Madonna fans can breathe a sigh of relief: The Queen of Pop is back on stage and the bacterial infection that sent her to the intensive care unit last June is nothing more than a bad memory.
Less than four months after he said he came close to death, the 65-year-old artist finally kicked off his Celebration tour with a bang on Saturday night at the O2 Arena in London.
“The Queen of Pop shines with her successes,” headlined The Guardian, joining the many media outlets praising this new show, which will finally be at the Bell Center in Montreal on January 18th and 20th, 2024.
“In a year when Taylor Swift’s career retrospective is shaping up to be the biggest tour of a generation, here is a true icon determined to show that her throne as Queen of Pop remains firmly intact,” wrote Rolling Stone magazine about this large-scale tour. The production focused on classics from Madonna’s repertoire, a rarity for her.
Finally the successes came together
Holiday, Like a Prayer, Hung Up, Like a Virgin, Ray of Light, Vogue: Only a few of the many successes that made Madonna the idol of several generations have been forgotten.
“For once,” Variety delights, “Madonna, whose unwavering commitment to the present and future of her music had always kept her from playing the dream slate of her material, is here to celebrate four decades at the top, with almost every track belongs to him.” Admirers, whether casual or obsessive, might dream of it. »
The production is true to form ambitious. According to data published by the BBC, there are 47 fully or partially executed hits, more than 600 lights, 80 tons of equipment, 17 replica period costumes, 40 pairs of boxing gloves and eight humidifiers destined for the star’s dressing room.
Imperfections
A perfect show? Maybe not. On Saturday evening the concert had to be interrupted for around ten minutes due to a technical glitch. Madonna filled this pause by recounting her arrival in New York, young and penniless, where she agreed to sleep with men in return for the opportunity to shower at their home.
Rolling Stone also regretted that “Like a Virgin” included excerpts from Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean” while a screen showed the two pop icons.
“The juxtaposition of the two elements, the lyrics evoking sexual awakening and the images of a man with a highly controversial legacy, is undeniably bizarre.”
- Madonna will play in major European capitals until December 6th. The North American leg of the tour begins December 13th in New York and ends April 24th. A total of 78 performances are on the program.