Crave (Madonna and Swae Lee song)

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"Crave"
Image divided into two sides: One side features a white female wearing a patterned jacket and a black beret, while the other depicts a black male wearing dreadlocks and a leather jacket. The words MADONNA + SWAE LEE and CRAVE are written in the middle of the image
Single by Madonna and Swae Lee
from the album Madame X
ReleasedMay 10, 2019 (2019-05-10)
Genre
Length3:21
LabelInterscope
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Madonna singles chronology
"Medellín"
(2019) 		"Crave"
(2019) 		"I Rise"
(2019)
Swae Lee singles chronology
"Poquito"
(2019) 		"Crave"
(2019) 		"Diva"
(2019)
Music video
"Crave" on YouTube

"Crave" is a song by American singers Madonna and Swae Lee, from the former's fourteenth studio Madame X (2019). The song was written by the two artists and Starrah, while production was handled by Madonna, Mike Deanm and Billboard. It was released by Interscope Records for digital download and streaming as the album's second single on May 10, 2019. The song has been noted as a pop, trap, and hip hop ballad inspired by Fado music, with the lyrics talking about desire and craving for someone who's running away. It was one of the first songs Madonna wrote for Madame X, but she put the work on hold when she began working with other musicians in Lisbon. When she revisited the song, Madonna came to the conclusion that a male voice was needed for inclusion and approached Swae Lee to sing with her, as she was a fan of his voice.

"Crave" received generally positive reviews from music critics, who praised its sound. However, there were some who found the song forgettable. In the United States, it reached the eleventh place of Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart, becoming her biggest hit there since "Frozen" (1998). It also gave Madonna her record-breaking 48th number-one hit on the Dance Club Songs chart. On the UK Single Sales chart, it reached number 51. An accompanying music video, directed by Nuno Xico, was released on May 22, 2019; it features Madonna and Swae Lee singing the song on a New York City rooftop. A remix of the song was created by Tracy Young and performed on Madonna's 2019–20 Madame X Tour.

Background and composition[edit]

"I liked the tone of his voice, so I asked him to be on it with me [...] I think he’s really talented, I think he’s a very good writer, I think he’s a great singer, and he’s so cute…He has good energy."

—Madonna talking about Swae Lee.[1]

In 2017, Madonna relocated to Lisbon when seeking a top football academy for her son David Banda, who wanted to become a professional soccer player.[2] While living in the city, she began meeting artists; painters and musicians, who would invite her to "living room sessions". In these sessions, they would bring food and sit around the table, and musicians would start playing instruments, singing Fado and samba music.[2] On April 15, 2019, Madonna revealed Madame X as the album's title. For the album, she worked with longtime collaborator Mirwais, who had previously contributed to her albums Music (2000), American Life (2003) and Confessions on a Dance Floor (2005), as well as Mike Dean, who served as a producer on Rebel Heart (2015), and Diplo.[3] Madonna stated that "Crave" was one of the first songs she wrote for Madame X, but had to put on hold when she began working with other musicians in Lisbon. When Madonna revisited all the songs she had written, she listened to the track again and thought a male voice was needed on it, and asked Swae Lee to sing with her due to liking his voice.[1] Of Madonna having approached him, Swae Lee said he was very excited; "we chilled in the studio in L.A. Just me, her and Mike Dean [...] and we would just bounce ideas off each other, it was cool."[4]

"Crave" was written by Madonna, Swae Lee and Starrah, while production was handled by the singer, Dean, and Billboard.[5] It has been described as a midtempo pop,[6] trap,[7] and hip hop ballad that features acoustic guitar, and hand-clap beat.[8][9][10] Lyrically, according to Madonna, the song is about "desire and longing",[1] and "chasing after [someone who is] running away".[11] It presents influence from Lisbon's traditional Fado music and begins with Madonna singing "I'm tired of being far away from home, far from what can help, far from where it's safe", being a likely reference to the fact that the album was created while she was living in Lisbon.[12][13] Madonna "sighs and sings breathlessly" until Swae Lee joins her for a "breezy chorus" about feelings that never fade, as both sing "'Cause you're the one I crave / And my cravings get dangerous", with their voices "twisting themselves around each other" until they lock in place.[14] Daniel Megarry from Gay Times noted that "Crave" is sonically "a continuation of the vibe that Madonna debuted with lead single 'Medellín', moving away from dance-heavy sound of previous albums Rebel Heart and MDNA and stripping things back á la Ray of Light, her magnum opus".[13]

Critical reception[edit]

"Crave" was met with generally positive reviews from music critics. Writing for Rolling Stone, Rob Sheffield deemed it one of the "truly great Madonna moments" on Madame X.[15] Also from the magazine, Emily Zemler referred to the song as "a sultry pop number about hungering for another person", praising Swae Lee's "smooth-talking verse".[6] NME's El Hunt called the song a "breezy, low-key moment" that recalls the feeling of "heartbreak" from Madonna's fourth studio album Like a Prayer (1989), "and yet sounds nothing like it".[12] Writing for Idolator, Mike Wass felt it was "the third and (easily) most commercial cut from Madame X [...] a sexy, mid-tempo groove, it evokes the Hard Candy era, but the tone here is mellower and more romantic", ultimately concluding that "if radio didn't ignore Madonna's entire existence, it would sound perfect on pop and rhythmic formats".[16] For Jeremy Helligar from Variety stated it "wouldn't sound out of place on Ariana Grande's latest album".[9] Sal Cinquemani from Slant Magazine praised the "rawness" on Madonna's voice, which he felt "amplifies the nakedness of her lyrics".[17] Robbie Barnett from the Washington Blade called it the album's best vocal collaboration.[18]

Sean Maunier, for Metro Weekly, called it "arresting and ethereal [...] sounds like it comes from a different world entirely".[19] Us Weekly's Nicholas Hautman felt that "Crave" and album track "Crazy" both have "potential to be stadium sing-alongs should they make it onto Madonna’s live setlists".[20] For The Guardian, Ben Beaumont-Thomas said "Crave" counted with an "elegant, sinewy melody that twines around you rather than jabbing you into submission".[21] The HuffPost's Daniel Welsh opined it was one of the moments on Madame X where Madonna gets introspective.[22] Chris DeVille, from Stereogum, deemed the song a "misty ballad that makes Madonna emoting over trap drum programming sound like the most natural thing in the world".[23] From Gay Star News, Jamie Tabberer was more critical: "featuring twangy guitars and gentle rap from Swae Lee, this languid ode to obsessive love [...] is too indistinct, and the delivery is wishy-washy".[24] Jonny Coleman, from The Hollywood Reporter, said the track sounded like a "Rihanna leftover" and deemed it forgettable.[25] Rich Juzwiak from Pitchfork dismissed the song as a "naked attempt to score Madonna her own 'We Belong Together'", criticizing her vocal delivery for being "flat as denial".[26]

Commercial performance[edit]

In the United States, "Crave" became Madonna's highest debut on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart, debuting at number 19, for the issue dated June 8, 2019. It became her 37th entry on the chart and her 2nd appearance in the 2010s decade after "Ghosttown" (2015).[27] The next week, the song climbed four places to number 15, becoming the "most added" song of the week.[28] The song then climbed to its peak of 11, becoming Madonna's largest hit on the Adult Contemporary chart since "Frozen" (1998).[29] The song also reached a peak of number 34 on the Adult Pop Songs chart, becoming her 21st entry on the chart and her largest hit on it since "Give Me All Your Luvin'" (2012).[30] "Crave" also topped the US Dance Club Songs chart for the issue date of November 16, 2019, becoming Madonna's record-extending 49th single to do so in total.[31]

In the United Kingdom, the song reached number 51 on the official sales chart, spending only one week on the chart.[32] Similarly, on the UK Download chart, "Crave" debuted at its peak of number 49 for the week starting on May 17, 2019.[33] In Scotland, the track peaked at number 64, staying inside the Scottish Singles Chart for one week.[34] On the French downloads chart, the song also debuted at its peak of number 23, while in Hungary, the song reached number 28 on the Single Top 40.[35][36] "Crave" further peaked at number 19 on Sweden's heatseeker chart, and reached number 22 on Billboard China's foreign language songs chart.[37][38]

Promotion[edit]

Music video[edit]

Black and white screenshot of two hands reaching for each other. A small sparkle can be seen between them
Scene of the "Crave" music video, featuring Madonna's hand reaching for Swae Lee's in a shot that was compared to Michelangelo's The Creation of Adam.[8]

The music video for "Crave" was directed by Nuno Xico and released on May 22, 2019.[39] Madonna had previously posted a teaser on her Instagram account the day before, while a rough, unfinished cut had been inadvertently uploaded by Xico to his Vimeo account.[7][40] The video, which alternates between black-and-white and color, features Madonna and Swae Lee singing the track on New York City rooftops.[39] It opens with Madonna, as her alter ego Madame X, writing a love note on a scroll. She then says in voice-over "I am waiting for you. I have always been waiting for you. I'm attracted to danger, I crave it."[8][41] Following this, she releases a carrier pigeon with a note that quotes Carson McCullers' The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter (1941), which eventually makes its way to Swae Lee.[7][41] The clip then shows Madonna dancing by herself inside of an empty warehouse, interspersed with footage of Swae Lee shirtless on a rooftop that is filled with pigeon coops.[8][41] The final scene shows the two of them reunited in a rooftop; they reach for each other's hands in a shot reminiscent of Michelangelo's The Creation of Adam while two pigeons fly away.[8][41]

Alexa Camp from Slant Magazine praised the music video for being simpler than the one for Madonna's previous single "Medellín", although she criticized the singer's "hyper-sexualized" dance moves.[7] The staff of Billboard called the visual "subtle" and deemed it "a nod to Brooklyn's beloved Pigeon Keepers".[8] Trey Alston of MTV opined that the video was "astounding, peculiar, and marvelous", and also stated that "if you ever wanted to know if Madonna can out-dance you, this video offers proof that, undoubtedly, yes she can".[42] According to Wass, "the sleek, beautifully-shot visual is wonderfully understated", and said it was Madonna's "most contemporary offering in a very long time".[43]

Live performance[edit]

The Tracy Young remix of "Crave" was included on Madonna's 2019–20 Madame X Tour. It was performed before the encore and found the singer, who was joined by her twin daughters Estere and Stella Ciccone, amid "sequins and furs" and a full-sized disco ball.[44][45][46] The performance was praised by Aidin Baziri, from the San Francisco Chronicle, who claimed that "as [Madonna] glided across the stage [...] it became clear where Katy, Miley, Britney, Gaga and Gwen all got their moves and gumption" from.[47] On November 25, 2019, during her show at Los Angeles' Wiltern Theatre, Swae Lee joined Madonna for the performance.[48] The performance was included as a bonus track on the limited vinyl release of Madame X: Music from the Theater Xperience.

Track listing[edit]

Digital download / streaming[49]
No.TitleLength
1."Crave" (with Swae Lee)3:21
MNEK Remix[50]
No.TitleLength
1."Crave" (MNEK remix)3:34
Crave Remixes, Pt. 1[51]
No.TitleLength
1."Crave" (Tracy Young Dangerous Remix)4:47
2."Crave" (Tracy Young Dangerous Radio Edit)3:23
3."Crave" (Benny Benassi & BB Team Extended Remix)4:51
4."Crave" (Benny Benassi & BB Team Radio Edit)3:19
5."Crave" (RNG Club Remix)6:38
6."Crave" (Otto Benson Remix)4:22
7."Crave" (Twisted Dee & Diego Fernandez Remix)7:17
8."Crave" (Dan De Leon & Anthony Griego Remix)7:12
Crave Remixes, Pt. 2[52]
No.TitleLength
1."Crave" (Thomas Gold Extended Remix)3:51
2."Crave" (DJLW Remix)6:17
3."Crave" (Boris Remix)7:59
4."Crave" (Mike Cruz Club Remix)7:29
5."Crave" (Joe Gauthreaux & Leanh Radio Edit)3:10

Credits and personnel[edit]

Credits and personnel adapted from the Madame X album liner notes.[5]

Charts[edit]

Release history[edit]

Country Date Format(s) Version Label Ref.
Various May 10, 2019
Original Interscope [49]
United States May 20, 2019 Hot adult contemporary [55]
Italy August 2, 2019 Radio airplay Universal [56]
Various
  • Digital download
  • streaming
 MNEK remix Interscope [57]
October 25, 2019 Remixes EP Pt. 1 [58]
November 15, 2019 Remixes EP Pt. 2 [59]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c Schiller, Rebecca (May 2, 2019). "Madonna talks preparing for BBMAs performance with Maluma & new album 'Madame X'". Billboard. Retrieved May 29, 2020.
  2. ^ a b Smirke, Richard (April 24, 2019). "Madonna talks giving 'zero you-know-whats' on new 'Madame X' album at London 'Medellin' video premiere". Billboard. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
  3. ^ Polk, Milan (April 22, 2019). "Everything we know about Madonna's new album Madame X". Vulture. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
  4. ^ Amter, Charlie (May 22, 2019). "Hitmaker of the month: Swae Lee on 'Sunflower,' working with Post Malone and Madonna". Variety. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
  5. ^ a b Madame X (Liner notes). Madonna. Interscope Records. 2019. B0030140-42.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  6. ^ a b Zemler, Emily (May 10, 2019). "Hear Madonna and Swae Lee team up for 'Crave'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
  7. ^ a b c d Camp, Alexa (May 22, 2019). "Madonna and Swae Lee's 'Crave' music video delivers a message – watch". Slant Magazine. Retrieved May 22, 2020.
  8. ^ a b c d e f "Madonna pines for Swae Lee in 'Crave' video: Watch". Billboard. May 22, 2019. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
  9. ^ a b Helligar, Jamie (June 13, 2019). "Album Review: Madonna's 'Madame X'". Variety. Retrieved 13 June 2019.
  10. ^ Arcand, Rob (May 10, 2019). "Madonna – 'Crave' (ft. Swae Lee)". Spin. Retrieved May 23, 2019.
  11. ^ "On with Mario Lopez interviews". Megaphone. Archived from the original on May 29, 2020. Retrieved May 29, 2020.
  12. ^ a b Hunt, El (May 10, 2019). "Madonna channels the essence of Lisbon's Fado music in 'Crave'". NME. Retrieved May 29, 2020.
  13. ^ a b Megarry, Daniel (May 10, 2020). "Madonna drops another new single 'Crave' featuring Swae Lee". Gay Times. Retrieved May 29, 2020.
  14. ^ Alston, Trey (May 10, 2020). "Madonna and Swae Lee are breathless lovers On 'Crave'". MTV. Retrieved May 29, 2020.
  15. ^ Sheffield, Rob (June 14, 2019). "Madonna takes a weird, wild ride on 'Madame X'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
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  17. ^ Cinquemani, Sal (June 12, 2019). "Review: Madonna's Madame X is a fearless, eccentric musical memoir". Slant Magazine. Retrieved 13 June 2019.
  18. ^ Barnett, Robbie (June 17, 2019). "'X' marks the spot for daring new Madonna album". Washington Blade. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
  19. ^ Maunier, Sean (June 7, 2019). "Music Review: Madonna's chaotic 'Madame X'". Metro Weekly. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
  20. ^ Hautman, Nicolas (June 14, 2019). "Madonna's new album 'Madame X' is 'wonderfully weird': Review". Us Weekly. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
  21. ^ Beaumont-Thomas, Ben (June 4, 2019). "Madonna: Madame X review – her most bizarre album ever". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
  22. ^ Welsh, Daniel (June 14, 2019). "Madame X: Madonna is an artist who's always had to fight, and on her new album she proves she's not done yet". HuffPost. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
  23. ^ DeVille, Chris (June 13, 2019). "Madame X is the best Madonna album in a long time". Stereogum. Retrieved 13 June 2019.
  24. ^ Tabberer, Jamie (June 13, 2019). "Madonna, Madame X track-by-track review: 'Intriguing Gaga-esque weirdness'". Gay Star News. Archived from the original on 30 July 2019. Retrieved 13 June 2019.
  25. ^ Coleman, Johnny (June 14, 2019). "Critic's notebook: Madonna's cringe-Worthy 'Madame X'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
  26. ^ Juzwiak, Rich (June 18, 2019). "Madonna: Madame X album review". Pitchfork. Retrieved June 18, 2019.
  27. ^ Trust, Gary (June 4, 2019). "Madonna earns best career Adult Contemporary chart debut With Swae Lee duet 'Crave'". Billboard. Retrieved June 5, 2019.
  28. ^ "BDSRadio Charts". Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems. Archived from the original on June 18, 2019. Retrieved June 19, 2019.
  29. ^ a b "Madonna Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved July 30, 2019.
  30. ^ a b "Madonna Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved July 16, 2019.
  31. ^ Murray, Gordon (August 11, 2019). "Madonna adds 48th No. 1 on Dance Club Songs chart with Swae Lee collab 'Crave'". Billboard. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
  32. ^ a b "Official Singles Sales Chart Top 100 (17 May 2019 – 23 May 2019)". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 14, 2019.
  33. ^ a b "Official Singles Downloads Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 29, 2020.
  34. ^ a b "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 18, 2019.
  35. ^ a b "Le Top de la semaine : Top Singles Téléchargés" (in French). SNEP. May 17, 2019. Archived from the original on September 24, 2019. Retrieved May 29, 2019.
  36. ^ a b "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Single (track) Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved May 24, 2019.
  37. ^ a b "Veckolista Heatseeker, vecka 20". Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved May 17, 2019.
  38. ^ a b "China Airplay Chart – 24/06/2019". Billboard China (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 2019-07-04. Retrieved July 5, 2019.
  39. ^ a b Blistein, Jon (May 22, 2019). "Watch Madonna, Swae Lee team for dramatic 'Crave' video". Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 22, 2020.
  40. ^ Spencer, Tallie (May 21, 2019). "Madonna releases strobe-lit teaser for 'Crave' video with Swae Lee: Watch". Billboard. Retrieved May 22, 2020.
  41. ^ a b c d "Madonna sends carrier pigeon love notes to Swae Lee in 'Crave' video". ABC News Radio. May 22, 2019. Archived from the original on January 7, 2022. Retrieved May 22, 2020.
  42. ^ Alston, Trey (May 22, 2020). "Madonna and Swae Lee dance like their lives depend on it in 'Crave' video". MTV. Retrieved May 29, 2020.
  43. ^ Wass, Mike (May 22, 2019). "Madonna & Swae Lee unveil sleek, cinematic 'Crave' video". Idolator. Retrieved May 29, 2020.
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  48. ^ "Madonna e Swae Lee cantam Crave juntos pela primeira vez na Madame X Tour; assista" [Madonna and Swae Lee sing Crave together for the first time at the Madame X Tour: watch] (in Portuguese). Exitoína. November 28, 2019. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
  49. ^ a b "Madonna drops 'Crave' featuring Swae Lee: Stream it now". Billboard. May 10, 2019. Retrieved May 15, 2019.
  50. ^ "Crave (MNEK Remix) – Single – Madonna & Swae Lee". Apple Music. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
  51. ^ "Crave (Remixes, Pt. 1) [feat. Swae Lee] – Madonna". Apple Music. Retrieved October 26, 2019.
  52. ^ "Crave (Remixes, Pt. 2) [feat. Swae Lee] – Madonna". Apple Music. Retrieved October 26, 2019.
  53. ^ "Madonna Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved November 7, 2019.
  54. ^ "Adult Contemporary Songs – Year-end 2019". Billboard. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
  55. ^ "Hot/Modern/AC future releases". All Access Music Group. Archived from the original on May 15, 2019. Retrieved May 15, 2019.
  56. ^ "Madonna 'Crave' | (radio date: 02/08/2019)" (in Italian). Radio Date. Retrieved October 16, 2019.
  57. ^ Citation regarding the MNEK remix release of "Crave":
  58. ^ Citations regarding the remixes EP part 1 release of "Crave":
  59. ^ Citations regarding the remixes EP part 2 release of "Crave":
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