Photo by Melinda Parker @melindamayyy
The world often imposes a dark script upon women, one that demands they navigate a narrow path between conflicting expectations. On one side, there’s the pressure to submit to an image of fragility; to play the part of the delicate, repressed Madonna—a figure who is celebrated for her purity, yet imprisoned by it. On the other side, there’s the temptation or coercion to wield sexuality as a tool, to exploit or engage with it, even when it’s not in harmony with one’s true self.
This tension creates a profound inner conflict, where a woman is expected to be both untouchable and available, saintly and seductive. The real challenge lies in rejecting these imposed roles and discovering a way to live authentically, to move beyond the binary of victim or vixen, and to embrace one’s full humanity without apology.
Madeline Goldstein takes this energy and channels it into her new single, 1996 Expectations, which she calls a “tightrope walk” through the music business. Picture Madonna fronting Violator-era Depeche Mode—her voice, sultry yet defiant, coy but strongwilled, becomes a metaphor for the complex dance of female sexuality in the industry. Goldstein doesn’t just warble like a beautiful songbird; she confronts, challenging the expectations placed on women with every note she hits. It’s a bold statement wrapped in a slick, synth-driven package.
“Expectations are the gun – the killer – of a pure thought or action,” she asserts. “And when you’ve shown everyone yourself, inside-out, and they still want more, what’s next? It’s an introduction to the themes of voyeurism and constraint on the new record, whether that be inside the mind, inside the body, or in the open spaces of the everyday world.”
Listen to the song via Spotify or order here.
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