Express Yourself
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"Express Yourself" is a pop song by American singer Madonna, released as the second single in 1989 from that year's Like a Prayer. A remix of the song, which is generally considered to be more well-known than the original version, was also included on Madonna's 1990 greatest hits album The Immaculate Collection.
Contents |
About
"Express Yourself", written and produced by Madonna and Stephen Bray, was released as a single on May 9, 1989. In Europe, the song hit the number one spot, where it stayed for three weeks, and Japan and the US saw it go to number two; it was generally a top-five hit around the world.
Of all of Madonna's songs, "Express Yourself" contains the clearest message. The song is one of female empowerment, urging women never to "go for second-best" and to put their love "to the test". Some critics, however, felt that the song was detrimental to the feminist movement, arguing that women shouldn't need "a big strong hand / to lift you to your higher ground".
In 1989, Madonna performed "Express Yourself" at the MTV Video Music Awards; the song later went on to win several awards that night. Madonna later went on to incorporate that choreography into her Blond Ambition Tour in 1990, which she opened with the Non-Stop Express remix of "Express Yourself". She also performed "Express Yourself" during The Girlie Show Tour in 1993 and the Re-Invention Tour in 2004.
Awards & Certifications
Awards
- In 1989, the video for "Express Yourself" won the MTV Video Music Award for Best Direction, Best Art Direction, and Best Cinematography; it had also been nominated for Best Female Video and Best Editing.
Certifications
| Country | Certification |
|---|---|
| Australia | Gold |
| UK | Silver |
| USA | Gold |
Charts
| Chart (1989) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia ARIA Top 50 Singles | 5 |
| Austria | 5 |
| Canada | 4 |
| Eurochart Hot 100 | 1 |
| Germany (Media Control) | 3 |
| Italy (Fimi/Nielsen) | 1 |
| Japan (ChartJapan) | 2 |
| Spain | 3 |
| Switzerland | 1 |
| UK Singles Chart | 5 |
| USA Billboard Hot 100 | 2 |
| USA Billboard Adult Contemporary | 12 |
| USA Billboard Hot Dance/Club Play Chart | 1 |
| USA Billboard Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales | 1 |
Music Video
The music video for "Express Yourself", which was directed by David Fincher, was largely inspired by Fritz Lang's classic film Metropolis. In the video, Madonna is seen as the epitome of femininity, residing with her cat high above the masculine world of hard work and steam, at once protected and isolated by her surroundings and "chained" to her desires. An older man seems to be in control of the entire situation, and keeps a watchful eye over the young male workers (and over Madonna). Eventually, the Queen of Pop, dressed in a man's suit, the jacket of which she briefly tears open to expose her bra, and grabbing her crotch, bursts forth into the male-dominated world. While the other workers are involved in a boxing match for the entertainment of the older man, a young worker, who earlier saw a vision of the star's eyes, meets with a now-naked and seemingly vulnerable Madonna. The pair kiss as fall to the floor in an embrace. The clip ends with a quotation from the film: "Without the heart, there can be no understanding between the hand and the mind".
Upon its release in 1989, the music video, like many of Madonna's others, generated controversy. Some critics found Madonna's symbolic portrayal of women as cats, including one scene where the star crawls across the floor and licks milk out of a bowl, to be degrading. Others took offense to scenes containing S&M imagery, such as a clip of a naked Madonna (whose nudity is obscured by bright overhead lights) chained to a bed.
Trivia
Music video
- The music video for "Express Yourself" was the most expensive to be created at the time, with a budget of $2 million; it remains one of the most expensive to this day.
- Originally, the video was only planned to have been filmed on two Hollywood stages; however, a third stage and a real steam power plant in San Pedro, California (where parts of Die Hard 2 were shot) were added.
- The video was shot at the same time as Madonna was filming the 1990 movie Dick Tracy; the suit that she wears when dancing on top of the staircase was borrowed from Dick Tracy (though the corset that she wears beneath is her own).
- The young worker in the video was played by Cameron Alborizian, whom Madonna cast after spotting him in a Guess jeans ad. All workers were played by models rather than dancers, and their routines had to be based on their area of expertise - working out.
- In the scene where Madonna is chained to a bed, with bright, fluorescent lights obscuring her body, Madonna is actually nude. The chains were real, as well.
- Madonna involved herself in every aspect of this video, from conceiving its theme to casting the cats.
Reviews
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External Links
- "Express Yourself" music video (album version)
- "Express Yourself" music video (remix version)
- "Express Yourself" pop-up video
- "Express Yourself" performance from the 1989 MTV Video Music Awards
- "Express Yourself" performance from 1990's Blond Ambition Tour
- "Express Yourself" performance from 1993's The Girlie Show Tour
- "Express Yourself" performance from 2004's Re-Invention Tour
Categories: Song | Dance | Pop
