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American Life

American Life
Madonna wearing a black beret and jacket, looking seriously towards the camera
Studio album by Madonna
Released April 21, 2003
Recorded 2001–03
Studio Westlake Recording Studios
(West Hollywood, California)
Olympic Recording Studios
(London, England)
Genre
Length 49:39
Label
Producer
Madonna chronology
GHV2
(2001)
American Life
(2003)
Remixed & Revisited
(2003)
Singles from American Life
  1. "American Life"
    Released: March 24, 2003
  2. "Hollywood"
    Released: July 3, 2003
  3. "Nothing Fails"
    Released: November 21, 2003
  4. "Love Profusion"
    Released: December 8, 2003
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
Source Rating
Metacritic 60/100
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic 2.5/5 stars
Billboard (positive)
Entertainment Weekly (B−)
NME (7/10)
Robert Christgau (2-star Honorable Mention)
Rolling Stone 3/5 stars
Slant Magazine 3.5/5 stars
Spin (B−)
Stylus Magazine F
The Guardian 3/5 stars

American Life is the ninth studio album by American singer and songwriter Madonna. It was first released on April 21, 2003, by Maverick Records and Warner Bros. Records. The album, produced in its entirety by Madonna and Mirwais Ahmadzaï, features references to many parts of American culture. The album is a concept album, with recurring themes of the American Dream and materialism. These themes reject the reputation Madonna held in the 1980s, earned by songs such as her worldwide hit "Material Girl" (1985). The album contains folk and folktronica music, as well as influences of acoustic music on many tracks.

American Life received mixed reviews from music critics, with responses noting its consistency, but general responses called the record "about Madonna" and found it confusing. The album peaked at number one in fourteen countries. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and British Phonographic Industry (BPI) both certified it platinum in recognition of one million shipments in the United States, and 300,000 shipments in the United Kingdom, respectively. The album became the 32nd-best-selling album of 2003 and has sold five million copies to date. American Life garnered two nominations at the 46th Grammy Awards in 2004.

Four singles were released from the album. The first, the title track, was released to a generally negative critical reception, with Blender naming it the ninth worst song of all time. It charted at number 37 in the US while it entered the top ten in most countries, peaking at number two in the United Kingdom. A controversial music video was pulled after scenes of war and violence were criticized which led to an edited version being released. Its following single, "Hollywood", became her first single not to chart on the Billboard Hot 100 since 1983. "Nothing Fails" and "Love Profusion", the third and fourth singles respectively, featured a lack of promotion resulting in a poor commercial performance. Despite it, both peaked at number one in Spain.


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Wikipedia

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