Take a Bow (Madonna song)
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"Take a Bow" is a song by American singer
Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...
from her sixth studio album, '' Bedtime Stories'' (1994). It was released as the album's second
single Single may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Single (music), a song release Songs * "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004 * "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008 * "Single" (William Wei song), 2016 * "Single", by ...
on December 6, 1994, by
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 ...
. It is a midtempo pop ballad written and produced by Madonna and
Babyface Babyface or Baby Face can refer to: Nicknames * Lester Joseph Gillis a.k.a. Baby Face Nelson, an infamous 1930s bank robber * Roosevelt "Baby Face" Willette (1933–1971), an American hard bop and soul-jazz musician * "Baby Face", Jimmy McLarnin ...
. Following the sexually explicit persona portrayed by Madonna on her previous album, ''
Erotica Erotica is literature or art that deals substantively with subject matter that is erotic, sexually stimulating or sexually arousing. Some critics regard pornography as a type of erotica, but many consider it to be different. Erotic art may use a ...
'', she wanted to tone down her image for ''Bedtime Stories''. Experimenting with a new musical direction and a more radio-friendly sound, Madonna decided to collaborate with Babyface, whose work with other musicians had impressed her. "Take a Bow" was developed after she listened to the basic beat and chords of a piece of music composed by him. Recorded at
The Hit Factory The Hit Factory is a recording studio in New York City owned and operated by Troy Germano. History On March 6, 1975, Edward Germano, a singer, record producer, and one of the principal owners of the Record Plant Studios New York, purchased the ...
Studios in New York, "Take a Bow" was backed by a full
orchestra An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families. There are typically four main sections of instruments: * bowed string instruments, such as the violin, viola, c ...
. It was also the first time that Babyface had worked with live
strings String or strings may refer to: *String (structure), a long flexible structure made from threads twisted together, which is used to tie, bind, or hang other objects Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Strings'' (1991 film), a Canadian anim ...
, per Madonna's suggestion. "Take a Bow" lyrically talks about unrequited love and Madonna saying goodbye. It received favorable reviews 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 its soulful, poetic lyrics. The single topped the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart for seven weeks, becoming Madonna's 11th chart-topper. She broke
Carole King Carole King Klein (born Carol Joan Klein; February 9, 1942) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician who has been active since 1958, initially as one of the staff songwriters at 1650 Broadway and later as a solo artist. Regarded as one ...
's three-decade-long record as the female songwriter with the most number-one songs, a record which was later broken by
Mariah Carey Mariah Carey (; born March 27, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and record producer. Referred to as the " Songbird Supreme", she is noted for her five-octave vocal range, melismatic singing style and signature use of the whi ...
. "Take a Bow" also reached number one in Canada and the top ten in Finland, Switzerland, and New Zealand. However, it became her first single to miss the UK top ten since 1984, peaking at number 16. The music video for "Take a Bow" was directed by
Michael Haussman Michael Haussman is an American director, writer, and artist, living in Rome, Italy. Career Michael Haussman's music videos have won several awards, including six MTV Video Music Awards and a Museum of Modern Art Award. Past films include: ...
, and was filmed in
Ronda Ronda () is a town in the Spanish province of Málaga. It is located about west of the city of Málaga, within the autonomous community of Andalusia. Its population is about 35,000. Ronda is known for its cliff-side location and a deep chasm ...
, Spain. The video depicts Madonna as a
bullfighter A bullfighter (or matador) is a performer in the activity of bullfighting. ''Torero'' () or ''toureiro'' (), both from Latin ''taurarius'', are the Spanish and Portuguese words for bullfighter and describe all the performers in the activit ...
's (played by real-life Spanish bullfighter
Emilio Muñoz Emilio Muñoz (born 22 May 1962) is a Spanish film actor and bullfighter. Early life Muñoz was born in Seville, Spain. Career Bullfighting Muñoz seriously injured his right leg while fighting a bull in the late summer of 1999. As of Septem ...
) neglected lover, yearning for his love. It won the
Best Female Video The MTV Video Music Award for Best Female Video is one of the original general awards that has been handed out every year since the first annual MTV Video Music Awards in 1984. In 2007, however, the award was briefly renamed Female Artist of the Y ...
award at the 1995 MTV Video Music Awards. Journalistic and academic analysis of the video included its plotline, usage of religious iconography, themes and motifs of feminism and submission, as well as its impact on contemporary music videos. In order to promote ''Bedtime Stories'', Madonna performed "Take a Bow" on a few occasions, including live with Babyface at the 1995 American Music Awards. In 2016, she added the song to the setlist of the Asian and Oceanian legs 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 ...
and her one-off Melbourne concert Madonna: Tears of a Clown.


Background and release

Following the release of Madonna's first book publication, ''
Sex Sex is the trait that determines whether a sexually reproducing animal or plant produces male or female gametes. Male plants and animals produce smaller mobile gametes (spermatozoa, sperm, pollen), while females produce larger ones (ova, oft ...
'', the erotic thriller, '' Body of Evidence'', her fifth studio album, ''
Erotica Erotica is literature or art that deals substantively with subject matter that is erotic, sexually stimulating or sexually arousing. Some critics regard pornography as a type of erotica, but many consider it to be different. Erotic art may use a ...
'', as well as her infamous TV interview with
David Letterman David Michael Letterman (born April 12, 1947) is an American television host, comedian, writer and producer. He hosted late night television talk shows for 33 years, beginning with the February 1, 1982 debut of ''Late Night with David Letterman' ...
in the early-to-mid 1990s, the media and public's backlash against Madonna's overtly sexual image was at a peak. Madonna wanted to tone down her explicit image. Her first attempt was to release the tender ballad "
I'll Remember "I'll Remember" is a song by American singer Madonna for the 1994 film '' With Honors''. It was released by Maverick and Warner Bros. Records on March 8, 1994, as the lead single from the film's soundtrack album. It was a radical change in i ...
" from the soundtrack of the film '' With Honors''. Musically, she wanted to move in a new musical direction and started exploring new-jack R&B styles with a generally mainstream, radio-friendly sound. This would eventually become her sixth studio album, '' Bedtime Stories'', released in October 1994. In author
Fred Bronson Fredric M. "Fred" Bronson (born January 10, 1949) is an American journalist, author and writer. He is the author of books related to #1 songs on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart and other books related to various music charts as well. He is also k ...
's ''The Billboard Book of Number 1 Hits'', Madonna explained:
The idea going in was to juxtapose my singing style with a hardcore hip-hop sensibility and have the finished product still sound like a Madonna record. I began the process by meeting with the hip-hop producers whose work I most admired. It was important, if I were to use a variety of collaborators, that the end product sound cohesive and thematically whole. I wasn't interested in the variety pack approach.
After searching for prospective collaborators, Madonna chose to work with
Babyface Babyface or Baby Face can refer to: Nicknames * Lester Joseph Gillis a.k.a. Baby Face Nelson, an infamous 1930s bank robber * Roosevelt "Baby Face" Willette (1933–1971), an American hard bop and soul-jazz musician * "Baby Face", Jimmy McLarnin ...
, whose previous work with artists like
Whitney Houston Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer and actress. Nicknamed "The Voice", she is one of the bestselling music artists of all time, with sales of over 200 million records worldwide. Houston in ...
,
Boyz II Men Boyz II Men (pronounced ''boys to men''), also known as B2M, is an American vocal harmony group from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, best known for emotional ballads and a cappella harmonies. They are currently a trio composed of baritone Nathan M ...
, and
Toni Braxton Toni Michele Braxton (born October 7, 1967) is an American Contemporary R&B, R&B singer, songwriter, actress and television personality. She has sold over 70 million records worldwide and is one of the best-selling female artists in history. ...
had resulted in successful smooth R&B songs. She was also fond of Babyface's song, "
When Can I See You "When Can I See You" is the fifth single from the Babyface album ''For the Cool in You'' (1993). Released in 1994, the song became Babyface's highest-charting single on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart, peaking at #4. The song also peaked at #6 o ...
" from his third studio album ''
For the Cool in You ''For the Cool in You'' is the third studio album by American R&B musician and songwriter Babyface. The album was released on August 24, 1993. The album reached number sixteen on the US ''Billboard'' 200 and at number two on the Top R&B Albums ...
'' (1994). The singer's management called Babyface to set up a meeting and see if they wanted to work together. Once met, both were surprised by their camaraderie and wanted to write songs. Madonna came over to Babyface's house and after a couple of days they came up with two songs. One of them was based on a piece of music composed by Babyface, but he was not sure about its musical direction. He made Madonna listen to the composition, and she found a way to take the song forward. Babyface clarified that " was just a beat and the chords. From there we collaborated and built it up... I was living in Beverly Hills and I created a little studio in my house, so she came over there to write." Together they agreed that the first line of the song should be its title, and "Take a Bow" was written. The words were never repeated in the track again. "Take a Bow" was released as the second single from ''Bedtime Stories'' on December 6, 1994, following "
Secret Secrecy is the practice of hiding information from certain individuals or groups who do not have the "need to know", perhaps while sharing it with other individuals. That which is kept hidden is known as the secret. Secrecy is often controvers ...
". The
maxi single A maxi single or maxi-single (sometimes abbreviated to MCD or CDM) is a music single release with more than the usual two tracks of an A-side song and a B-side song. The first maxi singles Mungo Jerry's first single, "In the Summertime" was the ...
release of the song included two remixes. According to Jose F. Promis of
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 databas ...
, the first remix, known as the "In Da Soul" mix, gives the ballad a funkier, more urban feel while the second remix, known as the "Silky Soul Mix", is a little more "quiet storm" and "melancholy" than the first. On December 17, 2021, Madonna released the "Take a Bow" EP to all digital and streaming outlets.


Recording and composition

"Take a Bow" was recorded at
The Hit Factory The Hit Factory is a recording studio in New York City owned and operated by Troy Germano. History On March 6, 1975, Edward Germano, a singer, record producer, and one of the principal owners of the Record Plant Studios New York, purchased the ...
studios, New York, and was
mastered Mastering, a form of audio post production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device (the master), the source from which all copies will be produced (via meth ...
and mixed at
Sterling Sound Studios Ted Jensen (born September 19, 1954) is an American mastering engineer, known for having mastered many recordings, including the Eagles' ''Hotel California'', Green Day's '' American Idiot'' and Norah Jones' ''Come Away with Me''. Biography T ...
, New York. Babyface recalled that he was nervous about recording with Madonna, since he feared that Madonna was a "perfectionist" in the studio, and that would ultimately be time-consuming for the whole process. However, it was one of the fastest recording and mixing, each brought lyrics and melodies, singing them back and forth. The song was backed by full orchestral strings and was also the first time that Babyface had worked with live
strings String or strings may refer to: *String (structure), a long flexible structure made from threads twisted together, which is used to tie, bind, or hang other objects Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Strings'' (1991 film), a Canadian anim ...
. He recalled that using strings in the song was " adonna'ssuggestion, and it was
Nellee Hooper Nellee Hooper (born Paul Andrew Hooper on 15 March 1963) is a British record producer, remixer and songwriter known for his work with many major recording artists beginning in the late 1980s. He also debuted as a motion picture music composer w ...
who actually rranged the strings She had worked with them before but for me it was a new experience". Along with Hooper, Jessie Leavey, Craig Armstrong and Suzie Katayama also worked on the strings and conducting. "Take a Bow" was written and produced by Madonna and Babyface, and is a midtempo pop R&B
soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun ''soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest attes ...
ballad with Japanese musical influences, like that of
Kyu Sakamoto was a Japanese singer and actor. He was best known outside Japan for his international hit song "Ue o Muite Arukō" (known as "Sukiyaki" in English-speaking markets), which was sung in Japanese and sold over 13 million copies. It reached number ...
's 1961 song, "
Sukiyaki is a Japanese dish that is prepared and served in the ''nabemono'' (Japanese hot pot) style. It consists of meat (usually thinly sliced beef) which is slowly cooked or simmered at the table, alongside vegetables and other ingredients, in ...
". It begins with sounds of oriental
pentatonic A pentatonic scale is a musical scale with five notes per octave, in contrast to the heptatonic scale, which has seven notes per octave (such as the major scale and minor scale). Pentatonic scales were developed independently by many ancie ...
strings, giving the impression of Chinese or Japanese opera. The verses consist of a descending chord sequence, containing twists at the end. Madonna's vocals are in a "sleepy languid mood" that is characteristic of the songs from ''Bedtime Stories''. The lyrics during the
chorus Chorus may refer to: Music * Chorus (song) or refrain, line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse * Chorus effect, the perception of similar sounds from multiple sources as a single, richer sound * Chorus form, song in which all verse ...
talk about Madonna saying goodbye to a lover, who had taken her for granted. The title plays upon the verse in the song "all the world is a stage and everyone has their part", a reference to a line by
William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
in his play ''
As You Like It ''As You Like It'' is a pastoral comedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written in 1599 and first published in the First Folio in 1623. The play's first performance is uncertain, though a performance at Wilton House in 1603 has b ...
'', "
All the world's a stage "All the world's a stage" is the phrase that begins a monologue from William Shakespeare's pastoral comedy ''As You Like It'', spoken by the melancholy Jaques in Act II Scene VII Line 139. The speech compares the world to a stage and life to a ...
, and all the men and women mere players". In his book '' Madonna: An Intimate Biography'', author J. Randy Taraborrelli describes the song as a "somber, sarcastic, all-the-world's-a-stage song about unrequited love... bout a subjectwhose phoniness might have fooled everyone else, but not her." He goes on to say that in the song Madonna tells the subject of her unrequited love to take a bow for "rendering a great, transparent performance in life and love." Alongside the betrayal of her lover, the lyrics also talk about Madonna trying to understand the reasons behind
adultery Adultery (from Latin ''adulterium'') is extramarital sex that is considered objectionable on social, religious, moral, or legal grounds. Although the sexual activities that constitute adultery vary, as well as the social, religious, and legal ...
. As the song progresses, the listener realizes that through the lyrics the singer was talking about herself—"One lonely star and you don't know who you are". According to Musicnotes.com, the song has a moderate calypso feel and is set in the time signature of
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 value ...
and progresses in 80
beats per minute Beat, beats or beating may refer to: Common uses * Patrol, or beat, a group of personnel assigned to monitor a specific area ** Beat (police), the territory that a police officer patrols ** Gay beat, an area frequented by gay men * Battery ( ...
. The composition is set in the
key Key or The Key may refer to: Common meanings * Key (cryptography), a piece of information that controls the operation of a cryptography algorithm * Key (lock), device used to control access to places or facilities restricted by a lock * Key (map ...
of
A major A major (or the key of A) is a major scale based on A, with the pitches A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. Its key signature has three sharps. Its relative minor is F-sharp minor and its parallel minor is A minor. The key of A major is the only k ...
with Madonna's vocal ranging from E3 to C5. "Take a Bow" contains a basic sequence of A–Bm7/E–A–Fmaj7 during the opening strings, and A–A/G–Fm7 during the verses as its
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 ...
.


Critical reception

Upon release, "Take a Bow" received general acclaim from critics. Peter Calvin from '' The Advocate'' praised the lyrical flow of the song, saying that the "effect is truly heartbreaking. The song... shows that ultimately Madonna... is just like you and me".
Stephen Thomas Erlewine Stephen Thomas Erlewine (; born June 18, 1973) is an American music critic and senior editor for the online music database AllMusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for AllMusic, as well as a freelance writer, occ ...
of
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 databas ...
referred to "Take a Bow" as "tremendous", listing it as one of the best songs from ''Bedtime Stories'' and stating that it "slowly works its melodies into the subconscious as the bass pulses". He goes on to say that it "offer an antidote to ''Erotica'', which was filled with deep but cold grooves". Louis Virtel, from
TheBacklot.com TheBacklot.com (TheBacklot), founded in January 2005 as AfterElton.com (AfterElton), was a culture website that focused on the portrayal of gay and bisexuality, bisexual men in the Mass media, media and was the companion site of AfterEllen.com (Af ...
, placed "Take a Bow" at number 27 of his list "The 100 Greatest Madonna Songs". He wrote; "Madonna's most successful single to date is a melancholic evisceration of a lover's artifice, and its hopeless plain-spokenness makes it one of the finest examples of 90s balladry".
J. D. Considine J. D. Considine (born 1957) is a music critic who has been writing about music professionally since 1977. Background J. D. Considine's work has been published in numerous newspapers and music magazines, and he has contributed to several books. ...
of ''
The Baltimore Sun ''The Baltimore Sun'' is the largest general-circulation daily newspaper based in the U.S. state of Maryland and provides coverage of local and regional news, events, issues, people, and industries. Founded in 1837, it is currently owned by Tr ...
'' stated that the song, about "innocent romance" has a "gently cascading melody". In his review of ''Bedtime Stories'', ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
''s Paul Verna called it a "holiday feast for Top 40, rhythm crossover, and AC". Reviewing the single, ''Billboard'' gave the single a particularly positive review; "The follow-up to the top five smash '
Secret Secrecy is the practice of hiding information from certain individuals or groups who do not have the "need to know", perhaps while sharing it with other individuals. That which is kept hidden is known as the secret. Secrecy is often controvers ...
' ..is as perfect as top 40 fare gets. This single has a delightful, immediately memorable melody and chorus, engaging romance-novel lyrics and a lead vocal that is both sweet and quietly soulful. A lovely way for adonnato kick out '95". In his 2011 review of ''Bedtime Stories'', Brett Callwood of the ''
Detroit Metro Times The ''Detroit Metro Times'' is a progressive alternative weekly located in Detroit, Michigan. It is the largest circulating weekly newspaper in the metro Detroit area. History and content Supported entirely by advertising, it is distributed f ...
'' called the song "spectacular". Writing for ''
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 cul ...
'', Chuck Arnold called it "one of the most elegant, most un-Madonna-sounding things she’s ever done". While ranking Madonna's singles in honor of her 60th birthday,
Jude Rogers Jude Rogers (born 1978) is a Welsh journalist, lecturer, arts critic and broadcaster. She is a music critic for ''The Guardian'' and also regularly writes features and articles for ''The Observer'', ''New Statesman'' and women's magazines such a ...
from ''
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 ...
'' placed the track at number 38, calling it a "compellingly cinematic orchestral drama". 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 ...
'', placed it at number 19 of his list "The Definitive Ranking Of Madonna Singles", calling it her "most poetic ballad". Bianca Gracie from ''
Idolator An idolator is a practitioner of idolatry. Idolater or Idolator may also refer to: Books *''Os Idólatras'', 1968 Portuguese novel by Maria Judite de Carvalho Music * Idolator (website), an American music blog * ''Idolator'' (album), third album ...
'' noted it as a "timeless ballad", adding that it "has warm strings and soaring harmonies with a hint of tragedy from Madonna’s somber vocals, which makes the end result all the more beautiful." Music writer
James Masterton James Masterton (born 2 September 1973) is a music writer and columnist, his work focusing on the UK Singles Chart having been an online fixture on various sites since the 1990s. Masterton is also a producer for talkSPORT, and has worked on air ...
said it is "arguably one of Madonna's best records for ages". Pan-European magazine ''
Music & Media ''Music & Media'' was a pan-European magazine for radio, music and entertainment. It was published for the first time in 1984 as ''Eurotipsheet'', but in 1986 it changed name to ''Music & Media''. It was originally based in Amsterdam, but later ...
'' deemed it "an elegant ballad, a perfect alternative to prosaic lullabies." They added, "The intro could be mistaken for jingle bells and fits in well with the season." A reviewer from ''
Music Week ''Music Week'' is a trade publication for the UK record industry distributed via a website and a monthly print magazine. It is published by Future. History Founded in 1959 as '' Record Retailer'', it relaunched on 18 March 1972 as ''Music W ...
'' gave it five out of five, calling it "an old-fashioned ballad, full of sweeping violin and vaguely oriental sounds. A natural single for Christmas." John Kilgo from ''The Network Forty'' described it as "sexy and smooth". ''
NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...
''s Alex Needham, opined it was a "gorgeously constructed song by any standards".
NPR National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other ...
Multimedia senior producer Keith Jenkins gave a positive review of the song, stating that it "washes over you and gets your blood boiling. You may not walk on water after hearing it, but you may want to get your focus back by walking on broken glass". Enio Chiola of ''
PopMatters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, fi ...
'', included the song on his list of "Top 15 Madonna Singles of All Time". He opined that " Take a Bow'features a more demure Madonna, confident in her termination of a doomed relationship, and the music is accented by characteristically Asian orchestration and lovely poetic lyrics", concluding that " adonnaquickly learned that the way back into the public's collective hearts was to focus more attention on the music than on the frankness of her sexual image". ''Encyclopedia Madonnica'' writer
Matthew Rettenmund Matthew Rettenmund (born December 25, 1968) is the author of the novels '' Boy Culture'' and ''Blind Items: A (Love) Story'', as well as the non-fiction books ''Encyclopedia Madonnica'', ''Totally Awesome '80s'', and ''Hilary Duff: All Access''. He ...
called it a "sentimental ballad with showbiz theme" while finding similarities in the song to that of "
Superstar A superstar is someone who has great popular appeal and is widely known, prominent, or successful in their field. Celebrities referred to as "superstars" may include individuals who work as actors, musicians, athletes, and other media-based profe ...
" by
The Carpenters The Carpenters (officially known as Carpenters) were an American vocal and instrumental duo consisting of siblings Karen Carpenter, Karen (1950–1983) and Richard Carpenter (musician), Richard Carpenter (born 1946). They produced a distinct ...
. Rikky Rooksby, author of ''The Complete Guide to the Music of Madonna'', was less impressed with the track. Although he felt that it sounded "shockingly normal" after the "ambient '
Bedtime Story A bedtime story is a traditional form of storytelling, where a story is told to a child at bedtime to prepare the child for sleep. The bedtime story has long been considered "a definite institution in many families".Dickson, Marguerite Stockm ...
'", he found the song's length as over-long and deduced it to be "communica
ing Ing, ING or ing may refer to: Art and media * '' ...ing'', a 2003 Korean film * i.n.g, a Taiwanese girl group * The Ing, a race of dark creatures in the 2004 video game '' Metroid Prime 2: Echoes'' * "Ing", the first song on The Roches' 1992 ...
no sense whatsoever of the pain of a real goodbye." ''
Slant Magazine ''Slant Magazine'' is an American online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York ...
''s Sal Cinquemani, called it "syrupy and bittersweet". In his book, ''Madonna: An Intimate Biography'', J. Randy Taraborrelli called it a "melancholy and beautifully executed ballad". James Hunter from ''
Vibe ''Vibe'' is an American music and entertainment magazine founded by producers David Salzman and Quincy Jones. The publication predominantly features R&B and hip hop music artists, actors and other entertainers. After shutting down productio ...
'' deemed it "a
New Soul "New Soul" is a song by the French-Israeli R&B/soul singer Yael Naïm, from her self-titled second album. The song gained popularity in the United States following its use by Apple in an advertisement for their MacBook Air laptop. In the song ...
masterpiece". Author Chris Wade wrote in his book ''The Music of Madonna'' that "Take a Bow" was a standout from the album. He complimented Madonna and Babyface's vocals, while calling the music "stunning". He declared it as one of the singer's "purest songs, totally free of any gimmicks, self-consciousness or knowing sexual references; a graceful end to the album."


Chart performance

"Take a Bow" was a commercial success in the United States, topping the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart. It was Madonna's second number-one single since ''Billboard'' started using
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and
Nielsen BDS Broadcast Data Systems (also known as BDS or Luminate BDS), is a service that tracks radio, television and internet airplay of songs. The service, which is a unit of MRC Data, is a contributing factor to North American charts published by co-owned ...
data to tabulate its charts; the first being "
This Used to Be My Playground "This Used to Be My Playground" is a song recorded by American singer Madonna. It is the theme for the film ''A League of Their Own'', which starred Madonna, and portrayed a fictionalized account of the real-life All-American Girls Profession ...
". Topping the chart for seven weeks, it is her longest-running number-one on this chart. It was her 11th single to top the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and her 23rd top five entry; both records for a female artist. With the song reaching number one, she ranked fourth on the list of artists with the most number ones on the chart, behind
the Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...
,
Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...
and the jointly ranked
Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...
and
the Supremes The Supremes were an American girl group and a premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s. Founded as the Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, the Supremes were the most commercially successful of Motown's acts and the most successful ...
. With a writing credit in nine chart-toppers, Madonna became the female songwriter with the most number-one songs at that time, overtaking
Carole King Carole King Klein (born Carol Joan Klein; February 9, 1942) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician who has been active since 1958, initially as one of the staff songwriters at 1650 Broadway and later as a solo artist. Regarded as one ...
, who had held the record for more than 30 years. It charted for a total of 30 weeks, tying with " Borderline" as Madonna's longest-running song on the Hot 100. In 2013, ''Billboard'' allocated "Take a Bow" the number four spot on its list of "Madonna's Biggest Billboard Hits", declaring it her second most successful single of the 1990s after "
Vogue Vogue may refer to: Business * ''Vogue'' (magazine), a US fashion magazine ** British ''Vogue'', a British fashion magazine ** ''Vogue Arabia'', an Arab fashion magazine ** ''Vogue Australia'', an Australian fashion magazine ** ''Vogue China'', ...
". "Take a Bow" became Madonna's fifth number-one on the
Adult Contemporary Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul, R&B, quie ...
chart in the United States, following "
Live to Tell "Live to Tell" is a song by American singer Madonna from her third studio album '' True Blue'' (1986). The song was originally composed by Patrick Leonard as an instrumental for the score of Paramount's film '' Fire with Fire'', but Paramount re ...
", "
La Isla Bonita "La Isla Bonita" is a song by American singer Madonna from her third studio album '' True Blue'' (1986). Written and produced by Madonna and Patrick Leonard, with additional lyrics by Bruce Gaitsch, the song was originally presented by Leonard ...
", " Cherish", and "
I'll Remember "I'll Remember" is a song by American singer Madonna for the 1994 film '' With Honors''. It was released by Maverick and Warner Bros. Records on March 8, 1994, as the lead single from the film's soundtrack album. It was a radical change in i ...
". It was number one for nine weeks. The song is also notable as Madonna's last single to make the top 40 of the US R&B chart. It also topped the
Mainstream Top 40 Pop Airplay (also called Mainstream Top 40, Pop Songs, and Top 40/contemporary hit radio, CHR) is a 40-song music chart published weekly by Billboard (magazine), ''Billboard'' Magazine that ranks the most popular songs of pop music being played o ...
chart, and reached number four on the
Rhythmic Rhythmic may refer to: * Related to rhythm * Rhythmic contemporary, a radio format * Rhythmic adult contemporary, a radio format * Rhythmic gymnastics, a form of gymnastics * Rhythmic (chart) The Rhythmic chart (also called Rhythmic Airplay, and ...
chart. On February 27, 1995, the single was certified
gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile met ...
by the
Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
(RIAA) and according to ''Billboard'', it was one of the best selling singles of 1995, selling 500,000 copies that year. With "Take a Bow"'s certification, Madonna ranked with
Janet Jackson Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreog ...
as the female artists with the most gold certified singles. In Canada the song debuted at number 85 on the ''RPM'' Singles Chart, and reached the top after 11 weeks, becoming Madonna's 12th number-one single in that country. "Take a Bow" charted for 25 weeks and placed at number three on the ''RPM'' year-end ranking. It also reached number one on the ''RPM'' Adult Contemporary chart. "Take a Bow" peaked at number 16 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 ...
. This ended Madonna's record-holding string of 35 consecutive top-ten singles on the chart, from " Like a Virgin" (1984) to "
Secret Secrecy is the practice of hiding information from certain individuals or groups who do not have the "need to know", perhaps while sharing it with other individuals. That which is kept hidden is known as the secret. Secrecy is often controvers ...
" (1994). 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 inc ...
, the single has sold 102,739 copies in the United Kingdom, as of August 2008. "It should be a source of shame akin to Britain's poisonous beef and pathetic railways that the dreadful ' Hanky Panky' was purchased in such droves that it reached Number 2"," grumbled
Stuart Maconie Stuart Maconie (born 13 August 1961) is an English radio DJ and television presenter, writer, journalist, and critic working in the field of pop music and popular culture. He is currently a presenter on BBC Radio 6 Music where, alongside Mark ...
, "whilst only buying sufficient of the wonderful 'Take a Bow' to propel it to a measly Number 16." In Australia, "Take a Bow" debuted on the
ARIA Singles Chart 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 offici ...
at number 21 on December 25, 1994, eventually peaking at number 15. It remained on the chart for 17 weeks. The song peaked at number two on the
Italian Singles Chart The Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana (FIMI) is an umbrella organization that keeps track of virtually all aspects of the music recording industry in Italy. It was established in 1992, when major corporate labels left the previously exist ...
; number eight on the
Swiss Singles Chart The Swiss Hitparade (german: link=no, Schweizer Hitparade) is Switzerland's main Record chart, music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland. The Swiss charts include: * ...
; and number nine on the
New Zealand Singles Chart The Official New Zealand Music Chart ( mi, Te Papa Tātai Waiata Matua o Aotearoa) is the weekly New Zealand top 40 singles and albums charts, issued weekly by Recorded Music NZ (formerly Recording Industry Association of New Zealand). The Music ...
, spending 13 weeks on the latter chart.


Music video


Background and release

The
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 promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a m ...
for "Take a Bow" was directed by
Michael Haussman Michael Haussman is an American director, writer, and artist, living in Rome, Italy. Career Michael Haussman's music videos have won several awards, including six MTV Video Music Awards and a Museum of Modern Art Award. Past films include: ...
and is a lavish period-style piece, filmed November 3–8, 1994, in
Ronda Ronda () is a town in the Spanish province of Málaga. It is located about west of the city of Málaga, within the autonomous community of Andalusia. Its population is about 35,000. Ronda is known for its cliff-side location and a deep chasm ...
and in the bullring of
Antequera Antequera () is a city and municipality in the Comarca de Antequera, province of Málaga, part of the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia. It is known as "the heart of Andalusia" (''el corazón de Andalucía'') because of its central locat ...
, Spain. In the video, Madonna wore a fitted, classic suit by British fashion designer
John Galliano John Charles Galliano (born 28 November 1960) is a British fashion designer from Gibraltar. He was the creative director of his eponymous label John Galliano and French fashion houses Givenchy and Dior. Since 2014, Galliano has been the creat ...
. The costumes worn by Madonna in the video were created by stylist
Lori Goldstein Lori Goldstein is an American fashion stylist, editor, designer of LOGO by Lori Goldstein for QVC, and author of 'Lori Goldstein: Style Is Instinct'. She has frequently collaborated with photographers Steven Meisel and Annie Leibovitz, creating ...
, who received the VH1 Fashion and Media award for best styling. Other designers who provided clothing included
Donatella Versace Donatella Francesca Versace (; born 2 May 1955) is an Italian fashion designer, businesswoman, socialite, and model. She is the sister of Gianni Versace, founder of the luxury fashion company Versace, with whom she worked closely on the developm ...
and a then-unknown
Christian Louboutin Christian Louboutin (; born 7 January 1963) is a French fashion designer whose high-end stiletto footwear incorporates shiny, red-lacquered soles that have become his signature. Initially a freelance designer for fashion houses, he started hi ...
. Madonna had a 1940s style on her, with tight corset, silk dresses and a black-veiled hat. The plot of the video was set in the 1940s, depicting Madonna as a neglected lover of a
bullfighter A bullfighter (or matador) is a performer in the activity of bullfighting. ''Torero'' () or ''toureiro'' (), both from Latin ''taurarius'', are the Spanish and Portuguese words for bullfighter and describe all the performers in the activit ...
, played by real-life Spanish actor and bullfighter
Emilio Muñoz Emilio Muñoz (born 22 May 1962) is a Spanish film actor and bullfighter. Early life Muñoz was born in Seville, Spain. Career Bullfighting Muñoz seriously injured his right leg while fighting a bull in the late summer of 1999. As of Septem ...
. Madonna's character yearns for the bullfighter's presence, with erotic heartbreak. In an interview with MTV's
Kurt Loder Kurtis Loder (born May 5, 1945) is an American entertainment critic, author, columnist, and television personality. He served in the 1980s as editor at ''Rolling Stone'', during a tenure that ''Reason'' later called "legendary". He has contribute ...
on the set of the music video, Madonna said that when she was initially writing "Take a Bow" the inspiration for the song was an actor, but she wanted the male character in the video to be a matador instead because she wanted the video to be about an "obsessive, tragic love story that doesn't work out in the end" and a matador would be more visually effective in expressing the emotion of the song. Madonna arrived in Ronda in November 1994 with a team of 60 people and wanted to shoot at the bullrings in the city. However, her request was rejected by the Real Maestranza de Caballería of Ronda (Royal Cavalry Brotherhood of Ronda), who considered it as a desecration of the arenas if Madonna would have filmed there, since her name at that time was associated with provocative imagery. Also, Madonna had to give up shooting around the city's square due to high economic demands of its owner, former bullfighter
Antonio Ordóñez Antonio Ordóñez Araujo (16 February 1932 – 19 December 1998) was a Spanish bullfighter. Early life Antonio Jiménez Ordóñez Araujo was born in Ronda, Spain, on 16 February 1932. His father was Cayetano Ordóñez, called ''Niño de la Pal ...
who demanded 17 million ( in 1994). Later it was clarified that Madonna was refused due to unknown moral reasons from the Brotherhood, who accused the media of making free publicity on the singer's behalf. The refusal generated controversy in Ronda, whose political groups believed that allowing the video to be shot within its precipices would be great promotion for the city. Madonna later obtained permit to shoot inside the palace of the Marquis of
Salvatierra Salvatierra may refer to: Places ;Mexico * Salvatierra, Guanajuato, a municipality in the state of Guanajuato ;Spain * Salvatierra (comarca), a subcomarca of Guijuelo in the province of Salamanca, Castile and León * Berrocal de Salvatierra, a mun ...
. Bullfighting scenes were shot at the
Plaza de Toros de Ronda The Plaza de Toros de Ronda is a Bullring in Ronda, it has a diameter of , surrounded by a passage formed by two rings of stone. There are two layers of seating, each with five raised rows and 136 pillars that make up 68 arches. The Royal Box has ...
(The Toros Plaza of Ronda), where Muñoz acted alongside three fighting bulls. The actor was paid ₧7 million ( in 1994) for participating in the video. The music video was released on November 22, 1994, on
MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
. It was also part of VH1's relaunching promotional campaigns, where the channel used the video in its trio of 30 second commercials titled "The New VH1". The commercial showed a couple in a vintage
porsche Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, usually shortened to Porsche (; see #Pronunciation, below), is a German automobile manufacturer specializing in high-performance sports cars, SUVs and sedans, headquartered in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany ...
pulling in front of an ATM cash machine. The man makes a transaction while the woman looks at VH1 playing at a store, showing "Take a Bow". When the man turns back to the car, the woman is gone and can be seen inside the video alongside Madonna, while the singer appears in the car, and utters the tagline: "The new VH1... It'll suck you in". According to Abbey Konowitch, who worked on 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 ...
, the singer had a long history with MTV and VH1, and hence was eager to participate in the campaign when asked by VH1 president
John Sykes John James Sykes (born 29 July 1959) is an English guitarist, best known as a member of Whitesnake, Thin Lizzy and Tygers of Pan Tang. He has also fronted the hard rock group Blue Murder and released several solo albums. Following a stint in ...
. For filming the commercial, the clothes worn in the video had to be flown in from the different designers. Madonna was also impressed by the technology used in the commercial for transposing the woman and herself together.


Synopsis and reception

The music video begins showing Madonna, the torero (Muñoz), and the townspeople preparing for, then attending, a bullfight. A secondary staging in the video presents Madonna standing or sitting near a television set in a room (lit by a single light source from above), while a third staging depicts Madonna writhing around on a bed in her underwear as she watches Muñoz on the television. In the bullring, the torero kills the bull and then comes home and physically and emotionally abuses Madonna. The video can be viewed as a statement on classism, supposing the bullfighter feels threatened and angered by the aristocrat's station, resulting in his physically abusing and then coldly abandoning her. The style of the music video has been compared to Spanish director
Pedro Almodóvar Pedro Almodóvar Caballero (; (often known simply as Almodóvar) born 25 September 1949) is a Spanish filmmaker. His films are marked by melodrama, irreverent humour, bold colour, glossy décor, quotations from popular culture, and complex narr ...
's 1986 film ''
Matador A bullfighter (or matador) is a performer in the activity of bullfighting. ''Torero'' () or ''toureiro'' (), both from Latin ''taurarius'', are the Spanish and Portuguese words for bullfighter and describe all the performers in the activit ...
'', starring
Antonio Banderas José Antonio Domínguez Bandera (born 10 August 1960), known professionally as Antonio Banderas, is a Spanish actor and singer. Known for his work in films of several genres, he has received List of awards and nominations received by Antonio Ba ...
. Madonna requested that Haussman give the video a Spanish theme because, at the time, she was lobbying for the role of Eva Perón in the film version of ''Evita (1996 film), Evita''. She subsequently sent a copy of the video to director Alan Parker as a way of "auditioning" for the role. Madonna eventually won the role of Perón. The music video for Madonna's 1995 single "You'll See" is considered a follow up to the "Take a Bow" music video, as Madonna and Emilio Muñoz reprise their roles. In that video Madonna's character walks out on Munoz's (bullfighter) character, leaving him behind in despair. Madonna's character is then seen on the train and later on a plane, while Munoz's character tries to catch up with her in vain. The video generated controversy with animal rights activists who accused the singer of glorifying bullfighting. In Australia, music video program ''Video Hits (Australian TV series), Video Hits'' ran a ticker along the bottom of the screen when the video was playing, stating that the producers of the program did not endorse the glorification of the sport portrayed in the video, while ABC TV video program ''Rage (TV program), Rage'' simply refused to play the video at all during their G-rated Top 50 program. Madonna won
Best Female Video The MTV Video Music Award for Best Female Video is one of the original general awards that has been handed out every year since the first annual MTV Video Music Awards in 1984. In 2007, however, the award was briefly renamed Female Artist of the Y ...
honors at the 1995 MTV Video Music Awards for the "Take a Bow" music video. It was also nominated for Best Art Direction in a Video, but lost to
Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...
and
Janet Jackson Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreog ...
's "Scream (Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson song), Scream". The video also came in at number 27 on VH1's 50 Sexiest Video Moments. In 2012, the television program Extra (U.S. TV program), ''Extra'' included "Take a Bow" on their list of "The 10 Sexiest Madonna Music Videos." It can also be found on the Madonna compilations, ''The Video Collection 93:99'' (1999) and ''Celebration: The Video Collection'' (2009).


Analysis and impact

Like some of Madonna's previous music videos, such as "
La Isla Bonita "La Isla Bonita" is a song by American singer Madonna from her third studio album '' True Blue'' (1986). Written and produced by Madonna and Patrick Leonard, with additional lyrics by Bruce Gaitsch, the song was originally presented by Leonard ...
" and "Like a Prayer (song), Like a Prayer", religious imagery plays a big role in the music video. In the book ''Madonna's Drowned Worlds'' the use of Catholic imagery in the video is discussed. Author Santiago Fouz-Hernández points out that unlike Madonna's previous music videos, much of the religious imagery is associated with the torero, not Madonna, due to the fact that religious images are a strong part of the bullfighting ritual. It has also been argued that in the video Madonna "subverts the gender structure and masculine subjectivity implicit in traditional bullfighting." This is achieved through the "feminization of the matador and the emphasis on Madonna's character" and also through Madonna's "dominant gaze" as she watches the matador perform." Roger Beebe, one of the authors of ''Medium Cool: Music Videos from Soundies to Cellphones'', noted that the video was an example of "how music, image, and lyrics of a song possesses their own temporality". He explained that the "graceful" nature of the song was contrast to the repetitive scenes in the video, which he felt indicated that the protagonist has long been engaging in the activities, including the "demoralizing sex scenes". In ''Madonna as Postmodern Myth'', author Georges Claude Guilbert, Georges-Claude Guilbert felt the video "defied feminists of the Marilyn Frye and Adrienne Rich variety, who see in the video a disgusting example of passé female submissiveness." Madonna responded to this criticism by stating "I don't believe that any organization should dictate to me what I can and cannot do artistically." Guilbert also noted the usage of religious iconography in the video, especially dubious representation of the Mary (mother of Jesus), Virgin. He explained that most of the times Madonna and the torero make love through the television screen, implying that "one of their purity had to be maintained always". When discussing "Take a Bow",
NPR National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other ...
Multimedia senior producer Keith Jenkins said the music video, with its "rich, sensually framed sepia tones", doesn't leave much to the imagination but rather, it becomes your imagination, with Madonna's vision "drill[ed] into your brain, unlocking your waking eye." Carol Vernallis, author of ''Experiencing Music Video: Aesthetics and Cultural Context'', noted that the video exemplified the lyrics of the song. She clarified that the scenes featuring Madonna and Muñoz dressing up and putting on their gloves pointed to storyline and lyrics that appeared later, the lyrics being "all the world loves a clown". During that line Muñoz as the torero is seen with a fatuous expression, which Vernallis deduced as "the beginning of the story of possession and fame" in the video. When Madonna sings "I've always been in love with you", she appeared in the video as sometimes adolescent and sometimes middle-aged. For Vernallis it was not clear if the imagery was literal or figurative of the lyrics, "embodying a lasting affection, as separate parts of Madonna's psyche, or as the exaggerated claims of a groupie." The author also noted that the scene where Madonna pricks her hand with a needle makes her relationship with the torero as more ambiguous. The costumes and melody in the video reminded Vernallis of the 1904 opera ''Madame Butterfly'' by Giacomo Puccini although with an inverted plotline. The scenes showing Madonna in an enclosed room with a single light bulb also drew comparisons to Glenn Close's character in the 1987 psychological thriller film, ''Fatal Attraction''. Another observation by Vernallis was about the power struggle it showed in the video, with Madonna gradually losing and relegated to one corner of the room. The "Take a Bow" video was a source of inspiration for Justin Timberlake's music video for his 2006 single, "SexyBack". According to Timberlake, he decided to work with director Michael Haussman on his "SexyBack" video because "Take a Bow" is one of his favorite Madonna videos. He went on to say "Even today, I still remember the visuals, the images, how he captured her. A lot of times, Madonna seems like she's the person in control, and in that video, she seemed vulnerable. It was a cool thing to see." According to director Dave Meyers (director), Dave Meyers, the music video for Britney Spears' 2009 single "Radar (song), Radar" is a "tribute" to Madonna's "Take a Bow" video. When speaking of Spears and the "Radar" video, Meyers explained, "[we were] looking for a way to take her into a contemporary, classy environment. I felt empowered by referencing Madonna's Take a Bow'video. Britney hasn't done anything like that."


Live performances, covers and usage in media

On January 30, 1995, Madonna performed "Take a Bow" on the American Music Awards of 1995, accompanied by Babyface and full orchestral strings. Babyface said the performance was terrifying for him: "I was nervous as hell. But you couldn't actually see my legs shaking under the suit. When we finished, she told me she had never been that nervous before. That was crazy to me -- I was thinking, 'You're Madonna, you're on stage all the time!'". On February 18, 1995, Madonna arrived in Europe to promote ''Bedtime Stories''; that same day, she appeared on German TV show ''Wetten, dass..?'', where she was interviewed and performed "
Secret Secrecy is the practice of hiding information from certain individuals or groups who do not have the "need to know", perhaps while sharing it with other individuals. That which is kept hidden is known as the secret. Secrecy is often controvers ...
" and "Take a Bow". On February 22, 1995, Madonna and Babyface sang the song at the Sanremo Music Festival 1995 in Sanremo, Italy. At the end of the performance, she thanked the audience in Italian language, Italian, and received a standing ovation. Madonna did rehearse the song for 2004's Re-Invention World Tour, but it was ultimately cut from the setlist and not included in the show. Madonna had never performed "Take a Bow" on any of her concert tours until February 4, 2016, when she performed the song during the Taipei 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 ...
. After the performance, she exclaimed "That was fun! First time ever. Hit a few bad notes, but it felt good to sing it." The singer subsequently performed the song in the other cities during the Asian and Oceanian legs of the Rebel Heart Tour. The live performance of the song was released as a bonus track on the Japanese DVD/Blu-ray edition of ''Rebel Heart Tour (album), Rebel Heart Tour'' (2017). An acoustic version of "Take a Bow" was performed on Madonna's one-off concert in Melbourne, Madonna: Tears of a Clown. Hong Kong pop singer Sandy Lam recorded a version of the song for her 1997 English language covers album "Wonderful World (美妙世界)". Serbian pop singer Bebi Dol released Serbian language-cover literally titled "Pokloni se", on her 1995 album ''Ritam srca''. Philippine bossa nova singer Sitti Navarro, Sitti recorded a cover of this song for her second album ''My Bossa Nova''. Korean rock band Jaurim covered the song on their album ''The Youth Admiration''. Trisha Yearwood and Babyface covered the song on CMT's ''Crossroads'', which aired on September 21, 2007. Melissa Totten did a Hi-NRG cover for her 2008 dance album ''Forever Madonna''. American pop folk singer Matt Alber plays an acoustic cover on his 2011 album ''Constant Crows''. "Take a Bow" was featured in the final episode of the first season of ''Friends'', "List of Friends episodes#Season 1: 1994–1995, The One Where Rachel Finds Out", when Rachel Green, Rachel goes to the airport to tell Ross Geller, Ross that she knows he is in love with her. "Take a Bow" was used in promos for the final season of ''Beverly Hills, 90210''.


Track listings and formats

*US 7-inch single # "Take a Bow" (Album Version) – 5:20 # "Take a Bow" (InDaSoul Mix) – 4:57 *Japan (Remixes CD single) # "Take a Bow" (InDaSoul Mix) – 4:57 # "Take a Bow" (Album Edit) – 4:31 # "Take a Bow" (Silky Soul Mix) – 4:11 # "Take a Bow" (InDaSoul Instrumental) – 4:56 # "Take a Bow" (Silky Soul Instrumental) – 4:11 # "Take a Bow" (Album Instrumental) – 5:20 # "Bedtime Story" (Album Edit) – 4:08 # "Bedtime Story" (Junior Wet Dream Mix) – 8:33 *US and Australian maxi single # "Take a Bow" (InDaSoul Mix) – 4:57 # "Take a Bow" (InDaSoul Instrumental) – 4:56 # "Take a Bow" (Album Version) – 5:20 # "Take a Bow" (Album Instrumental) – 5:20 # "Take a Bow" (Silky Soul Mix) – 4:11 *UK, European, and Australian CD single # "Take a Bow" (Edit) – 4:25 # "Take a Bow" (Album Version) – 5:20 # "Take a Bow" (Album Instrumental) – 5:20 *Digital single # "Take a Bow" (Edit) – 4:28 # "Take a Bow" (InDaSoul Edit) – 4:03 # "Take a Bow" (Silky Soul Mix) – 4:11 # "Take a Bow" (InDaSoul Mix) – 4:58 # "Take a Bow" (Album Version) – 5:21 # "Take a Bow" (InDaSoul Instrumental) – 4:58 # "Take a Bow" (Silky Soul Instrumental) – 4:12 # "Take a Bow" (Instrumental) – 5:21


Credits and personnel

Credits and personnel are adapted from the ''Bedtime Stories'' album disc liner notes. *
Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...
 – songwriter, record producer, vocals *
Babyface Babyface or Baby Face can refer to: Nicknames * Lester Joseph Gillis a.k.a. Baby Face Nelson, an infamous 1930s bank robber * Roosevelt "Baby Face" Willette (1933–1971), an American hard bop and soul-jazz musician * "Baby Face", Jimmy McLarnin ...
 – songwriter, producer, background vocals, drum programming, synthesizer * Brad Gilderman – recording engineer * Jon Gass – audio mixing *
Nellee Hooper Nellee Hooper (born Paul Andrew Hooper on 15 March 1963) is a British record producer, remixer and songwriter known for his work with many major recording artists beginning in the late 1980s. He also debuted as a motion picture music composer w ...
 – strings, conductor * Jessie Leavey – strings, conductor * Craig Armstrong – conductor * Suzie Katayama – conductor * Fabien Baron – art director * Patrick Demarchelier – cover art photographer


Charts


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


Decade-end charts


All-time charts


Certification and sales


See also

* List of number-one singles of 1995 (Canada) * List of Billboard Hot 100 number ones of 1995, List of ''Billboard'' Hot 100 number ones of 1995 * List of Hot Adult Contemporary number ones of 1995 * List of Billboard Mainstream Top 40 number-one songs of the 1990s, List of ''Billboard'' Mainstream Top 40 number-one songs of the 1990s * List of Cash Box Top 100 number-one singles of 1995, List of ''Cash Box'' Top 100 number-one singles of 1995


References


Bibliography

* * * * * * * * * * * * *


Further reading

*


External links

* * {{Authority control 1994 singles 1994 songs 1990s ballads Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles Madonna songs MTV Video Music Award for Best Female Video Music video controversies Music videos shot in Spain Music videos directed by Michael Haussman RPM Top Singles number-one singles Pop ballads Songs written by Madonna Songs written by Babyface (musician) Song recordings produced by Madonna Song recordings produced by Babyface (musician) Contemporary R&B ballads Soul ballads