She's Madonna

"She's Madonna"
Single by Robbie Williams featuring Pet Shop Boys
from the album Rudebox
B-side "Never Touch That Switch"
Released 5 March 2007
Format
Recorded 2007 (London, United Kingdom)
Genre Pop
Length 4:16
Label
Writer(s)
Producer(s) Pet Shop Boys
Robbie Williams singles chronology
"Bongo Bong and Je ne t'aime plus"
(2007)		 "She's Madonna"
(2007)		 "Close My Eyes"
(2009)
Pet Shop Boys singles chronology
"Numb"
(2006)		 "She's Madonna"
(2007)		 "Integral"
(2007)

"She's Madonna" is the third and final international single released from Robbie Williams's seventh studio album Rudebox. A collaboration with Pet Shop Boys, it is a love song to pop star Madonna and was released on 5 March 2007. A promotional copy was released to European radio in late January to precede the CD single. The song became one of Williams' lower-charting hits in the UK Singles Chart, peaking at number 16. Despite this, it is still regularly played on cable music video channels and radio stations in the UK. It was confirmed that this single was not going to be released in Latin America.

Background and composition

"She's Madonna" was a collaboration between Williams and Pet Shop Boys and was the fifth and final single from Williams' seventh studio album, Rudebox. By the time the single was supposed to be released, Williams had just come out from rehab following his addiction problems. "She's Madonna" was inspired by a conversation Williams had with British director Guy Ritchie's ex-girlfriend Tania Strecker, about the way Ritchie left her for American singer Madonna. Strecker quoted Ritchie as saying, "Look, you know I really love you, but she's Madonna."[1] Williams considered the song to be one of Rudebox's lighter moments, commenting: "There is nothing tongue in cheek about this song at all... I have always fancied Madonna. I'd have hoped for it to be this good, but you can never tell before venturing into the studio. It is just a bonus that it worked out so well."[2] According to Contactmusic.com, Williams had played the song to Madonna shortly after writing it, receiving a positive reaction.[3]

Musically, the song was inspired by Kraftwerk's 1983 single, "Tour de France". Williams stated: "My life seems to be like a never ending edition of Jim'll Fix It. I am truly blessed. The odds of Robbie Williams making a ninth album ten years ago would have been more than long against. To be writing this album and having my heroes work with me feels phenomenal. I played 'Tour de France' by Kraftwerk and said, 'I like this, can we do something like this, but not much like this', but then everything else came together pretty quickly."[2] The song starts with a "gurgling" electro backing over which Williams sings the lyrics, talking about his fascination with Madonna, which goes like "We're having drinks with Kate and Stella, Gwyneth's here and she's brought her fella".[4] "She's Madonna" was the subject of a controversy after singer Ashley Hamilton claimed that he came up with part of the song with Williams.[5]

Release and reception

"She's Madonna" was released in the United Kingdom on 5 March 2007 and received generally positive reviews. Nick Levine from Digital Spy awarded it three out of five stars noting that the track was a kind of "damage control" for Williams' fallen public image following his rehabilitation. "Who'd have guessed he'd sound so comfortable—his most convincing in years, actually—singing about one of the few people in the world who's more famous than him [Madonna]?" Levine concluded.[4]

Music video

The music video was shot in Los Angeles[6] and features Williams as a professional drag queen in full regalia, as well as performing to drag queens in a nightclub, dressed in a white jacket. Alexis Arquette appeared as one of the drag queens, along with RuPaul's Drag Race contestant Tammie Brown.[7] The video was directed by Johan Renck, who had previously directed the videos for Madonna's "Nothing Really Matters" in 1999 and "Hung Up" in 2005.[6][8]

Track listing and formats

  • UK CD single[2]
  1. "She's Madonna" – 4:16
  2. "Never Touch That Switch" (Switch Remix) – 5:06
  • UK Maxi single[2]
  1. "She's Madonna" – 4:16
  2. "She's Madonna" (Chris Lake Remix) – 7:58
  3. "She's Madonna" (Kris Menace Vocal Re-Interpretation) – 4:24
  4. "She's Madonna" (Kris Menace Dub) – 5:37
  • UK DVD single[2]
  1. "She's Madonna" (video)
  2. "Never Touch That Switch" (Nightmoves Remix audio) – 6:52
  3. "Never Touch That Switch" (Dark Horse Remix audio) – 4:33

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from Robbie Williams' official website.[2]

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2007) Peak
position
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[9] 14
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[10] 3
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[11] 10
Czech Republic (Rádio Top 100)[12] 2
Denmark (Tracklisten)[13] 4
Europe (European Hot 100 Singles)[14] 4
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[15] 13
Germany (Official German Charts)[16] 4
Hungary (Rádiós Top 40)[17] 7
Ireland (IRMA)[18] 38
Italy (FIMI)[19] 3
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[20] 3
Romania (Romanian Top 100)[21] 35
Scotland (Official Charts Company)[22] 9
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[23] 3
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[24] 20
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[25] 8
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[26] 16
US Dance Club Songs (Billboard)[27] 12

Year-end charts

Chart (2007) Rank
Germany (Media Control Charts)[28] 36

Certifications

Region Certification Sales/shipments
Denmark (IFPI Denmark)[29] Gold 7,500^
Germany (BVMI)[30] Gold 150,000^

^shipments figures based on certification alone

References

  1. ↑ Scott, Paul (2 September 2011). Robbie and Gary: – It's Complicated – The Unauthorised Biography. Pan Macmillan. p. 210. ISBN 9780283071560.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "She's Madonna: Robbie Williams Discography". Official website of Robbie Williams. Retrieved 24 November 2015.
  3. ↑ "Williams Worried About Madonna Tribute". Contactmusic.com. 15 July 2006. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
  4. 1 2 Levine, Nick (5 March 2007). "Robbie Williams: 'She's Madonna'". Digital Spy. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
  5. ↑ Cummins, Fiona; Simpson, Eva (14 February 2007). "Torment of Robbie". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
  6. 1 2 Newton, Victoria (16 January 2007). "Robbie's frocky horror show". The Sun. Retrieved 16 January 2007.
  7. ↑ "About Tammie". TammieBrown.net. Retrieved 2 March 2013.
  8. ↑ http://www.robbiewilliams.com/video/official/shes-madonna-music-video
  9. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Robbie Williams with Pet Shop Boys – She's Madonna" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 26 February 2014.
  10. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Robbie Williams with Pet Shop Boys – She's Madonna" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 26 February 2014.
  11. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Robbie Williams with Pet Shop Boys – She's Madonna" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 26 February 2014.
  12. ↑ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: insert 200716 into search. Retrieved 26 February 2014.
  13. ↑ "Danishcharts.com – Robbie Williams with Pet Shop Boys – She's Madonna". Tracklisten. Retrieved 26 February 2014.
  14. ↑ "Robbie Williams – Chart history" European Hot 100 for Robbie Williams. Retrieved 26 February 2014.
  15. ↑ "Robbie Williams with Pet Shop Boys: She's Madonna" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 26 February 2014.
  16. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Robbie Williams with Pet Shop Boys – She's Madonna". GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 26 February 2014.
  17. ↑ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Rádiós Top 40 játszási lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved 26 February 2014.
  18. ↑ "Chart Track: Week 10, 2007". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 26 February 2014.
  19. ↑ "Italiancharts.com – Robbie Williams with Pet Shop Boys – She's Madonna". Top Digital Download. Retrieved 26 February 2014.
  20. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Robbie Williams with Pet Shop Boys – She's Madonna" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 26 February 2014.
  21. ↑ "Roamian Top 100" (in Romanian). Romanian Top 100. 23 May 2007. Archived from the original on 23 June 2007.
  22. ↑ "Archive Chart: 2007-03-17". Scottish Singles Top 40. Retrieved 26 February 2014.
  23. ↑ "Spanishcharts.com – Robbie Williams with Pet Shop Boys – She's Madonna" Canciones Top 50. Retrieved 26 February 2014.
  24. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Robbie Williams with Pet Shop Boys – She's Madonna". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 26 February 2014.
  25. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Robbie Williams with Pet Shop Boys – She's Madonna". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 26 February 2014.
  26. ↑ "Archive Chart: 2007-03-17" UK Singles Chart. Retrieved 26 February 2014.
  27. ↑ "Robbie Williams – Chart history" Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs for Robbie Williams. Retrieved 26 February 2014.
  28. ↑ https://www.offiziellecharts.de/charts/single-jahr/for-date-2007
  29. ↑ "Danish single certifications – Robbie Williams – She's Madonna". IFPI Denmark. Retrieved 30 November 2015. Click on næste to go to page 28 if certification from official website
  30. ↑ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Robbie Williams; 'She's Madonna')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 30 November 2015.

External links

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