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Deeper and Deeper

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{{Short description|1992 single by Madonna}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2022}}

{{About|the song by Madonna|other uses|Deeper and Deeper (disambiguation)}}

{{Infobox song

| name = Deeper and Deeper

| cover = Deeper and Deeper Madonna.png

| alt =

| border = yes

| type = single

| artist = Madonna

| album = Erotica

| released = November 17, 1992

| recorded =

| studio = Soundworks (New York)

| genre =

| length = 5:33

| label =

| writer =

| producer =

  • Madonna
  • Shep Pettibone

| prev_title = Erotica

| prev_year = 1992

| next_title = Bad Girl

| next_year = 1993

|misc={{External music video|{{YouTube|sJV29ZQIUhs|"Deeper and Deeper"}}}}}}

"Deeper and Deeper" is a song by American singer Madonna from her fifth studio album, Erotica (1992). It was written by Madonna, Shep Pettibone, and Anthony Shimkin and was produced by Madonna and Pettibone. In Australia and most European countries, the song was released as the album's second single on November 17, 1992; in the United States, a release was issued on December 8. It was included on Madonna's second greatest hits compilation, GHV2 (2001). A dance-pop and deep house song, it has disco and Philadelphia soul influences; the bridge features instrumentation from flamenco guitars and castanets and features background vocals from the singer's collaborators Donna De Lory and Niki Haris. Lyrically, the song talks about sexual desire, though it has been argued that it is actually about a young man coming to terms with his homosexuality. It includes a reference to Madonna's single "Vogue" (1990).

Upon release, the song received positive reviews from music critics. They often praised the singer for returning to a more dance-oriented nature in comparison to her previous single "Erotica", and singled out the "Vogue" sample. In retrospective reviews, it is now considered one of Madonna's best singles. The song also was commercially successful, peaking at number seven on the US Billboard Hot 100 and reaching the top 10 in several other countries, including Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom, while peaking at number one in Italy. The accompanying music video was directed by Bobby Woods. It was seen as a homage to American artist Andy Warhol and Italian director Luchino Visconti, with Madonna playing a character based on Edie Sedgwick, who goes out to a nightclub to meet her friends and boyfriend. The clip received generally mixed to positive reviews from critics. Madonna has performed "Deeper and Deeper" in three of her concert tours, the last being 2015—2016's Rebel Heart Tour.

Background and recording

In 1992, Madonna founded her own multi-media 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.{{cite web |last1=Holden |first1=Stephen |author1-link=Stephen Holden |title=Madonna makes a $60 million deal |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/04/20/arts/madonna-makes-a-60-million-deal.html |work=The New York Times |access-date=February 1, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090519100152/https://www.nytimes.com/1992/04/20/arts/madonna-makes-a-60-million-deal.html |archive-date=May 19, 2009 |date=April 10, 1992}}{{subscription required}} The first two projects from the venture were her fifth studio album Erotica and a coffee table book of photographs featuring Madonna, entitled Sex.{{cite web |last1=Orth |first1=Maureen |author1-link=Maureen Orth |title=Madonna in Wonderland |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/magazine/1992/10/madonna199210 |work=Vanity Fair |access-date=6 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150211083303/https://www.vanityfair.com/magazine/1992/10/madonna199210 |archive-date=February 11, 2015 |date=October 1992}} For Erotica, Madonna primarily collaborated with American producer Shep Pettibone; Pettibone first began working with the singer during the 1980s, providing remixes for several of her singles.{{cite web |last1=Pettibone |first1=Shep |author1-link=Shep Pettibone |title=Erotica Diaries |url=http://www.sheppettibone.com/sp_erotica_diarie |publisher=ShepPettibone.com |access-date=February 1, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070627110144/http://www.sheppettibone.com/sp_erotica_diaries.htm |archive-date=June 27, 2007}} Pettibone would build the base music of the songs in a style similar to his remixes, while Madonna wrote the melodies and lyrics.{{harvnb|Burgess|2013|p=42}} According to the producer in an article titled "Erotica Diaries", published in Madonna's Icon magazine, he created a tape of three tracks for Madonna to listen to; he traveled to Chicago, where she was filming A League of Their Own (1992), played the songs for her and she liked all of them. In October 1991, Madonna met with Pettibone in New York City to start working on demos. The first batch of songs they worked together on were "Erotica", "Deeper and Deeper", "Rain" and "Thief of Hearts". Anthony Shimkin, who also worked on the album, recalled that Madonna had with her a "book full of lyrics and melody ideas".

At first, the singer did not like the songs she had recorded. She wanted Erotica to have a raw edge, as if it were recorded in an alley in Harlem, and not a light glossy production, according to Pettibone. In the case of "Deeper and Deeper", the producer revealed that they tried different bridges and changes, but in the end, Madonna wanted the middle of the song to have a flamenco guitar, an idea he disagreed with; "I didn't like [...] taking a Philly house song and putting 'La Isla Bonita' in the middle of it. But that's what she wanted, so that's what she got", he recalled. He later decided to add castanets to "really take it there". According to Shimkin, while they were recording the song, Pettibone began singing some lines of "Vogue" (1990); Madonna, who heard this and emulated it, liked the sound and decided to keep it. She later explained: "When we were actually recording, doing the final vocals, I just went off into that for a second because ['Vogue'] to me it's just one of those great kind of feel good dance songs."{{cite episode |series=BBC Radio 1|last1=Bates |first1=Simon|station=104.8|location=London|date=October 14, 1992 |minutes=7 |quote=We definitely did that at the end, I've written that song and ...}}

Composition and lyrics

{{listen

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|filename = Madonna - Deeper and Deeper.ogg

|title = "Deeper and Deeper

|description = A 30 second sample from "Deeper and Deeper", featuring the refrain in which the singer sings I can't help falling in love, I fall deeper and deeper the further I go

|format = Ogg

}}

"Deeper and Deeper" was written by Madonna, Pettibone and Shimkin, and produced by Madonna and Pettibone.{{Cite AV media notes|others=Madonna|title=Erotica|year=1992|type=Liner notes|publisher=Maverick Records|id=9362-45031-2}} Recording took place at Astoria's Sound Work Studios; personnel working on the song included Pettibone on the sequencing, keyboard arrangement, and programming, alongside Shimkin; Paul Pesco on guitars, Dennis Mitchell and Robin Hancock were the song's recording engineers, while George Karras was the mixing engineer. Background vocals were provided by Niki Haris and Donna De Lory. Musically, "Deeper and Deeper" is a house-flavored track with disco and Philadelphia soul influences.{{cite magazine |title=Madonna's 50 Greatest Songs: 'Deeper and Deeper' (from Erotica,1992) |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/madonnas-50-greatest-songs-126823/deeper-and-deeper-from-erotica-1992-100444/ |magazine=Rolling Stone |access-date=February 1, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190528185728/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/madonnas-50-greatest-songs-126823/deeper-and-deeper-from-erotica-1992-100444/ |archive-date=May 28, 2019 |date=July 27, 2016}} Its lyrics talk about sexual desire, but Dan Cadan argued in his text in the liner notes of GHV2 (2001), that they are actually about a young man coming to terms with his homosexuality.{{harvnb|Lenig|2010|p=144}}{{Cite AV media notes|others=Madonna|title=GHV2|year=2001|type=Liner notes|publisher=Warner Bros.|id=9362-48000-2}} Madonna herself described the lyrics as "not terribly intellectual". Shimkin said he saw the song as a "big nod" to Madonna's earlier works with John "Jellybean" Benitez; De Lory on the other hand, recalled that, "[Niki and I]'d sung with [Madonna] before so it was just a really comfortable relationship. And oh my God, this song! All Niki and I wanted to do was sing sweeter and sweeter and sweeter".{{cite web |last1=Levine |first1=Nick |title=An oral history: Madonna's Erotica by the people who helped create it |url=https://i-d.vice.com/en_uk/article/kz3qbz/an-oral-history-madonnas-erotica-by-the-people-who-helped-create-it |website=i-D |access-date=February 1, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201101010208/https://i-d.vice.com/en_uk/article/kz3qbz/an-oral-history-madonnas-erotica-by-the-people-who-helped-create-it |archive-date=November 1, 2020 |date=October 20, 2017}}

"Deeper and Deeper" begins with Madonna singing Deeper and deeper and deeper, followed by the refrain I can't help falling in love, I fall deeper and deeper the further I go.{{harvnb|Rooksby|2004|p=40}} The song's opening line When you know the notes to sing, you can sing most anything references "Do-Re-Mi" from The Sound of Music (1959). Also present are "a juxtaposition of swirling disco synths", a flamenco guitar, and castanets on its bridge. According to the sheet music published by Alfred Publishing Inc., "Deeper and Deeper" is set in the time signature of common time with a fast tempo of 120 beats per minute. It is composed in the key of G minor, with Madonna's voice in a high register, spanning between F1 to G3. The song has a basic sequence of G7–Cm7/G as its chord progression.{{cite web |last1=Ciccone |first1=Madonna |title=Deeper and Deeper: Digital Sheet Music |url=https://www.totalsheetmusic.com/digital-sheet-music/deeper-and-deeper-615057/ |publisher=Alfred Music |access-date=February 1, 2022}} Towards the end, the song includes a lyrical sample of "Vogue" which, according to academic Georges-Claude Guilbert, author of Madonna as Postmodern Myth, "enhance[s] the ending of the song, in an ultimate post-modern twist".

Release and critical reception

{{Quote box|width=25%|align=right|quote="A stylistic diversion on the often chilly Erotica album, ['Deeper and Deeper'] calls back to 'Vogue' (both musically and via a direct late-song lift) with its disco warmth and propulsive house beat. But while 'Vogue' was about the joy of release, 'Deeper and Deeper' is a dance anthem for those who haven’t yet reached that level of confidence".|source=—Billboard{{'}}s Joe Lynch reviewing "Deeper and Deeper" on the magazine's list of Madonna's 100 best songs.{{cite magazine |title=The 100 greatest Madonna songs: Critics' picks |url=https://www.billboard.com/media/lists/100-greatest-madonna-songs-list-8469835/ |magazine=Billboard |access-date=January 28, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211119200810/https://www.billboard.com/media/lists/100-greatest-madonna-songs-list-8469835/ |archive-date=November 19, 2021 |date=August 15, 2018}}}}

In Australia and most European countries, "Deeper and Deeper" was released as the official second single from the Erotica album on November 17, 1992; in the United States, it was released on December 8.{{cite web |title=Madonna.com > Discography > Deeper and Deeper |url=http://madonna.com/discography/index/album/albumId/88/ |publisher=Icon: Official Madonna website |access-date=February 1, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100102053447/http://madonna.com/discography/index/album/albumId/88/ |archive-date=January 2, 2010}} It was then included on Madonna's second compilation album, GHV2 (2001).{{cite web |last1=Cinquemani |first1=Sal |title=Review: Madonna, GHV2 |url=https://www.slantmagazine.com/music/madonna-ghv2/ |work=Slant Magazine |access-date=January 27, 2022 |date=November 9, 2001 |archive-date=April 17, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220417084056/https://www.slantmagazine.com/music/madonna-ghv2/ |url-status=live }} Upon release, the song was met with generally positive reviews from music critics. J. Randy Taraborrelli, author of Madonna: An Intimate Biography, noted it was a "change of pace from the title track. A straight-ahead house groove in the tradition of the funkiest New York clubs".{{harvnb|Taraborrelli|2008|p=224}} Similarly, Billboard{{'}}s Joe Lynch expressed that, "if 'Erotica' was a bold sonic departure for Madonna, the second single, 'Deeper and Deeper', found her in more familiar disco and house territory".{{cite magazine |last1=Lynch |first1=Joe |title=Madonna's Erotica turns 25: An oral history of the most controversial '90s pop album |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/madonna-erotica-album-sex-book-oral-history-8006663/ |magazine=Billboard |access-date=January 27, 2022 |date=October 20, 2017 |archive-date=January 27, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220127210154/https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/madonna-erotica-album-sex-book-oral-history-8006663/ |url-status=live }} Also from Billboard, Larry Flick stated that, "the chorus embeds in your brain upon impact", and highlighted the "Vogue" sample as "one of the song's cooler moments".{{cite magazine |last1=Flick |first1=Larry |author1-link=Larry Flick |title=Singles review |magazine=Billboard |date=December 5, 1992 |volume=104 |issue=49 |page=92 |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/90s/1992/Billboard-1992-12-05.pdf#page=92 |access-date=January 27, 2022 |issn=0006-2510 |archive-date=February 8, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220208154057/https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/90s/1992/Billboard-1992-12-05.pdf#page=92 |url-status=live }} On his review of Erotica, the magazine's Paul Verna referred to "Deeper and Deeper" as a "playful disco-throwback".{{cite magazine |last1=Verna |first1=Paul |title=Album reviews |magazine=Billboard |date=October 24, 1992 |volume=104 |issue=43 |page=60 |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/90s/1992/Billboard-1992-10-24.pdf#page=60 |access-date=January 27, 2022 |issn=0006-2510 |archive-date=February 8, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220208151309/https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/90s/1992/Billboard-1992-10-24.pdf#page=60 |url-status=live }} AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine considered it among Madonna's "best and most accomplished music".{{cite web |last1=Erlewine |first1=Stephen Thomas |author1-link=Stephen Thomas Erlewine |title=Madonna > Erotica > Overview |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/erotica-mw0000017824 |publisher=AllMusic |access-date=January 27, 2022 |date=October 20, 1992 |archive-date=June 2, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120602151559/http://www.allmusic.com/album/erotica-mw0000017824 |url-status=live }} For Rolling Stone, Arion Berger highlighted the track as one of the album's "pure disco" moments that do not need "emotional resonance to make them race".{{cite magazine |last1=Berger |first1=Arion |title=Home > Music > Album reviews > Erotica |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/erotica-186842/ |magazine=Rolling Stone |access-date=January 27, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180927123157/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/erotica-186842/ |archive-date=September 27, 2018 |date=November 26, 1992}}

Anthony Violanti from The Buffalo News compared "Deeper and Deeper" to the work of Donna Summer.{{cite web |last1=Violanti |first1=Anthony |title=Too much sex weakens Madonna's latest Erotica |url=https://buffalonews.com/news/too-much-sex-weakens-madonnas-latest-erotica/article_dfa9e0aa-5273-5035-a99f-da7757625022.html |work=The Buffalo News |access-date=June 29, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220105231001/https://buffalonews.com/news/too-much-sex-weakens-madonnas-latest-erotica/article_dfa9e0aa-5273-5035-a99f-da7757625022.html |archive-date=January 5, 2022 |date=October 20, 1992}} In this vein, Matthew Rettenmund, author of Encyclopedia Madonnica, said it was the singer's take on "Never Can Say Goodbye". J. D. Considine, from The Baltimore Sun, called it "explosive, exultant", and one of Madonna's best singles.{{cite web |last1=Considine |first1=J.D. |author1-link=J.D. Considine |title=Like it or not, album has a beat you can dance to |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1290&dat=19921023&id=2fxTAAAAIBAJ&pg=4115,3840123&hl=es |work=The Baltimore Sun |publisher=Boca Raton News |access-date=January 27, 2022 |page=26 |date=October 23, 1992 |via=Google News |archive-date=January 27, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220127213841/https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1290&dat=19921023&id=2fxTAAAAIBAJ&pg=4115,3840123&hl=es |url-status=live }} Slant Magazine{{'}}s Sal Cinquemani deemed the single "both a product of its time and a timeless Madge classic", as well as one of the singer's "gems" that "get lost to pop history".{{cite web |last1=Cinquemani |first1=Sal |title=Review: Madonna, Erotica |url=https://www.slantmagazine.com/music/madonna-erotica/ |work=Slant Magazine |access-date=January 27, 2022 |date=February 24, 2007 |archive-date=May 20, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220520031744/https://www.slantmagazine.com/music/madonna-erotica/ |url-status=live }}{{cite web |last1=Cinquemani |first1=Sal |title=10 Things I learned at Madonna's Rebel Heart Tour |url=https://www.slantmagazine.com/music/10-things-i-learned-at-madonnas-rebel-heart-tour/ |work=Slant Magazine |access-date=January 27, 2022 |date=September 21, 2015 |archive-date=July 10, 2022 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20220710055623/https://www.slantmagazine.com/music/10-things-i-learned-at-madonnas-rebel-heart-tour/ |url-status=live }} In another occasion, Cinquemani said that it is "one of the few tracks from Erotica not weighed down or muddled by Pettibone's gritty production" that sounds equally good today to how "it did nearly a decade ago". Entertainment Weekly{{'}}s David Browne opined the single "whooshes like a subway train going express at 4 a.m.".{{cite magazine |last1=Browne |first1=David |author1-link=David Browne (journalist) |title=Erotica |url=https://ew.com/article/1992/10/23/erotica/ |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |access-date=January 28, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150724142115/https://ew.com/article/1992/10/23/erotica/ |archive-date=July 24, 2015 |date=October 23, 1992}} Charlotte Robinson of PopMatters hailed it a "great pop song about the importance of listening to Mom and Dad's advice".{{cite web |last1=Robinson |first1=Charlotte |title=Madonna: Greatest Hits Volume 2 |url=https://www.popmatters.com/madonna-greatest-2495984845.html |work=PopMatters |access-date=January 28, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180627005545/https://www.popmatters.com/madonna-greatest-2495984845.html |archive-date=June 27, 2018 |date=November 12, 2001}} For Q{{'}}s Phil Sutcliffe, "Deeper and Deeper" was the biggest surprise on Erotica that "could be mistaken for a bopalong tribute to Kylie".{{cite news |last1=Sutcliffe |first1=Phil |title=Madonna - Erotica |work=Q |issue=75 |date=December 12, 1992}} At Blender, Tony Powers considered it one of the album's standout tracks.{{cite web |last1=Power |first1=Tony |title=Madonna - Erotica |url=http://www.blender.com/reviews/review_2347.html |work=Blender |access-date=January 28, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040818014510/http://www.blender.com/reviews/review_2347.html |archive-date=August 18, 2004}} Music writer James Masterton praised Madonna for returning to the "basic pop/dance she does best", but felt the song did not have "chart topping potential".{{cite web |last1=Masterton |first1=James |author1-link=James Masterton |title=Week Ending December 12th 1992 |url=https://chart-watch.uk/archives/1992/week-ending-december-12th-1992 |work=Chart Watch UK |access-date=January 28, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200918073402/https://chart-watch.uk/archives/1992/week-ending-december-12th-1992 |archive-date=September 18, 2020 |date=December 7, 1992}} Barbara Walker, writing in the Sun-Sentinel, opined that, "the set's showcase dance track, 'Deeper and Deeper', never quite takes off", and deemed the "Vogue" sample lazy.{{cite web |last1=Walker |first1=Barbara |title=Madonna the superstar's first full-length studio release since 1989, due in stores on Tuesday, may leave listerners missing melodies and musing about Madonna's love life |url=https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-xpm-1992-10-18-9202240147-story.html |work=Sun-Sentinel |access-date=January 28, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201129163724/https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-xpm-1992-10-18-9202240147-story.html |archive-date=November 29, 2020 |date=October 18, 1992}} In a less favorable review, Cashbox{{'}}s Randy Clark dismissed its "soulless and formulaic disco/kiddie-pop sounds dating back to 'Into the Groove'" and "simpleton Madonna lyrics [and] overdone melodic phrases".{{cite journal |last1=Clark |first1=Randy |title=Music reviews |journal=Cashbox |date=December 5, 1992 |volume=46 |issue=15 |page=5 |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/90s/1992/CB-1992-12-05.pdf#page=5 |access-date=January 28, 2022 |archive-date=January 28, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220128151229/https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/90s/1992/CB-1992-12-05.pdf#page=5 |url-status=live }}

Retrospective reviews have been largely positive. In 2011, Slant Magazine placed the song at number 36 on their list of "The 100 Best Singles of the 1990s"; Ed Gonzalez wrote: "Among Madonna's finest achievements, the angsty pop anthem 'Deeper and Deeper' is both an acute distillation of Erotica{{'}}s smut-glam decadence and the singer's lifelong blond ambition".{{cite web |last1=Gonzalez |first1=Ed |title=The 100 Best Singles of the 1990s |url=https://www.slantmagazine.com/music/best-singles-of-the-1990s/7/ |work=Slant Magazine |access-date=January 28, 2022 |date=January 11, 2011 |archive-date=January 28, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220128151240/https://www.slantmagazine.com/music/best-singles-of-the-1990s/7/ |url-status=live }} Matthew Jacobs from HuffPost placed the song at number 35 of his ranking of Madonna's singles, calling it her "finest disco flourish".{{cite web |last1=Jacobs |first1=Matthew |title=The definitive ranking of Madonna singles |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/the-definitive-ranking-of-madonna-singles_n_5078934 |work=HuffPost |access-date=January 28, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190406160303/https://www.huffpost.com/entry/the-definitive-ranking-of-madonna-singles_n_5078934 |archive-date=April 6, 2019 |date=March 10, 2015}} On Gay Star News{{'}} ranking, the single came in at number 11; Joe Morgan called it "infectious, entrancing and one of her best dance anthems".{{cite web |last1=Morgan |first1=Joe |title=The definitive ranking of Madonna's top 55 songs |url=https://www.gaystarnews.com/article/definitive-ranking-madonnas-top-55-songs150814/ |work=Gay Star News |access-date=January 28, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140818084316/https://www.gaystarnews.com/article/definitive-ranking-madonnas-top-55-songs150814/ |archive-date=August 18, 2014 |date=August 15, 2014}} Jude Rogers, from The Guardian, opined "Deeper and Deeper" is a "classy post-'Vogue' excursion into 90s R&B", and placed it at number 27 of her ranking of Madonna singles.{{cite web |last1=Jude |first1=Rogers |title=Every one of Madonna's 78 singles – ranked! |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/aug/16/every-one-of-madonnas-78-singles-ranked |work=The Guardian |access-date=January 28, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180816144826/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/aug/16/every-one-of-madonnas-78-singles-ranked |archive-date=August 16, 2018 |date=August 16, 2018}} Nayer Missim from PinkNews considered "Deeper and Deeper" Madonna's 19th greatest song, and Entertainment Weekly{{'}}s Chuck Arnold her 25th; the former said it is "house and pop that’s equal parts disco and bedroom", while the latter deemed it a sequel to "Vogue", due to the lyrical nod.{{cite web |last1=Missim |first1=Nayer |title=Madonna at 60: Queen of Pop's 60 best singles ranked |url=https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2018/08/15/madonna-60-best-singles/ |work=PinkNews |access-date=January 28, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180816163838/https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2018/08/15/madonna-60-best-singles/ |archive-date=August 16, 2018 |date=August 15, 2018}}{{cite magazine |last1=Arnold |first1=Chuck |title=Madonna's 60 best singles, ranked |url=https://ew.com/music/2018/08/15/madonnas-60-best-singles-ranked/ |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |access-date=January 28, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180815230537/https://ew.com/music/2018/08/15/madonnas-60-best-singles-ranked/ |archive-date=August 15, 2018 |date=August 15, 2018}} Writing for The A.V. Club, Stephen Thomas Erlewine placed the track in the 28th position of the publication's ranking of Madonna's singles: "['Deeper and Deeper'] is a ray of light within the darkly provocative Erotica".{{cite web |last1=Erlewine |first1=Stephen Thomas |title=40 years of Madonna: The Queen of Pop's greatest songs, ranked - 28. 'Deeper and Deeper' (1992) |url= https://www.avclub.com/essential-madonna-40th-anniversary-best-songs-ranked-1850672035?slide=13#slideshow |website=The A.V. Club |access-date=August 6, 2023 |date=July 26, 2023}} Louis Virtel, writing for The Backlot, named "Deeper and Deeper" the seventh best song of Madonna's discography, referring to it as "jubilant and driving", and comparing it to her 1987 single "Causing a Commotion".{{cite web |last1=Virtel |first1=Louis |author-link=Louis Virtel |date=March 2, 2013 |title=The 100 greatest Madonna songs |url=http://www.newnownext.com/the-100-greatest-madonna-songs/02/2012/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151020234731/http://www.newnownext.com/the-100-greatest-madonna-songs/02/2012/ |archive-date=October 20, 2015 |access-date=June 21, 2022 |publisher=The Backlot}} Idolator{{'}}s Robbie Daw deemed it Madonna's best song that "radio forgot".{{cite web |last1=Daw |first1=Robbie |title=Madonna's 10 best songs that radio forgot |url=https://www.idolator.com/6151271/madonna-10-best-songs-radio?chrome=1 |work=Idolator |access-date=January 28, 2022 |date=January 25, 2012 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20230426005249/https://www.idolator.com/6151271/madonna-10-best-songs-radio?chrome=1 |archive-date=April 26, 2023}} Finally, Nick Levine from NME also deemed it underrated and said it deserves to be "embraced as a classic".{{cite web |last1=Levine |first1=Nick |title=Madonna's 10 best singles ever – ranked! |url=https://www.nme.com/features/music-features/madonna-top-10-singles-ever-ranked-like-a-prayer-vogue-music-3291209-3291209 |website=NME |access-date=August 21, 2022 |date=August 19, 2022 |archive-date=September 23, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220923092724/https://www.nme.com/features/music-features/madonna-top-10-singles-ever-ranked-like-a-prayer-vogue-music-3291209-3291209 |url-status=live }}

Commercial performance

File:Whitney Houston Welcome Home Heroes 1 cropped.jpg's (pictured) "I Will Always Love You" kept "Deeper and Deeper" from reaching the first position of RPM{{'}}s Top Singles chart.]]

"Deeper and Deeper" debuted on the US Billboard Hot 100 at number 38 the week of December 5, 1992, and quickly climbed up the chart, ultimately peaking at number 7 on the week of January 30, 1993, remaining on the chart for seventeen weeks in total.{{cite magazine |title=The Hot 100: Week of December 5, 1992 |url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100/1992-12-05/ |magazine=Billboard |access-date=January 26, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151213081746/https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100/1992-12-05/ |archive-date=December 13, 2015 |date=December 5, 1992}} The song became Madonna’s 25th Top 10 entry on the Hot 100. On the Hot 100 Airplay and Top Singles Sales charts, it peaked at numbers 8 and 15, respectively.{{cite magazine |title=Top 40 Radio Monitor |magazine=Billboard |date=December 19, 1992 |volume=104 |issue=51 |page=69 |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/90s/1992/Billboard-1992-12-19.pdf#page=69 |access-date=January 26, 2022 |issn=0006-2510 |archive-date=January 26, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220126221544/https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/90s/1992/Billboard-1992-12-19.pdf#page=69 |url-status=live }}{{cite magazine |title=Top Singles Sales |magazine=Billboard |date=January 23, 1993 |volume=105 |issue=4 |page=85 |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/90s/1993/BB-1993-01-23.pdf#page=85 |access-date=January 26, 2022 |issn=0006-2510 |archive-date=February 8, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220208175821/https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/90s/1993/BB-1993-01-23.pdf#page=85 |url-status=live }} The single saw success on Billboard{{'}}s Maxi-Singles Sales and Hot Dance Club Play charts, as it reached the first position of both. The track became Madonna's 14th chart-topper on the latter chart.{{cite magazine |last1=Murray |first1=Gordon |title=Madonna earns 48th No. 1 on Dance Club Songs Chart with 'I Rise' |url=https://www.billboard.com/pro/madonna-48th-number-1-dance-club-songs-chart-i-rise/ |magazine=Billboard |access-date=January 26, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220108144853/https://www.billboard.com/pro/madonna-48th-number-1-dance-club-songs-chart-i-rise/ |archive-date=January 8, 2022 |date=August 23, 2018}} "Deeper and Deeper" peaked at number 2 on the Mainstream Top 40 chart, and at number 14 on the Rhythmic chart. By the end of 1993, it ranked 17th on the Hot Dance Club Play chart, number 28 on the Dance Music Maxi-Singles Sales chart, 53 on the radio chart, and 66 on the Hot 100.{{cite magazine |title=The Year in Music: 1993 |magazine=Billboard |date=December 25, 1993 |volume=105 |issue=52 |pages=80, 86, 114 and 115 |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/90s/1993/BB-1993-12-25.pdf |access-date=January 26, 2022 |issn=0006-2510 |archive-date=June 27, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210627232050/https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/90s/1993/BB-1993-12-25.pdf |url-status=live }} In Canada, the single debuted in the 77th position of RPM{{'}}s Top Singles chart on the week of December 12, 1992;{{cite news |title=Top Singles - Volume 56, No. 24 (Dec 12, 1992) |url=https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.1855&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.1855.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.1855 |work=RPM |publisher=Library and Archives Canada |access-date=January 27, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160130142301/https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.1855&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.1855.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.1855 |archive-date=January 30, 2016 |date=December 12, 1992 | last1=Canada | first1=Library Archives }} two months later, it peaked at number two just behind Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You". The single topped RPM{{'}}s Dance charts and came in at number 21 on the Adult Contemporary chart. "Deeper and Deeper" came in at numbers 34 and 31 on the official year-end chart and the Dance year-end chart, respectively.{{cite web |title=The RPM Top 100 Hit Tracks of 1993 |url=https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.2339&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.2339.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.2339 |work=RPM | date=July 17, 2013 |publisher=Library and Archives Canada |access-date=January 27, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151007045447/https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.2339&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.2339.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.2339 |archive-date=October 7, 2015}}{{cite web |title=The RPM Top 50 Dance Tracks of 1993 |url=https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.2328&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.2328.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.2328 |work=RPM | date=July 17, 2013 |publisher=Library and Archives Canada |access-date=January 27, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160918044007/https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.2328&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.2328.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.2328 |archive-date=September 18, 2016}}

In the United Kingdom, "Deeper and Deeper" debuted at the 10th position of the UK Singles Chart on December 12, 1992, and, one week later, peaked at number 6; it spent 9 weeks on the chart overall. According to Music Week magazine, over 136,800 copies of the single have been sold in the United Kingdom as of 2008.{{cite web |last1=Jones |first1=Alan |title=The immaculate guide to 50 years of Madonna |url=http://www.musicweek.com/story.asp?sectioncode=22&storycode=1035210 |work=Music Week |access-date=January 27, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080911221201/http://www.musicweek.com/story.asp?sectioncode=22&storycode=1035210 |archive-date=September 11, 2008 |date=August 19, 2008}} It spent three weeks at number 11 on Australia's ARIA Singles Chart and was later certified gold by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) for the shipment of 35,000 copies. The song debuted on the 27th position of New Zealand's chart on December 20, 1992, and peaked at number 9 two weeks later. It reached the first position in Italy. "Deeper and Deeper" reached the top 10 in several other countries, including Belgium, Denmark, Finland,{{cite journal |title=Top 40 Sales in Europe! |journal=Music & Media |date=February 6, 1993 |volume=10 |issue=6 |page=14 |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1993/MM-1993-02-06.pdf#page=14 |access-date=January 27, 2022 |oclc=29800226 |archive-date=March 8, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308060609/https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1993/MM-1993-02-06.pdf#page=14 |url-status=live }} and Ireland, as well as the top 30 in Austria, France, Germany, Iceland, Sweden, and Switzerland.

Music video

= Background and synopsis =

Bobby Woods, an executive producer at Madonna's companies Boy Toy Inc. and Maverick films, directed the music video for "Deeper and Deeper". Filming took place from November 7–8, 1992, at Ren-Mar Studios and The Roxbury nightclub in Hollywood, California.{{harvnb|Bret|2015|p=110}}{{harvnb|Guilbert|2002|pp=69–70}} Madonna portrays Andy Warhol protégé Edie Sedgwick. According to the director, the singer wanted to do an "Andy Warhol/Edie Sedgwick styled video. She believed, and I think this is accurate, that there was a similar feel to the times of America in the Roaring 20s and the Disco 70s."{{harvnb|Ichbiah|2016|p=132}} German actor Udo Kier, director Sofia Coppola, Madonna's personal friend Debi Mazar, porn director Chi Chi LaRue, porn performer Joey Stefano, music executives Seymour Stein and Guy Oseary, Ingrid Casares, actor and comedian Ray Walston, and Warhol Superstar Holly Woodlawn, all made cameos.{{cite magazine |last1=Lipschutz |first1=Jason |title=Madonna's 10 most surprising collaborations |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/madonna-10-most-surprising-collaborations-6450804/ |magazine=Billboard |access-date=January 25, 2022 |date=January 23, 2015 |archive-date=January 25, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220125160404/https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/madonna-10-most-surprising-collaborations-6450804/ |url-status=live }}{{cite news |last1=Sancho |first1=Xavi |title=El único hombre que manda sobre la reina del pop |url=http://elpais.com/m/elpais/2015/01/09/estilo/1420817465_438869.html |work=El País |access-date=January 25, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150110062455/http://elpais.com/m/elpais/2015/01/09/estilo/1420817465_438869.html |archive-date=January 10, 2015 |language=Spanish |date=January 10, 2015}} Madonna asked former Warhol superstar Joe Dallesandro to participate in the video, but he turned down the offer.{{harvnb|Ferguson|2011|p=204}} The dance sequences in the video were, according to Woods, "100% spontaneous. We loaded a dance floor with people, put her record on, and the dancing began."

Described as a "pastiche of 70s images", with scenes both in color and black and white, the video begins with a man (Kier) in a darkened room speaking German with subtitles in English: "Beware! Our idols and demons will pursue us. Until we learn to let them go!"{{harvnb|Appignanesi|Garratt|2014|p=109}}{{Harvnb|Falconi|2017|p=74}} Then, Madonna arrives at a nightclub driving a Mercedes-Benz W111 and looks for her lover - also played by Kier. At the nightclub, she leaves some balloons tied to the bar, which then begin to cut loose or burst. Interspersed footage of Madonna meeting and dancing with her friends, being photographed and watching a stripper (Stefano) perform, plays next. At the end, the man from the beginning cuts off the singer's remaining balloon with scissors.

= Analysis and reception =

File:Madonna deeper and deeper.jpg.]]

Armond White wrote in The Resistance: Ten Years of Pop Culture that Shook the World (1995): "In the great 'Deeper and Deeper', Madonna combines historicism with her pop art consciousness [...] she goes back to the era of pervasive decadence, typified through 70s disco and Andy Warhol's advertising zenith."{{harvnb|White|1995|p=361}} According to Guilbert, the video recreates "the atmosphere of the underground films of Warhol and Morrissey, particularly Flesh (1968) and Trash (1970)"; furthermore, he described Madonna's appearance as a mixture of Isadora Duncan, Dita Parlo, and Ingrid Thulin in La caduta degli dei (1969). Guilbert also pointed out references to Italian director Luchino Visconti, and actor John Travolta in the 1977 film Saturday Night Fever. The scene in which Madonna and her girlfriends watch Stefano perform while eating bananas was, according to Guilbert, a nod to the Warhol-penned cover art for The Velvet Underground & Nico (1967); he concluded that, with the inclusion of Stefano and La Rue, Madonna was comforting her own status as a gay icon. Matthew Rettenmund wrote that, despite being one of her "least admired videos, it's nonetheless creatively costumed and full of energy, even where it lacks cohesion or conceptual imagination. [...] It's lethargic narrative is unique among Madonna's videography". He further wrote that the scenes of the singer driving the car echoed "Burning Up" (1983), and singled out the "indulgent cameos".{{harvnb|Rettenmund|1995|pp=46-47}}

The Los Angeles Times{{'}} Chris Willman compared the music video to a Redd Kross show, and critiqued Madonna for sporting the "most unattractive blond bob possible". He ultimately concluded: "The oddball mixture of corny nostalgic kitsch and druggy malevolence [in 'Deeper and Deeper'] is intriguing on the surface but, at its core, nothing but deep."{{cite web |last1=Willman |first1=Chris |title=Video makers let the cat out of the bag |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-01-31-ca-864-story.html |work=Los Angeles Times |access-date=January 25, 2022 |date=January 31, 1993 |archive-date=January 25, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220125153305/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-01-31-ca-864-story.html |url-status=live }} Louis Virtel from The Backlot ranked it as the singer's 29th greatest video, and Nerdist's Eric Diaz her 12th; the latter writer felt the clip "perfectly captures the euphoric joy of just losing yourself in the beat on the dance floor".{{cite web |last1=Virtel |first1=Louis |author-link=Louis Virtel |date=August 8, 2013 |title=Madonna's 55 best videos, in honor of her 55th birthday |url=http://www.newnownext.com/madonnas-55-best-videos-in-honor-of-her-55th-birthday/08/2013/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160309094829/http://www.newnownext.com/madonnas-55-best-videos-in-honor-of-her-55th-birthday/08/2013/ |archive-date=March 9, 2016 |access-date=January 25, 2022 |publisher=The Backlot}}{{cite web |last1=Diaz |first1=Eric |title=The 13 greatest Madonna music videos of all time |url=https://nerdist.com/the-13-greatest-madonna-music-videos-of-all-time/ |publisher=Nerdist |access-date=January 25, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180618205235/https://nerdist.com/the-13-greatest-madonna-music-videos-of-all-time/ |archive-date=June 18, 2018 |date=February 8, 2015}} Julien Sauvalle from Out magazine considered "Deeper and Deeper" to be one of Madonna's "most stylish" music videos.{{cite web |last1=Sauvalle |first1=Julien |title=Madonna's 20 most stylish videos |url=https://www.out.com/truman-says/2015/3/10/madonnas-20-most-stylish-videos |work=Out |access-date=January 25, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150312071128/https://www.out.com/truman-says/2015/3/10/madonnas-20-most-stylish-videos |archive-date=March 12, 2015 |date=March 10, 2015}} Sal Cinquemani considered it "weird, dark, and alluring", as well as Madonna's 21st greatest music video.{{cite web |last1=Cinquemani |first1=Sal |title=Madonna's 25 greatest music videos |url=https://www.slantmagazine.com/music/madonna-greatest-music-videos-ranked/ |work=Slant Magazine |access-date=October 7, 2022 |date=October 6, 2022}} A negative review came from Italian author Francesco Falconi, who expressed that, despite being an "explicit homage" to Warhol, the video is not among Madonna's best. It can be found on Madonna's 2009 compilation ''Celebration: The Video Collection.{{cite web |title='Celebration' - Track listing for CD & DVD announced |url=https://www.madonna.com/news/title/celebration--track-listing-for-cd--dvd-announced |publisher=Icon: Official Madonna website |access-date=January 25, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100102085012/https://www.madonna.com/news/title/celebration--track-listing-for-cd--dvd-announced |archive-date=January 2, 2010 |date=August 25, 2009}}

Live performances

File:Madonna - Rebel Heart Tour Cologne 2 (22950031200).jpg (2015―2016)]]

"Deeper and Deeper" has been included on three of Madonna's concert tours: The Girlie Show (1993), Re-Invention (2004), and Rebel Heart (2015―2016). On the first one, it was sung after "Express Yourself" (1989); the stage was decked in Mylar curtains and glittering disco balls.{{cite web |last1=Pareles |first1=Jon |title=Review/Pop: From Madonna, a new palatability but still spicy |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1993/10/16/arts/review-pop-from-madonna-a-new-palatability-but-still-spicy.html | author1-link=Jon Pareles|work=The New York Times |access-date=January 25, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101111075734/https://www.nytimes.com/1993/10/16/arts/review-pop-from-madonna-a-new-palatability-but-still-spicy.html |archive-date=November 11, 2010 |date=October 16, 1993}} Madonna wore a blond afro wig, 1970's style halters, and royal blue bell-bottom pants, a look that, according to Guilbert, was inspired by actress Marlene Dietrich in the 1932 film Blonde Venus.{{harvnb|Guilbert|2002|p=138}} The performance began with a male member of the audience jumping onstage, trying to dance with a startled Madonna; he then ripped his tearaway pants, revealing himself as one of the concert's dancers.{{cite video|people=Madonna|title=The Girlie Show: Live Down Under|medium=VHS|publisher=Warner Music Vision|year=1994}} On his review of the concert at New York City's Madison Square Garden, Jon Pareles from The New York Times pointed out that the number was part of the "core of the show", which included songs about "freeing desire". The performance recorded on November 19, 1993, at the Sydney Cricket Ground, was included on The Girlie Show: Live Down Under home video release (1994).

On the Re-Invention World Tour, "Deeper and Deeper" was performed as a cabaret-style lounge number.{{cite web |last1=Patterson |first1=Spencer |title=Madonna unleashes the mother lode |url=https://lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/leisure/2004/jun/01/516946268.html |work=Las Vegas Sun |access-date=January 25, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040629040016/https://lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/leisure/2004/jun/01/516946268.html |archive-date=June 29, 2004 |date=June 1, 2004}} Madonna wore a circus-themed outfit, consisting of black hot pants, red high heels, headband, and a red and white striped 1920s flapper style bustier.{{cite web |last1=Halleck |first1=Audra |title=Madonna expresses herself |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2004&dat=20040706&id=1bYiAAAAIBAJ&sjid=HLUFAAAAIBAJ&pg=1588,1528548&hl=es |work=The Beaver County Times |via=Google News |access-date=January 25, 2022 |page=23 |date=July 6, 2004 |archive-date=January 25, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220125201516/https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2004&dat=20040706&id=1bYiAAAAIBAJ&sjid=HLUFAAAAIBAJ&pg=1588,1528548&hl=es |url-status=live }} The staff of The Washington Times opined that the singer displayed "vocal nuances we didn’t know she had", while Kevin Naff from Southern Voice highlighted the "beautifully reworked" rendition.{{cite web |title=Madonna serves up dull inventions |url=https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2004/jun/14/20040614-095044-3446r/ |work=The Washington Times |access-date=January 25, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140116132455/https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2004/jun/14/20040614-095044-3446r/ |archive-date=January 16, 2014 |date=June 14, 2004}}{{cite web |last1=Naff |first1=Kevin |title=Our love is justified |url=http://www.southernvoice.com/2004/7-16/arts/music/music.cfm |work=Southern Voice |access-date=January 25, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070820145234/http://www.southernvoice.com/2004/7-16/arts/music/music.cfm |archive-date=August 20, 2007 |date=July 16, 2004}} It was sung in its original form on the Rebel Heart Tour;{{cite web |last1=DiGuglielmo |first1=Joey |title=Madonna brings A-game again |url=https://www.washingtonblade.com/2015/09/14/madonna-brings-a-game-again-on-rebel-heart-tour/ |work=Washington Blade |access-date=January 25, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150915160302/https://www.washingtonblade.com/2015/09/14/madonna-brings-a-game-again-on-rebel-heart-tour/ |archive-date=September 15, 2015 |date=September 14, 2015}} the number featured line dancing and, on one point, a dancer carried Madonna in a piggyback style, while the backdrop screen showed a jukebox.{{cite web |last1=Lee |first1=Ashley |title=Madonna expertly touts irreverence, cultural immersion on Rebel Heart Tour at MSG: Concert review |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/concert-review-madonna-rebel-heart-824367/ |work=The Hollywood Reporter |access-date=January 25, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220108173929/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/concert-review-madonna-rebel-heart-824367/ |archive-date=January 8, 2022 |date=September 8, 2015}}{{cite web |last1=Cruz |first1=Nando |title=Un tremendo lío llamado Madonna |url=https://www.elconfidencial.com/cultura/2015-11-25/un-tremendo-lio-llamado-madonna_1106590/ |work=El Confidencial |access-date=January 25, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151126153542/https://www.elconfidencial.com/cultura/2015-11-25/un-tremendo-lio-llamado-madonna_1106590/ |archive-date=November 26, 2015 |location=Barcelona |language=Spanish |date=November 25, 2015}} Entertainment Weekly{{'}}s Melissa Maerz noted that the song was infused with a "pulsing house undercurrent that felt contemporary again".{{cite magazine |last1=Maerz |first1=Melissa |title=Madonna Rebel Heart Tour review: Madison Square Garden |url=https://ew.com/article/2015/09/17/madonna-rebel-heart-review-2/ |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |access-date=January 25, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170915024104/https://ew.com/article/2015/09/17/madonna-rebel-heart-review-2/ |archive-date=September 15, 2017 |date=September 17, 2015}} The performance of "Deeper and Deeper" at the March 19–20, 2016 shows in Sydney's Allphones Arena was recorded and released on Madonna's fifth live album, Rebel Heart Tour (2017).{{cite video|people=Madonna|title=Rebel Heart Tour|medium=2× CD, DVD, Blu-ray|publisher=Eagle Records|date=2017}}

Track listings and formats

{{col begin}}

{{col-2}}

  • US 7-inch and cassette single; Japanese 3-inch CD{{cite AV media notes|title=Deeper and Deeper|others=Madonna|year=1992|type=US single liner notes|publisher=Maverick Records|id=5439-18639-2}}{{cite AV media notes|title=Deeper and Deeper|others=Madonna|year=1992|type=Japan single liner notes|publisher=Maverick Records|id=5439-19648-2}}
  1. "Deeper and Deeper" (Album Edit) – 4:54
  2. "Deeper and Deeper" (Instrumental) – 5:31
  • US 12-inch and cassette maxi-single; UK 12-inch picture disc; European 12-inch maxi-single{{cite AV media notes|title=Deeper and Deeper|others=Madonna|year=1992|type=German maxi-single liner notes|publisher=Maverick Records|id=9352-40723-0}}
  1. "Deeper and Deeper" (Shep's Classic 12-inch) – 7:25
  2. "Deeper and Deeper" (Shep's Deep Makeover Mix) – 9:09
  3. "Deeper and Deeper" (Shep's Deep Beats) – 2:57
  4. "Deeper and Deeper" (David's Klub Mix) – 7:38
  5. "Deeper and Deeper" (David's Love Dub) – 5:35
  6. "Deeper and Deeper" (Shep's Deeper Dub) – 6:08
  • US CD maxi-single{{cite AV media notes|title=Deeper and Deeper|others=Madonna|year=1992|type=US maxi-single liner notes|publisher=Maverick Records|id=9362-407222-2}}
  1. "Deeper and Deeper" (Album Edit) – 4:54
  2. "Deeper and Deeper" (Shep's Deep Makeover Mix) – 9:09
  3. "Deeper and Deeper" (David's Klub Mix) – 7:40
  4. "Deeper and Deeper" (Shep's Classic 12-inch) – 7:27
  5. "Deeper and Deeper" (Shep's Fierce Deeper Dub) – 6:01
  6. "Deeper and Deeper" (David's Love Dub) – 5:39
  7. "Deeper and Deeper" (Shep's Deep Beats) – 2:58

{{col-2}}

  • Digital single (2022){{cite web |title=Deeper and Deeper - Madonna |url=https://music.apple.com/gb/album/deeper-and-deeper/1651539047 |publisher=Apple Music |access-date=November 4, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221028123328/https://music.apple.com/gb/album/deeper-and-deeper/1651539047 |archive-date=October 28, 2022 |date=October 28, 2022}}
  1. "Deeper and Deeper" (Album Edit) – 4:54
  2. "Deeper and Deeper" (Shep's Deep Makeover Mix) – 9:07
  3. "Deeper and Deeper" (David's Klub Mix) – 7:39
  4. "Deeper and Deeper" (Shep's Classic 12-inch) – 7:26
  5. "Deeper and Deeper" (Shep's Fierce Deeper Dub) – 5:59
  6. "Deeper and Deeper" (David's Love Dub) – 5:37
  7. "Deeper and Deeper" (Shep's Deepstrumental) – 6:00
  8. "Deeper and Deeper" (David's Deeper Dub) – 5:24
  9. "Deeper and Deeper" (Shep's Deeper Dub) – 6:09
  10. "Deeper and Deeper" (Shep's Deep Bass Dub) – 5:00
  11. "Deeper and Deeper" (Shep's Deep Beats) – 2:58
  12. "Deeper and Deeper" (Instrumental) – 5:34

{{col-end}}

Credits and personnel

Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes.

  • Madonna – lead vocals, songwriter, producer
  • Shep Pettibone – songwriter, producer, sequencing, keyboard, programming
  • Anthony Shimkin – songwriter, sequencing, keyboard, programming
  • Joe Moskowitz – keyboards
  • Paul Pesco – guitar
  • Dennis Mitchell – recording engineer
  • Robin Hancock – recording engineer
  • George Karras – mixing engineer
  • Donna De Lory – background vocals
  • Niki Haris – background vocals

Charts

{{col-begin}}

{{col-2}}

=Weekly charts=

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

|+Weekly chart performance for "Deeper and Deeper"

!scope="col"|Chart (1992–1993)

!scope="col"|Peak
position

{{single chart|Australia|11|artist=Madonna|song=Deeper and Deeper|rowheader=true|access-date=January 26, 2022|refname=Aus2}}
{{single chart|Austria|30|artist=Madonna|song=Deeper and Deeper|rowheader=true|access-date=January 26, 2022|refname=aut2}}
{{single chart|Flanders|10|artist=Madonna|song=Deeper and Deeper|rowheader=true|access-date=January 26, 2022|refname=fla}}
scope="row"|Canada Retail Singles (The Record){{cite book|last=Lwin|first=Nanda|author-link=Nanda Lwin|date=2000|title=Top 40 Hits: The Essential Chart Guide|publisher=Music Data Canada|page=173|isbn=1-896594-13-1}}

|1

{{single chart|Canadatopsingles|2|artist=Madonna|chartid=1027|rowheader=true|access-date=February 6, 2022|refname=RPMOfficial}}
scope="row"|Canada Contemporary Hit Radio (The Record)

|2

{{single chart|Canadaadultcontemporary|21|chartid=1841|rowheader=true|access-date=January 26, 2022|refname=rpmac}}
{{single chart|Canadadance|1|chartid=1711|rowheader=true|access-date=January 26, 2022|refname=rpmdance}}
scope="row"|Denmark (IFPI){{cite magazine|url=http://americanradiohistory.com/Archive-Music-and-Media/90s/1993/MM-1993-01-16.pdf|title=Top 10 Sales in Europe|journal=Music & Media|volume=10|issue=3|page=16|date=January 16, 1993|access-date=February 23, 2020}}

| 8

scope="row"|Europe (European Hot 100 Singles){{cite journal |title=Eurochart Hot 100 Singles |journal=Music & Media |date=January 9, 1993 |volume=10 |issue=2 |page=11 |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1993/MM-1993-01-09.pdf#page=11 |access-date=January 27, 2022 |oclc=29800226 |archive-date=January 27, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220127161530/https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1993/MM-1993-01-09.pdf#page=11 |url-status=live }}

| 9

scope="row"|Europe (European Dance Radio){{cite journal |title=European Dance Radio Top 25 |journal=Music & Media |date=January 30, 1993 |volume=10 |issue=5 |page=8 |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1993/MM-1993-01-30.pdf#page=8 |access-date=February 1, 2022 |oclc=29800226 |archive-date=December 28, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211228025038/https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1993/MM-1993-01-30.pdf#page=8 |url-status=live }}

| 2

scope="row"|Finland (Suomen virallinen lista){{cite web|url=https://musiikkiarkisto.fi/oa/_tiedostot/julkaisut/sisaltaa-hitin.pdf|title=Sisältää hitin: 1.1.1960 – 30.6.2021|date=2021|publisher=Musiikkiarkisto|language=fi|pages=156–157|first=Timo|last=Pennanen|access-date=September 5, 2022|archive-date=January 22, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220122233715/https://musiikkiarkisto.fi/oa/_tiedostot/julkaisut/sisaltaa-hitin.pdf|url-status=live}}

|align="center"|2

{{single chart|France|17|artist=Madonna|song=Deeper and Deeper|rowheader=true|access-date=January 26, 2022|refname=fra}}
{{single chart|Germany|26|artist=Madonna|song=Deeper and Deeper|songid=2559|rowheader=true|access-date=January 26, 2022|refname=ger}}
scope="row"|Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40){{cite web|url=http://timarit.is/files/11555653.pdf#navpanes=1&view=FitH|title=Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (28.01.1993 – 04.02.1993)|publisher=Dagblaðið Vísir – Tónlist|access-date=March 7, 2018|language=is}}{{Dead link|date=October 2022 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

| 13

{{single chart|Ireland2|7|artist=Madonna|song=Deeper and Deeper|rowheader=true|access-January 26, 2022|refname=ire}}
scope="row"|Italy (Musica e dischi){{cite web|url=http://www.musicaedischi.it/classifiche_archivio.php|title=Classifiche|work=Musica e Dischi|language=it|access-date=May 29, 2022|archive-date=December 1, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161201160637/http://musicaedischi.it/classifiche_archivio.php|url-status=live}} Set "Tipo" on "Singoli". Then, in the "Artista" field, search "Madonna".

| 1

{{single chart|Dutch40|17|artist=Madonna|song=Deeper and Deeper|rowheader=true|access-date=January 26, 2022|refname=nl}}
{{single chart|Dutch100|20|artist=Madonna|song=Deeper and Deeper|rowheader=true|access-date=January 26, 2022}}
{{single chart|New Zealand|9|artist=Madonna|song=Deeper and Deeper|rowheader=true|access-date=July 25, 2015|refname=nz}}
{{single chart|Sweden|22|artist=Madonna|song=Deeper and Deeper|rowheader=true|access-date=July 25, 2015|refname=swe}}
{{single chart|Switzerland|23|artist=Madonna|song=Deeper and Deeper|rowheader=true|access-date=July 25, 2015|refname=swi}}
{{single chart|UKsinglesbyname|6|artist=Madonna|artistid=28948|rowheader=true|access-date=February 11, 2022|refname=UKOfficial}}
scope="row"|UK Dance (Music Week){{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1992/MW-1992-12-19.pdf|title=Top 60 Dance Singles|magazine=Music Week|page=22|date=December 19, 1992|access-date=September 30, 2020|archive-date=March 9, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210309074645/https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1992/MW-1992-12-19.pdf|url-status=live}}

| 2

scope="row"|UK Club Chart (Music Week){{cite magazine|title= The RM Club Chart |magazine= Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental insert) |date= 9 January 1993 |page= 4 |accessdate= May 8, 2023 |url= https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1993/Music-Week-1993-01-09.pdf}}

| 15

{{single chart|Billboardhot100|7|artist=Madonna|rowheader=true|access-date=January 26, 2022|refname=UShot100}}
{{single chart|Billboarddanceclubplay|1|artist=Madonna|rowheader=true|access-date=January 26, 2022|refname=danceclub}}
{{single chart|Billboarddancesales|1|artist=Madonna|rowheader=true|access-date=January 26, 2022|refname=dancesales}}
{{single chart|Billboardpopsongs|2|artist=Madonna|rowheader=true|access-date=January 26, 2022|refname=Popsongs}}
{{single chart|Billboardrhythmic|14|artist=Madonna|rowheader=true|access-date=January 26, 2022|refname=Rhythmic}}

{{col-2}}

=Year-end charts=

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

|+Year-end chart performance for "Deeper and Deeper"

!scope="col"|Chart (1993)

!scope="col"|Position

scope="row"|Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders){{cite web |title=Jaaroverzichten 1993 |url=https://www.ultratop.be/nl/annual.asp?year=1993 |publisher=Ultratop |access-date=February 1, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131212105004/https://www.ultratop.be/nl/annual.asp?year=1993 |archive-date=December 12, 2013 |language=Dutch}}

| 95

scope="row"|Canada Top Singles (RPM)

| 34

scope="row"|Canada Dance/Urban (RPM)

| 31

scope="row"|Netherlands (Dutch Top 40){{cite web |title=To 40 Jaargang 29, 1993 |url=https://www.top40web.nl/jaarlijsten/jr1993.html |publisher=Ultratop |access-date=February 1, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040101150308/https://www.top40web.nl/jaarlijsten/jr1993.html |archive-date=January 1, 2004 |language=Dutch |date=January 29, 1993}}

| 158

scope="row"|US Billboard Hot 100

| 66

scope="row"|US Hot Dance Music Club Songs (Billboard)

| 17

scope="row"|US Hot Dance Maxi-Singles Sales (Billboard)

| 28

=Decade-end charts=

class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

|+Decade-end chart performance for "Deeper and Deeper"

!Chart (1990–1999)

!Position

scope="row"|Canada (Nielsen SoundScan){{cite web|url=http://www.jamshowbiz.com/JamMusicCharts/100_1990.html|title=Top 100 singles of the 1990s|last=Lwin|first=Nanda|publisher=Jam!|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000829070927/http://www.jamshowbiz.com/JamMusicCharts/100_1990.html|archive-date=August 29, 2000|access-date=March 26, 2022}}

| 71

{{col-end}}

Certifications and sales

{{Certification Table Top|caption=Certifications and sales for "Deeper and Deeper"}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Australia|award=Gold|type=single|relyear=1992|certref={{harvnb|Ryan|2011|p=174}}}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|nocert=true|salesamount=136,854|salesref=}}

{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true}}

References

{{reflist}}

Bibliography

{{refbegin|30em}}

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| title = Introducing Postmodernism: A Graphic Guide

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| publisher = Icon Books Ltd Publishers

| year = 2014

| isbn = 978-1840468496

}}

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| last = Bret

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| title = Joey Stefano: The Life, Loves & Legacy of the Prince of Passion

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| last = Burgess

| first = Richard James

| author-link = Richard James Burgess

| title = The Art of Music Production: The Theory and Practice

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| last = Falconi

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| title = Mad for Madonna: La Regina del Pop

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}}

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| last = Ferguson

| first = Michael

| title = Joe Dallesandro: Warhol Superstar, Underground Film Icon, Actor

| publisher = Open Road Media

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| last = Guilbert

| first = Georges-Claude

| author-link = Georges-Claude Guilbert

| title = Madonna as Postmodern Myth

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}}

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| last = Ichbiah

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| author-link = Daniel Ichbiah

| title = Les Chansons de Madonna

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  • {{cite book

| last=Lenig

| first=Stuart

| title=The Twisted Tale of Glam Rock

| publisher=Praeger

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| last = Rettenmund

| first = Matthew

| author-link = Matthew Rettenmund

| title = Encyclopedia Madonnica

| publisher = St. Martin's Press

| year = 1995

| isbn = 0-312-11782-5

}}

  • {{cite book

| last = Rooksby

| first = Rikky

| title = The Complete Guide to the Music of Madonna

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| last = Ryan

| first = Gavin

| title = Australia's Music Charts 1988-2010

| publisher = Moonlight Publishing

| year = 2011

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}}

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| last = Taraborrelli

| first = Randy J.

| author-link = J. Randy Taraborrelli

| title = Madonna: An Intimate Biography

| publisher = Simon & Schuster

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}}

  • {{cite book

| last = White

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| author-link = Armond White

| title = The Resistance: Ten Years of Pop Culture That Shook the World

| publisher = The Overlook Press

| year = 1995

| isbn = 9780879515867

}}

{{refend}}

{{Madonna songs}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Deeper And Deeper}}

Category:1992 singles

Category:1992 songs

Category:American house music songs

Category:Deep house songs

Category:Gay-related songs

Category:Madonna songs

Category:Maverick Records singles

Category:Number-one singles in Italy

Category:Sire Records singles

Category:Song recordings produced by Madonna

Category:Song recordings produced by Shep Pettibone

Category:Songs written by Madonna

Category:Songs written by Shep Pettibone

Category:The Sound of Music

Category:Warner Records singles