Released on 30 July 1986 to universal critical acclaim, Madonna’s third studio album, True Blue, remains one of the pop-icon’s best-selling albums and one of the best-selling albums of all time. To coincide with the Thirty-Fifth anniversary of its release, the album was recently re-issued in an expanded edition, featuring the original track listing plus a selection of remixes and instrumentals.

Diving straight into the album’s opening track and second single, ‘Papa Don’t Preach,’ we can immediately sense Madonna in her prime. The track’s dramatic orchestral backings and imposing synths mark a new stylistic era in Madonna’s discography: one distinctly more serious and mature. We also hear this in the singer’s vocals, which are noticeably more sonorous than in her previous output. The opening track, and the album as a whole, lucidly captures Madonna’s artistic evolution from pop novice to musical legend. Moving on, we come to the album’s second track and fourth single, ‘Open Your Heart.’ Undoubtedly one of True Blue’s gems, ‘Open Your Heart’ is an empowering anthem of love and optimism. Its loud drumbeats and Madonna’s searing vocals give it such an exciting and energetic quality. Similar can be said for ‘White Heat,’ with its plodding synths and abrasive guitar riffs. It is dance-pop, but with a harder and more explosive edge.

Reaching the album’s middle tracks, we arrive at what, in my opinion, is its highpoint. ‘Live to Tell,’ its lead single, is markedly slower and more muted than its neighbouring tracks. It is relatively simple, featuring the singer-songwriter’s solemn vocals set to a rolling chorus of synths, bass guitar, and echoing drums. However, it features some of Madonna’s most accomplished vocal and lyrical work. Her wistful crooning about whether she will ‘ever have the chance again’ to tell her secret and about the nature of truth and love renders it truly beautiful. Though taking on a different tone, ‘Where’s the Party’ continues the artistic excellence of ‘Live to Tell.’ Madonna takes a simple sentiment of wanting to have fun and ‘lose control’ and transforms it into an explosive anthem I always find irresistible to bop and hum along to. It is, to put it simply, so good, and without doubt one of the singer’s most overlooked and under-appreciated hits.

While still strong and consistent, the album’s succeeding tracks are in my opinion not quite as accomplished. For me, the title track and ‘La Isla Bonita’, though often considered fan favourites, lack the energy and essence of True Blue’s opening half. The exotic, tropical rhythms of ‘La Isla Bonita’ are catchy, but on the whole, I would consider it a minor lull in the album’s track listing. Though never quite returning to the quality of the album’s storming opening half, things pick up with the final two tracks. ‘Jimmy Jimmy’ is simple and twee, but its joyous synth-pop melody never fails to put a smile on my face whenever I listen to it. Slightly different to the more sophisticated style that predominates on the album, it is a welcome throwback to the simpler, disco-infused hits of Madonna’s early discography, such as ‘Lucky Star,’ from her 1983 debut album. The same can be said of the closing song, ‘Love Makes the World Go Round’, which is a relentlessly inspiring and optimistic dance track with subtle world-beat influences that mirror the style of contemporaries, including Paul Simon.

Though they are a central component of this recent reissue, I do not really think there is an awful lot to be said about the remixes and instrumental tracks. They are fun and dance-worthy, and at times intriguing, but I feel that they add little to what is already a stellar Madonna album. Though I would not quite rank it my personal favourite of Madonna’s albums, True Blue still ranks very highly. It showcases some of the singer-songwriter’s most passionate and exhilarating work. Thirty-five years on, True Blue sounds just as fresh and engaging today as it did all those decades ago.

Rating: 8/10

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