Babyface, Bjork, Me’shell Ndegeocello, and Nelle
Hooper: Madonna’s sixth studio album is packed with bigwigs, and
Bedtime Stories is a product of a hodgepodge of different
celebrity collaborations.
Madonna’s previous album Erotica (possibly her
most intense work to date) found her taking on a darker,
unconventional style as a pop singer; it was a very ambitious
project. But with the follow-up Bedtime Stories, she trades
the all-consuming energy of Erotica for stylistic
heterogeneity. The inclusion of collaborators with diverse musical
backgrounds is surely an experimental move, just as ambitious as
her move with Erotica.
Though flavored with contrasting styles of pop music,
Bedtime Stories, if summed up, is Madonna’s R&B album.
Thanks to its main producer Dallas Austin — who has produced
albums for R&B acts like Janet Jackson, TLC, and Boyz II Men —
it has a definite R&B influence, though made subtle by
Madonna’s natural disco instincts.
The great thing about Bedtime Stories is that the
star-studded guest appearances have made distinctive contributions
on the album. Each of these artists have graced the tracks they are
featured on with the personalities of their unique music styles.
Like the markedly funky bass hooks on “I’d Rather Be Your Lover,”
which features Me’shell Ndegeocello on bass and vocals; the silky
smooth love melodrama on “Forbidden Love” and “Take A Bow,” which
features Babyface in the songwriting and producing roles; and the
spacey 90s psychedelic electro-pop glaze on the title song, which
features Bjork as a co-writer and her chum Nelle Hooper as the
producer.
Even though Bedtime Stories is an album of
variegated dispositions, it lacks the depth and fire of
Erotica, and is sometimes a bit too casual; it is a
comparatively weaker effort. Still, it is a great pop album in
itself. It shows the versatility of this “material girl” as a
mature pop-artist who can dare to try out new musical experiments
and come up with excellent results.
