Well, for her to experience a backlash she actually needs to provoke it to start with... With Erotica/Sex period, she went over the limits of the acceptable in the mainstream for a pop superstar of a calibre and that's what the backlash was about. This time around, she hasn't provoked any backlash. She's 53, fully active, still doing her own thing and with success. She can't help it growing old, can she?? - the criticism she gets for being 'old' and still going has been going on for years now, (since Confessions I think but I wouldn't be surprised it was already here and there around American Life) but it hasn't stopped her being successful with the albums she released. In fact if we're going to talk about a backlash around that time then it happens with AL and the misunderstanding around the album's theme because of the AL's controversial original video. The media turned against her, the critics weren't kind at all on the album and it hurt her sales very badly...Her age being the focus of discussions etc. is more to do with the fact she's not behaving like a 'normal' 53yo woman, whatever that means and if this becomes an issue to the point it will harms her sales it will say a lot about our society and the last thing she will do is to come back with a second ballads compilation. If anything, she would give plenty more to talk about her age just so that people have then a good reason to be offended by her being in her 50's and still going like she never reached 50!?
As for the Ballads II compilation idea itself, I wouldn't mind that actually if there was a message behind it like it was with STR. Perhaps instead of Celebration it could have worked But it wouldn't make sense to have it now and I don't see her releasing this kind of compilation again.

'You'll See' from the Something to Remember compilation remains one of my favourite Madonna tracks. I'd love it if she focussed on that type of material.

I wouldn't have said so. But i would love another ballads collection.

Her recent 'ballads' haven't done much for me, but Masterpiece gives me faith that she still has it in her

It was one of the few videos that wasn't on the Celebration DVD either. I still can't get over the whole Celebration fiasco. They really missed a trick with that half-assed compilation.

Madonna had already left Warner by the time Celebration came out. I don't think she was particularly bothered about the compilation! But yeah, Warner should have done it better. For example by calling it "Celebration" meant that new tracks had to be recorded. I would rather a complete collection of ALL her well known singles was released. Why was "Miles Away" on it when Causing A Commotion wasn't. Why was "Revolver" on it when Bad Girl and The Power of Goodbye were not? I think a 3 disc set would have been better with an inner booklet highlighting the success of each song with a bit of history about each of them. The marketing of Celebration was a bit arse about face. I would have called it "Totally Madonna - The Songs of an Era".

Totally agree. The Immaculate Collection remains one of the best selling albums by a female artist, and I can't believe that neither Warner or M ever bothered to sustain that success with future collections. Both GHV2 and Celebration were both highly disappointing

That's little to do with them. Guy Oseary asked fans to choose the tracks they wanted to see in the GH and obviously she chose/vet tracks herself so Warner can't be blamed for that. And as you said by the time Celebration came out she had already moved to LN and preparing for S+S second leg so how Warner was handling the promo was the last thing on her mind I'm sure.

"You'll See" is my second favourite ballad from her after "The Power of Goodbye" and is her 20th best selling single in the UK

I think i would prefer a compilation of her movie songs from soundtracks she has done. Like a Madonna: The Soundtrack Album

I hope she releases something like this anyway with it being her 30th anniversary in music, Kylie's celebrating her 25th!