Rain ● 25 Years |
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Jul 27 2018, 11:42 AM
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#1
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BuzzJack Idol
Joined: 8 December 2010
Posts: 50,947 User: 12,472 |
20 years ago, 'Rain' was released as the fifth single from Erotica. Whilst the album is recognised for its bold, lustful and adventurous exploration of female sexuality and the gritty, raw hip-hop and club beats that soundtrack the stories, 'Rain' offers a more melodic and romantic perspective. The song uses rain imagery to describe a partner's love, exploring the cleansing effect of their affection; how it washes away their past sorrows and allows them to focus on their current feelings. It's a tender, calming ballad with an empowering message of hope and strength, brought to life with a glorious composition that captures rain elements, including some turbo-charging synths that explode into a heavenly middle-eight. Madonna's vocal is charming and elegant, demonstrating both her sensual low register and angelic harmonies. Accompanying the song is the gorgeous, artistic music video directed by Mark Romanek (who would go on to direct Madonna's 'Bedtime Story' and Michael Jackson's 'Scream' - two of the most expensive music videos). Madonna appears on the shoot of a video, fixed and altered by the makeup and hair departments in between takes. It's a departure from the overt sexuality associated with the rest of the era, instead exposing a more innocent and reflective Madonna; "this accessible, vulnerable creature surrounded by the high-tech and the global" as described by the director. The video was the rightful recipient of Best Art Direction and Best Cinematography at the 1993 MTV Video Music Awards. 'Rain' revived album sales over the summer of '93 and also became a hit in its own right, returning Madonna to the Top 10 in many countries following the underperformance of the previous two singles and also gave her a big hit on US adult contemporary radio. It still gets acknowledged as one of her finest ballads by fans and is appreciated for offering an alternative perspective to her Erotica album. |
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Jul 27 2018, 11:43 AM
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#2
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BuzzJack Idol
Joined: 8 December 2010
Posts: 50,947 User: 12,472 |
'Rain' was remixed for radio and this version appears on most of the single formats. It's very tame, removing the magic of the original production and leaving something very safe and uninteresting. Still, it helped the song become a hit with radio. Also featuring on various single formats is 'Up Down Suite', a 12-minute dub of Erotica outtake 'Goodbye To Innocence', and a remixed version of 'Waiting' which features a rap from Everlast. |
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Jul 27 2018, 12:07 PM
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#3
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BuzzJack Platinum Member
Joined: 31 August 2010
Posts: 8,788 User: 11,763 |
Love this song and it’s video.
What an amazing song for a 5th single. |
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Aug 10 2018, 11:42 AM
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#4
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BuzzJack Idol
Joined: 8 December 2010
Posts: 50,947 User: 12,472 |
I think 'Rain' strikes the balance perfectly between being incredibly well-suited to radio and being an interestingly constructed and authentic song. That makes the decision to completely strip the song of what makes it special to supposedly be more appealing to radio quite strange.
Madonna's vocal is what stands out to me: she sings with such warmth and sincerity, taking what's already a great song and making it really special. I think Madonna has always had that ability to elevate songs further with character and passion and charm, and that's part of the reason why her songs mean so much. The video is an art piece. I was watching this outtakes reel earlier: |
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Aug 13 2018, 02:10 PM
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#5
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⬛
Joined: 17 February 2011
Posts: 56,202 User: 13,007 |
'Rain' is a big favourite of mine. It's one of my favourite music videos too, but the song for me is totally and utterly spellbinding. The fact it comes in such a sordid album too (even if the song may have sexual connotations) makes it all the more special. Nothing but love
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