***** Krik! Music Corner ****: This week's artist is....Madonna!

This week's artist is....Madonna!

By Krikor K.

Madonna (full name : Madonna Louise Ciccone Ritchie) was born on 16 August 1958 in Bay City of Michigan, USA. She's also known as "The Queen of Pop music", a nickname media had given to her! Apart from a singer, Madonna is also a songwriter, guitarist, dancer, record producer, film producer, actress, film director and author!
In 1982, Madonna started her career by signing a singles deal with Sire Records, a new wave label belonging to Warner Bros. Records. Her first release was "Everybody" on April 24, 1982. The song became an immediate success and was broadcast on radio throughout the summer of 1982. It peaked at #3 on the Billboard Hot Dance/Club Chart. Next was "Burning Up" in March 1983, also peaking at #3 on the U.S. dance charts. The results convinced Sire Records to finance an entire album by Madonna. On May 5, 1983 a double A-sided promotional 7" single for "Physical Attraction" was released to U.S. radio. Her debut album, Madonna, a collection of dance songs, was primarily produced by Reggie Lucas, who had also produced for several R&B singers including Stephanie Mills. Madonna felt Lucas would be the producer to get the best vocals from her as he had experience working with many established R&B singers. After finishing several songs, however, she was dissatisfied with the outcome. She felt her vocals were fine but was displeased with Lucas' music tracks. Madonna took the finished product to her then-boyfriend John "Jellybean" Benitez, who remixed and rearranged them. He also added a song ("Holiday"). The album peaked at number eight on the U.S. albums chart. Madonna's look and manner of dress, portrayed in photographs, live performances and music videos, became increasingly influential among young girls and women. Defined by lace tops, skirts over capri pants, fishnet stockings, jewelry bearing the Christian cross, and bleached hair, this distinctive style became an iconic female fashion trend in the 1980s. Her follow up album, Like a Virgin, became her first number one album on the U.S. albums chart, buoyed by the success of its title track, "Like a Virgin", which reached number one in the U.S. with a six week stay at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart. Other hits included "Material Girl" (U.S. #2), Angel" (U.S. #5) and "Dress You Up" (U.S. #5). The album sold eight million copies in the US and another four million worldwide at its time of release. She performed the title song at the first MTV Video Music Awards, during which she writhed on the stage, on top of a wedding cake, wearing a combination bustier/wedding gown, lacy stockings, garters, and her then-trademark "Boy Toy" belt.
In July 1985, Penthouse and Playboy magazines published a number of black and white nude photos of Madonna taken in the late 1970s. The publications caused public controversy. Madonna took legal action to try and block them from being published, but when that failed she became unapologetic and defiant. Speaking to a global audience at the outdoor Live Aid charity concert at the height of the controversy, Madonna made a critical reference to the media and stated she would not take her jacket off, despite the heat, because "they might hold it against me ten years from now". Also, in 1985, her first film A Certain Sacrifice, a low-budget film which was filmed in 1979, was released on video to capitalize on her fame. She appears nude in the film. Madonna's 1986 album "True Blue" included many No1 hits like "La isla bonita", "Live to tell", "Papa don't preach", "Open your heart" and "True Blue". In 1987 she starred in the film "Who's that girl" with Griffin Dunne. In 1989 she released the album "Like a Prayer". "Like a Prayer" garnered Madonna the strongest reviews of her career and attracted a more mature audience. Inside "Like a Prayer" was incuding also the worldwide hit of her named "Express Yourself" which managedcto reach No2 of the 1989 Billboard Top 100 Hits chart and it also went No1 in many countries like Italy, Switzerland etc.
In early 1989, Madonna signed an endorsement deal with soft drink manufacturer Pepsi. She appeared and debuted her new song, “Like a Prayer,” in a Pepsi commercial and also made a separate music video which was not related to Pepsi. Although the commercial itself was not controversial, the video for “Like a Prayer” caused an uproar. The video premiered on MTV and featured many Catholic symbols, such as stigmata and burning crosses. It depicted a black man who comes to the aid of a white woman being murdered by white men but the black man is arrested for the crime. Madonna, who has witnessed the crime, secures his release. Since the commercial and music video were nearly identical in visual terms, Pepsi was unable to convince the public that their commercial actually had nothing that could be deemed inappropriate. Pepsi revoked the commercial and allowed Madonna to keep her five million dollar fee, as the contract was nullified.
In 1990 she released her 8th No1 music anthem "Vogue"! In 1996, after releasing some albums, she played the role of "Eva Peron" in the movie "Evita". The film's soundtrack became her twelfth platinum album and produced two successful singles, “Don't Cry for Me Argentina” - her version hit #8 in the U.S. In 1998 she released "Ray of light" which included the No1 hit "Frozen". In 2000 "Music" album continued the electronica theme of "Ray of light". In 2002 she made the soundtrack for the "James Bond : Die another day" movie! "American Life" was released on 2003. At the same year Madonna sang with Britney Spears the song "Me against the music". Her 10th studio album was released on 2005 under the title "Confessions on a dance floor" with huge success. Due to its success Madonna made a worldwide tour with the title "The Confessions Tour". Songs like "Hung up", "Sorry", "Jump" and "Get together" reached the No1 of the charts! On May 16, 2007, Madonna released the download-only song "Hey You", in anticipation of Live Earth, which was free for its first week. Madonna performed "Hey You" amongst other songs at the London concert of Live Earth at Wembley Stadium on July 7, 2007. During most of 2007, Madonna recorded her eleventh studio album, Hard Candy, which contains collaborations with Justin Timberlake, Timbaland, Pharrell Williams and Danja. It is due to be released on April 28, 2008 in Europe and April 29 in North America. The first single from the album is "4 Minutes," featuring Justin Timberlake & Timbaland; co-produced by Timbaland and Danja.
On August 11, 2000, Madonna gave birth to a son, Rocco John Ritchie in Los Angeles, California, with Guy Ritchie, whom she had met in 1999 through mutual friends Sting and his wife, Trudie Styler. On December 22, 2000, Madonna and Ritchie were married in Scotland. As of 2008, Madonna resides in Marylebone, London and her country estate in Wiltshire, with Ritchie and their 3 children.

DISCOGRAPHY.-

Madonna's albums discography - visit here

Madonna's singles discography - visit here

VIDEOS

The Pepsi commercial