I have also seen some fans cite "Batuka" as their favorite Madame X song, and that I definitely do not agree with. I am not even sure what the title means or what it has to do with the lyrics of the song except for the fact that the song features the The Batukadeiras Orchestra of Portugal. (Madonna lived in Portgual for a while prior to her work on Madame X, which is likely one of the primary reasons why there is so much Latin style on the album.) The song begins on a beat that reminds me a lot of the opening of her Rebel Heart song "Veni Vidi Vici," and the song is punctuated by what sounds like a tribal drum. Madonna's parts (which are more chanted than they are sung) are echoed by the aforementioned choir. Even though, as just stated, Madonna's parts are not even truly sung (they are more so chanted), she still has her voice heavily filtered electronically, and too much vocal manipulation is actually one of the primary complaints that I have regarding the album overall. I totally understand that electronic music often uses autotuning and vocoder for a certain effect, but it's far too heavy handed on a lot of Madame X and rarely seems to serve much purpose (as is the case on "Batuka"). Another issue that I have with "Batuka" is that it's redundant. The chorus of the song is simply as follows: "'Cause it's a long way ('cause it's a long way). It's a long way (it's a long way). 'Cause it's a long day ('cause it's a long day). It's a long day (it's a long day)." Repetition sometimes works in a song's favor (the chorus of MARINA's song "Forget" is, in my humble opinion, a perfect example), but it really doesn't here, especially because the choir echoing everything that Madonna says gets a bit annoying after a while. The only thing that I do appreciate about the song is that like many of the songs on the album, it features a strong sociopolitical stance such as when it asserts, "...so don't judge a human (don't judge a human) 'til you're in their shoes ('til you're in their shoes)..." "Killers Who Are Partying" is a highlight for me. It features a Latin-influenced instrumental with a mellow beat with Madonna giving examples of people who are oppressed around the world: "I will be gay if the gay are burned... I'll be Islam if Islam is hated... I'll be a woman if she's raped and her heart is breaking." I find these lyrics interesting because she already is some of these things (such as a woman), but regardless, it carries a powerful message of empathy and being there for others who are in pain. It reminds me of this classic quote.
"Crazy" is another Madame X song that I really like, definitely serving as a highlight for me. It features a steady waltzy rhythm that reminds me a bit of Avril Lavigne's song "Tell Me It's Over," which is one of the main reasons why I love it. I also love it because of its catchy and playful tone and melody. Unlike many of the other songs on Madame X, "Crazy" isn't really political in any way, instead seeming to primarily address an ex (or possibly current) lover: "I spent all night waitin' up. It's gon' be the last night I wait up for you." The song seems to overall be telling a lover that she isn't going to change for them, that what they see is what they get and that they can pack their bags if she is too much for them. What I especially love about "Crazy" is its reference to Madonna's classic song "Like a Prayer" when Madonna sings that "I bent my knees for you like a prayer." "Come Alive" is catchy and sounds to me like it could easily belong on her 2012 album MDNA. I love the jovial melody and its positive message of wanting peace and for the world to reach its potential. "Extreme Occident" might be my favorite song from Madame X, although it might be closely tied with "Looking for Mercy" and "Dark Ballet." "Extreme Occident" is actually the song that was used in the album trailer (which was titled "Welcome to the World of Madame X"), which kind of makes sense because the song is about the cyclical nature of traveling to find one's identity ("I came from the midwest. Then I went to the far east. I tried to discover my own identity."), and similar to MARINA's Electra Heart persona (which I honestly think was constructed much more efficiently), Madame X is a fantastical character whose many titles (such as professor, head of state, housekeeper, equestrian, prisoner, student, teacher, etc.) are metaphors for the many facets of Madonna's own identity. I love the beautiful and mournful melody of this song and the soft pizzicato and piano. The song also brings in tribal drums a little bit less than halfway through which is an interesting and unexpected turn (something of which Madame X offers a lot). As I said, it might just be my favorite song on the album, which is kind of funny because it moves into "Faz Gostoso" (a collaboration with Anitta) and "Bitch I'm Loca" (like "Medellín" and his own song "Soltera," a collaboration with Maluma) - my least two favorite songs on the album.
"Faz Gostoso" is an upbeat pop song that is mostly in Portuguese (which could admittedly be one reason why I don't much like it) and is technically a cover of a popular Portuguese song of the same title. I will admit that it features a catchy melody and kind of sounds a little bit like something that Gwen Stefani might do, but I just can't click with it, which is probably, as I said, primarily because I don't speak Portuguese (and most of the song is in Portuguese). I believe that the title translates roughly to "Does It Good" (but if, like me, you don't understand the language and really want to invest some time in learning what it is saying in English, you can look here on Genius for the English translation). "Bitch I'm Loca" (which, of course, means "Bitch I'm Crazy," and that I already knew) has an upbeat reggae-like rhythm (reminding me a bit of her Rebel Heart song "Unapologetic Bitch"). Although, once again, I don't understand most of the lyrics, I did run the lyrics through Google Translate (since Genius, for some reason, doesn't provide any translations for this song), and many of the lyrics are sexual, which isn't at all a surprise. The second verse, for example, translates approximately to, "I want to be your bitch, also your baby. Then, do not complain when that little girl bites. I like to be on top, see how you get turned on. Then, do not complain when you bite that mouth (hey, hey, hey, hey)." Although, as I said, I don't much care for the song, I do kind of appreciate the frisky spoken part between Madonna and Maluma at the end of the song. Madonna says, "So nice to meet you, Mr. Safe." Maluma returns the greeting with, "So nice to meet you, Mrs. Crazy. Where do you want me to put this?" Madonna responds by saying, "Um, you can put it inside." Leave it to Madge. I am by no means a white supremacist or ethnocentric or anything even remotely similar, so I do appreciate the fact that Madonna is (and honestly always has) representing languages and cultures other than my own, but it does unfortunately create a disconnect when I can't really relate to the song because I can't understand most of it. Even looking translations up doesn't completely open that barrier.
Madame X then offers up "I Don't Search I Find," interesting because it definitely brings me back to the Madonna of the early '90s - sounding reminiscent of tracks such as "Vogue" and "Deeper and Deeper." (I have, in fact, seen other fans say that it reminds them of her 1992 album Erotica, and I agree 100%.) It reminds me especially of "Vogue" because of its strings accompaniment which power a disco-infused '90s dance beat. It lyrically reminds me a bit of her Rebel Heart song "Veni Vidi Vici" as it seems to feature a similar theme of self-confidence and assertion, but as is the case with a handful of Madame X songs, there really aren't many lyrics featured in the song, as a lot of the song is just lyrics repeated. "Looking for Mercy" is another highlight on the album for me not only because I love its low synths (which remind me of Rebel Heart's song "Inside Out") but also because I relate to its message of feeling like you're constantly hitting roadblocks and just wanting to catch a break: "Teach me to forgive myself, outlive this hell." I am also reminded a bit of the Rebel Heart song "Joan of Arc" because both songs speak of trying to (or at least wanting to) appear stronger than you really are. In "Joan of Arc," Madonna sings, "I can't be a superhero right now. Even hearts made out of steel can break down. I'm not Joan of Arc, not yet. I'm only human." Here in "Looking for Mercy," she sings, "On the outside, I'm strong." I love the song's combination of the aforementioned synths, the strings, and the choir; it's such a beautiful song, and it's criminal that it's not on the standard edition of the album (only the deluxe), especially since I think that it would make a much better closing track than "I Rise" does, which closes the standard edition and the digital deluxe versions of the album. The two-disc hardcover CD release features three bonus tracks on a separate disc (which is kind of silly because they could have fit on the same CD) - "Funana" (a fun and upbeat electropop song which mentions several deceased musicians such as Aretha, Avicii, Bowie, Elvis, Whitney, etc., another song that should not have been relegated to a deluxe version as it is one of the album's best), "Back That Up to the Beat" (a reworking of an unreleased but leaked demo from the Rebel Heart sessions which I much prefer), and "Ciao Bella" (honestly a pretty forgettable electronic dance track, although it's very reminiscent of Music, which makes sense given Mirwais's involvement).
Madame X is undoubtedly Madonna's most political album to date, tackling issues such as racism, ethnocentrism, violence in schools, gun control, homophobia, Trump's policies, etc. Although I very much prefer the last album Rebel Heart, one thing that I will give Madame X is that it's more tightly focused. Even though Rebel Heart has some of Madonna's best songs of her career ("Living for Love," "Ghosttown," "Inside Out," "Messiah," "Addicted," etc.), it is all over the place both stylistically and thematically, but Madame X definitely offers a tighter sound and narrative. It's also a lot more experimental than anything that she has done in a while. A lot of fans have been critical of how Madonna is more so following trends rather than starting them nowadays, and while there are a couple of songs on Madame X (especially "Crave" - even though I love it) that sound rather generic, the album overall isn't continuing that pattern. Most of Madame X doesn't seem interested in radioplay, as songs like "Dark Ballet" (which should have been closer to the end of the album if not at the very end) and "God Control," for example, sound nothing like top 40 pop radio today. I am not usually a fan of pop musicians collaborating with rappers (Nas, for example, ruined "Veni Vidi Vici" in my opinion), but I actually enjoy most of the collaborations on Madame X, especially the one on "Crave," as the song wouldn't even remotely be the same or as good without Swae Lee's gentle and soulful cooing. Even the lead single "Medellín" (about which I felt kind of indifferent upon its initial release) has grown on me, and I now love it. Madame X is, however, certainly not my favorite Madonna album and isn't even in my top five. For starters, as I already discussed, there is a disconnect for me personally because of the language barrier and there being so many songs in Spanish and Portuguese. I also, as briefly discussed before, don't feel that the album's intended theme of partitioned identities via the character of Madame X is conveyed very well. "Killers Who Are Partying" and "Extreme Occident" are the only two songs that really express it, and it's rather weak even then. (As advertised before, if you're looking for a pop album that does an excellent job of storytelling through an alter ego, look no further beyond MARINA's 2012 album Electra Heart.) There is also, as mentoned, way too much vocal manipulation on the album. All in all, however, I am definitely more satisfied with Madame X than I had expected to be.
