Madonna is rewinding the years in the studio and on stage.
In addition to announcing a rare greatest hits world tour beginning in October, the pop star tweeted she was working with hitmaker Max Martin — one of the greatest producers of all time.
News of the collaboration has been welcomed by fans missing Madonna’s signature pop sound.
It also marks an important step in safeguarding her enduring status as the queen of pop.
Here is why the Madonna and Martin collaboration is exciting news.
1. Max Martin is a hit machine
The Swede is undoubtedly one of pop music’s most important producers and is behind some of the biggest hits from the last three decades.
He has written or co-written 25 Billboard Hot 100 chart toppers, from Britney Spears’s 1999 hit … Baby One More Time and 2010’s California Gurls with Katy Perry to Maroon 5's One More Night (2012) and 2021’s My Universe by Coldplay and BTS.
A former member of the '80s hard rock band It's Alive, Martin is the melody doctor stars seek when searching for chart success.
Taylor Swift enlisted Martin to executive produce the blockbuster album 1989, signalling her transition from country pop music stardom.
The Weeknd showed he was a superstar in the making with his first major hit, 2015's Can't Feel My Face, also co-written and produced by Martin.
With such a pedigree, it seems surprising Madonna is only now calling on his services. Then again, her choice of producers is often dictated by the artistic direction of the project.
With Madonna's next tour a greatest hits affair, Martin’s involvement is a further sign she wants to rediscover that magic of old. Cherish the thought.
2. Madonna seriously needs a major hit
The image of Madonna and Martin working in the studio is like a prayer answered for fans pining for a back-to-basics pop approach from the singer.
Ever since 1998's Ray of Light and 2000's Music, a pair of seminal albums ushering house and electronic music to the mainstream, Madonna's work took a more erratic turn.
Particular misfires included 2003's maudlin electro-folk stylings of American Life, in which the Material Girl mediated on American consumerism and 2019's Madame X, whose dabbling in Latin pop and world music was more admired than enjoyed.
Madonna’s last chart-topping single on the Billboard Hot 100 was in 2000 — a time before streaming services and TikTok arrived to redefine the music industry today. Ever since, a new legion of artists, from Beyonce and Lady Gaga to Taylor Swift and Ariana Grande, have emerged vying for her pop throne.
With Martin by her side in the studio, Madonna can fend off these challengers for a while yet.
3. The new music will remind us of her impact
Madonna is looking back to go forward.
After four decades of pushing the envelope in all aspects of her artistry, from production to marketing, Madonna is content to look back at how far she has come.
With a multi-year campaign already underway marking 40 years in the industry — including the releases of "deluxe editions" of all 14 solo albums, in addition to live albums and compilations — we will be celebrating Madonna’s cultural impact for some time to come.
Charting Madonna's style journey - in pictures
-
Madonna onstage at the 65th Grammy Awards on Sunday in Los Angeles, California. Getty / AFP -
Madonna at the Gervonta Davis v Rolando Romero fight for the WBA World lightweight title in 2022 at Barclays Centre, New York. Getty / AFP -
Singer Madonna attends the 30th annual Glaad awards ceremony in 2021. Reuters -
Madonna during the 2021 MTV Video Music Awards. Getty / AFP -
Madonna performs at the 64th annual Eurovision Song Contest in 2019. Getty -
Madonna poses at the 2018 MTV Video Music Awards at the Radio City Music Hall, New York City. AFP -
Madonna and Jean Paul Gaultier in 2017 at the Met Gala, New York. EPA -
Madonna and Jeremy Scott in 2017 at the Met Gala in New York. EPA -
Madonna in 2016 at a promotional event in Tokyo, Japan. EPA -
Madonna in 2015 at the 57th annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles. EPA -
Madonna performs on stage at the 57th Annual Grammy Awards in 2015. AFP -
Madonna in 2014 at the 56th annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles. EPA -
Madonna in 2013 at the Met Gala in New York. EPA -
Madonna in London, 2012. Getty -
Madonna performs during the 2012 MDNA tour at Madison Square Garden in New York City. AFP -
Madonna in 2012 at the 69th Golden Globe Awards in Los Angeles. EPA -
Madonna launches her signature fragrance Truth Or Dare in 2012. Getty / AFP -
Madonna at the Met Gala in 2011. EPA -
Madonna and former husband Guy Ritchie in 2008 at the 61st International Cannes Film Festival. Getty -
Madonna in 2008 at the 58th Berlinale Film Festival at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Berlin, Germany. Getty -
Madonna at a press conference in 2005 in Tokyo, Japan. Getty -
Madonna and daughter Lourdes arrive at the premiere of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire at the Odeon Leicester Square, 2005 in London. Getty -
Madonna with Ritchie at the premiere of Sin City at the Empire Leicester Square on May 23, 2005 in London. Getty -
Madonna in 2004 at the French NRJ Music Awards ceremony in Cannes, France. Getty -
Madonna at the launch party for a Stella McCartney store in 2003. Getty -
Madonna meets Queen Elizabeth in 2002. PA -
Madonna and Ritchie in 2001 in London. Getty -
Madonna and Ritchie at the world premiere of Die Another Day in 2002. Getty -
Madonna and Ritchie in Los Angeles, California on September 19, 2000. Getty -
Madonna at the 1999 American Music Awards. Getty -
Madonna in 1999 at the Vanity Fair Party. Getty -
Madonna at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party in 1998 in West Hollywood, California. Getty -
Madonna at the 1997 MTV Video Music Awards. Getty -
Madonna at the Gotham Awards 1995 in New York. Getty -
Madonna at the Cannes Film Festival in 1991. AFP
