Kenny and Mark head back into the shadows of Hollywood noir and portraiture on this slinky gem that opens the deluxe edition of Rebel Heart. Topics include the M Experience, the fucking GRILLZ, nom de plumes, Art of Noise, Vangelis, champagne and big cigars, remembering “Justify My Love”, sex tapes, a license to chill, and the Madonna song that everyone walks down the wedding aisle to. Plus an inevitable conversation about Mark and Kenny’s personal best nights (with a cameo from Broadway legend ...
Jul 22, 2025•29 min•Season 7Ep. 16
WASH ALL OVER ME (w/ Special Guest Jeff Vincente) Mark and Kenny wrap up the standard edition of Rebel Heart with this intense and beautiful ballad (and its THREE versions!) with events guru Jeff Vincente. Topics include operatic rock, Elizabeth Taylor, kikis, Good Music, Charlie Heat, Avicii, The Cure, other surprising water songs, theatrical strings, spiritual revelations on the beach and the Tower of Babylon, community spaces, jean shorts, the Aidan Shaw haters, and the power (and mystery) of...
Jul 15, 2025•1 hr 9 min•Season 7Ep. 15
Kenny and Mark grapple with the proper arrival of producer Mike Dean on this miss of an anthem from Rebel Heart . Topics include patchwork songwriting, sweatpants energy, loving the scars, lazy strings, switching “tactics”, spontaneous looping, another reconsideration of the RH track list, and a “BREATH” requirement. Plus Kenny stalks the wigs of Madame X and Mark makes a case for re-embracing the belt. Take off your mask!
Jul 08, 2025•20 min•Season 7Ep. 14
Mark and Kenny get down to the nitty-gritty (and steamy) throw back to 1992’s Erotica. Topics include game-changing weather, cunnilingus, vitamins and filth, Kanye West and Yeezus, baseline and hand claps, gold star gays, pole dancing, the physical challenges of sexual positioning and particular turn-ons, multiple leaking demos, and when is the right time to return to “Vogue.” Plus Mark tells tales out of altar boy school (while sharing a sapphic confession), Kenny defends the big swings on Rebe...
Jul 01, 2025•36 min•Season 7Ep. 13
Kenny and Mark pop up the hood and take this romantic romp of a song out for a spin with Madonna Get Together podcast host Wayne Parker! Topics include vehicular high jinks, having fun, over-thinking and staying out of the way, electro-shock, Sabrina Carpenter, sequels to songs from True Blue and Madonna, role-playing, driving stick shift, car CD players, snacks, Lady Gaga, Aston Martins, Nikki Sue Trott, Rolls Royces, Austin Powers’ SHAGuar, mechanics, trollies, and does Madonna still go to the...
Jun 24, 2025•50 min•Season 7Ep. 12
Mark and Kenny amp up the drama (and military drums) with special guest Jess Rothschild (host of Hot Takes & Deep Dives and Finding Fire Island) to discuss one of the most vulnerable songs in the entire canon. Topics include piano deliciousness, public humiliation, ten songwriters, Sean Penn, cinema demos, terrible waiters, Joe’s Pub, and Madonna’s last private relationship. Plus Jess shares the moment her fitness world collides with Madonna, her personal understanding of heartbreak, and her...
Jun 17, 2025•47 min•Season 7Ep. 11
Kenny and Mark explore the part that no one sees in the soaring (and strange) anthem from Rebel Heart . Topics include being in an “era”, current slang, mite bites, Mike Tyson Mysteries, Head of the Class, Mohammed Ali, Robin Givens, Jay-Z, Amy Schumer, Chance the Rapper, Save Money, icons and gods as examples, Avicii’s cinematic choices, and a deep dive into the endurance and character of Mike Tyson. Plus, Madonna goes to see Big Top Pee Wee! “Good morning Ironic."...
Jun 10, 2025•35 min•Season 7Ep. 10
Mark and Kenny unsheathe their swords to discuss this powerful and beautiful ballad about mortality, battle, inspiration, and the pulsating humanity that lies beneath it all. Special Guest Jesse Factor joins the conversation to discuss remixing Martha Graham & Madonna together in his thrilling dance show The Marthaodyssey and the many muses found in his work as both a dancer and a choreographer - and mega fan Manny Melendez shares a poem inspired by the song and his own philosophy of artisti...
Jun 03, 2025•1 hr 21 min•Season 7Ep. 9
Kenny and Mark pick up the story of this anthemic, enduring tracks from Rebel Heart . Topics include: the haunting MNEK, Ryan Tedder, apocalyptic lyrics, Joan Rivers, survival techniques, alternative melodies, drumming, and the power of a solo Madonna producer credit. Plus, another alternative release concept for Rebel Heart to consider and the priority of reaching out, making time, and being together. Only love tonight, babes.
May 27, 2025•27 min•Season 7Ep. 8
Mark and Kenny conclude the Season of the Bitch by twerking their way through this maximalist third single from Rebel Heart . Topic include Diplo, finales, taking the day, the return of Nicki Minaj, colorful pop art synths, boundaries, plantar fasciitis, pale ale beers, the Standard Hotel, Wicked Part 2, pools in Westchester, neighbors Barry and Fran, Lil B, Charli xcx, celebrity cameos (Beyonce! Chris Rock! Alexander Wang!), Rocco’s man bun, David Banda’s coming out on the dance floor, sock pup...
May 13, 2025•Season 7Ep. 7
Kenny and Mark hide from the all-seeing eye to wrestle with this polarizing track from Rebel Heart . Topic include the golden calf, the arrival of Mike Dean, stoners, the true definition of the illuminati, the potential to dance, a reckoning with Kanye West (past & present), Claire Dederer’s Monsters: A Fan’s Dilemma, iconography, the TIDAL signing, and the desire (and danger) of channeling power to help others. Plus, Kenny makes Mark watch The Kardashians! “Don’t make it into something sord...
Apr 29, 2025•32 min•Season 7Ep. 6
Mark and Kenny continue the Season of the Bitch w/ this bratty lost demo from the Rebel Heart era. Topics include Natalia Kills, Rosalind Shays, STDs, Anne Sexton, Brahim Zaibat, Nicole Winhoffer, the allure of vindictive cleverness, hooking up in a sauna, knowledge as power, Orville Peck, Khloe Kardashian’s podcast, Paul Mescal, French theatergoers and Tennessee Williams, not applauding Cate Blanchett, karmic betrayal, Mark’s neighbor Florinda, and whether or not there is a ‘no fraternization’ ...
Apr 22, 2025•31 min
Mark and Kenny get their Reggaeton swagger going to discuss the sassy shoulda-been-a-single from Rebel Heart . Topics include Toby Gad, Garcia & Teenwolf, the primal urge to get up and go out post-break-up, Justin Bieber, ex-boyfriend group texts, shooting weekends with Guy Ritchie, Kieran Culkin, The Weekend, tsunami alarms, Bette Davis, James Baldwin, and a surprise encounter with a favorite bitch (and pioneer) … TINA! Plus, a detour into that deranged Bond tribute at the 2025 Academy Awar...
Apr 15, 2025•56 min•Season 7Ep. 5
Kenny and Mark celebrate the return of the power ballad with Boy Culture himself (and author of the essential Encyclopedia Madonnica) Matthew Rettenmund! Topics include: nepo babies, Celine Dion, potential cover albums, illegal downloads, the value of spite, Jason Derulo, My Two Dads , vocal “edging”, lyrical warnings and promises, bringing a golf club to an apocalypse, Stevie Nicks, Terrence Howard, Ariana Grande, mature dance breaks, resistant industry tides, Taylor Swift, the Ellen residency,...
Apr 01, 2025•1 hr 15 min•Season 7Ep. 4
Mark and Kenny break out the guitars, the oracles (and the glue) to examine the folky, funky - even freaky - second track on Rebel Heart . Topics include the arrival of Aviccii, the Animals’ “House of the Rising Sun”, The Rake and Appalachian folk tunes becoming global anthems, the Madonna rhythm, walking as inspiration, getting high, karaoke voice memos, Emily Witt, higher consciousness, rubber cement, lecturing and hectoring, and protection from the Devil. Plus, Kenny and Mark take mushrooms “...
Mar 18, 2025•44 min•Season 7Ep. 3
Kenny and Mark welcome Billboard Magazine’s Keith Caulfield (co-host of the Billboard Pop Shop podcast) to discuss the vibrant - yet troublesome - first song and lead single from Rebel Heart . Topics include THE LEAK and technology foibles, demos on hard drives, launching a “leak lead” hotline, multiple album versions (and covers), Sebastien Tellier, unending teasers, unusual suspects, the power of pivoting and musical chaos, Jonathan Ross, Prince, the endless curiosity of Diplo, Mozella, Sky Fe...
Mar 11, 2025•Season 7Ep. 2
Mark and Kenny begin Season Seven: Defending the Crown with a detailed discussion of Madonna’s most politically urgent (and last - for now!) film project, in collaboration with Steven Klein as well as the debut of a now oft-covered Elliott Smith song. Topics include channeling the source and upping security, Instagram, VICE and BitTorrent, cutting edge lingerie, Danny Tull, troublesome rollouts and surprise drops, the illusions of the mid-2010s, the Daddy Syndrome, Jean-Luc Goddard, The Night Po...
Mar 03, 2025•1 hr 19 min•Season 7Ep. 1
Join Kenny and Mark for an ultra-thick FOUR HOUR conversation about the Mount L’Olympia of Madonna tours - 2012’s MDNA Tour. Topics include the legacy of Christopher Ciccone, trading recipes, the first selection for the Alain Delon Film Club, new faces on tour, fighting (already) with Interscope, transgression, FREEDOM, Australia, Zoey Bartlett and The West Wing , cosplay, the return of the Pussy Posse, priests under beds, the perfect hotel room for $45, a polarizing “Hung Up” and “Like a Prayer...
Nov 26, 2024•3 hr 54 min•Season 6Ep. 17
Mark and Kenny decode the restlessly bold and confessional final track on the deluxe edition of MDNA. Topics include the final return of the Benassi Brothers, the slender difference between friendship and romantic love, Sheridan Smith, Alex Rodriguez, the vocal pushing away and the pulling in, the specters of 2012, confessions and celebrations, lyrical bread crumbs and evolutions, Bjork’s “Hunter”, and we phone a friend and reach mega-listener Vernon to discuss his special connections with this ...
Nov 12, 2024•50 min•Season 6Ep. 16
Kenny and Mark light some candles to celebrate one of the most frequently-streamed song in the Madonna canon - and the return of M.I.A.! Should MDNA have had THIRTEEN official album tracks? Topics include: M.I.A.’s “Come Walk With Me”, the joys of silliness, Sixties Mod-sters, The Beatles, secret final tracks, Stevie Wonder and the other anthemic birthday songs. Plus, Mark works at Chi-Chi’s and Tina makes a brief (and topless) cameo!!
Nov 05, 2024•15 min•Season 6Ep. 15
Mark and Kenny bust out their decoder rings to interpret the diaristic lyrics on this bonus track from MDNA and fight over what constitutes a “bonus track.” Topics include swimming pools, Madonna’s art collection, Rocco’s canvases, Madonna going hiking, lyrical exorcisms, fantasy roads not taken, potential duets, and whether or not we can forgive (and forget). Plus, Kenny introduces a new catch phrase into the conversation, and Mark offers to join Shawn Mendes in performing their break-up song a...
Oct 29, 2024•31 min•Season 6Ep. 14
Kenny and Mark pull on their Burberry trenches to investigate this fan favorite from the deluxe edition of MDNA while Madonna role plays femme fatale with Martin Solveig, the Alain Delon Appreciation Film Festival is launched, and the girls from Madame X give a preview at an extra special live show at the Paris Olympia. Plus an extra special announcement to share at the top of the episode - maybe it’s what you’ve been dreaming about?
Oct 22, 2024•19 min•Season 6Ep. 13
Mark and Kenny wrap up the standard album version of MDNA with a deep and vulnerable discussion about heartbreak, relationships, mortality, and freedom. William Orbit collaborates with Torch Song bandmate Laurie Mayer and Joe Henry’s back to assist his sister-in-law. Plus, Special Guest Miguel Gutierrez performs a cover version of the ballad as “Sadonna” from the August 2024 live show. We love you, Jack.
Oct 15, 2024•40 min•Season 6Ep. 12
Kenny and Mark re-string their banjos to break down BOTH versions of this fan favorite ballad (?) from MDNA. Topics include family prenups, Sex and the City’s Bunny MacDougal (as well as Charlotte and Trey’s doomed marriage), Marian Seldes, Lynn Cohen, Muni Long, Free School, the veteran Alain Whyte, Morrissey’s Your Arsenal , MIKA, Benjamin Franklin, Abraham Lincoln, corsets, J Lo and Ben Affleck, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, Ricky Gervais, Larry David, William Orbit’s rewriting remixes...
Oct 08, 2024•57 min•Season 6Ep. 11
Mark and Kenny get down on their knees to discuss the sparkling and oh-so-Catholic shoulda-been single from MDNA . Topics include Kelis and the album she co-wrote with Jean Baptiste Flesh Tone , the return of poppy William Orbit, the Pet Shop Boys, Thomas Aquinas, Mark’s grandfather, ICE CREAM, Kenny’s play about miracles and Golda Meir, and the potential first Millennial saint. Plus, the transformative Orbit remix and Madonna’s prayer in front of 10,000 fans in St. Louis - I like it that way!...
Oct 01, 2024•30 min•Season 6Ep. 10
Kenny and Mark bust out their To-Do lists and revisit this autobiographic and confessional track from MDNA . Topics include a return to rap, operatic escalations, time management lessons from Trixie Mattel and Joan Rivers, meeting the new tech guy, the musical variety of collaborator Julien Jabre, and whether or not Madonna truly ever yearns to hop off that never-ending treadmill. Plus, the supreme Nikki Minaj helps this non-single chart South Korea, and favorite assistant Tina gets an award in ...
Sep 24, 2024•37 min•Season 6Ep. 9
Mark and Kenny take their insulin shots to survive the sugary-sweet return to 1980s Madonna, Topics include a pair of mystery songwriter/producers, a special suprise remix, and - oh no! - Lola starts smoking! Ooh La La indeed!
Sep 17, 2024•17 min•Season 6Ep. 8
Kenny and Mark strap on their pumps and dance with one of the darker, secret tracks on MDNA. Topics include William Orbit, the brilliant Klas Åhlund & his collaborations with Robyn, lyrical weaponry, the sleaze of the Rolling Stones, the return of Dita Parlo, and a special three song story (across three albums) about vengeance. Quiet in the limousine!
Sep 10, 2024•28 min•Season 6Ep. 7
Kenny and Mark bust out the pom-poms for a LIVE show at the Francis Kite Club in Alphabet City to discuss the first single and so much more from MDNA . Topics include cheerleading, female collaborators, garage rock, bananas, ZZ Top, Burgundy wine, Martin Solveig, Michael Tordjman, Bob Costas, mascots, Megaforce, trench coats and baby carriages, THE SUPER BOWL HALFTIME PERFORMANCE, Midwestern farm hands, the NY Giants and the New England Patriots, Kelly Clarkson, LMFAO, CeeLo Green and the ultima...
Aug 27, 2024•1 hr 27 min•Season 6Ep. 6
Live from the Newsstand Studios at Rockefeller Center in New York City! Mark and Kenny hop back in the car with Madonna to rave about the final single from MDNA . Topics include Martin Solveig, Jade Williams, Bridgette Bardot and Barcelona, cleavage and convertibles, handsy chauffeurs, sweetheart Brahim Zaibat, Laidback Luke, R3hab, Tom Munro, missing dance breaks, the chart-toppers Autograph, and whether this song should have been the opening of the entire MDNA Tour. Plus, a deep dive into trav...
Aug 20, 2024•58 min•Season 6Ep. 5
