It is rumored Madonna's classic she's about to perform in Tel Aviv's Eurovision song contest 2019 will be Like a Prayer, and no wonder. This is one of her signature songs, an anthem even, the one that made critics admit she's more than virgin like material girl light pop hit machine. It also came after her failed marriage with Sean Penn. personal struggl with turning 30 and memory of her mother and two flopped movies. She also fought with the producers until the very end over the arrangements and even the lyrics - that she wrote in about three hours, the story goes - but didn't give in making this very song a turning point in her career in many ways.
The video concept changed along the way but dealing with racism all along but caused a scandal and angered Vatican and Pepsi Cola among others but the song went to #1 in countlesss countries including USA, UK, Australia, Canada, Belgium, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland. In Austria, France and Germany it stopped at #2. This kind of global hits don't happen anymore very often.
As a personal note, I remember staying up all day and night March 2-3, 1989 with MTV on waiting for the premiere of the video celebrating that way my birthday and when it finally aired I was totally taken by it, rewatching the recording over and over again. Yes, that was how it was back then: videotapes and recorders. I still have that original videotap btw. Fantastic song back then and it still is, no one can deny that no matter what you think of Madonna.
The song has been featured in most her tours, for a reason, (Blond Ambition 1990, Re-Invention 2004, Sticky & Sweet 2008-09, Rebel Heart 2015) and other major events like
2012's XLVI Super Bowl half time show,
2018's MET Gala
and 2016's Washington Sq Park happening in support of Hillary Clinton, or Live8 event in 2005. One of my favorite moments is 2003's On Stage & On the Record promo event:
Now, 30 years later the song will have yet another remarkable staging. For us Eurovision and Madonna fans of course the most important one ever! Oh, the other song? Apparently not the first release from Madame X, Medellin in duet with Maluma, but the next single off the album.... propably I rise.
Comments