New George and Madonna

George Michael, thankfully back in the game (for the moment at least), makes another ultra-stilish video, this time employing his gal-pal druggy Kate Moss, in a long tradition of using supermodels in his videos.

Madonna is also up to her old tricks, recycling a video formula she's done a few too many times: the "drive around town and pick up random people to dance in her car" schtick. Now with Italian backgrounds on the greenscreen. 

From one mouse to another

Newfound respect for the Toronto DJ and producer Deadmau5 who told Madonna what’s what.

M.D.N.A.

Turns out MDNA isn’t a bad album, it’s just very generic dance pop. But the very best of generic dance pop. The tracks are by a bunch of “hot” producers of the moment, plus collaborators (the new Madonna collaborates a lot) and some ABBA-esque moments. As a result, never has she sounded so contemporary and so ADD. This is a violent, rebellious, religiously dubious and expletive-filled album, but it’s also full of energy and juvenile fun that reinvigorates the queen (as Nicki Minaj calls her on “I don't give a".) Monster uplifting hits throughout.

Neither has she for a long time sounded so grating. There is a lot hard vocals on MDNA and the stretching of Madonna’s nasal proclivities to the max. She seems to yell most verses and her voice sounds as shrill as the songs she’s peddling. There are exceptions of course: "I fucked up" and "Falling free"are quite nice and her singing lessons really pay off.

She’s collaborated with William Orbit again, but there’s no "Ray of light" here, or even a “Substitute for love”. It’s a shame that (Madonna feels that) to stay relevant she needs to “youth-anize” her music and just party, party, party with the kids. After 53 years of being Madonna, it looks like she’s desperately trying to conserve her youth, even if it means devolving her music.

The video for "Girls gone wild" is Madonna at her most iconoclastic and disposable. The video is a collection of phases in the Madonna cannon; it starts with a prayer, it's mostly black and white, Madonna is in full big hair and makeup, it has vogueing, chains, slithering up and down walls and same-sex action with guys in Beyoncé pumps doing Beyoncé steps. What's not to like?

Eric Watson 1955-2012

He was the first one to photograph the Pet Shop Boys. Eric Watson was the visual architect who helped create the classic PSB aesthetics.

 He took the pictures for the covers of “West End girls",  "Opportunities", "Love comes quickly", "Suburbia", "It's a sin", "What have I done to deserve this?", "Rent", "Heart", "It's alright", "So hard", "Jealousy", "DJ culture", "I don't know what you want but I can't give it anymore"  and albums "Please", Behaviour" and “Nightlife”. He also directed many classic PSB videos, including "West End girls", "Suburbia", "Domino dancing" and "Jealousy" as well as the 1991 concert film, "Performance" considered by many to be the Pet Shop Boys’ best concert. He also took pics of other pop stars of the 80s.

On helping create the PSB aesthetics, he said: "We realised there was something about somebody singing and somebody else doing nothing – just looking, then looking away – that adds a hideous tension. It's creepy but also, I suppose, charming. It was only later we realised we'd created a product."

Going bananas

Madonna and Brazil go way back. The country will forever have a special place in the aging diva’s pantheon. Here’s the kind of thing we do for her:

She gives Brazil so much (Jesus Luz can tell you all about it), that it's only fair that sometimes she may take a little for herself. Apparently her god-awful new single, sugary-poppy-sticky-sweet “Give me all your luvin’” (sic) takes its annoying “L-U-V, Madonna” from a Brazilian confection by João Brasil and Lovefoxx (of CSS) -- only they’re proclaiming their love for bananas. It is uncanny.

Asked if he is going to pursue legal action, João Brasil said: "Personally I don't want to do anything. The last thing I need in my life is a fight with Madonna."

M.D.N.A. talks

Poor Madonna, still being questioned about liking younger guys. A little disappointing to see her in that funny dress decorated with aluminium foil strips and trying so hard to look prim and proper in that room with a long piano, stuffy furniture and the pug-embroidered pillow.

My new favorite picture

Madonna at the MET Ball.

My new favorite image

Covers

I know, I know, we're all sick of end-of-the-year blog lists. But I've been looking at best-of and worst-of music lists for 2009 and I haven't seen my picks represented. Pitchfork elected the worse album covers of 2009, but among them there are some I thought were pretty good (even though Dark Meat's When the shelter came probably is the worst album cover of the decade.)

Without getting too much into the merit of the music, here are some of the album covers that made me excited this year. And the ones that didn't.

The best

Madonna - Celebration

Iconic as the songs in this collection.

Basement Jaxx - Scars

I like how the Jaxx always incorporate some animal elements in their cover art.

Pet Shop Boys - Yes

Pet Shop Boys + white background = great album! A clever cover, as Neil puts it.

Tori Amos - Midwinter Graces

Pitchfork crapped on it, but I actually like how she looks like a superhero.

CFCF - Continent

A simple cover, but very evocative.

Céu - Vagarosa

Beautiful light.

Secos & Molhados - Sempre

This is an old picture for a greatest hits collection, but what a great shot of Ney Matogrosso.

The worst

MSTRKRFT - Fist of God

The album is pretty good -- Toronto's own Daft Punk -- but the graphics look cheap and amateurish.

Franz Ferdinand - Tonight

Weak album, uninspired cover.

Joss Stone - Colour Me Free

What a mess. Who is managing this girl? I'd be trying to escape too.

David Guetta - One Love

That's what happens when you spend too much on guest appearances: no money left for album art. Dude looks like Adrien Brody on a bad hair day.

Flaming Lips - Embryonic

Is this what I think it is?

Air - Love 2

I used to like Air more when they were behind the scenes and we didn't see them so much. They look so tired in this unimaginative cover.

Adam Lambert - For Your Entertainment

Is it Rihanna gone white? Simon Lebon circa 1984? David Bowie in Labyrinth?

I don't know, but the graffiti font is classy.

Looking forward to 2010.

Madonna vs. Depp

Is it just me, or does Johnny Depps' Mad Hatter owe more than a little to Madonna?