Madonna has done it again, pipping some of music’s biggest names to the top and kicking Paul Weller off the number 1 spot in this week’s UK album charts. But this isn’t just any small victory or just another number 1. MDNA has broken records for Madonna, giving her her 12th UK number 1 hit album – a feat not even possible for the king himself, Elvis Presley. This achievement has truly confirmed Madonna’s position as the Queen of Pop; but just how has she achieved this?
Madonna's MDNA album cover.
A sturdy fan base would seem the obvious answer, but this idea is sent into oblivion when we consider that her previous single “Give Me All Your Luvin” only debuted at 37 back in February. And the situation becomes even more peculiar when we consider that this venture included both Nicki Minaj and MIA – supposedly some of the moment’s hottest acts.
So, what exactly is it spurring Madonna on to success? And why now? Personally, I believe it’s the effect of the dawning of the age of the comeback. With the country and economy having seen better days, it makes sense that people would begin to look back to more comfortable times; and of course music is one of the defining factors of an era.
It makes sense then, that 90s pop sensations both Steps and S Club 7 decided to embark on comeback tours this year, even though we’ve heard little from either group in probably over 10 years now. There may seem nothing unusual in a group reforming and doing a comeback tour to please their ever loyal fans; but it seems a little strange that both would decide to do so this year. Doing this, not only creates a great sense of rivalry between the bands, but could also potentially mean that either/both of the groups could lose out due to the competition. This seems unlikely though, as not only did both bands have hoards of adoring fans, but who doesn’t love a bit or cheese and reminiscing?!
Perhaps the most outrageous of all is the highly unexpected comeback of Englebert Humperdinck; who has been selected to represent the United Kingdom in the Eurovision song contest. Although Eurovision is pretty wacky in itself, it is nevertheless a competition and I don’t feel that Englebert fits particularly well in to any winning category of the competition. After viewing his entry Love Will Set You Free, there was no doubt in my mind that the romanticising of the past has gone too far. Although, he is arguably a better singer than many popular acts on the music scene today, he seems to take himself extremely seriously for a contest such as this and I’m not entirely sure that people all over Europe will actually get it – I’m certainly struggling.
Englebert Humperdinck flying the flag for the United Kingdom.
So is the past really the way forward? Madonna has certainly proved that it is for her and as for the others I guess only time will tell. Whilst some cynics could say why not? – after all, it’s 2012 and the dawning of the end of the world, so we may as well make the most of it… I like to think that there’s nothing wrong with having a guilty pleasure from the past, especially if, like Madonna they’re continuing to make new music. However, I would argue that there is most definitely a cut off point, and once it’s reached, new music or not, some acts should just call it a day.
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