song american life song american singer songwriter madonna title track ninth studio album released digitally lead single album april written produced madonna lyrics american life feature violent transitions political religious view madonna questions modern life american dream president conservative watch end song madonna raps naming people working american life panned music critics billboard criticizing madonna rapping blender naming ninth worst song time despite receiving negative reviews music commentators american life reached number canada denmark italy japan switzerland australia song certified gold australian_recording_industry_association aria song peaked number billboard hot staying chart weeks debuted peaked number singles chart music videos shot song directed swedish director featured madonna military themed fashion brigade female soldiers end throws hand grenade prior release caused controversy political racial violence religious views leading madonna release statement explaining concept invasion iraq started madonna cancelled release original music video political climate country time released alternative version featuring backdrop flags world song performed promotion background release american life written produced madonna having guitar lesson come observed send music rough stuff doesn arrangement basic chord came like april madonna discussed motivations american life vh1 talking experience music industry stated look years realized lot things valued weren important response non themes record discussing album madonna said american life song like trip memory lane looking accomplished things valued things important perspective fought things tried hard number stay look good best realized lot things things matter things counter illegal internet downloads song single release madonna associates created number false song files similar length size files delivered brief message madonna saying fuck think followed minutes silence song leaked online day official premiere american life premiered march aol song released united_states april american life went sale days later digital services liquid audio madonna website format composition lyrics starting madonna voice multi tracked questioning gon star change lyrics develop states complaint modern day life questions modern life american dream know sounds admitted years fame fortune feel right opinion isn obsessed celebrity saying knows better happens kinds notions wonderful celebrity joy going bring arrive america place world freedom want good works value system anymore takes got beautiful life look like gon happy drive car gon popular wear clothes people gon want fuck powerful illusion people caught including minutes madonna performs rap naming people working basically recorded song instrumental thing end said madonna like know rap like don rap like yeah totally encouraged planned written told stream consciousness thinking drinking studio drive mini cooper studio like let talk things like went total obviously sloppy got thoughts wrote said perfected timing totally spontaneous repeated acoustic guitar riff adds touch song according biographer lyrics accompany octave synth figure synchronized drum bass beat american life written time signature common time moderate tempo beats minute composed key sharp minor madonna voice spanning critical reception american life met generally negative reception music critics sal_cinquemani slant_magazine labeled self awkward song privilege robotic track gave negative review said world richest women complains entertainment culture noted song raging life leading billboard gave negative review song criticizing madonna rapping calling song style composition sounds like medley song alexis_petridis guardian disappointed lyrics saying earth extreme point view involve world ruled super intelligent sadly extreme point view turns money buy happiness fame isn cracked panned lyric like express extreme point view saying difficult hear line feeling excitement entertainment_weekly called song list trainer butler assistant bodyguard like clever self clearly intended confirmation conviction middle aged madonna appointment blender magazine listed song number list stating madonna updates material girl satire spiritual hands embarrassing rap recorded nervous makes sound smooth magazine said worst moment song rapping madonna sings considered song shallow point self parody chart performance american life debuted number billboard hot week april weeks later april song peaked number greatest song week canada song peaked number singles chart australia american life debuted peak number seven week april following week song began decline experienced total chart trajectory weeks song certified gold australian_recording_industry_association aria new_zealand song peaked number remained chart week singles chart american life debuted peak number week april april american life debuted number seven austria chart spending total weeks chart song achieved moderate chart positions flemish territories belgium peaking numbers respectively making debut number american life charted total weeks france peaked number falling july song certified silver dutch chart song debut number following week rose number peaked number ending week run april american life debuted number similarly switzerland song debuted number spending weeks chart germany song peaked number music videos different music videos american life released madonna shot week february los_angeles california swedish director worked madonna videos ray light music madonna idea music video november developed idea anti war anti fashion mini movie american life took music videos different level focusing war politics according media interpretation upcoming invasion iraq statement subsequently clarified necessarily war given moment wars going world shortly filmed released statement music video video expresses view culture war view female superhero portrayed madonna starting runway army fashion mad depicting catastrophic repercussions war exclusive sneak video available vh1 program backstage video begins male female models dressed soldiers fashion runway wearing military gas masks male model sports shirt reads fashion victim inter cut scenes madonna singing black background second chorus middle eastern children seen walking runway bullied soldier models bridge madonna group prepare enter runway protect partition stall dances angrily song women seen dancing surveillance cameras rap section starts madonna seen crashing driving mini cooper photographers industrial strength water rapping dancing car gang end video madonna drives runway audience pull hand grenade teeth throws video ends light cigar political climate country time april madonna pulled video released statement explaining decided release new video filmed war started believe appropriate air time volatile state world sensitivity respect armed forces support pray want risk meaning video pulling original video released edited version premiered april vh1 immediately special program called version features madonna singing backdrop changing flags different countries director cut video leaked internet shows heavier scenes like wounded soldiers war scenes images poverty death slant_magazine placed alternate video nineteenth place decade best music videos list stating isn like video message viewing war form popular entertainment striking loaded images leave room yes relevant surely subtle version video ends tossed grenade landing madonna putting hands ears live performances promote madonna embarked performance tower fourth street manhattan presented people set started madonna wearing black dot black trousers heels performing acoustic performance american life followed track static process promotional saw madonna perform tracks album mother father hollywood performing impromptu performance like virgin lastly performing album version american life stage built preparation performances long dark large speakers according billboard thousand fans nearby hear performance madonna performed song store oxford people united_kingdom performed american life hollywood bbc pops following year american life included opened segment started sound helicopter background madonna backup dancers dressed soldiers middle battle saying goodbye madonna appeared onstage structure sets wearing camouflage pants olive army jacket black started performing song war footage death destruction screens end song showed look alike resting head shoulder look alike pair waiting marriage license performance madonna ran lengthy shaped descended ceiling allowed reach middle stadium toronto sun praised performance called background images sober performance included going tell secret live album documentary track listings formats credits personnel madonna songwriter producer producer programming guitar mixing mastering assistant engineer assistant engineer credits personnel adapted album liner notes charts certifications
American Life (song)