Recent from talks
Madame X Tour
Knowledge base stats:
Talk channels stats:
Members stats:
Madame X Tour
The Madame X Tour was the eleventh concert tour by American singer Madonna, in support of her fourteenth studio album, Madame X (2019). It began on September 17, 2019, at the BAM Howard Gilman Opera House in New York City, United States, and ended on March 8, 2020, at the Grand Rex in Paris, France. An all-theater tour, it was the singer's first time playing small venues since the Virgin Tour (1985); she had previously shown interest in doing a smaller-scale show during a 2017 interview. The tour consisted exclusively of dates in the United States, Portugal, England, and France; mobile phones and smart watches were banned from the concerts, which was met with mixed reactions from fans.
The tour was met with positive reviews from critics, although the inclusion of Madame X album cuts garnered some criticism. Controversy arose due to Madonna's late show starts, with a fan going as far as to file a class action lawsuit against her. At the 2020 Billboard year-end boxscore charts, it was reported that Madame X had grossed over $36,385,935 from an audience of 124,655.
After several cancellations due to a recurring knee injury, the tour ended abruptly three days before its planned end date, following on from the French government announcing a ban on gatherings of more than 1,000 people to curb the spread of COVID-19 in the midst of the pandemic. Shot during the Lisbon dates, the concert film Madame X was directed by Ricardo Gomes, Sasha Kasiuha, and Nuno Xico. It had its premiere on September 23 at New York's Times Square Edition Hotel, and was released through Paramount+ on October 8, 2021. A live album titled Madame X: Music from the Theater Xperience was released on October 8, 2021 exclusively on streaming platforms and subsequently on vinyl.
In 2017, Madonna relocated to Lisbon when seeking a top football academy for her son David Banda, who wanted to become a professional association football player. While living in the city, she began meeting artists; painters and musicians who would invite her to "living room sessions." In the sessions, they would bring food and sit around the table, and musicians would start playing instruments, singing fado and samba music. The singer's fourteenth studio album Madame X was released on June 14, 2019; it became Madonna's ninth number-one album on the Billboard 200. Prior to the album's release, the singer had expressed the idea of going on tour during a backstage interview at the 2019 Billboard Music Awards. During a 2017 interview with BBC News Madonna had mentioned the possibility of doing a smaller-scale show; "I've done so many shows—world tours, stadiums, arenas, you name it—that I feel like I have to reinvent that now too. I like doing intimate shows and being able to talk directly to the audience." The Madame X Tour was officially announced by the singer on May 6, 2019, through her official Twitter account, where she posted a short promotional video co-starring Diplo. It visited smaller venues as the singer liked, in her own words, "the idea of staying in one place and people coming to me." It marked the first time Madonna played theaters and small venues since 1985's the Virgin Tour.
Mobile phones and smart watches were banned from the concerts; attendees were required to put their devices in pouches ahead of each show. A source explained that "[Madonna] wants to have an intimate experience with her audience without phones up in the air and screens separating fans from the performance." Fans online complained of the "stress" of the ban, while others said it made for a "good concert experience." In a telephone interview with Mario Lopez for Megaphone, Madonna said the set list would be 70% new material. Jamie King was appointed creative director; personnel working on the tour included 41 musicians, Monte Pittman on guitar, backup singer Dana "Yahzarah" Williams, 12 dancers, and 14 of the 22 women of the Batukadeiras Orchestra.
Stufish provided the show’s sets, which include mapped video projection, large-scale video images, staircases, and other reconfigurable scenic pieces that were compared to a Rubik's Cube. The wardrobe included a glittery Revolutionary War attire with feathered tricorne hat and a chiffon dress, with frills and Swarovski crystals designed by Francesco Scognamiglio. Additional articles were provided by Prada, Burberry, Miu Miu, and Versace. For the performance of "Frozen" (1998), Choreographer Damien Jalet with Luigi & Iango filmed a "dramatic" black and white video of Madonna's eldest daughter Lourdes Leon as a "shape-shifting spirit who finds her freedom through her movements." A week before the tour kicked off, a pop-up store was announced in New York; it counted with exclusive merchandise such as signed vinyls, signed and framed art prints, hand-painted hoodies, and tees. The store also had a make-up counter with artists available each day, an interactive photo booth, and a station where shoppers could add embroidery to their items. The Madame X Tour officially began on September 17, 2019, at New York City's BAM Howard Gilman Opera House, and ended on March 8, 2020, at Paris' Grand Rex.
The show began with a quote by James Baldwin: "Art is here to prove that all safety is an illusion... Artists are here to disturb the peace." Then, a silhouetted woman sat at a typewriter; each key press sounding like a gunshot, accompanied by a dancer jerking and flinching as if he had been shot. Madonna then appeared to sing "God Control" while being bounced between two police officers’ shields. The number had cops attacking dancers under a video montage of news footage. "Dark Ballet" was performed next, with Joan of Arc references and the singer fighting dancers in gas masks reminiscent of the mice in The Nutcracker (1892); it counted with a ballet breakdown halfway through. Afterwards, Madonna yelled "Fuck the patriarchy!" before being dragged by dancers dressed as policemen into a circular cell in the stage. This led to a rendition of "Human Nature", as pointing fingers were projected across the stage, and she joined percussionist Miroca Paris on the congas. Towards the end, she was surrounded by 11 black women − including her twin daughters Stella, Estere, and Mercy James − and chanted the phrase "I'm not your bitch!" An a capella rendition of "Express Yourself" and a brief interlude where Madonna addressed the audience followed.
"Vogue" and "I Don't Search I Find" were performed with lookalike dancers dressed in blonde wigs, trench coats, shades, and high heels. Next, Madonna sang the first verse and chorus of "Papa Don't Preach"; she changed the lyric "I'm keeping my baby" to "I'm not keeping my baby". Afterwards, she played guitar for "American Life" while uniforms fell down from above the stage, and dancers dressed as soldiers dragged a coffin. A short video led to "Batuka", which had 14 women of the Batukadeiras Orchestra playing the drums while Madonna sat to the side on a stairwell, before eventually joining them and doing batuque moves. What came next were performances of Isabel De Oliveira's "Fado Pechincha", and Madame X album tracks "Killers Who are Partying" and "Crazy" - the last one was played with an accordion. A cha-cha-chá mashup of "La Isla Bonita" and a new song called "Welcome to My Fado Club" was performed next, followed by a guitar rendition of Cesária Évora's "Sodade" including Miroca Paris who performed and recorded with Cesaria Evora for over a decade. The next numbers were "Medellín", with Maluma appearing on the backdrop screens, and album track "Extreme Occident". An interlude of dancers doing synchronized moves to lyrics of "Rescue Me" followed.
Hub AI
Madame X Tour AI simulator
(@Madame X Tour_simulator)
Madame X Tour
The Madame X Tour was the eleventh concert tour by American singer Madonna, in support of her fourteenth studio album, Madame X (2019). It began on September 17, 2019, at the BAM Howard Gilman Opera House in New York City, United States, and ended on March 8, 2020, at the Grand Rex in Paris, France. An all-theater tour, it was the singer's first time playing small venues since the Virgin Tour (1985); she had previously shown interest in doing a smaller-scale show during a 2017 interview. The tour consisted exclusively of dates in the United States, Portugal, England, and France; mobile phones and smart watches were banned from the concerts, which was met with mixed reactions from fans.
The tour was met with positive reviews from critics, although the inclusion of Madame X album cuts garnered some criticism. Controversy arose due to Madonna's late show starts, with a fan going as far as to file a class action lawsuit against her. At the 2020 Billboard year-end boxscore charts, it was reported that Madame X had grossed over $36,385,935 from an audience of 124,655.
After several cancellations due to a recurring knee injury, the tour ended abruptly three days before its planned end date, following on from the French government announcing a ban on gatherings of more than 1,000 people to curb the spread of COVID-19 in the midst of the pandemic. Shot during the Lisbon dates, the concert film Madame X was directed by Ricardo Gomes, Sasha Kasiuha, and Nuno Xico. It had its premiere on September 23 at New York's Times Square Edition Hotel, and was released through Paramount+ on October 8, 2021. A live album titled Madame X: Music from the Theater Xperience was released on October 8, 2021 exclusively on streaming platforms and subsequently on vinyl.
In 2017, Madonna relocated to Lisbon when seeking a top football academy for her son David Banda, who wanted to become a professional association football player. While living in the city, she began meeting artists; painters and musicians who would invite her to "living room sessions." In the sessions, they would bring food and sit around the table, and musicians would start playing instruments, singing fado and samba music. The singer's fourteenth studio album Madame X was released on June 14, 2019; it became Madonna's ninth number-one album on the Billboard 200. Prior to the album's release, the singer had expressed the idea of going on tour during a backstage interview at the 2019 Billboard Music Awards. During a 2017 interview with BBC News Madonna had mentioned the possibility of doing a smaller-scale show; "I've done so many shows—world tours, stadiums, arenas, you name it—that I feel like I have to reinvent that now too. I like doing intimate shows and being able to talk directly to the audience." The Madame X Tour was officially announced by the singer on May 6, 2019, through her official Twitter account, where she posted a short promotional video co-starring Diplo. It visited smaller venues as the singer liked, in her own words, "the idea of staying in one place and people coming to me." It marked the first time Madonna played theaters and small venues since 1985's the Virgin Tour.
Mobile phones and smart watches were banned from the concerts; attendees were required to put their devices in pouches ahead of each show. A source explained that "[Madonna] wants to have an intimate experience with her audience without phones up in the air and screens separating fans from the performance." Fans online complained of the "stress" of the ban, while others said it made for a "good concert experience." In a telephone interview with Mario Lopez for Megaphone, Madonna said the set list would be 70% new material. Jamie King was appointed creative director; personnel working on the tour included 41 musicians, Monte Pittman on guitar, backup singer Dana "Yahzarah" Williams, 12 dancers, and 14 of the 22 women of the Batukadeiras Orchestra.
Stufish provided the show’s sets, which include mapped video projection, large-scale video images, staircases, and other reconfigurable scenic pieces that were compared to a Rubik's Cube. The wardrobe included a glittery Revolutionary War attire with feathered tricorne hat and a chiffon dress, with frills and Swarovski crystals designed by Francesco Scognamiglio. Additional articles were provided by Prada, Burberry, Miu Miu, and Versace. For the performance of "Frozen" (1998), Choreographer Damien Jalet with Luigi & Iango filmed a "dramatic" black and white video of Madonna's eldest daughter Lourdes Leon as a "shape-shifting spirit who finds her freedom through her movements." A week before the tour kicked off, a pop-up store was announced in New York; it counted with exclusive merchandise such as signed vinyls, signed and framed art prints, hand-painted hoodies, and tees. The store also had a make-up counter with artists available each day, an interactive photo booth, and a station where shoppers could add embroidery to their items. The Madame X Tour officially began on September 17, 2019, at New York City's BAM Howard Gilman Opera House, and ended on March 8, 2020, at Paris' Grand Rex.
The show began with a quote by James Baldwin: "Art is here to prove that all safety is an illusion... Artists are here to disturb the peace." Then, a silhouetted woman sat at a typewriter; each key press sounding like a gunshot, accompanied by a dancer jerking and flinching as if he had been shot. Madonna then appeared to sing "God Control" while being bounced between two police officers’ shields. The number had cops attacking dancers under a video montage of news footage. "Dark Ballet" was performed next, with Joan of Arc references and the singer fighting dancers in gas masks reminiscent of the mice in The Nutcracker (1892); it counted with a ballet breakdown halfway through. Afterwards, Madonna yelled "Fuck the patriarchy!" before being dragged by dancers dressed as policemen into a circular cell in the stage. This led to a rendition of "Human Nature", as pointing fingers were projected across the stage, and she joined percussionist Miroca Paris on the congas. Towards the end, she was surrounded by 11 black women − including her twin daughters Stella, Estere, and Mercy James − and chanted the phrase "I'm not your bitch!" An a capella rendition of "Express Yourself" and a brief interlude where Madonna addressed the audience followed.
"Vogue" and "I Don't Search I Find" were performed with lookalike dancers dressed in blonde wigs, trench coats, shades, and high heels. Next, Madonna sang the first verse and chorus of "Papa Don't Preach"; she changed the lyric "I'm keeping my baby" to "I'm not keeping my baby". Afterwards, she played guitar for "American Life" while uniforms fell down from above the stage, and dancers dressed as soldiers dragged a coffin. A short video led to "Batuka", which had 14 women of the Batukadeiras Orchestra playing the drums while Madonna sat to the side on a stairwell, before eventually joining them and doing batuque moves. What came next were performances of Isabel De Oliveira's "Fado Pechincha", and Madame X album tracks "Killers Who are Partying" and "Crazy" - the last one was played with an accordion. A cha-cha-chá mashup of "La Isla Bonita" and a new song called "Welcome to My Fado Club" was performed next, followed by a guitar rendition of Cesária Évora's "Sodade" including Miroca Paris who performed and recorded with Cesaria Evora for over a decade. The next numbers were "Medellín", with Maluma appearing on the backdrop screens, and album track "Extreme Occident". An interlude of dancers doing synchronized moves to lyrics of "Rescue Me" followed.