the show is about theater as much as music

TIME theater critic Richard Zoglin and music critic Josh Tyrangiel both caught Madonna on her new tour. In a series of e-mails, they discuss the Material Girl's music, her prices and her fitness regimen.

R.Z. And still a style icon too! My wife, an editor at Shop Etc. magazine who has followed Madonna for years, was taking notes furiously. She thinks this concert tour will single-handedly bring back the patent-leather "wet look." (I'm not so sure about the S&M equestrian duds.) I kind of admire her for managing to stir up the headlines. Ann Coulter had to do it by trashing 9/11 widows.

But never mind all that — you're the rock guy, how's she doing musically?

J.T. Musically she's as strong as ever, if not stronger. But let me define what I mean by musically.

Plenty of people point out that she's no singer — and she's not — but quality of voice has never really mattered in popular music. Really, her great gift is that she has a terrific set of ears. She listens to what's going on at the avant-garde edge and has an uncanny ability to recognize bits that, in a different context, could have mainstream appeal. So for a pop listener, the thing you know draws you into the thing you don't know, and at the end you feel a little cooler just for having listened to the song. Making people feel cool — allowing your style to rub off on them for a few minutes — is what great pop is all about. And yeah, she's still making great pop.

Read more at Drowned Madonna.
Picture from Madonnatribe.