Since the release of her debut album in 1983, Madonna has had 12 #1 albums and over 60 top 100 singles. Aside from being the best selling female artist of all time, Madonna has also taken pop culture to new heights with her expression through performance and her stance on freedom of speech. She has had 8 #1 albums in the United States alone and has sold 157 million records world-wide. She continues to provoke the public with religious and sexual themes in her videos and performance and says she has no plans on stopping any time soon. “I think I still have a lot to say, I’m not going anywhere” she said in 2012.
"MDNA" (2012)
On March 18th, 2012, I had the pleasure of seeing the first ever American Idol winner, Kelly Clarkson. When you go to show by someone who has either won or competed on American Idol, one should expect to see great things. I was not let down. Mrs. Clarkson gave one of the greatest performances I have ever seen. I was lucky enough to score some free tickets the night before the show from a good friend of mine (who has hooked me up many times with Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez and so many more.) I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to make the show but when I got the offer to go for free, I couldn’t turn it down. The show was nothing but amazing. Kelly was so beautiful and wow does she have a voice! My friend Andrea and I made it just in time to see the full show. She opened with her song,”Dark Side.” Usually the best part of these shows is the opening number. The crowd gets excited, and the band plays a cool intro. Kelly came out belting the song and I was stunned with how perfect her pitch was. I tell you, Mrs. Clarkson did not miss a single note during the entire performance. One thing that caught my eye was her confidence. With a voice like that, I don’t see how you couldn’t be confident. She was amazing. Her stage presence was eqsqusite. In her song, “Behind These Hazel Eyes” (a personal favorite) She had the crowd sing a long with her and it couldn’t have been more beautiful. After doing many upbeat and fast songs, she slowed it down with the self written ballad, “Because Of You.” This song brought tears to my eye and will forever and always be a memory that I hold onto. Her falsetto notes in the song were epic. Epic is the only word I can use to describe the singers abilities. I had tears streaming down my eyes by the end of the number, and can honestly say I have never connected so well with a performer. She has this great way of getting into the audiences soul with her messages. Clarkson has a unique voice. I wasn’t able to put her in a category (like alto or soprano) because I feel like she can do them all. I’d say she uses her lower notes more often so you could call her an Alto. She sang other hits like “Since U Been Gone.” This song in particular was amazing because Clarkson used a more “rock” vibe to her vocals, making them sound almost raspy at parts, but still sounding amazing. “A Moment Like This” was spectacular. It is the song Clarkson sung when she was crowned winner of American Idol. This song also brought tears to my eyes. She closed the show with “Stronger” which was awesome. She had everyone learn a couple of dance moves prior to the performance, and I didnt see one person sitting down. Kelly Clarkson has a remarkable way of getting a crowd to feel what she’s feeling through her music. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to meet her after the show. Generally when my friend gets me tickets they include meet & greet passes for after show (I did get to meet Bieber and Gomez, which was awesome) but since it was so last minute I was not able to tell her in person what an amazing performer she is. I felt connected with her the entire time and she was always very present in her performance. I would see her again and again if I could. One word to describe the entire show? Amazing. Kelly Clarkson is a true American Idol and I see a very bright future for her in the music business.
MADONNA 