Rewind & React takes on one of Madonna’s most iconic music videos: “Express Yourself” — a bold, glamorous, industrial pop spectacle that may just be her best video ever.
Adam and Rob dive into the 1989 classic, directed by David Fincher, and explore how Madonna turned a dance-pop empowerment anthem into a massive MTV event filled with towering factory sets, gender-bending style, old Hollywood glamour, and a whole lot of Metropolis-inspired imagery.
Here’s what we’re covering:
- The video’s loose but memorable story — Madonna ruling over an industrial city while a factory worker finds his way into her world
- How Fritz Lang’s Metropolis influences the sets, lighting, class divide, machinery, and famous closing quote
- Why this feels like peak Madonna: powerful, glamorous, provocative, theatrical, and fully in control
- David Fincher’s music video style — and how this connects to his later work with Madonna, Paula Abdul, and eventually his film career
- The video’s massive reported $5 million budget, MTV premiere strategy, and place alongside other “event videos” like Thriller and Black or White
- The striking visual shifts between Madonna as businesswoman, seductress, masculine performer, and pop icon
- The strange-but-memorable details: the cat, the milk, the chains, the shirtless workers, the rain-soaked factory, and the Monopoly-man-style boss watching it all unfold
- How the music video version uses a different mix of the song — and why the track blends Motown energy with late-80s pop production
And of course, the episode wraps with a round of Madonna or Janet Jackson? — a trivia showdown covering MTV awards, movie roles, iconic albums, shocking moments, and two of the biggest pop queens of the era.
“Express Yourself” is more than just a great Madonna video — it’s the moment where she fully steps into the role of pop music power player. And this episode breaks down exactly why it still works.
Stream it now and subscribe to Rewind & React for more deep dives into the most iconic, strange, and unforgettable music videos ever made.
