Back in 1994 Madonna entered a new phase in her career when she released the song Secret.
It was the first single from the singer’s sixth album Bedtime Stories which came out the following month.
Madonna’s previous album Erotica had come out in 1992 and spawned a string of hits, while she’d also released her Sex book and appeared in the erotic thriller Body of Evidence. Critics said the singer had gone too far, become too sexually explicit, and it was clear she was taking a different approach.
Earlier in the year she scored a hit with I’ll Remember, a heartfelt ballad that appeared on the soundtrack to the film With Honors. For the new album Madonna decided to explore new sounds including influences of hip-hop, RnB, dub and trip-hop.
Initially she began working with producer Shep Pettibone, they’d previously had success with her now iconic song Vogue and he’d been behind most of the tracks on her Erotica album. Madonna felt that their initial sessions were too similar to their previous output, and Pettibone was moved on.
Secret was one of the songs they’s started work on, but Madonna brought in producer Dallas Austin to develop the song further. Austin had produced the debut album from TLC as well as tunes for Joi, After 7 and Hi Five.
The sparse track filled with acoustic guitar, and hip-hop beats was a new sound for Madonna, but she also released a series of dance mixes from DJ Junior Vasquez that took the tune to the dance floor.
The song might not be remembered as one of Madonna’s biggest hits, after all she’s had a lot of them. But it did do really well on the charts hitting the number five spot in Australia and the United Kingdom, and it rose as high as number three on the US Billboard charts.
The song’s video was shot in black and white, and Madonna sported a new nose piercing. The video was directed by Melodie McDaniel who had previously worked with The Cranberries and Porno for Pyros.
Filmed in Brooklyn, the video features many residents from the local community who were picked for their distinctive looks. There are also several people who are transgender in the video. Model Richard Elms was cast to play the man she reunites with at the end of the clip.
Madonna performed the song during her 2001 Drowned World Tour but since then she’s rarely performed the song live.
The Bedtime Stories album would go on to create more hits with the ballad Take a Bow, the hypnotic title track which was written by Bjork, and the hip hop influenced Human Nature. The record included a collaboration with Meshell Ndegeocello, and production from Nellee Hooper, Babyface and Dave ‘Jam’ Hall.
