FEATURE:
Madonna’s Erotica at Thirty
My Introduction to the Album: The Superb Rain
__________
A Madonna song…
that performed better in the U.K. than on the U.S. Billboard chart, my introduction to her 1992 album, Erotica, was through Rain. Released on 5th August, 1993 as the fifth single from the album, I wanted to write more about it, in addition to marking the thirtieth anniversary of Erotica on 20th October. I will write about one or two other songs closer to the time, but I can remember when Rain came out. Unlike a lot of what we hear on Erotica, this was the more sensitive and touching side of Madonna. Whereas Erotica does have some steamy and provocative moments, Rain is one of her great ballads. Not everyone shares that opinion, but I think Rain is a highlight from Erotica. I think, when I was a child, I was hooked by the New Age sound and the fact that it was gentler and more accessible than a lot of the album. Now, I love Erotica and think that it is misjudged, underrated and hugely influential. Rain concerns Lyrically the song likens rain to the empowering effect of love and water's ability to clean and wash away pain. There might be sexual elements and interpretations, but I think this is Madonna in more thoughtful and spiritual mode. A beautiful song that adds something very special to the second side of Erotica – which I think is weaker than the first half -, this song needs to be re-evaluated and reassessed.
In terms of critical reception, there were those who identified Rain as a terrific song that showed a more tender side to the Pop queen. Compare Rain to a track like Erotica, and it shows how broad and eclectic her work was around this time:
“Upon release, "Rain" received generally positive feedback. Stephen Thomas Erlewine from AllMusic called "Rain" among "Madonna's best and most accomplished music". Jose F. Promis from the same media credited the song in "paving the way for the "softer" Madonna to emerge in the mid-'90s". Annie Zaleski from The A.V. Club stated that it established Madonna as "a sensual New Age goddess". While reviewing the album for Billboard, Paul Verna called the song "a lovely pop ballad". In a separate review of the single on the magazine, another editor, Larry Flick wrote.
A gorgeous, romantic moment from [Madonna]'s sorely underappreciated Erotica opus. A slow and seductive rhyme base surrounded by cascading, sparkling synths inspires a sweet and charming vocal. Though not as lyrically daring as the previous "Bad Girl", this is a wonderfully constructed, memorable tune that deserves as much attention (and airplay) as it can garner.
In August 2018, Billboard picked it as the singer's 73rd greatest single, calling it "a top 20 hit of perfectly polished R&B co-produced by Shep Pettibone. Built around one of pop music's most timeless central lyrical images, it's got a depth of production and vocal nuance that suggests Madonna's spin on a great late-'80s Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis slow jam". Tony Power from Blender picked it as one of the stand-out tracks from Erotica. Scott Kearnan from website Boston.com felt that the song is an example of "what she lacks in [singing] technique she's always tried to make up for with earnestness". He also praised her phrasing, saying that "Madonna sings like she believes in every word". Troy J. Augusto from Cashbox commented, "Simple yet effective number sounds like a love-scene accompaniment from Beverly Hills 90210. At times. Miss Ciccone almost sounds like Karen Carpenter, all tender and shy. (My God, there's no limit to this artist's depth!)" Writing for The Huffington Post, Matthew Jacobs placed the track at number 43 of his list "The Definitive Ranking Of Madonna Singles" and felt the track was a departure from the previous "carnal" releases from Erotica; "It's not terribly distinctive from the other ballads Madonna released in the early '90s, but then there's the sultry chorus with the uplifting lilt 'Here comes the sun'". Stephen Sears from music website Idolator called the song as "the album's sole expression of pure love", which "revisits the oceanic sonic landscape of her epic 1986 ballad "Live To Tell".
I think there should be a lot of celebration around Erotica when it turns thirty next month. It is one of Madonna’s best albums, and one big reason is songs like Rain. Creating some balance and emotional reflectiveness on an album that is noted for its more sexual content, I was struck by the beauty and stillness of Rain when I first heard it. Although Madonna has created finer ballads (my favourite song of hers, Take a Bow, is from 1994’s Bedtime Stories), this 1993 hit she wrote and produced with Shep Pettibone is a classic. Even though I had heard other Madonna songs prior to 1993, I found Rain to be deeper and more mature than a lot of those from her earlier albums. Erotica is a magnificent album, and it came at a time when Madonna was this huge Pop artist on top of the world. Erotica is often seen as a purely sexual album or something trying to push buttons. To me, there is so much in terms of the themes and emotions at work. Some might not realise and appreciate the incredible strength and worth of Rain, but I really love it! A definitely highlight of Erotica, this stunning track ranks as…
ONE of Madonna’s best songs.