Queen of Pop

Madonna Slams Own 'Retarded' Songs

Shocked by success of “Cherish.”

Madonna admits she still doesn’t have an ear for what new songs will be hits, even after almost three decades in the music industry, in her cover story in Rolling Stone. “I’ve never been a good judge of what things are going to be huge or not. The songs that I think are the most retarded songs I’ve written, like ‘Cherish’ and ‘Sorry,’ a pretty big hit off my last album, end up being the biggest hits… ‘Into the Groove’ is another song I feel retarded singing, but everybody seems to like it.” In the far-ranging interview, the singer discusses her eight-year marriage to Guy Ritchie (“challenging”), her evolving style (“a lot less calculated than people think”), and Lady Gaga (“she has that It Factor”).