Episode Transcript
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(00:00):
Erotica romance. I want to put you in the trance.
(00:06):
Welcome to episode 5 everybody we made it! To this episode we'll be about
Erotica, the legendary album. This is one of my favorite albums of Madonna's and I
am so excited to talk about it. Yay! So if you don't know already this is pop
ballast, I'm your host Jack and at pop ballast we celebrate iconic women in
(00:30):
pop music history. Let's get started! Erotica is Madonna's fifth studio album.
This album is released by Maverick and Sire Records and it came out
simultaneously with her first book, Sex. Sex is a coffee table book that contained
explicit photographs of the singer as well as her with her dancers and very
(00:55):
curious models. This book changed the world, this changed Madonna's trajectory
in the world. It was just nude pictures but they were
artfully crafted and it wasn't anything really crazy but you know how people are.
They freaked out over this book but Madonna fans loved it and it's still
very coveted today. I got one of the books actually. I ended up buying the
(01:21):
Japanese version because it ended up being significantly cheaper but it's
one of the coolest books I've ever seen. It's got a metallic cover, not just like
shiny metallic like it's a full metal plate with metal binding and it just
really shows Madonna in this new Erotica era. This album marked Madonna's debut
(01:47):
under her multimedia entertainment company Maverick. Maverick was Madonna's
new label she created that she would do all of her multimedia projects under.
This included her movies, films, doing music videos, production on her shows,
(02:09):
everything like that. The record was produced by Madonna, Chep, Pettybone,
and Andrew Betts. They incorporated a mix of pop, dance pop, hip pop, and deep house
R&B. The development of Erotica began in mid 1991 when Shep, Pettybone,
sent Madonna a three-track demo. Impressed by the demo, Madonna collaborated
(02:34):
with Pettybone and Betts in New York City. So I find this really interesting
that Chep, Pettybone, sent Madonna a demo and Madonna chose to work with him. I
feel like in the past we have seen Madonna handpick people herself to work on a
project. In this time somebody else sent her a demo and she wanted to work with
(02:56):
them. Still very much she's in control and it's her prerogative like always but
I just find it different compared to the past four albums that we've gone
through. Madonna collaborated with Pettybone and Betts in New York City. They
worked on the album sporadically as Madonna balanced recording with other
ventures like filming and book production. So the sessions were marked by
(03:19):
experimentation in a quest for a raw edgy sound that would differentiate the
album from her previous works. So we know Madonna is the queen of reinvention. She
always has been and this next album is gonna be no different. She's
still gonna stick to her roots as Madonna but she wants to differentiate
(03:40):
herself from her other works and she truly does in a rautica. This is
something like never been put together before. Never by any artist, not even
Madonna, no other artist has ever created something as significant as a
rautica in all of its form. Pettybone and Betts had a different production
styles that brought unique elements to the album. So Pettybone's previous work
(04:03):
with Madonna on hits like Vogue ensured a seamless collaboration. So Madonna knew
him prior to him sending the demos so she knew she could trust him and they
knew how to work together seamlessly. While Betts influenced introduction a
more underground gritty vibe. So they recorded at various studios in New York
(04:24):
including Soundworks, Master Mix and Clinton recording. A Rautica is noted as a
concept album about sex and romance during the HIV and age crisis. So if you
haven't put this together already Madonna loves gay people. Madonna loves
(04:45):
gayness. She always supports gay people and she always has before it was cool and
way before it could help her career back in the 80s and 90s when it would hurt
her career she still stuck up for gay people. And a lot of people also question
Madonna's sexuality herself and part of the reason I think she hasn't made a
(05:07):
clear definition is because she doesn't feel the need to but she also feels like
it might be distracting from helping others free their sexuality. The songs
explore themes such as Essenin, homophobia and the complexities of love
and desire. So love and desire have always been a theme in Madonna's music and I
(05:29):
feel like this is just an album purely focused on Madonna's lyrics and the
albums overall sound represented a departure from her earlier more dance
oriented works. So she incorporated elements of hip-hop house, techno and
the new Jack Swing. So the title track Aradica it sets the tone for the rest of
(05:55):
the album. It has provocative lyrics and seductive beats and Madonna adopts a
new persona of Mistress Dita inspired by the German actress Dita inviting
listeners into a world of forbidden fantasies. This theme of exploring
boundaries continues throughout the album and I feel like continues throughout
(06:18):
Madonna's career in her personal life. She always explores boundaries and pushes
boundaries to the next level so I don't find this as any surprise that she's
doing this in early years too. Let's take a look at some of the standout and some
of my favorite tracks on the album. So Aradica the opening track it features a
(06:41):
blend of hip-hop and dance beats and it delves into themes of submission and
dominance. The song's production includes samples from Cool and the Gang's Jungle
Boogie and Feru's El Yom Yulika Alakashaba. I'm not sure if I said the last one
right. I did Google how to say that and I did my best. Another track on the
(07:07):
record, Deeper and Deeper. This track is a throwback to disco. We know Madonna loves
disco's she's incorporated it into a lot of her career and with its infectious
groove and flamenco guitar the lyrics really speak to the longing for deeper
connections and search for identity. So as the title explains itself Madonna in
(07:32):
this song is looking for a deeper love and deeper connection. It's not just
about feeling satisfied with sex it's about having connection and finding a
deeper. Okay this is my favorite track on the album Bad Girl. It's just like so
catchy I find myself singing it all the time even if I'm not listening to the
(07:53):
song I'll just be singing it. Bad girl drunk by six that one you know. So it's
a poignant valid it describes a woman trapped in a cycle of self-destructive
behavior. The song's melancholic piano and Madonna's raw vocals convey a sense of
vulnerability in regret yet Madonna does it in a way that makes it also feel
(08:18):
whimsical and romanticized. Rain the last track I'll talk about is a more
optimistic track for the album. Rain uses the metaphor of rain to symbolize
renewal and hope. Its production is heartfelt the lyrics stand out as a
moment of introspection admits the album's more provocative themes. So so far as
(08:46):
I've talked about this album in particular we've noticed that there's a
lot of introspection and a yearning for diving deeper for deeper connections
and deeper love. And I think if we've been paying attention to Madonna so far
this shouldn't be anything new that we are surprised about. Ever since she left
Detroit to find her career she's been searching and yearning for something
(09:12):
better and something deeper and this album is just that in existence of that in
one singular piece of media. So upon release where of Radhika I received
generally favorable reviews critics appreciated its adventurous nature
(09:34):
although some felt its sexual themes overshadowed the music and this is where
I disagree with the critics. I think the sexual themes are integral to Madonna's
art and craft in this album especially in its relations to HIV and AIDS crisis
during this time. I think she couldn't have made a message and made a statement
(10:00):
about these things happening in the world without having such sexual
themes and I don't know if people would even pay as much attention to it
without that. So the album peaked at number two on the US Billboard 200 and it
achieved and achieved international success. So topping the charts in Australia,
(10:22):
Finland and France it was certified double platinum by Rhea and and has sold
over six million copies worldwide. So reviewers praised Madonna's boldness
in tackling taboo subjects. Stephen Thomas Earlwine from All Music called it
ambitious album that contains some of Madonna's best and most accomplished
(10:44):
music. However we know some of the reviews were not as glowing because people found
the explicit content distracted from the music quality once again but we disagree
and we move on.
A Radhika produced six singles including the title track A Radhika, Deeper and
(11:07):
Deeper, Bad Girl, Fever, Rain and Bye Bye Baby. The lean single A Radhika
received positive reviews and it reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100.
Even despite the controversy surrounding its explicit content the album
singles were formed well with several reaching top 10 worldwide charts. So
(11:30):
people complained and people had problems with its sexual nature yet it's
still topping the charts. That means it really resonated with enough people that
it does matter. So the music videos for these singles got a lot of attention. The
video for A Radhika directed by Fabian Barron featured Madonna in various
(11:52):
provocative scenarios pushing the boundaries of what's acceptable on the
mainstream. TV and TV restricted airplay due to explicit content. Whatever. Get
over it y'all I swear if it was a man being provocative on stage they would
just put it on the evening news and make it a headline in a good way. So Madonna
(12:16):
supported A Radhika with the girly show World Tour in 1993. So the tour visited
Europe, the Americas, Australia and Asia. The tour was both critically acclaimed
and commercially successful, grossing over 70 million from 39 concerts. Yet more
(12:37):
controversy due to its sexual nature. The girly show was a spectacle of
theatrics dance of music with Madonna pushing the envelopes in terms of
stage production and performance art. Like we've seen before Madonna shows
are a multimedia theoretical spectacular as she says. So this next
(12:58):
tour is gonna be no different. Highlights of the tour included her
entrance as a dominatrix and a cabaret style rendition of Laika Virgin. I would
have died to be at this tour. It looks so iconic. The outfits are so cool. If you
are to look at anything from this album look up the girly show tour. She had a
(13:21):
lot of these like cool masks on. She really is empowered in her sexuality and
her being a woman and it's great. It's amazing to see. Over the years
A Radhika has retrospectively considered one of Madonna's most important albums
because of its bold exploration of female sexuality and themes of love
(13:44):
desire and has influenced many contemporary female artists like Beyonce,
Lady Gaga and Janet Jackson. The album has been recognized as a revolutionary
work of art by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame highlighting Madonna's fearless
approach to music and societal norms. So you see how retrospectively everyone
(14:08):
does end up being on Madonna's side but in the now she's before everyone and
before her time. I just love her so much for that. She's always ahead of the
standard. A Radhika also played a crucial role in changing the public's perception
of sex and sexuality and pop culture. So it challenged Tabus of its of its time
(14:31):
and opened up conversations about safe sex particularly during the AIDS
pandemic. Most people during the AIDS and HIV and AIDS pandemic if they weren't
gay then they weren't gonna talk about it and they weren't gonna do anything
about it or promote much less talk about gay people and Madonna's talking about
(14:53):
gay people and talking about sex and gay sex. How can you be more controversial
in the time than that? A Radhika was a bold statement during the time when
society was grappling with issues like AIDS and involving attitudes towards sex
but Madonna's unapologetic embrace of her sexuality and her advocacy for for
(15:15):
safe sex and AIDS awareness had a profound impact in pop culture and music
industry. This is another reason I'm forever grateful for Madonna. She's always
stood up for gay people even in current times she still stands up for gay people
and I love her for that and she has truly saved lives. So as we wrap up this was
(15:37):
one of my favorite episodes yet to record and I'm so happy that you guys
are here and you guys are enjoying it. If you really liked it please rate it
five stars on whatever streaming service you're on and I highly recommend that
you search the girly show tour and watch some of those videos. They're really
cool. The outfits are incredible and I hope you have a wonderful day. Bye.
Erotica romance. I want to put you in the trance.
(00:06):
Welcome to episode 5 everybody we made it! To this episode we'll be about
Erotica, the legendary album. This is one of my favorite albums of Madonna's and I
am so excited to talk about it. Yay! So if you don't know already this is pop
ballast, I'm your host Jack and at pop ballast we celebrate iconic women in
(00:30):
pop music history. Let's get started! Erotica is Madonna's fifth studio album.
This album is released by Maverick and Sire Records and it came out
simultaneously with her first book, Sex. Sex is a coffee table book that contained
explicit photographs of the singer as well as her with her dancers and very
(00:55):
curious models. This book changed the world, this changed Madonna's trajectory
in the world. It was just nude pictures but they were
artfully crafted and it wasn't anything really crazy but you know how people are.
They freaked out over this book but Madonna fans loved it and it's still
very coveted today. I got one of the books actually. I ended up buying the
(01:21):
Japanese version because it ended up being significantly cheaper but it's
one of the coolest books I've ever seen. It's got a metallic cover, not just like
shiny metallic like it's a full metal plate with metal binding and it just
really shows Madonna in this new Erotica era. This album marked Madonna's debut
(01:47):
under her multimedia entertainment company Maverick. Maverick was Madonna's
new label she created that she would do all of her multimedia projects under.
This included her movies, films, doing music videos, production on her shows,
(02:09):
everything like that. The record was produced by Madonna, Chep, Pettybone,
and Andrew Betts. They incorporated a mix of pop, dance pop, hip pop, and deep house
R&B. The development of Erotica began in mid 1991 when Shep, Pettybone,
sent Madonna a three-track demo. Impressed by the demo, Madonna collaborated
(02:34):
with Pettybone and Betts in New York City. So I find this really interesting
that Chep, Pettybone, sent Madonna a demo and Madonna chose to work with him. I
feel like in the past we have seen Madonna handpick people herself to work on a
project. In this time somebody else sent her a demo and she wanted to work with
(02:56):
them. Still very much she's in control and it's her prerogative like always but
I just find it different compared to the past four albums that we've gone
through. Madonna collaborated with Pettybone and Betts in New York City. They
worked on the album sporadically as Madonna balanced recording with other
ventures like filming and book production. So the sessions were marked by
(03:19):
experimentation in a quest for a raw edgy sound that would differentiate the
album from her previous works. So we know Madonna is the queen of reinvention. She
always has been and this next album is gonna be no different. She's
still gonna stick to her roots as Madonna but she wants to differentiate
(03:40):
herself from her other works and she truly does in a rautica. This is
something like never been put together before. Never by any artist, not even
Madonna, no other artist has ever created something as significant as a
rautica in all of its form. Pettybone and Betts had a different production
styles that brought unique elements to the album. So Pettybone's previous work
(04:03):
with Madonna on hits like Vogue ensured a seamless collaboration. So Madonna knew
him prior to him sending the demos so she knew she could trust him and they
knew how to work together seamlessly. While Betts influenced introduction a
more underground gritty vibe. So they recorded at various studios in New York
(04:24):
including Soundworks, Master Mix and Clinton recording. A Rautica is noted as a
concept album about sex and romance during the HIV and age crisis. So if you
haven't put this together already Madonna loves gay people. Madonna loves
(04:45):
gayness. She always supports gay people and she always has before it was cool and
way before it could help her career back in the 80s and 90s when it would hurt
her career she still stuck up for gay people. And a lot of people also question
Madonna's sexuality herself and part of the reason I think she hasn't made a
(05:07):
clear definition is because she doesn't feel the need to but she also feels like
it might be distracting from helping others free their sexuality. The songs
explore themes such as Essenin, homophobia and the complexities of love
and desire. So love and desire have always been a theme in Madonna's music and I
(05:29):
feel like this is just an album purely focused on Madonna's lyrics and the
albums overall sound represented a departure from her earlier more dance
oriented works. So she incorporated elements of hip-hop house, techno and
the new Jack Swing. So the title track Aradica it sets the tone for the rest of
(05:55):
the album. It has provocative lyrics and seductive beats and Madonna adopts a
new persona of Mistress Dita inspired by the German actress Dita inviting
listeners into a world of forbidden fantasies. This theme of exploring
boundaries continues throughout the album and I feel like continues throughout
(06:18):
Madonna's career in her personal life. She always explores boundaries and pushes
boundaries to the next level so I don't find this as any surprise that she's
doing this in early years too. Let's take a look at some of the standout and some
of my favorite tracks on the album. So Aradica the opening track it features a
(06:41):
blend of hip-hop and dance beats and it delves into themes of submission and
dominance. The song's production includes samples from Cool and the Gang's Jungle
Boogie and Feru's El Yom Yulika Alakashaba. I'm not sure if I said the last one
right. I did Google how to say that and I did my best. Another track on the
(07:07):
record, Deeper and Deeper. This track is a throwback to disco. We know Madonna loves
disco's she's incorporated it into a lot of her career and with its infectious
groove and flamenco guitar the lyrics really speak to the longing for deeper
connections and search for identity. So as the title explains itself Madonna in
(07:32):
this song is looking for a deeper love and deeper connection. It's not just
about feeling satisfied with sex it's about having connection and finding a
deeper. Okay this is my favorite track on the album Bad Girl. It's just like so
catchy I find myself singing it all the time even if I'm not listening to the
(07:53):
song I'll just be singing it. Bad girl drunk by six that one you know. So it's
a poignant valid it describes a woman trapped in a cycle of self-destructive
behavior. The song's melancholic piano and Madonna's raw vocals convey a sense of
vulnerability in regret yet Madonna does it in a way that makes it also feel
(08:18):
whimsical and romanticized. Rain the last track I'll talk about is a more
optimistic track for the album. Rain uses the metaphor of rain to symbolize
renewal and hope. Its production is heartfelt the lyrics stand out as a
moment of introspection admits the album's more provocative themes. So so far as
(08:46):
I've talked about this album in particular we've noticed that there's a
lot of introspection and a yearning for diving deeper for deeper connections
and deeper love. And I think if we've been paying attention to Madonna so far
this shouldn't be anything new that we are surprised about. Ever since she left
Detroit to find her career she's been searching and yearning for something
(09:12):
better and something deeper and this album is just that in existence of that in
one singular piece of media. So upon release where of Radhika I received
generally favorable reviews critics appreciated its adventurous nature
(09:34):
although some felt its sexual themes overshadowed the music and this is where
I disagree with the critics. I think the sexual themes are integral to Madonna's
art and craft in this album especially in its relations to HIV and AIDS crisis
during this time. I think she couldn't have made a message and made a statement
(10:00):
about these things happening in the world without having such sexual
themes and I don't know if people would even pay as much attention to it
without that. So the album peaked at number two on the US Billboard 200 and it
achieved and achieved international success. So topping the charts in Australia,
(10:22):
Finland and France it was certified double platinum by Rhea and and has sold
over six million copies worldwide. So reviewers praised Madonna's boldness
in tackling taboo subjects. Stephen Thomas Earlwine from All Music called it
ambitious album that contains some of Madonna's best and most accomplished
(10:44):
music. However we know some of the reviews were not as glowing because people found
the explicit content distracted from the music quality once again but we disagree
and we move on.
A Radhika produced six singles including the title track A Radhika, Deeper and
(11:07):
Deeper, Bad Girl, Fever, Rain and Bye Bye Baby. The lean single A Radhika
received positive reviews and it reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100.
Even despite the controversy surrounding its explicit content the album
singles were formed well with several reaching top 10 worldwide charts. So
(11:30):
people complained and people had problems with its sexual nature yet it's
still topping the charts. That means it really resonated with enough people that
it does matter. So the music videos for these singles got a lot of attention. The
video for A Radhika directed by Fabian Barron featured Madonna in various
(11:52):
provocative scenarios pushing the boundaries of what's acceptable on the
mainstream. TV and TV restricted airplay due to explicit content. Whatever. Get
over it y'all I swear if it was a man being provocative on stage they would
just put it on the evening news and make it a headline in a good way. So Madonna
(12:16):
supported A Radhika with the girly show World Tour in 1993. So the tour visited
Europe, the Americas, Australia and Asia. The tour was both critically acclaimed
and commercially successful, grossing over 70 million from 39 concerts. Yet more
(12:37):
controversy due to its sexual nature. The girly show was a spectacle of
theatrics dance of music with Madonna pushing the envelopes in terms of
stage production and performance art. Like we've seen before Madonna shows
are a multimedia theoretical spectacular as she says. So this next
(12:58):
tour is gonna be no different. Highlights of the tour included her
entrance as a dominatrix and a cabaret style rendition of Laika Virgin. I would
have died to be at this tour. It looks so iconic. The outfits are so cool. If you
are to look at anything from this album look up the girly show tour. She had a
(13:21):
lot of these like cool masks on. She really is empowered in her sexuality and
her being a woman and it's great. It's amazing to see. Over the years
A Radhika has retrospectively considered one of Madonna's most important albums
because of its bold exploration of female sexuality and themes of love
(13:44):
desire and has influenced many contemporary female artists like Beyonce,
Lady Gaga and Janet Jackson. The album has been recognized as a revolutionary
work of art by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame highlighting Madonna's fearless
approach to music and societal norms. So you see how retrospectively everyone
(14:08):
does end up being on Madonna's side but in the now she's before everyone and
before her time. I just love her so much for that. She's always ahead of the
standard. A Radhika also played a crucial role in changing the public's perception
of sex and sexuality and pop culture. So it challenged Tabus of its of its time
(14:31):
and opened up conversations about safe sex particularly during the AIDS
pandemic. Most people during the AIDS and HIV and AIDS pandemic if they weren't
gay then they weren't gonna talk about it and they weren't gonna do anything
about it or promote much less talk about gay people and Madonna's talking about
(14:53):
gay people and talking about sex and gay sex. How can you be more controversial
in the time than that? A Radhika was a bold statement during the time when
society was grappling with issues like AIDS and involving attitudes towards sex
but Madonna's unapologetic embrace of her sexuality and her advocacy for for
(15:15):
safe sex and AIDS awareness had a profound impact in pop culture and music
industry. This is another reason I'm forever grateful for Madonna. She's always
stood up for gay people even in current times she still stands up for gay people
and I love her for that and she has truly saved lives. So as we wrap up this was
(15:37):
one of my favorite episodes yet to record and I'm so happy that you guys
are here and you guys are enjoying it. If you really liked it please rate it
five stars on whatever streaming service you're on and I highly recommend that
you search the girly show tour and watch some of those videos. They're really
cool. The outfits are incredible and I hope you have a wonderful day. Bye.
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