With the exception of four songs on the Who’s That Girl? soundtrack, plus the cuts “Santa Baby” and “Spotlight,” it had been three years since Madonna released a full album of new material. A lengthy hiatus like that can be a difficult hurdle to overcome for most female artists. The public is very fickle, and it was a year in which the latest albums from Diana Ross, Cyndi Lauper, and Aretha Franklin all died on the charts. However, with incredible ease, Madonna simply reinvented herself, milked the media for all it was worth, and triumphed again. Her divorce from Sean Penn came at just the right time. His movie career of late had relegated him to the role of “Mr. Madonna,” and the public was sick and tired of hearing about his childish, unprofessional antics. He had become a painful weight around her neck, but the publicity from their Star Wars— like breakup created the perfect launching pad for her newest projects. Freed from the negative force field that Sean created, Madonna was ready to soar to new heights.
