MADONNA - LIKE A PRAYER 'ERA' MUSIC VIDEOS REACTION 

✝️🙏🏼🎥~MV TIMESTAMPS~🎬🙏🏼✝️ 🌟 Like a Prayer (Pepsi Commercial) - 2:22 🌟 Like a Prayer - 4:24 🌟 Express Yourself - 10:32 🌟 Cherish - 14:00 🌟 Oh Father - 16:43 🌟 Dear Jessie - 20:27 🌟 Express Yourself (Live at the MTV Awards 1989) - 23:44

She really locked down her ICON status with this era. The controversies, social issues, reinventing her image. Blonde Ambition and Truth or Dare are also required viewing to cap off this era 😘

The aesthetic of Express Yourself video was inspired by german expressionism, and it recreates Fritz Lang movie Metropolis and Tamara Lempicka's art deco paintings. The final line about the heart and the mind is a quote from Metropolis and it explains the whole video. The video depicts the male and the female world. A group of men working in a factory where there are no feelings, as if they were machines themselves, working in a hard, suffocating environment. No heart, no mind, just hand. On the other side Madonna represents the female side (the cat is an obvious symbol) and at some point she penetrates the male world, but in order to do that she has to find the male side of her gender (the part where she's dancing dressed as a man). She will take her questioning on the social limits of gender and male and female identity even further in the live performance, through the iconic cone-bra that she wears over the male suit. That whole performance is about gender mandates. But back to the video... once she penetrated the male world she starts to sing and one of the workers hears her voice. She encourages him to express himself and that provokes his awakening from his dehumanizing submission, which then provokes a riot. So the song is about expressing yourself but also about understanding why we do the things we do and why sometimes our feelings are disconnected from our actions and we become a cogwheel in the social machine (without the heart there can be no understanding between the hand and the mind). It's also about being honest to your lover and most of all to yourself. And of course it's a feminist song about empowering women. She is saying "you can be a feminist and enjoy sex". And that was very controversial. Some feminists said she was degrading women by sexually objectifying them, but she explained that the woman in the video is a woman in charge of her own sexuality, she was chained to her desire. This was a groundbreaking song and very controversial video. A landmark in pop culture history and in subjects as feminism and social gender mandates.

Her backup singers are Nikki and Donna. You’ll get to know them through the next eras. They’re amazing and I love that she always did a number with just the 3 of them over their time with her

"Oh Father" always makes me cry. Especially this lyrics: "Maybe someday When I look back I'll be able to say You didn't mean to be cruel Somebody hurt you too"

Oh, and I'm glad you noticed that there were two different men in the Oh Father video. Some people get confused but it's great that you noticed that she was repeating the pattern of abuse.

The OFFICIAL INTERPRETATION of the video as explained by MADONNA is as follows: Madonna's character witnesses a violent crime committed by white men against a white woman, but they run away from the scene. A black man comes to the aid of the white woman at the same time the police were arriving to the scene so he get blamed. Madonna's character is now scared, confused, afraid as to what to do because she knows the black man is innocent, but if she tells the truth she might get in trouble.... people might not believe her.... So she runs in desperation to a Church that happens to be a "BLACK CHURCH" and in it she has a "RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE".... a mystical revelation of sorts, that gives her the courage to finally do the right thing, and speak the truth regarding the black man's innocence. The scene where Madonna appears in front the burning crosses, is supposed to represent the state of her conscience, knowing that her silence would make her "an accomplice" in an act of RACIAL INJUSTICE.

Dear Jessie (written with Pat Leonard) was written for his daughter Jessie.

Great appreciation for this. It's really hard for anyone under 30 /35 these days to comprehend how massive she/this was. Before social media, but it was worldwide headlines, this was a female taking control, highlighting the issues with black people being treated differently, religion etc Sad she is not celebrated the way other legends like Whitney, MJ, George etc are She broke the rules, re wrote them, and every female artist these days has her to thank for their freedom of expression. She is the real deal.

Like a prayer is probably one of the best music video ever made. And You hit the nail on the head with depictions of black Jesus, burning crosses, inter racial relationships, and a song about how intimacy can be as strong as a religious experience, not to mention racial injustice depictions which is unfortunately still alive and well today all while doing that all in the 80s when very little dared, now that’s brave! Also oh father always gets to me. So much stunning deep imagery. Like the one of her as a child trying to open the door yet being to small to reach the handle just showing how big everything must’ve felt to her back then. Also the scene with her as an adult visiting her now older father to visit her moms grave, although on the surface it seems that their relationship has moved on, you can see the shadow of the father yelling at the shadow of a child Madonna showing just how deep these traumas are and how long they last. Getting goosebumps just typing all this. Also having dear Jessie following that almost feels like the antithesis to oh father as a happy childhood that Madonna wishes she had. Just genius groundbreaking work by Madonna. Forever the queen

Don’t be scared to go forward. It gets better and better! I can’t wait for I’m Breathless! Such a good album! I even named my fur baby Breathless! You definitely made my morning way better today!

*David Fincher* made some of the _best_ music videos in music history! *Oh Father* gives me Citizen Kane vibes. We're entering in the 90's, Madonna's most _creative_ decade! LOVED your reaction! Only _sensitive_ people like you could appreciate these songs and videos! Please DON'T skip the *Something to Remember* album!

Express Yourself video absolutely works with the song lyrics

at the time of its release express yourself was the most expensive music video ever made at a cost of 5 million and is still among the most expensive videos ever to this day.

My generation was lucky enough to experience these videos/songs in all their magnificance at the time. It's difficult to really imagine now the level of fame that Madonna had at this time. Also shoutout to Nikki and Donna who were an integral part of live performances at this time.

Madonna was almost at the peak of her powers here. Her peak imo was in 1990 with vogue. The reason why she performed express yourself was because the video was nominated her so many awards including video of the year. So the next era you will be reviewing is the im breathless era which includes the mega hit vogue. The videos you must react too are; Vogue Hanky Panky (live version from the blonde ambition tour) Vogue live from the MTV video music awards Justify my love (this was banned on mtv) Rescue me (only audio version but was released as a single and was a top 10 single in the states) Sooner or Later live at the Oscar’s 1991 (Ben this is regarded as her best live performance of all time - Michael Jackson was her date) This used to be my playground (no.1 hit song and the sound track to the baseball movie Madonna starred in with Tom Hanks and Gena Davis)

… truth or dare is a whole lot of trip back to 1990. If you enjoyed this era than you can’t miss this

So glad you also reacted to Express Yourself at the VMAs. Makes me hope you'll also do her performance of Vogue there one year later, which is arguably her most iconic TV performance ever.

Express yourself is one of the most expensive video in history of music. The quality is stunning even compare to some contemporary vidéos. It pulls inspiration from the 1927 silent film 'Metropolis' . A masterpiece.

I remember being in 10th grade, looking at the clock at 2:45pm and thinking I have to be home by 3PM to see the MTV world premiere of Like A Prayer. Ran home and caught it. The Like A Prayer commercial was filmed after the Like A Prayer video. She had the blond in her hair because she was about to film Dick Tracey and she had to be blond for the movie. Express Yourself is her full bleached and cut Dick Tracey hair. By Cherish she was cutting the blond out and she had the big dark roots in Oh Father. By 1990 she was back to blond for Vogue. Express Yourself was her current single so she performed that one at the MTV awards. She also released Keep It Together but had no video for it. The next era was Vogue and the Dick Tracey songs and then her greatest hits with Justify My Love and Rescue me before she hit the 1992 Erotica.

Great reaction! This era is really what catapulted her, adding visual artistry to her improving music. All the videos are epic in their own way. Oh Father and Like a Prayer are top 5 Madonna videos for me. Cool to hear your take with Express Yourself, I think I felt similarly when they came out. Like a Prayer was soooo good and I just wanted more of that style, song wise and her look. Express Yourself is great in it's own right (high caliber vid) but it was such a hard turn from Like a Prayer, both on the album, and then as the second video. But hey, what a problem for her to have... to have so many looks and switch-ups within one album/era.

Express Yourself and Oh Father were directed by David Fincher (Fight Club, Seven, Gone Girl, Mindhunter). He also directed Vogue and Bad Girl which you’ll shortly discover. Cherish was directed by Herb Ritts, a famous fashion photographer known for his black and white imagery

P.s. take a look at the Like a prayer live performance of Blond Ambition ( Paris one is maybe the best in RU-vid ). It's stunning !

Fun Note: The Express Yourself video, was the most expensive video ever made at that time at $5mill. Please don’t forget to watch the Sooner or Later live Oscars performance , one you get to the I’m Breathless Album.

Fun facts: Regarding the Like a Prayer style, she had that look on the cover art for the single releases (even though in the videos she went back to blonde). Also, Cherish has a killer B-side called Supernatural (which was later added to deluxe versions of the albums). Dear Jessie was the fifth single in UK and Australia, but for the US it was Keep it Together, and video was footage used from the Blond Ambition Tour - the finale ensemble dance with the chairs.

90’s madonna is her best era, you’re gonna love every second

Like a Pepsi hahahahahaahaha I'm dying

Welcome to what us as fan's have gone thru watching her musical journey too!😄

OMG YES IM EXCITED FOR THIS ONE❤️❤️❤️

"Express Yourself" from 'Blond Ambition Tour' is epic! (Better than the VMA performance, imv.) Her backup singers are Donna De Lory and Niki Harris and will be with her over the years. Will you be reacting to her live performances on any of her tours? The Blond Ambition tour is phenomenal. Also, her behind-the-scenes documentary, 'Truth or Dare,' about the tour. Enjoyed your review.

It's depressing how Madonna was shining a light on our racist criminal justice system almost 35 years ago, and in that time how so little has changed.

An amazing era and amazing videos. Watching Oh Father and your reaction to it brought a tear. A simply stunning and beautiful video.

In the LIKE A PRAYER video, what you see is a Catholic Saint known as SAINT MARTIN OF PORRES.

Like A Prayer officially cemented Madonna as an icon in music and as the Queen of Pop! The rest of her career will just be additional icing on the huge cake. Next up will be I’m Breathless. Which will have Vogue and other additional music inspired by the film Dick Tracy. Obviously the Billboard Hot 100 Number 1 iconic smash Vogue The Top 10 song Hanky Panky And Sooner or Later. Written by American composer Stephen Sondheim and produced by Madonna and Bill Bottrell, the song was used in the parent film, Dick Tracy. It would also win an Academy Award. She sang the song live at the 63rd Annual Academy Awards and should be viewed with the video Vogue. I would suggest to Ryan to attach the Immaculate Collection video Justify My Love and what ever other live performances in 1 video reaction.

Like a Prayer is such a brave and visually stunning video. She risked her entire career to make a statement. #respect

One thing you always need to know about Madonna Film Clips is there are always references to older artists, movies, books, mythologies and symbolism. Express Yourself is inspired by the 1922 silent movie Metropolis. If you delve into each one you can always see where the inspiration comes from and how she combines it with her own music and lyrics. She doesnt nearly get enough credit for how smart she is or how much she champions art in general.

That Express Yourself performance is iconic. One of her best!

The next album is one of my favorites, Erotica! I was lucky enough to attend her Blond Ambition concert and it was life changing for me! When Madonna first hit the music scene, I was 12 years old and instantly fell in love! Hope you enjoy your Madonna journey!

Cant wait to see you reacting to the erotica era, you’ll be so shocked

G'day it's Steven again It's great to relive all these memories I was just 20 years old in 1989, it was a simpler time, and there's always a good hearted back story to Madonna's music. Dancer Singer Director Actor Producer Philanthropist Icon Queen of Pop Living LEGEND Love you Madonna and thank you for being part of my life, listening to you with my first girlfriend, when I was engaged, when I married, when our children were born and when I divorced. Thank you

You are so cute. It’s okay to say Gaga copied Madonna. She did. And there’s nothing wrong with that. A lot of female pop stars have. So many scenes from the “Alejandro” music video were directly inspired by scenes from Madonna’s videos “Express Yourself,” “Vogue,” and “American Life.” And “Alejandro” was directed by Steven Klein, who has been one of Madonna’s principal photographers for nearly 20 years now. I never understood why Lady Gaga and her team fought the comparisons to Madonna so hard. But oh well. That was over 10 years ago. - Anyway, the scene in the “Oh Father” video where the mother’s lips are sewn shut was inspired by Madonna’s real life experience at her mother’s funeral. She said she looked down at her mother and that her lips weren’t only contorted but that she could see the thread between them because they hadn’t been sewn together properly. She also referenced this on her Madame X (standard edition) album cover. - Great review. I can’t wait to hear your thoughts on her next album, I’m Breathless.

Now you know why Like A Prayer was so controversial. Few things in the music video. Madonna wanted to address racism and she used the video to depict a mixed race couple being shot by the Klu Klux Klan. Yes, people thought it was Jesus being portrayed as black but it was the patron saint of mixed races (Martin de Porres). The burning crosses were massively controversial given they are symbol associated of the Klu Klux Klan. They were burnt on hillsides as a way to intimidate and threaten black Americans and people of colour, so her singing and dancing in front of them was a big deal. Thinking about Black Lives Matter and the rise of White Supremacists of late in the USA and you can see that this has not gone away and Madonna took this on as an issue in 1989! We're talking 33 years ago when no one dared speak of it! It was also massively controversial because it showed interracial kissing. Madonna (a white woman) kissing a black man. You're right, the sets are deliberately similar e.g. there was a deliberate black Saint in the church behind the protective bars to juxtapose the black man in jail who had been falsely accused of killing the woman. The stigmata marks on her hands had the Catholic Church and Christians in a state of rage, along with the notion of Jesus being black. A few things about the Express Yourself music video. It was the most expensive music video ever made at the time (now 3rd most expensive) - it cost about $5M back then which is about $11M today and it was directed by David Fincher, one of the best directors of the time. The music video was inspired by the film Metropolis. The goal of the video was to show to portray women in a much stronger position and the fact that women can be in control because of their sexual prowess. The video was the first to sexualise a man's body and made the man the object of desire (instead of a woman). And, Madonna was a woman looking down and controlling the men below her, what they do, what they think and how they feel. And, at the time a woman grabbing her crotch was considered controversial, even though it seemed to be OK for Michael Jackson... 2 things you definitely need to do before you close out this era - 1. Watch the Blonde Ambition Tour which was groundbreaking and established the model of what a concert is and could be and 2. Watch the Madonna: Truth or Dare documentary where among other things you can watch Madonna almost get arrested for simulating masturbation on stage in the Blond Ambition Tour.

Express Yourself is totally different. The live drums and horns were replaced by a house beat and strings. Listen to them back to back. Anyway, my ranking would be Express Yourself > Oh Father > Like a Prayer > Cherish. I don't even acknowledge Dear Jessie, which was only released in Europe while "Keep It Together" was released in the U.S. so that's probably why she didn't appear in the video.

Vogue-Ing was something drag queens/trans queens did in New York In The ball room scene. #parisisburning Madonna did not invent it. She made it mainstream. I’m excited for the 90s Madonna era personally!

Oh father…. A masterpiece! 😍🙌

the statue in "like a prayer" is of saint martín de porres, the patron saint of racial harmony

She won the MTV Viewer’s Choice Award for that video in 1989. It was sponsored by Pepsi, after the controversy. She thanked Pepsi on live TV.

This is probably one of my Most Favourite songs of all Madonna's Songs, especially the Video! That green dress was everything & her Platanim Blonde wavy hair ROCKED! Madonna just knew how to DO IT! Madonna has said DAVID BOWIE was her IDOL! He taught her to dress how YOU want, Dress how, where & when ya want & to wear whatever the f**k ya wanted to. She also said she watched & admired the CONFIDENCE of David Bowie, she loved what he did & he was alsp definitely HEARD! David Bowie was a brilliant artist to be inspired by.

great reaction, and you look great in brown btw, makes ur eyes really pop! ;) xx

also don't forget supernatural from the red hot and dance compilation. its in remixed form there but you can find the orignal on youtube. it was recorded for the like a prayer sessions but was added to the Red Hot and Dance compilation instead.

Your reaction to Like A Prayer gave me so many goosebumps. I was literally like 3 when I heard and saw the video hahahaha ,, but I remember it most when I was 5 ... my sister loves madonna and she's deaf so she would have VHS tapes of all madonnas music videos and we would watch them everyday !! So all these music videos I remember very well and I used to LOVE like a prayer and as the years grew I would start understanding the video more and more ! and now at the ripe old age of 500 I of course get the message ! and its so sad yet so powerful ! Madonna is literally a core memory for me !

Hugeeeeee MADONNA Fannnnnnn ❤❤❤❤❤❤ Thank u

For the video of ''Oh Father'', This video was her most personal video at that time, it's not a video for mass in MTV, it's very autobiographical and personal and how she put all her feeling in the video. The song himself was also very autobiographical about his difficult relationship with her father. The video complete her autobiographical song. She lost her mother when she was just 5 years olds and writing few songs about her (''Mer Girl'', ''Promise to Try''). She reuses this concept of music videos relied at his personal life later (like ''Drowned World'', who she denonced the paparrazzis).

Great reaction. Dear Jessie was not released in the US and was only released in some territories which explains the lack of an expensive video featuring Madonna herself. It made no 5 in the U.K. The US got a Keep It Together single release instead and gave her another top 10 hit there. It came with a live video from the documentary tour film Truth or Dare and what a performance - definitely worth checking it out. Vogue next - possibly my favourite video of all time along with Like A Prayer.

Madonna was on tour for “Dear Jessie” so that’s why it’s in cartoon.

Great reaction Benn! I’m so excited that this era has been done and soon the 90’s will be upon us. Many more fun & iconic moments ahead! 😊

Us gays were very angry at Madge for not doing a video for Keep It Together !!!! We had to settle with the truth or dare performance Dear Jessie was only a single outside of the us where we got KIT!

I need to see you watching the entire Blond Ambition Tour💚

She made (and still make) the best videos

An excellent album, excellent videos, and so many memories ❤️

After you react to I'M BREATHLESS you MUST REACT to some of her BLONDE AMBITION TOUR performances At the very least you MUST react to: Express Yourself (yes, again), Like a Virgin, Like a Prayer, Papa Don't Preach, Vogue and Holiday. (Or you might react to the entire tour. TRUST ME, It will be WORTH IT!!!!!!!

Another GREAT reaction. I do enjoy watching you react to Madonna. Just a small FYI, Vogue is originally from the Ballroom scene in NY. Madonna took it and made it popular to the mainstream populous. That also gave the ballroom a bigger platform. Later, some queens said that she stole it and took credit for Vogueing. Which she never did. She was taught how to vogue by some of the biggest Ballroom dancers of the 80's as well. Eagerly awaiting your next reaction.👍🏽😊

Your not done with this era lol the blonde ambition tour is the most iconic tour ever . Followed by truth or dare the documentary that follows her through the tour . You can at least react to “like a prayer” performance from the blonde ambition tour ?

FOUR AMAZING SONG AN VIDEOS

People used to actually like music that spoke to them, unlike today.

1989: one of her best eras, hands down.

Oh Father ended her continuous record breaking string of top 10 hits. (Of course she would go on to have tons more) but the song was just too heavy in terms of subject matter for radio at the time. But it's cool because we got an incredible video out of it at least.

How delightful thou art.

Love this Majourney for you

Im assuming you've heard the just released Beyonce x Madonna Queens Remix. It's excellent.

Hi im terms of reacting to her era interviews i want to recommend the MtV with Kurt Loder interviews of Breakfast with Madonna

Nice!!!

😍😍😍😍

7UP please

sorry to be *that guy* but the "black Jesus" is in fact St Martin de Porres, patron saint of interracial marriages and racial harmony 🙂 sorry if someone already mentioned that, I haven't scrolled the comments properly yet

So wen u doing Beyonces Renaissance reaction

He is not Jesus, not that Black Jesus bothers me, but he is supposed to be Martin De Porres, the Patron Saint of Mixed Raced & Indigenous people.

not Like A Pepsi 💀💀💀💀💀💀

I’ve seen Gaga and she’s phenomenal but please!!!!! Do not compare hers as the basis of what express yourself is or isn’t!!! I still love your video , but very baffled at your disdain of Express Yourself ???

is there gonna be a renaissance reaction?😣

Now watch Not Myself Tonight from Aguilera and tell me which video it was inspired by. 😀

The statue is not Jesus, it is St Martin de Porres.