Critical Reception
"Hollywood" received mixed reviews from music critics. Alexis Petridis of The Guardian noted that Madonna divulges in the song that not everyone who wants to make it in the movies succeeds. Michael Hubbard of musicOMH commented that everything rhymes with "Hollywood", and after commented the song would be better without these lazy lyrics. Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine thought "following up 'American Life' with 'Hollywood' was nearly as ballsy" due to its lyrical content. Edna Gundersen of USA Today noted that the song "attest to her undiminished skills as a shrewd pop composer".
Ian Youngs of BBC News noted that the song was another diatribe about fame and how difficult it is being in the public eye. He further added that it "ranks among the disappointments" on the album saying it feels lacklustre and commented about the "embarrassing rap". Jude Adam of Third Way magazine gave the song a positive review, considering it as "quirky, sunny, and sweet in perfect mesures." Stephen Thompson of The A.V. Club considered the song as "actually catchy". Dimitri Ebrlich of Vibe magazine also gave a positive review for the song, writing that it was "a perfect fit" for American Life.
Read more about this topic: Hollywood (Madonna Song)
Famous quotes containing the words critical and/or reception:
“A third variety of drama ... begins as tragedy with scraps of fun in it ... and ends in comedy without mirth in it, the place of mirth being taken by a more or less bitter and critical irony.”
—George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950)
“Aesthetic emotion puts man in a state favorable to the reception of erotic emotion.... Art is the accomplice of love. Take love away and there is no longer art.”
—Rémy De Gourmont (1858–1915)