Hey everyone! Don't forget to vote in this poll to help us pick when we should react to the live version of this song: kzfaq.infoUgkxmLyFpLo5cOnXSyMtshmkXLRp5Etgqwee Edit: This poll is now closed! Thanks so much for voting, everyone!

“Poor is the man whose pleasures depend on the permission of another”… this is brilliant because it is SO REAL and TRUE!

Emily’s face throughout this is hilarious 😂😂

Emily has the coolest mom ever

You should check out the Girlie Show performance of this song. It's really cool and eery. And yes, that was Lenny in the background. He and an ex wrote the song and he didn't bother to tell Madonna she wrote the lyrics to the song before submitting it to Madonna. So they released it, and then his ex sued to have her name included. So now it is. Also, the song was pretty tame, but Madonna knew before she released the video it would get a lot of flack, so she was prepared to sell it as a video single which wasn't something done at the time. Radio didn't play the song a lot, but sales were huge especially including the video single which made this a #1 hit for her. In 1990, the sexual tone and brief nudity just wasn't acceptable yet on TV, even though in her Vogue video, she wore a see through shirt where her breast were clearly seen. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this video and I am happy you were able to upload it without any trouble from KZfaq.

The video was pushing the envelope, and has some great shots. I love it so much! Madonna looks amazing too! It was Lenny in the background, you were right! Great ear. The video didn't deserve all the pushback it got. Loved your take on it all these years later. I love the SNL Waynes world parody of it with her in it! A must watch!

Awesome reaction Ladies….😉👍🏼 You realise that M is just warming you up with this, so you’re ready to take on Erotica…All the stuff that wasn’t in this is in that..😆 I really never understood why this was so controversial for some at the time. I just saw it as really classy, beautifully filmed and edited Art. Like a magazine editorial bought to life. Let’s be honest,,, always seems like those first to disapprove and denounce, are the worse offenders in private anyway. Girlie show for live version. 😀

MADONNA PAVED THE WAY TO ALL THE ARTISTS😊 LOVE YOU EMILY AND BRENDA❤❤

I love the message at the very end of the video, which is a lyric from the song: "Poor is the man whose pleasures depend on the permission of another,"

Justify My Love was the first single of Madonna's Immaculate Collection album which featured 15 hits from her career, plus two brand new tracks. Rescue Me was the other new single, released after this in Spring 1991, theres not an official music video but it would still peak in the top 10. Definitely worth checking out, great vocals imo. For a performance, Justify My Love at the Girlie Show 1993 is worth checking out :)

This reaction is everything & i’m so happy that you both liked the song and understood the concept to it, but you both have missed the important quote at the end which is to me a very powerful quote: “Poor is the man whose pleasures depend on the permission of another” (she sang it too in the middle of the song)

Love this song and video so much. Pure fantasy, dreamy, consensual art. It’s sexy and not at all degrading or in bad taste. The black and white imagery is just stunning and the beat of the song is perfect…… Great reaction as always ❤❤

Wow! I never thought of the ending as her anti walk of shame. Lol Great observation love that

I love that you guys are doing a Madonna series. She's such an interesting icon with such a history to follow. I also love the Mom and Daughter aspect, which I think is so great. Even for so-called "controversial" topics.

I cannot say it often enough, you two ladies and your reactions are so refreshing.

Omg I’m super excited for your next reaction! Rescue me is the next single. It’s my number one favorite song ever! I know you two will love it.

I am so happy to see you both react to this today, thank you!!! Yes, that was indeed, kravitz in the background. But, I agree 100% the video,was done classy, and respectfully and there was nothing lewd or vulgar. I mean, the word sex was never uttered, so it tells you just how extreme the moral majority were, to get bent out of shape. Plus, Madonna’s beauty during this and the next few years, was just her most sexy & glamorous phase. If you ever get a chance look up the sex book pictures as well as the photo shoot for 1990 Vanity Fair magazine, she did a gorgeous cover and feature paying homage to Marilyn Monroe, copying exact Marilyn pics.❤❤❤

Great reaction ladies,another awesome Madonna song ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

And no pearls were clutched during the watching of this video! 😆 Pretty sure the homosexual themes here got people upset… it was 1990. There is nothing vulgar on display. Like I said previously, MTV did not even offer notes for editing, they just banned it. Song was written by Lenny, but he thought it was better for a female, and offered it to Madonna. That is his voice you hear. Loved what you had to say… you totally get it! There is no live performance outside of concert tours… and the Girlie Show performance is why that tour ranks so high with me. It’s absolutely brilliant. I can’t wait for you to see THAT!! No peeking, save it for the concert review. 😉 Fantastic review ladies, ty ty. Have a fabulous day! ♥️

This was definitely a button pushing video for sure. It was definitely steamy. I love it being shot in black and white. I definitely feel this is an artistic video.

I still have my video somewhere in a box..... The controversy at that time was more about gender bending and bisexuality than overt sexual themes, although most people tried to skirt the issue and just call the entire thing vulgar. great reaction as always!

This will take you into a some great interviews for this era and then The Girlie Show. One of my favorite concerts( I say that about every Concert ) !

Thank you for a mature reaction. I have always loved this song.

One of the best music videos ever❤

Hey again 😀 What a great reaction, and open discussion you are having about M and her art! Trying to understand at least a bit about the reaction in 1990 I am just thinking that maybe part of it was that she was the biggest star on the planet and she did something so personal, intimate and something very unconventional for a pop star, idol, a big big celebrity. I mean, maybe up until that point pop stars were "nice and proper", maybe the edge was that they were independent, very artistic, or political; talking about poverty, racism etc. but talking and advocating sex and sexuality was not maybe considered as a serious issue? Even though all the teenage pregnancies, sexual crimes on the rise, sexual diseases becoming more and more common and especially AIDS spreading at an alarming state, so sex and sexuality really deserves to be a serious issue we talk about privately but also publicly. Think about how a different world we would live right now if we were able to talk about sex and sexuality openly, calmly, honestly, without shame? Would we still have the high rates of rapes, sexual assaults, the amount of sexual abuse, people in therapies trying to understand what is going on in their minds.... How different the world would be? I was in the 5th grade at the time and already realized that I liked boys instead of girls and had grown up to a world where homosexuality was considered either as a joke or something really negative. But listening to this song over Christmas holidays over and over and over again, I remember something happening to me: my thinking started to change about liking boys and about myself. Madonna showed me that it was ok to be feel what I felt, and to be who I was. That there was no reason to feel ashamed. She truly changed me, and she supported a heatlhy self-picture, body image and courage to be me. When you think about the big picture, it is actually truly mindblowing how big of an influence Madonna was and is!!! This is not just her art, this is her changing the world.

The French touch ! the director of the clip is French, Jean-Baptiste Mondino ! Respect

I love and love that you react to Madonna's career in order, thank you for free minds and knowing that there is no need to be scared of human nature 🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶

You too just get it!! You are fab😊. You seem to have such an open, healthy mum/daughter relationship and it's lovely to see. I agree the video is so stylishly done and Madonna as always is never ashamed! Nude pics in Playboy? Not ashamed! Erotic liaison in random hotel? Not ashamed! Sex book and Erotica album? Absolutely no regrets!! She's the Queen for a reason! Keep the reactions coming!! ❤

Brenda is just bopping along, not shocked at all. I love it! haha i'd probably be nervous to watch this video with my mom but hey she's different. ;)

YES I REMEMBER WHEN MADONNA RELEASED THIS. SONG ON THE RADIO....I WAS INSIDE MY COUSIN CAR AND SHE ASK ME... WHO IS THAT SINGING ON HER CAR RADIO .... AND OF COURSE I SAID MADONNA MY DEAR ......I REMEMBER THAT THE VIDEO AT THAT TIME WAS NOT PUT OUT ON MTV ......BUT EVERYONE WAS LISITENING ON THE RADIO AND LOVING THIS SONG STRAIGHT PEOPLE AND GAYS WERE ENJOYING THE SONG ON THE RADIO.....BUT ALL OF A SUDDEN WHEN SHE DECIDED TO REALISED THE VIDEO OF THAT SONG IT WAS BIG DRAMA HONEY IN AMERICA.....MADONNA TOOK LATINA SINGER INGRID CHAVEZ SONG JUSTIFY MY LOVE TO ANOTHER LEVEL HONEY.... WHAT MADONNA DID WAS..... GIVE BREATHE LIFE INTO THE SONG THAT MISS INGRID CHAVEZ CREATE IT DURING THAT TIME ERAS.....MADONNA BROUGHT THAT AMBIENT TRIP SOUND INTO THE SONG AND ALSO SHE TOOK THE BEAT SOUNDS FROM THE LEGENDARY RAP GROUP PUBLIC ENEMY (SECURITY OF THE FIRST WORLD)AND SHE BROUGHT THE MESSAGE ACROOS UNTO THOSE BEAT ....LETTING THE WORLD KNOWS THAT GAYS AND BISEXUAL SEXUALITY DO EXIST INTO THIS WORLD...SHE BASICALLY SHOOK THE WHOLE WORLD WITH THIS TRACK .IT BECAME SO CONTROVERSIAL THAT EVEN MTV HAD TO BAN THAT VIDEO.....BUT OF COURSE MADONNA WON BECAUSE SHE END UP SALING HER JUSTIFY MY LOVE VIDEO AT THAT TIME SHE MADE MILLIOONS OF DOLLARS.

Love your reactions and glad. You got the artistic intent of Justify my love! You should watch the Dinner with Madonna interview and also listen to rescue me which was the other new song along with Justify on the immaculate collection! Her vocals are great!!!

....but it she did make a VHs video and it sold like hot cakes. She laughed all the way to bank!🤣🤣🤣

ART. Very well done videoclip... I also love this beat ❤️ Madonna is incredible beautiful in here ❤ Love the reaction, like always Oh, one more thing: "POOR IS THE MAN WHOSE PLEASURES DEPENDS ON THE PERMISSION OF ANOTHER" 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 GREETINGS FROM BRAZIL 🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷

Lenny played the drums and did the backing vocals in the verses.

This was barred from MTV in 1991. It would probably be played on MTV with no problem. , but MTV doesn't play music videos anymore 😢

YOU GUYS ARE SO FUN TO WATCH 😊 💯💯🌹🌹👍👍😃😀

Great reaction to this great song. 👍

This video was directed by Jean-Baptiste Mondino, renowned fashion photographer. They’ve already worked together in Open Your Heart and you’ll see him again when you get to Human Nature, Love Don’t Love Here Anymore, Don’t tell Me and finally Hollywood. They booked this whole hotel floor for 3 days, no script to follow, and Mondino just followed the guests with his camera. This is the result 😊

Great reaction ladies!! Love y’all. This is one of my faves!

You two make me so happy. You both had mature honest conversations about the song and video. You did my heart well

You must react to the companion interview to "Breakfast with Madonna," called "Dinner with Madonna" promoting "Truth or Dare." Love your reactions!

The video was shot shortly after the Blond Ambition Tour wrapped up, by then at that point of her career, a favorite collaborator director of hers, Jean Baptiste Mondino (directed her Open Your Heart video, and Don't Tell Me, Hollywood, just to name three that come to mind). At this point she was laying ground for the next phase of her career, the SEX book and all the controversy.

THE best video in the history of videos EVER!!! I always think about how frkng hott 🔥 the sessions that Lanny Kravitz and Madonna had. They are both my top 2 of the sexiest people ever. 😍

You girls are awesome and so honest with your thoughts ❤

Thank you, ladies!!! I enjoy your reactions!

Live your videos ladies,you're kind and smart... love your analysis,i remember when it came in France ,it was controversial too but not at the same degree as in the USA and we could see this video in tv with a warning but only on the evening after 22h

Great reaction!

❤ Z przyjemnością Was się słucha. Klasa. Dziękuję za Madonnę❤

I imagine this video released at that time, the scandal that was

OMG… we are heeeeeere!!❤️ Where do I start with one of my all time faves!? 🤩 So the backing vocals are done by Lenny Kravitz. Lenny was a bit of a naughty boy though as Ingrid Chavez was working on the soundtrack to Prince’s Graffiti Bridge in the studio when she bumped into Lenny. Lenny invited Ingrid into the studio where he was working on a drum rift etc and asked Ingrid if she had any ideas. Ingrid wrote songs as love letters/poems and pulled out Justify My Love. They recorded it there and then pretty much in one take and Ingrid received a call from Lenny inviting her to meet with Virgin records. She arrived and the big bosses at Virgin said they wanted the track for Madonna. Lenny talked Ingrid into signing a waiver (or whatever it’s called) to waive her rights to the song. Madonna added a line to the song… I reckon it was “Poor is the man, who’s pleasure depends on the permission of another”. Anyway, Madonna was none the wiser that this was Ingrid’s song and when it was released on the radio, Prince contacted Ingrid and said “What’s up with that? I know that’s your song, that’s your style” He helped Ingrid get Royalties for the song. It now says written by Madonna, Lenny Kravitz and Ingrid Chavez. Further royalties were given as the drum rift that Lenny claimed he came up with, he “took” from Public Enemy’s “Security of the First World” Ingrid performed “Justify My Love” at one of her shows a few years back and got a great response, so she decided to release her own version around the anniversary of this song. The first video to be banned on MTV and Madonna was then the first artist to release a VHS single to purchase which had Justify My Love and the Vogue performance you recently reacted to 😊 This song has had countless references such as Jay Z’s “Justify My Thug” track and was covered by Vita ft Ashanti for the Fast & Furious soundtrack. Beyoncé pays homage to Madonna’s video in her video single for “Haunted” which was really impressive. So much love for this song and I’m super glad you love it!!❤

❤your reaction! So classy and mature. As one music critic best described it-“It’s great love-making music.” When this was played on radio then (since MTV refused to air it) it’s something unheard of before and was sensational. More importantly, her embrace and depiction of diversity in sexuality among people challenges the conventional religious view that only heterosexual love within marriage is morally acceptable. I think in Madonna’s view the male/female duality in sexuality are not the only choices in nature. There’s a continuum in between the male/female polarities in sexuality (i.e. LGBTQ)-a freedom of choice among consenting adults of whom to love that Madonna respects. Madonna is heterosexual but in her activism/ advocacy, homophobia like sexism, racism, ageism, authoritarianism, etc. and other forms of prejudice/intolerance are barriers that oppresses other people that leads to intimidation, bullying, hate and violence that she’d speak and work against throughout her life and career.

About the video: Director Mondino did an experiment for the video, locking the entire crew into a hotel for three days and two nights, setting no rules, and nobody was allowed to go out. The entire top floor with 15 rooms was rented, and also served as makeup and wardrobe rooms; they had no deadline, as opposed to a regular video. He explained that he did not have any concept, except for the idea that Madonna arrived in the hotel tired and broken, and left full of energy. The director recalled that by the end of it, he was unable to differentiate the real from the performed as they were not following a script.

Glad you liked the video! :) William Orbit did an absolute banger of a remix for this song, you should check it out xx

Iconic song and video.. you should check out the MDNA Tour interlude video she did for this song.

Brenda head bopping and vibing all the way through, and Emily slightly hunched and a tad awkward looking, as if she’s watching it with her mum. 😂

Why was this censored? I mean...I couldn't understand then and I can't now. It's what you say, very classy! Love the backing vocals of Lenny on this track. Oh Madonna, I just saw her show tonight, where she is doing this classic too, she is so good, the best!

Hi very good reaction, you two! 👍🏻 Also, congrats on Emily making it through with reacting to JML. 😄 I'm really curious to know how you will both feel about the Erotica era. It's a different shift from Madonna"s mainstream 80s work. It's darker, and yet takes inspiration from the early 90s underground dance scene. Get ready for Madonna's 90s work! 💥💥

If this was a scene in a movie, there would be no controversy at all - but because it's Madonna, it was a scandal. The media couldn't fathom that she was acting in a music video, acting out the meaning of the song!

Madonna always knows how to move barriers forward without any regrets, Ladies I definitely like your analysis I just wish more people would see the art in the song and video, thank you, P.S. she always has the best looking guys in her videos, sorry I couldn’t resist

In this song, Madonna started the trend of singing in whispers, a style in which she is a master and she does it very well. Although it seems that the video is somewhat pornographic, for me I see it more focused on offering an artistic style than anything else, even together with the lyrics of the song, I see it as romantic. In this time a lot of persons thought that Madonna surpassed a line and started to see her like very sexual. It's a pity. I love how you always understand what Madonna wanted to express with each video and song. It is a pleasure to review her videography with you 🥰🥰🥰

It’s amazing to think this was controversial at the time as it seems tame now oh how times have changed!

🙋‍♂️Who Still Loves TONY WARD In 2023 ????? 👅

Saucy!

Great reaction! I jumped into this one after seeing the reaction you did for her interview about the video and drama. It is very beautiful and classy, but there are some kissing and touching that we were not used to. BUT the biggest thing was that Madonna was always ahead in pushing the limits, she was (and is) also a woman doing it and that serves up more punishment in itself. The thing I always felt about her is that she has always done everything with beauty and style. Even Erotica is not vulgar or unelegant or anything gross. Degrading and humiliation and violence is gross to me. This is not now and it wasn't when it came out (I was 14 at the time). At the time there was a conservative organization that had some major pearl clutching going on.... Quite different than over here.

You've been justified.

Reacting to this in front of a camera requires some balls, I think. Even today 😂 Yeah, that is such a great song and the video is filmed so beautifully. And, in my opinion, there really is not that much showing in there in the end. But it’s what we don’t see in the video and what she is trying to say that gives the video such an erotic atmosphere. And all the sounds and voices. The beat in this song is so good, and sounds great even today.

You can tell I was raised on Maddona in the HIV/AIDS era... I'm the crazy woman who gives condoms to the teens who can't talk to their parents that's also doing some pretty crazy stuff myself. LoL Hey, we learned our lessons in the most horrific way one could and we didn't have to do anything other than be alive. 😢❤

You too need a FAN 😂😂😂😂😂

I'm nervous about this one lol

Now imagine Madonna is talking to “the system” (instead of a lover) she’s talking to the system saying those “ROMANtic” phrases… then think about the image of jesus christ while Madonna’s saying “poor is the man”… “whose pleasures depend on the permission of another”… and as far as I can understand, religion=system’s device of social control… so it seems that when Madonna says “wanting, waiting, praying for you, to justify my love” and “you put this in me so now what”, sound like if she’s defying system to change something, you know what I mean, it is sarcasm at its finest: if the system doesn’t like Madonna’s point of view, what can she does? the system put (through religious statements) that if a woman wants to celebrate her sexuality, she is a “b*tch” so in this video, Madonna says the system made me in this way, so now what? if system doesn’t like it, system needs to change what it created… sorry, English is not my first language 😢

Show this video to a boy today who is used to Pornhub and Onlyfans but who has also heard of Madonna and perhaps has listened to and seen something by her. Well you can be sure he will feel embarrassed. The reason he will feel this way is the double standard Madonna was talking about. Today you can consume everything without feeling involved but if you show something that you could really experience then it's not good. Obviously there is a whole system, let's call it the market, which absolutely does not want human beings to free themselves. Work, consume, die. It's all here.

it was lenny

The main reason people were so offended and appalled were the themes of homosexuality. You know that always got them conservatives panties up their cracks! And it was important because AIDS was a huge issue and people were dying left and right. I don’t remember if the drugs to treat HIV/AIDS were even perfected or widely available at this point. People can look at Cher or Lady Gaga as these big gay icons and they are but none of them ever put career on the line like this woman did.

it's funny that you say that madonna is not saying anything "VULGAR"//// that's because you have not heard the nasty version of the same song,,wich i had on Compact Disc.,,something that was sold in stores when the single was first released. maybe you can find it so you can listen to it.

More like someone reading poetry to music

It is a very sexual video for sure, there only one other video of her thats even more controversial in a sexual way. This one like you heard got banned, so she sold it. This song was the first #1 single of 1991. I agree it's tastefully done and her owning her sexuality on her own terms was probably too much for some people. It was ahead of the times for sure. Nowadays female rappers certainly put out more explicit content both video and lyricwise but yeah in late 1990, this was pretty wild for a mainstream pop artist.

Hi I've seen a lot of reactions to this video even recently and I see that it still bothers many especially straight men

Emily’s Mom Was Def Getting Pounded To This Back In The Day.. Look At That HeadBob And Those Eyes 😂