MDNA (album)

''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 throughout 2011 with filming her directorial venture, ''W.E.'' Madonna started the recording in July 2011 and collaborated with a variety of producers such as Alle Benassi, Benny Benassi, Demolition Crew, Free School, Michael Malih, Indiigo, William Orbit, and Martin Solveig, the last two serving as primary producers of the record. The album features guest features by female rappers M.I.A. and Nicki Minaj.

The recording process was smooth although Madonna found difficulty working with Benny Benassi who did not speak fluent English and had to use his cousin Alle Benassi as interpreter. A pop and EDM record, ''MDNA'' consists of upbeat songs which lyrically explore themes of partying, love for music, infatuation, as well as heartbreak, revenge and separation. The album's title is a triple entendre and its allusion to MDMA drew negative reception from anti-drug groups.

''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 received promotion from Madonna's performance at Super Bowl XLVI halftime show as well as the MDNA Tour, the latter becoming 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 that chart's history.

Music critics were ambivalent towards the album. ''MDNA'' topped the record charts in most musical 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.

Background and collaborations

Following the end of her eleventh studio album, ''Hard Candy'' (2008) era, 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, underclothing, and accessories. She also directed her second feature film, ''W.E.'', a biographical piece about the affair between King Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson.

As filming for ''W.E.'' was in progress, Madonna posted a message on her Facebook page exclaiming: "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 great 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. Originally Madonna had enlisted Solveig for one song, but they ended up composing three in total—"Give Me All Your Luvin'", "I Don't Give A" and " Turn Up the Radio". In an interview with ''Billboard'', Solveig felt that being Madonna's record producer would have been intimidating for him, so he avoided "thinking about the inger 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., wanting to collaborate with "women who ..have a strong sense of themselves". Australian singer Sia also submitted several proposals for the album, however, none of them made the final cut.

Recording sessions

On July 4, 2011, Madonna's manager Guy Oseary announced that the singer 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 due to the camaraderie between Madonna and him. After the three songs were composed, the producer drafted another track called "Beautiful Killer", inspired by the French film, ''Le Samouraï'' (1967), a common interest with Madonna. For Madonna, Solveig's "methodical" thinking was important since she could refuse anything during the process without thinking 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 problems since Benny was not fluent in English. She was shy but ultimately asked Alle Benassi to be an interpreter which was difficult for all three, but eventually they were able to overcome it. "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 was unveiled through 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 included the same color palette and the distorted appearance of the deluxe version image, but featured a body-shot of Madonna in a red dress and gloves with jewelry.

Music and lyrics

''MDNA'' is predominantly a pop and EDM album, which could be divided into two categories; "introspective" tracks created with Orbit, and "more ironic and funny and upbeat" tunes with Solveig. Christopher Rosa from '' Glamour'' noticed that although the album did not reference her ex-husband Guy Ritchie, he was a direct inspiration in the songwriting following their divorce in 2008. 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), with 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, shooting him in his head.

In "I'm Addicted", Madonna talks about being infatuated with a person, like 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. raps during the intermediate section. The dance song "Some Girls" was inspired by hardstyle and Madonna lists different personality 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 with famous men including John Travolta, Abraham Lincoln and Al Capone, while she claimed to be their "biggest fan".

"I Don't Give A" contains industrial beats and hip-hop influences, and lyrically speaks about 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" as well as makes references to Madonna's "Material Girl", "We material girls, ain't nobody hotter, pops collar!" A 1960s inspired 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'' has the song "I Fucked Up", a slow-paced tune whose lyrics finds 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