Beautiful Stranger- Happy 25th anniversary

[Blue Skies 1,438]

Per Wikipedia the single was released May 19, 1999.  I liked the song then and now.  Holds up just as well/is as fresh.   One of my favorite non studio album singles of hers.   Supposedly the song was about Andrew Byrd but I recall in a Rosie interview she said it was about someone trying to find love from a different generation or something like that.

 

It’s definitely though one of her songs I have the fondest memories of.  I was still pretty young in high school then.  The internet was around but I never really used it.  It was a total surprise seeing this video premiere out of the blue I think on VH1 back then.  I loved Austin Powers as well.  I still recall seeing the movie the weekend it came out with my then best friend.  The Larry King interview that year was my last remembrance of her before this.  I saw she went blonde again.  Sometimes I wonder if the social media age kills suspense like that?

 

 

Yeah she sort of cemented her status as a goddess to me with the video.  Mike Myers was a lucky guy 😁

 

 
 

 

[EgoRod 5,631]

I was at a grocery shop by my recently moved house. And they were playing it in the radio. I stopped to listened because I thought I recognized the voice, i was convinced it was Natalie Imbruglia new single.

Then went to Tower Records and saw the single and video. and hit me.

[Prayer 14,975]

This was EVERYWHERE that Summer, at least in Europe. I miss her soundtrack singles, they filled the gaps between albums and always were a little bit different and sometimes a hint of the future.

"Beautiful Stranger" was her coming back to carefree fun, after all the "Ray Of Light" cool spiritual mama narrative. I remember all my friends at high school being surprised by her biceps in the video  She was the coolest woman on Earth then.

[Bjonkers 1,610]

I can't believe this was 25 years ago. Holy shit. The year I moved to NYC. 

No smartphone. Just me, my dreams and a pager.

[Frozen98 74]

Great song and video and looks 

[BoyToyMark 402]

Such a great song. My first memory of this song was on the 93:99 video collection that my parents bought me. I was so excited when I got GHV2 and it was on there.

[TheGoth 564]

This was such a cool track. Loved the 60s psychedelia rock vibe with throwbacks to Iron Butterfly, The Doors and Stones. Can't quite remember where I was when I heard it first, probably had MTV on when I was at my parents. At the time, I was living in a crappy bed and breakfast in Stamford Hill in London and didn't have TV or even radio, but I went out to a lot to indie/alternative clubs and Beautiful Stranger always got played in its original form - not the shitty Calderone mix - and you could play it in between Blur, Suede, Pulp, Hole, Smashing Pumpkins or even Marilyn Manson's The Beautiful People and it worked so well. It was awesome her tracks up until Music got so much club play at those places, but since then nothing else really fit the vibe they way Beautiful Stranger and Ray of Light did.

[FallingInLove 181]

I bought the single the day it was released, cycled home and broke the CD while removing it from its case.  I had to go back to the shop, which took me 1 hour - it was nerve wracking...

[kesiak 3,049]

If I'm not mistaken it was the most played song on the UK radio in 1999. Love it. Though I have to admit I prefer Orbit's original edits which aren't compressed to oblivion the way the released version is. 

[PlayPause 2,819]

I remember being stuck in the traffic jam with the single CD on the car player. Played it to death and sung it out loud to pass the time. 

Cool, groovy, funny, glamourous, easy to sing along. Perfect.

[Enrico 16,008]

Incredible song, incredible video (she is so beautiful in it). Pity she hasn't performed it more often!

[CHOKKO 1,719]

I remember I was a little dissapointed about realizing the Ray of Light era was ending, and no tour were happening, I watched the video on MTV, I was going to start secundary school and I used a Discman to keep my music with me , by those days I had my first CD burner and used to make playlist or compilation cds with all the new songs I liked those days, I can't believe is 25 years now, and the show is over.....  

[Frozen98 74]

Do you prefer the album version 4 min 22 better than radio edit 4 min ? 

Im not decided 

[Donna 17,545]

It's a gem of a song.  One of her best.  In fact, I recall radio playing the hell out of this in the U.S., more than any of ROL singles.  I was still listening to radio a lot back then.  I recall being disappointed that ROL was never played much and I only recall Frozen played a few times too.  Though Beautiful Stranger was played constantly.  MTV played the video a lot as well.  But of course Austin Powers was a huge box office movie as well, so it didn't hurt to be tied to that.  i agree she looked damn good and very cool.  The song clearly would have been a #1 for her in the U.S., if a single was actually released. 

[luluthecat 1,196]

Solid CLASSIC!! Perfect lyrics, perfect production. Can't believe she's only performed it once of tour..........and then again horribly on Tears of A Clown, lets forget about that one. 

Wish they'd released the "(Full Version) 5.31" on streaming 

[Redha DBL 7,635]

This is my thread 🥰 if each threads of this forum were a room and we had to chose one to live in i would make my whole life in this one 🥰🥰🥰 "Beautiful Stranger" is my fav Madonna era with "American pie". I was 17yo in 1999, that was the best year of my life. I was leaving the teenage world qnd was slowly entering in the adult world, i loved loved loved that time, and of course Madonna was there, most beautiful than ever, with a honey like voice, being played 14/7 on tv and radio with a happy and delicious 70's influenced meet 1999 pop track. It is everything. The music, her voice, her clothes, the colors of the video, her hair... "Beautiful stranger" has the #1 spot in my heart for ever. Best thread 😍

[Blue Jean 15,980]

5 hours ago, Blue Skies said:

Per Wikipedia the single was released May 19, 1999.  I liked the song then and now.  Holds up just as well/is as fresh.   One of my favorite non studio album singles of hers.   Supposedly the song was about Andrew Byrd but I recall in a Rosie interview she said it was about someone trying to find love from a different generation or something like that.

I don’t recall that Rosie interview but listening to the song I’d assume it was written especially for the movie?

Anyway, I absolutely LOVE this song. She was untouchable in that period from 1998 to 2002. I hope she performs this song on tour again.

[Jackie 8,476]

I loved this era - an agree that 98-2002 was such an amazing time! I had a really bad flu when this came out -it certainly helped me feel better!  The Calderone mix - was such a vibe at the time!

[Voguerista 12,184]

I love Beautiful Stranger and the video is one of Madonna’s best.  It’s still relevant to this day! Its sexy and it makes me laugh too! 

[Robertthenurse 3,035]

I use Madonna eras to help me gauge what I was doing, who I was dating and where I was working etc. This era, I was coming to the end of my first relationship with a man; was working in a factory building car seats, and danced at a place called Boots. Those were the days

[Anapausis 6,110]

13 minutes ago, Robertthenurse said:

I use Madonna eras to help me gauge what I was doing, who I was dating and where I was working etc. This era, I was coming to the end of my first relationship with a man; was working in a factory building car seats, and danced at a place called Boots. Those were the days

Interesting, around that same time (end of the millennium) I was about to be diagnosed to a severe, deterrant form of OCD...

[Robertthenurse 3,035]

Interesting indeed.

[Pedro Beltran 4,937]

14 minutes ago, Anapausis said:

Interesting, around that same time (end of the millennium) I was about to be diagnosed to a severe, deterrant form of OCD...

OCD??? Never would have guessed it? 😉

[Anapausis 6,110]

1 minute ago, Pedro Beltran said:

OCD??? Never would have guessed it? 😉

Your jail bitch stated here on forum and numerous times she's a Prozac feat risperidone girl.

[Blue Skies 1,438]

6 hours ago, Blue Jean said:

I don’t recall that Rosie interview but listening to the song I’d assume it was written especially for the movie?

Anyway, I absolutely LOVE this song. She was untouchable in that period from 1998 to 2002. I hope she performs this song on tour again.

At 6:45 below she talks a little about it