Gang Bang (song)
A dance, electronic, electropop and techno song, it lyrically portrays a scorned woman seeking revenge on her lover.
Madonna performed the song on the MDNA Tour, in a motel setting where she is seen shooting the male dancers who infiltrate her room, with blood being splattered on the backdrop.
"[2] Among the songs recorded for the album, "Gang Bang" was confirmed by Madonna to be part of the track listing, which was revealed on her official website in February 2012.
[3] On March 8, the singer and co-writer of the track, Mika, tweeted that it was "weird as fuck, underground and lyrically cool; it's amazing and bizarre.
"[12] "Gang Bang" is a dark dance,[13] electronic,[14] electropop[15] and techno[16] song with a dubstep breakdown in its middle eight[11][13] and industrial-tinged beats.
[11] Michael Cragg from The Guardian commented that the track "recalls her American Life album in its slightly uneasy marrying of genres".
Michael Cragg of The Guardian wrote that it is "a ridiculous collection of sound effects (police sirens, gunshots) and imposing menace that's actually pretty fun in a kind of slightly unhinged way.
"[12] Matthew Perpetua of Pitchfork wrote that "it's the album's boldest, most experimental track, and it's marred only by a just-off vocal performance that renders her very familiar voice a bit anonymous, and a halfhearted attempt at a dub-step bass drop.
"[19] Priya Elan of NME wrote that "the music is cold and minimal, recalling the grubby house beats of Erotica, and Madge bleats on like some antagonistic disco Fury driven to the edge by her thirst for vengeance.
"[20] Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine called it "a standout cut in which Madonna quite convincingly portrays a jilted bride turned femme fatale in the vein of Beatrix Kiddo," writing that it "plays more like a piss take of Ritchie's gangster fetish than a glorification of it.
"[21] Melinda Newman of HitFix called it "one of the most compelling tracks, with Madonna singing in a low whispery register, detailing that she’s shot her lover dead in the head and, furthermore, she has no regrets.
"[23] Samuel R. Murrian from Parade ranked it at number 72 on his list of Madonna's 100 greatest songs, calling it "a vintage grindhouse exploitation revenge flick within a tune.
[28] In the performance, Madonna attacks several of her dancers with a fake gun in a moving "Paradise Motel", as blood spattered in the backdrop screens.
[31] She further commented about the controversy in an interview for Good Morning America, saying that she would not remove the weapons from the performance, adding: "That would be like asking people to not have guns in action movies...
[32] While reviewing the live album MDNA World Tour, Arnold Wayne Jones of the Dallas Voice wrote that the "blood-spattering projections during 'Bang Bang', Madonna reminds us why we've followed her machinations for nearly 30 years".
[34] Jim Farber of New York Daily News wrote that the song "could be history’s first disco murder ballad", saying that in the performance, "Madonna blows away an army of intruders with enough relish to secure a starring role in the next Quentin Tarantino gorefest".
[36] Glenn Gamboa of Newsday called it "a season of Dexter condensed into five minutes, complete with blood splatters on the massive video screens".
[37] Mario Tarradell of The Dallas Morning News wrote that the performance "was all perfectly staged, and it had a clear message: Madonna will not be hindered".
