On her Fashion Evolution | New Album News
“Dress You Up”: Fashion was obviously a big part of Madonna’s appeal, and here, she proves that clothing can be a good metaphor for sex. Writers Andrea LaRusso and Peggy Stanziale lay it on thick with “silky touch” and “velvet kisses” talk, but Rodgers skims away the cheese with his funky guitar tangles and that melodic solo, which could have come from Purple Rain.
“Shoo-Bee-Doo”: Madonna wasn’t the first female pop artist to merge strength and femininity. In the ‘60s, plenty of beehived girl groups paved the way, and here, Madonna gives thanks (sort of) with a retro experiment that doesn’t quite work. The stylized backing track and sax are straight out of a Malt Shop Memories revue, and the most interesting thing is the way Madonna nudges things into the present with a line that might not have worked 20 years earlier: “Well I can make it on my own, baby / But I’d rather share all the love that’s there.”
“Pretender”: Even when she gets snookered, Madonna is no sucker. “I know all about your kind,” she tells the finagler that inspired this brisk synth-pop groover. Yeah, she went back to his place, let things move too fast, and set herself up for heartbreak, but there’s a sense she saw it all coming.
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“Stay”:Like a Virgin ends with neither a triumph nor a trifle — just another semi-memorable synth-pop love song. The coolest part comes at 2:15, when Madonna gets into the “scoop, scoop, scoop, scoodooly be-bop” spirit and makes like a Shangri-La with some spoken-word vocals: “Don’t’ be afraid / It’s gonna be alright.” She might as well have been talking to herself.