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Throughout the end of 1994 and early 1995, "Take A Bow" was in heavy airplay on radio stations everywhere, as was the music video. It's concept was centered around Madonna's obsession with a bullfighter. The song hit #1 on the Billboard charts the week of February 25, 1995 and stayed nailed to that position for seven weeks. It became Maddy's best hit single of all time to this date. Her next two singles weren't as succesful, however. The futuristic "Bedtime Story" and revenge-seeking "Human Nature" both peaked in the 40s, but provided MTV-honored videos, which were enough to keep Maddy in the mainstream during the summer of 1995. In September, she released "I Want You," the first single from SOMETHING TO REMEMBER, a greatest ballads compilations, which contained three new songs. The single didn't chart and the video was rarely seen on MTV. The next single from the album didn't appear until December of that year, entitled "You'll See." The video was a sequel to "Take A Bow" and recieved avid airplay while the single went to #6. Later that month, Madonna won the Most Fashionable Artist Award from VH1. At the awards ceremony, Sean Penn came out to hug and kiss his ex-wife when she won her award. The public didn't react maliciously (for once) and let Madonna celebrate.
In March of 1996, Madonna announced that she was three months pregnant from a man she met in Central Park, Carlos Leon. At this time, she had been working hard on completing her next film, EVITA, which would be a musical based on the life of the great Argentine politician Eva Peron. The next month, "Love Don't Live Here Anymore" was released as the third single from SOMETHING TO REMEMBER. The single was a remix of the original song which appeared on LIKE A VIRGIN in 1984, while the video provided Madonna in sophisticated, artistic form. It apparently did not amuse the public, as it stalled at a dissappointing #78. Throughout the summer of 1996, Madonna prepared two big productions: the release of EVITA and of her first child. On October 14, 1996, Maddy gave birth to a health 6 lb 9 oz baby girl, named Lourdes Maria Ciccone Leon. Lola, she was be called, would appear on several magazine covers with her mother, much like People magazine's 10/28/96 cover story entitled MAMA MADONNA. In November, the first single from the EVITA soundtrack was released, "You Must Love Me." It hit its high note at #18 and was followed by the release of the movie in December. Critics instantly praised her skillful acting and singing of the role of Eva Peron. In February of the following year, Madonna was awarded the Best Performance By An Actress in a Motion Picture Award at the Golden Globes. A clip from the movie was released as a video for "Don't Cry For Me Argentina" later that month. The remix version of the song boosted the song into the Top 10, giving Madonna yet another gold star.
Maddy spent the rest of 1997 mothering her child and preparing for her thirteenth album. She practiced the Kaballah, excercised Yoga, and other such activities. When she became a mother, she found a new outlook on life and spirituality. This emotional growth that she was experiencing paved the way for her the album. On March 3, 1998, RAY OF LIGHT, as it was titled, was released. Critics immediately complimented the album, claiming it "even better than 1989's LIKE A PRAYER". The album debuted and peaked at #2 on the Top 200 Albums Chart. The first single, "Frozen", conveyed an electronic, cutting edge sound. Peaking at #2, the single led to a gothic-like video which had fashion designers in a frenzy. The look began appearing in many fashion shows, and in addition, high schools. "Ray of Light" the intended second single began being played on many radio stations in May 1998. The video was even out, featuring a blonde, crimped-haired Madonna dancing her heart out. But the record label didn't officially release the single until July 11. Although it debuted at #5, setting a record for Madonna, it saw no increase and fell out of the top ten as its airplay diminished. Despite this, MTV payed up for the wonderful video when she won several awards at the Video Music Awards in September. Her next US single, "Power of Goodbye" released a video to MTV that month to premiere at the awards pre-show. While people were interested in her auburn, dark look which appeared in the video and at the awards, the record label once again gave late release. The single debuted on October 17, peaking at #11. Madonna finished the year off by trying gainly to promote the single.
At the beginning of 1999, Madonna announced that she planned on touring in the fall. That idea was yanked when work on her next film, THE NEXT BEST THING, was predicted to consume most of her time. In February, she premiered the video for her next single, "Nothing Really Matters", and performed it at the Grammy Awards, where she, once again, was recognized for her efforts on the Ray of Light single, video, and album. Warner Brothers once again released her single too late, this time three months later. The single consequently stalled at #93, spending a mouth-widening two weeks on the Hot 100 charts. In a May interview, she revealed that she wanted to tour in the year 2000 and was even planning on releasing a second IMMACULATE COLLECTION album. Please check the NEWS section for an updated report on Madonna's acts in the current time period.
