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Does Madonna write her own lyrics?

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A very good friend of mine,who's also a hardcore Michael fan says he can't respect Madonna as a artist,because she doesn't write her own lyrics. Someone else writes her music and she doesn't come up with anything herself. That's what he says, but is this really true? I was never aware of this.
 
I don't know her creative process but on her albums she is given songwriting credits almost on every song that is not a cover. On the other hand she doesn't really write songs alone. There is always a co-writer or more. So I don't know who does what on those songs. I have read that there are stars who insist on getting co-writing credits on every song even if their input is minimal. I don't know if Madonna is one of those or she really does contribute substantially to these songs.

I ran through Madonna's albums on Wiki and I saw that the only time she wrote songs alone was on her debut album, "Madonna", which wasn't one of her most successful albums. On that album she wrote Lucky Star, Burning Up, I know It, Think of Me and Everybody alone. The biggest hit of the album, Holiday was not written or co-written by her. There was one more song on her next album, Like a Virgin, that she wrote alone: Shoo-Bee-Doo. The album's biggest hits, Material Girl and Like a Virgin were not written or co-written by her. From then on she did not write songs alone.
 
I've heard that she doesn't really have anything to do with the creation of her music at all.

But I have to say... even though I dislike Madonna, I have to defend her if she, as respect77 suggests, just don't write her music all by herself.

While there are musicians who CAN write an entire song by themselves - that kind of requires that you play every instrument used in the song. I used to play in bands when I was younger - I sang and played rythm guitar, and could easily compose a song... BUT I didn't tell the bass player or the drummer what to do... and the more technically skilled guitarist of the band (which was never me LOL) could add things to the song that I would have been unable to do. So - although I was often the one who came up with a song in the first place, the finished product was the result of every band member's work.
 
Gozer said:
I've heard that she doesn't really have anything to do with the creation of her music at all.

But I have to say... even though I dislike Madonna, I have to defend her if she, as respect77 suggests, just don't write her music all by herself.

While there are musicians who CAN write an entire song by themselves - that kind of requires that you play every instrument used in the song. I used to play in bands when I was younger - I sang and played rythm guitar, and could easily compose a song... BUT I didn't tell the bass player or the drummer what to do... and the more technically skilled guitarist of the band (which was never me LOL) could add things to the song that I would have been unable to do. So - although I was often the one who came up with a song in the first place, the finished product was the result of every band member's work.
Click to expand...

I don't think you have to play every instrument to write a song. Michael didn't really play instruments but he could communicate what he wanted to hear by singing it to the musicians, according to musicians who worked with him. I also don't think every classical composer played all the instruments in an orchestra to be able to write a piece.
 
None of it is true. Whoever says that Madonna isn't involved in the writing or production of her music is an idiot. An idiot with a personal agenda. Plain and simple. They know nothing about Madonna, her life and career or how she operates in it. Madonna is incredibly hands on and controls every aspect of the music product she puts out. She is literally in the studio with her producers, creating the exact sound she wants. No, she doesn't solely write every single song but she co-writes nearly all of them and has penned many herself. Also, Madonna's first album is one of her MOST successful albums. Not THE most, but very successful indeed. This just goes to show how people refuse to give the woman credit. Madonna can't possibly be strong, sexual, and smart AND write music? Right?...

She's not been around and relevant for 30+ years by luck.
 
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Travis pretty much said it all. Her producers develop the production of the song, but she's the mastermind. And to answer the original question, yes, she does write her own lyrics.

Her most recent producer, Martin Solveig, basically said the same thing:

"I had a lot of things in my head, but then I realized it was not going to happen the way I thought -- meaning we were really going to be working together, which is quite unique," he recalls. "A lot of times a singer will just say, 'I like this instrumental' or 'I like this idea' or take a top line and then go work with it. But with Madonna, we worked more old school, really sharing the experience of making music together in a room at the same time. So basically all the plans I had in the first place were gone and she took the lead -- and it was an even better experience."

http://www.billboard.com/news/martin-solveig-feels-smashing-after-madonna-1007904172.story#/news/martin-solveig-feels-smashing-after-madonna-1007904172.story

And to quote Madonna herself:

"You know, I hate to use the word ‘control’ so much, because people use and bandy that word about with me, when it comes to my creative life. Everyone says ‘Oh you’re a control freak and you like to be in control.’ The thing is, everything I do – even my song writing – I’m collaborating at all times. I value input from people, and I want it.

I can’t work on my own. I am not Prince or like a lot of artists, who can go in and play every instrument, and record a track, and not hear from people. I need to hear what people think all the time. I like to have my road dog, my side kick. I like the simplicity of songwriting, because in the end, it is simple. You have a melody. You have some words. And you sing."

http://ohnotheydidnt.livejournal.com/67444148.html
 
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A glimpse of Madonna's hands on approach to creating music:

 
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