As a special gift to fans on her 60th birthday, the Queen of Pop dropped the professional recording of her May 7, 2018 performance.
Source: YouTube
Every Madonna fan can relate to the phrase "playing the long game," as official video releases from today's birthday girl often take months or years to come to fruition. In fact, some of her most tantalizing tapes from decades past exist only on VHS, or are locked away in Hollywood vaults. Three months, then, wasn't so long to wait for this gorgeously edited official version of Madonna's May 7, 2018 Met Gala performance.
The theme of Anna Wintour's 2018 Met Gala was Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination. Since Madonna has explored her Catholic upbringing and the Church's aesthetic across almost her entire career, she was the obvious and rightful performer choice.
The 13-minute video clip was produced by NCR Films, the production company of Nathan Rissman. Rissman is a frequent Madonna collaborator; he directed her Rebel Heart Tour and Sticky & Sweet Tour films, "Give It 2 Me" and "Miles Away" music videos, and 2008 documentary I Am Because We Are, written by Madonna about the AIDS pandemic in the African country of Malawi.
"Madonna - Met Gala 2018" is edited in a style reminiscent of her recent MDNA Tour and Rebel Heart Tour video releases. This fast-paced, multilayered video editing style tends to divide fans, but I enjoy how it so conveys the excitement of physically attending a Madonna show. The editor in question, Danny Tull, has edited nearly every Madonna video release since her 2006 The Confessions Tour film.
Her performance consists of three songs; the choir-assisted "Like A Prayer," the brand new song "Beautiful Game," and a striking cover of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah," in the style popularized by Jeff Buckley. Madonna's voice is strong, clear and dynamic throughout. It might be one of her best live audio recordings to date.
She also published a statement on Instagram explaining the surprise video release:
“In celebration of my birthday🎂🎉💕 , and as a “thank you” for all your donations on my Birthday Fundraiser, I wanted to share a very special performance from this year’s Met Gala 🎉🎂💕🙏🏻🇲🇼 🎼
Check out on my YouTube page and enjoy entire performance! #celebrate #raisingmalawi #homeofhope #metgala #likeaprayer #blessed 🙏🏼 @ncrfilms @dannytull”
You can donate to Madonna's birthday fundraiser here. Every dollar raised will go directly to meals, schools, uniforms and healthcare for children in Malawi. Ripple will match every dollar donated to this campaign!
Whatever you think of Madonna or her video editing style, please take a moment to reflect on her art and legacy so far, as we celebrate her 60th birthday today. "Where's the Party"? Everywhere!