"Who's That Girl" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by Madonna | ||||
from the album Who's That Girl | ||||
Language | English, Spanish | |||
B-side | "White Heat" | |||
Released | June 29, 1987 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 3:58 | |||
Label | ||||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) |
| |||
Madonna singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Music video | ||||
"Who's That Girl" on YouTube |
"Who's That Girl" is a song by American singer Madonna from the soundtrack of the 1987 film Who's That Girl . Written and produced by Madonna and Patrick Leonard, it was released in Europe as the soundtrack's lead single on June 29, 1987; in the United States, a release was issued the following day. In 2009, it was included on Madonna's third greatest hits compilation, Celebration .
An uptempo pop song, "Who's That Girl" continued the singer's fascination with Latin pop, a genre she had previously explored on her single "La Isla Bonita". It features instrumentation from drums, bass, and trumpets, and has lyrics sung both in English and Spanish. While shooting for the film, then called Slammer, Madonna had requested Leonard to develop a song that captured the nature of her film character; the producer worked on a demo and, afterwards, Madonna added the lyrics and decided to rename the song, as well as the film, to "Who's That Girl".
Upon release, the song received positive to mixed reviews from music critics; the similarities to "La Isla Bonita" were both praised and criticized. "Who's That Girl" became Madonna's sixth single to top the Billboard Hot 100, which made her the artist with the most number one hits in the 1980s decade. It was also successful overseas: it reached the top of the charts in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Italy, Ireland, and Belgium. The song was nominated for Best Song Written for Visual Media at the 1988 Grammy Awards, and for Best Original Song at the 45th Golden Globe Awards. The accompanying music video mixed together footage from Who's That Girl and scenes of Madonna wandering around a park, decked out in a Latin-inspired outfit. The track was included on the singer's Who's That Girl (1987) and Rebel Heart (2015―2016) concert tours, and has been covered by some artists, particularly for tribute albums.
In October 1986, Madonna began filming her third motion picture Who's That Girl . [2] James Foley, who had worked with the singer's on her music videos for "Papa Don't Preach" and "Live to Tell" (1986), was chosen at her own request to direct the film. [2] [3] Originally titled Slammer, in the movie Madonna plays Nikki Finn, a young woman accused of homicide who, after being released on parole, becomes determined to clear her name. Along with Loudon Trott (played by Griffin Dunne), she gets caught up in "36 hours of high adventure", culminating in a scene where she interrupts a wedding to reveal the identity of the real murderer. [4] Madonna began working on the soundtrack in March 1987; having some specific ideas in her mind about the music of the film, the singer contacted Patrick Leonard and Stephen Bray, who had helped to write and produce her third studio album True Blue . [5] She wanted the soundtrack to "stand on its own as well as support and enhance what was happening on screen". [5]
The singer asked Leonard to create an uptempo song that captured the nature of her character, so the producer created a demo while Madonna worked on the melody and lyrics. [6] [5] However, the singer couldn't come up with a word that rhymed with "Slammer", so she changed the song and the film's title to "Who's That Girl", considering it to be a better name. [7] Leonard, who supported the title change, recalled that it was recorded in one day, with the singer recording her vocals in one single take; the following day, additional instrumentation from guitars and percussions were added by Leonard and Bray. [5] In Europe, "Who's That Girl" was officially released as the soundtrack's lead single on June 29, 1987. [8] The next day, it was released on the United States. [9] Years later, it was included on Madonna's third compilation album, Celebration (2009). [10]
"Who's That Girl" was written and produced by Madonna and Leonard; Michael Barbiero and Steve Thompson were in charge of mixing. [11] Daryl Easlea, one of the authors of Madonna: Blond Ambition, wrote that "Who's That Girl" continued Madonna's exploration of Latin music, which she had already introduced on her previous single "La Isla Bonita". [6] Author Rikky Rooksby pointed out that the song is divided in three parts: verse, refrain, and bridge, in which the artist sings What can help me now; [4] its instrumentation includes a drum machine, trumpets, and a "bubbling bass synth line". [4] Modulation is used on the verse, while the vocals are "wonderfully multi-tracked", specifically in the phrase She's smiling/an invitation to the dance. [12] On the "earworm" refrain, Madonna sings both in English and Spanish, ¿Quién es esa niña?/Who's that girl?/Señorita, más fina/Who's that girl? [13] Several lines are combined on its fade out, a technique that had already been used by artists like The Beach Boys and R.E.M. [4]
According to the sheet music published by Alfred Publishing Inc., "Who's That Girl" is set in common time in the key of A minor with a medium tempo of 104 beats per minute. It is composed in the key of A minor, with Madonna's vocals spanning between G 3 to B 4. The song has a basic sequence of basic chord progression sequence of Am9–G–Csus2–Am9–G–Dm. [14] The lyrics, which are sung in the third person, talk about "how you should be careful around this extremely hot girl because she'll break your heart", according to Stereogum 's Tom Breihan. [15] "Who's That Girl" is one of Madonna's songs that reference her thoughts about "'girlhood' as powerfully productive", as noted by Santiago Fouz-Hernández and Freya Jarman-Ivens, authors of Madonna's Drowned Worlds. [16]
Upon release, "Who's That Girl" received generally positive to mixed reviews. Daryl Easlea said it was, "by far and away, the best song of the soundtrack". [6] Rikky Rooksby called it delightful, further adding that it was one of the singer's "best takes on her original music style". [4] On Matthew Rettenmund 's Encyclopedia Madonnica, he classified "Who's That Girl" as a "laid-back, effortlessly haunting" song. [17] On his biography of the singer, J. Randy Taraborrelli described it as "quintessential Madonna [...] funky, sassy and melodic". [18] Stephen Holden, from The New York Times , opined that, "[the movie] may not have burned up the box office, but [...] Madonna's bilingual title song has the buoyant bounce of an acrobat doing somersaults on a trampoline". [19] While Cashbox magazine named it "one of her most compelling musical efforts", Jim Zebora from the Record-Journal opined it was a "joy to hear". [20] [12] Robert Matthew-Walker wrote: "if 'light and airy' describes Madonna's performance [in Who's That Girl], such a phrase can also be aptly applied to the title song [...] a delightful mixture of English and Spanish/Puerto Rican [...] a generous compliment to mid-1980s New York". [21]
"[...] written solely for the purpose of promoting her lead role in the film of the same name [...] 'Who's That Girl', in many ways, represents two significant aspects of Madonna's career: 1. The side that sees her desperately trying to win the admiration of fellow thespians; and 2. Her ability to write and record wonderful thematic songs that oftentimes eclipse the movie for which they were written".
— PopMatters ' Enio Chola's review of "Who's That Girl" on the magazine's ranking of Madonna's 15 best songa. [22]
The song's similarity to "La Isla Bonita", was both praised and criticized. Billboard 's Andrew Unterberger pointed out that both songs share a "contagious chorus and sparkling production". [23] Rolling Stone 's Vince Aletti said that, "bobbing up in the wake of 'Isla', ['Who's That Girl'] grabs hold with its bright bilingual chant". [24] An opinion that was shared by Joe Brown, from The Washington Post , who added that, "truth be told, her Berlitz treatment does render the repetitiveness of the lyrics more lilting". [25] Louis Virtel, writing for The Backlot, opined that, "although [Madonna]'d give us a more timeless tune in that vein, 'Who’s That Girl?' is still a sexy little tribute to those minxes you just can’t catch up with". [26] Similarly, Joe Morgan from Gay Star News said that, despite not being "the best time [Madonna] was influenced by Spain, it certainly [isn't] the worst [...] [it's] a great fun song". [27] Both The Guardian 's Jude Rogers and Entertainment Weekly's Chuck Arnold deemed it inferior to "La Isla Bonita", nonetheless, the latter also deemed it a "tropical delight [...] pure enchantment". [28] [29]
Despite pointing out its "slick and strong" beats, Tom Breihan called "Who's That Girl" mediocre and uninspired, adding that it sounded as if "[Madonna and Leonard] had taken everything they'd just done on 'La Isla Bonita' and hit[ting] repeat". [15] The singer's vocals were criticized by Brown for being "electronically speeded up, smoothed, sweetened and split into Chipmunk harmonies [...] she comes out sounding like a computer-generated clone". [25] Breihan added that she did not sound "comfortable or fluid" singing in Spanish. [15] For AllMusic, Stephen Thomas Erlewine felt the song wasn't among Madonna's best work and called it forgettable. [30] On a similar note, it was named Madonna's "least-remembered No. 1" by Matthew Jacobs from the HuffPost . [31] The staff of The A.V. Club added that, "only hardcore fans [will] remember this lightweight [...] less ponderous sequel to 'La Isla Bonita'". [32] "Who's That Girl" was nominated for Best Original Song at the 45th Golden Globe Awards, and for the Grammy Award for Best Song Written for Visual Media at the 30th ceremony. [33] [34]
"Who's That Girl" debuted on the US Billboard Hot 100 at number 43 the week of July 11, 1987, becoming Madonna's 12th consecutive single to be named the week's top new entry. [35] [36] After it reached the chart's seventh spot on August 8, and gave the singer her 13th consecutive top 10 hit, it tied her with Lionel Richie as the singer with the longest string of consecutive top 10 hits in the 1980s decade up until that point. [37] "Who's That Girl" reached the Hot 100's first position on August 22. [38] As Madonna's sixth number one single, it gave her several records: she surpassed Lionel Richie, Hall & Oates, and Phill Collins as the artist with the most number one hits in the 1980s; [39] she became one of only two female singers to score this amount of number ones ―and the only one to do it as a solo artist (Diana Ross had also scored six number ones, but one of those was a duet with Richie), and was her third number one from a movie, following "Crazy for You" ―from Vision Quest (1985)― and "Live to Tell" ―from At Close Range . [40] According to Warner Bros. Records executive Lou Dennis, "Who's That Girl" was the best-selling cassette single from the label up at that point. [41] The single peaked within the top five positions of the Adult Contemporary chart. [42] "Who's That Girl" came in at numbers 42 and 48 on the official Billboard year-end chart and Dance year-end chart, respectively. [43] In Canada, "Who's That Girl" debuted on the 83rd position of RPM 's Top Singles chart on the week of July 11, 1987 and, one month later, it peaked at number one. [44] [45]
In Music & Media 's European Airplay Top 50, "Who's That Girl" debuted at number 3 on July 18, 1987, the highest entry in the chart's history according to the magazine; [46] It topped the chart by August 8, and remained on that position for two weeks, [47] [48] her seventh number one there and "another unique achievement". [49] It peaked at number two, just behind Michael Jackson and Siedah Garrett's "I Just Can't Stop Loving You", on the European Hot 100 Singles chart. [50] "Who's That Girl" found success elsewhere: it reached the first position in Belgium, [51] Denmark, [49] Ireland, [52] and Italy. [49] In the latter country, it spent 11 consecutive weeks at the top of the Musica e dischi charts, and was the year's best-selling single. [53] [54] In the United Kingdom, "Who's That Girl" debuted at the third position of the UK Singles Chart on July 18, and, one week later, reached the first spot, becoming Madonna's fifth number one there; it spent 10 weeks on the chart overall, and was certified silver by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). [55] [56] According to Music Week magazine, over 376,498 copies of the single have been sold in the United Kingdom as of 2008. [57] It peaked within the top 5 of the charts in Germany, [58] Sweden, [59] Switzerland, [60] and New Zealand. [61] In Australia, "Who's That Girl" reached the top 10. [62]
Peter Rosenthal directed the music video for "Who's That Girl", which was shot over two days at A&M Soundstages in Hollywood, California. [63] Production was in charge of James Foley and Joel Stillman for Broadcast Arts Inc. [64] It alternates footage from Who's That Girl, with scenes of Madonna decked out as a "hip Latina", with an oversized grey jacket over a black bustier, short pants, pork pie hat, and spiky brown hair. [9] [17] [65]
It begins with Madonna entering a park, catching the attention of a man and a group of children. Interspersed footage of her singing the track, wandering around the park, and scenes of the movie, play next. The kids and the man then take her to a darkened room, where she meets a fortune teller; the woman shows Madonna the High Priestess tarot card, which displays a caricature of her character Nikki Finn. The singer looks up and discovers the woman's disappeared; she then finds a key to a chest containing a shiny white crystal, which reflects an animated sequence of the Nikki Finn caricature. The man and the children show up again, and the video ends with them dancing "adoringly" with Madonna. [17]
"Who's That Girl" premiered on MTV the week of July 4, 1987, and was one of the year's most heavily rotated clips on European television. [66] [67] Years later, "Who's That Girl" was included on Madonna's 2009 compilation Celebration: The Video Collection . [10] Upon release, critical reviews ranged from positive to mixed; Matthew Rettenmund compared the singer's appearance in the video to that of Michael Jackson, and applauded the clip for being "movie-plugging", yet strong enough to "stand[s] alone". [17] Nonetheless, he noted that it was "rarely played" the years following its release. [17] From website This Is Dig!, Mark Elliot also compared the singer's look to Jackson's and praised the "charming, low-key" video. [68] Elliot also noted nods to the Pied Piper of Hamelin, a character he felt Madonna had already referenced on her music video for "Open Your Heart" (1986). [68] In High Concept: Movies and Marketing in Hollywood, author Justin Wyatt pointed out that, throughout the clip, "Madonna, the singer, gazes longingly at Madonna, the comedienne/actress". [69]
A less favorable review came from Vincent Canby, writing for The New York Times; according to him, the video's purpose was to promote the film, but ended up showcasing "everything that's least attractive about it". [70] Canby was also critical of the persona Madonna adopted for the clip, comparing it negatively to her comedic performance in the movie: "It appeals neither to people who've never seen her before nor to anyone who's admired the sometimes brazenly erotic and funny performer [she] is in her best music videos", he concluded. [70]
Madonna has performed the song on two of her concert tours: Who's That Girl (1987) and Rebel Heart (2015―2016). On the first one, it was sung as the concert's first encore; [24] the singer wore a bright red flamenco dress, and sang the track assisted by her backup singers Niki Haris, Donna De Lory, and Debra Parson. [71] [72] At the end of the performance, she stepped out to the front of the darkened stage and sang the phrase Who's that girl repeatedly in a "sad chant that became increasingly self-absorbed and haunting". [24] The number was deemed one of the concert's weaker moments by The Washington Post 's Richard Harrington. [73] Two different performances can be found on the videos Who's That Girl: Live in Japan and Ciao Italia: Live from Italy , filmed in Tokyo on June and in Turin on September, respectively. [74] [72]
An acoustic rendition of "Who's That Girl", complete with "call-and-response exchanges" with the audience, was done on the singer's Rebel Heart Tour. [75] The number featured Day of the Dead iconography and found Madonna playing guitar. [76] [77] After finishing the song, she said: "I'm still trying to figure out who I am after all these years [...] Does anyone ever really know?". [78] For Rollling Stone's Rob Sheffield, "Who's That Girl" was the evening's "emotional highlight". [79]
In 1998, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra made an instrumental version of the song for Material Girl: RPO Plays Music of Madonna. [80] One year later, a sound-alike cover was done by The Countdown Singers, which was included on Hit Parade of 80's, Vol. 2. [81] American band The Bubonic Plague recorded a synth-pop rendition of "Who's That Girl" for the tribute album Through the Wilderness (2007); [15] this cover was criticized by Pitchfork's Stephen M. Deusner, who deemed it uninspired and felt was "beyond Bubonic Plague's ability to salvage it". [82] In 2021, the song was sampled by Dutch DJs Joe Stone and Jack Wins on their song "Light Up My Life"; Madonna herself approved of the sampling. [83]
|
|
Credits adapted from the Who's That Girl soundtrack liner notes. [11]
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
Decade-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Canada | — | 40,000 [120] |
France (SNEP) [121] | Gold | 500,000* |
Japan (Oricon Charts) | — | 35,650 [95] |
United Kingdom (BPI) [56] | Silver | 376,498 [57] |
United States Vinyl single & Cassette single | — | 446,000 + 105,000 [41] |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
"Papa Don't Preach" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Madonna for her third studio album True Blue (1986). The song was written by Brian Elliot with additional lyrics by Madonna, who produced it alongside Stephen Bray. It was included in the compilation album Celebration (2009). Musically, "Papa Don't Preach" combines pop and classical styling, with lyrics that talk about teenage pregnancy, and the choices that come with it. Elliot was inspired to write it by the teen gossip he would hear outside his recording studio.
"Material Girl" is a song recorded by American singer Madonna for her second studio album, Like a Virgin (1984). It was released on January 23, 1985, by the Sire label as the second single from Like a Virgin. It also appears slightly remixed on the 1990 greatest hits compilation, The Immaculate Collection, in its original form on the 2009 greatest hits compilation, Celebration and Finally Enough Love: 50 Number Ones (2022). The song was written by Peter Brown and Robert Rans, while Nile Rodgers produced the track. Madonna explained that the concept of the song was indicative of her life at that time, and she liked it because she felt it was provocative.
"Dress You Up" is a song by American singer Madonna from her second studio album, Like a Virgin (1984). It was released as the album's final single on July 24, 1985, by Sire Records. Written by Andrea LaRusso and Peggy Stanziale, and produced by Nile Rodgers, who also played guitar on the track, it was the final song to be added to the album. Rodgers had asked the writers to compose something similar to the work of his band Chic but, due to LaRusso and Stanziale being busy with other projects, the composition took time. When the lyrics were submitted, the producer initially rejected them, as he felt there was no time to compose a melody; Madonna, however, liked the lyrics and convinced him to include the song on Like a Virgin. Musically, "Dress You Up" is a dance-pop song whose lyrics are an extended metaphor for fashion and lust, comparing dressing up with passion.
"What It Feels Like for a Girl" is a song recorded by American singer Madonna for her eighth studio album Music (2000). It was released as the third and final single from the album on April 16, 2001, by Maverick Records. Madonna and Guy Sigsworth wrote and produced the song with David Torn as co-writer, and Mark "Spike" Stent as a co-producer. "What It Feels Like For a Girl" is a mid-tempo electronic and synth-pop song. Lyrically, it conveys society's double standard toward women, addressing hurtful myths about female inferiority. To emphasize the message, the song opens with a spoken word sample by actress Charlotte Gainsbourg from the 1993 British film The Cement Garden. A Spanish version of the track, "Lo Que Siente la Mujer", was translated by Alberto Ferreras and included in the Latin American edition of Music.
"Like a Virgin" is a song recorded by American singer Madonna from her second album of the same name. The song was written and composed by Tom Kelly and Billy Steinberg, and it was released as the album's lead single on October 31, 1984. A dance song with two hooks, Madonna sings in a high register while a continuous arrangement of synths are heard along the bassline. The song's lyrics are ambiguous, consisting of hidden innuendos and open to various interpretations.
"Causing a Commotion" is a song by American singer Madonna from the soundtrack album to the 1987 film Who's That Girl. It was released as the album's second single on August 25, 1987, by Sire Records. Its Silver Screen Single Mix later appeared on the EP The Holiday Collection (1991). Written and produced by Madonna and Stephen Bray, the song was inspired by her relationship with then-husband Sean Penn, and his abusive and violent nature. Containing a dance-oriented, up-tempo groove, the song begins with the chorus and is accompanied by a four-note descending bassline and staccato chords in the verses.
"Lucky Star" is a song by American singer Madonna from her self-titled debut studio album (1983). Produced by Reggie Lucas, it was written by Madonna with the intention that her friend Mark Kamins would play it in his sets at Danceteria, where he was the resident DJ. In 1982, Madonna was signed on by Sire Records for the release of two 12" singles; after the success of first single "Everybody", the label approved the recording of an album, and the singer decided to work with Lucas. However, problems between Madonna and the producer arose and he ended up leaving the project; she then called John "Jellybean" Benitez, her boyfriend at the time, to work on the remaining songs.
"Angel" is a song by American singer Madonna from her second studio album Like a Virgin (1984). It was released on April 10, 1985, by Sire Records as the album's third single. Written by Madonna and Steve Bray, it was one of the first songs developed for the project and, according to Madonna, was inspired by a girl who is saved by an angel, and she falls in love with him. "Angel" was released as a 12-inch single with "Into the Groove" in some countries and charted likewise. A music video was not filmed for "Angel", and instead, a promotional clip comprising segments of her previous videos was released in the United Kingdom.
"Into the Groove" is a song recorded by American singer Madonna, and featured on the 1985 film Desperately Seeking Susan. Written and produced by both Madonna and Stephen Bray, the main inspiration behind the song was the dance floor; the singer wrote it while watching a Latin American man whom she was attracted to. Its instrumentation features synthesizers and drum machines, with Madonna's voice being double tracked on the chorus. Sexual innuendos and undertones are present throughout the lyrics, which are written as an invitation to dance with the singer. Originally written for her friend Mark Kamins, Madonna later decided to use it on the film, as one of the scenes needed a dance song. It was later added to the 1985 international re-issue of her second studio album, Like a Virgin (1984), and remixed for her compilations You Can Dance (1987) and The Immaculate Collection (1990) and Finally Enough Love: 50 Number Ones (2022).
"Hung Up" is a song by American singer Madonna from her tenth studio album Confessions on a Dance Floor (2005). Initially used in a number of television advertisements and serials, the song was released as the album's lead single on October 18, 2005. Written and produced by Madonna in collaboration with Stuart Price, "Hung Up" prominently features a sample from the instrumental introduction to ABBA's single "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! ", for which Madonna personally sought permission from its songwriters, Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus. This is one of the few times Andersson and Ulvaeus have given permission to sample one of their songs, following "Rumble in the Jungle" by the Fugees and "Fly With Me" by 98 Degrees.
"Live to Tell" is a song by American singer Madonna from her third studio album, True Blue (1986). The song was originally composed by Patrick Leonard as an instrumental for the score of Paramount's film Fire with Fire, but Paramount rejected it. Leonard then presented the track to Madonna, who decided to use it for At Close Range, a film starring her then-husband Sean Penn. Madonna wrote the lyrics, co-composed the melodies and co-produced it with Leonard. "Live to Tell" was released as True Blue's lead single in 1986, by Sire Records; afterwards, it was included on Madonna's compilation albums The Immaculate Collection (1990), Something to Remember (1995), and Celebration (2009). A pop ballad, the song includes instrumentation from guitars, keyboards, drums and a synthesizer, while the lyrics deal with deceit, mistrust and childhood scars; Madonna also recalled in an interview that she thought about her relationship with her parents while writing the lyrics.
"Secret" is a song by American singer Madonna from her sixth studio album, Bedtime Stories (1994). It was released by Maverick Records on September 26, 1994, as the lead single from the album. The singer originally recorded the song as a demo with producer Shep Pettibone. However, Dallas Austin replaced Pettibone's role as the producer and reworked its composition, earning him a writing credit alongside Madonna. It was a departure from Madonna's previous musical style, since up to that point in her career, her music had mostly consisted of big-sounding dance tracks and melodic ballads. "Secret" combined the pop and R&B genres with instrumentation from an acoustic guitar, drums and strings, while lyrically talking about a lover having a secret.
"Open Your Heart" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Madonna for her third studio album True Blue (1986). Written by Gardner Cole and Peter Rafelson, it was conceived as a rock and roll song titled "Follow Your Heart" for singer Cyndi Lauper, but Cole and Rafaelson never had the chance to play it for her. At the time, Cole's management was working with Madonna's, who were looking for material for her third studio album. After her manager asked Cole to present a female demo of the song, Madonna accepted it and, alongside producer Patrick Leonard, turned it into a dance song. Lyrically, it's an innuendo-laden love song where the singer expresses her sexual desire. In the United States, the song was released as the fourth single from True Blue on November 12, 1986; overseas, it was released on December 1. Furthermore, it was included in the compilation albums, The Immaculate Collection (1990), Celebration (2009), and the "video version" was featured on the 2023 remix-themed compilation, Finally Enough Love: 50 Number Ones.
"True Blue" is a song by American singer Madonna from her third studio album of the same name (1986), released as the third single on September 10, 1986, by Sire Records. Written and produced by Madonna and Steve Bray, the song deals with Madonna's feelings for her then-husband Sean Penn. A dance-pop song, it features instrumentation from a rhythm guitar, a synthesizer, keyboards, and drums. The main chorus is backed by an alternate one, incorporating a chord progression generally found in doo-wop music.
"La Isla Bonita" is a song by American singer Madonna from her third studio album True Blue (1986). Patrick Leonard and Bruce Gaitsch created it as an instrumental demo and offered it to singer Michael Jackson, who turned it down. When Leonard met Madonna to start working on True Blue, he played the demo for her. Madonna came up with the title, wrote the lyrics and produced the song with Leonard. It's her first song with Latin influences. Its instrumentation features flamenco guitar, Latin percussion, maracas, and includes four lines sung in Spanish. The lyrics talk about an island named San Pedro, whose location has been debated. Madonna said the song was her tribute to Latin Americans.
"Vogue" is a song by American singer Madonna from her soundtrack album, I'm Breathless (1990). Written and produced by herself and Shep Pettibone, it was inspired by voguing, a dance which was part of the underground gay scene in New York City. The song was released as the lead single from the album on March 20, 1990, by Sire Records and Warner Bros. Records. "Vogue" is a house song with influences of disco, which contains escapist lyrics describing the dance floor as "a place where no boundaries exist". Its middle eight features Madonna name-dropping several actors from the Golden Age of Hollywood. "Vogue" was later included on three of Madonna's compilation albums: The Immaculate Collection (1990), Celebration (2009), and Finally Enough Love: 50 Number Ones (2022).
"Rescue Me" is a song by American singer Madonna from her first greatest hits album, The Immaculate Collection (1990). Written and produced by Madonna and Shep Pettibone, the song was released as the second single from The Immaculate Collection on February 26, 1991, in the United States, and as the third single on April 7 in the United Kingdom. A dance-pop and gospel-house track, the song is accompanied by the sound of thunder and rain, with the lyrics talking of romantic love rescuing the singer.
"Erotica" is a song by American singer Madonna from her fifth studio album of the same name (1992). It was written and produced by both Madonna and Shep Pettibone, with additional writing from Anthony Shimkin. In Australia and most European countries, the song was released as the album's lead single on September 29, 1992; in the United States, it was set to be released the following day, but after being leaked and played on several radio stations, the release date was held back until October 13. The song continued Madonna's exploration of spoken word vocals, which she had introduced in "Justify My Love" (1990). A pop hip-hop and dance song with Middle Eastern influences, its lyrics talk about sadomasochism, with the singer using the alter ego Dita and inviting her lover to be submissive while she makes love to him.
"Bad Girl" is a song by American singer and songwriter Madonna from her fifth studio album, Erotica (1992). It was written and produced by both Madonna and Shep Pettibone, with additional writing from Anthony Shimkin. In Australia and most European countries, the song was released as the album's third single on February 2, 1993; in the United States, a release was issued on March 11, 1993. "Bad Girl" is a pop and R&B ballad with lyrics that describe a woman trying to escape her reality through self-destructive behaviors, such as drinking and chain smoking.
"Rain" is a song by American singer Madonna from her fifth studio album Erotica (1992). The song was released on July 19, 1993, by Maverick Records as the album's fifth single internationally and the fourth single in North America. It was later included on her ballad compilation album Something to Remember (1995). The song was written and produced by Madonna and Shep Pettibone. A pop and R&B ballad, "Rain" features a more "friendly" composition than the other singles released from the album. Lyrically, the song likens rain to the empowering effect of love, and as with water's ability to clean and wash away pain. Like the other songs on Erotica, sexual contact is also a possible interpretation of the song.
Madonna had been flirting with Latin pop and style since she first showed up on the scene, but "Who's That Girl" came out at the moment when she was really going all-in on that stuff...It's just a generic, competent example of the kind of dance-pop that was popping back then.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link){{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link){{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link){{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link){{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link){{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)