Six Directions For Madonna's Next Album?

Madonna is currently at work on a new album, which is expected to be unleashed some time in 2010. She has stayed relevant in the music business by constantly reinventing herself, taking in new genres and musical experiments and making them her own. She is meticulous about how she selects collaborators, because they inform the sound of the albums as much at Madge herself.
One of the confirmed producers working on the still-unnamed work is Brendan O'Brien, who made a name for himself sitting behind the boards for Pearl Jam and has also helmed productions for Bruce Springsteen, Rage Against the Machine, Stone Temple Pilots, AC/DC and Aerosmith. Does that mean that the singer behind 'Like a Prayer,' 'Ray of Light' and 'Hung Up' is going to dive deep into the rock world and make a guitar-based album?
It's a possibility, though reports also have A-Trak (a Kanye West collaborator) and David Guetta (of 'Sexy Chick' fame) working on the album as well, which suggests that it's a combination of roots rock, futuristic hip-hop and whatever Akon makes. With that in mind, here are six directions Madonna could go in.

To find out the possible six directions that MTV think Madonna's new album might take read on at newsroom.mtv.com

Thanks to Brant

Comments

[g181]

The way I see it, Madonna was most relevant and most important between 1990 and 1995. Erotica blew everyone up but the daring nature and message behind it can't be challenged by anyone else - not even the older Madonna herself. Comparing albums like Erotica, Ray of Light and Like a Prayer to Hard Candy is just depressing; I wouldn't say she's lost "it", but she could definitely do with a comeback for this album. I think she needs to go back to that hard aggression she once had, and pull it out. Just because we're not living in as conservative times as we were back in the 80s and 90s, doesn't mean she can't put more intelligence and thought into her albums like she's done in the past. I reckon less urban commercial bullshit, more rock/alt-pop/maybe even electro.

[Nicholas]

I'm not gonna lie, part of me really liked Hard Candy, but part of me also thought that it wasn't Madonna. Her albums usually have some sort of meaning to them but this was a commercial appeal moment. I feel like at this point Madonna isn't making music for her, it's more for mass appeal, and her true fans want Madonna, not some generic pop album. I'm sure Madonna worked very hard on Hard Candy, but she needs to be a solo artist and not have the whole "Madonna feat. (insert name here)" thing going on. I hope her next album explodes though, I want so much for it to be amazing. She has even stated herself that American Life, while being one of her worst selling albums of her career, it is one of her favorite albums she has ever made. Please let Madonna find some sort of divine inspiration!!!

[RJ]

OK, first of all AL was not rock! It just had guitar. I loved AL. I regret she's taking this direction, it isn't promising. I have long awaited a rock album from her, but she's not 'on-track' with these producers. I don't know what she hopes to accomplish with this collaboration but I hope it's better than I can imagine.

[alice]

intriguing... i already want the new album!!!!!!!!!!!

[bristar]

"After the Confessions tour, there was an article that quoated Stuart Price. He commented that Madonna's next album would be rock." Jennifer

Well, her next album was 'Hard Candy' and that certainly wasn't rock! Kinda destroys Mr. Price's comment, doesn't it?!

[pymander]

I love American Life, better than anything that came after that!

[pymander]

"I would rather have another "American Life" than another Hard Candy!"

I second that! Bring on the rock album!

[Jennifer]

After the Confessions tour, there was an article that quoated Stuart Price. He commented that Madonna's next album would be rock.

[alzy]

Madonna will not do rock, she has though experimented with rock sounds on her Remixed and Revisited EP. Check out the rock mixes of American Life, Nothing Fails and Love Profusion and then tell me the woman cant do rock. Shes a rock artist, her shows were born in giant stadiums not arenas like todays pop stars! But this album is her first for Livenation so i dont think she will risk another commercial failiure. Im not able to even guess what direction she will go in as shes covered every comercial area going! Whatever path she takes, im sure it will be a good one.

[Bad adriano]

JUST BECAUSE MADONNA DARE TO CONFRONT HER OWN COUNTRY POLITICALLY AT THAT TIME 2003 WITH AMERICAN LIFE ALBUM DOES NOT MEAN THIS IS A BAD ALBUM.SAME GOES TO EROTICA,ALSO FLOP IN HER OWN COUNTRY BUT BOTH ALBUMS ARE WELL RECIEVED ELSEWHERE GLOBALLY.THERE IS NO BOUNDARY IN MUSIC.MADONNA IS NOT BEING TREATED FAIRLY IN HER OWN COUNTRY JUST BECAUSE SHE IS OLD AND TRADEMARK AS IRRELEVANT BY HER OWN COUNTRY PEOPLE.GLOBALLY,SHE IS WELL BELOVED& CHERISHED BY OTHER COUNTRY FANS.

[so what!]

ok, pearl jam? could be interesting actually...
then again... akon & guetta?!? hang on!
i just truly wish she would let go of the pressure to impress the world with another chart-topper. i mean if it happens it should happen on her own terms, but to try too hard for it even these days? when she could have the 'i don't give a sh' laidback cool vibe reminiscent of her early90s stuff?
i'd love a venture into more mature collabs instead follow the plain-boring hyper-silly guetta sound. i'm sure even her kids are listenin to smth more interesting so it can't be an influence there..
how about discovering afro-roots within or doin some jazzy stuff or chill house beats, singing a tune in portugese/brazileira just for the hell of it, fila brazillia beats on the backround etc....
thinking something along the lines of 'secret garden' 'sanctuary' ....
beautiful rare raw gems....
her voice really shines thru & carries more than emotion there....

all the best for the '10!

[scott]

I would rather have another "American Life" than another Hard Candy! It's kind of a confusing pop landscape right now with Lady Gaga all over the place....Madonna needs to remind us why we need her! (That said, I can't wait for the next album!!!!)

[Aaken]

Actually, Madonna started making rock music before she became famous. If ever she's going to put some rock element in her music, it's certainly going to be blended with other styles, something she usually does.
As an artist, she is entitled to make some mistakes sometimes, and those mistakes are relevant as a musical reflection of what's going on in her life. Now that she has her newly found freedom both from her husband and her record company, it will be interesting to see what she's going to come up with. Just hope she does NOT collaborate with David Ghetta or any DJ. She's at her best when she works with real musicians - think Pat Leonard, William Orbit, Mirwais or Stuart Price.
And 'American Life' was a great album, if misunderstood - like Erotica. ^^

[Marcel Horacek]

The most success direction of her career had always been electronica or pop and dance. When she kept this genre, her albums was best selling. Look up to Ray Of Light or Confessions on a dance floor. She would go this way.

[Kennedy Lee]

Wow! I am looking forward to her next album! I started loving Madonna just after her Confessions On A Dancefloor album came out ... because I was old enough to start loving an artist, not just music (I was 12 years old - even though I have always loved M's music). I really cannot wait til her next album. Thanks for telling me about it so early! :D
x

[Carlos M.]

I love Madonna, but every time she picks up the guitar I go to sleep, I even feel a little embarrassed for her, it's not good at all. I also think her last show's weakest numbers are the ones where she plays the guitar. Making a rock album would be a bigger mistake than "American Life", and that one was huge.

[tracysn]

i have been a madonna fan since she started-but im not liking the sound of this-to be honest i think she's becoming a bit sad now-she just seems to work with whoevers trendy at the time-that was not what madonna used to be about-she made the trends & the collaborators trendy.'hard candy' is a prime example.99% of that album was dreadful!!i think she's lost her way a bit & is becoming a bit desperate to be cool.i hope she doesnt become like the rolling stones.xx

[darksky]

whatever the direction is..i just can't wait..
madonna is full of surprises..and that's what make her an icon.