Background
From 1990 through 1993, sex and sexuality became a common theme in Madonna's work. By 1994, there was a considerable critical and public backlash due to the sexual explicitness of her various projects. [2] That same year she began working on her sixth studio album with fequent collaborator, Shep Pettibone. Pettibone was responsible for her number 1 Billboard Hot 100 hits, "Vogue" in 1990, and "This Used to Be My Playground" in 1992. Madonna felt that the songs they were producing were too reminiscent of their previous effort Erotica (1992) and decided to go in a different direction. She reached out to R&B and hip-hop producers Babyface, Dallas Austin, and Dave Hall. [3] She also began dabbling in the world of electronica with producer Nellee Hooper. A considerable number of demos were produced, one of which, "I'd Rather Be Your Lover", originally featured her then boyfriend, rapper Tupac Shakur. [4] The resulting album, Bedtime Stories (1994), became a critical and commercial success. Due to her being cast in the film adaptation of the musical Evita (1996), Madonna was unable to promote the album with a tour. She would later include the never-before-released song, "Your Honesty", which she penned and co-produced with Dallas Austin during the Bedtime Stories sessions, on the EP Remixed & Revisited (2003). [5]
In 2020, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Bedtime Stories hit the top of the iTunes album charts. Critics noted its cultural resurgence. Madonna thanked fans for purchasing it on social media and included the hashtag "#stayhome musical companion". [6] In 2021, it was announced that Madonna had signed a career-spanning partnership deal with Warner Records. The deal included her entire back catalog: 17 studio albums, plus singles, soundtrack recordings, live albums, and compilations. Madonna, it was revealed, would be personally curating expansive deluxe editions of many of her landmark studio albums, as well as introduce unique releases for special events starting in 2022. [7] In October 2024, Madonna teased a Bedtime Stories-related project on her official Facebook page. A photo with the words "Something's comin' over", along with the caption: "Happy 30th Anniversary, Bedtime Stories! Yes, "we've got a secret".... Check back soon to find out and in the meantime, play the album out loud", with a link to stream the album, were posted. [8] On February 17, 2025, Madonna teased the re-release of Bedtime Stories, through her Instagram account, to commemorate the 30th anniversary of its release. [9] On October 9, 2025, she announced a November 28, 2025 release date for the Bedtime Stories: The Untold Chapter EP, along with reissues of the original studio album. The collection includes early demos, alternate versions, and rarities that trace the evolution of studio album's sound. A collectible silver LP of the original studio album (part of The Silver Collection), a two-disc CD (studio album and EP), as well as a 12" black vinyl EP of Bedtime Stories: The Untold Chapter, with exclusive postcards and poster, will also be released. Frequent collaborator Stuart Price was responsible for the editing and mixing of the original content. "Right on Time", a track written during the original studio sessions with producer Dallas Austin, was released as a single on digital platforms. [10] [11]
The EP includes the song "Love Won't Wait", which was abandoned and not used on the Bedtime Stories album. Madonna and producer Shep Pettibone later gave it to former Take That singer Gary Barlow. [12] The songs "Let Down Your Guard", co-written with Dallas Austin, originally a B-side song to single "Secret", [13] as well as "Freedom", which was released in 1997 on a charity album titled, Carnival! The Rainforest Foundation, will also be included on the set. [14]
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