Madonna Can’t Stop Talking About Madonna on MDNA [Madonna]

On her 12th studio album, MDNA (out this week), Madonna sometimes talks about her life with Guy Ritchie (“Would you have married me if I were poor?”). But her self-fixation, the album’s real theme, is generally career-focused. You hear it in the way the way that certain songs echo her past work — “I’m a Sinner” breaks with a guitar solo a la “Ray of Light” and sports the plastic psychedelia of “Beautiful Stranger,” while the chord progression of “Beautiful Killer” is similar to that of “Die Another Day.” There are overt references, too – “Like a Virgin,” “Into the Groove” and “Lucky Star” are name checked. The album opens with, “Oh my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended thee and I detest all my sins…” which she previously said in Like a Prayer’s “Act of Contrition.” More »