All I want to do is talk about Madonna

In the midst of the “I Feel So Free” launch, Mark and Kenny flee to Cape Verde to dissect this anthemic duet w/ the mighty and inspiring Orquestra Batukadeiras. Topics include David Banda’s security, community singing, generational mentorship, radical joy, recapturing the enthusiasm, Paul Simon, Joni Mitchell, the darkness of survival, Emmanuel Adjei, communal tasks, unself-conscious joy, Queen Mabel, and Eva Peron returns! This episode is dedicated to Robert (Bob) Snyder (1948-2026).

Kenny and Mark get out the oracles and peer into this reggae-tinged anthem from Madame X. Topics include scratchy pianos, Starrah, autotune vs. clean vocal, Quavo, Athens, GA, Sondheim & Streisand, being a sound level diva, rebirth, future & past, Great Depression propaganda, Anne Frank and the lack of empathy, The Little Drummer Girl, Angels in America, a troubling Eurovision 2019, Solange, Aretha Franklin & Curtis Mayfield’s Sparkle, the weirdness of promotional singles, Natalie Merchant and revisiting old songs, and how recording new songs after performing them on a world tour might transform a new album by Madonna. Plus, Kenny finds a new stage name, Mark leads a “Future” singalong in the NYC subway, and a potential new conversation about a very party-ful song in the Madonna canon.

Mark and Kenny light up some clove cigarettes to discuss the daring and deliciously disconcerting third song from Madame X. Topics include illusionary disco, plethoras of motifs, threatening strings, the Wooster Group, nostalgic coos, useless founding fathers, Casey Spooner, not-so-secret villains, disruptive choirs, James Baldwin, new democracies, Jonas Akerlund, Taylor Swift, Patti Smith, trash cans, Party Girl Vera, sparkly nail polish and dangerous lace gloves, confusing time stamps, the illusions of nostalgia, Madame X’s short story, and the numbing (and ongoing) conversation about Madonna’s gun imagery and gun control. Plus, Mark climbs down a fire escape and Kenny holds out for the VIP section on Pride Island. “WAKE UP!”

Kenny and Mark don their Supreme Hoodies to dive deep on the extreme and WHACKY second track from Madame X. Topics include the 2018 MetGala, Eurovision, Tchaikovsky, A Clockwork Orange, the material life, truth vs. fiction, screen entrapment, insomnia, reading plays, Instagram whoredom, Mykki Blanco, evil cardinals, watchful matrons, the GLAAD Awards, and the turbo-charged return of old friend Joan of Arc. “It’s a beautiful life …”

Mark and Kenny break out the wigs (and, yes, the eye patches) to launch Season Eight: Zero Fucks Given with an epic conversation about the first song and single from Madame X. Topics include: eye twitches, pineapple, pandemic impact, skincare, pussy hats, Cher and a potential Mamma Mia 3 movie, Lisbon, Estere and Stella, Starrah, Dino D’Santiago and his band Expensive Soul, the ups and downs of fado, Amalia & Celeste Rodrigues, the return of Mirwais, the fable of Martha Graham, The World of Madame X documentary, the yellow scarf, the risk of narratives in pop music, Kate Langbroek, MALUMA, Shakira, Edgar Barrera, Alice in Wonderland, flirting in different languages, the Billboard Music Awards, Diana Kunst and May Morgo, the abundance of accessories, an interrupted wedding, lost remixes, the Year of the Clavicle, and the overall schizophrenic quality of Madame X. “Can we just get to the 1, 2, cha cha?”