When you call my name it’s like a little prayer
I’m down on my knees, I wanna take you there
In the midnight hour I can feel your power
Just like a prayer you know I’ll take you thereMadonna – Like A Prayer
Like a Prayer is Madonna’s 4th album, released in 1989. The title song launched the album era and announced a change of direction for Madonna. The sound is still pop, but the themes are darker: religion, betrayal, love and divorce are at the heart of the album. Like A Prayer is Madonna’s perfect break up album (she divorced Sean Penn just a few months before releasing the album) and the album art is a perfect depiction of how she must have felt when recording this collection of songs.
The album cover was shot by long-time collaborator Herb Ritts and, for the first time, Madonna won’t show her face. Instead, we have a close-up of the singer’s jean-clad midsection and bare midriff, her hands tucked in the jeans and lot of jewellery.
The uncropped image reinforces this feeling. Madonna is in charge: the pose, the looks, the unbuttoned shirt, the heavy jewellery, everything gives a sense of calm confidence. Madonna doesn’t need to show her face anymore: she’s a household name whose name alone is sufficient (and she will be proven right as Like a Prayer will be one of her most successful album).
On the side note, the uncropped version of the album cover is not exactly secret but some reason it’s not widely available. It is a stunning picture, maybe not so strong for an album cover, but it’s still a very good shot of Madonna. The only reason I can think as to why this picture wasn’t more used is because the cropped version became so iconic, leaving so much to the imagination, there is no need to see more. I also like the grain on the close-up that you can’t get on the full picture (unless you zoom in of course!).
The logo for Like a Prayer, designed by Margo Chase, is another sign of power. The word Madonna is at the centre, a cross of light emerges from the letter ‘o‘, a crown is at the top. All is said: Madonna is the queen – or a goddess. She’s at the top of the world with Like a Prayer.
What I like the most about this album art is possibly something that we cannot see: the original album was scented with patchouli oils to simulate church incense. In Times Daily, a publicist for Warner Bros. said:
“It was Madonna’s idea, she wanted to create a flavour of the 60’s and the church. She wanted to create a sensual feeling you could hear and smell”.
I love that she imagined Like A Prayer as a multi-sensory experience. Religion, especially Catholicism, had a strong influence on this album, and you could smell it when you first opened the album. Even before putting the record on, you were in this mood of mystery, redemption and guilt.
The album art for Like A Prayer has often been compared to the album art of the Rolling Stones’ 1971 famous album Sticky Fingers. If Madonna was inspired by The Rolling Stones, I can see how: the album is an ironic ode to a certain form of masculinity, the type that Madonna is fighting against so much throughout the 11 songs on Like a Prayer. Madonna is the antidote to toxic masculinity: on Love Song she suffers from it, on power anthem Express Yourself.
Like A Prayer was a concept album about the complexity of human relationship and the influence of religion. Everything about this album was perfectly marketed and reinforced Madonna’s place as a leading pop artist.
Listen to Like A Prayer on Spotify:
Pop Artwork 101 