The album opens with "Living for Love," a feel-good anthem about moving past heartbreak and still having faith in love. The very beginning of the song is reminiscent of 2005's Confessions on a Dance Floor, but with piano, gospel choir, and a '90s sound to it, the song, as a whole, sounds very much like a modernized version of something that might be found on 1989's Like a Prayer. Co-written with several people such as Alicia Keys, it reportedly features backing vocals by Annie. I didn't think much of the song when I first heard it, but it quickly grew on me, although it's still not one of my favorites. The second track is "Devil Pray," and if I had to compare this song to a past era, I think that I would most closely associate it with 2003's American Life. The song blends electropop with acoustic rock, the perfect way to describe American Life as a whole. The song features several references to alcohol and drug use, and Madonna has stated that the song is a commentary on people who use drugs to not only feel physically high but also to feel spiritually high, feeling like drugs make them closer to God. The song features warped, deeply pitched vocals that stand alone and also lie underneath some of Madonna's vocals, presumably intended to be the voice of the devil. "Ghosttown" is the third track and is probably my favorite of the six songs released. It starts off reminding me very much of "Teen Idle" by Marina and the Diamonds but becomes an epic power ballad about two people surviving some sort of catastrophe and being there for each other.
The fourth track is "Unapologetic Bitch," a breakup song about someone who has simply had enough of whatever problems the ex-partner caused. There is definitely a great deal of bitterness in the song, and it is certainly unapologetically bitchy, with lyrics such as, "...you never really knew how much your selfish bullshit cost me; oh, fuck you" and "When we did it, I'll admit it, wasn't satisfied." The chorus breaks away from the song's overall reggae sound as it ends with an electronic break. The song definitely breaks new boundaries, functioning as a ska, electro-reggae track. The fifth track is "Illuminati," a party song that blends rap and dance-pop and offers a sort of parodic commentary on the popular (but rather ridiculous) Illuminati Conspiracy Theory, associated closely with Madonna. The song mentions various famous people (especially those who tend to generate controversy), such as Gaga, Beyoncé, Bill Clinton, Obama, Nicki Minaj, the Pope, Bill Gates, Justin Bieber, etc. The sixth track is "Bitch I'm Madonna," which features Nicki Minaj and is probably the oddest (if that is the right word for Madge) song of the six released. It is simply a feel-good song declaring the aspects of her identity that make her young at heart, playful, etc. I really love the electronic (almost dubstep) breaks throughout the song, even the odd closing break that sounds sort of like a dog barking. I admit, however, that I prefer the demo version because I don't think that Minaj's rap verse really works in the song. She is perfect on 2012's MDNA's "I Don't Give A" but not so much here.
Overall, what we have heard so far of Rebel Heart sounds very groundbreaking and ambitious. It is more artpop than Artpop is (and I honestly mean that primarily as a joke, not as an insult to Gaga, because I am actually a devoted monster as well as a Madge fan), and I am definitely liking what I am hearing so far. Even just in the six tracks currently available officially, we really don't have much of a central sound like we normally do. Normally, each Madonna album (especially from Erotica on) has its own central sound, and if you were to hear an unreleased demo, not knowing beforehand what era that it's from, you could probably make an accurate guess. Rebel Heart, however, seems to be very eclectic, with rap, reggae, piano ballads, acoustic rock, club anthems, etc. I really like that it is eclectic, though; I think that it accomplishes two feats. (a) It shows that Madonna isn't necessarily going with what's most popular currently. She is doing her own original thing. 2008's Hard Candy is a blend of sugary bubblegum pop, hip-hop, and R&B, arguably what was most popular in 2008, and 2012's MDNA included a lot of dubstep influence (especially on the track "Gang Bang"), which was very popular in 2012. (b) It is kind of reflective of her career overall, which reminds me of Avril Lavigne's most recent album, which is definitely a blending of her preceding four albums. I just hope that Rebel Heart isn't Madge's farewell album. Many of the demos that have not been officially released yet (and, of course, might not be), such as the title track, "Wash All Over Me," and "Joan of Arc" sound a lot like farewell songs. Let's hope that the Queen of Pop will be bringing us musical pleasure for many years to come!
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