Friday Flashback

Another Candle Isn’t Stopping Madonna

August 19, 2011 0 Comments

As you may know, Madonna turned 53 on Tuesday. Clued-in Twittizens of the world didn’t miss M’s big day, with #HappyBirthdayMadonna quickly becoming a trending topic.

Besides well-wishes, what exactly should one give the woman who truly has everything? Madonna already has a new boy toy in tow, 24-year-old French dancer Brahim Zaibat (b-day kiss pic here), whom she began dating last year after things cooled with Brazilian model Jesus Luz.

Why not consider some original art for the birthday Material Girl? London’s Pegasus Street Artist beat you to it, doing a wonderful job to boot.

No, it looks like Madonna’s the one who’ll be giving the presents. She’s currently working on her 12th studio album, expected to be a club-centric effort with a spring release. Collaborators reportedly include returning vet William Orbit (Ray Of Light) and brother-in-law Joe Henry (“Don’t Tell Me,” “Jump”), plus newbies Diagram of the Heart, Martin Solveig, and Monsieur Adi, who’s been turning out some brilliant reworkings of old Madonna tunes in recent months. (His “Erotica” tweak is coming soon.) Hercules And Love Affair’s Andy Butler also hopes to get in on the age-appropriate action.

She’s also teamed with something called the Smirnoff Nightlife Exchange Project to hold a global contest to find the best dancer. “The best dancers are always in the clubs looking for the most original experience, just like Smirnoff is doing,” Madonna never said. The winner “may be chosen as a dancer for Madonna’s next tour.” (Always wise, the Queen gives herself an out if she does not approve.)

So all of this — well, the album and the concert tour to follow, maybe not the Smirnoff dance contest thing — is very exciting. At 53, Madonna isn’t slowing down. There’s music to be recorded, easy money to be made, and much younger men to date. She won’t stop, can’t stop, and would we ever want her to?

In celebration of Madonna’s birthday on Tuesday, fans were sharing their favorite singles. I’m a little late to the party, so instead I’m featuring one of my very favorite album tracks. “Don’t Stop” appears on 1994’s Bedtime Stories, a disco-inflected number produced by Dallas Austin that I wished had been picked for a single. The strings are fantastic, the beat is thick, and remixes (or at least, an extended version) would have been wonderful. Hear here:



Purchase Madonna – “Don’t Stop” via iTunes.