Editing Madonna (section)

=== 1992–1997: Maverick, ''Erotica'', ''Sex'', ''Bedtime Stories'', ''Evita'', and motherhood ===

In 1992, Madonna starred in ''[[A League of Their Own]]'' as Mae Mordabito, a baseball player on an all-women's team.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bergren |first=Joe |date=July 1, 2022 |title=Tom Hanks on 'A League of Their Own's Madonna Casting (Flashback) |url=https://www.etonline.com/tom-hanks-on-a-league-of-their-owns-madonna-casting-and-why-people-love-baseball-flashback-186604 |access-date=January 12, 2024 |work=Entertainment Tonight |archive-date=January 12, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240112090515/https://www.etonline.com/tom-hanks-on-a-league-of-their-owns-madonna-casting-and-why-people-love-baseball-flashback-186604 |url-status=live }}</ref> It reached [[List of 1992 box office number-one films in the United States|number one on the box-office]] and became the tenth-highest-grossing film of the year in the US.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=leagueoftheirown.htm|title=A League of Their Own|website=Box Office Mojo|access-date=April 11, 2014|archive-date=April 11, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140411175913/http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=leagueoftheirown.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> She recorded the film's theme song, "[[This Used to Be My Playground]]", which became her tenth number-one on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, the most by any female artist at the time.<ref name="ach" /> In April, Madonna founded her own entertainment company, [[Maverick (entertainment company)|Maverick]], consisting of a record company (Maverick Records), a film production company (Maverick Films), and associated music publishing, television broadcasting, book publishing, and merchandising divisions.<ref name="NYT - $60 million" /> The deal was a joint venture with [[Time Warner]] and paid Madonna an advance of $60&nbsp;million. It gave her 20% royalties from the music proceedings, the highest rate in the industry at the time, equaled only by [[Michael Jackson]]'s royalty rate established a year earlier with [[Sony Music Entertainment|Sony]].<ref name="NYT - $60 million">{{cite news|first=Stephen|last=Holden|author-link=Stephen Holden|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/04/20/arts/madonna-makes-a-60-million-deal.html|work=[[The New York Times]]|title=Madonna Makes a $60&nbsp;Million Deal|access-date=May 27, 2008|date=April 20, 1992|archive-date=May 11, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130511013845/http://www.nytimes.com/1992/04/20/arts/madonna-makes-a-60-million-deal.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Her company later went on to become one of the most successful [[vanity label|artist-run labels]] in history, producing multi-platinum artists such as [[Alanis Morissette]] and [[Michelle Branch]].<ref name="labelsuit" /><ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://ew.com/article/2004/06/15/madonna-sells-her-record-label/|title=Madonna sells her record label|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|first=Gary|last=Susman|date=June 15, 2004|access-date=December 30, 2020|archive-date=March 10, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210310152428/https://ew.com/article/2004/06/15/madonna-sells-her-record-label/|url-status=live}}</ref> Later that year, Madonna co-sponsored the first museum retrospective for her former boyfriend artist Jean-Michel Basquiat at the [[Whitney Museum of American Art]] in New York.<ref>{{Cite news|last=D'Arcy|first=David|date=November 1, 1992|title=Whitney compares Basquiat to Leonardo da Vinci in new retrospective|url=http://www.theartnewspaper.com/archive/basquiat-as-leonardo-da-vinci|access-date=August 2, 2020|newspaper=The Art Newspaper|archive-date=October 22, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201022010900/https://www.theartnewspaper.com/archive/basquiat-as-leonardo-da-vinci|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine|last=Larson|first=Kay|date=November 9, 1992|title=Wild Child|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BeUCAAAAMBAJ&q=madonna+whitney+1992+basquiat&pg=PA74|magazine=New York|pages=74|access-date=October 3, 2020|archive-date=June 7, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240607161326/https://books.google.com/books?id=BeUCAAAAMBAJ&q=madonna+whitney+1992+basquiat&pg=PA74#v=snippet&q=madonna%20whitney%201992%20basquiat&f=false|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[File: ExpressYourselfGirlieShowunderGround2 sh (cropped).jpg|thumb|upright|Madonna performing at [[The Girlie Show (Madonna)|the Girlie Show]] in 1993|alt=A woman with short blonde hair, wearing a green bra and purple pants, singing to a microphone, held in her left hand.]]
In October 1992, Madonna simultaneously released her fifth studio album, ''[[Erotica (Madonna album)|Erotica]]'', and her [[coffee table book]], ''[[Sex (book)|Sex]]''.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Holden|first=Stephen|date=October 18, 1992|title=Recordings View; Selling Sex and (Oh, Yes) a Record|newspaper=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/10/18/arts/recordings-view-selling-sex-and-oh-yes-a-record.html|access-date=February 1, 2022|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=March 4, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304110029/http://www.nytimes.com/1992/10/18/arts/recordings-view-selling-sex-and-oh-yes-a-record.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Consisting of sexually provocative and explicit images, photographed by [[Steven Meisel]], the book received strong negative reaction from the media and the general public, but sold 1.5&nbsp;million copies at $50 each in a matter of days.{{Sfn|Morton|2001|p=183}}<ref name="SEX and Erotica">{{cite web|first=Gregory|last=Kirschling|url=https://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,365681,00.html|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|title=The Naked Launch|access-date=May 27, 2008|date=October 25, 2002|archive-date=January 15, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130115134604/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,365681,00.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> The widespread backlash overshadowed ''Erotica'', which ended up as her lowest selling album at the time.<ref name="SEX and Erotica" /> Despite positive reviews, it became her first studio album since her debut album not to score any chart-topper in the US. The album entered the ''Billboard'' 200 at number two. It yielded the Hot 100 top-ten hits "[[Erotica (song)|Erotica]]" and "[[Deeper and Deeper]]".<ref name="bbalbums" /><ref name="ach" /> At the time Madonna had been dating rapper [[Vanilla Ice]] and she at one point proposed to him. They broke up following the release of ''Sex'', with Ice claiming that he was included in the book without his consent.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Vanilla Ice Reflects On Crazy Madonna Relationship |url=https://www.iheartradio.ca/en/music-news/vanilla-ice-reflects-on-crazy-madonna-relationship-1.19179996.html |access-date=March 30, 2024 |publisher=iHeartRadio |archive-date=March 30, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240330202748/https://www.iheartradio.ca/en/music-news/vanilla-ice-reflects-on-crazy-madonna-relationship-1.19179996.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Kaufman |first=Gil |date=January 31, 2023 |title=Vanilla Ice Describes His Reaction to Surprise 1990s Madonna Marriage Proposal: 'This Is Too Fast!' |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/rb-hip-hop/vanilla-ice-reaction-surprise-madonna-marriage-proposal-1235208544/ |access-date=March 30, 2024 |magazine=Billboard |archive-date=March 30, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240330202747/https://www.billboard.com/music/rb-hip-hop/vanilla-ice-reaction-surprise-madonna-marriage-proposal-1235208544/ |url-status=live }}</ref>  Madonna continued her provocative imagery in the 1993 [[erotic thriller]], ''[[Body of Evidence (1993 film)|Body of Evidence]]'', a film which contained scenes of [[sadomasochism]] and [[Bondage (BDSM)|bondage]]. Critics poorly received the film.<ref>{{harvnb|Metz|Benson|1999|pp=17–20}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/body_of_evidence/|title=Body of Evidence|website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]|date=December 3, 2002|agency=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]|access-date=June 9, 2008|archive-date=June 23, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080623103731/http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/body_of_evidence/?|url-status=live}}</ref> She also starred in the film ''[[Dangerous Game (1993 film)|Dangerous Game]]'', which was released straight to video in North America. ''The New York Times'' described the film as "angry and painful, and the pain feels real."<ref>{{cite news|last=Maslin|first=Janet|author-link=Janet Maslin|title=A Movie Within a Movie, With a Demure Madonna|url=https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9F0CE5DF103AF93AA25752C1A965958260|newspaper=The New York Times|date=November 19, 1993|access-date=June 10, 2008|archive-date=February 19, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120219175200/http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9F0CE5DF103AF93AA25752C1A965958260|url-status=live}}</ref>

In September 1993, Madonna embarked on [[The Girlie Show (Madonna)|the Girlie Show]], in which she dressed as a whip-cracking [[dominatrix]] surrounded by topless dancers. In Puerto Rico she rubbed the island's flag between her legs on stage, resulting in outrage among the audience.<ref name="showstealer" /> In March 1994, [[Madonna on Late Show with David Letterman in 1994|she appeared as a guest]] on the ''[[Late Show with David Letterman]]'', using profanity that required censorship on television, and handing Letterman a pair of her panties and asking him to smell it.<ref>{{Cite magazine|last=Glass|first=Joshua|date=March 28, 2019|title=Madonna's Iconic Cursing on David Lettermen|url=https://www.crfashionbook.com/celebrity/a26974360/madonna-david-lettermen-censorship-interview/|access-date=February 16, 2022|magazine=CR Fashion Book|archive-date=February 16, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220216211336/https://www.crfashionbook.com/celebrity/a26974360/madonna-david-lettermen-censorship-interview/|url-status=dead}}</ref> The releases of her sexually explicit book, album, and film, and the aggressive appearance on Letterman all made critics question Madonna as a sexual renegade. Critics and fans reacted negatively, commenting that "she had gone too far" and her career was over.<ref>{{harvnb|Taraborrelli|2002|pp=232–235}}</ref> Around this time, Madonna briefly dated rapper [[Tupac Shakur]] and basketball player [[Dennis Rodman]].<ref>{{Cite magazine|last=Igoe|first=Katherine J.|date=July 19, 2020|title=The Dennis Rodman-Madonna Relationship Was a Whirlwind|url=https://www.marieclaire.com/culture/a33276130/dennis-rodman-madonna-relationship/|access-date=August 5, 2020|magazine=Marie Claire|archive-date=August 8, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200808120011/https://www.marieclaire.com/culture/a33276130/dennis-rodman-madonna-relationship/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=March 12, 2015|title=Madonna Talks Her Rise to the Top, Dating Tupac, and Her Infamous VMAs Performance During Her First Interview With Howard|url=https://www.howardstern.com/news/2015/03/11/the-madonna-interview-ten-things-you-need-to-know/|access-date=August 5, 2020|publisher=Howard Stern|archive-date=October 28, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201028204954/https://www.howardstern.com/news/2015/03/11/the-madonna-interview-ten-things-you-need-to-know/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Smith|first1=Candace C.|title=Tupac Shakur letter reveals he split from Madonna because she's white|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/tupac-shakur-letter-reveals-split-madonna-shes-white/story?id=48458727|agency=ABC News|access-date=July 12, 2017|date=July 6, 2017|archive-date=July 11, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170711002326/http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/tupac-shakur-letter-reveals-split-madonna-shes-white/story?id=48458727|url-status=live}}</ref>

Biographer [[J. Randy Taraborrelli]] described her ballad "[[I'll Remember]]" (1994) as an attempt to tone down her provocative image. The song was recorded for [[Alek Keshishian]]'s 1994 film ''[[With Honors (film)|With Honors]]''.<ref>{{harvnb|Taraborrelli|2002|p=242}}</ref> She made a subdued appearance with Letterman at an awards show and appeared on ''[[The Tonight Show with Jay Leno]]'' after realizing that she needed to change her musical direction to sustain her popularity.<ref name="tara235" /> With her sixth studio album, ''[[Bedtime Stories (Madonna album)|Bedtime Stories]]'' (1994), Madonna employed a softer image to try to improve the public perception.<ref name="tara235">{{harvnb|Taraborrelli|2002|p=235}}</ref> The album debuted at number three on the ''Billboard'' 200 and generated two US top-five hits, "[[Secret (Madonna song)|Secret]]" and "[[Take a Bow (Madonna song)|Take a Bow]]", the latter topping the Hot 100 for seven weeks, the longest period of any Madonna single.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Madonna's 40 Biggest Billboard Hits|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/list/499398/madonnas-40-biggest-billboard-hits|magazine=Billboard|access-date=September 2, 2012|archive-date=April 6, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180406085727/https://www.billboard.com/articles/list/499398/madonnas-40-biggest-billboard-hits|url-status=live}}</ref> ''[[Something to Remember]]'', a collection of ballads, was released in November 1995. The album featured three new songs: "[[You'll See]]", "[[One More Chance (Madonna song)|One More Chance]]", and a cover of [[Marvin Gaye]]'s "[[I Want You (Marvin Gaye song)|I Want You]]".<ref name="ach" /><ref name="str">{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/r431248|title=Something to Remember|last=Erlewine|first=Stephen Thomas|author-link=Stephen Thomas Erlewine|date=November 17, 1995|publisher=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=July 30, 2009|archive-date=November 7, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231107150858/https://www.allmusic.com/album/something-to-remember-mw0000176974|url-status=live}}</ref> An enthusiastic collector of [[modern art]], Madonna sponsored the first major retrospective of [[Tina Modotti]]'s work at the [[Philadelphia Museum of Art]] in 1995.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Outwater|first=Myra Y.|date=November 12, 1995|title=Modotti Photos Capture Mexican Life|newspaper=The Morning Call|url=https://www.mcall.com/news/mc-xpm-1995-11-12-3063752-story.html|access-date=February 1, 2022|archive-date=April 4, 2021|archive-url=https://archive.today/20210404174741/https://www.mcall.com/news/mc-xpm-1995-11-12-3063752-story.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The following year, she sponsored an exhibition of Basquiat's paintings at the [[Serpentine Galleries|Serpentine Gallery]] in London.<ref>{{Cite news|date=February 17, 1996|title=Madonna Sponsors Show|page=5|newspaper=The Guardian}}</ref> The following year, she sponsored artist [[Cindy Sherman]]'s retrospective at the [[Museum of Modern Art|MoMA]] in New York.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Vogel|first=Carol|date=February 16, 2012|title=Cindy Sherman Unmasked|newspaper=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/19/arts/design/moma-to-showcase-cindy-shermans-new-and-old-characters.html|access-date=February 1, 2022|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=February 1, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220201101740/https://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/19/arts/design/moma-to-showcase-cindy-shermans-new-and-old-characters.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
{{Quote box|width=20%|align=left|quote=This is the role I was born to play. I put everything of me into this because it was much more than a role in a movie. It was exhilarating and intimidating at the same time. And I am prouder of ''Evita'' than anything else I have done.|source=—Madonna talking about her role in ''Evita''<ref>{{harvnb|Michael|2004|p=67}}</ref>}}

In February 1996, Madonna began filming the musical ''[[Evita (1996 film)|Evita]]'' in Argentina.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Madonna's role as Evita angers many Argentines|newspaper=Tampa Bay Times|url=https://www.tampabay.com/archive/1996/01/20/madonna-s-role-as-evita-angers-many-argentines/|access-date=February 1, 2022|archive-date=February 1, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220201202448/https://www.tampabay.com/archive/1996/01/20/madonna-s-role-as-evita-angers-many-argentines/|url-status=live}}</ref> For a long time, Madonna had desired to play Argentine political leader [[Eva Perón]] and wrote to director [[Alan Parker]] to explain why she would be perfect for the part. After securing the title role, she received vocal coaching and learned about the history of Argentina and Perón. During filming Madonna became ill several times, after finding out that she was pregnant, and from the intense emotional effort required with the scenes.<ref>{{harvnb|Taraborrelli|2002|p=276}}</ref> Upon ''Evita''{{'}}s release in December 1996, Madonna's performance received praise from film critics.<ref name="evitany">{{cite news|url=https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9B02E0D91E31F936A15751C1A960958260|title=Madonna, Chic Pop Star, As Chic Political Leader|date=December 6, 1996|newspaper=The New York Times|last=Maslin|first=Janet|access-date=May 26, 2009|author-link=Janet Maslin|archive-date=August 24, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110824182854/http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9B02E0D91E31F936A15751C1A960958260|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="msn">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,295501,00.html|title=Evita (1997)|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|last=Gleiberman|first=Owen|date=December 20, 1996|access-date=June 9, 2008|archive-date=September 18, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180918111557/https://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,295501,00.html|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Taraborrelli|2002|p=285}}</ref> Zach Conner of ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' magazine remarked, "It's a relief to say that ''Evita'' is pretty damn fine, well cast and handsomely visualized. Madonna once again confounds our expectations."<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,985711,00.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070717024917/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,985711,00.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 17, 2007|title=Cinema: Madonna and Eva Peron: You Must Love Her |last=Corliss|first=Richard|date=December 16, 1996|access-date=May 26, 2010|magazine=Time}}</ref> For the role, she [[List of accolades received by Evita (1996 film)|won]] the [[Golden Globe Award]] for [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy|Best Actress in Motion Picture Musical or Comedy]].<ref name="cnn2008">{{cite news|first=Stephanie|last=Busari|title=Hey Madonna, Don't Give Up the Day Job!|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/Movies/03/18/madonna.movies/?iref=mpstoryview|publisher=[[CNN]]|date=March 24, 2008|access-date=March 21, 2008|archive-date=March 3, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303200029/http://edition.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/Movies/03/18/madonna.movies/?iref=mpstoryview|url-status=live}}</ref>

The [[Evita (soundtrack)|''Evita'' soundtrack]], containing songs mostly performed by Madonna, was released as a [[double album]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/r248416|title=Madonna – Evita (Original Soundtrack) Overview|last=Erlewine|first=Stephen Thomas|date=September 23, 1997|publisher=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=February 24, 2010|archive-date=November 7, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231107150812/https://www.allmusic.com/album/evita-the-complete-motion-picture-music-soundtrack-mw0000023920|url-status=live}}</ref> It included "[[You Must Love Me]]" and "[[Don't Cry for Me Argentina#Madonna version|Don't Cry for Me Argentina]]"; the latter reached number one in countries across Europe.<ref name="euro">{{cite magazine|title=Hits of the World: Eurochart Hot 100|magazine=Billboard|date=February 8, 1997|page=41|volume=109|issue=6|issn=0006-2510|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wA4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA41|access-date=August 4, 2015|archive-date=November 7, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231107150813/https://books.google.com/books?id=wA4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA41#v=onepage&q&f=false|url-status=live}}</ref> Madonna was presented with the Artist Achievement Award by [[Tony Bennett]] at the 1996 [[Billboard Music Award|''Billboard'' Music Awards]].<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=swkEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA12|title=Performers, Presenters Add Spark To Billboard Music Awards|page=12|magazine=Billboard|date=December 21, 1996 |access-date=March 20, 2014|volume=108|issue=51|issn=0006-2510}}</ref> On October 14, 1996, she gave birth to [[Lourdes Leon|Lourdes "Lola" Maria Ciccone Leon]], her daughter with fitness trainer Carlos Leon.<ref>{{harvnb|Voller|1999|p=221}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-10-15-me-54133-story.html|title=Madonna Gives Birth to Daughter|last1=Lacher|first1=Irne|last2=Malnic|first2=Eric|date=October 15, 1996|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|access-date=August 1, 2015|archive-date=September 15, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150915193936/http://articles.latimes.com/1996-10-15/local/me-54133_1_madonna-gave-birth|url-status=live}}</ref> Biographer [[Mary Cross]] writes that although Madonna often worried that her pregnancy would harm ''Evita'', she reached some important personal goals: "Now 38 years old, Madonna had at last triumphed on screen and achieved her dream of having a child, both in the same year. She had reached another turning point in her career, reinventing herself and her image with the public."<ref>{{harvnb|Cross|2007|p=71}}</ref> Her relationship with Carlos Leon ended in May 1997 and she declared that they were "better off as best friends".<ref>{{harvnb|Taraborrelli|2002|p=288}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Cross|2007|p=134}}</ref>