Bandsplain

Madonna Month (OK, six weeks) is coming to a close, and it’s going out with a bang! First, Yasi is joined by the original Madonna influence, her mom, Fattaneh Salek! It all started here, from picking Madonna favorites while still in a stroller to transcribing lyrics for future sing-alongs.

Then, Patrik Sandberg is back to help Yasi answer all your burning Madonna questions. What was Madonna’s best hair era? Who would the dream Madonna alt-rock collab be? And most importantly, why isn’t Gen Z properly celebrating Madonna?! Plus, they rank their top five Madonna songs (but we still don’t agree with rankings)!

Host: Yasi Salek @yasisalekGuests: Fattaneh Salek and Patrik Sandberg @patriksandbergProducer: Rob SundermannEditor: Adrian BridgesAdditional Production Supervision: Justin SaylesTheme Song: Bethany Cosentino
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Yasi is joined by Amanda Dobbins and Sean Fennessey of The Big Picture to reconsider Madonna’s life on film, including her breakout role in Desperately Seeking Susan, box office hits like Dick Tracy and A League of Their Own, polarizing works like Body of Evidence, and of course her most critically acclaimed film work, Evita. They discuss Madonna the cinephile, the vulnerability required to be a great artist, the unfair criticism that followed Madonna the actress, and what they think her best film is.

CREDITS:Host: Yasi Salek @yasisalekGuests: Amanda Dobbins @akdobbins and Sean Fennessey @seanfennesseyProducer: Rob SundermannEditor: Adrian BridgesAdditional Production Supervision: Justin SaylesTheme Song: Bethany Cosentino
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Yasi is joined by journalist and critic Caryn Ganz as the Madonna series enters the modern era. They discuss the glittering revival of 'Confessions on a Dance Floor,' the superstar collaborations and pop maximalism of 'Hard Candy,' the spectacle and chaos of 'MDNA,' the leaks, vulnerability, and often misunderstood ambition of 'Rebel Heart,' and the globetrotting experimentation of 'Madame X.' Plus: The Super Bowl, the ageism, the collaborators, and the globe-spanning Celebration Tour that celebrated 40 years of Madonna, along with what they feel is coming next as 'Confessions 2' looms on the horizon.

Episode PlaylistListen to the Madonna: Part 4 playlist here.

CREDITS:Host: Yasi Salek @yasisalekGuests: Caryn Ganz @mehpatrolProducer: Rob SundermannEditor: Adrian BridgesAdditional Production Supervision: Justin SaylesTheme Song: Bethany Cosentino
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Yasi is joined by creative director Paul Hamann as they continue the Bandsplain Madonna deep dive. They discuss Madonna’s celebrated acting role in Evita and the lasting vocal changes that came with it, her career-elevating work of Ray of Light, the ahead-of-its-time Music, and how the increasingly fraught political situation in America impacted one of her most misunderstood works, American Life. Plus: motherhood, mysticism, the perfect pop single that landed on the Austin Powers soundtrack, and how Madonna kept finding new ways to bend pop stardom around her own evolution.

Episode PlaylistListen to the Madonna: Part 3 playlist here.

CREDITS:Host: Yasi Salek @yasisalekGuests: Paul Hamann @hamann.coProducer: Rob SundermannEditor: Adrian BridgesAdditional Production Supervision: Justin SaylesTheme Song: Bethany Cosentino
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Yasi is joined by writer and Bandsplain MVP Patrik Sandberg for Part 2 of the Madonna epic. This chapter follows Madonna from 'Like a Prayer' through 'Bedtime Stories' as she alchemizes religion, sex, fashion, and controversy into one of the most fascinating and powerful runs in pop music history. They talk about the history of “Vogue,” the groundbreaking Pepsi commercial, her major leap with 'Erotica,' the much-discussed 'Sex' book, and, of course, the backlash and what it meant for her creativity. Plus: the reinventions, the Cher beef, her acting career, all the incredible music and imagery of this period, and so, so much more.

Episode PlaylistListen to the Madonna: Part 2 playlist here.

CREDITS:Host: Yasi Salek @yasisalekGuest: Patrik Sandberg @patriksandbergProducer: Rob SundermannEditor: Adrian BridgesAdditional Production Supervision: Justin SaylesTheme Song: Bethany Cosentino
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