Madonna Said ‘Express Yourself’ Was Inspired by Her Bad Relationships
Madonna‘s “Express Yourself” is such a good dance track that its lyrics are easy to overlook. The Material Girl explained what she was trying to say when she wrote the song. Notably, the tune came from an album that produced numerous hits.
Madonna’s ‘Express Yourself’ has some relationship advice
During a 1989 interview with The New York Times, the Queen of Pop discussed her attitude toward music. “What I do is total commercialism, but it’s also art,” said Madonna. “I like the challenge of doing both, of somehow making art that is accessible and making commerce something artistic.” That’s why the whole world loved Madonna!
She explained the meaning of her then-recent song “Express Yourself.” “The message of the song is that people should always say what it is they want,” the “Like a Virgin” singer said. “The reason relationships don’t work is because they are afraid. That’s been my problem in all my relationships.
“I’m sure people see me as an outspoken person, and for the most part, if I want something I ask for it,” he added. “But sometimes you feel that if you ask for too much or ask for the wrong thing from someone you care about that that person won’t like you. And so you censor yourself. I’ve been guilty of that in every meaningful relationship I’ve ever had. The time I learn how not to edit myself will be the time I consider myself a complete adult.”
‘Express Yourself’ has a double meaning
Part of what makes “Express Yourself” so good is that it works on multiple levels. On the surface, it’s solid relationship advice with some American individualism thrown on top. Plenty of listeners probably understood it as merely a call for people to open up about their feelings.
On another level, “Express Yourself” can be understood as a feminist anthem. Madonna was using the track to empower female listeners to ask more of the men in their lives, including encouraging her female fans to get the men in their lives to get in touch with their emotions. The feminist undercurrent of the song becomes even more apparent when you watch its music video, which portrays Madonna as the ruler of a retro-futuristic city. To be a truly great artist, one has to make art that can appeal to different people in different ways. With “Express Yourself,” the Queen of Pop did just that.
Madonna got 5 top 20 hits out of 1 album
“Express Yourself” peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, staying on the chart for 16 weeks. “Express Yourself” appeared on Like a Prayer, one of Madonna’s most personal albums. That record topped the Billboard 200 for six weeks, lasting on the chart for 77 weeks in total.
Like a Prayer produced four other top 20 singles: “Like a Prayer,” “Cherish,” “Oh Father,” and “Keep It Together.” Those songs are, respectively, a gospel track about sex, an old-fashioned doo-wop song, a personal ballad about daddy issues, and a funk dancefloor filler. Like a Prayer cohesively melds so many smiles that it feels like a miracle.
“Express Yourself” is such a good song that it might just save your marriage.
