Express Yourself

The harmony of "Express Yourself" is intentionally stripped back to serve its funk foundations. The two-chord verse vamp is a classic funk device that puts rhythm and groove front and center, while the chorus opens up just enough with a IV-V-I cadence to deliver the anthem's hook. The simplicity is the point — like Sly Stone's best work, the power comes from the groove, not from harmonic complexity.

"Express Yourself" was the first song that Madonna and longtime collaborator Stephen Bray worked on for the Like a Prayer album. The duo drew heavily on the sound and spirit of Sly and the Family Stone, crafting a funk-driven dance track with a powerful lyrical message. Madonna later explained that the song was about learning to ask for what you want in relationships without censoring yourself, something she admitted struggling with in her own life despite her outspoken public persona.

Released as the second single from Like a Prayer, "Express Yourself" is Madonna and Stephen Bray's tribute to Sly and the Family Stone, channeling classic funk into a late-80s dance-pop powerhouse. The song became a feminist touchstone, urging women to demand the best for themselves, and its David Fincher-directed music video — the most expensive ever made at the time — cemented it as one of Madonna's defining artistic statements.