The Best Madonna Song You Never Heard
Many of Madonna‘s songs were blockbuster hits. On the other hand, one of the “Like a Prayer” star‘s best tunes was less appreciated by listeners. It’s a great fusion of genres with some clever and cutting lyrics. Here’s a Madonna tune that deserves a second look.
1 of Madonna’s songs was inspired by a backlash to BDSM
First, some background. Madonna delved into the world of BDSM with her album Erotica. Predictably, the record and especially the title song shocked a lot of listeners. The Queen of Pop had been a provocateur for most of her career, but with Erotica, she went further than she ever had before. The music video for Erotica‘s title track still feels risque today.
Her next album, Bedtime Stories, was a step back. It included innocuous ballads, such as “Secret” and “Take a Bow,” as well as the airy avant-garde experiment “Bedtime Story.” However, the Material Girl wasn’t interested in completely losing her edge.
In “Human Nature,” Madonna addresses the backlash to Erotica with a sense of humor. Referencing her own song “Express Yourself,” Madonna sings, “Express yourself, don’t repress yourself.” The singer shows off her sassy side, saying that she didn’t know that talking about sex and speaking her mind was out of the question. The tune has one of the best instrumentals of Madonna’s career, combining her slick pop style with the synth-heavy hip-hop sounds of the early 1990s.
What the Queen of Pop was thinking when he released these songs
During a 1994 interview with The New York Times, the “Like a Virgin” singer explained her mindset while making Erotica and Bedtime Stories. “Everything I’m doing is my own catharsis,” she said. “My work is a kind of self-portrait. The whole delving into erotica and dealing with my sexual fantasies was my own inner struggle with the way I was raised, the Catholicism that is deep in my bones, and my own sense of guilt and sin. It’s about my own inner struggle with repression.”
Subsequently, the “Express Yourself” singer discussed her attitude toward art. “There’s lots of ways to get your point across and lots of ways to try and influence people,” she said. “You can be aggressive and loud, and you can shock people, and you can hit them over the head. But then there are other ways. You can subliminally seduce someone, or you can do it — well, I can’t even think of a word to describe it, because ‘sweet’ sounds stupid to me. I don’t think of this album as being sweet; I think of it as being bittersweet.”
Madonna’s ‘Human Nature’ missed the Top 40
“Human Nature” reached No. 46 on the Billboard Hot 100, staying on the chart for 15 weeks. The fact that the tune didn’t even hit the Top 40 just isn’t fair. “Human Nature” appeared on the album Bedtime Stories.
Bedtime Stories reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and lasted on the chart for 53 weeks. It was one of Madonna’s most popular albums and the single “Take a Bow” hit No. 1 for seven weeks — longer than any of her other singles.
Bedtime Stories was an artistic home run and “Human Nature” deserves more attention.
