Director Jonas Akerlund shares behind-the-scenes details from Madonna’s bonkers new video
Anytime Madonna announces a new video, it’s a global event. And it’s no different with her newest clip for her thumping single “Bitch I’m Madonna,” which debuted online on Wednesday. In fact, it’s the Queen of Pop’s most bonkers video in years—and features a who’s-who of all-stars like Beyonce, Katy Perry, Miley Cyrus, Nicki Minaj, Rita Ora, Chris Rock, and others.
For such an occasion, Madonna teamed up once again with one of her most trusted collaborators, director Jonas Akerlund. Over the last 17 years, the two have worked on some of her most iconic visuals, from 1998’s Grammy-winning “Ray of Light” to April’s dramatic, post-apocalyptic “Ghosttown,” co-starring Terrence Howard.
So how did the two pull off such a feat with “Bitch I’m Madonna”? And what was it like juggling the schedules of M, her guest stars, and a crew of around 100 people? Akerlund shares behind-the-scenes details on making the video with EW.
On Coming Up With the Concept
“Madonna called me about ‘Ghosttown.’ We hadn’t worked for a while because of different circumstances so when I heard all the songs [onRebel Heart], I was very excited about ‘Ghosttown.’ I connected to it creatively. And, yeah, we enjoyed working together. I was supposed to start something else right after and that got pushed and she asked me to do ‘Bitch I’m Madonna.’ I saw it being so completely different from ‘Ghosttown,’ something a little bit less serious, just fun and crazy.”
On Preparing for the Shoot
“It became almost mathematic figuring out how to shoot it. We had a detailed shotlist. We also rehearsed, which is rare for a music video.”
On Filming Over One Night in New York City
“It’s always a challenge. Madonna is a celebrity enough for any music video. But with the nature of the song and the playfulness of it, we thought, ‘Let’s have some friends and family and go crazy with it!’ Everyone was spread out and their time is tight, but the good news is we all love Madonna and everyone wants to be involved. That made it really fun and playful.”
On Fighting Against Daylight
“On film shoots, you normally fight against losing daylight, but on this job we were fighting against the sun coming up. But you do see parts of it at the end, the sun on it’s way up.”
On Downtime on Set
“It was fun! That’s the only way to do it really. But it was technical. Everybody needed to be on their place and do their job. Everyone had cues and everyone was ready. And when we left the shoot, we thought, ‘If the video feels half as good as we feel, then it’s a homerun.’”
On Why He Loves Working With Madonna
“We’ve built trust between us through the years and she’s one of those people who really gets the best out of you. She wants to do something great. Every time we do videos, we want to change the world. A lot of artists don’t do that, but she does. She has that extra thing that makes her job worth it.”
Watch Madonna’s ‘Bitch I’m Madonna’ Video, Starring Beyonce, Katy Perry, Nicki Minaj, and Miley Cyrus
Though Madonna’s recent album Rebel Heart didn’t do much to sway outsiders to her camp, the iconic pop star has continued to support the LP with all her might, continuing that campaign today with her flashy, all-in music video for arguably her best track in half a decade, “Bitch I’m Madonna.” The song features a blistering verse by Nicki Minaj — who, of course, shows up in the video — but Madge’s visual also sees appearances by other members of the pop elite like Beyoncé, Katy Perry, Miley Cyrus, and… Rita Ora (who?).
Other cameos include Chris Rock, Diplo, Alexander Wang, Kanye West, and many more. All that stuffing might lead you to believe the “Bitch I’m Madonna” video would be a bit overcrowded, but in honesty, it skews much closer to her legendary “Hung Up” video in its grandeur and ambition than it does her campy“Living For Love” attempt. Check it out — where else? — exclusively on Tidal (orright here if you’re not a subscriber).
Madonna debuts ‘Bitch I’m Madonna’ music video on TIDAL
Posted June 17 2015 — 10:29 AM EDT
Madonna released the music video for “Bitch I’m Madonna” to TIDAL on Wednesday, after days of teasing on her social media accounts. Directed by longtime Madonna collaborator, Jonas Åkerlund, the video features appearances from megastars Nicki Minaj, Beyonce, Katy Perry, Miley Cyrus, and Rita Ora. Minaj is also featured on the vocals.
“We Go Hard Or We Go Home!” Madonna wrote on Twitter to announce the video’s debut.
TIDAL subscribers can see the clip right now; everyone else should check back here later for the full release.
Madonna Drops Star-Studded ‘Bitch I’m Madonna’ Video With Surprise Kanye West Cameo
Courtesy of Tidal
OMG, it’s here! Madonna’s ‘Bitch I’m Madonna’ video finally premiered on June 17, and it’s even more epic than we expected. Check out the star-studded vid, featuring Katy Perry, Beyonce, Miley Cyrus and even Kanye West, right here!
Yep, Madonna, 56, is still queen! Exactly one month after Taylor Swift, 25, released her celeb-filled “Bad Blood” video, the Queen of Pop premiered her own A-List-filled clip for “Bitch I’m Madonna.” You HAVE to see the energetic vid!
Okay, so “Bitch I’m Madonna” and “Bad Blood” actually could NOT be more different! While Taylor spent a lot of time showing off all her gal pals, Madonna’s video just flashes to quick clips of stars like Katy Perry, Rita Ora, Miley Cyrus, Beyonce, Nicki Minaj. Oh, and there’s also a surprise, super unexpected appearance from Kanye West, too! CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE VIDEO.
In the vid, Madonna shows off a fabulous pink ombre hairstyle while wearing a cheetah-print dress and bold, pink studded jacket. The 56-year-old singer dances throughout a colorful home, with eclectically-dressed dancers following her as she makes her way around. Throughout the 4-minute clip, the camera quickly shows some famous faces, including Beyonce striking Madonna’s famous Vogue pose, and Miley wearing some intense blue glitter around her eyes.
It is pretty interesting though — Madonna’s video stars some of Taylor’s sworn enemies! Katy is actually the subject of her diss track “Bad Blood,” she had a falling out with Miley, and Rita used to date her now-boyfriend, Calvin Harris. And of COURSE, even though they made up at the Grammy Awards in 2015, we’ll never forget Taylor and Kanye’s feud! Still, the 25-year-old seems to have no beef with Madonna, and they even performed an epic duet together at the iHeartRadio Awards in March.
Taylor Swift’s Reaction To Madonna’s Video
Even though the celebrity cameo aspect in Taylor and Madonna’s video is similar, the “Style” singer has no hard feelings about Madge deciding to bring her famous friends along, just like she did, HollywoodLife.com has EXCLUSIVELY learned.
“Taylor can’t wait to see the video, she’s the biggest Madonna fan,” an insider told HollywoodLife.com EXCLUSIVELY, just before the video premiered. “It’s surreal to her to have all these people talking about how Madonna could be doing her own version of “Bad Blood.” She can’t get over it!”
Bitch I’m Madonna video – a 24 hour Tidal exclusive
The Bitch I’m Madonna video is now a Tidal exclusive for the next 24 hours, stay tuned for a YouTube video tomorrow.
Click HERE to see the video in HD
Rewinding the Charts: Madonna Scored Her First Top 10 With ‘Borderline’ in 1984
On this date 31 years ago, Madonna’s “Borderline” became her first Hot 100 top 10 & ignited one of the most impressive streaks in chart history: 17 straight top 10s.
Complete article on Billboard.com HERE
Madonna and Led Zeppelin Make a Startling, Sensual Pairing in “Justify a Whole Lotta Love”
Madonna’s career is packed with provocations, but few inspired outrage like “Justify My Love,” the 1990 single that came with a grainy, art-house music video of the singer indulging in some taboo ménage à trois. MTV deemed the video too explicit to air, and the subsequent scandal overshadowed how good, and ahead of its time, the song really was. But what happens when you pair its innovative, trip-hop production with some Led Zeppelin power chords?
Brand new feature: Extensive Madonna Album Promo now online!
Our brand new feature Album Promo is now online!
Formerly known as ‘Promo Tours’ we have given the feature a total make over. Tons of scanned material, memorabilia, photographs, music videos and iTunes links have been added to give you all the benefits of learning everything on Madonna’s studio album releases.
If you want to check out early interviews, watch some live performances, view rare memorabilia, learn the facts on the release or buy the album….it is all here!
To view the extensive gallery with TONS of pictures and info click HERE, or find it under ‘Music’ in the main menu.
Madonna Recruits Beyonce, Katy Perry, Miley Cyrus for Epic “Bitch I’m Madonna” Video
Madonna teamed up with Katy Perry, Beyonce, and Miley Cyrus for her new videoCredit: TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty Images; Insets: Mike Coppola/Getty Images, Gilbert Carrasquillo/Getty Images
All hail the queen! Madonna has recruited a staggering lineup of pop peers for her upcoming “Bitch I’m Madonna” music video, and teased the epic collaboration on social media on Tuesday, June 16.
The Grammy winner, 56, posted a photo to Twitter and Instagram of her “Bitch I’m Madonna” collaborators, upping the ante of her duet with Nicki Minaj. Madonna and Minaj, 32, are joined in the video by none other than Beyonce, Katy Perry, Miley Cyrus, and Rita Ora.
Madge has yet to confirm whether the star-studded visuals will still see a Tuesday release or if the video is still being fine-tuned. When it does debut, “Bitch I’m Madonna” may be some serious competition for Taylor Swift and her bestie-starring “Bad Blood” music video. Superstar women missing from the lineup include Lady Gaga, Rihanna, and Swift herself.
“Bitch I’m Madonna” is the latest cut off of the “Music” performer’s 2015 album Rebel Heart. Madonna’s 13th studio album made its debut this past March, featuring the singles “Living for Love” and “Ghosttown.”
Madonna is expected to premiere the video on Jay Z‘s Tidal streaming
Watch a teaser for “Bitch I’m Madonna” in the video above, and keep an eye out for the full visuals in the coming days!
“Video coming soon!” wrote the “Rebel Heart” singer, who originally hyped “Bitch I’m Madonna” for a Tuesday release. “Just tryin to make it perfect for all of you. we are hard werking bitches! #bitchimmadonna.”Madonna is expected to premiere the video on Jay Z‘s Tidal streaming service, of which she is a part-owner. Minaj and Hov’s wife Beyonce are also involved in the project, which is still working to establish itself in the music landscape.
Read more: https://www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/news/madonna-recruits-beyonce-katy-perry-miley-for-bitch-im-madonna-2015166#ixzz3dELsQoXI
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New feature ‘Album Promo’ online soon!
MadonnaUnderground has been working very hard to transfer the old site onto the new one, all to make every feature mobile compatible. The old feature ‘Promo Tours’ will be online within the next 12 hours, renamed ‘Album Promo’.
This feature has gotten a complete make over, with lots and lots of new stuff added. Tons of scanned articles, numerous photographs of memorabilia, live and official music video’s and HQ photographs.
In the meantime enjoy some of our ‘promo tour’ YouTube playlists:
Bitch I’m Madonna Remix EP available now
The 10 track remix EP to Bitch I’m Madonna is available through iTunes now, as previously reported.
Click HERE for direct link or visit the banner to your right.
Stay tuned for the video later today!
Madonna made a perfect “Beautiful Stranger” for The Spy Who Shagged Me
“Beautiful Stranger,” Madonna (1999)
The unlikely duo of Mike Myers and Madonna has been an ideal match ever since Madonna’s unabashed pitch for her 1991 movie on Saturday Night Live, when she invited Wayne Campbell to playTruth Or Dare. She also guested as Linda Richman’s pal Liz Rosenberg on her program “Coffee Talk” when Barbra Streisand showed up. The creative partnership works because Madonna, though serious, always seems game, and Myers, though frequently goofy, is also creatively inventive.
Full article by AV Club HERE
Do it like Madonna: Voguing is back and this time it’s an exercise class
WE might associate it with Madonna but there’s more to voguing than you think.
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Dashaun Wesley, a world-famous YouTube dancer, has spoken exclusively to Express.co.uk about his rise to fame and Madonna’s influence.
He’s worked with famous stars such as Lady Gaga and Magic Mike hunk Channing Tatum – and is free to tell tales from Hollywood.
He said: “I have had the opportunity to work with many celebrities. Working with Channing Tatum has been one of the most unreal and amazing experiences ever.
“I remember walking into rehearsal and getting direction of where the scene was gonna talk place. Channing walking in to rehearsal and asks me to teach him how to do a perfect death drop.
“My jaw dropped, ‘Did Channing ask us to teach him how to death drop?’ I asked him how do he knew about voguing and he replied ‘Dashaun i know everything about you and voguing’.”
Read full article by Express HERE
