American Life
Encyclopedia
American Life is the ninth studio album
by American
singer-songwriter Madonna
. It was released on April 22, 2003 by Maverick Records
and distributed by Warner Bros. Records
. The album produced in its entirety by Madonna and Mirwais Ahmadzaï
featured references to many parts of American culture. The album is considered a concept album
, with recurring themes of "American Dream
" and "materialism
". Furthermore, the themes reject the reputation Madonna held in the 1980s with her worldwide hit "Material Girl
". Essentially composed of pop, electronica, rock and dance-pop music, critics also noted influences of acoustic music
on tracks such as "X-Static Process" and "Intervention". The album also featured her 2002 James Bond
theme "Die Another Day
" from the film of the same name.
In the United States and in the United Kingdom the album debuted at number one. It was nominated for two Grammys
at the 46th Grammy Awards. The record was the world's 32nd-best-selling album in 2003. The Recording Industry Association of America
(RIAA) and British Phonographic Industry
(BPI) both certified it platinum
in recognition of one million shipments in the US, and three hundred thousand shipments in the UK, respectively. It is the second Madonna Album to have a Parental Advisory
sticker, after Erotica. Generally critic opinion was mixed with responses noting the "warmer sounds" as well as several critics noting the "innovation" at a time of R&B dominance, but general responses calling the record uninspired and uninteresting.
Four singles were released from the album. The first, the title track
was released to a mixed critical reception with Blender
naming it as the ninth worst song of all time. A controversial music video was pulled after scenes of war and violence were criticized which led to an edited version being released, charting at number 37 in the US elsewhere it entered the top ten in most countries placing at number two in the UK. The second "Hollywood" became her first to miss out on the Billboard Hot 100
. A music video directed by Jean-Baptiste Mondino
was subject of a lawsuit for plagiarism from French fashion photographer Guy Bourdin. The third "Nothing Fails
" featured a lack of promotion resulting in a poor commercial performance, topping the charts in Spain, it once again missed out on the Billboard Hot 100
. The final "Love Profusion
" featured a music video directed by Luc Besson
but once again failed commercially charting poorly in most countries whilst once again topping the Spanish Singles Chart.
Promotion for the album took place in a small promotional tour between April and May 2003 before she ventured upon her sixth concert tour, the Re-Invention World Tour. The tour was divided into five segments: French Baroque-Marie Antoinette Revival, Military-Army, Circus-Cabaret, Acoustic and Scottish-Tribal, gaining positive responses controversy arose over a statement by recording artist Elton John
after he stated she was lip-synching. The tour was chronicled in a documentary titled I'm Going to Tell You a Secret
. A CD+DVD was also released along with the film. At the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards
Madonna performed alongside artists; Britney Spears
, Christina Aguilera
and Missy Elliot in a medley of, "Like a Virgin
" and "Hollywood" and engaged in open-mouth kissing with Aguilera and Spears gaining great controversy and publicity.
, and marked the end of an eleven-year recording history with the label. In an interview with VH1
Madonna discussed her motivations behind the record discussing her 20 years in the industry and stating that "material things" were unimportant and she also stated, "I look back at the 20 years behind me and I realized that a lot of things that I'd valued weren't important" in response to the non-materialistic themes of the record. The album is Madonna's second album to bear a "Parental Advisory
" label, due the strong profanity
used in the title song. The only other albums to do so being 1992's Erotica (due the sexually explicit content), and 2007's The Confessions Tour (due live performances of "Live to Tell
"). On December 9, 2003, Warner Music France released a box set version containing both the album and the remix collection Remixed & Revisited
in a cardboard sleeve entitled Édition Spéciale 2CDs: American Life + Remixed & Revisited. To counter illegal Internet downloads of the album's songs both before and after the album's release, Madonna's associates created a number of false song files of similar length and size. Some of these files delivered a brief message from Madonna saying "What the fuck do you think you're doing?" followed by minutes of silence. Madonna's website hacker add a message appearing on the Main Page, saying "This is what the fuck I think I'm doing..." followed by download links for each of the album's songs. The website was closed after the attack for about 15 hours.
The album has been deemed by some as a concept album
featuring political themes based around the United States. Whilst talking to MTV she discussed the political themes within the record saying; "I feel like America has changed over the years and that a lot of our values seem to be materially oriented and so superficial. And we all seem to be obsessed with fame just for the sake of fame, no matter what — sell your soul to the devil if that's what it takes. And we're also completely obsessed with the way we look. And I bought into a lot of that, so a lot of the record, especially the first three songs are just like, "What was I thinking?"". After being asked by John Norris of MTV he discussed the first three tracks as a trilogy discussing things she wishes to put behind her, in response Madonna stated "I think they're an extension of "American Life." They're examining things I valued and things I found myself worrying about, caring too much about, and realizing that those things aren't important and wanting to get out from underneath that cloud, the world of illusion." Madonna discussed the materialistic themes of the record and her personal encounters which have led to the composition with MTV
saying:
. Both had previously collaborated on Madonna's studio album Music
, Madonna discussed Ahmadzaï's influence and production style saying "Mirwais is a very unique individual. His influence on me obviously was very big, he's a great musician and great guitar player. He can also program syntheshizers and create the most amazing futuristic sounds on the computer. He's a sort of genius, experimenting and I'm lucky to be there." Madonna started recording the album in late 2001, after filming the movie Swept Away
. The album was written and recorded over one and a half years, becoming her longest production on a studio album. Recording of the album was finished in London
and Los Angeles
in late 2002. Madonna discussed the recording of the title track stating that the producer Mirwais had encouraged her to rap spontaneously and that the rap sequence featured in the title track was composed using the materialistic objects that she herself had been using. Rooksby author of the Complete Guide to the Music of Madonna stated that a recurring theme of the record production was the dry and blunt lyrics, in an interview with Q
Madonna said, "I've had twenty years of fame and fortune, and I feel that I have the right to an opinion on what is said, and what isn't".
During the time of the production Madonna learned to play the guitar and she stated, "Now that I've learned to play the guitar I don't always depend on the help of other people." In an interview with Q Magazine Madonna discussed the relationship she developed during the production of the album with executive producer Ahmadzaï discussing intimidation being a possible factor due to her "iconic" status, she stated "I don’t say to anyone, Are you intimidated by me? [...] Obviously, if you feel comfortable with me I can feel it. We can have a chat and a laugh, but I’ve never sat down with someone I wanted to work with and not got along with them. William Orbit was very nervous when I met him, dropping things all over the place, but I found that really endearing. I don’t dwell on it."
French design team M/M Paris (Michael Amzalag and Mathias Augustyniak) were responsible for the artwork of American Life. The duo are best known for their collaborations with musicians. One of the first rumored titles of the album was Ein Sof, which Madonna had mentioned in an interview with Larry King
in October 2002, during the promotion for Swept Away. In mid-January 2003, in Los Angeles, the photo shoot for the album was done by photographer Craig McDean
. McDean had already worked with Madonna for the portfolio for Vanity Fair
magazine in October 2002; this work had a military theme, with Madonna posing in dark greens and blacks, combat boots, and holding guns. Her hair was dyed dark brown, and on the cover of the album, Madonna is wearing a beret and is almost a copy of the famous image of Che Guevara
. In an interview to the Italian version of TV show Top of the Pops
she said that the choice to emulate Che's image was because she likes what he represents and was feeling revolutionary when she wrote the album. Also, a cause of the paramilitary theme, the dyed hair and the artistic composition, was compared with Patty Hearst
.
"American Life" features violent transitions, the repeated acoustic guitar riff "adds a touch of pathos" until after three minutes Madonna performs a rap naming the people whom are working for her. The second single and track "Hollywood" is introduced with sounds of tweeting birds before an acoustic guitar starts a four chord sequence that has been compared of that of the band Red Hot Chilli Peppers. The texture grows as drums and synths until after a minute the instrumental is pulled leaving just Madonna's vocals and the acoustic guitar accompaniment. The final sequence is another rap part, as is featured in the first song with the repeated phrase "Push the button". Lyrically like the first track it discusses American culture and greed focusing on Hollywood as a place of stars and illusory dreams. "I'm So Stupid" is the third track on the record, an introduction with a two-chord electric guitar leads to a minor drum beat, with the guitar later changing to a three-chord chord. The chord scheme throughout is generally minor. At the 2:15 mark different pitched synths change manically, the synths are treated with effects but towards the end the synths become less prominent as the guitars become the main focus. Lyrically the song expresses disillusionment with Madonna singing "I used to live in a fuzzy dream" and "It was just greed", also proclaiming that once she was "stupider than stupid" before stating "Everybody's stupid" towards the end of the song. Track four "Love Profusion
" starts with another acoustic guitar introduction, rhythm is produced by a bass drum with synth-strings added later in the song. Vocally the line "I got you under my skin" is repeated, whilst a male voice acts as the backing for the track whilst the final words "feel good" are performed with no backing instrumental.
"Nobody Knows Me" is the fifth track, featuring vocoder treated vocals the song is accompanied by bleeping synths and a heavy drum part. The title is repeated throughout the song as she references "social disease" which is also repeated. A recurring theme to the record is the acoustic guitar introduction to a song which is yet again featured in the sixth track "Nothing Fails". The guitar is accompanied by a "light" drum section and low-pitched vocals from Madonna, the song also features a cello in the first part of the song. Lyrically the song discusses a lover who is the one, and how their meeting was not just chance, a reference to the "tree of life" is made during the song as Madonna states "I'm not religious" but she wishes to pray. Acoustic guitars introduce another track on the album, a repeated concept throughout, the seventh track on the record "Intervention" starts with a three chord minor sequence which changes to a four chord sequence during the chorus section and a bass section starts at the end of the track. Lyrically the song is an optimistic track habout ow a relationship will last as Madonna says "the road looks lonely but that's just Satan's game". "X-Static Process," the eighth track starts once again with an acoustic guitar part, throughout there are vocal harmony lines in addition to an organ part which is also featured in the track. Lyrically like the title track, it questions modern life as Madonna sings "Jesus Christ will you look at me, don't know who I'm supposed to be". "Mother and Father" is the albums ninth track, with a drum and bass beat paired with an electric guitar present the instrumental. Lyrically the song reflects on Madonna's childhood including her mothers death and her fathers reaction, and the effect on their relationship. The tenth track is "Die Another Day", the theme to the James Bond film of the same name which featured dominating string and synth parts. The eleventh and final track on the album, "Easy Ride", is a heavily string-oriented song. It addresses Madonna's feelings towards old age, wanting to live forever, and coming full circle to a point in her life where she could be comfortable, "Not defined by time and space".
scored the album as having an averaged score of 60 out of 100, indicating mixed reviews from critics. E! Online gave the album a generally positive review claiming the album featured "warmer sounds and earthy touches" responding well to the track "Nothing Fails" commenting on the "acoustic guitars and a choir that comes from nowhere" featured in the track. Uncut also responded well calling it a "21st century version" of the Love album Forever Changes
saying " it does a similarly eerie ambivalence with its fusion of mind-altering sonics and mellow acoustics". Billboard
s Ken Tucker noted the lyrical differences from past albums such as Ray of Light
positively saying "American Life relies less on spiritual introspection and more on woman-in-the-mirror confrontation." Entertainment Weekly
generally responded well making comments such as "At its best, her new album offers blunt, questing, decisive music at a chaotic time" but also produced less positive statements such as "At its weakest, she sounds like a gal who's grown content with hubby and kids and the hard-earned privilege of hiring the help to keep herself at tip-top tautness". Sal Cinquemani from Slant Magazine
magazine gave the album a mixed review comparing it to the success of album Erotica
"American Life isn't the masterpiece that Erotica so quickly revealed itself to be. It's frequently self-indulgent, misguided, unpleasant, difficult to listen to, silly yet somehow humorless" however Cinquemani also stated "it's also consistent, uncompromising and unapologetic." and that it also "stands as the last time Madonna seemed to make music without the primary objective of scoring a hit". In an earlier review Cinquemani concluded "After years of flip-flopping between sub-genres and finally finding a comfortable niche in electronica
, then teasing us with her electric guitar-wielding rock goddess persona during 2001's Drowned World Tour
, and now showing promise as a folk-rock songstress, the only thing left for Madonna to do is plug in and make a full-blown rock album".
Generally critics responses were average as shown in Allmusic's review as they stated "Overall, American Life is better for what it promises than what it delivers, and it's better in theory than practice" with Q
magazine calling it "a record about being Madonna". Alex Petridis of The Guardian
responded well to parts of the record saying "American Life's best tracks make a mockery of virtually all other current pop music" however his conclusive point in the review was "The album's problem has nothing to do with controversy or extreme points of view. This time, there just aren't enough good songs." James Hannaham from Spin
compared the album's introspective themes to that of her previous albums; Ray of Light
and Music but also noted "Madonna spends much of American Life bemoaning the emptiness of celebrity culture.It's a dramatic gesture from an artist who's synonymous with American glamour, but instead of lashing out at the system that created her, she castigates herself." Ed Howard from Stylus
gave the album a negative review calling the album "about Madonna" instead of American culture explaining "it's Madonna who, surprisingly, has simply run out of things to say."
with 241,000 copies sold in its first week. It was Madonna's second consecutive number one debut, and her fifth number one overall in the US On July 7, 2003 just months after the release it was certified Platinum, signifying sales of one million copies in the US alone. In Canada the album topped the charts, and gained a Platinum certification in June 2003. In Japan the album peaked at number four on the Oricon Weekly Albums chart, and went on to gain a Gold certification that same year. In Oceania the album entered the top three in both regions, in Australia the album peaked at number three and gained a Platinum certification, whilst in New Zealand the album peaked at number two.
In European countries the album fared well topping charts in at least nine countries consisting of; Austria, Belgium (Flanders), Belgium (Wallonia), Denmark, France, Italy, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and in the United Kingdom. Overall in European countries it gained a Platinum certification signifying sales of over one million copies. In the United Kingdom the album was certified Platinum just months after the release, in France this was also the case, after the album topped the chart and was certified Platinum that same year. Worldwide it gained Gold certifications in countries including; Argentina, Brazil, Japan and the Netherlands, as well as gaining Platinum certifications in countries such as; Australia, Canada, France, Russia, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Overall in 2003 the album became the 32nd bestselling album of the year with worldwide sales over four million copies. In addition to this the album gathered several other accolades and nominations. In 2004, American Life was nominated at the 46th Grammy Awards in two categories "Best Short Form Music Video
" and "Best Dance Recording
", both for the song "Die Another Day". It was nominated for "Best Video from a Film
" at the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards
.
", was the first single from the original score of the same name
for the twentieth
James Bond
film. It later was added to the album. The song peaked at number eight in the United States; and number three in the United Kingdom. The production costs for the music video
were over $6,000,000, making it the second most expensive music video ever made, after "Scream
" by Michael Jackson
and Janet Jackson
. "American Life
" was released as the lead single
from the album on April 8, 2003 in the United States and on April 14, 2003 in Europe
. There are two music videos. The first develops in a fashion runway, where the topic is war. At the end of the music video, is shown the then-President of the United States, George W. Bush
. The anti-war content of its music video was interpreted as being unpatriotic, making Madonna withdraw its release for American music channels. She issued a statement saying she did so because she believed it was not appropriate to air it at that time, and that she did not want to risk offending anyone who could misinterpret its meaning. Later, was filmed a second video, which shows Madonna using military clothing and singing in front of the various flags of the world. The song debuted at number ninety on the Billboard Hot 100
; and peaked at number thirty-seven on the chart; becoming Madonna's 45th Top 40 hit in the chart. The song also peaked at number two in the UK; seven in Austria and Australia; and ten in Germany and France.
The second single
, "Hollywood", launched on July 3, 2003 in Europe and July 8, 2003 in the U.S., failed to chart in the Hot 100, becoming Madonna's first single in twenty years not to do so, since her song "Everybody". The song was a top-five hit in Canada, Italy and the United Kingdom. "Nothing Fails
", was released in Europe on November 21, 2003 as third single. It was a minor chart success, but did not match the success of previous singles from American Life in the Continent, charting outside the top twenty in some countries. Also, it peaked in the top-ten in Canada, Ireland and Spain.
In late 2003, "Nothing Fails" was remixed as "Nothing Fails (Nevins Mix)" for Madonna's remix EP
Remixed & Revisited
. The remix peaked at number seven in Italy. "Love Profusion
", was the fourth and the final single from the album, released on December 8, 2003. It peaked in the top-ten only in Greece, Italy and Canada, her fifth top ten Canadian hit from the album and thirteenth top ten in-a-row. Also, it debuted and peaked at eleven on UK Singles Chart; becoming Madonna sixth single, of eight, in lost the top-ten on the chart, after One More Chance
on 1996. The promotional releases, "Nobody Knows Me" and "Mother and Father", became very successful in American clubs, peaking at number four and number nine, respectively on the US Hot Dance Club Songs chart. American Life became the first album to achieve seven top-ten songs on this chart.
was presented to around 400 people, the set started with an acoustic performance of "American Life" followed by the track "X-Static Process". The promotional show also saw Madonna perform two other tracks from the album being; "Mother and Father" and "Hollywood" before performing an "impromptu" performance of "Like a Virgin
", and lastly performing the title track again but this time being the album version. A stage was built in preparation for the performances with long dark drapes and large speakers, according to Billboard was so that over one thousand fans nearby could hear the performance. As well as several other television performances, Madonna performed at the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards
, her performance consisted of a medley of two of her singles "Like a Virgin" and "Hollywood" and featured popular singers; Christina Aguilera
, Britney Spears
as well as Missy Elliot who performed her song "Work It
" at the end of the performance. After the song "Hollywood" was performed by Madonna, she engaged in kissing with both Spears and Aguilera becoming an infamous moment for all three acts and in television history. In 2003, Madonna planned to release a special commemorative box set to celebrate her twentieth anniversary in the music business and the release of her first studio album, Madonna, in 1983. The plan for the box set was eventually cancelled and Remixed & Revisited was conceived in its place. The compilation contains remixed versions of four songs from American Life and a previously unreleased song called "Your Honesty".
In 2003, Madonna collaborated with photographer Steven Klein
for an art installation project called X-STaTIC PRo=CeSS. The installation portrayed Madonna in different incarnations of her spiritual practices – from yogi, prophet, queen to freak and pole dancer. The publication was a worldwide success, leading to a number of exhibitions in New York, London, Paris, Düsseldorf, Berlin and Florence. After the exhibition was over, Madonna was inspired by the images from the exhibitions and decided to incorporate them into her then unplanned tour and asked Klein to help her with the task. The poster released for the tour used one of the images from the installation project. It featured Madonna in a seventeenth century style dress, crawling on all fours towards the camera. The central theme of the show was unity versus violence. It was divided into five acts with different themes: French Baroque
-Marie Antionette Revival, Military
-Army
, Circus
-Cabaret
, Acoustic
and Scottish-Tribal
segments. During the Re-Invention Tour, the Q magazine
awards, Elton John
accused Madonna for lip-synching in her shows which gained great controversy and was denied by Madonna's representatives. No official DVD has been released yet. A documentary titled I'm Going to Tell You a Secret
, which chronicled the tour, was released. The documentary was recorded during Madonna's performance on the tour and was finished during the recording of Madonna's Confessions on a Dance Floor album.
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
singer-songwriter Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
. It was released on April 22, 2003 by Maverick Records
Maverick Records
Maverick Recording Company is an American record label owned and operated by Warner Music Group, and distributed through Warner Bros. Records.-Company history:...
and distributed by Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
. The album produced in its entirety by Madonna and Mirwais Ahmadzaï
Mirwais Ahmadzaï
Mirwais Ahmadzaï, more commonly known as Mirwais, is a Paris based record producer and songwriter. He was born in Switzerland to an Afghan father and an Italian mother. He is a leader in the French style of progressive electronic dance music and progressive electronica...
featured references to many parts of American culture. The album is considered a concept album
Concept album
In music, a concept album is an album that is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical." Commonly, concept albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being improvised or composed in the studio, with all songs contributing...
, with recurring themes of "American Dream
American Dream
The American Dream is a national ethos of the United States in which freedom includes a promise of the possibility of prosperity and success. In the definition of the American Dream by James Truslow Adams in 1931, "life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each...
" and "materialism
Materialism
In philosophy, the theory of materialism holds that the only thing that exists is matter; that all things are composed of material and all phenomena are the result of material interactions. In other words, matter is the only substance...
". Furthermore, the themes reject the reputation Madonna held in the 1980s with her worldwide hit "Material Girl
Material Girl
"Material Girl" is a song performed by American singer-songwriter Madonna. It was released on January 30, 1985, by Sire Records, as the second single from her second album Like a Virgin. It also appears slightly remixed on the 1990 greatest hits compilation, The Immaculate Collection, and in its...
". Essentially composed of pop, electronica, rock and dance-pop music, critics also noted influences of acoustic music
Acoustic music
Acoustic music comprises music that solely or primarily uses instruments which produce sound through entirely acoustic means, as opposed to electric or electronic means...
on tracks such as "X-Static Process" and "Intervention". The album also featured her 2002 James Bond
James Bond
James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
theme "Die Another Day
Die Another Day (song)
"Die Another Day" is the theme to the James Bond film of the same name recorded by Madonna. The single was released in late 2002, marking Madonna's 20th career anniversary, and peaked at number eight in the United States and number three in the United Kingdom, selling 167,863 copies - making it the...
" from the film of the same name.
In the United States and in the United Kingdom the album debuted at number one. It was nominated for two Grammys
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
at the 46th Grammy Awards. The record was the world's 32nd-best-selling album in 2003. The Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
(RIAA) and British Phonographic Industry
British Phonographic Industry
The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies...
(BPI) both certified it platinum
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
in recognition of one million shipments in the US, and three hundred thousand shipments in the UK, respectively. It is the second Madonna Album to have a Parental Advisory
Parental Advisory
Parental Advisory is a message affixed by the Recording Industry Association of America to audio and recordings in the United States containing excessive use of profane language and/or sexual references. Albums began to be labeled for "explicit lyrics" in 1985, after pressure from the Parents...
sticker, after Erotica. Generally critic opinion was mixed with responses noting the "warmer sounds" as well as several critics noting the "innovation" at a time of R&B dominance, but general responses calling the record uninspired and uninteresting.
Four singles were released from the album. The first, the title track
American Life (song)
"American Life" is a song written and performed by American singer-songwriter Madonna. It was the first single from her 2003 studio album American Life...
was released to a mixed critical reception with Blender
Blender (magazine)
Blender was an American music magazine that billed itself as "the ultimate guide to music and more". It was also known for sometimes steamy pictorials of celebrities....
naming it as the ninth worst song of all time. A controversial music video was pulled after scenes of war and violence were criticized which led to an edited version being released, charting at number 37 in the US elsewhere it entered the top ten in most countries placing at number two in the UK. The second "Hollywood" became her first to miss out on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
. A music video directed by Jean-Baptiste Mondino
Jean-Baptiste Mondino
Jean-Baptiste Mondino is a French fashion photographer and music video director. He has directed music videos for Madonna, David Bowie, Sting, Björk, Neneh Cherry and Les Rita Mitsouko...
was subject of a lawsuit for plagiarism from French fashion photographer Guy Bourdin. The third "Nothing Fails
Nothing Fails
"Nothing Fails" is the third single by American singer-songwriter Madonna from her 9th studio album American Life. It was released by Maverick Records on November 21, 2003. There was little promotion to accompany it and no music video was filmed. The song performed poorly on most mainstream charts...
" featured a lack of promotion resulting in a poor commercial performance, topping the charts in Spain, it once again missed out on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
. The final "Love Profusion
Love Profusion
"Love Profusion" is the fourth and final single by American singer-songwriter Madonna from her 2003 studio album American Life. It was released by Maverick Records on December 8, 2003 in the UK, Europe and Australia and in North America on March 16, 2004. The song failed to match the chart success...
" featured a music video directed by Luc Besson
Luc Besson
Luc Besson is a French film director, writer, and producer. He is the creator of EuropaCorp film company. He has been involved with over 50 films, spanning 26 years, as writer, director, and/or producer.-Early life:...
but once again failed commercially charting poorly in most countries whilst once again topping the Spanish Singles Chart.
Promotion for the album took place in a small promotional tour between April and May 2003 before she ventured upon her sixth concert tour, the Re-Invention World Tour. The tour was divided into five segments: French Baroque-Marie Antoinette Revival, Military-Army, Circus-Cabaret, Acoustic and Scottish-Tribal, gaining positive responses controversy arose over a statement by recording artist Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
after he stated she was lip-synching. The tour was chronicled in a documentary titled I'm Going to Tell You a Secret
I'm Going to Tell You a Secret
I'm Going to Tell You a Secret is the title of an American documentary film that follows pop singer Madonna on her 2004 Re-Invention World Tour. It premiered on MTV on October 21, 2005 and was released commercially in a CD+DVD package on June 20, 2006 by Warner Bros. Records...
. A CD+DVD was also released along with the film. At the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards
2003 MTV Video Music Awards
The 2003 MTV Video Music Awards aired live on August 28, 2003, honoring the best music videos from June 1, 2002, to June 9, 2003. The show was hosted by Chris Rock at the Radio City Music Hall in New York City...
Madonna performed alongside artists; Britney Spears
Britney Spears
Britney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album...
, Christina Aguilera
Christina Aguilera
Christina María Aguilera is an American recording artist and actress. Aguilera first appeared on national television in 1990 as a contestant on the Star Search program, and went on to star in Disney Channel's television series The Mickey Mouse Club from 1993–1994...
and Missy Elliot in a medley of, "Like a Virgin
Like a Virgin
Like a Virgin is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter Madonna, released on November 12, 1984 by Sire Records. It was re-released worldwide in 1985, with the inclusion of the bonus track "Into the Groove". In 2001, Warner Bros. Records released a remastered version with two bonus...
" and "Hollywood" and engaged in open-mouth kissing with Aguilera and Spears gaining great controversy and publicity.
Background
American Life became Madonna's final studio album with Maverick RecordsMaverick Records
Maverick Recording Company is an American record label owned and operated by Warner Music Group, and distributed through Warner Bros. Records.-Company history:...
, and marked the end of an eleven-year recording history with the label. In an interview with VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
Madonna discussed her motivations behind the record discussing her 20 years in the industry and stating that "material things" were unimportant and she also stated, "I look back at the 20 years behind me and I realized that a lot of things that I'd valued weren't important" in response to the non-materialistic themes of the record. The album is Madonna's second album to bear a "Parental Advisory
Parental Advisory
Parental Advisory is a message affixed by the Recording Industry Association of America to audio and recordings in the United States containing excessive use of profane language and/or sexual references. Albums began to be labeled for "explicit lyrics" in 1985, after pressure from the Parents...
" label, due the strong profanity
Profanity
Profanity is a show of disrespect, or a desecration or debasement of someone or something. Profanity can take the form of words, expressions, gestures, or other social behaviors that are socially constructed or interpreted as insulting, rude, vulgar, obscene, desecrating, or other forms.The...
used in the title song. The only other albums to do so being 1992's Erotica (due the sexually explicit content), and 2007's The Confessions Tour (due live performances of "Live to Tell
Live to Tell
"Live to Tell" is a pop ballad by American singer-songwriter Madonna. Originally written by Patrick Leonard for the soundtrack of the film Fire with Fire, the song was shown to Madonna, who decided to use it for then-husband Sean Penn's film At Close Range...
"). On December 9, 2003, Warner Music France released a box set version containing both the album and the remix collection Remixed & Revisited
Remixed & Revisited
Remixed & Revisited is an remix album by American singer-songwriter Madonna. It was released on November 24, 2003 by Maverick Records and distributed by Warner Bros. Records...
in a cardboard sleeve entitled Édition Spéciale 2CDs: American Life + Remixed & Revisited. To counter illegal Internet downloads of the album's songs both before and after the album's release, Madonna's associates created a number of false song files of similar length and size. Some of these files delivered a brief message from Madonna saying "What the fuck do you think you're doing?" followed by minutes of silence. Madonna's website hacker add a message appearing on the Main Page, saying "This is what the fuck I think I'm doing..." followed by download links for each of the album's songs. The website was closed after the attack for about 15 hours.
The album has been deemed by some as a concept album
Concept album
In music, a concept album is an album that is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical." Commonly, concept albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being improvised or composed in the studio, with all songs contributing...
featuring political themes based around the United States. Whilst talking to MTV she discussed the political themes within the record saying; "I feel like America has changed over the years and that a lot of our values seem to be materially oriented and so superficial. And we all seem to be obsessed with fame just for the sake of fame, no matter what — sell your soul to the devil if that's what it takes. And we're also completely obsessed with the way we look. And I bought into a lot of that, so a lot of the record, especially the first three songs are just like, "What was I thinking?"". After being asked by John Norris of MTV he discussed the first three tracks as a trilogy discussing things she wishes to put behind her, in response Madonna stated "I think they're an extension of "American Life." They're examining things I valued and things I found myself worrying about, caring too much about, and realizing that those things aren't important and wanting to get out from underneath that cloud, the world of illusion." Madonna discussed the materialistic themes of the record and her personal encounters which have led to the composition with MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
saying:
"Who better to say those things don't matter than somebody who's experienced them? [People may say], "How can you say they don't matter? How can you say that money won't bring you happiness if you don't have a lot of money? How can you say that fame and fortune are not a guarantee for happiness and joy and fulfillment in your life?" You have to have that experience to know. 'Cause you have all those things, I've had all those things, and I've had nothing but chaos around me. So I'm just sharing what I know with the world. 'Cause I do think that we've become completely consumed with being rich and famous, our society has. And I just want to tell people, take it from me, I have all those things and none of them ever brought me one minute of happiness."
Development
The album was mostly composed and entirely produced by Madonna and Mirwais AhmadzaïMirwais Ahmadzaï
Mirwais Ahmadzaï, more commonly known as Mirwais, is a Paris based record producer and songwriter. He was born in Switzerland to an Afghan father and an Italian mother. He is a leader in the French style of progressive electronic dance music and progressive electronica...
. Both had previously collaborated on Madonna's studio album Music
Music (Madonna album)
Music is the eighth studio album by American singer-songwriter Madonna, released on September 19, 2000 by Maverick Records and distributed by Warner Bros. Records...
, Madonna discussed Ahmadzaï's influence and production style saying "Mirwais is a very unique individual. His influence on me obviously was very big, he's a great musician and great guitar player. He can also program syntheshizers and create the most amazing futuristic sounds on the computer. He's a sort of genius, experimenting and I'm lucky to be there." Madonna started recording the album in late 2001, after filming the movie Swept Away
Swept Away (2002 film)
Swept Away is a 2002 Franco-British romantic comedy film directed by Guy Ritchie and starring Madonna, Adriano Giannini, and Bruce Greenwood. It was released by Screen Gems and produced by Matthew Vaughn. It received generally negative reviews from critics and was a box office failure.-Plot:Amber...
. The album was written and recorded over one and a half years, becoming her longest production on a studio album. Recording of the album was finished in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
in late 2002. Madonna discussed the recording of the title track stating that the producer Mirwais had encouraged her to rap spontaneously and that the rap sequence featured in the title track was composed using the materialistic objects that she herself had been using. Rooksby author of the Complete Guide to the Music of Madonna stated that a recurring theme of the record production was the dry and blunt lyrics, in an interview with Q
Q (magazine)
Q is a popular music magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom.Founders Mark Ellen and David Hepworth were dismayed by the music press of the time, which they felt was ignoring a generation of older music buyers who were buying CDs — then still a new technology...
Madonna said, "I've had twenty years of fame and fortune, and I feel that I have the right to an opinion on what is said, and what isn't".
During the time of the production Madonna learned to play the guitar and she stated, "Now that I've learned to play the guitar I don't always depend on the help of other people." In an interview with Q Magazine Madonna discussed the relationship she developed during the production of the album with executive producer Ahmadzaï discussing intimidation being a possible factor due to her "iconic" status, she stated "I don’t say to anyone, Are you intimidated by me? [...] Obviously, if you feel comfortable with me I can feel it. We can have a chat and a laugh, but I’ve never sat down with someone I wanted to work with and not got along with them. William Orbit was very nervous when I met him, dropping things all over the place, but I found that really endearing. I don’t dwell on it."
Artwork
Larry King
Lawrence Harvey "Larry" King is an American television and radio host whose work has been recognized with awards including two Peabodys and ten Cable ACE Awards....
in October 2002, during the promotion for Swept Away. In mid-January 2003, in Los Angeles, the photo shoot for the album was done by photographer Craig McDean
Craig McDean
Craig McDean is a British fashion photographer originally from Middlewich near Manchester, but now based in New York City....
. McDean had already worked with Madonna for the portfolio for Vanity Fair
Vanity Fair (magazine)
Vanity Fair is a magazine of pop culture, fashion, and current affairs published by Condé Nast. The present Vanity Fair has been published since 1983 and there have been editions for four European countries as well as the U.S. edition. This revived the title which had ceased publication in 1935...
magazine in October 2002; this work had a military theme, with Madonna posing in dark greens and blacks, combat boots, and holding guns. Her hair was dyed dark brown, and on the cover of the album, Madonna is wearing a beret and is almost a copy of the famous image of Che Guevara
Guerrillero Heroico
Guerrillero Heroico is an iconic photo of Marxist revolutionary Che Guevara wearing his black beret taken by Alberto Korda. It was taken on March 5, 1960, in Havana, Cuba, at a memorial service for victims of the La Coubre explosion and by the end of the 1960s turned the charismatic and...
. In an interview to the Italian version of TV show Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. After 25 December 2006 it became a radio program, now hosted by Tony Blackburn...
she said that the choice to emulate Che's image was because she likes what he represents and was feeling revolutionary when she wrote the album. Also, a cause of the paramilitary theme, the dyed hair and the artistic composition, was compared with Patty Hearst
Patty Hearst
Patricia Campbell Hearst , now known as Patricia Campbell Hearst Shaw, is an American newspaper heiress, socialite, actress, kidnap victim, and convicted bank robber....
.
Music, structure and lyrics
"American Life", the title track is the first featured on the record. Starting with Madonna's voice multi-tracked questioning, "Am I gonna be a star", "should I change my name", the lyrics then develop into what Rikky Rooksby of The Complete Guide to the Music of Madonna states is a complaint about modern-day life. The lyrics accompany a "punchy octave synth figure" synchronized with a drum and bass beat."American Life" features violent transitions, the repeated acoustic guitar riff "adds a touch of pathos" until after three minutes Madonna performs a rap naming the people whom are working for her. The second single and track "Hollywood" is introduced with sounds of tweeting birds before an acoustic guitar starts a four chord sequence that has been compared of that of the band Red Hot Chilli Peppers. The texture grows as drums and synths until after a minute the instrumental is pulled leaving just Madonna's vocals and the acoustic guitar accompaniment. The final sequence is another rap part, as is featured in the first song with the repeated phrase "Push the button". Lyrically like the first track it discusses American culture and greed focusing on Hollywood as a place of stars and illusory dreams. "I'm So Stupid" is the third track on the record, an introduction with a two-chord electric guitar leads to a minor drum beat, with the guitar later changing to a three-chord chord. The chord scheme throughout is generally minor. At the 2:15 mark different pitched synths change manically, the synths are treated with effects but towards the end the synths become less prominent as the guitars become the main focus. Lyrically the song expresses disillusionment with Madonna singing "I used to live in a fuzzy dream" and "It was just greed", also proclaiming that once she was "stupider than stupid" before stating "Everybody's stupid" towards the end of the song. Track four "Love Profusion
Love Profusion
"Love Profusion" is the fourth and final single by American singer-songwriter Madonna from her 2003 studio album American Life. It was released by Maverick Records on December 8, 2003 in the UK, Europe and Australia and in North America on March 16, 2004. The song failed to match the chart success...
" starts with another acoustic guitar introduction, rhythm is produced by a bass drum with synth-strings added later in the song. Vocally the line "I got you under my skin" is repeated, whilst a male voice acts as the backing for the track whilst the final words "feel good" are performed with no backing instrumental.
"Nobody Knows Me" is the fifth track, featuring vocoder treated vocals the song is accompanied by bleeping synths and a heavy drum part. The title is repeated throughout the song as she references "social disease" which is also repeated. A recurring theme to the record is the acoustic guitar introduction to a song which is yet again featured in the sixth track "Nothing Fails". The guitar is accompanied by a "light" drum section and low-pitched vocals from Madonna, the song also features a cello in the first part of the song. Lyrically the song discusses a lover who is the one, and how their meeting was not just chance, a reference to the "tree of life" is made during the song as Madonna states "I'm not religious" but she wishes to pray. Acoustic guitars introduce another track on the album, a repeated concept throughout, the seventh track on the record "Intervention" starts with a three chord minor sequence which changes to a four chord sequence during the chorus section and a bass section starts at the end of the track. Lyrically the song is an optimistic track habout ow a relationship will last as Madonna says "the road looks lonely but that's just Satan's game". "X-Static Process," the eighth track starts once again with an acoustic guitar part, throughout there are vocal harmony lines in addition to an organ part which is also featured in the track. Lyrically like the title track, it questions modern life as Madonna sings "Jesus Christ will you look at me, don't know who I'm supposed to be". "Mother and Father" is the albums ninth track, with a drum and bass beat paired with an electric guitar present the instrumental. Lyrically the song reflects on Madonna's childhood including her mothers death and her fathers reaction, and the effect on their relationship. The tenth track is "Die Another Day", the theme to the James Bond film of the same name which featured dominating string and synth parts. The eleventh and final track on the album, "Easy Ride", is a heavily string-oriented song. It addresses Madonna's feelings towards old age, wanting to live forever, and coming full circle to a point in her life where she could be comfortable, "Not defined by time and space".
Critical reception
Aggregator site MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
scored the album as having an averaged score of 60 out of 100, indicating mixed reviews from critics. E! Online gave the album a generally positive review claiming the album featured "warmer sounds and earthy touches" responding well to the track "Nothing Fails" commenting on the "acoustic guitars and a choir that comes from nowhere" featured in the track. Uncut also responded well calling it a "21st century version" of the Love album Forever Changes
Forever Changes
Forever Changes is the third album by American rock band Love, released by Elektra Records in November 1967. In 2003, Rolling Stone magazine ranked Forever Changes 40th in its list of the 500 greatest albums of all time...
saying " it does a similarly eerie ambivalence with its fusion of mind-altering sonics and mellow acoustics". Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
s Ken Tucker noted the lyrical differences from past albums such as Ray of Light
Ray of Light
Ray of Light is the seventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Madonna, released on March 3, 1998 by Maverick Records and distributed by Warner Bros. Records. After giving birth to her daughter Lourdes, Madonna collaborated with Patrick Leonard and William Orbit in developing the album...
positively saying "American Life relies less on spiritual introspection and more on woman-in-the-mirror confrontation." Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
generally responded well making comments such as "At its best, her new album offers blunt, questing, decisive music at a chaotic time" but also produced less positive statements such as "At its weakest, she sounds like a gal who's grown content with hubby and kids and the hard-earned privilege of hiring the help to keep herself at tip-top tautness". Sal Cinquemani from Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine is an online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York Film Festival.- History :...
magazine gave the album a mixed review comparing it to the success of album Erotica
Erotica (album)
Erotica is the fifth studio album by American singer-songwriter Madonna, released on October 20, 1992 by Maverick Records, three years after her previous studio album. Madonna worked mostly with Shep Pettibone, as well as André Betts. Famously released simultaneously with Madonna's first book...
"American Life isn't the masterpiece that Erotica so quickly revealed itself to be. It's frequently self-indulgent, misguided, unpleasant, difficult to listen to, silly yet somehow humorless" however Cinquemani also stated "it's also consistent, uncompromising and unapologetic." and that it also "stands as the last time Madonna seemed to make music without the primary objective of scoring a hit". In an earlier review Cinquemani concluded "After years of flip-flopping between sub-genres and finally finding a comfortable niche in electronica
Electronica
Electronica includes a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; however, unlike electronic dance music, it is not specifically made for dancing...
, then teasing us with her electric guitar-wielding rock goddess persona during 2001's Drowned World Tour
Drowned World Tour
The Drowned World Tour was the fifth concert tour by American singer-songwriter Madonna in support of her seventh and eighth studio albums Ray of Light and Music. It was also her first tour in eight years, following The Girlie Show World Tour in 1993...
, and now showing promise as a folk-rock songstress, the only thing left for Madonna to do is plug in and make a full-blown rock album".
Generally critics responses were average as shown in Allmusic's review as they stated "Overall, American Life is better for what it promises than what it delivers, and it's better in theory than practice" with Q
Q (magazine)
Q is a popular music magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom.Founders Mark Ellen and David Hepworth were dismayed by the music press of the time, which they felt was ignoring a generation of older music buyers who were buying CDs — then still a new technology...
magazine calling it "a record about being Madonna". Alex Petridis of The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
responded well to parts of the record saying "American Life's best tracks make a mockery of virtually all other current pop music" however his conclusive point in the review was "The album's problem has nothing to do with controversy or extreme points of view. This time, there just aren't enough good songs." James Hannaham from Spin
Spin (magazine)
Spin is a music magazine founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione Jr.-History:In its early years, the magazine was noted for its broad music coverage with an emphasis on college-oriented rock music and on the ongoing emergence of hip-hop. The magazine was eclectic and bold, if sometimes haphazard...
compared the album's introspective themes to that of her previous albums; Ray of Light
Ray of Light
Ray of Light is the seventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Madonna, released on March 3, 1998 by Maverick Records and distributed by Warner Bros. Records. After giving birth to her daughter Lourdes, Madonna collaborated with Patrick Leonard and William Orbit in developing the album...
and Music but also noted "Madonna spends much of American Life bemoaning the emptiness of celebrity culture.It's a dramatic gesture from an artist who's synonymous with American glamour, but instead of lashing out at the system that created her, she castigates herself." Ed Howard from Stylus
Stylus (magazine)
Stylus is a print magazine devoted to fine writing instruments . It is published on a bi-monthly calendar and includes reviews of new pens and accessories, as well as articles about vintage pens, collecting, inks and paper...
gave the album a negative review calling the album "about Madonna" instead of American culture explaining "it's Madonna who, surprisingly, has simply run out of things to say."
Commercial reception
American Life debuted at number one on the Billboard 200Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
with 241,000 copies sold in its first week. It was Madonna's second consecutive number one debut, and her fifth number one overall in the US On July 7, 2003 just months after the release it was certified Platinum, signifying sales of one million copies in the US alone. In Canada the album topped the charts, and gained a Platinum certification in June 2003. In Japan the album peaked at number four on the Oricon Weekly Albums chart, and went on to gain a Gold certification that same year. In Oceania the album entered the top three in both regions, in Australia the album peaked at number three and gained a Platinum certification, whilst in New Zealand the album peaked at number two.
In European countries the album fared well topping charts in at least nine countries consisting of; Austria, Belgium (Flanders), Belgium (Wallonia), Denmark, France, Italy, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and in the United Kingdom. Overall in European countries it gained a Platinum certification signifying sales of over one million copies. In the United Kingdom the album was certified Platinum just months after the release, in France this was also the case, after the album topped the chart and was certified Platinum that same year. Worldwide it gained Gold certifications in countries including; Argentina, Brazil, Japan and the Netherlands, as well as gaining Platinum certifications in countries such as; Australia, Canada, France, Russia, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Overall in 2003 the album became the 32nd bestselling album of the year with worldwide sales over four million copies. In addition to this the album gathered several other accolades and nominations. In 2004, American Life was nominated at the 46th Grammy Awards in two categories "Best Short Form Music Video
Grammy Award for Best Short Form Music Video
The Grammy Award for Best Short Form Music Video is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to performers, directors, and producers of quality short form music videos...
" and "Best Dance Recording
Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording
The Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for works containing quality vocal performances in the dance music genre...
", both for the song "Die Another Day". It was nominated for "Best Video from a Film
MTV Video Music Award for Best Video from a Film
The MTV Video Music Award for Best Video from a Film was first awarded in 1987, recognizing the best videos whose songs were a part of a movie soundtrack or featured in a film. As time went on, though, music videos taken from movie soundtracks became more rare, and so the last of this award was...
" at the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards
2003 MTV Video Music Awards
The 2003 MTV Video Music Awards aired live on August 28, 2003, honoring the best music videos from June 1, 2002, to June 9, 2003. The show was hosted by Chris Rock at the Radio City Music Hall in New York City...
.
Singles
"Die Another DayDie Another Day (song)
"Die Another Day" is the theme to the James Bond film of the same name recorded by Madonna. The single was released in late 2002, marking Madonna's 20th career anniversary, and peaked at number eight in the United States and number three in the United Kingdom, selling 167,863 copies - making it the...
", was the first single from the original score of the same name
Die Another Day (soundtrack)
The soundtrack to Die Another Day, the 20th James Bond film of the same name, was released by Warner Bros. Records on November 12, 2002. The soundtrack was composed by David Arnold, his third outing as the composer for a James Bond movie...
for the twentieth
Die Another Day
Die Another Day is the 20th spy film in the James Bond series, and the fourth and last film to star Pierce Brosnan as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond; it is also the last Bond film of the original timeline with the series being rebooted with Casino Royale...
James Bond
James Bond
James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
film. It later was added to the album. The song peaked at number eight in the United States; and number three in the United Kingdom. The production costs for the music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
were over $6,000,000, making it the second most expensive music video ever made, after "Scream
Scream/Childhood
"Scream"/"Childhood" is the lead single from Michael Jackson's ninth studio album, HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I where "Scream" is the first song and "Childhood" is the tenth song on the second disc of the album HIStory Continues. The A-side, "Scream", is a duet with his younger sister...
" by Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
and Janet Jackson
Janet Jackson
Janet Damita Jo Jackson is an American recording artist and actress. Known for a series of sonically innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows, television and film roles, she has been a prominent figure in popular culture for over 25 years...
. "American Life
American Life (song)
"American Life" is a song written and performed by American singer-songwriter Madonna. It was the first single from her 2003 studio album American Life...
" was released as the lead single
Lead single
A lead single is usually the first single released by a musician or a band before the release of its home album.During the era of the grammophone record, all music arrived in the marketplace as what is now termed a single, one potential hit song backed by an additional song of generally less...
from the album on April 8, 2003 in the United States and on April 14, 2003 in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. There are two music videos. The first develops in a fashion runway, where the topic is war. At the end of the music video, is shown the then-President of the United States, George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
. The anti-war content of its music video was interpreted as being unpatriotic, making Madonna withdraw its release for American music channels. She issued a statement saying she did so because she believed it was not appropriate to air it at that time, and that she did not want to risk offending anyone who could misinterpret its meaning. Later, was filmed a second video, which shows Madonna using military clothing and singing in front of the various flags of the world. The song debuted at number ninety on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
; and peaked at number thirty-seven on the chart; becoming Madonna's 45th Top 40 hit in the chart. The song also peaked at number two in the UK; seven in Austria and Australia; and ten in Germany and France.
The second single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, "Hollywood", launched on July 3, 2003 in Europe and July 8, 2003 in the U.S., failed to chart in the Hot 100, becoming Madonna's first single in twenty years not to do so, since her song "Everybody". The song was a top-five hit in Canada, Italy and the United Kingdom. "Nothing Fails
Nothing Fails
"Nothing Fails" is the third single by American singer-songwriter Madonna from her 9th studio album American Life. It was released by Maverick Records on November 21, 2003. There was little promotion to accompany it and no music video was filmed. The song performed poorly on most mainstream charts...
", was released in Europe on November 21, 2003 as third single. It was a minor chart success, but did not match the success of previous singles from American Life in the Continent, charting outside the top twenty in some countries. Also, it peaked in the top-ten in Canada, Ireland and Spain.
In late 2003, "Nothing Fails" was remixed as "Nothing Fails (Nevins Mix)" for Madonna's remix EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
Remixed & Revisited
Remixed & Revisited
Remixed & Revisited is an remix album by American singer-songwriter Madonna. It was released on November 24, 2003 by Maverick Records and distributed by Warner Bros. Records...
. The remix peaked at number seven in Italy. "Love Profusion
Love Profusion
"Love Profusion" is the fourth and final single by American singer-songwriter Madonna from her 2003 studio album American Life. It was released by Maverick Records on December 8, 2003 in the UK, Europe and Australia and in North America on March 16, 2004. The song failed to match the chart success...
", was the fourth and the final single from the album, released on December 8, 2003. It peaked in the top-ten only in Greece, Italy and Canada, her fifth top ten Canadian hit from the album and thirteenth top ten in-a-row. Also, it debuted and peaked at eleven on UK Singles Chart; becoming Madonna sixth single, of eight, in lost the top-ten on the chart, after One More Chance
One More Chance (Madonna song)
"One More Chance" is a pop ballad song by American singer Madonna from the ballads compilation Something to Remember. It was released on March 7, 1996 by Maverick Records as the second single from the album...
on 1996. The promotional releases, "Nobody Knows Me" and "Mother and Father", became very successful in American clubs, peaking at number four and number nine, respectively on the US Hot Dance Club Songs chart. American Life became the first album to achieve seven top-ten songs on this chart.
Promotion
To start marketing the album, Madonna performed the American Life Promo Tour. A performance on Tower's Fourth Street in ManhattanManhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
was presented to around 400 people, the set started with an acoustic performance of "American Life" followed by the track "X-Static Process". The promotional show also saw Madonna perform two other tracks from the album being; "Mother and Father" and "Hollywood" before performing an "impromptu" performance of "Like a Virgin
Like a Virgin
Like a Virgin is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter Madonna, released on November 12, 1984 by Sire Records. It was re-released worldwide in 1985, with the inclusion of the bonus track "Into the Groove". In 2001, Warner Bros. Records released a remastered version with two bonus...
", and lastly performing the title track again but this time being the album version. A stage was built in preparation for the performances with long dark drapes and large speakers, according to Billboard was so that over one thousand fans nearby could hear the performance. As well as several other television performances, Madonna performed at the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards
2003 MTV Video Music Awards
The 2003 MTV Video Music Awards aired live on August 28, 2003, honoring the best music videos from June 1, 2002, to June 9, 2003. The show was hosted by Chris Rock at the Radio City Music Hall in New York City...
, her performance consisted of a medley of two of her singles "Like a Virgin" and "Hollywood" and featured popular singers; Christina Aguilera
Christina Aguilera
Christina María Aguilera is an American recording artist and actress. Aguilera first appeared on national television in 1990 as a contestant on the Star Search program, and went on to star in Disney Channel's television series The Mickey Mouse Club from 1993–1994...
, Britney Spears
Britney Spears
Britney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album...
as well as Missy Elliot who performed her song "Work It
Work It
"Work It" is a hip hop song written by American rapper/singer Missy Elliott and her producer Tim "Timbaland" Mosley for Elliott's critically acclaimed fourth studio album Under Construction . The song's musical style, and production by Timbaland, were heavily inspired by Old school hip hop from the...
" at the end of the performance. After the song "Hollywood" was performed by Madonna, she engaged in kissing with both Spears and Aguilera becoming an infamous moment for all three acts and in television history. In 2003, Madonna planned to release a special commemorative box set to celebrate her twentieth anniversary in the music business and the release of her first studio album, Madonna, in 1983. The plan for the box set was eventually cancelled and Remixed & Revisited was conceived in its place. The compilation contains remixed versions of four songs from American Life and a previously unreleased song called "Your Honesty".
In 2003, Madonna collaborated with photographer Steven Klein
Steven Klein
Steven Klein is an American photographer based in New York.-History:After studying painting at the Rhode Island School of Design, he moved into the field of photography...
for an art installation project called X-STaTIC PRo=CeSS. The installation portrayed Madonna in different incarnations of her spiritual practices – from yogi, prophet, queen to freak and pole dancer. The publication was a worldwide success, leading to a number of exhibitions in New York, London, Paris, Düsseldorf, Berlin and Florence. After the exhibition was over, Madonna was inspired by the images from the exhibitions and decided to incorporate them into her then unplanned tour and asked Klein to help her with the task. The poster released for the tour used one of the images from the installation project. It featured Madonna in a seventeenth century style dress, crawling on all fours towards the camera. The central theme of the show was unity versus violence. It was divided into five acts with different themes: French Baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
-Marie Antionette Revival, Military
Military
A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...
-Army
Army
An army An army An army (from Latin arma "arms, weapons" via Old French armée, "armed" (feminine), in the broadest sense, is the land-based military of a nation or state. It may also include other branches of the military such as the air force via means of aviation corps...
, Circus
Circus
A circus is commonly a travelling company of performers that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, unicyclists and other stunt-oriented artists...
-Cabaret
Cabaret
Cabaret is a form, or place, of entertainment featuring comedy, song, dance, and theatre, distinguished mainly by the performance venue: a restaurant or nightclub with a stage for performances and the audience sitting at tables watching the performance, as introduced by a master of ceremonies or...
, Acoustic
Acoustic music
Acoustic music comprises music that solely or primarily uses instruments which produce sound through entirely acoustic means, as opposed to electric or electronic means...
and Scottish-Tribal
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
segments. During the Re-Invention Tour, the Q magazine
Q (magazine)
Q is a popular music magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom.Founders Mark Ellen and David Hepworth were dismayed by the music press of the time, which they felt was ignoring a generation of older music buyers who were buying CDs — then still a new technology...
awards, Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
accused Madonna for lip-synching in her shows which gained great controversy and was denied by Madonna's representatives. No official DVD has been released yet. A documentary titled I'm Going to Tell You a Secret
I'm Going to Tell You a Secret
I'm Going to Tell You a Secret is the title of an American documentary film that follows pop singer Madonna on her 2004 Re-Invention World Tour. It premiered on MTV on October 21, 2005 and was released commercially in a CD+DVD package on June 20, 2006 by Warner Bros. Records...
, which chronicled the tour, was released. The documentary was recorded during Madonna's performance on the tour and was finished during the recording of Madonna's Confessions on a Dance Floor album.
Track listing
- Note: *denotes additional production
Personnel
- MadonnaMadonna (entertainer)Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
– vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, background vocals, acoustic guitarSteel-string acoustic guitarA steel-string acoustic guitar is a modern form of guitar descended from the classical guitar, but strung with steel strings for a brighter, louder sound... - Michel ColombierMichel ColombierMichel Colombier was a French composer, songwriter, arranger, and conductor.- External links :*...
– conductor - Mirwais AhmadzaïMirwais AhmadzaïMirwais Ahmadzaï, more commonly known as Mirwais, is a Paris based record producer and songwriter. He was born in Switzerland to an Afghan father and an Italian mother. He is a leader in the French style of progressive electronic dance music and progressive electronica...
– acoustic guitar, keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, programming, background vocals - Stuart PriceStuart PriceStuart Price is a three time Grammy-winning British electronic musician, songwriter, and record producer whose remixing and production skills are in demand by artists including New Order, Madonna, Kylie Minogue, Take That, Missy Elliott, Scissor Sisters, The Killers, Pet Shop Boys, Brandon...
– pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, synthesizers, keyboards, sequencingSequencingIn genetics and biochemistry, sequencing means to determine the primary structure of an unbranched biopolymer...
, programming - The London Community Gospel ChoirLondon Community Gospel ChoirThe London Community Gospel Choir is a successful gospel choir located in the United Kingdom.-History:The London Community Gospel Choir was founded in 1982 by the Reverend Bazil Meade with the assistance of Lawrence Johnson, Delroy Powell and John Francis.Initially the idea was for a single concert...
– backing vocals in "Nothing FailsNothing Fails"Nothing Fails" is the third single by American singer-songwriter Madonna from her 9th studio album American Life. It was released by Maverick Records on November 21, 2003. There was little promotion to accompany it and no music video was filmed. The song performed poorly on most mainstream charts...
" - Monte PittmanMonte PittmanMonte Pittman is an American musician, songwriter and studio musician, based out of Los Angeles, known largely as Madonna's long-time guitarist but has quite a diverse professional resume, including stints that range from glam-pop star Adam Lambert to metal legends Prong.-Career:Pittman started...
– guitar in "Easy Ride"
Production
- Producers – Madonna, Mirwais Ahmadzaï, Mark StentMark StentMark 'Spike' Stent is a British record producer, and audio engineer who has worked with The KLF, Björk, Keane, Depeche Mode, Muse, Erasure, Hard-Fi, Massive Attack, Janet Jackson, Madonna, Christina Aguilera, Marilyn Manson, Pet Shop Boys, Dave Matthews, No Doubt/Gwen Stefani, CSS, Beth Orton,...
- Engineers – Paul PDub Walton
- String engineer – George Foster
- Assistant engineers – Rob Haggett, Tom Hannen, Jeff Kanan, Tim Lambert, Gabe Sganga, David Treahearn
- Mastering – Tim Young
- Programming – Mirwais Ahmadzaï
- Choir arrangement – Nicky Brown
- String arrangements – Michel Colombier
- Photography – Craig McDeanCraig McDeanCraig McDean is a British fashion photographer originally from Middlewich near Manchester, but now based in New York City....
Charts
| Chart | Peak Position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
3 |
| Austrian Albums Chart | 1 |
| Belgium Albums Chart Ultratop 50 Ultratop 50 singles, often just Ultratop 50, is the weekly chart of fifty best-selling singles in Flanders, Belgium, and is produced and published by the Ultratop organization. The chart has existed since March 31, 1995... (Flanders) |
1 |
| Belgium Albums Chart Ultratop 40 Ultratop 40 singles, often just Ultratop 40, is the weekly chart of best-selling singles in Wallonia and Brussels Capital Region, the french-speaking parts of Belgium. Its equivalent covering the Flanders region is Ultratop 50. Both charts are produced and published by the Ultratop organization... (Wallonia) |
1 |
| Canadian Albums Chart Canadian Albums Chart The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS... |
1 |
| Finnish Albums Chart | 2 |
| French Albums Charts Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry... |
1 |
| Denmark Albums Chart | 1 |
| Italian Albums Chart Federation of the Italian Music Industry The Federation of the Italian Music Industry is an umbrella organization that keeps track of virtually all aspects of the music recording industry in Italy.... |
1 |
| Japanese Albums Chart Oricon , established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc... |
4 |
| Netherlands Albums Chart MegaCharts MegaCharts is responsible for the composition and exploitation of a broad collection of official charts in the Netherlands, of which the Mega Top 50 and the Mega Album Top 100 are the most known ones. Mega Charts also provides information to the Stichting Nederlandse Top 40, of which the Dutch Top... |
3 |
| New Zealand Albums Chart Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... |
2 |
| Norwegian Albums Chart VG-lista VG-listen is a Norwegian record chart. It is weekly presented in the newspaper VG and the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation program Topp 20. It is considered the primary Norwegian record chart, charting albums and singles from countries and continent around the world. The data is collected by... |
1 |
| Portugal Albums Chart Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa The Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa is currently the only recording industry association in Portugal. Created in 1989, it succeeded GPPFV and UNEVA .... |
10 |
| Spanish Albums Chart | 2 |
| Swedish Albums Chart Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association .... |
1 |
| Swiss Albums Top 100 Swiss Music Charts The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75... |
1 |
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
1 |
| U.S. Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
1 |
Certifications
| Country | Certification |
|---|---|
| Argentina Argentine Chamber of Phonograms and Videograms Producers The Argentine Chamber of Phonograms and Videograms Producers is an Argentine organization member of the IFPI, which represents the music industry in the country. It is a nonprofit organization integrated by multinational and independent record labels.... |
Gold |
| Australia Australian Recording Industry Association The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956... |
Platinum |
| Brazil Associação Brasileira dos Produtores de Discos The Associação Brasileira dos Produtores de Discos is an official representative body of the record labels in the Brazilian phonographic market.- About :... |
Gold |
| Canada Canadian Recording Industry Association Music Canada is a Toronto-based, non-profit trade organization that was founded 9 April 1963 to represent the interests of companies that record, artists, manufacture, production, promotion and distribution of music in Canada... |
Platinum |
| Europe | Platinum |
| France Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry... |
Platinum |
| Germany Bundesverband Musikindustrie The Bundesverband Musikindustrie or simply BVMI represents the music industry in Germany. The association represents the interests of nearly 350 labels and music industry related enterprises.... |
Platinum |
| Hungary Mahasz Mahasz is the Hungarian music industry association, founded in 1992. Mahasz hands out the Hungarian Music Awards and maintains the music charts for Hungary.... |
Platinum |
| Japan Recording Industry Association of Japan The Recording Industry Association of Japan is an industry trade group composed of Japanese corporations involved the music industry... |
Gold |
| Netherlands NVPI The NVPI is the Dutch tradeassociation of the entertainment industry... |
Gold |
| Russia | Platinum |
| Switzerland | Platinum |
| United Kingdom British Phonographic Industry The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies... |
Platinum |
| United States Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States... |
Platinum |