Hello! 😊👋
Welcome to a new edition of the Daily Music Picks newsletter!
Today’s music pick commemorates the 35th anniversary of Madonna’s most dazzling and assured musical statement.
Genre: Pop, Funk
Label: Sire
Release Date: March 21, 1989
Vibe: 🙏
Taken in concert with her chart-topping work from 1983 to 1988, Like a Prayer sounds like a knowing departure from the sound that first made Madonna famous. As Bill Zehme put it in his 1989 Rolling Stone interview with the Material Girl, “The record largely scoots away from her previous gum-snapping oeuvre — although some pleasant, chirpy confection is left over — and she emerges as a thoughtful, introspective songwriter.” Early in that same piece, Madonna states: “I’m attracted to obstacles I need to overcome. I’m interested in facing challenges, things that are going to be harder rather than easier.” The response, referring to the then-recent dissolution of her marriage to Sean Penn, can also be read as oblique insight into why she tackles the themes she does on this record. Her songwriting is more mature, yes, but also far more soulful and unflinching than ever.
The latter is the quality that stood out the most on a fresh listen for this write-up. Touching ballads like “Promise to Try” and “Oh Father” grapple with her mother’s death and domineering male authority figures, respectively. The vocals on both tracks are surprisingly white-knuckled with anxiety, showcasing a courageousness I don’t think Madonna gets enough credit for. She could’ve opted for a more manicured final product, but leaving it in that state speaks volumes about how personal the recordings were. There’s also a Prince duet, “Love Song,” that makes me wish they’d recorded a full-length project together. The chemistry is that good.
But of course, we can’t discuss this album’s impact without touching on the title track. Much has been written about how it courted controversy and set dubious standards for capitalistic opportunism to the point where the magic of the music itself has been at least partially obscured over time. The start-and-stop minimalist rhythm gives Madonna room to work through deep-rooted struggles with Christianity and whether she’ll ever truly feel one with its power. Phrases like “I want to take you there” and “I can feel your power” feel at odds with the more paranoid lyrics (“It’s like a dream/No end and no beginning”). Does this track confirm her allegiance to a higher power or show her rejecting it in favor of a more grounded (these days, it’d be phrased as “woke”) worldview that celebrates individualism?
Perhaps it’s not for us to know or even speculate. All I’m certain of is that when that giant choir roars into the mix, it’s one of the most spine-tingling moments in music history.
👉 Don’t forget to click the album image to stream the album on your favorite platform 👈
A great album, and for a while I was obsessed with the title track which I had on a 3” CD single. Thanks for reminding me.