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Review

Ah, Madonna...we love you so.
Even when toting a gun and (presumably) offing yourself.

The Grande Dame of late-20th century controversy vaulted into the new millennium with her multi-platinum selling Music CD, and its accompanying eyebrow-raising video. Well, the bitch is still at it - and looking more fabulous than ever.

Taking a well-worn (or should that be well chafed?) page from her Justify My Love controversy, M. goes for broke once again with this, her third video from the Music album, and tries to stir the pot once again as well.

On the album itself, What it Feels Like... is performed as an acoustic track, with her vocals sounding powerful and raw. Here, Maddie uses the "Above and Beyond" remix of the track - a propelling, whirling, hard-techno version - to take it to an entirely different level.

Looking like a female drag version of Bardot meets The Matrix, Maddie plays a woman abused, obviously on the edge, and "over it" (we see quick glimpses of bruises on her arms and back while getting dressed). She kidnaps an old woman, tosses her in the front seat of her stolen car, and proceeds to go on a crime rampage. Running over people at gas stations, shooting at cops (albeit with a water pistol), holding up ATM users at stungun-point, this bitch has had it!

Pity MTV couldn't look beyond the staged violence (upsetting, but hardly graphic); there's a good chance the banning of the video was a big publicity stunt to merely drum up business for this already-planned release. While not as groundbreaking as her earlier works, this is still Maddie at her best: looking fabulous, with a bitter attitude and a cutting edge look (courtesy of her husband Guy Ritchie) and serving up something different.

 -- Erik Schut