Madonna

Madonna is now such a cultural icon that it's hard to remember the confident, cocky, cute newcomer who kept at it until this synth-driven dance pop confection hit the Top 10. Madonna would grow as an artist and as a performer, but such self-penned hits as "Borderline" and "Lucky Star" still retain the optimism of a young woman who sees a long career in front of her.

Madonna, who crashed onto the dance charts last year with "Everybody," has a voice that
takes some getting used to. At first, it doesn't sound like much at all. Then you notice its
one distinguishing feature, a girlish hiccup that the singer uses over and over until it's
irritating as hell. Finally, you get hooked, and you start looking forward to that silly little
catch in her voice. It helps that she writes good tunes–catchy and bare to the b... More >

In case you bought the con, disco never died--just reverted to the crazies who thought it was worth living for. This shamelessly ersatz blonde is one of them, and with the craftily orchestrated help of a fine selection of producers, remixers, and DJs, she's come up with a shamelessly ersatz sound that's tighter than her tummy--essence of electro, the D in DOR. At first I thought the electroporn twelve-inch that pairs "Burning Up" with "Physical Attraction" was the way to go, but that was before she'd parlayed the don't-let-me-down vagueness of "Borderline" into a video about interracial love (sex, I mean) and a sneaky pop hook simultaneously. At one stiff per four-song side, smarter than Elvis Costello. (Grade - A-)