Rebel Heart (2015)

Rebel Heart (2015)

Rebel Heart lives up to its name by pivoting back and forth between rebellion and introspection. The dualistic nature of the album gives Madonna room to dabble with an eclectic amount of influences. “Unapologetic Bitch” creates a dancehall vibe while “Body Shop” sounds like she’s going to Graceland with Paul Simon.

The EDM tracks that dominated her last two albums are still present but not nearly as overarching. Despite Diplo, Avicii, and Kanye on the production credits, the slower, more melodic ballads such as “HeartBreakCity” are the real standouts for revealing a vulnerable side we haven’t seen since the ’90s. “Ghosttown” is a synthesized ballad on survival, and recreates a pop-folk blend similar to what she created with Ahmadzaï in Music and American Life.

Madonna revisits the religious themes in both the rebellious and introspective sides on the album. “Joan of Arc” laments her sordid relationship with the media while “Holy Water” describes — in accurate detail I’m sure — the taste of her holy water. The album is strewn with lyrics on sin, redemption, and other papal jargon that any Catholic School dropout would recognize. Only this time, Madonna sings with uncouth authority, reminding us that she’s an unapologetic bitch, but not one impenetrable to guilt or remorse. Rebel Heart depicts a rebel with a heart of gold, one who weighed every option and realized there is no nobility in saying sorry.