"She's Madonna" is a song by British singer
Robbie Williams
Robert Peter Williams (born 13 February 1974) is an English singer and songwriter. He found fame as a member of the pop group Take That from 1990 to 1995, and achieved commercial success after launching a solo career in 1996. His debut stud ...
with the duo
Pet Shop Boys
The Pet Shop Boys are an English synth-pop duo formed in London in 1981. Consisting of primary vocalist Neil Tennant and keyboardist Chris Lowe, they have sold more than 50 million records worldwide, and were listed as the most successful duo i ...
, from his seventh studio album, ''
Rudebox
''Rudebox'' is the seventh studio album by English singer-songwriter Robbie Williams, released on 23 October 2006 in the United Kingdom. It features two guest appearances from the Pet Shop Boys. The album was produced by a variety of producer ...
'' (2006). The track was released as its third and final international single on 5 March 2007 by
Chrysalis Records
Chrysalis Records () is a British record label that was founded in 1968. The name is both a reference to the pupal stage of a butterfly and a combination of its founders' names, Chris Wright and Terry Ellis. It started as the Ellis-Wright Ag ...
. The subject matter of the song is a reference to the conversation Williams had with his ex-girlfriend
Tania Strecker
Tania Strecker (born 26 June 1973) is a Danish-British model and television presenter in the United Kingdom.
Her break into TV began with Channel 4's '' Naked Elvis'', and she then co-hosted MTV's ''SELECT'' with Richard Blackwood. After severa ...
, over the reason her former boyfriend
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 ...
gave, for leaving her for American singer
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 ...
. Williams had played the recording to Madonna shortly after writing it, receiving a positive reaction.
Musically, "She's Madonna" was inspired by
Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk (, "power station") is a German band formed in Düsseldorf in 1970 by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider. Widely considered innovators and pioneers of electronic music, Kraftwerk were among the first successful acts to popularize the ...
's 1983 single, "
Tour de France
The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage bicycle race primarily held in France, while also occasionally passing through nearby countries. Like the other Grand Tours (the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a España), it consists ...
". The composition consists of a "gurgling" electro backing, over which Williams sings the lyrics, talking about his fascination with Madonna. It received positive feedback for its musical aspects and the production by Pet Shop Boys. The song had minor chart placement in Williams' home turf United Kingdom, but reached the top five of the
record charts
A record chart, in the music industry, also called a music chart, is a ranking of recorded music according to certain criteria during a given period. Many different criteria are used in worldwide charts, often in combination. These include rec ...
in many European nations, attaining Gold certifications in Denmark and Germany. A
music video
A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a m ...
for the track was released in April 2007, directed by
Johan Renck
Bo Johan Renck (born 5 December 1966) is a Swedish director of music videos, TV and film. He was originally a singer-songwriter from 1991 to 2001, using the moniker Stakka Bo, and had an international hit with his single " Here We Go" in 1993. Re ...
whose main inspiration behind it was to portray the paranoia one faces onstage. It features a plethora of well-known
drag queens
A drag queen is a person, usually male, who uses drag clothing and makeup to imitate and often exaggerate female gender signifiers and gender roles for entertainment purposes. Historically, drag queens have usually been gay men, and part of ...
, and showed Williams himself in full drag queen regalia. The video received mostly negative reception from critics.
Background
"She's Madonna" is a collaboration between Williams and
Pet Shop Boys
The Pet Shop Boys are an English synth-pop duo formed in London in 1981. Consisting of primary vocalist Neil Tennant and keyboardist Chris Lowe, they have sold more than 50 million records worldwide, and were listed as the most successful duo i ...
, and served as the fifth and final single from Williams' seventh studio album, ''
Rudebox
''Rudebox'' is the seventh studio album by English singer-songwriter Robbie Williams, released on 23 October 2006 in the United Kingdom. It features two guest appearances from the Pet Shop Boys. The album was produced by a variety of producer ...
'' (2006). By the time the single was supposed to be released, he had just come out from rehab following his addiction problems. "She's Madonna" was inspired by a conversation Williams had with his ex-girlfriend
Tania Strecker
Tania Strecker (born 26 June 1973) is a Danish-British model and television presenter in the United Kingdom.
Her break into TV began with Channel 4's '' Naked Elvis'', and she then co-hosted MTV's ''SELECT'' with Richard Blackwood. After severa ...
, who told the story of how her boyfriend, British 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 ...
, left her for American singer
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 ...
. Strecker quoted Ritchie as saying, "Look, you know I really love you, but she's Madonna."
Williams considered the song to be one of ''Rudebox''s lighter moments, clarifying that the track did not have a tongue in cheek connotation about it. Rather it literally spoke about his fantasies for Madonna and he was happy with the song's outcome.
According to
Contactmusic.com
Contactmusic.com is an online magazine of cultural criticism based in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, and ...
, Williams had played the song to Madonna shortly after writing it, receiving a positive reaction.
Composition
![Kraftwerk on stage](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/71/Kraftwerk_on_stage.jpg)
Musically, the song was inspired by
Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk (, "power station") is a German band formed in Düsseldorf in 1970 by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider. Widely considered innovators and pioneers of electronic music, Kraftwerk were among the first successful acts to popularize the ...
's 1983 single, "
Tour de France
The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage bicycle race primarily held in France, while also occasionally passing through nearby countries. Like the other Grand Tours (the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a España), it consists ...
". After playing the track, Williams asked Pet Shop Boys if they can include something inline in "She's Madonna", following which the latter song was composed.
The track starts with a "gurgling" electro backing over which Williams sings the lyrics, talking about his fascination with Madonna, "We're having drinks with
Kate Kate name may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Kate (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name or nickname
* Gyula Káté (born 1982), Hungarian amateur boxer
* Lauren Kate (born 1981), American autho ...
and
Stella,
Gwyneth
Gwyneth (sometimes Gweneth) is a Welsh feminine given name which derives from the kingdom of Gwynedd. Notable people:
* Gwyneth Boodoo, an American psychologist and expert on educational measurement
* Gwyneth Cravens, an American novelist and jou ...
's here and she's brought
her fella".
Michael Hubbard from
musicOMH
MusicOMH (stylized as musicOMH) is a London-based online music magazine which publishes independent reviews, features and interviews from across all genres including classical, metal, rock and R&B.
History
MusicOMH was founded and launched by ...
described the lyrics as a "wannabe anthem/love letter" to Madonna.
According to the sheet music of the song, it is composed in
common time
The time signature (also known as meter signature, metre signature, or measure signature) is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats (pulses) are contained in each measure (bar), and which note value ...
with a temp of 124
beats per minute
Beat, beats or beating may refer to:
Common uses
* Patrol, or beat, a group of personnel assigned to monitor a specific area
** Beat (police), the territory that a police officer patrols
** Gay beat, an area frequented by gay men
* Battery ( ...
. Williams' vocals range from C
4 to G
5 and the track has a s basic sequence of F–A–Gm
7–C as the
chord progression
In a musical composition, a chord progression or harmonic progression (informally chord changes, used as a plural) is a succession of chords. Chord progressions are the foundation of harmony in Western musical tradition from the common practice ...
. "She's Madonna" was the subject of a controversy after singer
Ashley Hamilton claimed that he came up with part of the song with Williams.
Critical reception
Upon its release in the United Kingdom on 5 March 2007,
"She's Madonna" received generally positive 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 ...
. Nick Levine from
Digital Spy
Digital Spy (DS) is a British-based entertainment, television and film website and brand and is the largest digital property at Hearst UK. Since its launch in 1999, Digital Spy has focused on entertainment news related to television programmes, ...
awarded it three out of five stars, noting that the track was a kind of "damage control" for Williams' fallen public image following his rehabilitation. "Who'd have guessed he'd sound so comfortable—his most convincing in years, actually—singing about one of the few people in the world who's more famous than him
adonna", Levine concluded.
Alexis Petridis
Alexis Petridis ( el, Αλέξης Πετρίδης; born 13 September 1971) is a British journalist, head rock and pop critic for the UK newspaper ''The Guardian'', as well as a regular contributor to the magazine '' GQ''. In addition to his mus ...
from ''
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 ...
'' described the track as a "brilliant, icy meditation on fame's corrupting power".
''
NME
''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...
''s Priya Elan listed "She's Madonna" as one of Williams' most "bonkers song ever", along with three other songs from ''Rudebox'': "The 80's", "The 90's" and "The Actor".
Hubbard explained that the Pet Shop Boys brought an "added spray of sheen to the glacially excellent" song, and working with them brought some "credibility" to it.
Julie Broadfoot from
BBC Music
BBC Music is responsible for the music played across the BBC. The current director of music is Bob Shennan, who is also the controller of BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 6 Music, and the BBC Asian Network.
Officially it is a part of the BBC's Radio o ...
described "She's Madonna" as a "weird but fun tune".
Lauren Murphy from
Entertainment
Entertainment is a form of activity that holds the attention and interest of an audience or gives pleasure and delight. It can be an idea or a task, but is more likely to be one of the activities or events that have developed over thousa ...
website noted that Pet Shop Boys' own musical influence was prevalent in the track, with its "sparse, spacey glow and not least on synth-laden tongue-in-cheek homage" of the song.
In an overall negative review for ''Rudebox'', Ed Power from ''
Hot Press
''Hot Press'' is a fortnightly music and politics magazine based in Dublin, Ireland, founded in June 1977. The magazine has been edited since its inception by Niall Stokes.
History
''Hot Press'' was founded in June 1977 by Niall Stokes, who co ...
'' magazine wrote that it was not until as the "album lurches towards its midpoint does some calm descend. 'She's Madonna', coasting on a glossy Pet Shop Boys production job, is a misty eyed ballad in the tradition of Williams' finest—i.e. slushiest—work".
The song received further negative feedback from David Hutchison of ''
Attitude
Attitude may refer to:
Philosophy and psychology
* Attitude (psychology), an individual's predisposed state of mind regarding a value
* Metaphysics of presence
* Propositional attitude, a relational mental state connecting a person to a pro ...
'' magazine, during a retrospective review for the album. He theorized that Williams' random choice of cover version of songs gave it a feeling of being an old
mixtape
A mixtape (alternatively mix-tape, mix tape or mixed tape) is a compilation of music, typically from multiple sources, recorded onto a medium. With origins in the 1980s, the term normally describes a homemade compilation of music onto a cassette ...
. This was vividly noticeable in the "outrageous break-up fantasy played out over icy synths and euphoric hand-claps" of "She's Madonna".
Chart performance
In the United Kingdom, "She's Madonna" debuted outside the top 10 of the
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
, at number 16. It was Williams' lowest-peaking single since "
Sin Sin Sin
"Sin Sin Sin" is a song by British singer Robbie Williams from his sixth studio album, ''Intensive Care'' (2005). It was released as the fourth and last single the album on 22 May 2006 by Chrysalis Records. The song was remixed for single rele ...
" (2006) peaked at number 22. "She's Madonna" quickly descended down the charts, being present only for three weeks in total.
It had a better chart placement in Scotland, where it entered the top 10 at number 9.
In Ireland it debuted at number 38 and was present only for one week on the chart.
Across Europe, the song had better chart placements, and reached the top five of the charts in Belgium (Flanders), Denmark, Germany, Italy, Netherlands and Spain, remaining on the charts for multiple weeks.
It received Gold certifications from Denmark and Germany, for shipment of 15,000 and 150,000 copies of the single, respectively.
Although the song was not released in the United States, promotional CDs were sent to DJs and hence it charted on ''
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 ...
''s
Dance Club Songs
Dance Club Songs is a chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine in the United States. It is a national look over of club disc jockeys to determine the most popular songs being played in nightclubs across the country. It was launched as t ...
, reaching a peak of number 12.
Music video
![Alexis Arquette 2009](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7f/Alexis_Arquette_2009.jpg)
The
music video
A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a m ...
features Williams as a professional
drag queen
A drag queen is a person, usually male, who uses drag clothing and makeup to imitate and often exaggerate female gender signifiers and gender roles for entertainment purposes. Historically, drag queens have usually been gay men, and part o ...
in full regalia, as well as performing with drag queens in a nightclub, dressed in a white jacket. His hairstyle and the wig was compared to those of
Lily Allen
Lily Rose Beatrice Allen (born 2 May 1985) is an English singer-songwriter and actress. She is the daughter of actor Keith Allen and film producer Alison Owen. Her music career began in 2005 when she made some of her vocal recordings publi ...
and
Uma Thurman
Uma Karuna Thurman (born April 29, 1970) is an American actress and former model. She has performed in a variety of films, from romantic comedies and dramas to science fiction and action films. Following her appearances on the December 1985 an ...
's wig in the film ''
Pulp Fiction
''Pulp Fiction'' is a 1994 American crime film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, who conceived it with Roger Avary.See, e.g., King (2002), pp. 185–7; ; Starring John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Bruce Willis, Tim Roth, Ving Rhame ...
'' (1994).
Alexis Arquette
Alexis Arquette (born Robert Arquette; July 28, 1969 – September 11, 2016) was an American actress.
Early life
Arquette was born in Los Angeles, the fourth of five children of Lewis Arquette, an actor and director, and Brenda Olivia "Mardi ...
appeared as one of the drag queens, along with ''
RuPaul's Drag Race
''RuPaul's Drag Race'' is an American reality competition television series, the first in the ''Drag Race'' franchise, produced by World of Wonder for Logo TV (season 1–8), WOW Presents Plus, VH1 (season 9–14) and, beginning with the f ...
'' contestant
Tammie Brown
Tammie Brown is the stage name of Keith Glen Schubert (born September 15, 1980), an American drag performer, reality television personality, and recording artist. Brown was a fixture in the Southern California drag scene before appearing on the ...
. The video was directed by
Johan Renck
Bo Johan Renck (born 5 December 1966) is a Swedish director of music videos, TV and film. He was originally a singer-songwriter from 1991 to 2001, using the moniker Stakka Bo, and had an international hit with his single " Here We Go" in 1993. Re ...
. Despite media speculation, Williams did not imitate Madonna in the video, nor did she appear in it.
Renck explained that the main inspiration behind the video was to portray the paranoia one faces onstage.
With a past as a musician, I remember sometimes feeling like the audience was against me while I was on stage ..Even if that wasn't noticeable in any way, I still felt as if they all disliked me, or at least, misunderstood me, deep inside. That paranoia was kind of firmly rooted inside of me—the fear of being the wrong artist in front of the wrong audience. Thus, the idea for 'She's Madonna' deals with that.
The video opens with an interview with Williams, where he is asked about his real persona and his stage one. Then it cuts to him dressing up in a suit and going onstage to sing the song in front of an audience of drag queens. Thomas Rogers from ''
Salon
Salon may refer to:
Common meanings
* Beauty salon, a venue for cosmetic treatments
* French term for a drawing room, an architectural space in a home
* Salon (gathering), a meeting for learning or enjoyment
Arts and entertainment
* Salon (P ...
'' criticized the video for portraying drag queens like "patients in a mental ward" as well as the interview sequence, which he felt equated drag queens as people with
multiple personality disorder
Dissociative identity disorder (DID), better known as multiple personality disorder or multiple personality syndrome, is a mental disorder characterized by the presence of at least two distinct and relatively enduring personality states.
The di ...
.
A writer for ''
Metro
Metro, short for metropolitan, may refer to:
Geography
* Metro (city), a city in Indonesia
* A metropolitan area, the populated region including and surrounding an urban center
Public transport
* Rapid transit, a passenger railway in an urba ...
'' questioned "Is Robbie trying to send us a message? Or has he just got extremely carried away playing dress up in his mother's wardrobe."
Track listings
* UK CD single
# "She's Madonna" – 4:16
# "Never Touch That Switch" (Switch Remix) – 5:06
* UK maxi-single
# "She's Madonna" – 4:16
# "She's Madonna" (Chris Lake Remix) – 7:58
# "She's Madonna" (Kris Menace Vocal Re-Interpretation) – 4:24
# "She's Madonna" (Kris Menace Dub) – 5:37
* UK DVD single
# "She's Madonna" (video)
# "Never Touch That Switch" (Nightmoves Remix audio) – 6:52
# "Never Touch That Switch" (Dark Horse Remix audio) – 4:33
Credits and personnel
Credits are adapted from the ''Rudebox'' album booklet.
Studios
* Recorded and mixed at
Sarm West (London, England)
* Mastered at
Metropolis Studios
Metropolis Studios is a music production and entertainment industry company established in 1989 by Gary Langan, Carey Taylor and Karin Clayton.Donald Brackett It is located in the Powerhouse, a Grade II listed building, at 70 Chiswick High Ro ...
(London, England)
Personnel
* Robbie Williams – writing, lead vocals
* Pet Shop Boys – production
** Neil Tennant – writing
** Chris Lowe – writing, programming
* Pete Gleadall – programming
* Tim Weidner – mixing, engineering
* Tony Cousins – mastering
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Certifications
References
{{Authority control
2007 singles
2006 songs
Chrysalis Records singles
Songs about cross-dressing
EMI Records singles
Musical tributes to Madonna
Music videos directed by Johan Renck
Pet Shop Boys songs
Robbie Williams songs
Songs written by Chris Lowe
Songs written by Neil Tennant
Songs written by Robbie Williams
Songs about musicians
Cultural depictions of Madonna
Songs about actors