally by hand spinning
* Spin, the rotation of an object around a central axis
* Spin (propaganda), an intentionally b ...
'' observed how the song was a narrative against her "haters", a theme predominant in rap music. This is enunciated with the lyrics addressing Ritchie and tabloids, along with some of Minaj's verses being directed against pop singer Lady Gaga
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta ( ; born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She is known for her image reinventions and musical versatility. Gaga began performing as a teenag ...
, with whom Madonna had been compared to previously. Soderberg deduced that Madonna might have noticed the shifting themes in rap music, where it had become acceptable to boast about one's wealth, hence the lyrics had more of a ''Sex and the City
''Sex and the City'' is an American romantic comedy, romantic comedy-drama television series created by Darren Star for HBO. An adaptation of Candace Bushnell's Sex and the City (newspaper column), newspaper column and 1996 book anthology of the ...
'' vibe with its depiction of Madonna's "fairly awesome life".
Critical reception
"I Don't Give A" received generally favorable reviews from music critics
Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on w ...
. Neal McCormick of ''The Daily Telegraph
''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally.
It was fo ...
'' called it "an album highlight", writing that "there is real energy to this Martin Solveig production, though Nicki Minaj's explosive rap rather shows up Madonna's more static delivery". A writer from Virgin Media
Virgin Media is a British telecommunications company which provides telephone, Cable television, television and Internet access, internet services in the United Kingdom. Its headquarters are at Green Park in Reading, Berkshire, Reading, Engla ...
gave the song a rating of 4 out of 5 stars while complimenting the chorus. Michael Cragg of ''The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' labeled "I Don't Give A" as "brilliantly odd". He praised "the industrial beats" as well as "the spooky chants and out of nowhere ppearance ofMinaj".
Joel Meares of '' Time Out'' shared this view, adding that Minaj's rap verse was reminiscent of the times when Madonna's own songs were as good as the former's single " Starships". ''The Village Voice
''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture paper, known for being the country's first alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Mailer, the ''Voice'' began as a platform for the crea ...
''s Maura Johnston was also complimentary about Minaj, writing that, " helays down a couple of rhymes that are by no means the best in her vast catalog, but her sudden presence shows that the music isn't the song's biggest weakness." Genevieve Koski of ''The A.V. Club
''The A.V. Club'' is an American online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was cre ...
'' also considered the rapper's performance as "one of her better features in a while", and better than her inclusion in the lead single "Give Me All Your Luvin'". Soderberg from ''Spin'' described the song as a "rap track that positions Nicki Minaj, as the brash, pop subversive in the tradition of Madonna" and criticized the latter's rapping, finding the vocals to be weak. Conversely, he appreciated Minaj's verses and vocal delivery, calling them "witty" and "confident".
Keith Caulfield of ''Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' called it "a very rat-a-tat-tat song"; He complimented the lengthy orchestral portion of the track and called it "epic and sweeping, but comes out of nowhere". For Matthew Perpetua of ''Pitchfork
A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves.
The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to th ...
'' the song showed how Madonna's strong rapping was upstaged by Minaj, "who turns in an entertaining performance that is nevertheless below the standards of her usual features". Nick Bond of ''Sydney Star Observer
The ''Star Observer'' is a free monthly magazine and online newspaper that caters to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex communities in Australia. Since 20 June 2019 the ''Star Observer'' is owned by media company Out Publicatio ...
'' wrote that the song is "not her most GFC-friendly track", but explained that "Musically, it's the damp squib that was ''Hard Candy
A hard candy (American English), or boiled sweet (British English), is a sugar candy prepared from one or more sugar-based syrups that is heated to a temperature of 160 °C (320 °F) to make candy. Among the many hard candy varietie ...
'' done right."
Live performance
Madonna performed "I Don't Give A" on the MDNA Tour
The MDNA Tour was the ninth concert tour by American singer Madonna, launched in support of her twelfth studio album, '' MDNA'' (2012). Comprising 88 shows, the tour began on May 31, 2012, in Tel Aviv's Ramat Gan Stadium and concluded in Córd ...
in 2012. The performance of the song closed the show's first segment known as ''Transgression'', and found Madonna playing the guitar while Minaj appeared on the backdrops sitting on a throne singing her verse. Saeed Saeed of ''The National'' praised Madonna for "re-emerging once again triumphant in rock star mode," during the performance Kat Keogh of ''Birmingham Mail
The ''Birmingham Mail'' (branded the ''Black Country Mail'' in the Black Country) is a tabloid newspaper based in Birmingham, England but distributed around Birmingham, the Black Country, and Solihull and parts of Warwickshire, Worcestershire ...
'' described that "The crowd was awash with a sea of camera phones as Madge grabbed a guitar for Nicki Minaj duet 'I Don’t Give A'." Jon Pareles
Jon Pareles (born October 25, 1953) is an American journalist who is the chief popular music critic in the arts section of ''The New York Times''.The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' was mixed in his review, writing that Madonna "still looks silly when, as she did in 'I Don't Give A', she slings an electric guitar and makes rocker-chick faces" and found it odd that "someone so physically disciplined can't fake better guitar moves." The performance was included on Madonna's fourth live album, '' MDNA World Tour''.
Credits and personnel
Management
* Nicki Minaj appears courtesy of Young Money Entertainment
Young Money Entertainment is an American record label founded by rapper Lil Wayne. Young Money's president is Lil Wayne's lifelong friend and fellow rapper Mack Maine. The label was an imprint of Cash Money Records and is distributed by Republi ...
/ Cash Money Records
* Webo Girl Publishing, Inc. (ASCAP
The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) () is an American not-for-profit performance-rights organization (PRO) that collectively licenses the public performance rights of its members' musical works to venues, broadca ...
), EMI Music Publishing France (SACEM), Money Mack Music / Harajuku Barbie Music adm. by Songs of Universal, Inc. (BMI)
Personnel
* Madonna
Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...
– lead vocals
The lead vocalist in popular music is typically the member of a group or band whose voice is the most prominent melody in a performance where multiple voices may be heard. The lead singer sets their voice against the accompaniment parts of t ...
, songwriter
A songwriter is a musician who professionally composes musical compositions or writes lyrics for songs, or both. The writer of the music for a song can be called a composer, although this term tends to be used mainly in the classical music gen ...
, producer
* Martin Solveig
Martin Laurent Picandet (; born 22 September 1976), better known by his stage name Martin Solveig (), is a French DJ, singer, songwriter and record producer. He hosts a weekly radio show called ''C'est La Vie'' on radio stations worldwide, incl ...
– songwriter, producer, additional drums, synths
A synthesizer (also spelled synthesiser) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis and f ...
* Nicki Minaj
Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty (; born December 8, 1982), known professionally as Nicki Minaj ( ), is a Trinidadian-born rapper based in the United States. She is known for her musical versatility, animated flow in her rapping, alter egos and accent ...
– guest vocals, songwriter
* Julien Jabre – songwriter, electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that requires external amplification in order to be heard at typical performance volumes, unlike a standard acoustic guitar (however combinations of the two - a semi-acoustic guitar and an electric acoustic gui ...
, drums, synths
* Demacio "Demo" Castellon – recording
A record, recording or records may refer to:
An item or collection of data Computing
* Record (computer science), a data structure
** Record, or row (database), a set of fields in a database related to one entity
** Boot sector or boot record, ...
, mixing for The Demolition Crew
* Philippe Weiss – recording
* Graham Archer – recording
* Jason "Metal" Donkersgoed – additional recording for The Demolition Crew
* Ron Taylor – vocal editing
* Romain Faure – additional synths
* Michael Turco – outro music for The Demolition Crew
* Angie Teo – mixing assistant
Credits adapted from the liner notes of ''MDNA''.
Charts
In South Korea, the song debuted at number 117 on the Gaon International Downloads Chart, selling 3,101 copies.
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:I Don't Give A
2011 songs
Electronic songs
Madonna songs
Nicki Minaj songs
Songs written by Madonna
Songs written by Nicki Minaj
Songs written by Martin Solveig
Song recordings produced by Madonna
Song recordings produced by Martin Solveig