The Madonna Project: #3. "True Blue" (1986)

In the history of pop music, no artist has stood out quite like Madonna. From her early days writing infectious songs that challenged societal norms, the fashion icon created a new definition of celebrity and in the process reinvented herself in such alluring ways. With The Madonna Project, the plan is to watch the chameleon grow and change over time, highlighting the various things that make her albums essential, or at least interesting to talk about. Over the course of 2020, this will be a look at everything from "Madonna" to "Madame X" (and possibly beyond) in an attempt to understand: why does Madonna continue to matter, and if that could ever possibly change. It's a tough call, but join me on a journey of finding out what makes her one of the most untouchable Gods of pop. 

Album: "True Blue"

Release Date: June 30, 1986
Label: Sire Records, Warner Bros. 

Certifications:
-Argentina (4x Platinum)
-Australia (4x Platinum)
-Austria (Platinum)
-Belgium (Platinum)
-Brazil (Gold)
-Canada (Diamond)
-France (Diamond)
-Finland (Platinum)
-Germany (2x Platinum)
-Greece (Gold)
-Hong Kong (Platinum)
-Italy (4x Platinum)
-Japan (Gold)
-Netherlands (Platinum)
-New Zealand (5x Platinum)
-Norway (Platinum)
-Portugal (Gold)
-Spain (3x Platinum)
-Switzerland (3x Platinum)
-United Kingdom (7x Platinum)
-United States (7x Platinum)

Total: 25 million sold internationally 

Singles:
-"Live to Tell"
-"Papa Don't Preach"
-"True Blue"
-"Open Your Heart"
-"La Isla Bonita"

Awards:
N/A

Track List:

1. "Papa Don't Preach"
2. "Open Your Heart"
3. "White Heat"
4. "Live to Tell"
5. "Where's the Party"
6. "True Blue"
7. "La Isla Bonita"
8. "Jimmy Jimmy"
9. "Love Makes the World Go Round"

*NOTE: Listen to it here.

Track Analysis

This section is a song by song breakdown in hopes of understanding what makes each song special in his catalog. Other things considered will include best song, most interesting standout, and other fields deemed relevant to the album.

Singles

Presented in order of appearance on the album.

"Papa Don't Preach"

For those who thought that "Like a Virgin" was too risque, they were in for a shock right away with this album opener. Where everything was coy and played with imagery before, this song is direct in its message. It's a story of teenage pregnancy as Madonna consults her father. The tenderness in her voice shows her nervousness as she approaches the subject. The lyrics perfectly build and become one of her best singles so far. It's a song that ends in a state of confidence that turns a tragic situation into one of empowerment and hope. She's keeping that baby, and in the process making pop music that is about a different side of love. It's one about facing the consequences of actions, and it's piercing and emotional, but above all catchy and reflective of Madonna's gifts as a vocalist.

"Open Your Heart"

The banging drums followed by Madonna yelling "Watch out!" begin a song about a woman trying to get a man to open up to her. She is desperate for him to love her, and creates a unique perspective on the love song. Where most focus on men trying to win the hearts of women, the reverse has a certain lust in it that is amplified by the excellent instrumentation. The song is a declaration that is hard to ignore, and by the time she sings "I'll make you love me," you kind of believe her. She just has that much intention in her presentation.

"Live to Tell"

Shifting things a bit is a slower song. The build plays with sparse instrumentation that sounds like singing in a dark evening, the stars twinkling overhead. In some ways, it tears apart everything that has made Madonna singles so memorable and finds a new way to draw the listener in. It's a ballad where she sings largely in a lower register, pulling from deep inside her for ideas. Whereas she seems carefree everywhere else, she seems introspective here and is recounting the lessons she learned from her romantic experiences. For a song that has a very slow tempo, it manages to have a lot of melodrama in the melody and captures an emotional catharsis that sticks to the listener as they wind down from those fun nights. 

"True Blue"

Madonna goes retro for this single which feels plucked from a 1950s era girl group. The most memorable part comes in the chorus, where the vocals become layered. It isn't just another example of harmony. There are two entire passages being sung, and they add this endearing texture to everything. The way her voice enhances the passion is something that has rarely been better. It helps that the verses are also pretty catchy. She elevates the simple subject matter and lyricism into an art form by committing to the earnest tone. By the end, it's one of those earworms that only Madonna was great at, and it's easy to see why she had long-established permanence by the time this album came around. 

"La Isla Bonita"

Another side of Madonna is discovered here as she creates a Spanish dream with salsa guitars, some Spanish, and imagery that recalls San Pedro. It's beautiful and sweeping, capturing a vivid picture of something we haven't seen in pop music before - or at least mainstream American pop music. Here she gives into a soap opera of romance, but packs it with some of her finest productions yet. Her voice sways like the wind from moment to moment, capturing a deep reservation at points that fight with the melody. It's so beautiful and reflects how she was growing as an artist. She made a Spanish motif more than kitsch. She packed it with an emotional substance that makes it hard to ignore as a legitimately great song. 

Noteworthy Outliers 

Songs on the album that are interesting despite not being singles.

"Jimmy Jimmy"

There's something extremely odd about this song. On some level, it feels reminiscent of the synth-heavy work of DEVO. With a little fine-tuning, it's easy to see that band covering this song and not having it sound out of place. Given the excellent production of the rest of her album, it also comes across as the most novelty on an album with vocal overlaps and audio samples ("White Heat," "Where's the Party"). This isn't a bad thing because it's still catchy, but it's reflective of a prior Madonna who was fading by this point. Even with the 50s pastiche going on underneath the synths, it's mostly a disposable song. Sure, it's fun to follow the exploits of Jimmy, but there's a good reason that she didn't make more songs like this going forward.  

Closing Remarks

Where "Madonna" was a triumphant debut, "Like a Virgin" was a great singles album with little else to show for itself. It was released too quickly and didn't give Madonna much to work with. On "True Blue," she feels like she has evolved into something richer, more interesting as a performer. The singles are some of her strongest yet, daring to go in various directions to establish her identity both in bold subject matter as well as styles that show her vocal range expanding. If any album shows the early promise of Madonna best, it's this one. She has officially landed and is capable of much more than a catchy hook. She doesn't just sing, but molds the song around her, setting a precedent that will only become more powerful in time.  

Up Next: "Who's That Girl" (1987)

Album Rankings

This section is dedicated to ranking the albums from best to worst in hopes of finding which Madonna album is the best.

1. "True Blue" (1986)
2. "Madonna" (1983)
3. "Like A Virgin" (1984)

Single Rankings

This section is dedicated to ranking the singles from each album in hopes of finding which one is Madonna's best song.

1. "Like A Virgin" - "Like A Virgin" (1984)
2. "Papa Don't Preach" - "True Blue" (1986)
3. "La Isla Bonita" - "True Blue" (1986)
4. "Borderline" - "Madonna" (1983)
5. "True Blue" - "True Blue" (1986)
6. "Lucky Star" - "Madonna" (1983)
7. "Open Your Heart" - "True Blue" (1986)
8. "Holiday" - "Madonna" (1983)
9. "Live to Tell" - "True Blue" (1986)
10. "Angel" - "Like A Virgin" (1984)
11. "Material Girl" -"Like A Virgin" (1984)
12. "Into the Groove" - "Like A Virgin" (1984)
13. "Dress You Up" - "Like A Virgin" (1984)
14. "Burning Up" - "Madonna" (1983)
15. "Everybody" - "Madonna" (1983)