In September of 1993, Madonna hit the road with The Girlie Show, a tour in support of her Erotica album. It's one of the few Madonna tours I missed, but that could be because she only played five dates here in the US (due to the low sales resulting from the backlash against Sex and the album). I did watch the show on DVD, however, and it wasn't her best.
The Girlie Show was part circus act, part burlesque, and a little too much sex for my taste. The show did not include many of her past songs, except for a select few, and much of the Erotica album was covered. Check out a Girlie Show performance of Bye, Bye Baby, one of my favorites off Erotica:
Bedtime Stories
Next up for Ms. M was the much overlooked Bedtime Stories album. Released in October of 1994, this one carried on in much the same vein, musically, as Erotica, and much less sexual in nature. The lead single was the smooth, rhythmic Secret, for which a beautifully shot black and white video was made. The song hit number three on the charts, followed by the tender Take a Bow hitting #1.
In March of 1995, Madge held a Pajama Party to introduce the video to the title track, Bedtime Stories, an expensive masterpiece unto itself. The party was broadcast live on MTV from Webster Hall in NYC, with superstar DJ Junior Vasquez on hand. During the show, Madonna told a bedtime story (Miss Spider's Tea Party), cajoled with the fans, and did an interview with then MTV correspondent Kurt Loder, which you can see here:
Evita
In late 1996, Madonna landed a role she'd been yearning to play, that of Argentine First Lady Evita Peron. Though she never won accolades from her acting before, this performance was by far her best, earning her a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress. The soundtrack was splendid and included an original song, You Must Love Me, which hit #18 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Here's a clip of one of my favorite tunes from Evita, the tender and sad Another Suitcase in Another Hall:
Ray of Light 
After an almost four-year absence between studio albums, Madonna came back with a vengeance in March of 1998 with her Ray of Light CD. Once again, the singer reinvented herself into a new kind of electronica, employing the talents of well-known DJ/producer William Orbit.
The first single was a dark masterpiece called Frozen, and its mystical video, in which Madonna portrays a witch-like creature, is equally wonderful. In all, the album spawned five singles, three of which would hit the top twenty (Frozen (#2), Ray of Light (#5) and Power of Goodbye (#11)), and one (Nothing Really Matters) hit #1 on the Dance charts. along with the first two as well.
Here's my favorite track off of Ray of Light, one that inspires me and has been my driving theme to life and this blog.
Beautiful Stranger
The last thing Madonna would do in the 90's was a song for the soundtrack to Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me. Beautiful Stranger is a fun song that remains as one of the singer's best. Since I can't share the video on this blog, you can check it out on YouTube right here.
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So there you have it, Madonna in the 90's. If she came out on fire in the 80's, it was the 90's that cemented her status as a world-class superstar. I hope you've enjoyed this little trip down Madonna memory lane. Stay tuned for more 90's stuff....
Check out Part I of Madonna in the 90's
Check out Part I of Madonna in the 90's
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