Second instalment dedicated to Madonna: today we're talking about “True Blue”.
Madonna's third studio album, “True Blue” (1986), marks a turning point in the artist's career. The record distances itself from the lighter sound and themes of "Like a Virgin" to take on a more mature dimension, addressing topics ranging from love to freedom, and including social issues, with the aim of attracting a more adult audience, perhaps still sceptical about her music. Madonna's look also adapts to this change, becoming more sober and refined, taking inspiration from the divas of old Hollywood in the Fifties. For the first time, Madonna collaborates on the writing and production of all the tracks on the record, under the guidance of Stephen Bray and Patrick Leonard. A wide variety of instruments appear in the tracks, including electric guitars, real and synthetic drums, Cuban instruments and synthesisers. The record is dedicated to her husband Sean Penn, whom she met in February 1985 on the set of the "Material Girl" video. The love for Penn seems to permeate all the tracks on the record, but it is particularly evident in the title track "True Blue", a dance-pop song inspired by the girl groups of the '60s. The title refers to an expression frequently used by her husband to describe his pure vision of love.
The song that opens the album is "Papa Don't Preach", which addresses the theme of teenage pregnancy. The song was written by Brian Elliot, who drew inspiration from conversations of some female students chatting right under the window of his recording studio, talking about abortion and other teenage experiences. The protagonist of the story rebels against the paternal figure, to whom she declares that despite his disagreement, she will keep the child she is pregnant with. We can already sense from the intro of the song, a string arrangement that samples Beethoven's "Appassionata" sonata, the change of direction of Madonna's new project. The first single "Live to Tell" was composed by Patrick Leonard as an instrumental piece for a film soundtrack, but after its rejection by the film production company, Leonard proposed the song to Madonna, who wrote the lyrics, melody and collaborated on its production, creating a ballad on the theme of deception, with clear autobiographical references. "La Isla Bonita" is the last single taken from the record and Madonna's first track influenced by Latin rhythms. After being rejected by Michael Jackson in its instrumental version, Madonna decided to write the lyrics as a tribute, as she stated, "to the beauty and mystery of the Latin American people". The album cover features one of Madonna's most recognised images, by photographer Herb Ritts, who portrays her in a swan-like pose in shades of grey, white and various shades of blue, reinforcing the reference to the album's title. "True Blue" reached the top of the charts in 28 countries around the world, selling over 25 million copies. Madonna's fame thus reached a peak that allowed her to rival male artists of her era such as Michael Jackson and Prince.
Today we recommend listening to "Papa Don't Preach" and watching the related music video, inviting you to take a trip down memory lane to relive the most successful era of the Queen of Pop.