For a long time, Madonna has been aware of the benefits of a certain “gimmick”: the musical collaboration. Where once she would have shied away entirely from the very concept of a “duet,” the world’s most famous pop star began to come around to the notion more readily in the late 90s, easing into things with an oft-forgotten feature on Ricky Martin’s “Be Careful (Cuidado Con Mi Corazón).” Produced by Madonna’s then-favorite producer of the time, William Orbit, it certainly stands apart from the rest of the general vibe on Martin’s breakout self-titled album, released in 1999 on the heels of “Livin’ La Vida Loca” fever.
It didn’t take long for Madonna to go even bigger for her next collab, 2003’s “Me Against the Music.” Added as a feature after Madonna locked lips with Britney at the 2003 MTV VMAs, it was apparent she wanted to keep the heat from the moment going by continuing to cash in on the so-called controversy of kissing another woman/pop star (side note: naturally, there was no interest in a duet with Christina Aguilera, the other pop star she kissed).
Long before Madonna opted to offer up her talents to more recognizable (and much younger) musicians, she would surprise listeners with “blink and you’ll miss it” collaborations in the 80s and 90s. This included Nick Kamen’s 1986 single, “Each Time You Break My Heart,” as well as getting Prince to jump on the vocals for 1989’s “Love Song,” which he also co-produced. And then there was the unexpected appearance of Warren Beatty on “Now I’m Following You (Part I)” for 1990’s I’m Breathless: Music from and Inspired by the Film Dick Tracy. Sure, he might have played the eponymous “Dick,” but no one was expecting him to sing at any point for the project.
To many, Madonna’s erstwhile hesitancy to lend her vocals or add the vocals of others to songs might come across as par for the course vis-à-vis her “diva” ways. But, in truth, Madonna’s artistic spirit and according search to belong to a tribe makes her a willing proponent of working with other people (even if, as she once said, “To me, the whole process of being a brush stroke in someone else’s painting is a little difficult”). It’s just a matter of whether or not she deems the project 1) worthy of her attention and 2) if she thinks it will have chart success. Because, although Madonna has proven herself enough times not to need to worry about “making hits” anymore, the perfectionist in her will likely never stop thinking about it on some level. This is precisely why her most overt bid for what the cynics call “relevancy” transpired on 2008’s Hard Candy, on which she not only tapped the by then tired production stylings of Timbaland and Justin Timberlake, but also featured the latter on its lead single, “4 Minutes.”
While “4 Minutes” was a perfectly passable “bop,” something about it lacked the avant-garde vigor of previous Madonna songs in general and her collaborations in particular. Hard Candy also wielded the presence of Kanye West on “Beat Goes On” (surprisingly never released as a single), giving him most of the verse time while Madonna stuck primarily to the chorus. For good measure, she added Timberlake to another song on the record, the highly innocuous “Dance 2night.” If the spelling of “tonight” wasn’t enough indication, it was obvious Madonna wanted to appeal to a more au courant audience. Even if Timberlake was at his most au courant in 2002.
Her collaborative zeal would only ramp up in the years that followed. And yes, it was for the same reason that drove her to work with Spears and Timberlake: she wanted to stay fresh in the minds of a generation of new listeners. And yet, the “trick” rarely proved to be fruitful in terms of chart measurement. For instance, 2018’s “Champagne Rosé,” a Quavo track from Quavo Huncho that also features Cardi B, didn’t gain much attention. Arguably, The Weeknd’s “Popular” (featuring Playboi Carti in addition to Madonna) should have gone the same route (as “Vulgar” with Sam Smith, released at the same time, did). Especially considering how quickly the project it’s associated with, The Idol, flopped. And yet, for whatever reason, something about the song just “clicked,” in large part thanks to TikTok and its alchemizing ability to convert virality into a hit.
Long before “Popular,” however, MDNA and Rebel Heart established the clear trend of post-2000s Madonna records relying on other musicians to assure her chart placement (this included, however critically panned it was, 2012’s “Give Me All Your Luvin’” featuring Nicki Minaj and M.I.A.). Because, needless to say, the taste of the current youth is somewhat lacking. In need of constant bells and whistles. Or, in direct contrast, something completely uninspired and derivative (this technically calls out a singer such as Olivia Rodrigo). Madonna is willing to provide either so long as it means that her lyrics remain on the lips of a fresh batch of listeners. Although some would argue that Madonna “doesn’t care” about mainstream success anymore because just look at her last album, Madame X, it bears noting that said record was awash in more collaborations than any Madonna album thus far. There was “Future” featuring Quavo, “Crave” featuring Swae Lee, “Faz Gostoso” featuring Anitta and “Bitch I’m Loca” featuring Maluma (plus Maluma on the lead single, “Medellín”). One glance at that roster and it should come across that M is ever-aware of what the current “trend” is in music, and long ago picked up on the fact that collabs with fellow white artists wouldn’t forge the path to chart glory. This recently extended to “allowing” her own co-opting of “Vogue” to be co-opted by Beyoncé for the Queens Remix of “Break My Soul.” Knowing that, in 2022, it was simply “good business” to redirect the movement toward Beyoncé’s stewardship.
But the “trick” here, as well as in “Popular,” is that she has forced herself to be more backgrounded than usual, which, in effect, means she’s coasting off both Beyoncé and The Weeknd’s ability to generate a hit in the current climate. The same went for 1994’s “Take A Bow.” This being, incidentally, the last Madonna single that was able to chart for so many weeks (sixteen, to be exact) on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip Hop Songs chart. And that, too, featured the strong presence of a Black man: Babyface. Madonna had already hinted at going in a more R&B/house direction with 1992’s Erotica, but Bedtime Stories was a mainstream culmination of that pivot. Something more palatable for the masses after being scared off by Erotica and the imagery surrounding it. Babyface (and Dallas Austin) was a key “ingredient” in helping Madonna to secure her “softer” (but still relevant) side for the next album cycle. In addition to co-producing the signature hit with Madonna, he provided the prominent complementing vocals that repeated just about everything she says in the song (call it Cypress Hill’s “Insane in the Brain” approach). For whatever reason, though, “Take A Bow” is not listed as “featuring Babyface.”
What it all adds up to is that Madonna’s “secret (no Bedtime Stories allusion intended) sauce” for the decades since the 1980s has been as much reliant on “reinvention” as it has been incorporating the next generation of musicians into her work. Or, more recently, allowing herself to be incorporated into it. Which means she’s not quite the egomaniac everyone makes her out to be… For she’s willing to admit when another musician as the “lead” on the track will result in higher, more enduring chart potential.
