Why Madonna’s ‘Express Yourself’ Video Doesn’t Sync With the Song
Few singers were as good at making music videos as Madonna. Madonna’s “Express Yourself” inspired one of her best clips but it has a major error. The video doesn’t totally sync with the music! One of Madonna’s most famous producers explained why this is the case.
The music video for Madonna’s ‘Express Yourself’ has nonsensical horns
Shep Pettibone is a dance music artist who is most known for his work on Madonna’s “Vogue,” as well as some of her lesser-known singles such as “Deeper and Deeper,” “This Used to Be My Playground,” and “Erotica.” Before that, he crafted remixes for the Material Girl. During a 2015 interview with Billboard, Pettibone explained how one of his remixes created an incongruity in the “Express Yourself” music video.
“[The ‘Express Yourself’ remix] was a total reproduction and I totally rewrote the music,” he recalled. “And I really started from scratch with ‘Express Yourself.’ And I think she was really impressed with that and she really … liked it. And, you know, the label liked it. She actually did the video to the album version, and then they synced my version to the video. So if you watch the video of ‘Express Yourself,’ you see the horn players on the carousel, but there’s no horns playing, because I took those out.”
Of course, “Express Yourself” is not unusual in this regard. Several music videos use a version of the song that is not the album version. For example, the clip for the Queen of Pop’s “Celebration” makes use of a remix of the song rather than the mix of “Celebration” that fans probably heard on the radio or in the club.
‘Express Yourself’ had a huge impact on music and cinema
While the music video for “Express Yourself” has that minor flaw, it’s still a classic. It pays homage to the look and storyline of the classic silent film Metropolis. Few music videos are as immersive and detailed as the clip for “Express Yourself.”
On top of that, the clip was very influential. The music videos for Lady Gaga’s “Alejandro” and Christian Aguilera’s “Not Myself Tonight” both borrow from “Express Yourself,” although they are a lot more explicitly sexual. Gaga and Xtina didn’t have to worry about the MTV censors as much as the Queen of Pop did!
“Express Yourself” is also important because it paved the way for many great movies. The clip was directed by David Fincher. Fincher went on to helm acclaimed films such as Seven, Fight Club, Panic Room, Zodiac, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Social Network, Gone Girl, and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.
The song appeared on 1 of Madonna’s biggest albums
“Express Yourself” peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it one of many No. 2 hits in the Queen of Pop’s catalog. “Express Yourself” spent 16 weeks on the chart. The tune’s parent album, Like a Prayer, topped the Billboard 200 for six weeks, remaining on the chart for 77 weeks altogether.
“Express Yourself” was also a clear template for Gaga’s “Born This Way.” “Express Yourself” might be as remembered today as “Vogue” or “Like a Virgin,” but its impact is undeniable.
