Madonna officially drops cancelled American Life video in 4k and it features grenades, harnesses and men in skirts
"I'd like to express my extreme point of view." That she did!
Madonna has officially released the expanded video for her 2003 single American Life, 20 years after it was shelved.
The 4k remastered video was shared to Madonna’s official YouTube channel earlier this week.
Directed by Jonas Åkerlund, it shows Madge passing comment on war. However, controversy around the video swirled ahead of its original release as it coincided with the US invasion of Iraq.
Its release was cancelled at the last minute, with Madonna saying in a statement: “Due to the volatile state of the world and out of sensitivity and respect to the armed forces, who I support and pray for, I do not want to risk offending anyone who might misinterpret the meaning of this video.”
Images and footage of the video has since leaked. But this is perhaps the first time it has been available to view all the way through in high quality.
And it certainly delivers with its eye-popping imagery features grenades, guns, harnesses, many topless men and, of course, Madonna’s trusty takeaway coffee. (She inexplicably raps not he track: “I’m drinking a Soy latte. I get a double shote. It goes right through my body. And you know I’m satisfied.”)
“Maybe we’re wrong”
Appearing on a podcast years later, Akerland, who has also worked with Lady Gaga, spoke about his and Madonna’s uncertainty about the video, saying [as per Billboard]: “Is this really the best way to prove a point?”
The director – who also helmed M’s iconic ‘Ray of Light’ video – reportedly added of Material Girl singer: “And it’s the first and only time I’ve seen her go, like, Well, maybe it’s not. Maybe we’re wrong.”
“Those weeks when we were supposed to release the video, it really felt wrong… Just the way we did it,” he said.
The song was the first single from Madonna’s critically polarising ‘American Life’ LP.
Rolling Stone recently called “downright embarrassing”, and adding it to their list of ’50 Genuinely Horrible Albums by Brilliant Artists.
Said the RS critic: “Her skills at both were rather rudimentary, and her decision to work with French techno producer Mirwais Ahmadzaï (who had been on board for the more successful Music) added yet another element that caused the whole project to become hopelessly muddled when it wasn’t just downright embarrassing.”