Music / American Life

This type of modern life, is it for me?
This type of modern life, is it for free?

American Life is the 2003 album by Madonna. It's one of her most controversial ventures due to its angry nature, experimental nature, and Political satire.

It features "American Life", "Hollywood", and "Die Another Day", which was the theme song of the James Bond movie of the same name. The first video for "American Life" was so controversial that Madonna ended up creating another one that was more friendly to the video networks that featured it.

Tracklist

1. "American Life" - 4:58
2. "Hollywood" - 4:24
3. "I'm So Stupid" - 4:09
4. "Love Profusion" - 3:38
5. "Nobody Knows Me" - 4:39
6. "Nothing Fails" - 4:49
7. "Intervention" - 4:54
8. "X-Static Process" - 3:50
9. "Mother and Father" - 4:33
10. "Die Another Day" - 4:38
11. "Easy Ride" - 5:05

Nobody Tropes Me:

• Ambiguous Gender: "American Life"
  I tried to be a boy
  I tried to be a girl
  • Also on "Nobody Knows Me" Madonna states she "is not that kind of guy"
• American Title: The album and Title Track
• Auto-Tune: Used during "Die Another Day" and "Nobody Knows Me".
• Boastful Rap: A sort of ironic and surreal one happens on "American Life", in which she raps about the privileges she has and sarcastically demands more.
• Bowdlerize: The first music video of "American Life" has a strong anti-war message with a lookalike of George W. Bush appearing, criticizing the then on-going wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. This video caused a lot of uproar and was replaced with another video showing her singing "American Life" with several nations' flags behind her back.
• Celebrity Is Overrated: The main point of "Hollywood".
  There's something in the air in Hollywood
  I've lost my reputation, bad and good
  You're ridin' in your car in Hollywood
  You got the top down and it feels so good
• Darker and Edgier: Possibly Madonna's most grim album/era.
• Deliberately Monochrome: Madonna's face in black-and-white.
• Despair Event Horizon: Implied with "X-Static Process"
• Face on the Cover: A close-up of her face done in the style of revolutionary Che Guevara.
• Gospel Music: Several tracks are backed by the London Community Gospel Choir.
• Grief Song: "Mother and Father" describes the complications of losing a parent at a young age and the difference in perspectives between parent and child.
• Heavy Meta: "American Life"
  I tried to be the best
  I guess I did it wrong
  That's why I wrote this song
• Location Song: "Hollywood", about the hollowness and glitter of the life there.
• My Country Tis of Thee That I Sting: "American Life" criticizes The American Dream. The original music video showed her throwing a hand grenade to a lookalike of US President George W. Bush.
• New Sound Album: Very much so. A mix of electronic, folk, gospel, rock, and pop makes for a strange sounding record.
• One-Word Title: "Hollywood", "Intervention"
• Precision F-Strike: "Fuck it" in "American Life", which was censored out of the second video version and radio edits.
• Product Placement: "American Life"
  I drive my Mini Cooper
• Protest Song: "American Life" is partially about how the American dream is not what it seems. The original video protested the Iraq War.
• Record Producer: Madonna, Mirwais Ahmadzaï, and Mark "Spike" Spent.
• Shout-Out: The album cover provides a shout-out to the famous photograph of Che Guevara by Alexander Korda.
• Silly Love Songs: "Love Profusion".
• Stock Sound Effects: "Hollywood" starts off with sounds of tweeting birds.
• Title Track: "American Life".
  American life, I live the American Dream
  You are the best thing I've seen
  You are not just a dream
• Xtreme Kool Letterz: "X-Static Process"

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