(Album artwork by Steven Meisel)
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Today I'm going to review Madonna's second studio album, Like a Virgin, released in 1984.
This year marks the 35th anniversary of this classic, decade defining album and I'm ready to delve into it with you!
While her debut album was still selling, Madonna started to work on a follow-up. She originally wanted to be one of the main producers but Warner Bros. Records was not ready to give her that kind of artistic freedom.
Having idolized him since his "Chic" days, Madonna then chose Nile Rodgers as the producer of the album. She also particularly liked his work on David Bowie's Let's Dance, which came out the previous year, in 1983.
Rodgers later commented:
"I am always amazed by Madonna's incredible judgement when it comes to making pop records. I've never seen anyone do it better, and that's the truth. When we did that album, it was the perfect union, and I knew it from the first day in the studio. The thing between us, man, it was sexual, it was passionate, it was creativity ... it was pop."
Madonna and Nile Rodgers in 1984.
Rodgers also stated that Madonna knew from the start what she wanted Like a Virgin to be. Every track had to be strong, every track had to be a hit. She also wanted the album title to make a provocative connection to her "religious" name. The album artwork, shot by the legendary Steven Meisel, also played with this connection, as Madonna is portrayed in a wedding dress, looking at the camera in an enigmatic way.
Is that look sexy or innocent? Who is she trying to impersonate? A real virgin or a pretender? You decide.
(Photo by Steven Meisel)
A dance-pop record, Like a Virgin marked the birth of a new Madonna: A sexy, provocative, mysterious and strong young woman.
The promotion started on September 14, 1984 at the first ever MTV Video Music Awards with an iconic performance of the lead single, Like a Virgin: Madonna appeared on stage on a giant wedding cake, wearing a wedding dress with the famous "Boy Toy" belt buckle. The performance culminated in a simulated masturbation and ended with Madonna rolling around on the stage, all of this right in front of a shocked audience. The performance garnered big attention from the press and media in general and Like a Virgin became Madonna's first smash hit also thanks to her ability to make controversy work in her favor.
The album became a tremendous commercial success, both in the US and worldwide. In 1985 it became the first album from a female artist to be certified five times platinum in the United States for sales of five million copies. It eventually went Diamond, for sales of ten million copies.
Worldwide it has sold over 21 million copies to date.
Its cultural impact was also outstanding, thanks to the success of the singles, the movie Desperately Seeking Susan and its soundtrack single Into The Groove, included on the european 1985 re-release of the album. Last but not least, Madonna's first concert tour, The Virgin Tour, and the soundtrack singles Crazy For You and Gambler also helped the promotion of the album.
All of this was crowned by Madonna's image: her music videos, photoshoots, outfits and style caused the famous "Madonnamania" among young girls all over the world (and my mother was one of them), which consisted in them wearing the same dresses and accessories as Madonna. When the movie Desperately Seeking Susan came out in 1985 (I'm planning an article about it), the Madonnamania reached its absolute peak.
Ok fans, after a bit of history, let's jump into the album!
Material Girl: The album starts with the second single, Material Girl. It was written by Peter Brown and Robert Rans and produced by Nile Rodgers. It is a catchy dance-pop tune and lyrically it deals with materialism. Madonna sings about wanting money and men who can give her a comfortable life: "'Cause the boy with the cold hard cash is always Mister Right". Madonna sings with her signature girlie voice, described by music critics at the time as "Minnie Mouse on helium".
Material Girl became a big hit, peaking at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and has since become one of Madonna's signature songs, also thanks to the iconic music video.
The video turns the lyrics of the song into a parody of capitalism and materialism, as we see Madonna falling in love with a guy who gives her love instead of money.
Being one of the songs that made me a fan, as I wrote in my first ever article, it is one of my favorite Madonna classics.
Angel: The second track on the album is Angel. It was written by Madonna and Stephen Bray and produced by Nile Rodgers. A very underrated pop track, it starts with Madonna's laugh and proceeds with electronic drums. Madonna's voice is particulary impressive on this track, as she easily goes from her lower register to her higher one and vice versa. Lyrically the song is about a girl who's saved by an angel and subsequently falls in love with him: "Why am I standing on a cloud, every time you're around? / And my sadness disappears, every time you are near? / You must be an angel, I can see it in your eyes, full of wonder and surprise, and just now I realize".
Angel was released as the album's third single and peaked at #5 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Like a Virgin: Released as the album's lead single, Like a Virgin was written by Tom Kelly and Billy Steinberg and produced by Nile Rodgers. A very controversial track at the time, the lyrics garnered particular attention because of their ambiguity. Is the girl Madonna impersonates really a virgin having her first sexual experience? Or is she a sexually experienced girl whose new lover is just so good he makes her forget about her past lovers? Madonna has commented: "I like innuendo, I like irony, I like the way things can be taken on different levels".
Musically, Like a Virgin is a dance-pop song with a killer bassline, which is similar to Michael Jackson's Billie Jean at times. Madonna played with this supposed similarity singing a mash-up of Like a Virgin and Billie Jean at her Virgin Tour.
(Photo by Steven Meisel)
The album became a tremendous commercial success, both in the US and worldwide. In 1985 it became the first album from a female artist to be certified five times platinum in the United States for sales of five million copies. It eventually went Diamond, for sales of ten million copies.
Worldwide it has sold over 21 million copies to date.
Its cultural impact was also outstanding, thanks to the success of the singles, the movie Desperately Seeking Susan and its soundtrack single Into The Groove, included on the european 1985 re-release of the album. Last but not least, Madonna's first concert tour, The Virgin Tour, and the soundtrack singles Crazy For You and Gambler also helped the promotion of the album.
All of this was crowned by Madonna's image: her music videos, photoshoots, outfits and style caused the famous "Madonnamania" among young girls all over the world (and my mother was one of them), which consisted in them wearing the same dresses and accessories as Madonna. When the movie Desperately Seeking Susan came out in 1985 (I'm planning an article about it), the Madonnamania reached its absolute peak.
Ok fans, after a bit of history, let's jump into the album!
Material Girl: The album starts with the second single, Material Girl. It was written by Peter Brown and Robert Rans and produced by Nile Rodgers. It is a catchy dance-pop tune and lyrically it deals with materialism. Madonna sings about wanting money and men who can give her a comfortable life: "'Cause the boy with the cold hard cash is always Mister Right". Madonna sings with her signature girlie voice, described by music critics at the time as "Minnie Mouse on helium".
Material Girl became a big hit, peaking at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and has since become one of Madonna's signature songs, also thanks to the iconic music video.
The video turns the lyrics of the song into a parody of capitalism and materialism, as we see Madonna falling in love with a guy who gives her love instead of money.
Being one of the songs that made me a fan, as I wrote in my first ever article, it is one of my favorite Madonna classics.
Angel: The second track on the album is Angel. It was written by Madonna and Stephen Bray and produced by Nile Rodgers. A very underrated pop track, it starts with Madonna's laugh and proceeds with electronic drums. Madonna's voice is particulary impressive on this track, as she easily goes from her lower register to her higher one and vice versa. Lyrically the song is about a girl who's saved by an angel and subsequently falls in love with him: "Why am I standing on a cloud, every time you're around? / And my sadness disappears, every time you are near? / You must be an angel, I can see it in your eyes, full of wonder and surprise, and just now I realize".
Angel was released as the album's third single and peaked at #5 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Like a Virgin: Released as the album's lead single, Like a Virgin was written by Tom Kelly and Billy Steinberg and produced by Nile Rodgers. A very controversial track at the time, the lyrics garnered particular attention because of their ambiguity. Is the girl Madonna impersonates really a virgin having her first sexual experience? Or is she a sexually experienced girl whose new lover is just so good he makes her forget about her past lovers? Madonna has commented: "I like innuendo, I like irony, I like the way things can be taken on different levels".
Musically, Like a Virgin is a dance-pop song with a killer bassline, which is similar to Michael Jackson's Billie Jean at times. Madonna played with this supposed similarity singing a mash-up of Like a Virgin and Billie Jean at her Virgin Tour.
The song became her first #1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, leading the chart for six weeks and it has since become one of her signature hits. An iconic classic that will never get old.
Over and Over: The fourth track on the album, Over and Over was written by Madonna and Stephen Bray and produced by Nile Rodgers. It is a very energetic and vocally amazing dance-pop track that talks about self-empowerment: "You're never gonna see me standing still, I'm never gonna stop 'till I get my fill, It doesn't matter who you are, It's what you do that takes you far". In my opinion, this song could be a sum up of Madonna's career and it's one of my favorites on the album.
Over and Over was released as a single in Italy and peaked at #49 on the Italian Singles Chart in 1986.
Love Don't Live Here Anymore: The first ballad on the album, Love Don't Live Here Anymore is actually a cover. It was originally released by the American R&B group Rose Royce in 1978.
The song starts with acoustic guitars and strings and proceeds with drums after the first chorus. Madonna's vocals shine on this track as they perfectly convey the pain of losing a loved one. She is singing to her mother on this song and we can hear her crying at the end.
Nile Rodgers later commented: "Madonna had never performed with a live orchestra before. I was very much into doing everything live, so I just said, 'Madonna, you go out there and sing and we will follow you.' At first Madonna was hesitant, but the live setting ended up producing memorable results. She sang and she was overcome with emotions and she started crying, but I left it on the record."
Over and Over was released as a single in Italy and peaked at #49 on the Italian Singles Chart in 1986.
Love Don't Live Here Anymore: The first ballad on the album, Love Don't Live Here Anymore is actually a cover. It was originally released by the American R&B group Rose Royce in 1978.
The song starts with acoustic guitars and strings and proceeds with drums after the first chorus. Madonna's vocals shine on this track as they perfectly convey the pain of losing a loved one. She is singing to her mother on this song and we can hear her crying at the end.
Nile Rodgers later commented: "Madonna had never performed with a live orchestra before. I was very much into doing everything live, so I just said, 'Madonna, you go out there and sing and we will follow you.' At first Madonna was hesitant, but the live setting ended up producing memorable results. She sang and she was overcome with emotions and she started crying, but I left it on the record."
Love Don't Live Here Anymore was released as a single in Japan in 1986. It is a favorite of Madonna's, she remixed and included the song on her first compilation of ballads, Something to Remember, in 1995 and performed it live for the first time ever in 2015, at her Rebel Heart Tour.
Dress You Up: The album proceeds with the fourth official single, Dress You Up. It was written by Andrea LaRusso and Peggy Stanziale and produced by Nile Rodgers. Drums, guitar and a choir accompany Madonna's girlie voice through the song. A fan favorite, the song deals with sex and fashion: "Feel the silky touch of my caresses, They will keep you looking so brand new, Let me cover you with velvet kisses, I'll create a look that's made for you".
The guitar solo after the second chorus is one of the highlights of the song and it was played by Nile Rodgers himself.
The definitive version of the song (and my personal favorite) is the live version. Dress You Up was indeed the opening number of Madonna's first ever concert tour, The Virgin Tour. The live version has a longer intro and stronger and clearer vocals from Madonna.
Dress You Up became another hit, peaking at #5 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Shoo-Bee-Doo: The second ballad on the album, Shoo-Bee-Doo was written by Madonna and produced by Nile Rodgers. A tribute to Motown music, the song features drums and a great saxophone solo during the bridge. Lyrically, Madonna wants the guy she's in love with to trust her and forget about his previous bad experiences with other girls: "I can see you've been hurt before, but don't compare them to me, 'cause I can give so much more, you know you're all I see".
An underrated and overlooked song.
Pretender: Production-wise, one of the coolest pop tracks of the 80's? Yes, I think so. Pretender was written by Madonna and Stephen Bray and produced by Nile Rodgers. The song is a mid-tempo pop track and lyrically it talks about a relationship that's moving way too fast: "I like the way he moved across the floor, and when he danced with me I knew he wanted more, but in the dark things happen much too fast, I should've stopped him then, I knew it wouldn't last". The production is the star of the show here, as that incredibly well placed "gun" sound effect won't leave your head.
A potential single that got away ("That fish that got away").
Stay: The album has come to an end. Stay was written by Madonna and Stephen Bray and produced by Nile Rodgers. The song was originally....two songs! Two pre-Madonna tracks (Don't You Know and Stay, both written by Madonna) were combined into one and the song we all know came to life.
Another potential single, Stay is one of Madonna's best vocal performances on the album and it is a declaration of love, as Madonna doesn't want her lover to leave her, even if she isn't such an easy girl to love: "Sometimes I feel I have to get away, I change my mind when I look in your eyes, And when those clouds come in and try to darken our days, I'll always want you to stay, stay darling".
Musically, it is a dance-pop track that starts with what sounds like someone slapping a microphone (a sound that comes back many times throughout the song).
One of my favorite album tracks ever.
(Photo by Steven Meisel)
In conclusion...
Like a Virgin is not an album I play often but when I do I end up enjoying it a lot. While I consider it nowhere near Madonna's following releases or even her debut album from a qualitative point of view, I can't deny that it made Madonna a global phenomenon.
The songs are great and still sound fresh, especially Like a Virgin and Material Girl. The record also features some of my absolute favorite album tracks of Madonna's career, like Stay and Over and Over.
Let me add that songs like Dress You Up and Over and Over, while sounding great on the album, totally come to life when performed live on stage. Madonna's band at the Virgin Tour made them so much better thanks to more prominent drums and better arrangements. Madonna's vocals also sounded much stronger live than in the studio.
Last but not least, Madonna totally nailed the aesthetic of this era. The amount of iconic looks exceeds every other era: The wedding dress with the Boy Toy belt buckle, the Marilyn Monroe inspired pink dress, reminiscent of the movie Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, the street/punk look she showcased in Desperately Seeking Susan.
Like a Virgin was more than an album of songs, it was a cultural moment of biblical proportions.
"Let your body move to the music"
The songs are great and still sound fresh, especially Like a Virgin and Material Girl. The record also features some of my absolute favorite album tracks of Madonna's career, like Stay and Over and Over.
Let me add that songs like Dress You Up and Over and Over, while sounding great on the album, totally come to life when performed live on stage. Madonna's band at the Virgin Tour made them so much better thanks to more prominent drums and better arrangements. Madonna's vocals also sounded much stronger live than in the studio.
Last but not least, Madonna totally nailed the aesthetic of this era. The amount of iconic looks exceeds every other era: The wedding dress with the Boy Toy belt buckle, the Marilyn Monroe inspired pink dress, reminiscent of the movie Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, the street/punk look she showcased in Desperately Seeking Susan.
Like a Virgin was more than an album of songs, it was a cultural moment of biblical proportions.
"Let your body move to the music"
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