Madame X is a Masterpiece

Madame X, Madonna's 14th studio album, is a record that gave the middle finger to the haters calling on her to retire because she is "too old" and irrelevant.  The boldness and innovation of the Madame X project, lyrically, musically and visually, proves that she still has a lot to say and is in no way ready to surrender her crown.  It is a commentary on the state of the world right now and touches on ongoing themes of love and longing, religion and sex.  It combines contemporary pop with Latin and trap music and Fado influences and is her most linguistically diverse album, with songs in Spanish and Portuguese.  Her vision for the album, and its diverse influences, was spectacularly translated to the stage for the Madame X Tour.

She received much criticism (which seems like the default response whenever she does anything these days) when she announced a different format for the tour, opting for back to back performances at more intimate theatres around the country and Europe (an incredible total of 92 shows!).  Fans had to register for tickets, selecting which dates and price points they would prefer, and tickets were then delivered to verified fans (I'm still not quite sure of how the process worked - all I know is that I was ecstatic when I saw the ticket confirmation in my inbox).

I attended the third show of the tour at the BAM Opera House in Brooklyn which was buzzing with a palpable excitement.  There was a strict no phone policy in effect; upon entry phones had to be secured in a special pouch, rendering them unusable for the duration of the show.  Personally, I applaud this policy and wish more artists would follow suit so that audience members can "live in the moment" instead of spending the show glued to their Insta feed (and/or blocking the view of those behind them).  I saw people talking - actually having conversations - with people around them and it really did enhance the whole experience.

I also read some criticism of the setlist which included disappointment about the noticeable absence of some "classic hits".  Um, it's the Madame X Tour, not a greatest hits tour.  Madame X is a work of art so I would have been perfectly content for her to perform every track from start to end (including the bonus tracks!).  With an artist whose discography spans 4 decades, it's highly unlikely that every fan's top song(s) will make it onto the setlist.

The show itself was nothing short of phenomenal, a theatrical masterpiece, and it is impossible for me to choose my favourite parts, although some stand-out moments were:  the entire Fado Club scene (featuring my favourite Madonna look of the night, namely a brunette wig and sparkly chiffon ensemble, as well as projections of Maluma for Medellín), the projection of Lourdes dancing to Frozen, while a dimly illuminated Madonna sang alone stage (beyond moving) and the robed choir of Like a Prayer (my favourite Madonna song of all time).  It was also amazing to hear American Life live for the first time.

It was surreal to be so close to the stage, and my heart might have stopped for a few seconds when she came into the aisle during Medellín, just a few metres from me!  On stage, she seemed relaxed and happy and interacted a lot with the audience between songs.

The complete setlist was as follows:

Act I
God Control
Dark Ballet
Human Nature
Express Yourself (Acapella)
Papa Don’t Preach (string version)
Act II
Vogue
I Don’t Search I Find
Papa Don’t Preach / American Life
Act III
Batuka
Fado Pechincha (Isabel De Oliveira cover)
Killers Who Are Partying
Crazy
Welcome to My Fado Club / La Isla Bonita
Sodade (Cesária Évora cover)
Medellín
Extreme Occident
Act IV
Frozen
Come Alive
Future
Crave (Tracy Young Remix)
Like a Prayer

Encore:
I Rise