"Beautiful Stranger" is a song by American singer and songwriter
Madonna. It was released on May 19, 1999, by
Maverick and
Warner Bros. Records as a single from the soundtrack of the film, ''
Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me''. Madonna co-wrote and co-produced the song with
William Orbit. The soundtrack for ''Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me'' was a much expected release and Madonna's song was chosen by the album's executive producers to promote it. "Beautiful Stranger" has appeared on two separate Madonna greatest hits collections: ''
GHV2'' (2001) and ''
Celebration'' (2009). Musically, "Beautiful Stranger" is a
psychedelic pop
Psychedelic pop (or acid pop) is pop music that contains musical characteristics associated with psychedelic music. Developing in the late 1960s, elements included "trippy" features such as fuzz guitars, tape manipulation, backwards recording, ...
and
disco song that features heavily reverberated guitars and bouncy drum loops. Its lyrics tell the tale of a romantic infatuation.
The song received positive feedback from
music critics
Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on w ...
who praised the production and Madonna's progress with her music, following her critically acclaimed album ''
Ray of Light
''Ray of Light'' is the seventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Madonna, released in early 1998 by Maverick Records. A stylistic and aesthetical departure from her previous work, ''Ray of Light'' is an electronica and techno-pop reco ...
'' (1998). It was a commercial success reaching the top of the charts in Canada, Finland, Iceland and Italy, number two in the United Kingdom and top-ten in many markets. Although the song was not commercially released in the United States, it reached number 19 on the
''Billboard'' Hot 100 due to
airplay
Airplay is how frequently a song is being played through broadcasting on radio stations. A song which is being played several times every day (spins) would have a significant amount of airplay. Music which became very popular on jukeboxes, in n ...
. It reached number one on the US
dance charts. "Beautiful Stranger" also earned Madonna her fifth
Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...
, winning the trophy for
Best Song Written for Visual Media.
The song's music video, directed by
Brett Ratner, prominently features Madonna singing in a club, visited by
Mike Myers
Michael John Myers OC (born May 25, 1963) is a Canadian actor, comedian, screenwriter, and producer. His accolades include seven MTV Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. In 2002, he was awarded a star on the Hollywoo ...
as his character
Austin Powers. At the end of the video Madonna seduces Myers and goes off in his car. It won the
MTV Video Music Award for Best Video from a Film in 1999. Madonna performed the song on her 2001
Drowned World Tour, and it has been
covered by some artists, including a critically acclaimed version by Australian rock band
DMA's
DMA'S (stylised in all caps) are an Australian three-piece rock band formed in 2012 in Sydney. The band is composed of Tommy O'Dell, Matt Mason, and Johnny Took. They gained popularity for their debut single " Delete" and for their self-titled ...
.
Background and release
Madonna and Canadian actor
Mike Myers
Michael John Myers OC (born May 25, 1963) is a Canadian actor, comedian, screenwriter, and producer. His accolades include seven MTV Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. In 2002, he was awarded a star on the Hollywoo ...
had previously collaborated for an episode of ''
Saturday Night Live
''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock (streaming service), Peacock. ...
'' in 1991, when the singer hosted the show and invited Myers' character,
Wayne Campbell to play a game of
truth or dare
Truth is the property of being in accord with fact or reality.Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionarytruth 2005 In everyday language, truth is typically ascribed to things that aim to represent reality or otherwise correspond to it, such as beliefs, ...
, while pitching her documentary ''
Madonna: Truth or Dare''. According to Gwen Ihnat from ''
The A.V. Club'', the "creative partnership
etween themworks because Madonna, though serious, always seems game, and Myers, though frequently goofy, is also creatively inventive". In 1999, the singer was chosen to contribute a single on the soundtrack for Myers' second film about the spy character
Austin Powers, titled ''
Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me''.
Madonna's former boyfriend, British screenwriter Andy Bird, was reportedly the inspiration for "Beautiful Stranger."
The soundtrack to ''The Spy Who Shagged Me'' led to the teaming up of two music executives,
Warner Bros. Records senior vice president Danny Bramson and Madonna's
Maverick Records
Maverick was an American entertainment company founded in 1992 by Madonna, Frederick DeMann, and Veronica "Ronnie" Dashev, and formerly owned and operated by Warner Music Group. It included a record label (Maverick Records), a film production ...
' co-owner
Guy Oseary; both of them served as executive producer on the soundtrack. By May 1999, expectations were already high for the release, so the producers decided to include Madonna's track along with a song from a number of other high-profile artists like
R.E.M.
R.E.M. was an American rock band from Athens, Georgia, formed in 1980 by drummer Bill Berry, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills, and lead vocalist Michael Stipe, who were students at the University of Georgia. One of the first alternati ...
,
Lenny Kravitz and
Mel B from the
Spice Girls.
As recalled by Oseary, there was intense competition among artists to have their songs placed in the soundtrack, with one manager connected to the project describing the fight for the first potential single release as "a blood bath". The main intention of the producers was to have the artists contribute music which would abide by the predominant 1960s mood of the film. Ultimately it was decided that "Beautiful Stranger" was suitable for this, and was chosen as the first single from the soundtrack.
However, Madonna's recording company
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...
decided not to release any
CD single
A CD single (sometimes abbreviated to CDS) is a music single in the form of a compact disc. The standard in the Red Book for the term ''CD single'' is an 8 cm (3-inch) CD (or Mini CD). It now refers to any single recorded onto a CD of any si ...
or remix singles to accompany the release in the United States, only
promo 12-inch discs were sent to the dance club DJs.
The song was only released to the
CHR top 40 radio for airplay on May 19, 1999.
"Beautiful Stranger" has appeared on two separate Madonna greatest hits collections: ''
GHV2'' (2001) and ''
Celebration'' (2009).
On May 21, 2021, Madonna released the "Beautiful Stranger" remix EP to all digital and streaming outlets.
Recording and composition
Recording for "Beautiful Stranger" took place in February 1999 at the Guerilla Beach Studios in Los Angeles, California, as well as the Enterprise Studio in Burbank, California. Along with writing and producing the song with Madonna, Orbit also played the keyboards and the guitar on the track. Damian LeGassick did the
programming and additional keyboard while Emma Fowler played the
flute. The
engineering
Engineering is the use of scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad range of more speciali ...
team included
Pat McCarthy,
Mark Endert
Mark Endert is a Grammy award winning American music producer, mixer, arranger and musician.
Biography
From the early 1990s to the present, Endert is credited on albums spanning a wide array of musical genres with sales totaling more than 90 mil ...
and Dave Chelsea, with McCarthy also
mixing the track. Jeff Gregmay and Wassim Zartek were the assistant recording engineers.
According to the sheet music published by Musicnotes.com, "Beautiful Stranger" is set in
common time
The time signature (also known as meter signature, metre signature, or measure signature) is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats (pulses) are contained in each measure (bar), and which note val ...
and is composed in a
key of
F major
F major (or the key of F) is a major scale based on F, with the pitches F, G, A, B, C, D, and E. Its key signature has one flat. Its relative minor is D minor and its parallel minor is F minor.
The F major scale is:
:
F major is the ...
with a mid dance
tempo
In musical terminology, tempo ( Italian, 'time'; plural ''tempos'', or ''tempi'' from the Italian plural) is the speed or pace of a given piece. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (ofte ...
of 128 beats per minute. The song begins with a basic sequence of E–B–F–A–C before moving to the main
chord progression
In a musical composition, a chord progression or harmonic progression (informally chord changes, used as a plural) is a succession of chords. Chord progressions are the foundation of harmony in Western musical tradition from the common practice ...
of C
sus4–C
7.
"Beautiful Stranger" is a
psychedelic pop
Psychedelic pop (or acid pop) is pop music that contains musical characteristics associated with psychedelic music. Developing in the late 1960s, elements included "trippy" features such as fuzz guitars, tape manipulation, backwards recording, ...
and
disco song and begins with a musical
instrumentation
Instrumentation a collective term for measuring instruments that are used for indicating, measuring and recording physical quantities. The term has its origins in the art and science of scientific instrument-making.
Instrumentation can refer to ...
reminiscent of "
Light My Fire
"Light My Fire" is a song by the American rock band the Doors. It was recorded in August 1966 and released in January 1967 on their eponymous debut album. Released as an edited single on April 24, 1967, it spent three weeks at number one on ...
" (1967) by
The Doors
The Doors were an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1965, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, guitarist Robby Krieger, and drummer John Densmore. They were among the most controversial and influential rock acts ...
and "
Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds
"Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1967 album ''Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band''. It was written primarily by John Lennon and credited to the Lennon–McCartney songwriting partnersh ...
" (1967) by
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the developmen ...
. The song's main structure is backed by guitar, while drums come in during the choruses. Around the 1:06 mark, there is a hint of
mellotron and
flute being played like The Beatles' 1967 songs "
Strawberry Fields Forever
"Strawberry Fields Forever" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, written by John Lennon and credited to Lennon–McCartney. It was released on 13 February 1967 as a double A-side single with " Penny Lane". It represented a departu ...
" or "
The Fool on the Hill
"The Fool on the Hill" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1967 EP and album '' Magical Mystery Tour''. It was written and sung by Paul McCartney and credited to the Lennon–McCartney partnership. The lyrics describe the ...
". The song has similar composition to Madonna's endeavors with her previous album ''Ray of Light'', mixed with
psychedelic music.
''
USA Today
''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgi ...
''s Ken Barnes has suggested that the chorus, riff, instrumentation and structure of "Beautiful Stranger" were based on American rock band
Love's 1966 single "
She Comes in Colors".
The band's record company—
Rhino Records—executive Gary Stewart stated that "Certainly, the riff and instrumentation
f 'Beautiful Stranger'are reminiscent of 'She Comes in Colors,'" and that the "da da da da da" chorus on the track seems to be based upon "an instrumental flourish that's an integral part of the
overecord. It may be a conscious or an unconscious homage." Madonna denied any such influence, claiming that she had never heard of Love.
According to Michael Paoletta from ''
Billboard'', "no fierce-ruling club DJ in 1999 would
ave
''Alta Velocidad Española'' (''AVE'') is a service of high-speed rail in Spain operated by Renfe, the Spanish national railway company, at speeds of up to . As of December 2021, the Spanish high-speed rail network, on part of which the AVE s ...
dared play the original jangly rock-etched version of the song". Hence the song was remixed by
Victor Calderone
Victor Calderone (born March 20, 1967 in Brooklyn, New York, United States) is an American electronic music producer, DJ and remixer.
Biography
Raised in the Bensonhurst section of Brooklyn, Calderone was introduced into New York City's nightlif ...
, who kept the basic structure of the song, while mixing it with tribal infused beats. Unlike many of his then releases—where he removed the bulk of the song's lyrics for remixing—with "Beautiful Stranger" he kept them. Paoletta described the remixes as "if Calderone fully understands the importance of a song and understands how best to unite deft beats and a dazzling vocal performance."
The remixes include a
rock-leaning version as well as Calderone's Club and Radio mixes.
Critical reception
"Beautiful Stranger" received generally positive reviews. Chuck Taylor from ''Billboard'' denoted the song as a "new shift in the wind for
adonna, calling it another creative high for her. He also complimented the production saying that "this latest partnership with
rbittaps into a walloping romp of guitars and
enough cascading organs to prompt an urge to listen to your
Monkees
The Monkees were an American rock and pop band, formed in Los Angeles in 1966, whose lineup consisted of the American actor/musicians Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork alongside English actor/singer Davy Jones. The group was conc ...
collection." Taylor ended the review with positive feedback for Madonna's vocals, likening them to those for the ''
Evita'' album, along with commending the chorus.
In a different article for ''Billboard'' talking about the song's remixes, Paoletta described the track as "effervescent blast of psychedelic electronica".
Writing for the ''
Philippine Daily Inquirer'', Gino DeLa Paz found it "cute but forgettable". Gwen Ihnat, from the entertainment website ''
The A.V. Club'', labeled it as "Madonna's best song that never appeared on one of her regular albums
.. a psychedelic pop confection that offered a few of her most indelible hooks". Ihnat also wrote that "although less ethereal than 1998's ''Ray of Light'',
Beautiful Stranger'is just as dance-floor ready
..dance flute has never sounded so enticing, and Madonna's voice so sweetly seductive".
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...
's Jose F. Promis listed the track "as one of the singer's more memorable moments, coupling 1960s go-go rock with 1990s electronica, resulting in nothing less than a true slice of old fashioned rock & roll"; Promis also praised the two Calderone mixes.
''
Slant Magazine''s Sal Cinquemani gave the song a rating of B- and wrote: "Like any good throwaway track, 'Beautiful Stranger' doesn't pretend to be much more than it is. Whiny guitars and flutes abound, Madonna and Orbit concocted a perfect theme song for friend Mike Myers's cooky ''Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me''. Playful, wispy and ultimately forgettable". In August 2018, Paul Schrodt from the same magazine, placed it at number 53 on his ranking of the singer's singles, calling it "the antithesis of ''Ray of Light''. The hooky, psychedelic track is more accessible than Madonna’s previous work with Orbit. The innocuous lyrics could’ve been ghostwritten for anyone, but the song endears due to Madge’s playful delivery and Orbit’s sonic details". Ken Tucker from ''
Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cu ...
'', declared it as the "song of the summer", and praised it for being "a piece of psychedelic pop at once so 60s and so 90s that to sully it with a 'shagalicious' joke would be an insult... The way
adonnahas of making her voice merge into indistinguishability with the surging instrumentation in the chorus, the way she sings the title phrase with an ache in her voice, that's at once urgent and playful."
Matthew Jacobs from ''
The Huffington Post
''HuffPost'' (formerly ''The Huffington Post'' until 2017 and sometimes abbreviated ''HuffPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and ...
'' ranked the song 22 on their list of "The Definitive Ranking Of Madonna Singles".
Medium's Richard LaBeau called it a "bold, clever and interesting bridge between the ''Ray of Light'' and ''
Music
Music is generally defined as the art of arranging sound to create some combination of form, harmony, melody, rhythm or otherwise expressive content. Exact definitions of music vary considerably around the world, though it is an aspe ...
'' eras".
Louis Virtel, from
TheBacklot.com, placed "Beautiful Stranger" at number 36 of his list "The 100 Greatest Madonna Songs"; he felt that "Orbit's psychedelic styling suit Madonna's groovy wistfulness perfectly". Author Phil Dellio wrote in his book ''Interrupting My Train of Thought'' that although "Beautiful Stranger" had similarities to Madonna's own "
Ray of Light
''Ray of Light'' is the seventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Madonna, released in early 1998 by Maverick Records. A stylistic and aesthetical departure from her previous work, ''Ray of Light'' is an electronica and techno-pop reco ...
" (1998), it had "better melody, better vocal, better light show. It's about the trippiest, most propulsive above-ground dance music since the first two minutes of
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in London in 1968. The group comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. With a heavy, guitar-driven sound, they are ci ...
's '
How Many More Times'." J. Randy Taraborrelli wrote in ''
Madonna: An Intimate Biography'' that Madonna's 2000 song "Amazing", from her eight studio album ''Music'' sounded like a cousin to "Beautiful Stranger" with its inspired composition. While ranking Madonna's singles, in honor of her 60th birthday, ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
''s
Jude Rogers placed "Beautiful Stranger" at number 34, calling it a "gorgeously slinky, impish love song". In a list of the "99 Best Songs of 1999", ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
'' writer Rob Sheffield placed the track at number 27 and praised it for being "the most shagadelic disco hit by a megastar shimmying into the big 4-0", adding that "Madonna has never sounded so loose, so lithe, so funny".
The song received a
Grammy award
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...
at the
42nd ceremony, in the category of
Best Song Written for Visual Media. It was also nominated in the category of
Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.
It was also nominated for a
Golden Globe award for
Best Original Song
This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards.
Best Actor/Best Actress
*See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress#F ...
, but lost to
Phil Collinss "
You'll Be in My Heart". At the 2000
ASCAP Pop Awards it was awarded the Most Performed Song. It also won the
Ivor Novello Award
The Ivor Novello Awards, named after the entertainer Ivor Novello, are awards for songwriting and composing. They have been presented annually in London by the Ivors Academy (formerly the BASCA) since 1956, and over 1,000 statuettes have been ...
for Most Performed Work, while also being nominated for Best Contemporary Song. The
1999 MTV Europe Music Awards also nominated the track in the category of
Best Song. "Beautiful Stranger" was nominated as Favorite Song From a Movie at the 1999
Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards.
Chart performance
In the United States, "Beautiful Stranger" debuted on the
''Billboard'' Hot 100 at number 78 on June 12, 1999. It was Madonna's first soundtrack single to chart on the Hot 100 since her rendition of "
Don't Cry for Me Argentina
"Don't Cry for Me Argentina" is a song recorded by Julie Covington for the 1976 concept album '' Evita'', later included in the 1978 musical of the same name. The song was written and composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice while they wer ...
" reached number eight in March 1997. "Beautiful Stranger" also debuted at number 28 on the
Mainstream Top 40 chart. It gradually climbed up the Hot 100 and peaked at number 19 on July 13, 1999, on the strength of radio airplay only.
Promis said that the relative low placement was due to the CD singles not being released.
"Beautiful Stranger" was successful on the ''Billboard'' dance charts, reaching number one on the
Dance Club Songs chart.
It placed at number 31 on the year-end ranking for Dance Club Songs in 1999.
In Canada, "Beautiful Stranger" was able to top both the ''
RPM'' Top Singles and Adult Contemporary charts, while also reaching a peak of number four on the Dance/Urban charts.
While the song was commercially released in Canada, it was ineligible to chart on the
Canadian Singles Chart as Warner did not submit the necessary barcode information to
Nielsen SoundScan.
In Australia, "Beautiful Stranger" debuted at number eight on the
ARIA Charts
The ARIA Charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling songs and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA became the offic ...
, and reached its peak of number five the next week, staying there for two weeks in total. It gradually descended down the charts, present within the top 50 for a total of 16 weeks.
It was certified gold by the
Australian Recording Industry Association
The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) is a trade association representing the Australian recording industry which was established in the 1970s by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing ...
(ARIA) for shipment of 35,000 copies of the single.
At the year end tabulation, the song ranked at number 34 on the Singles chart.
In New Zealand, "Beautiful Stranger" debuted at its peak position of number five. The single gradually descended down the charts, and was present for a total of 14 weeks.
In the United Kingdom the song debuted at its peak of number two on the
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
with first-week sales of over 135,000 copies. The song spent 16 weeks on the singles chart, with seven of those being within the top 20.
"Beautiful Stranger" also became one of the most played songs on
UK radio, receiving over 2,462 plays per week, breaking the previous record held by
Cher with her single "
Believe". According to the
Official Charts Company
The Official Charts (legal name: The Official UK Charts Company Limited) is a British inter-professional organization that compiles various "official" record charts in the United Kingdom, Ireland and France.
In the United Kingdom, its charts in ...
, the song has sold 535,000 copies in the United Kingdom as of August 2016 and was certified gold by the
British Phonographic Industry
British Phonographic Industry (BPI) is the British recorded music industry's Trade association. It runs the BRIT Awards, the Classic BRIT Awards, National Album Day, is home to the Mercury Prize, and co-owns the Official Charts Company with ...
(BPI).
Across Europe, "Beautiful Stranger" reached the top twenty of the charts in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, Norway, Scotland, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland, while reaching the top of the charts in Finland and Italy.
It received a silver certification in France for shipment of 125,000 copies.
The song reached a peak of number two on the
European Hot 100 Singles chart, also ranking number two in the 1999 year-end tabulation behind
Britney Spears' "
...Baby One More Time".
Music video
The song's accompanying
music video
A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device ...
was directed by
Brett Ratner and filmed at
Universal Studios
Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Americ ...
in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
in May 1999. Madonna had previously shown interest in working with Ratner after seeing his video for
D'Angelo's "
Brown Sugar
Brown sugar is unrefined or partially refined soft sugar.
Brown Sugar may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Films
* ''Brown Sugar'' (1922 film), a 1922 British silent film directed by Fred Paul
* ''Brown Sugar'' (1931 film), a 1931 ...
" (1995).
Her make-up was done by
Kevyn Aucoin
Kevyn James Aucoin (; February 14, 1962 – May 7, 2002) was an American make-up artist, photographer and author. In the 1990s, Aucoin was wholly responsible for the "sculpted" look of many celebrities and top models, including Whitney Houston, ...
, with whom she had previously worked on her music video for "
The Power of Good-Bye". According to Ratner, it was a rather jovial shooting:
Mike was in character the entire time. He and Madonna really had a great chemistry together. This video shows her absolutely hysterical sense of humour, and it's great for everyone to see that side of her. This was by far the most fun I've ever had making a video.
The video begins with Myers as
Austin Powers, receiving a call from his boss
Basil Exposition (
Michael York
Michael York OBE (born Michael Hugh Johnson; 27 March 1942) is an English film, television and stage actor. After performing on-stage with the Royal National Theatre, he had a breakthrough in films by playing Tybalt in Franco Zeffirelli's ''Ro ...
), who warns him against a dangerous spy describing her as a "master of disguise". The screen of his car depicts five images of Madonna wearing different looks, and Exposition clarifies that she has been "seducing our top agents". He also warns Powers "whatever you do don't fall in love. We've already lost
007 and 008".
As the video continues, Powers finds Madonna at a club performing in front of a crowd, which includes
Verne Troyer
Verne Jay Troyer (January 1, 1969 – April 21, 2018) was an American actor, comedian, YouTuber, and stunt performer. He was best known for his role of Mini-Me in the ''Austin Powers'' film series. He had cartilage–hair hypoplasia and was ...
in character as
Mini-Me.
As he watches her perform, Powers finds himself fantasizing about the two of them dancing in front of a white background with psychedelic fluorescent whirls. He also imagines her in the passenger seat of his car, where she dances suggestively for him and playfully teases him whilst he is driving through London at night.
According to Ratner, Myers was not comfortable with these scenes, as he felt it was too sexual and inappropriate; he even asked him to cut that particular shot. Madonna on the other hand, thought it was fun and convinced the director to keep it.
The video ends with Powers' car fantasy, with Madonna playfully stroking his cheek as he says "It's good to be me!". Author
Georges Claude Guilbert wrote in his book, ''Madonna as Postmodern Myth'', that "Beautiful Stranger" denoted one of the series of looks reinvented by Madonna around that time, and was a "radical" change from the geisha look of her previous video for "
Nothing Really Matters
"Nothing Really Matters" is a song by American singer Madonna for her seventh studio album, '' Ray of Light'' (1998). It was written by Madonna and Patrick Leonard, and was produced by the singer with William Orbit and Marius De Vries. The son ...
", released the same year.
Matthew Rettenmund wrote in his ''Encyclopedia Madonnica'' that "Madonna probably gave very little thought
ehind the video but he felt that it was better than being a "couple of steps above a clips compilation".
At the
1999 MTV Video Music Awards, the video was nominated in the categories of
Best Female Video and
Best Cinematography, and won for
Best Video from a Film
The MTV Video Music Award for Best Video from a Film was first awarded in 1987, recognizing the best videos whose songs were a part of a movie soundtrack or featured in a film. As time went on, though, music videos taken from movie soundtracks beca ...
. It also received a nomination for Best Pop Clip of the Year at the 1999
Billboard Music Video Awards. The clip won Best Cinematography and Best Make-Up at the 2000 MVPA Awards; it was also nominated for Soundtrack Video of the Year. At the 1999 VH1 Fashion Awards, the video received a nomination in the category of Most Stylish Video. The video can be found on the Madonna compilations, ''
The Video Collection 93:99'' (1999) and ''
Celebration: The Video Collection'' (2009).
Live performances and covers
Madonna performed "Beautiful Stranger" on her 2001
Drowned World Tour, where it was the fourth song on the setlist. It began with an introduction by Myers as Austin Powers on the video screens, the singer then asked the crowd "Do I make you horny?" (one of Powers' catchphrases) before performing the song. She was joined by backup singers Niki Haris and Donna DeLory, who also contributed with background vocals on the track.
Costumes for the performance included spiked
dog collar
A dog collar is a piece of material put around the neck of a dog. A collar may be used for restraint, identification, fashion, or protection. Identification tags and medical information are often placed on dog collars. Collars are often used i ...
s, Swarovski crystal-encrusted bracelets and tattered tops; Madonna herself wore a sleeveless black top, crossover top with one net sleeve, jeans with zips and bondage straps and a tartan
kilt.
The backdrop during the performance displayed scenes from the movie and psychedelic fluorescent whirls. It also featured a lost technician at the end and elements of "Soul Bossa Nova (Dim's Space-A-Nova)", another song from the film's soundtrack.
On September 15, 2001, the tour's final date, Madonna's then husband
Guy Ritchie
Guy Stuart Ritchie (born 10 September 1968) is an English film director, producer and screenwriter. His work includes British gangster films, and the ''Adaptations of Sherlock Holmes, Sherlock Holmes'' films starring Robert Downey Jr.
Ritchi ...
joined her onstage as the lost technician.
Michael Hubbard from
MusicOMH noted that "things quickly hotted up with
..'Beautiful Stranger'".
The performance on August 26, 2001, at
The Palace of Auburn Hills
The Palace of Auburn Hills, commonly referred to as the Palace, was a multi-purpose arena built in 1988 and located in Auburn Hills, Michigan. It was the home of the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association (NBA), the Detroit Shoc ...
, outside of Madonna's hometown of Detroit was recorded and released in the live
video album
A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device ...
, ''
Drowned World Tour 2001''.
On October 26, 2008, Madonna performed a snippet of "Beautiful Stranger" as the request song during the
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
stop of her
Sticky & Sweet Tour
The Sticky & Sweet Tour was the eighth concert tour by American singer Madonna, to promote her eleventh studio album, ''Hard Candy (Madonna album), Hard Candy'' (2008). It was Madonna's first major venture under a new ten-year 360 deal with Liv ...
. An
a cappella version of the song was also performed during the Nashville stop of her
Rebel Heart Tour
The Rebel Heart Tour was the tenth concert tour by American singer Madonna, staged in support of her thirteenth studio album, ''Rebel Heart'' (2015). Comprising 82 shows, the tour visited North America, Asia, Europe and Oceania. It began on S ...
in January 2016. In December 2016, Madonna performed "Beautiful Stranger" during her Madonna: Tears of a Clown, Tears of a Clown show as part of a benefit dinner for her charity, Raising Malawi, at Miami, Florida.
Jon Auer, co-founder of the American power pop band The Posies, recorded a cover of the song on his 2001 solo Extended play, EP ''6 ½''. Website Stereogum listed the cover at number five on their list of The 20 Best Indie Rock Madonna Covers. A 2007 folk music tribute compilation to Madonna, entitled ''Through the Wilderness'', features a cover of the song by Golden Animals. Australian
rock band
DMA's
DMA'S (stylised in all caps) are an Australian three-piece rock band formed in 2012 in Sydney. The band is composed of Tommy O'Dell, Matt Mason, and Johnny Took. They gained popularity for their debut single " Delete" and for their self-titled ...
covered the song during their BBC Radio 1 sessions with Annie Mac on March 8, 2016. Michelle Geslani from Consequence of Sound website praised the cover saying that it would "undoubtedly be hailed as yet another successful entry in DMA's young career" and described the cover as "easily tweaking the swirling, retro number into a psychedelic, arena-ready anthem". Michael Carr from ''Music Feeds'' magazine also praised the cover saying "Lending itself surprisingly well to the boys’ shoegazey brit pop treatment, the lads absolutely nail it... To be honest though, they kind of won on song choice alone".
Most recently, American punk band Skating Polly released a cover of the song on the 2020 re-release of their album, The Make It All Show, as one of the bonus tracks. The band had previously covered the song on their 2016 tour.
Track listing and formats
* US 12-inch promo vinyl 1
# "Beautiful Stranger" (Calderone Club Mix) – 10:12
# "Beautiful Stranger" (Calderone Radio Mix) – 4:00
# "Beautiful Stranger" (New Club Edit) – 5:12
# "Beautiful Stranger" (LP Version) – 4:22
* US 12-inch promo vinyl 2
# "Beautiful Stranger" (Calderone Club Mix) – 10:13
# "Beautiful Stranger" (Album Version) – 4:21
# "Beautiful Stranger" (Calderone Radio Mix) – 4:04
# "Beautiful Stranger" (Calderone Dub Mix) – 6:22
* US and UK promo CD
# "Beautiful Stranger" (William Orbit Radio Edit) – 3:58
# "Beautiful Stranger" (LP Version) – 4:22
* UK 7-inch and cassette single, European 2-track CD
# "Beautiful Stranger" (LP Version) – 4:22
# "Beautiful Stranger" (Calderone Radio Mix) – 4:00
* European, UK, Japanese, and Australian CD single
# "Beautiful Stranger" (LP Version) – 4:22
# "Beautiful Stranger" (Calderone Club Mix) – 10:12
# "Beautiful Stranger" (Calderone Radio Mix) – 4:00
* Digital single
# "Beautiful Stranger" (Calderone Club Mix) – 10:12
# "Beautiful Stranger" (Calderone Dub Mix) – 6:21
# "Beautiful Stranger" (Calderone Radio Mix) – 4:03
# "Beautiful Stranger" (New Club Edit) – 5:13
# "Beautiful Stranger" (William Orbit Radio Edit) – 3:56
Credits and personnel
Credits and personnel are adapted from ''Beautiful Stranger'' promo single liner notes.
*
Madonna – Singing, vocals, songwriter, record producer, producer
*
William Orbit – songwriter, producer, guitar, keyboards
*
Victor Calderone
Victor Calderone (born March 20, 1967 in Brooklyn, New York, United States) is an American electronic music producer, DJ and remixer.
Biography
Raised in the Bensonhurst section of Brooklyn, Calderone was introduced into New York City's nightlif ...
– additional producer, remixer
* Emma Fowler –
flute
* Damian LeGassick – keyboards, Programming (music), programming
*
Pat McCarthy – Audio engineer, engineering
*
Mark Endert
Mark Endert is a Grammy award winning American music producer, mixer, arranger and musician.
Biography
From the early 1990s to the present, Endert is credited on albums spanning a wide array of musical genres with sales totaling more than 90 mil ...
– engineering
* Dave Chelsea – engineering
* Jeff Gregmay – assistant engineering
* Wassim Zartek – assistant engineering
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Certifications and sales
See also
* List of number-one singles of 1999 (Canada)
* List of number-one singles of 1999 (Finland)
* List of number-one hits of 1999 (Italy)
* List of number-one dance singles of 1999 (U.S.)
References
Bibliography
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External links
*
{{Authority control
1999 singles
1999 songs
Grammy Award for Best Song Written for Visual Media
Madonna songs
Number-one singles in Finland
Number-one singles in Iceland
Number-one singles in Italy
Psychedelic pop songs
RPM Top Singles number-one singles
Songs written for films
Songs written by Madonna
Songs written by William Orbit
Song recordings produced by Madonna
Song recordings produced by William Orbit