Why Madonna doesn't give a...

After nearly 30 years of making music, no one has come close to matching the impact of Madonna. She is truly peerless, ever-evolving and experimenting with sounds that continually set the pace for global popular music. Madonna’s unwavering commitment to her craft has translated into sales of over 200 million albums worldwide, not to mention record-breaking tours that raise the bar for creativity.

Madonna’s new album, I Don’t Give A…(check out what the selections are in the ad on this page) is destined to equal, if not surpass, her unmatched record.

To give Madonna fans a chance to know more about the album, MCA Music, Inc. furnished Funfare a copy of an exclusive interview with Madonna by Larry Flick, veteran Billboard editor/pop culture commentator.

Excerpts:

Larry: Trust me on this one. Listening to these songs, I went from slouching in my chair to sitting up, very erect, going, “Oh my God.” The first thing I am wondering is, what did you want to say with this record? It feels like there are a few very distinct messages, but I want to ask you where you were coming from before I start to interpret?

Madonna: Well, I had just finished making a film, which used a very different creative capacity. It was a very fulfilling experience, but at the same time, it was extremely draining. You live mostly in your head as a director, and you have all kinds of ideas, which one does when they are writing songs or putting a show together. But you don’t get to physically act them out in any way. Writing a song, or singing a song, or performing a song is so visceral in comparison. 

I felt understood that completely after several years of writing a script, and then putting it together, and then casting, location scouting — and then actually filming. Then came the boring, sort of tedious job of sitting in the dark editing suite with my trusty editor Danny Toll and putting the movie together. Then having the endless comments from the endless distributors. Having endless screenings, and not ever having that gratification that you feel when you write a song and you hear it in a room. You see the effect that it has on people. Or you sing a song in front of an audience, and you get an immediate charge response or no response. But you understand whether you are connecting to people or not.

For me, where I was coming from with this album mostly was, I felt like a caged animal. While I enjoyed the expression of filmmaking — and I am really proud of my film — I felt like I really wanted to get back to the basics of chugging my guitar and the simplicity of raw emotions…

Larry: And so making music puts you right back in the zone where a person who likes to be in charge of her destiny feels good?

Madonna: You know, I hate to use the word “control” so much, because people use and bandy that word about with me, when it comes to my creative life. Everyone says, “Oh you’re a control freak and you like to be in control.” The thing is, everything I do — even my song writing — I’m collaborating at all times. I value input from people, and I want it. I can’t work on my own... It’s collaborative. I am not totally in charge, but it’s more direct and it’s more simplistic.

Larry: Let’s talk about the song I Don’t Give A...

Madonna (Laughs): You’re focusing on my angry songs... I’m sure you can relate to them. I’m hoping everyone can relate to these songs.

Larry: This might have the most heartbreaking passage... “I tried to be a good girl, I tried to be a wife, diminished myself, and I swallowed my light.” I lived that. I was in a relationship with a man I adored so that I found myself saying, “I don’t know who I am anymore. All I want to be is with you.”

Madonna: Or all I want to be is I think you want me to be.

Larry: That’s an interesting lyric for you to write.

Madonna: Well, yeah, I wrote it! (Laughs)

Larry: As you’re writing songs all these years down the line —obviously some are about your journey, some is about what you observe — is there ever a time when you’re frustrated by not having all the answers? After all, we strive for answers and clarity.

Madonna: The journey is to get close to the answer. The education that you have is your journey. You push yourself down this road, trying to get to the heart of things; trying to understand the nature of things. While you’re striving to find that intangible, seemingly “un-havable” thing, the answer to “what is the meaning of life?” or “what is the meaning of love and happiness?” and “why are we here?” — while you’re trying to figure that out, you’re getting a hell of an education. You’re learning how to be a human being. Sometimes, you have to say, “I don’t have all the answers, but I know that I’m evolving. I know that I’m learning and growing.” That’s all you can hope for.

Larry: How do you manage to observe the world, when you’re so observed, yourself? You once told me that you get your ultimate inspiration from humanity.

Madonna: Right. I can always observe... I can observe personalities. People talking and people arguing and disagreeing. I can see this person’s not getting his point across, or this person’s frustrated. There are a million opportunities in being a mother and having children. I have a million opportunities in a creative collaboration. There are observations of how people are working with one another. When I’m rehearsing. When I’m working with musicians. When I’m working with dancers. When I’m seeing the synergy or the connectivity or the chemistry that’s created by people. And the magic of art. It’s true that I can’t go out on the street the way I would if I was an anonymous person, but I have so many situations in my life where I’m allowed to do that.

Larry: There’s still a lot of romance in your spirit about music, isn’t there?

Madonna: Of course! How could there not be? How could you be a songwriter and not be romantic?

Larry: Do you think you’re still fighting to be heard properly after all of these years?

Madonna: I think I still have a lot to say, yes. I still get pissed off about things. And I still believe in love.

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