In 1994 Madonna released Bedtime Stories. The album, which took her back to her R&B roots, found her in sultry voice as she tackled a number of topics which extended far beyond the subject matter of her early songs. The top ten hit 'Secret' told the story of a heterosexual man in love with a transsexual, while 'Human Nature' — which included lines such as: 'I'm not sorry / I'm not your bitch' and 'Did I say something wrong? Oops, I didn't know I couldn't talk about sex' — appeared to be directed at the media and critics who had questioned her decisions in recent years. Other top ten hits included 'Bedtime Story', penned by singer Björk, and 'Take a Bow', penned by singer Babyface, who also sang vocals.
'Take a Bow' topped the Billboard Hot 100 for 7 consecutive weeks, breaking her previous record of 6 weeks with 'Like a Virgin'. The album was nominated for a Grammy in the same year, and Madonna sang 'Take a Bow' at the American Music Awards. The success of the album belied its uncertain origins. It spawned several Unreleased Madonna Songs co-written with Shep Pettibone in 1994 that were shelved as Madonna changed creative gears. One throwaway song entitled 'Love Won't Wait' was later sent to Gary Barlow to record. He took his version of the song to #1 in the UK in 1997, earning Madonna yet another co-writing credit on a number one hit.
At the time it was made in 1995, 'Bedtime Story', which cost over $2 million, was the most expensive music video in history. Madonna only held this record for a few months, however, as Michael Jackson's 'Scream' video — which cost $7 million and still holds the record to this day — broke it later that year.Despite the apparent 'maturity' of Bedtime Stories, Madonna seemed in no rush to put her reputation for controversy behind her. In March 1994 she made an appearance on The Late Show With David Letterman in which she repeatedly uttered profanities, saying the word 'fuck' 13 times.
In an attempt to improve her acting credentials, Madonna opted over the next few years to take small roles in independent films. She appeared as a singing telegram girl in Blue in the Face (1995) and as a witch in Four Rooms (1995). She also appeared as a phone sex company owner in Spike Lee's flop Girl 6 in 1996.In this period the world also saw her very public falling out with former DJ pal and remixer/producer Junior Vasquez due to the release of his huge club hit 'If Madonna Calls'. She did not approve.
Evita
In a further attempt to soften her image, Madonna released a second greatest hits album in 1996, this time collecting a number of ballads under the title Something to Remember. She began to wear fashionable designer dresses and softened her (by now medium length) hair to honey blonde. This may have helped her to secure the coveted role of Eva Perón in the 1996 film Evita. The film marked the first time Madonna was heralded as an actress in a leading role. She delivered a Golden Globe winning performance and was critically praised; nevertheless, her detractors still managed to point out the similarities between the character (a former actress and fame-hungry politician's wife) and Madonna's own life.
The Evita soundtrack would go on to become Madonna's twelfth platinum album, thanks to the singles 'Don't Cry For Me Argentina' and 'You Must Love Me', the latter receiving an Oscar nomination for best original song in a movie. While 'You Must Love Me' was a moderate hit on radio and MTV, it was actually a dance remix of 'Don't Cry For Me Argentina' that cemented the soundtrack's mainstream pop success. The remix became a worldwide top ten hit in early 1997, and helped 'Argentina' to peak at #8 on the Hot 100.
The 3rd single 'Another Suitcase in Another Hall' became a European top ten hit. The announced 4th single 'Buenos Aires' was only released as a promo.