Madonna had to face some tough decisions in the early 90s. The defiant artistic statement of her Sex book and its attendant album, Erotica, had at first thrilled and titillated, but ultimately shocked, chunks of her big, broad audience, and the media scrutiny had become ferocious. While no one would suggest an artist as brave and uncompromising as Madonna would shy away from that sort of confrontation, she could have been forgiven for tiring of the hypocritical fuss about her work. Deciding to take her music in a new direction, she shelved plans to record another album with Erotica producer Shep Pettibone, but Pettibone did earn a writing credit on Secret, which would become the lead single from Madonna’s new album, 1994’s Bedtime Stories.
There was a lot riding on the song’s success. Would people finally look beyond Madonna’s image and focus on its foundation: her music?
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Secret took the “Queen Of Pop”’s sound in a new direction
Enlisting Dallas Austin for writing and production duties for Secret was a smart move. Austin had enjoyed tremendous success with Boyz II Men and TLC, and his R&B-pop blend was largely the sound of North American radio in the early 90s.
The midtempo Secret was one of four tracks Austin co-wrote and co-produced that would appear on Bedtime Stories, which was released a month after Secret hit the shelves. Recorded in New York City and Atlanta, and issued on 27 September 1994, Secret was a big departure from what had come before, yet the folk-y tune had plenty of sensuality and a funky groove that would make it a big dance success. Immediately receiving a stamp of approval, the song entered the Billboard Hot 100 at No.30 – Madonna’s third-highest debut to date on the critical chart that is largely made up of stateside airplay – proving that the “Queen Of Pop” had, yet again, successfully pivoted her musical style.
