By the start of 1994, it can be said that Madonna had hit a wall. While her previous album, “Erotica,” had been a hit, many saw it as yet another desperate push for the singer to flaunt her sexuality without any substance underneath. Was she just a huckster, getting by on provocative imagery? Considering that her groundbreaking tour documentary Truth or Dare (1991) featured a whole sequence in which she fought hard to hump a bed in Canada, it’s easy to see how people were tired of these antics. Given that “Erotica” was released alongside the book “Sex,” and her erotic thriller Body of Evidence (1993) was critically panned, it was an overabundance of something that could easily be seen as a gimmick.
Though if there was a low point, and one that informed the tonal shift with “Bedtime Stories” in 1995, it was a notorious appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman. It is one of the most censored moments in talk show history, beginning with Madonna asking David Letterman to smell her panties before proceeding to say “fuck” a total of 14 times and refusing to leave. Madonna would claim that it was a failed commentary on censorship. Still, the audience grew uncomfortable and she bumped other guests from the broadcasts. She would claim that this was a weak point in her rebellious period.
So what happens when a provocateur stops being able to provoke? Madonna was over a decade into her career and she had been spinning innuendos to uproarious applause. But this time, the crowd was growing quiet. While “Erotica” would grow to be a quietly influential album long term, at the moment it was the pinnacle of this edgy persona that was looking more desperate by the day. It was the moment where a Madonna album wasn’t the most memorable thing she did in a year.
Which explains why she did yet another facelift with her career. She no longer wished to focus on sex, proving all over her ability to make a fun pop album. She had originally wanted to work again with Shep Pettibone as a producer, but it was sounding too much like “Erotica.” She moved away, pulling from pop and R&B producers like Babyface, Massive Attack, and Björk to take on the role. As a result, the sound design is much less interesting, though her love of hushed vocals are peppered throughout. Even on the titular song, it feels strangely tame for an artist who had spent the past five years especially giving people a head trip.
This isn’t to say that the album is bad or even neutered. While the euphemisms found in “Where Life Begins” are largely gone, she still plays with the idea of censorship. In the song “Human Nature,” she uses a percussion resembling a knock/door to initially cut out profanity, notably the use of the word “shit” before the percussion disappears towards the end of the song and we hear Madonna in her truest form. It’s also the most transparent she is about the past few years:
Did I say something wrong?Oops, I didn't know I couldn't talk about sex(I must've been crazy)Did I stay too long?Oops, I didn't know I couldn't speak my mind(What was I thinking?)
That is about as controversial as the album will be. At worst it was a commentary on where she was during her “rebellious period” and was trying to move forward and become a more interesting artist.
That can explain why the music feels more mature both in subject matter and production. The record was described as combining pop, R&B, hip-hop, and "a Madonna record." But what is a Madonna record if not adapting to the different styles of the era? She is as much about the trends as she is presenting a strong, confident persona that draws us to her. She rarely feels transparent, with her previous two albums (“I’m Breathless” and “Erotica”) being presented through the guise of these alter egos. What does a truly honest Madonna record sound like?
With more of an R&B focus, the dance sound was largely missing from the big singles on the album. This is especially true of lead single “Secret,” which was one of her most direct ballads since “Live to Tell” from “True Blue.” Based on our relationship with Madonna, it would be easy to interpret the line “my baby’s got a secret” as having this deep and sensual undertone. Even the way that the harmonies play out in a familiar and slowed down R&B number suggests something personal and deep down inside.
It’s something more straightforward than that. It’s actually a song where the secret is this underlying sense of happiness. The feeling coming over her is one that goes beyond sex and is human nature. While other songs would take on ideas like chauvinism, her shift into slowed down melodies proved that she was trying to be seen as more adult. Whatever talk about attraction was fading more into romantic desires. Tracks like “I’d Rather Be Your Lover” and “Inside of Me” reflects how much she’s trying to find a more lasting kind of love.
That is the gist of “Bedtime Stories,” which lacks a depth of concept that her other work had following “True Blue.” There was talk about making the record’s name more symbolic, but it was eventually cut down to the simple truth that it was a catchy name for an album. At most, it would be a play on the image that Madonna had catered in the past five years but without any of the sexual provocation. It wasn’t an innocent record, but it wasn’t a dirty one either. It was a love story for an artist in transition.
If there’s anything noteworthy with the album’s marketing (which was scaled-down compared to “Erotica”), it was the presence of an online recording of Madonna promoting her first single for “Secret.” In the audio clip she says:
"Hello, all you Cyberheads! Welcome to the 90's version of intimacy. You can hear me... You can even see me... But you can't touch me... do you recognize my voice?... It's Madonna. Often imitated, but never duplicated. Or, should I say, often irritated? If you feel like it, you can download the sound file of my new single "Secret", from my new album, Bedtime Stories, which comes out next month. I just shot the video in New York, and will be premiering an exclusive sample of it online. So check back soon. In the meantime, why don't you post me a message and let me know what you think of my new song. And by the way, don't believe any of those online imposters pretending to be me... ain't nothing like the real thing. Peace out."
If there was any additional interesting note of production, it was the production of the song “Bedtime Story,” which was both a breakthrough song and a rare failure in her career. For starters, she turned to Icelandic singer Björk and offered her the chance to record a song. This was in large part because of Madonna’s interest in her album “Debut” (1992). Björk, who was not a fan of Madonna, took on the challenge because she wanted to write a song where Madonna said all of the things she thought that she should say. Of course, Björk’s vision of Madonna was a pre-“Erotica” version, and one where she seemed more repressed. Still, her touch of Icelandic dance music informed the song, leading to surreal images with lines like:
Today is the last day that I'm using wordsThey've gone out, lost their meaningDon't function anymore
It was a love story to dreams and one that would be elevated with the Mark Romanek-directed music video. It was shot over six days and became one of the most expensive music videos ever produced with a price tag of $8.3 million. Not only does Madonna still have three of the Top 5 most expensive videos, but Romanek would also outdo himself within the year with the Michael and Janet Jackson collaboration “Scream.” The imagery was surreal, recalling female painters like Frida Kahlo, Leonora Carrington, and Remedio Varo. It remains one of those fascinating views into an alternate reality where Madonna embraced Björk’s oddness. It’s also one of her most interesting singles.
With that said, “Bedtime Story” wasn’t a runaway hit. Whereas “Secret” would become Madonna’s 35th consecutive top-ten single on the U.K. Charts. “Take a Bow” (which peaked at #16 in the U.K.) spent seven weeks at number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. However, “Bedtime Story” and “Human Nature” proved to be some of her worst-performing songs since “Burning Up” in 1983. With that said, the album would garner an impressive eight million copies sold worldwide and a Best Pop Album nomination at the Grammy Awards.
It was the type of record that Madonna needed to stay relevant. She needed to find any way to not be seen as the gimmick girl, telling David Letterman to smell her panties and humping beds in Canada. While it’s arguable how much people were willing to buy into this change of heart, it was enough to make the world take her seriously again. This wasn’t just a go-go pop album, it was ripe with depth and complexity. It was warm, showing emotions that can be called endearing. It also helped that it featured two of her most revered songs of the decade with “Take a Bow” and “Secret.”
Ironically, whereas Madonna often toured on the back of an album and a movie, she didn’t tour behind “Bedtime Stories” because of her commitment to the film Evita (1996). She was in preproduction and about to take on her first full-length musical, playing a role that would get see her perform a second Oscar-winning song.
She would continue to make the rounds as far as music awards shows went, focusing on her slower songs that she sometimes performed on a guitar. However, the lack of visual flair meant that the marketing was much less interesting on anything but a subliminal level. Did you think you understood who Madonna was? Well, guess what, she’s not that anymore! Her days of dating basketball players and dedicating songs to her vagina were over. This was the serious performer, someone who had gotten the rebellious spirit out of her and was now willing to be herself.
If I’m being honest, “Bedtime Stories” is a good album that can be labeled great in anybody else’s hands. The production is solid and there is an abundance of catchy songs, but there is no real hook as there is on every other Madonna record. Since “Like a Virgin,” she has gotten by on twists and turns. There was little controversy here. Even the album cover, meant as an homage to actress Jean Harlow, lacked an influential feel to it (though many have compared it to Christina Aguilera's "Back to Basics"). Sure, this laid-back style would inspire artists like Rihanna in the decades ahead, but its lack of attention-seeking nature makes it hard to love.
With that said, the album is ironically among her most noteworthy albums in 2020. It started as a joke with Mariah Carey’s “Glitter,” believing that the album deserved more love. The “Justice for Glitter” campaign escalated on Twitter to other performers including Janet Jackson’s “Control” and Britney Spears’ “Glory.” The record of choice for Madonna was “Bedtime Stories,” leading the album to top the iTunes chart as part of the “Justice for Bedtime Stories” campaign. Madonna would thank her fans for making it a reality. Whether or not it was sincere is up for debate.
Though it does explain how “Bedtime Stories” is seen through a modern perspective. Is it a great record? Not exactly. It has some of her best songs, but there’s nothing as lasting or memorable as the controversial “Erotica,” nor does it hold a candle to her next studio album “Ray of Light.” It’s an in-between record where Madonna was performing damage control. She needed to find some way to remain relevant going into the end of the decade, and “Bedtime Stories” was the record she needed to do that. Her next release, “Something to Remember,” was more of a tame victory lap and one that lined her up for the next phase of her career.
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