The Bottom Line
Clearly "Celebration," the first single from Madonna's upcoming two disc career retrospective also titled Celebration, is the sound of a major artist marking time. She is completing contract obligations with Warner Bros., her recording home for over 25 years, while preparing for the move to a deal with Live Nation. The song is an uptempo dance track that will breeze through clubs as the summer draws to a close, but it does lack any particular originality. However, Madonna echoing her triumphs of the 80's still puts her in a quality category above most mainstream pop artists.
Pros
- Irresistible party groove
- Echoes of past career dance-pop triumphs
Cons
- Bland lyrics
- A sense of autopilot about the entire song
Description
- Written by Madonna, Paul Oakenfold, Ian Green, and Ciaran Gribbin
- Produced by Madonna and Paul Oakenfold
- Released July 2009 by Warner Bros.
Guide Review - Madonna - Celebration
Few pop fans would be likely to change radio stations when the latest Madonna single "Celebration" is played, which is a testament to the power of her trademark style first honed back in the 80's. However, casual fans of the pop legend are unlikely to be able to identify whether the song is current or simply a leftover track from the days of "Vogue" or even "Into the Groove." Major artists repeating themselves can be tremendously irritating to fans, but "Celebration" is more likely to simply be a reminder of the powerful talent of Madonna and it will slip easily into her canon of dance classics.
Legendary DJ and dance music producer Paul Oakenfold is the primary collaborator here. He does give Madonna a very current technological sheen for "Celebration." For this track, at least, it doesn't appear as if artistic sparks actually flew. Instead, it sounds more like the song was a creation intended to be a more generic blend of past triumphs. This may be a better approach than initially imagined, because "Celebration" is an instant reminder of who Madonna has been as an artist. Her 39 #1 dance singles, soon likely to be 40, is the music achievement least likely to ever be matched in the future.
If you are looking for an effortlessly breezy dance tune to support your own celebratory party, "Celebration" will perfectly fit the bill. It even features a slightly naughty spoken word section, "I don't recognize you with your clothes on." Ultimately, however, "Celebration" will function best as a simple introduction to the work of Madonna but will remain far from one of the featured achievements.
