"Medellín" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna and Colombian singer Maluma. It was released on April 17, 2019, as the lead single from Madonna's fourteenth studio album Madame X.[1] The song is named after the city in Colombia where Maluma was born.[2] Madonna and Maluma performed the song together live at the 2019 Billboard Music Awards.
This is the first of 3 collaborations between the two, the others being "Soltera", from Maluma's 4 studio album, 11:11, and "Bitch, I'm Loca" from Madame X.
Background and release
He's so great to work with. One of the most easygoing, open, warm, generous – doesn't leave the studio until the work is done. Has great work ethic. I adore him. Nothing but great things to say about him.
Maluma met Madonna after he performed at the 2018 MTV Video Music Awards. In February 2019, Maluma posted a photo on Instagram in the studio with Madonna.[4] He revealed in an interview with Forbes that they were working together, saying: "Madonna and I are cooking there together, making some beautiful songs. I'm very excited. That's a huge step for my culture, for Latin culture, it's very very big."[5] On April 15, 2019, Madonna shared the cover art on her social media accounts.[6] Madonna revealed after Madame X was released that she decided to collaborate with Maluma after she realized that Maluma loves horses, as she does.[7] The song was released on April 17, 2019, at 12PM EST and premiered on Beats 1 radio.[8]
Composition
"Medellín" is a Latin pop song with a "rhythmic reggaeton beat"[9] written bilingually in English and Spanish.[10][11] The song is performed in the key of A♭ major in common time with a tempo of 92 beats per minute. The song follows a chord progression of A♭–G♭–E♭ in the verses.[12]
Critical reception
NME writer Charlotte Gunn called the track a "surprising, self-reflective gem of a pop song", also noting the song sounds "fresh".[10]Entertainment Weekly's Joey Nolfi called it "a breezy, summer-ready anthem that sees its duet partners reflecting on past struggles while dreaming about a trip to the song’s titular Colombian city".[13] Writing for Variety, Jem Aswad felt that "while the song may not be the dancefloor-filling that fans might be hoping for, it’s a sultry and promising introduction to Madonna’s latest era".[14] Sal Cinquemani from Slant opined that "vocally, Maluma does most of the heavy-lifting on the bilingual track, with inuendo-filled verses that reference both Colombia and [Madonna’s] hometown of Detroit. But Madonna’s sugary harmonies, particularly during the song’s rousing hook, balance out Maluma’s gigolo routine with a dreamy sweetness", comparing it to her 1987 hit "La Isla Bonita".[15]
Chart performance
In the United States, “Medellín” became Madonna’s 47th chart topper on Billboard's Dance Club Songs chart tally dated June 29, 2019, extending her record as the artist with the most number ones on the chart.[16] It is Maluma’s first song to top that chart. “Medellín” also became Madonna’s largest hit on the BillboardHot Latin Songs chart, peaking at number 18 on the chart tally dated May 4, 2019.[17]
Across Europe, the song had a moderate performance, reaching number 9 in both Hungary and Croatia. It also entered the top 10 in digital charts of Finland, Greece, Portugal and Sweden. It also reached the top 40 in Italy, and sold 25,000 copies to obtain Gold certification there.[18]
In the United Kingdom, the song only spent one week in the charts, debuting and peaking at number 87, possibly due to the lack of promotion there.[19] It is her first lead single to miss the top 40.
In Latin America, the song performed well on charts, reaching the top 10 in Colombia and Venezuela and the top 20 in Mexico and Panama.
The song also performed moderately in Asia, reaching number 7 in Israel and 12 in China, where Billboard charts were newly introduced this year, and 17 in Japan.
Music video
The music video for "Medellín" was teased on April 17, 2019, and it premiered on April 24, during a live MTV UK and MTV special. It aired across numerous MTV networks and digital channels.[20] Spanish director Diana Kunst and multi-disciplinary artist Mau Morgó, directed the video.[21]
The music video starts off with Madonna praying in an empty Church room about her struggles and hope for the future of humanity. The shots are interrupted with black-and-white shots of Madonna running through the woods, wearing the Madame X eyepatch and a long velvet dress. Afterwards, it shows Madonna conducting a cha-cha class with Maluma being her chosen dance partner. More shots follow with them smoking and drinking in bed, as well as Madonna playfully sucking Maluma's toe. Afterwards, a massive Latin inspired feast takes place, in the style of a wedding, with Madonna dancing on the table in a wedding dress, a white hat and a white eyepatch made out of pins. Maluma follows to dance with her and more shots of Madonna dancing around a horse is shown. At the end of the video, Madonna and Maluma ride off into the morning sun.
Live performances
Madonna and Maluma performed the song live for the first time during the Billboard Music Awards on May 1, 2019.[22] 'Within the performance, Madonna wore a black-and-white polka dot Erdem dress and the recurring and thematic 'Madame X' black and red eye-patch. The performance starts off with her laying on the ground within a forest and goes on to the stage with Portuguese and Latin inspired streets. Alongside Maluma, Madonna dances and cha-chas on the tables as well as with 4 Madame X holographic characters portraying the different sides of Madame X. Billboard ranked it as the second best performance of the night.[23][24] After the performance the song gained a sizable increase in streams, rising by 261% in streams to 2.2 million (up from 596,000).[25]
Additionally, it was performed during the Madame X Tour and Maluma on select dates of his 11:11 Tour.
