W.E. World Premiere
Thursday, September 1 at 21:30
Palazzo del Cinema – Sala Grande
Venice Film Festival
August 31 – September 10
Italy
Lido
30126 Venice, Italy
Londra, concerto per ricordare Amy Winehouse
Si è svolto lo scorso giovedì sera, a Londra, un concerto per ricordare la breve vita di Amy Winehouse. Presso il Jazz After Dark, definito "il jazz club preferito di Amy", si sono ritrovati vari amici della cantante, suo padre Mitch, la madre Janis, Mark Ronson, il fidanzato Reg Traviss, alcuni suoi coristi, Kelly Osbourne ed Eliza Doolittle. Al club, nella centrale zona di Soho, vari performer si sono avvicendati sul palco per eseguire canzoni di Amy; un brano è stato cantato, riporta un quotidiano britannico, da Mitch, una volta tassista ed ora prevalentemente cantante jazz. Il signor Mitch, 60 anni, lo scorso sabato si trovava a New York per esibirsi quando è stato raggiunto dalla tragica notizia. Sulle assi sono risuonate, anche a cura di Ronson che fu il produttore preferito di Amy, specialmente canzoni di "Back to black" più cover -Frank Sinatra, Carole King- amate dalla scomparsa.
"Amy amava quel locale, a un certo punto molti hanno pianto", ha riferito uno spettatore. Alcune ore prima, uscendo dalla casa della figlia in Camden Square, Mitch e Janis avevano distribuito ai fan sbigottiti vari indumenti ed accessori della figlia. Giunge intanto notizia chealcuni coristi della Winehouse, tra i quali i fratelli Heshima e Zalon Thompson, vogliono registrare delle canzoni per onorare l'artista. "Di solito i coristi li mettono in fondo", ha riferito Heshima alla BBC, "Amy invece ci voleva davanti, con lei, e ci incoraggiava pure a cantare come solisti. A lei non interessavano i soldi, a lei interessava la musica".
Patty Pravo: 'Sto con un ragazzo e penso al matrimonio'
ROMA - Sorpresa in vacanza nel Salento in topless e in compagnia di un ragazzo di nome Alessandro, Patty Pravo ammette intervistata dal settimanale Gente, in edicola: "Ci vediamo da un paio di mesi, mi fa star bene. Per ora è un filarino poi chissà. Ho voglia d' innamorarmi, magari pure di risposarmi". "Con i giovani mi trovo bene - prosegue - dentro sono una bambina, certo c'é la componente fisica, l'estetica, l'attrazione, anche se l'idea di una donna che fa sesso dopo i 50 anni è sconvolgente in questa società dove solo ai maschi tutto è concesso".
Da quarant'anni alla ribalta con un mix di talento e provocazione, Pravo annuncia inoltre l'intenzione di ritirarsi dalle scene tra un paio d'anni: "Smetto di cantare - dichiara - e mi dedico alla direzione d'orchestra, e si sofferma sulla scomparsa recente di Amy Winehouse, alla quale aveva reso omaggio in un video, rifacimento rock de La bambola con parrucca e tatuaggi. "Aveva un talento pazzesco - ricorda - una voce che mi arrivava come poche altre. E' stato uno choc". Da qui, una riflessione sul suo stesso passato: "Bisogna avere le palle, la forza e la sensibilità per capire - ammette - che c'é un tempo per tutto, che non puoi continuare a farti. Io mi sono drogata per divertirmi, mai per distruggermi. Quando ho capito che stavo diventando vittima non della droga, ma del mio personaggio e della fama, me ne sono andata in America a disintossicarmi dalla vita".
Amy Winehouse: le foto di Terry Richardson
Amy Winehouse se n’è andata ma adesso qualsiasi tipo di materiale su di lei diventa prezioso. Come gli scatti inediti diffusi dal fotografo Terry Richardson, che abbiamo visto più volte impegnato sul fronte Lady Gaga e Lindsay Lohan.
Nelle immagini vediamo una Amy lucente, in compagnia dell’ex marito Blake Fielder-Civil.
Date un’occhiata agli scatti di Richardson e alla Amy che preferivamo, quella meno barcollante e più sorridente.
"Che fatica conquistare Madonna"
FULVIA CAPRARA
Si chiama W.E. , racconta la storia dell’amore dirompente tra Wallis Simpson ed Edoardo VIII, che per lei rinunciò al trono. Il titolo contiene le iniziali dei nomi dei due protagonisti e in inglese significa «noi», come per ricordare che quei due erano davvero fatti l’uno per l’altra. L’autrice, per la seconda volta dietro la macchina da presa, si chiama Madonna: per questo il film è il gran colpaccio della Mostra numero 68, il fiore all’occhiello guadagnato al termine di lunghe trattative. Sui nostri schermi lo vedremo grazie all’impegno di Vania Protti Traxler, lady di ferro del cinema italiano, che lo distribuirà con il marchio della sua Archibald, insieme agli altri titoli di un listino da sempre dedicato a film importanti, originali, mai facili o scontati. Alla Mostra, tanto per dare l’idea, Vania Traxler (ex-compagna di Teddy Reno e poi di Manfredi Traxler, con cui ha diviso la grande avventura nel mondo del cinema) è presente anche con il Faust del russo Aleksander Sokurov, impegno alla massima potenza.
Come è riuscita ad aggiudicarsi W.E. ?
«Una fatica micidiale. E una coincidenza».
In che senso?
«Il venditore del film è lo stesso di A single man , il film con Colin Firth di cui siamo stati distributori italiani. Madonna voleva gli stessi, perché le era molto piaciuto il lavoro fatto per quella pellicola».
Quanto è durata la trattativa?
«Abbiamo iniziato a lavorare a marzo, dopo che Madonna era andata a presentare al mercato della Berlinale alcuni spezzoni della pellicola. Abbiamo chiuso durante il Festival di Cannes, dopo aver visto brani del film che ci sono parsi molto belli e molto pieni di glamour».
Che cosa l’attira di questo film?
«Il fatto che racconti la storia d’amore più affascinante del Novecento, quella di un re che abdica per stare accanto alla donna che ama».
E di Madonna che cosa apprezza?
«Soprattutto l’indiscussa professionalità, poi la capacità di curare la propria immagine e, naturalmente, di cantare così bene».
Non sarà facile gestire al Lido un personaggio della sua portata.
«Infatti: non abbiamo nulla per poterla accontentare, ma siamo specializzati nelle imprese difficili. E poi ci sostiene la soddisfazione per il lavoro svolto finora».
L’altra opera con cui siete presenti alla Mostra è il Faust di Sokurov, tutt’altra storia.
«Sì, è una pellicola davvero potente. Mi piaceva proprio questo, l’idea di avere nel listino due titoli totalmente opposti».
Come si decide di comprare un film?
«Con un po’ di incoscienza. E con molto spirito d’avventura».
Arenasonica Festival: sul palco anche il chitarrista dei Rem
Per il suo undicesimo compleanno, Arenasonica Festival - rassegna promossa dal circolo culturale "Favole del Sol" con il patrocinio del Comune di Brescia e della Circoscrizione Nord, dal 2 al 7 agosto all'Arena Parco Castelli - apre all'internazionalità ospitando, tra gli altri, Baseball Project - progetto parallelo del chitarrista dei Rem Peter Buck affiancato da Manuel Agnelli e Rodrigo d'Erasmo degli Afterhours, o gli statunitensi Polvo e The Termals -, ma senza per questo tralasciare realtà nazionali e locali come Brunori Sas o Ettore Giuradei.
La manifestazione si aprirà martedì 2 agosto con l'indie-rock, punk e power-pop dei Thermals da Portland, con l'ultimo lavoro "Personal Life"; a supporto, i bresciani Annie Hall, autori di "Ghosts", colonna sonora dello spot Wind.
Mercoledì 3, sul palco di Mompiano saliranno gli americani Polvo, band simbolo del math-rock per l'unica data italiana dopo la reunion del 2009 - a seguito di 12 anni di separazione - con "In Prism", anticipati dagli Ovlov.
Un altro bresciano, Paolo Cattaneo, si esibirà giovedì 4 presentando l'ep "Il Gioco" - il suo disco più pop - uscito ad aprile ma non ancora interpretato live; a far da spalla, i Marti del genovese Andrea Bruschi.
Venerdì 5 agosto il cantautore calabrese, già vincitore di premio Ciampi e targa Tenco, Brunori Sas seguirà - con "Vol. 2 - Poveri Cristi" ai Cinemavolta.
E ancora, sabato 6 suonerà, in esclusiva bresciana, Ettore Giuradei dopo il terzo album "La Repubblica del Sole", introdotto dai camuni Fraulein Rottenmeier.
Domenica 7, la serata più attesa, in scena The Baseball Project, supergruppo con Peter Buck dei Rem, Steve Wynn - leader dei Dream Syndicate -, Scott McCaughey e Linda Pitmon accompagnati da Manuel Agnelli e Rodrigo d'Erasmo (Afterhours), rispettivamente tastiera e chitarra. In apertura, la svedese Christine Owman, vincitrice del concorso mondiale lanciato in collaborazione con il portale statunitense Sonicbids.
Inizio concerti alle 21, ingresso 5 euro eccetto il 3 e il 7 agosto (12 euro), abbonamenti 33 euro; in caso di pioggia al Latte Più di via Di Vittorio. Info: www.arenasonica.net, tel. 328/8433150.
Venezia, Comencini Gipi e Crialese gli italiani in gara. Madonna fuori concorso
Roma, 28 lug. (Adnkronos) - 'Terraferma' di Emanuele Crialese, 'Quando la notte' di Cristina Comencini e l'opera prima di Gianni Pacinotti (il fumettista Gipi) 'L'ultimo terrestre' sono i tre film italiani in lizza per il Leone d'Oro nel concorso principale della 68ma Mostra del Cinema di Venezia.
Il cartellone dell'edizione 2011 del festival veneziano - che viene presentato stamattina al'Hotel Excelsior di Roma dal direttore della mostra, Marco Mueller, e dal presidente della Biennale, Paolo Baratta - rispetta le indiscrezioni della vigilia e propone tre film tricolori, uno in meno di quanto accaduto negli ultimi anni. L'ultima edizione, infatti, ad ospitare solo tre titoli italiani nel concorso principale fu quella del 2007.
Quanto a Madonna presenterà a Venezia in anteprima mondiale la sua opera seconda da regista, dopo 'Sacro e profano' del 2008, il suo 'W.E.' che però non sarà in gara, com'era facilmente prevedibile, ma uno degli eventi fuori concorso più attesi dell'edizione 2011 della festival veneziano. La popstar, come suggerisce l'acronimo del titolo che sintetizza i nomi di Wallis ed Edoardo (e in inglese vuol dire anche 'Noi'), porta sul grande schermo la storia d'amore tra l'elegante e chiacchierata americana Wallis Simpson, divorziata in un'epoca in cui era un disonore, ed Edoardo VIII (lo zio della Regina Elisabetta II), che per poterla sposare abdicò al trono d'Inghilterra nel dicembre del 1936. Nei panni dei due protagonisti Vera Farmiga e Ewan McGregor.
La presenza di star della musica al Lido non si fermerà a Madonna: il 5 settembre dovrebbe arrivare in laguna anche Vasco Rossi, in occasione della presentazione del documentario su di lui 'Questa storia qua', in programma tra gli eventi speciali della mostra 2011.
Sono invece cinque i film Usa in concorso: oltre al film di aperrtura, diretto e interpretato da George Clooney, 'The Ides of March', sfileranno al Lido per contendersi il Leone d'Oro anche l'opera seconda diAmi Canaan Mann 'Texas killing fields' con Sam Worthington; Abel Ferrara con '4:44 Last Day on earth' con Willom Dafoe; William Friedkin con 'Killer Joe' con Matthew McConaughey.
Accanto ai film statunitensi altri grandi nomi della cinematografia internazionale, a partire da David Cronenberg che porta in concorso 'A degerous method' con Keira Knightley e Viggo Mortensen, per proseguire con Philippe Garrel che presenta 'Un ete' brulant' che vede protagonista la nostra Monica Bellucci al fianco del figlio del regista francese, Louis Garrel, e con Todd Solondz che accomopagnarà in Laguna 'Dark Horse', interpretato da Mia Farrow e Christopher Walken.
Al lido in concorso anche Roman Polanski con 'Carnage' interpretato da Jodie Foster e Kate Winslet. Ritorna, infine, il maestro russo Aleksander Sokurov con il suo 'Faust'. Ai 21 film annunciati oggi, come da tradizione se ne aggiungerà uno a sopresa che verrà svelato a ridosso dell'apertura della Mostra. Notevoli anche le presenza fuori concorso: oltre a Madonna e al suo 'W.E.' ci saranno anche Al Pacino con 'Wilde Salome' e Steven Sederbergh con 'Contagion', che vanta un cast stellare composto da Matt Damon, Kate Winslet, Marion Cotillard, Jude Law e Guinet Paltrow.
Intanto Cinecittà Studios e Cinecittà Luce, in occasione del Leone d'Oro alla carriera che quest'anno verrà consegnato a Marco Bellocchio, festeggeranno il Maestro con una cena di gala ad inviti che si terrà al Lido di Venezia, cui parteciperanno le grandi personalità del cinema italiano e internazionale presenti alla Mostra. ''Siamo orgogliosi di aver ospitato il Maestro a Cinecittà per la quasi totalità dei suoi film, girati nei nostri studi e realizzati con i nostri servizi di post produzione. Abbiamo coprodotto 'Il regista di matrimoni' e in tempi più recenti, con il film 'Vincere', ci siamo aggiudicati il premio Aits per il migliore suono a dimostrazione di una qualità di lavoro assoluta che Bellocchio ha sempre preteso ed ottenuto dai nostri tecnici", afferma Lamberto Mancini, dg di Cinecittà Studios.
Amy Winehouse: "Body and Soul" (e voce) con Tony Bennett
La leggenda di Amy Winehouse, morta prematuramente a 27 anni, crescerà probabilmente nel corso del tempo. In attesa dell'altrettanto leggendario terzo album "postumo", il 20 settembre la sua voce risuonerà ancora grazie a Tony Bennett.
La leggenda di Amy Winehouse, morta prematuramente a 27 anni, crescerà probabilmente nel corso del tempo. Per adesso, i suoi album scalano le classifiche e anche su Amazon e Apple le vendite delle sue canzoni sono salite in maniera vertiginosa. E un tale successo difficilmente non verrà cavalcato, tanto che c'è già chi è pronto a scommettere che a breve uscirà finalmente il tanto annunciato in questi anni terzo album di Amy Winehouse, perché si sa che il "postumo" ha sempre un "valore aggiunto". Il "Daily Telegraph" annuncia che ci sarebbe già "molto materiale" disponibile, anche se solo in formato demo. D'altronde, sembra che Amy Winehouse ci stesse lavorando ormai da 5 anni. E mentre si attende di capire se Amy Winehouse ha davvero inciso qualche mese fa nei Caraibi un duetto con il rapper Cee-Lo Green, si annuncia già come un successo di vendite il prossimo disco di Tony Bennett, "Duets II", in uscita il 20 settembre. Con il crooner Amy Winehouse aveva cantato, infatti, "Body and Soul". Ora della giovane artista resta solo il "soul".
Amy Winehouse: il padre la ricorda così
“Parlerò del suo fantastico recupero. Da poco Amy aveva trovato l’amore con Reg. Lui l’ha aiutata con i suoi problemi e Amy sognava un futuro insieme a lui. Erano anni che non era così felice. (…) Tre anni fa, Amy aveva sconfitto la sua dipendenza dalle droghe, i dottori avevano detto che era impossibile ma lei ce l’aveva fatta. Ora stava cercando di affrontare il suo problema con l’alcol e aveva appena completato tre settimane di astinenza. Mi aveva detto: “Papà, ne ho abbastanza di bere. Non posso più sopportare quello sguardo che avete tu e gli altri in famiglia”. Non era depressa. Venerdì ed era allegra. Quella notte era nella sua stanza, suonava i bonghi e cantava. Era tardi, la sua guardia del corpo le aveva detto di fare meno rumore, e lei aveva smesso. Lui l’ha sentita camminare nella stanza per un po’ e quando al mattino è andato a vedere come stava, ha pensato che stesse dormendo. Quando è tornato qualche ora dopo, si è accorto che non respirava più e ha chiamato aiuto. (…) Buonanotte, angelo mio, dormi bene. Mamma e papà ti ameranno sempre moltissimo”.
Rosario Dawson & Vincent Cassel Next to Join Danny Boyle's 'Trance'
More casting for Danny Boyle's new art heist, not art house, thriller Trance, that recently nabbedJames McAvoy for one of the leads. Deadline reports that actress Rosario Dawson (Unstoppable, Zookeeper) and French actor Vincent Cassel (Mesrine: Killer Instinct, Black Swan) are negotiating for roles in the film, with Cassel playing one of McAvoy's accomplices. Dawson will play a woman who develops "an unusual relationship with both men," whatever that means. The project is said to be as "edgy as Shallow Grave and Trainspotting," two of Boyle's earlier films, and involves a gang of thieves and a painting heist gone wrong.
As was revealed originally, the film is an "art heist gone wrong" thriller, and McAvoy is going to paly Simon, a shady leader of a gang who partners with an assistant at an auction house to pull the heist. The assistant is the mastermind behind it and teams up with a gang of thieves, but suffers a blow to the head and wakes up with amnesia. And he's the only one who knew where the painting's location was. Eventually they suspect something is up when he can't remember and they hire a female hypnotist. Sounds just crazy and intriguing, but this is the Danny Boyle movie we have to wait until 2013 to see, even though they've started casting now. Two more great additions to the cast, I knew Boyle was finding some stellar actors to make this film unique.
Toronto 2011: U2, Pearl Jam e Madonna tra le star
Cresce l'attesa per conoscere la line-up ufficiale della 68° Mostra di Venezia che verrà annunciata domani, ma nel frattempo a sfoderare i propri assi nella manica è il Toronto Film Festival. Nell'annuale conferenza stampa, il direttore Piers Handling e il co-direttore Cameron Bailey hanno svelato parte dell'imponente programma che comprenderà più di 250 pellicole. Per la prima volta nella storia della manifestazione canadese, giunta alla 36° edizione, a inaugurare il festival sarà un documentario. Il film, intitolato From the Sky Down, è dedicato alla band irlandese U2. "E' un grande lavoro che svela molto riguardo al processo creativo di un artista e ha la capacità di coinvolgere emotivamente il pubblico" ha dichiarato Cameron Bailey, parlando del film. A far buona compagnia agli U2 ci penseranno i Pearl Jam, protagonisti del documentario Pearl Jam Twenty di Cameron Crowe che celebra il ventennale della band.
Tante le pellicole di spicco di cui si è parlato molto negli ultimi mesi che verranno presentate in anteprima a Toronto. Gioca in casa la canadese Sarah Polley con il suo Take This Waltz, storia dolceamara di una donna divisa tra due diversi tipi di amore interpretata daMichelle Williams, Sarah Silverman e Seth Rogen. Passerella d'onore anche per l'atteso Moneyball, pellicola sportiva interpretata dalla star Brad Pitt, e per l'horror Twixt, curioso ritorno al genere di Francis Ford Coppola caratterizzato da un cast estremporaneo che vede riuniti Val Kilmer, l'ex moglieJoanne Whalley, Bruce Dern e la giovane stella di Super 8 Elle Fanning. Altrettanto curiosa la scelta di Roland Emmerich di svelare al pubblico la vera identità di Shakespeare nel period movie Anonymous, che sarà presentato in anteprima a Toronto insieme al piccante 360, indagine sui costumi sessuali ispirata all'opera-scandalo di Arthur Schnitzler Girotondo, al complesso Albert Nobbs, interpretato da Glenn Close en travesti, ai drammatici The Deep Blue Sea e The Oranges e al toccante 50/50, storia autobiografica di un giovane che si scopre affetto dal cancro.
Nanni Moretti porterà in Canada il suo Habemus Papam, che verrà mostrato al pubblico nordamericano così come lo spagnolo La pelle che abito, l'apocalitticoMelancholia, il pamphlet politico Le idi di marzo(pellicola d'apertura della Mostra di Venezia) e i "veneziani" (sempre che i rumors di Variety vengano confermati) Edward e Wallis, diretto da Madonna, A Dangerous Method, il dark thriller di William FriedkinKiller Joe e il drammatico Shame. Tra le pellicole più curiose da segnalare la satira politica Butter, prodotta e interpretata da Jennifer Garner, il dramedy The Descendants, interpretato da George Clooney, il biopic Machine Gun Preacher, che vedrà il bel Gerard Butler negli inediti panni di un missionario in Africa, la commedia generazionale Peace, Love, and Misunderstanding e l'adattamento del successo letterario Salmon Fishing in the Yemen.
Oz, the Great and Powerful di Sam Raimi: inizio riprese e sinossi ufficiale
Finalmente iniziano ufficialmente i lavori su Oz, the Great and Powerful, film diretto da Sam Raimi rilettura/prequel del celebre Mago di Oz, all’interno del quale appariranno James Franco, Mila Kunis, Michelle Williams e Rachel Weisz. Le riprese hanno avuto il via per far arrivare il film nelle sale durante il 2013. E visto che l’attesa è ancora lunga, ci viene fornita anche la sinossi ufficiale della nuova pellicola per ingannare il tempo:
“Oz The Great and Powerful immagine le origini dell’amato personaggio di L. Frank Baum, il Mago di Oz. Quando Oscar Diggs (James Franco), un mago da circo con un’etica dubbia, è portato via dal polveroso Kansas al vibrante Mondo di Oz, crede di aver ottenuto tutto con fama e fortuna pronte a essere prese, fino a quando incontra tre streghe, Theodora (Mila Kunis), Evanora (Rachel Weisz) e Glinda (Michelle Williams), convinte che egli non sia il grande mago che tutti aspettano. Portato riluttantemente ad avere a che fare con i problemi del Mondo di Oz e dei suoi abitanti, Oscar deve scoprire chi è buono e chi è cattivo prima che sia troppo tardi. Usando le sue arti magiche con illusione, ingenuità e un tocco di magia, Oscar trasformerà sé stesso non solo nel grande e potente Mago di Oz ma anche in un uomo migliore”
Un James Franco chiamato quindi a riscoprirsi in una parte che forse non ci si aspetterebbe per lui, mentre il trio di streghe sembra già da ora valere il prezzo del biglietto.
Amy Winehouse by Hedi Slimane tributo in bianco all'artista
Hedi Slimane ama anche stare dietro l’obbiettivo della macchina fotografica e ha realizzato ottimi photoshoot che ha raccolto nel suo sito ufficiale, attraverso dei temi. Fashion Diary, Rock Diary, Motion, Portrait e semplicemente Diary. Ieri sul diario, le ultime foto pubblicate riguardavano lei, Amy Winehouse, ritratta dal designer (se non sbaglio) nel 2007 , rigorosamente in bianco e nero, scatti che colgono semplicemente l’essenza dell’artista, senza abiti da copertina, nè trucchi particolari. Lei così com’era, con l’eye-liner che guarda al cielo, un micro short e una t-shirt annodata, che scopre i tatuaggi. Qualche scatto fuori fuoco e due primi piani, che oggi tolgono il fiato…
Björk – Crystalline
La settimana scorsa vi abbiamo parlato dell’ultimo progetto di Björk, Biophilia, che uscirà come app e nei negozi di dischi il 26 Settembre. Nel frattempo ha già rilasciato due canzoni, “Crystalline” e “Cosmogony”, e ne usciranno altre prima dell’uscita dell’album.
Per il video di “Crystalline”, uscito oggi sul web, Björk ha collaborato con Michael Gondry, regista storico dei video dell’artista islandese (regista di “Hyper-Ballad”, “Army Of Me” e “Human Behaviour” tra gli altri). Nel video dei meteoriti dorati riempiono crateri lunari e l’immagine di Björk è proiettata in un disco metallico rotante sopra la superficie. “Per questo video ho deciso che la pioggia di meteorite avrebbe colpito la terra e prodotto un suono. L’idea che un fascio di luce possa avere l’impatto per far accadere queste cose è qualcosa di molto intrigante per me. Tutto quello che vedete nel video è il risultato di diverse conversazioni con Björk” ha detto il regista a proposito del video.
Coldplay LP5: pubblicato il 24 Ottobre e intitolato "Mylo Xyloto" ?
L’uscita di Every Teardrop is a Waterfall (inteso come intero EP, non solo come singolo omonimo) dovrà bastarvi per i prossimi tre mesi. Ce la farete a resistere senza troppi patemi, cari fans dei Coldplay in fremente aspettativa?Le notizie sull’attesissimo LP5 di Chris Martin e soci che filtrano dalla rete stanno mettendo in evidenza una data ben precisa, anzi 2 a dire il vero: 24 e 28 Ottobre 2011. Fatte le deduzioni logiche del caso, potrebbero essere queste le date di pubblicazione del nuovo album di studio del gruppo. La prima relativa al Regno Unito, la seconda per almeno uno degli altri mercati internazionali.A svelare la release date domestica è stato The Sun, che si è divertito pure ad immaginare gli esiti della guerra di vendite contro Noel Gallagher, il quale pubblicherà il suo discoappena una settimana prima, il giorno 17. La tesi del quotidiano ha trovato riscontro nelle pagine di pre-ordine di LP5 di diversi siti internet specializzati come FNAC e HMV, poi è apparso su UKMix ed infine anche sulla versione inglese di Wikipedia. Se due indizi fanno una prova…immaginarsi 4! L’altra data, quella del 28, ha fatto invece capolino dallo store diBOL nella sua filiale olandese.E dopo l’aggiornamento sul quando uscirà, c’è qualcosa da raccontarvi pure sul comepotrebbe chiamarsi e cosa potrebbe contenere l’agognato LP5…continuate la lettura.In una recente intervista il frontman Chris Martin si era divertito a stuzzicare i milioni di adepti dei Coldplay anticipando che il titolo del disco sarebbe stato composto“probabilmente da due parole, la prima delle quali inizia con la lettera M”.Bene…nelle ultime ore è stata scoperta a nome dei componenti del gruppo la registrazione presso il database del PRS For Music (che sta per Performing Right Society, l’equivalente britannica della nostra SIAE) di due titoli: Mylo Xyloto ed Up With The Birds.Cosa vuoldire? I sempre attentissimi ragazzi di Coldplayzone ipotizzano che il primo potrebbe essere il titolo dell’intero album, il secondo un pezzo in esso contenuto, magari proprio il singolo apripista.Tante ipotesi, tutte fondate su elementi concreti e, per questo, almeno un poco attendibili. Per elevarle a notizie certe però non resta che aspettare dichiarazioni ufficiali dal sodalizio oppure i fatidici pochi mesi che ancora ci separano dalla release.Keep on waiting!
MADONNAGRAPHY: Part 4 "TRUE BLUE"
True Blue is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Madonna, released on June 30, 1986, by Sire Records. Madonna worked with Stephen Bray and Patrick Leonard on the album while co-writing all the songs. Deemed as Madonna's most girlish album, True Blue deals with her visions of love, work, dreams as well as disappointments, and was inspired by her then husband Sean Penn, to whom Madonna dedicated the album. Musically, the songs on the album took a different direction from her previous endeavours, incorporating classical music in order to engage an older audience who had been skeptical of her music.
True Blue features instrumentation from acoustic guitars, drums, synthesizers and Cuban musical instruments. The topic for the songs range from love, freedom, and in the case of "Papa Don't Preach", social issues like teenage pregnancy. After its release, True Blue received generally positive reviews from critics. They complimented the album, with one calling it great dance-pop, and described it as the archetype of the late '80s and early '90s pop albums. They also praised the fact that Madonna's voice sounded stronger than it did on her previous efforts, while commending Madonna's skills as a singer, songwriter and entertainer.
Commercially, True Blue became an international success, reaching the top of the charts in 28 countries, an unprecedented achievement at that time. It also became the world's top-selling album of 1986. Worldwide sales of the album stand at 24 million copies, seven million of those being sold in United States, which earned it a seven times platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America. Five singles were released from the album: "Live to Tell", "Papa Don't Preach", and "Open Your Heart", which went on to top the Billboard Hot 100 chart, as well as "True Blue" and "La Isla Bonita", which reached the top-five.
With the singles and their accompanying music videos Madonna began to change her image from that of a "boy-toy" to a more sophisticated and matured look. For "Papa Don't Preach", some social groups condemned Madonna for encouraging teenage pregnancy while others complimented her for her seemingly pro-life stance. "Open Your Heart" faced criticism for its music video, which portrayed a minor entering a strip club. During the 2006 Confessions Tour the live performance of "Live to Tell", which featured Madonna performing the song while hanging from a cross and wearing a crown of thorns, generated media uproar with religious groups condemning it as blasphemy. True Blue is credited as being the album which made Madonna into a superstar.[2] It ensured Madonna's place among the musical artists of the '80s.[3]
On March 6, 1986 at the Kensington Roof Gardens in London, during a press conference for Shanghai Surprise, Madonna confirmed that she was working on a new album named Live to Tell, which would be later changed to True Blue.[4] She again collaborated with Stephen Bray who had worked on her previous album Like a Virgin, and began to work with Patrick Leonard for the first time.[4]Madonna wrote or co-wrote every song on the album, although writing involvement on some songs such as "Papa Don't Preach" and "Open Your Heart" was limited to adding lyrics. She was also credited with co-producing every track. The album was recorded in early 1986, during the first year of Madonna's marriage to American actor Sean Penn. She dedicated the album to Penn saying, "This is dedicated to my husband, the coolest guy in the universe."[5][6] With this album Madonna tried to appeal to an older audience who had previously been sceptical of her music by experimenting with her image, adopting a more 'traditional' look, and incorporating classical music in her songs.[7]
Deemed as Madonna's most girlish album yet, True Blue deals with Madonna's view of love, work, dreams as well as disappointments. According to Madonna, True Blue takes its title from a favorite expression of her then husband Sean Penn and his very pure vision of love.[9] The album was a direct tribute to him as well and was inspired by her "unabashed valentine" for Penn.[10] Most of the songs on the album reflect this idea.[5] Each song onTrue Blue was developed separately. The album's first track, "Papa Don't Preach", was written by Brian Elliot, who described it as "a love song, maybe framed a little bit differently".[11] The song is based on teen gossip he heard outside his studio, which had a large front window that doubled as a mirror where schoolgirls from the North Hollywood High School in Los Angeles regularly stopped to fix their hair and chat.[12] "Open Your Heart" was the first recorded cut for the album, as early as 1986 and ultimately made it to the final released tracklist; it was originally intended for Cyndi Lauper.[13] The third track "White Heat" was dedicated to actor James Cagney and named after the film of the same name from 1949. Two quotations from the original soundtrack were included in the song.[8] The fourth track "Live to Tell" was originally written by Patrick Leonard for the soundtrack of Paramount'sromantic drama film Fire with Fire, but after the company declined it, Leonard showed the song to Madonna.[14] She decided to use it for At Close Range, the new film of her then-husband, actor Sean Penn. Madonna made a demo of the song and, when the film's director, James Foley, heard it he asked Leonard to write the score for the film, as suggested by Madonna.[15]
True Blue was the first album where Madonna included Spanish themes as evident in the song "La Isla Bonita".[16] The song was previously written forMichael Jackson's Bad album, but he had turned it down. While working with Leonard on the album, Madonna accepted it in Jackson's place and re-wrote the song's lyrics, thus earning herself a co-writing credit.[17] Madonna described the song as her tribute to the "beauty and mystery of Latin American people".[18] Originally intended as the first single, "Love Makes the World Go Round" closes the album and was first performed at Live Aid a year earlier in July 1985.[19] The song recalled the antiwar music of the sixties.[20]
The album cover, shot by photographer Herb Ritts, is one of Madonna's most recognizable pictures. It features a picture of Madonna from the neck up. The main colors in the picture are gray, white and various shades of blue to reinforce the album's title. Madonna positioned herself in an elegant pose while wearing pale make up with red lips, tilting back her neck in a swan like pose.[21] Jeri Heiden, who was working at Warner Bros. art department, was given the task of editing the photos and making them compatible for appearance in an album cover.[22] She had to work with a total of 60 rolls of photos, each of size 35 mm. Heiden ordered about 30 to 40 test prints from Ritts' studio and made recommendations based on it.[22] Several images from the photo shoot were considered for the album cover, some of which later became the single covers for "Papa Don't Preach", "True Blue" and "Open Your Heart". The final photo was selected by Madonna, Heiden and Jeff Ayeroff, creative director of Warner Bros. at that time.[22] After the final photo was selected, Heiden commissioned two different versions of the album cover. The original image was taken in black-and-white, and Heiden experimented with a variety of treatments of the photo, to go along with the album's title, and finally arrived at the blue toned, hand tinted version of the image.[22] The LP and CD album cover is a cropped image of a longer picture including torso, more of which is seen in the cover of the cassette tape edition, and was also included as a fold-out poster in the initial pressings of the LP.[23] A poster of Madonna, mirroring the cover art, was included within the vinyl versions of the album.[24] In the US and Canada, the cover did not have any logo, but in the European nations, they were sold with Madonna's name and album title on the cover. Heiden explained in an interview with Aperture magazine that they thought it would be "cool" to use a shrink wrap on the US covers, so that when one took it off, there would only be the photo of Madonna.[22] For the European nations, Warner felt that the name was needed on the cover, as they did not want to take chance with Madonna's popularity there. The back sleeve and the booklet inside featured the song titles in Heiden's own handwriting.[22] About cropping the image for the cassette and the vinyl versions, Heiden said: "I think the image became more interesting cropped into a square—and at that time we always started with the album cover configuration. It was like she was floating—her clothing was not visible. She took on the appearance of a marble statue—Goddess like. In the vertical cropping you see her leather jacket and the wall, and it becomes more typical, editorial, earthly."[22]
According to Lucy O'Brien, author of Madonna: Like an Icon, the album artwork was on-par with Andy Warhol's concept of pop art.[25] She felt that the image was a mixture of innocence, idealism, while incorporating 50s-style Technicolor and hand tinted color, characteristic of Warhol's silkscreen printed design, prevalent in the 60s. Jeri Heiden, the album's cover designer commented, "She was already highly aware of the value of her image and was in control of it. After I took the photo, it appeared as if she was floating—her clothing was not visible. She took on the appearance of a marble statue, goddess-like."[25] O'Brien felt that the artwork heralded the arrival of a new Madonna, while drawing on the enduring appeal of her celluloid icon Marilyn Monroe. "With this picture, Madonna made explicit the connection between Warhol and herself, the vivid nexus between pop art and commerce. The late 1980s marked a new era of the pop artist as a brand, and Madonna became the first one to exploit this."[25] Erica Wexler from Spin described Madonna on the cover as "like a cobra basking in the hot sun, Madonna on the cover of her new album stretches her profile lasciviously."[26]Author J. Randy Taraborrelli commented in Madonna: An Intimate Biography, that the album cover indicated how True Blue was a vehicle of growth for Madonna. He felt that the washed out color photograph of her with head tossed back and eyes closed was understated, especially when compared to the sexier poses with which she had been associated in the past.[27] The album's inner sleeve did not feature any photographs, instead was dedicated to album credits and the song lyrics. This was due to the fact that Madonna wanted to be best represented by her work on True Blue, not her image.[28]
Musically True Blue was a different direction for Madonna. Her previous efforts had her singing in a high pitched voice. With this album, Madonna toned it down for a more bubblegum-pop voice. The songs on the album reflect this and a number of instruments were used in the songs to bring out the different moods which the lyrics emphasized. "Papa Don't Preach" features acoustic, electric, and rhythm guitars, keyboards, and string arrangements.[29] The song samples Beethoven's Appassionata sonata.[30] A continuous percussion filled structure was used in "Open Your Heart".[8] "White Heat"'s sampling of the film's quotation was included with speech and gunshots. It is an uptempo dance song with synth bassand double-tracked vocals supported by male voices in the chorus.[8] On ballads like "Live to Tell" there are background instrumentation from a keyboard, a synthesizer, a funk guitar and a mix of synthesized and real drumming.[31] "Where's the Party" is a standard Madonna dance track with arrangements of bass drums, synthesizer, clattering rhythms and a remixed approach to the whole composition.[8] The title track featured instrumentation from a rhythm guitar, a synthesizer, keyboards, and drums for the bassline, with a backing track that employed a chord progression commonly used in doo-wop[31] Cuban drums and Spanish guitar, maracas and harmonicas are used in "La Isla Bonita".[32] "Jimmy Jimmy" has an early sixties pop influence and the lyrics were a tribute to pop star Jimmy Dean.[8]
Lyrically True Blue reflects Madonna's ideas about love. "Where's the Party" tells about a working girl enjoying her day on the dance-floor after work.[8] "Jimmy Jimmy" talks about Madonna's admiration for the neighbourhood bad boy.[5] Other songs like the Spanish "La Isla Bonita" and "Love Makes the World Go Round" has lyrics dealing with escapism from normal life with the later talking about anti-war and anti-poverty and uses Latin drums and samba influenced rhythms.[5] The lyrics of "White Heat" deals with firmness and Madonna included Clint Eastwood's infamous "make my day" quote in the song.[8] "Papa Don't Preach", dealt with lyrics talking about a young woman who tells her father that she is pregnant out of wedlock, but is going to keep her baby. "Live to Tell" portraits the complexity of deceit and mistrust.[31] The song also is about childhood scars and had an extreme emotional pitch, achieving it in a divine sense.[33] The title track had Madonna talking about romance and 50s inspired girl group pop.[34] The lyrics of "True Blue" are constructed in a verse-chorus form, with the theme been Madonna's feelings for Sean Penn; even using the 1929 archaic love word "dear" in the line "Just think back and remember, dear".[35] Madonna expressed her sexual desires in the lyrics of the song "Open Your Heart"[30] and described the beauty of a Latin paradise in "La Isla Bonita".[36]
True Blue received generally positive reviews from music critics. Music critics praise the fact that Madonna's voice sounded stronger than it did on her previous efforts. Jon Pareles, in a review for The New York Times, said that True Blue reprised the themes of fidelity in its songs and complimented her addition of a tinge of real world storytelling in her songs, making her reach the "fringes of the permissible".[43] Stephen Holden in another review complimented the album and said that "Madonna goes heavy on heart in this record".[46] In a Rolling Stone review, Davitt Sigerson stated that Madonna was "singing better than ever." The album's songs were called "catchy", but Sigerson also commented on the lack of outstanding songs. He ultimately stated that True Blue is a "sturdy, dependable, lovable new album" which "remains faithful to her past while shamelessly rising above it."[44] Stephen Thomas Erlewine, in a review for Allmusic, named the album as the record that made Madonna a superstar. He also called it "one of the great dance-pop albums, a record that demonstrates Madonna's true skills as a songwriter, record-maker, provocateur, and entertainer through its wide reach, accomplishment, and sheer sense of fun."[1]
Sal Cinquemani from Slant Magazine called the album "the supreme archetype for late '80s and early '90s pop music.[...] Time stamped with '80s-era keyboard and drum synths, True Blue, though chockfull of hits, is the most dated of Madonna's albums." Many of the songs on the album were praised including "Live to Tell" which was called striking and "Papa Don't Preach" with the help of which, according to him, "Madonna made the transition from pop tart to consummate artist, joining the ranks of '80s icons like Michael Jackson and Prince."[45] Michael Paoletta from Billboard commented in 2001 that nearly 20 years after its debut, the album is still irresistible.[38] BBC, in an article about the ups and downs of Madonna's career, called True Blue as the album which cemented Madonna's reputation as the first 'Lady of Pop'. The writer also appreciated the songs "Papa Don't Preach" and "Live to Tell".[37] Entertainment Weekly reviewer Jim Farber said "Though Madonna's third project finds her adding to her palette with Spanish pop ("La Isla Bonita") and messing with our heads with its seeming anti-abortion song ("Papa Don't Preach"). Also notable for 'Live to Tell,' her best ballad to date".[41] Robert Christgau was not impressed with the album and said "In a time of collective self-deception, we don't need another snow job."[40] Robert Hilburn fromLos Angeles Times stated that "True Blue isn't revolutionary music, but it is imaginative, highly energized pop that recognizes the limitations and pleasures of Top 40 fare."[42] Erica Wexler from Spincommented that "True Blue is Madonna's rite of passage between pop adolescence and a harsher adult world. With all her contrivances and the delighted tunes that I can't exorcise from my head, her mystique is still explained by the young beefcake who told me, 'I love to pump iron to Madonna'."[47]
According to Guinness Book of World Records, True Blue reached number one in at least 28 countries worldwide, an unprecedented achievement at that time.[48] It was the world's top-selling album of 1986, and by 1991 it had sold over 17 million copies worldwide.[49] It has become one of the best-selling albums in history, selling over 24 million copies worldwide.[50] In the United States, True Bluedebuted at number twenty-eight on the Billboard 200 and reached number one on the issue dated August 16, 1986,[51] staying on the top for six weeks, and was on the chart for a total of eighty-two weeks. The album also reached a peak of forty-seven on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.[52] On February 9, 1995, the album was certified seven times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipments of over seven million copies of the album.[53] This made True Blue the third best selling album of Madonna in the United States behind Like a Virgin (1984) and The Immaculate Collection (1990).[54] After the advent of the Nielsen SoundScan era in 1991, the album sold a further 404,000 copies.[55]
In Canada the album debuted at number seventy-three on the RPM chart for the issue of July 5, 1986.[56] The album climbed rapidly upwards and peaked the chart on the issue dated August 9, 1986[57] staying on the top for nine weeks.[58] The album was present on the chart for seventy-seven weeks.[59] On June 11, 1986, it was certified diamond by the Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA) for shipment of one million copies.[60] In the United Kingdom, True Blue entered the UK Albums Chart at number one, becoming the first album by American artist to do so.[61] It was present on the chart for a total of 85 weeks[62] and became the biggest-selling album of 1986 in the country.[63] The album was certified seven times platinum by the British Phonographic Industry(BPI) on March 1, 1992 for shipment of 2,100,000 copies of the album.[64] The album has sold a total of 1,961,164 copies, landing at number sixty-four on the list of the UK's 100 best-selling albums of all time.[65]
"Live to Tell" was the first single released from the album in March 1986. The song was the second ballad for Madonna after "Crazy for You",[31] and was used in the film At Close Range which starred her then husband Sean Penn. The song was received positively by critics with most of them calling it "her best ballad to date" as well as a "tremendous ballad that rewrites the rules of adult contemporary crossover".[1][41] "Live to Tell" became Madonna's third number one single on the Billboard Hot 100[66] and her second number-one that is featured in a film after "Crazy for You".[67] It also became a success internationally reaching the top ten in Canada, France, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.[68][69][70][71][72] "Papa Don't Preach" was released as the second single in June 1986. It was critically appreciated with most of them declaring it as "the stand-alone song" from the album,[44] also that "with songs like 'Papa Don't Preach', Madonna made the transition from pop tart to consummate artist, joining the ranks of 80s icons like Michael Jackson and Prince."[73] The song became Madonna's fourth number-one single in the U.S.[66] and also reached the top spot in Canada, Ireland, Italy, and the United Kingdom.[74][75][76][77]
"True Blue" was released as the album's third single on September 1986. It is a dance-pop song inspired by the Motown's girl groups from the 1960s.[9] Critics generally received the song as a light-hearted, fun track having a 50's feeling to it,[78] although some critics believed that it was "sassless and neutered" as compared to the other songs on the record,[79] and that "True Blue" is "a song that is merely cute and not really up to being the title track of an album". The song became another top ten hit for Madonna reaching number three on the Billboard Hot 100 chart,[66] and peaked at number one in Ireland and the United Kingdom.[80][81] "Open Your Heart" was the fourth single from the album released on November 1986. The song was appreciated critically with critics comparing it with sweeter post-Motown valentine songs,[46] and "perfect" for dancefloor strut.[82] The song became Madonna's fifth number-one single on the BillboardHot 100 chart.[66] Internationally, it became a top ten hit in several European countries including Belgium, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom.[83][84][85][86][87] "La Isla Bonita" was released as the fifth and final single on February 1987. The song describe Madonna as a tourist who prays "that the days would last, they went so fast".[88] The first line refers to an island called San Pedro although this has not been clearly stated by Madonna in any interview.[89] The song received positive response with critics calling it one of Madonna's greatest, most influential songs as well as the best song on the album.[45][90] "La Isla Bonita" was a worldwide hit, reaching number one in Canada, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom,[91][92] while reaching a peak of four on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.[66]
Most of the songs from this album have been performed by Madonna on her world tours including her most recent Sticky & Sweet Tour. Her 1987 Who's That Girl World Tour set list included almost all the songs from the album except "Jimmy Jimmy" which remains still the only song Madonna did not perform on any live appearance.[93] The performances incorporated ideas of sex, sensation, religious and social themes and video projections.[94] "Live to Tell" was one song which has always been performed backed by religious symbolism. The performance in the 1990 Blond Ambition World Tour had Madonna singing on a confession bench, with Roman columns and a platform full of votive candles in the background.[95] Such symbolism was also present in 2006 Confessions Tour. Madonna performed the song while hanging from a mirrored cross and wearing a crown of thorns.[96] This performance faced immense backlash from religious groups including the Russian Orthodox Church, Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia and the Vatican, which condemned the performance as an act of hostility toward the Roman Catholic Church by religious leaders.[97] Madonna defended her performance saying, "My performance is neither anti-Christian, sacrilegious or blasphemous. Rather, it is my plea to the audience to encourage mankind to help one another and to see the world as a unified whole. I believe in my heart that if Jesus were alive today he would be doing the same thing."[98]
Her live performances of songs like "Papa Don't Preach" and "Open Your Heart" also evoked such reaction from religious groups. Madonna dedicated "Papa Don't Preach" to the Pope during the performance on the Who's That Girl World Tour[99] as video images projected the words "Safe Sex".[100] She later revived the song in the Re-Invention World Tour while wearing t-shirts with slogans like "Kabbalists do it Better" or "Brits do it Better" or "Irish do it Better" T-shirts, reminiscent of the one she used in the song's music video.[101] "Open Your Heart" had Madonna wearing her infamous conical bra during the Blond Ambition World Tour.[102]
For the Who's That Girl Tour, Madonna collaborated with designer Marlene Stewart and brought to life the imagery of the songs and their music videos to stage. Songs like "White Heat" were performed evoking its gangster idea.[103] "Love Makes the World Go Round" was premiered by Madonna at the 1985 Live Aid series of concerts.[104] The most performed song from this album is "La Isla Bonita". She performed the song on most of her world tours including the 1987 Who's That Girl Tour, the 1993 Girlie Show Tour, the 2001 Drowned World Tour, the 2006 Confessions Tour, and in the Sticky & Sweet Tour in 2008–09. She also sang it at the 2007 Live Earth benefit concert in London. The song has been performed in a variety of remixed versions while retaining the Spanish nature of the composition. Occasionally Madonna is joined by folk groups and gypsy punk bands[105] while dance/tribal remixes of the song have also been performed.[106] In the Sticky & Sweet TourMadonna incorporated gypsy folk songs like "Doli Doli" and "Lela Pala Tute".[107] The release of Madonna's True Blue in 1986 was among several albums by female artists which dominated the Billboard charts, including those by Whitney Houston, Sade, Janet Jackson, Cyndi Lauper, and Barbra Streisand. In addition to their willingness to seek outside collaborators, versus male artists who have preferred autonomy, Karin Berg, director of East Coast artists and repertoire forWarner Bros. Records commented, "[w]e may also be speaking here about a new kind of women who dominate their careers, women—Streisand and Madonna, especially—who know exactly what they want and are better at asserting themselves than some of the women in the past."[108] True Blue was also influential in increasing the number of singles released by record labels. Paul Grein ofBillboard reported: "10 or 20 years ago you would have had two singles from an album at the most. Now we're in an era where Madonna is on her fifth single from the album True Blue and Janet Jackson is on her sixth from the LP Control."[109]
The second single from the album, "Papa Don't Preach" faced criticism as well as support from groups concerned with pregnancy and abortionfor its theme of a girl getting pregnant and then deciding to keep her baby instead of aborting it. Alfred Moran who was the executive director ofPlanned Parenthood of New York City, criticized the song, fearing that it would undermine efforts to promote birth control among adolescents and that it would encourage teenage pregnancy.[110][111] Susan Carpenter-McMillan who was the president of Feminists for Life (FFL) in the U.S., accepted the song's theme as being pro-life and said that "abortion is readily available on every street corner for young women. Now what Madonna is telling them is, hey, there's an alternative."[111] In a New York Times interview, Madonna commented on the events happening surrounding the song:[9]
"Papa Don't Preach" is a message song that everyone is going to take the wrong way. Immediately they're going to say I am advising every young girl to go out and get pregnant. When I first heard the song, I thought it was silly. But then I thought, wait a minute, this song is really about a girl who is making a decision in her life. She has a very close relationship with her father and wants to maintain that closeness. To me it's a celebration of life. It says, 'I love you, father, and I love this man and this child that is growing inside me'. Of course, who knows how it will end? But at least it starts off positive."
Author Semonche in his book Censoring sex explained that with albums like True Blue and the next Like a Prayer, Madonna pushed the envelope of what could be shown on television which resulted in increase of her popularity.[112] Madonna tried to experiment with different forms and styles with the videos and in the process constructed a new set of image and identity.[113] She employed different aesthetic strategies to illustrate her songs, both narratively and deconstructing the actual meaning of the song.[113] With the music videos of the True Blue singles, Madonna changed her boy-toyimage of previous videos, movies and concert performances to a sophisticated and serious young woman.[113] Madonna toned down her look for the music video of "Live to Tell" which portrayed her with shoulder-length wavy and golden blond hair with her clothes consisting of a simple 1930s-style flower dress.[114] Madonna adopted a constant image makeover with each video as was evident with the release of the next music video for "Papa Don't Preach". She appeared as a short-haired young blond teenager with the character deciding against abortion when she becomes pregnant.[113]Madonna wore a slogan T-shirt that announced "Italians do it Better".[115]
However, the music video of "Open Your Heart" had Madonna changing the concept of the stereo-typical male gaze and voyeurism. She appeared as a stripper in the video, who escapes with a young boy from the strip parlour in the end.[113] Feminist writer Susan Bordo gave a negative review of the video, saying that the leering and pathetic men in the cubicles and Madonna's escape with the boy is "cynically and mechanically tacked on [as] a way of claiming trendy status for what is just cheesecake – or, perhaps, pornography".[116] MTV also had some reservations initially before airing the video, which was later resolved after a meeting with Warner Officials.[117] But author Donn Welton pointed out that the usual power relationship between the "voyeuristic male gaze and object" is destabilized by the portrayal of the male patrons of the peep show as leering and pathetic.[118]
The original video for the third single "True Blue" showed Madonna with a new hairstyle from short-cropped in "Papa Don't Preach" to a bushy platinum blonde hairdo.[119] However, Madonna and Sire Records decided to opt for a promotional device in the United States that would involve MTV viewers to make their own videos for the song.[120] The contest was known as "Madonna's 'Make My Video' Contest". Thousands of participants submitted their own versions of the song.[121] Author Lisa A. Lewis said that this event emphasized Madonna's role as purveyor of multiple audience feelings. Madonna's Spanish look in the music video for the single "La Isla Bonita" became popular and appeared in the fashion trends at that time in the form of boleros and layered skirts accessorizing with rosary beads and crucifix like the video.[122] In recognition of her music videos impact on popular music, Madonna was honored with MTV Video Vanguard Award in 1986, becoming the first female artist to achieve that acclaim.[123]
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