Like A Prayer

Like A Prayer goes down in history as one of the best rock albums ever made and it deserves this recognition. It sits between the fine line of artistic excellence and commercial pop. Madonna achieves this with many tracks in the album, including the majestic title track, probably her best single in history. "Like A Prayer" incorporates nearly every area of music in 5 minutes, from gospel to rock to the dancefloor. The musical excellence of this track is repeated in others like the inspirational "Keep It Together", a track that features a beautiful message about family values, yet does not sound too pushy, along with a great and catchy dance beat. "Cherish" is the catchiest, pop music can get. Even in this track, Madonna's lyrics have really pushed forward. "Till Death Do Us Part" is another strong track, with incredible lyrics abot a troubled marriage, stuck in an endless cycle, hidden under a "happy" beat, that does not stay so by the end of the song. The grand ballads are "Oh Father" and "Promise To Try". The first one talks about Madonna's maturity and her growth as a person, shaking off authority. It features great production, very relevant to the song, through a child singing in the first two choruses, and then disappears as Madonna's becomes more dominant on the final chorus, her newfound maturity. "Promise To Try" deals with her mother's death and the emotion she puts forth is beautiful. "Love Song" and "Express Yourself" are Madonna's return to R&B music, the music she grew up with. The former, a duet with Prince, the latter, a tribute to Sly and the Family Stone. Both have developed lyrics, the first, about the straightforwardness of companionship, the second about going for the best and basically, Madonna's anthem. "Pray For Spanish Eyes" is another sad ballad, while "Act Of Contrition" is a fun ending for the album, where Madonna lost her reservation in heaven. With groundbreaking tracks like these, Madonna has made one of the best albums in history.