Posted it before, and I’m posting it again. This is the superior version of “Turn Up the Radio”, and proof that a few extra weeks in mixing could have salvaged a lot of the album’s production issues. Her vocal sounds amazing on it. It’s wild that it’s the same take as the one on the album.
I still don’t understand the love for Love Spent. It’s a musical mess with paper thin vocals. Loved it on tour, but then again it was a different song there . The acoustic version with the same processed thin vocals is horrible. The song is not Superstar level of bad or basic as Turn Up The Radio but the adoration for it..no. Great potential but that’s it. Having said that MDNA is an ok album to me, with one (two) of her best album covers and an amazing tour. I still prefer it waaay more than Like A Virgin.
"Love Spent" is absolutely gorgeous melody-wise. That last minute and a half when the song opens up and she cranks up the pleading is a moment. It's all more than enough to make up for some muddy mastering for me.
I usually don’t care about those things, but somehow it always bothered me that Love Spent is kinda reusing the ABBA sample from Hung Up. Also that Benjamin lyric went over my head for the longest time.
Agreed. Prefer the production of the demo version and the use of her chopped up vocal too. Edit: Madonna's lyrics are a lot better though.
My favorite thing about Love Spent is the "e pluribus unum" chant by the artist formerly known as Priscilla Renea. It should've been part of the album version
I remember hearing this demo and thinking OMG she’s so gonna do a Hold It Against Me, but she did the opposite and watered it down. BTW, in regards to Love Spent (horrible scratchy thin vocals aside) its fuckin excellent, that build just gets me every time
She creeped into my top 5 artists this year and is coming for #1 in 2023 with a proper reissue campaign, I fear.
I feel like the thin vocals kind of work for Love Spent. She sounds kind of shrill and desperate which tracks. There’s no saving the weak melody and basic chorus of Turn up the Radio no matter the mix or mastering issues. Bottom 3 Madonna single.
MDNA isn’t actually that bad is it? It was a rushed endeavour artistically and there’s absolutely no vision aesthetically (shudders in sock arm gloves), but there's some decent stuff on there musically. Thinking about it, it would've been great to really lean into the theme of violence, and actually quite a apt commentary on Guy and his director style. Is I’m A Sinner generally not liked? It’s the least good of the Beautiful Stranger - Amazing trifecta, but I still think it’s a great song, and a bit more summery than the latter. I also love I Don’t Give A.