A pop and EDM record, MDNA consists of upbeat songs which lyrically explore themes of partying, love for music, infatuation, as well as heartbreak, revenge and separation.

She released her third greatest-hits album, Celebration (2009),[1] introduced her Material Girl clothing line,[2] opened Hard Candy Fitness centers across the world,[3] and unveiled fashion brand Truth or Dare by Madonna which included perfumes, footwear, underclothing, and accessories.

[12] In May 2012, producer William Orbit stated that some of the best tracks of MDNA didn't make it to the final tracklisting because of timing issues, saying that those "breathtaking" records ended up on Chris Brown's Fortune and Kreayshawn’s Somethin' 'Bout Kreay.

[16] After the three songs were composed, the producer drafted another track called "Beautiful Killer", inspired by the French film, Le Samouraï (1967), a common interest with Madonna.

[17] When discussing the album on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Madonna explained that the title is a triple entendre, representing both her name and her DNA, as well as a reference to the drug MDMA, commonly known as ecstasy.

[22] Jocelyn Vena of MTV News described the image as a "glamorous, deconstructed photograph" where Madonna "cocks her head up, her curly hair pulled back.

"[23] Robbie Daw of Idolator compared the artwork to the singer's third studio album cover, True Blue (1986), with similarity in Madonna's blond locks and the tilting of her head.

[25] Its art direction included the same color palette and the distorted appearance of the deluxe version image, but featured a body-shot of Madonna in a red dress and gloves with jewelry.

[26] MDNA is predominantly a pop and EDM album,[27][28][29] which could be divided into two categories; "introspective" tracks created with Orbit, and "more ironic and funny and upbeat" tunes with Solveig.

[32] Its introduction includes elements of "Act of Contrition" from her fourth studio album, Like a Prayer (1989),[33] with the chorus speaks of "a girl gone wild" with "burning desire".

A dance-pop song with a dubstep hook and influences of electronica,[9] the lyrics find Madonna comparing her lover with famous men including John Travolta, Abraham Lincoln and Al Capone, while she claimed to be their "biggest fan".

[45] The standard version of the album ended with "Falling Free", a ballad with a simple melody on a bassline, and complex lyrics that highlighted love, freedom and exaltation.

[31][46] In December 2011, Oseary and Live Nation Entertainment announced that they had developed a long-term plan for Madonna through which she was booked for a three-album contract with Interscope Records.

It was the beginning of the 360 deal which the singer had signed with Live Nation in 2007, including "new studio albums, touring, merchandising, fan club/website, DVD's, music-related television and film projects and associated sponsorship agreements".

[49][50] It was Madonna's third studio album to bear the Parental Advisory label after Erotica (1992) and American Life (2003), due to the profanity used in tracks such as "Gang Bang".

The promotional activities for MDNA began with Madonna performing at the Super Bowl XLVI halftime show on February 5, 2012, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana.

[54] The show was conceptualized by Cirque Du Soleil and Madonna's longtime collaborator Jamie King, along with visual media group Moment Factory enlisted.

[64] Other reviewers like Alexis Petridis from The Guardian and Joey Guerra from Houston Chronicle considered the track to be a weak lead single, and not a proper representation of the album.

The accompanying cover art was created by Brazilian graffiti artist Simone Sapienza, who won a contest sponsored by Johnnie Walker's Keep Walking Project in Brazil; she was chosen by Madonna from ten finalists.

[79][80] Orbit expressed his displeasure about the promotion scarcity recalling that they had little time for recording MDNA since Madonna's schedule was full of other commitments, such as "perfume launch and teen fashion contests".

"[86] Following the Super Bowl performance, Madonna announced the MDNA Tour which started in May 2012 at Tel Aviv, Israel and ended in South America in December 2012.

[94][95][96] Other segments showed the singer attacking dancers with fake guns, blood spattering on the backdrop screens, mooning, and briefly exposing her breasts to the audience.

[105] Andy Gill from The Independent felt that the record represented a "determined, no-nonsense restatement" of Madonna's brand of music, after the underwhelming response she had received for Hard Candy.

[38] Slant Magazine's Sal Cinquemani found the album to be "surprisingly cohesive" in spite of the multiple producers, and commended Madonna and Orbit's compositions as among the best.

Simon Goddard of Q listed MDNA as Madonna's best album since Ray of Light (1998),[110] as did Chicago Tribune reviewer Greg Kot, who felt that the singer outdid on the Orbit-produced tracks.

[112] Writing for The New York Times, Jon Pareles summarized that it was Madonna's "pop instinct" and ability to craft hooks that helped the record become a success musically.

[128] The Advocate gave a scathing review: "Lacking a central image or theme, MDNA instead relied on uninspiring beats and silly references to guns and partying.

[141] The album also debuted at number one in Brazil and was certified double platinum by the Associação Brasileira dos Produtores de Discos (ABPD) for sales of 80,000 copies.

[150] In February 2025, Taylor Swift broke Madonna's record as the female artist with the highest amount of number ones on the chart, with Lover (Live from Paris).

[169] Spin magazine listed MDNA as one of their 20 Best Pop Albums of 2012, where writer Carolina Guerra wrote: "If you can't hear Madge winking her way through EDM stunners 'Girl Gone Wild' and 'Some Girls', or retro bouncers 'Give Me All Your Luvin'' and 'I'm a Sinner' you're letting your assumptions about the Queen's reign speak louder than her still-solid studio work.