Express yourself
| Express yourself | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Madonna | |
| publication | March 21, 1989 (album) May 9, 1989 (single) |
| length | 4:30 (7 ") |
| Genre (s) | Dance pop |
| Author (s) | Madonna, Stephen Bray |
| Producer (s) | Madonna, Stephen Bray |
| album | Like a prayer |
Express Yourself is a dance-pop song by the American singer and songwriter Madonna . The song was released on May 9, 1989 as the second single of their fourth studio album Like a Prayer on Sire Records . The song is featured on the 1989 Japanese mini album Remixed Prayers and on Madonna's compilation The Immaculate Collection . Another version of the song is on the 2009 album Celebration . Express Yourself became a worldwide hit and continued Madonna's success. The single reached top 5 positions in almost every country. It became a number one hit for Madonna in Canada , Europe , Italy , Switzerland and Japan . In her home country of the United States, the song just missed the top of the Billboard Hot 100 with # 2 . The song was awarded gold in the USA and Australia .
Information about the song
Express Yourself was written and produced by Madonna with Stephen Bray . The single was recorded in December 1988 and released on May 9, 1989, on cassette, CD and vinyl.
The 4 minute and 30 second long pop song with dance elements was recorded with many Spanish and Central American drums , giving it a Latin feeling like La Isla Bonita and Who's That Girl . The song is still known today, especially for its highly controversial music video with sexual and erotic content. Express Yourself was largely praised by critics from a musical point of view, but the music video received a lot of negative criticism.
Commercial win
Express Yourself debuted at number 41 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the week of June 3, 1989, and jumped from number 13 to number 6 in the week of July 1, 1989. On July 15, 1989, the single reached number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 where she stood for several weeks.
In Europe , the single Madonna was the sixth number one hit; it also took first place in Canada, Italy, Switzerland and Japan. Express Yourself rose to number 5 in Australia and the UK .
Music video
The music video was directed by David Fincher . It was filmed in April 1989 at Culver Studios in Culver City , California and is based on Fritz Lang's expressionist film Metropolis . The clear reference of the music video to the art-historical and film-historical formal language of Expressionism can be understood as a deliberate language game with the song title "Express Yourself".
Express Yourself is one of the most expensive video clips of all time due to its production cost of around $ 5 million and had its world premiere on May 17, 1989 on MTV . Madonna said in a 1990 BBC interview that the video was about pussy rules the world .
- Director: DAVID FINCHER
- Producer: Gregg Fienberg
- Production Designer: Vance Lorenzini
- Director of photography: Mark Plummer
- Editor: Scott Chestnut
- Production company: Propaganda Films
The music video was awarded at the MTV Video Music Awards 1989 in the categories Best Direction in a Video (David Fincher), Best Art Direction in a Video (Holgar Gross and Vance Lorenzini) and Best Cinematography in a Video (Mark Plummer).
Live performances
In 1989, Madonna Express Yourself sang at the MTV Video Music Awards . Developed for her Blonde Ambition tour in 1990. Madonna a new performance with a non-stop Express - remix version of the song. This contained lines of text from their hit Everybody .
During The Girlie Show tour in 1993, Madonna sang a disco version of Express Yourself . The performance began with a chant, which Madonna emphasizes as if she were having an orgasm . She said: "I'm gonna take you to a place you've never been before"; then Madonna came down from the ceiling with an oversized disco ball and wore a huge blonde Afro wig and a classic disco outfit. Then two of their dancers came on stage and the three women started singing Express Yourself together . At the end of the performance there was a direct transition to the next song Deeper and Deeper , which was also played in disco style.
Express Yourself was also part of Madonna's Re-Invention Tour (2004) and the MDNA Tour (2012).
influence
Express Yourself's music video is # 1 on Slant Magazine's "100 Greatest Music Videos", # 10 on Rolling Stones "The 100 Top Music Videos", and # 3 on MuchMusic's list of "Top 100 Videos of The Century". In 2010, Christina Aguilera took a tribute to Madonna. Portions of the Not Myself Tonight music video build on Express Yourself . Aguilera commented “One of my best favorite songs and videos is 'Express Yourself' by Madonna, which has a very strong and confident influence on me, so I always try to put all of my sexuality into it […] I love the direct comparison with Madonna, I make Madonna with the eyes moment after and the smoke. I paid a tribute to a very strong woman who went the same way twenty years ago. Madonna is simply the biggest influence on me, I love every song and video of her. ”Fans and critics noted similarities to Madonna's Express Yourself in Lady Gaga's Born This Way (2011) . Madonna herself commented on the incident, "I'm honored that I gaga helped write one of her songs," and ironically included a passage of Born This Way herself in the live version of Express Yourself on their MDNA 2012 tour.
Charts
| Charts | Top ranking | Weeks |
|---|---|---|
| Chart placements | ||
 Germany (GfK)
|
3 (18 weeks) | 18th |
 Austria (Ö3)
|
5 (12 weeks) | 12 |
 Switzerland (IFPI)
|
1 (15 weeks) | 15th |
 United Kingdom (OCC)
|
5 (10 weeks) | 10 |
 United States (Billboard)
|
2 (16 weeks) | 16 |
Cover versions
- The winner of the first season of American Idol , Kelly Clarkson , sang the song on their first live show.
- The Chipettes covered the song in 1991 for their album The Chipmunks Rock the House .
- The 1999 compilation Virgin Voices: A Tribute To Madonna, Vol. 1 contains a cover version of Information Society.
- Almighty Records covered all of Madonna's house and dance- style songs during the 2000s , including Express Yourself .
- In 2010 the hit TV show Glee recorded a cover version of Express Yourself . The crew sang the song in the episode The Power of Madonna , a tribute to Madonna. The cover version also appeared on the EP Glee: The Music, The Power of Madonna , released shortly afterwards .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Madonna - Express Yourself , Hitparade.ch
- ↑ release date
- ↑ BBC Omnibus Madonna Special (1990), Broadcast: December 1990, BBC One.
- ↑ slantmagazine.com
- ↑ Christina Aguilera - Aguilera 'Paid Tribute' To Madonna In New Promo - Contactmusic News . Contactmusic.com. Retrieved September 23, 2010.
- ↑ huffingtonpost.com
- ↑ a b c d e Chart sources: DE AT CH UK US
- ↑ Kelly Clarkson | 'American Idol': 15 Best Auditions Ever! | Photo 10 of 16 . EW.com. Retrieved September 23, 2010.
- ↑ Virgin Voices: A Tribute To Madonna: Volume 1 . In Music We Trust. Retrieved September 23, 2010.
- ↑ Who's That Girl! | Holiday / Express Yourself . Almighty Records.com. Archived from the original on October 27, 2010. Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved September 23, 2010.
