| "Frozen" | ||||
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| Single byMadonna | ||||
| from the albumRay of Light | ||||
| B-side | "Shanti/Ashtangi" | |||
| Released | January 23, 1998 (1998-01-23) | |||
| Recorded | 1997 | |||
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| Length | 6:12 | |||
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| Madonna singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "Frozen" onYouTube | ||||
"Frozen" is a song by American singer and songwriterMadonna from her seventh studioalbum,Ray of Light (1998).Maverick andWarner Bros. Records released it as the album'slead single on January 23, 1998. "Frozen" was written by Madonna andPatrick Leonard, who both produced it in collaboration withWilliam Orbit. Thedowntempoelectronica andpopballad, which has a layered sound enhanced bysynthesizers andstrings, lyrically addresses a cold and emotionless man.
"Frozen" received acclaim frommusic critics, some of whom deemed it as a highlight fromRay of Light. The song was described as being a masterpiece, and its melodicbeat and sound were defined as "cinematic". "Frozen" was also a global commercial success. In the United States, it became Madonna's sixth single to peak at number two on theBillboard Hot 100. In the United Kingdom, "Frozen" became Madonna's first single to debut at number one on theUK Singles Chart, while also reaching number one in Finland, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Scotland and Spain, and the top-five elsewhere.
The accompanyingmusic video for "Frozen", directed byChris Cunningham, was filmed atCuddeback Lake inCalifornia, and features Madonna as an ethereal,witch-like, melancholy persona, whoshapeshifts into a flock of birds and a black dog. The music video won aMoonman forBest Special Effects in a Video at the1998 MTV Video Music Awards. To promoteRay of Light, Madonna performed the song live in several occasions, including its first world premiere onSanremo Music Festival in Italy and onWetten, dass..? in Germany. Additionally, it was performed in several of herconcert tours. "Frozen" has beencovered by many artists, such as Swedishhard rock bandTalisman, and Polishindustrial metal bandThy Disease.
In 2021, atrapremix of "Frozen", made by CanadianDJ Sickick, became viral onTikTok. On December 3, 2021, it was officially released as the first single from Madonna's entire-catalog reissue project. Madonna and Sickick released three further renditions of the remix—the version featuring Nigerian singerFireboy DML, the version featuring American rapper070 Shake, and the version featuring vocals from Sickick himself titled "Frozen on Fire"—all of which were supported by music videos. The Sickick remix charted within the top ten of theBillboardDance/Electronic Songs chart, and wascertified Gold in France and Poland.
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By the mid to late 1990s, Madonna was in a more mature and introspective mood, after giving birth to her daughter Lourdes, gaining interest inEastern mysticism andKabbalah, and earning the title role ofEva Perón in thefilm adaptation of the musicalEvita (1996). In 1997, Madonna began working onRay of Light, her seventh studio album and wrote songs withWilliam Orbit,Patrick Leonard,Rick Nowels andBabyface.[1] The album would reflect the singer's changed perspectives about life. Author Carol Benson noted that it was a "deeply spiritualdance record", with the crux of it based on Madonna's career, her journey and the many identities she had assumed over the years. Motherhood had softened the singer emotionally, which was reflected in the songs. She started talking about ideas and used words which implied deep and personal thoughts, rather than the regular dance-floor anthemic tunes she had composed.[2] The singer began introspecting herself with motherhood being a "big catalyst for me. It took me on a search for answers to questions I'd never asked myself before", she said toQ magazine.[1]
Madonna worked primarily with Orbit afterGuy Oseary,Maverick Records' partner, phoned Orbit and suggested that he send some songs to the singer.[3] He sent a 13-trackdigital audio tape (DAT) to Madonna, and "Frozen" was among these tracks.[1] "I was a huge fan of William's earlier records. [...] I also loved all the remixes he did for me and I was interested in fusing a kind of futuristic sound but also using lots of Indian and Moroccan influences and things like that, and I wanted it to sound old and new at the same time", Madonna said.[1] The singer drew inspiration fromBernardo Bertolucci's 1990 British-Italiandrama film,The Sheltering Sky, which dealt with a couple trying to save their marriage during a trip to Africa.[4] She wanted to have the "whole Moroccan/orchestral/super-romantic/man-carrying-the-woman-he-loves-across-the-desert vibe" for the track. Still continuing work with Leonard on some of the tracks, Madonna asked him to give her a composition with "tribal feel, something really lush and romantic". They composed the melody on the DAT and recorded thedemo, which stretched to over 10 minutes due to Madonna continuing to write the track.[3][4]
A low quality snippet of "Frozen" was leaked by fans on January 23, 1998, after it debuted on radio in Singapore, and posted it on the Internet.[5][6] They said they knew what they were doing was wrong, but that they hoped it would simply generate interest from Madonna.[5] The song was played on US radio, includingWKTUNew York radio.[6]Warner Bros. Records enlisted theRecording Industry Association of America (RIAA)'s Anti-Piracy Unit to delete the Internet downloads of the song. Erik Bradley, musical director ofChicago B96, classified "Frozen" as a "the mark of a smash. Clearly, Americanpop radio needs Madonna", after he played the track on his station. According to Jon Uren, marketing director of Warner Music Europe, the song also had "fantastic" early support across Europe, where the song was added to radio the same day that the snippet was leaked.[6] Shortly after the leak, a remix version of "Frozen" was broadcast by theBBC website,[5] and was also previewed on the soundtrack at the 1998Versace fashion spring parade.[7] In the United Kingdom, "Frozen" was issued as aCD single, a12-inch vinyl single, and acassette single on February 23, 1998.[8] The track was officially serviced to radio in the United States on February 19, 1998, and was released commercially on March 3, 1998.[6][9]
"Frozen" is adowntempoelectronica andpopballad which has a layered sound enhanced bysynthesizers andstrings,[10][11][12][13][14] arranged byCraig Armstrong.[15] It was composed using common time in thekey ofF minor, with a moderatetempo of 102beats per minute. "Frozen" has a basic sequence of Fm–E♭–D♭–E♭ as itschord progression. The chorus, however, has the chord progression of Fm–B♭m–G♭–A♭. Madonna's vocals range from the lower octave ofF3 to the higher note ofA♭4.[16]
The song begins with austere, classical strings while the chord progression emphasizes tonic, submediant and flattened leading-tone chords. For the second phrase, which includes a dramaticcrescendo,rhythm andambient electronic effects are added gradually.[12] Santiago Fouz-Hernández and Freya Jarman-Ivens, authors fromMadonna's Drowned Worlds, commented that the song is strongly inspired by different forms of classical music, notablycontemporary classical music such asneoromanticism, as well asItalian opera composers and pieces such asGiacomo Puccini'sMadama Butterfly andGiuseppe Verdi'sAida. Madonna's vocals have drawn comparisons tomedieval music.[12]
Tom Ewing ofFreaky Trigger described Orbit's drum and electronic programming as "extraordinarily abstract for a global smash – a kind of cold, basslessdub approach, where the gaps, echoes and drop-outs matter as much as the beats, which spread sharply, like sudden cracks on a frozen surface. They need Armstrong's strings to hold the song together. And those strings in turn – a dark, Arctic sea of swells and crests – need the beats to sound more perilous than comforting."[17]
Lyrically, the song is about a cold and emotionless man.[12] In the first verse, Madonna enters in a medium range, 'You only see what your eyes want to see'. In the chorus, dance rhythm and ambient sounds are added.[12] In the second verse, more visceral lyrics are added, like 'Love is a bird, she needs to fly'. During the bridge, a broad, string lines provide instrumental commentary on the lyrics. The song ends with a string ostinato that simply fades away, without fully resolving to the tonic chord.[12] In an interview withThe New York Times, Madonna commented that the lyrics to "Frozen" are built around "Retaliation, revenge, hate, regret, that's what I deal with in "Frozen". Everyone's going to say, 'That's a song about Carlos' [her ex-boyfriend], but it's not really; it's just about people in general".[18]
"Frozen" was recorded along with the rest of the album at Larrabee North Studio inNorth Hollywood, California. It was mastered byTed Jensen at Sterling Studios in New York.[19] The DAT contained the main portion of the song recordings, as well as preliminary demo sessions in Madonna's house in New York, as well asHit Factory Studios where Madonna first sang the song. Like most of the album, "Frozen" was recorded on aRoland Juno-106. Madonna and Orbit had conducted a drummer session inLos Angeles, but it did not work out. So he contacted Fergus Gerrand who played drum samples for him inLondon. Orbit fed them in hisworkstation and cut them manually, instead of using auto-editing software likeReCycle.[20]
"Frozen" received critical acclaim frommusic critics. Sal Cinquemani ofSlant Magazine complimented the track's production and deemed it "one of the great pop masterpieces of the late 1990s", adding "Its lyrics are uncomplicated but its statement is grand."[14]Billboard's Paul Verna described the song as "smashing".[21] In a separate review,Larry Flick called it a "stunning foray into the realm of electronica [which] [...] underground purists and unwavering popstars will equally applaud".[11]Rob Sheffield fromRolling Stone commented positively about the "arctic melancholy" of the song.[22]The Baltimore Sun'sJ.D. Considine called it a word-focused, emotionally nuanced ballad.[23]
Music Week named it Single of the Week, giving it five out of five and praising the song as "inspirational", "classic Madonna" and "surely guaranteed the top spot."[24]Jon Pareles fromThe New York Times was impressed how Madonna, dulcet and careful, performed the song.[25] Joan Anderman fromThe Boston Globe said that onRay of Light, only "Frozen" achieves a "state of divine balladry", recalls the "emotional pitch" and simmers the "beauty of 1986's 'Live to Tell' with a dark, lush string section, the smash and patter of a lone drum, and an ominous, pulsing buzz".[26] In his review ofRay of Light,Neil Spencer ofThe Observer commented, "it's sensuous songs such as [...] 'Frozen' that stand out; music for the chill-out room."[27]The New Rolling Stone Album Guide agreed that the song was appropriate for chilling out.[28]Elysa Gardner, writing in theLos Angeles Times, said "Madonna's enduring knack for incorporating hip and exotic textures into accessible pop tunes is evident on the plaintive single 'Frozen'".[29]Sputnikmusic viewed the track as the singer "at her soothing best", highlighting its "interesting percussion backing" and "beautiful use of strings with techno effects".[30]
David Browne ofEntertainment Weekly described the song as a "wuthering-beats melodrama that's often breathtaking."[31] Also fromEntertainment Weekly, Chuck Arnold wrote: "sounding unlike anything Madonna had ever done before, and creating a mystical forest of sonic wonder — sweeping strings and all — 'Frozen' possesses an almost operatic grandeur that never fails to give you chills".[32]Stephen Thompson fromThe A.V. Club wrote, "the atmospheric 'Frozen' is a great first single despite lyrics like, 'Love is a bird / She needs to fly.'"[33]Conversely,NME called the song "another pile of her usual weepy old bollocks".[34] Jim Farber of theDaily News wrote that "Frozen" compromises its electronic style with "too much tepid pop".[35]The Guardian's Caroline Sullivan regarded it as a tremulous songRay of Light could have done without.[36]Jose F. Thomas fromAllMusic rated the song two stars out of five, describing it as "chilly".[37]
In 2003, Madonna fans were asked to vote for their "Top 20 Madonna singles of all-time", byQ magazine. "Frozen" was allocated the number ten spot on the list.[38]Billboard also ranked "Frozen" at number 25 on a list containing Madonna's 40 hits, stating that the song marked a sonic change in Madonna's career.[39]Rolling Stone also ranked the song as Madonna's sixth best song of all time according to a readers' poll, saying that the song strikes "the perfect balance of pop accessibility, sophisticated balladry and cutting-edge electronic textures".[40]VH1's Mark Graham included "Frozen" on his list of his favorite songs from Madonna at number 36 during a list compiled in honor of the singer's 53rd birthday.[41]
In May 2018,Billboard ranked the top songs of 1998, ranking "Frozen" at number 31. Frank Digiacomo from the publication asserted that the composition showed "a wiser, more mature Madonna, one still at the top of her game".[42] While ranking Madonna's singles, in honor of her 60th birthday,The Guardian'sJude Rogers placed "Frozen" at number 7. She wrote: "Dark, orchestralambient is a mood at which Madonna excels. 'Frozen' marries the different temperatures of 90s pop stunningly – the faltering chill of William Orbit's electronica with the dusty, cinematic heat of North African melodies and strings".[43] Finally, in August 2018,Entertainment Weekly listed it as the singer's 18th best single.[32]
In the United States, "Frozen" debuted at number eight on theBillboard Hot 100 with 42,000 units,[44][45] and reached the number two position on the chart in the issue dated April 4, 1998.[46] The song became the sixth single by Madonna to peak at the number two position, surpassingElvis Presley andthe Carpenters for the most number-two songs at the time.[47] "Frozen" topped theHot Dance Music/Club Play chart,[48] while reaching number eight on theHot Adult Contemporary chart.[49] "Frozen" was certified gold by theRecording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in April 1998, and was ranked at number 32 on the Hot 100 year-end chart of the same year.[50] In Canada, the song reached a peak of number two on theRPM Singles Chart in its seventh week, being held off from the top position byNatalie Imbruglia's "Torn".[51]
In the United Kingdom, "Frozen" entered theUK Singles Chart at number one on March 7, 1998.[52] It was later certified gold by theBritish Phonographic Industry (BPI). According toOfficial Charts Company, the song has sold 560,000 copies, as of 2018.[53] In Belgium's region of Flanders, the song debuted at number 23 on February 22, 1998, and reached a peak of number three.[54] Similarly in Wallonia, "Frozen" debuted at number 29 and later reached number two.[55] In the Netherlands, the track debuted at number 27 on theDutch Top 40, and reached a peak of number two on March 7, 1998.[56] The song reached a peak of number two in Germany, where it remained for six weeks, before spending a total of nineteen weeks on the chart.[57] In Italy, with just one day in the stores it already had 30,000 ordered copies.[58] On theSwiss Singles Chart, "Frozen" debuted at number four in the issue dated March 1, 1998. After one week, the song reached number two, remaining there for eight weeks.[59] The song peaked at number one in Spain.[60]
In Australia, "Frozen" debuted on theARIA Singles Chart at its peak of number five on March 1, 1998. The next week it descended at number nine, returning to its peak on March 15, 1998, and stayed there for another three weeks.[61] It was present for a total of 16 weeks on the chart, and was certified gold by theAustralian Recording Industry Association (ARIA).[62] In New Zealand, the song had a similar run as in Australia, by debuting at its peak of number five on theRIANZ Singles Chart. It was present for a total of 12 weeks on the chart.[63]
Directed by British artistChris Cunningham, the music video for "Frozen" was filmed atCuddeback Lake in theMojave Desert in California during January 7–11, 1998.[64] It was shot by cinematographerDarius Khondji.[65] In an interview withKurt Loder on the set of the video, Madonna described herself as a "mystical creature in the desert".[66] It was inspired by the 1996 filmThe English Patient andMartha Graham's work.[67][68] The music video premiered on February 16, 1998, onMTV at 4 p.m.[69][70] The black dress Madonna wears on the video was designed byJean Paul Gaultier.[71] In an interview withMTV News, Cunningham stated about his work with Madonna that she became interested in working with him after seeing hisAphex Twin-directed music video, "Come to Daddy" (1997).[66]
Madonna stated that she and her team initially thought of filming the video in Iceland, as the idea of the video was to go someplace cold with snow, but decided against the idea. She said she thought:
'You know what, I'm going to be freezing. I'm going to be miserable, I'll be complaining all day, I'll be sorry that I ever chose a cold place. So I said, 'Let's do it in the desert, it'll be warm,' and it would be sort of the opposite, because even though you think of deserts as being hot, they're still sort of frozen in terms of there's no vegetation and they're very desolate. I thought that that would still work as a visual, but then we got there and it was like 20 degrees below zero, it was bitterly cold, and I was barefoot. I was barefoot for the entire video, and then it started pouring rain and everyone got really sick, and it just actually turned out to be a really miserable experience.[72]
"The original treatment was, like, massive piles of bodies in the desert. All these figurative sculptures made up of bodies that were all multiple Madonnas. They were all going to split and break up and change intoravens and then change into dogs. Just a performance video, but a really elaborate one using her, her clothes, and any shapes that would come out of her clothes
The video introduces a sober, contemplative Madonna, revealing a maturemysticism.[70] It begins with the camera skimming along a cracked, desiccateddesert floor, and within seconds Madonna appears, dressed in black and sporting dark hair, hovering just above the ground in the distance. Her hands are covered withmehndi and anOm symbol on one palm.[67][70] In the video, she slowly gestures and sways her arms towards the sky, desperately pleading to her cold lover cited in the song.[70] At one point, she falls backward, hits the ground, and transforms into a flock of large, dark birds.[70] Later, she transforms into ablack dog.[70] Three Madonnas also appear walking and crawling amidst the desert throughout the video.[70] As the song progresses, the sky darkens, and the singerlevitates from the ground. Her form then changes to a shiny black liquid, which runs along the desert floor and appears to be absorbed by the tattooed hands of another version of herself, curled up on the crenellated ground. The video ends with a desperate and melancholy Madonna.[70]
Jim Glauner from MTV News commented that from the first scene of the video, the viewer discovers that this is not "Holiday" (1983).[70] Matthias Groß in his bookMadonna On the Couch: A Psychoanalytic View on Madonna's Music Videos, argued that it is interesting to look at the video as a dream, and noted that in the video, Madonna was presented as a witch or an uncanny creature, by the technique of the central perspective.[74] He concluded that the viewers find themselves in control of their view, of the situation in general, and are conveyed the impression to follow a realistic depiction of a mere melancholic woman in the desert, according to him.[74]Henry Keazor and Thorsten Wübbena ofRewind, Play, Fast Forward: The Past, Present and Future of the Music Video said that the large panels of cloth that gather and wind around Madonna gain an even more obvious independent movement quality.[75]Billboard considered it Madonna's third-best video noting that it "conveys the song's bleak heartbreak perfectly" with Madonna's persona in the video.[76] Steve Murgatroyd, Dan Williams, Steve Hiam, and Anthony Walsham received theMTV Video Music Award forBest Special Effects for "Frozen" at the1998 MTV Video Music Awards. The video can be found on the Madonna compilations,The Video Collection 93:99 (1999) andCelebration: The Video Collection (2009).[77][78]
| "Frozen (Sickick Remix)" | ||||
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 Original remix cover | ||||
| Single byMadonna and Sickick | ||||
| Released | December 3, 2021 (2021-12-03) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 3:14 | |||
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| Madonna singles chronology | ||||
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| "Frozen (Fireboy DML Remix)" onYouTube "Frozen (featuring 070 Shake)" onYouTube "Frozen on Fire" onYouTube | ||||
On March 30, 2021, Canadian producer Sickick posted a video of him in a mask remixing "Frozen" on a video sharing appTikTok.[79] This rendition has been used in over 1.5 million TikTok clips as of December 2022,[80][81] based around cooking and hair-pulling challenges;[82] and has been watched over 26 million times.[83] On December 3, 2021, the remix was officially released on digital retailers and music streaming platforms,[84] as the first release of Madonna's plan of re-releasing of her entire catalogue.[85] The Sickick remix impacted Italian radioairplay on January 24, 2022.[86] Between March and May 2022, Madonna released three additional versions of the Sickick remix, each featuring vocals by Nigerian singerFireboy DML, American rapper070 Shake, and Sickick himself.
Sickick's rendition of "Frozen" is predominantly atrap song,[92] but it also has been described asEDM,[93]minimal,[10] andelectro.[83] It consists of Madonna's chopped up vocals taken from the original version of the track, which has been called "now-iconic" byThe Fader's Raphael Helfand.[94] The remix begins with a line "How can life be what you want it to be? You're frozen, when your heart's not open."[95]Billboard's Gil Kaufman called the rendition "slowed-down" and "gauzy".[96] Shaad D'Souza ofThe Fader and Sebas Alonso ofJenesaispop criticized Madonna for releasing too many renditions of the remix, the former's problem was over-promotion, while the latter's point was that they were short.[97][98]
Commercially, "Frozen (Remix)" debuted at number 20 onBillboard's Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart, gathering 496,000 U.S. streams and 1,800 units.[99] On April 16, 2022, the rendition ascended to number ten on the chart, becoming Madonna's third top ten song on the survey, while being first for Sickick. In the week, it gained 2.3 million streams―which is a 45% gain―and 1,000 paid downloads―gain of 15%. Additionally, the remix peaked at number 5 on Dance/Electronic Digital Song Sales chart.[100] Until May 2022, the song received over 125 million global streams across all streaming platforms,[101] with 8.4 million of them coming from the United States, as of March 2022.[79]
On March 1, 2022, Madonna shared a picture of her and Nigerian singer Fireboy DML on herInstagram, announcing new remix.[102] Two days later, aforementioned remix has been released for digital download and streaming throughArtist Partner Group and Warner Records.[103] On the same day, both artists teased a music video on Instagram calling each other "fire", whilst Fireboy DML wrote: "Love to the queen for having me on this classic."[87] This rendition starts with Madonna vocals, later featuring new lyrics performed by the featured artist,[104] which talk about heartbreak: "Don't make me waste my time / I've been waiting all my life".[79][83] He later croons "I thought you loved me / I thought you trusted me / I tried to take care of your heart / but it's frozen."[103] For the outro, the song returns to Madonna's vocals.[79]
"I live in a very musical household and we've lived all over the world. I have a lot of African staff that live in my house. Some are Nigerian, some are from the Congo, some are from Ghana. We were already listening to Afrobeats before it suddenly became super popular, which was just shocking to all of us."
Writing forVariety, Mike Wass commented that Fireboy DML "laments over Sickick's sweeping trap beats" and takes the song to "soulful direction, plunging deeper into heartbreak territory".[79] George Griffiths ofOfficial Charts Company called the rendition "TikTok friendly" and additionally wrote: "The song morphs from Madonna's ice-cold, electronica-influenced vocals, shifting into something of trap beat for Fireboy DML's verse."[85][106] Hannah Dailey fromBillboard described Firboy DML's vocals as "smooth".[87] Kaufman of the same publication called the rendition "hypnotic".[96]Jenesaispop's Iker Oroz called this remix "insubstantial"[104] while Sebas Alonso writing for the same publication, opined that the performers are lacking chemistry on the track.[107]
The music video for the rendition premiered on Madonna'sYouTube channel on March 10, 2022.[82][81] It wasdirected by Ricardo Gomes and spans for almost three minutes.[80][88][89] During the shooting, Madonna jokingly mentions being drunk and called herself "Merdonna".[108] The first 25 seconds of the clip focus on Madonna's eye and road imagery.[80] When the beat kicks in, a shot of blackdoberman from the original video appears.[109] Madonna is seen wearing long straight hair, black leather corset with black long sleeves, black short shorts, and black gloves,[108] complemented byMadame X cross jewelry.[81][89] Multiple shots of her are shown next, taken from different angles, and projecting her smoking among other shots mixed with flashing lights and scenery taken from the original "Frozen" visual.[88][80] After that, Fireboy DML appears; he is being seen kneeling down next to Madonna's leg and singing his verses in front of background displaying flames.[88][82] The pair is also dancing with each other.[89][110] At the end of the clip, Madonna blows her hair in the wind and reaches her arms out.[80] Kenna McCafferty fromPaper called the visual "captivating", and said that it presents "the perfect combination of Fire & Ice".[82] Yohann Ruelle ofPure Charts opined that the clip is "hot";[110] whilstJenesaispop writers were not keen of the video, describing it as "insubstantial" and "not difficult".[104][107]
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On March 25, 2022, Madonna announced another Sickick remix of "Frozen" through Instagram, this time featuring American rapper and singer 070 Shake. In the post, she called 070 Shake "one of [her] favorite artists".[111] For days, the singer teased the remix, showing off snaps of its music video. This rendition was released six days later, on March 31.[90] Following the remix's release, Madonna posted a statement about the featured artist, saying: "070 Shake is indescribably mysterious and alluring. There are very few women in the trap music world that aren't pandering to men. Her lyrics are deep and unique – there is no one like her. I'm excited for the world to discover her!"[112] InVariety magazine, she wanted to ensure that this remix incorporatedLGBTQ representation.
070 Shake's remix of "Frozen" has been described as an "emotional ballad",[90] where she "chant[s] hoarsely over Madonna's quavering coo and Sickick's deep bass rumbles."[10]Jenesaispop reported that the chorus line, "I feel close enough to heaven / To go, to stay, to leave, to pray", might be a reference toDua Lipa's 2020 song "Levitating", whosethe Blessed Madonna remix featured Madonna alongsideMissy Elliott.[107] Kat Bouza fromRolling Stone said that this rendition is "haunting" and 070 Shake's delivery is "ethereal".[113]Stereogum's Tom Breithan opined that the featured artist "sounds cool as hell", while the remix itself "sounds like a complete song".[10] Daniela Avila ofPeople labeled the track a "vibey tune".[90] Kaufman called the remix "moody" and "chopped-and-screwed", while 070 Shake's verses have been described as "sleepy eyed".[114]
An accompanying music video was released on the same day as the remix and was directed by Ryan Drake and Ricardo Gomes.[10] Madonna wears a blonde wig, black sunglasses, a leather jacket, and platform boots, while on some shots, her look is complemented by fishnets and a mini dress.[90][115] The video starts with the singer driving to 070 Shake in the night,[113] which she encounters behind a wired fence.[90] Later, the visual features clips of the performers in "various dark, hypnotic angles", before the video ends with the scene of them driving away together.[90] Breithan suggested that the music video might be video game-inspired.[10] Alonso likens this clip to Madonna's 2001 visual for "What It Feels Like for a Girl", due to the usage of a remix in the video and cars.[107]
"I didn't actually think of [Sickick] as a singer or a musician or a songwriter or anything. I thought of him as a DJ. So, when it was presented to me that he wanted to do his version, I was kind of skeptical at first. When I ended up going in the studio with him and recording with him, I thought, 'This makes perfect sense to end with him because he started it, the remix,' he has a fantastic voice.
The fourth rendition of Sickick's remix, titled "Frozen on Fire", features vocals by the DJ himself. Madonna re-recorded some of her lines with intention to "remind people that [she] wrote this song."[117] "Frozen on Fire" is reminiscent of the version that Sickick uploaded to his YouTube channel in December 2021, with him having his own verse."[98] When Sickick initially presented that version to Madonna, she was "blown away by his musicianship, by his sense of musicality, by his melody, his singing," and felt the similarity of his voice tothe Weeknd.[116]
The first verse of "Frozen on Fire" makes reference to Sickick "poppingMolly", a seemingly subtle nod to Madonna's twelfth studio album,MDNA (2012). For this version, the original ending of the second verse was shortened to fit Madonna's vocals.[98] According to D'Souza, this iteration is a trap-pop song evoking pop spirit of the original. He later elaborated that it "is the platonic ideal of a 2022 Madonna update. It’s alien and icy and kind of intoxicating."[97]
"Frozen on Fire" was released on May 19, 2022, for digital download and streaming through Warner Records andArtist Partner Group,[101] whereas the song was sent to Italianradio airplay next day.[118] This version's music video premiered on YouTube on May 19, which is a collective montage of all her three music videos for the song, whilst its lyric video was uploaded five days later.[117][119]
Before the release ofRay of Light, Madonna appeared on several television shows and events to promote the album, and would sometimes perform the song. Madonna first performed "Frozen" on February 21, onBBC 1'sThe National Lottery Show.[120] Additionally, that same month, she appeared and performed the song at theSanremo Music Festival 1998 on February 24 and on the German TV showWetten, dass..?.[121] On April 29, 1998, Madonna made an unannounced appearance at the 9th annualRainforest Foundation Benefit Concert at New York City'sCarnegie Hall, where she performed "Frozen" with theEast Harlem Violin Project, while wearing aVersace dress. Jon Pareles fromThe New York Times felt that during this performance Madonna had "turned herself into America's answer toBjörk".[25] Later that occasion, she wore acowboy hat and joined various artists in a rendition ofthe Beatles' "With a Little Help from My Friends" and "Twist & Shout".[25]
"Frozen" has also been included on four of Madonna'sconcert tours. For the 2001Drowned World Tour, "Frozen" was included on the show's second segment known asGeisha–Anime. As the "Paradise (Not for Me)" video interlude ended, Madonna appeared on stage as akabuki-like figure, wearing a short black wig and dressed in a red and black, hand-paintedkimono created by designer Jean-Paul Gaultier, with enormous sleeves creating a span of about fifty feet (4.5 m). As the song progresses, she gradually breaks loose from the sleeves and dances, with synchronizedkarate moves distributed along all sides of the stage, by herself and with her dancers. Asamurai dancer also appeared on a raised platform above her during the performance while the backdrops displayed silhouettes of burning trees against racing, blood-red clouds.[122][123]MusicOMH praised the performance for "having a recognisable beat unlike the studio recording".[124] The performance of the song on August 26, 2001, atthe Palace of Auburn Hills was recorded and released in the livevideo album,Drowned World Tour 2001.[125]
On theRe-Invention World Tour in 2004, "Frozen" was performed as the last song of the tour'sFrench Baroque–Marie Antoinette Revival opening segment. After an energetic performance of "Nobody Knows Me", Madonna performed the song standing alone on the middle of the stage, wearing a gold jewel-encrustedcorset created by designerChristian Lacroix,[126] as the backdrop screens displayed the video of a naked male and a naked female wrestling, caressing and intertwining in water, with their faces and genitals darkened by shadows so as to preserve their androgyny. Sal Sinquemani fromSlant Magazine gave the performance a negative review, commenting that Madonna should never do a performance like this.[127]
For the second European leg of Madonna'sSticky & Sweet Tour in 2009, the performance of "Hung Up" was removed from the setlist and was replaced by an up-beat version of "Frozen". This performance was included on the show's fourth and finalRave segment, where it was set between the performances of "Like a Prayer" and "Ray of Light". The video backdrops used for this performance featured outtakes from the song's original music video directed by Chris Cunningham. Madonna sampled DJCalvin Harris' 2009 single "I'm Not Alone" into the performance. Harris praised the version saying, "I never imagined when I made it in my little purple room inGlasgow in my flat that it would reach far and wide as it has – it's always a privilege."[128] Six years later, on October 1, 2015, Madonna performed an acoustic version of "Frozen" on theDetroit stop of herRebel Heart Tour.[129] She repeated the performance for theSan Jose andSan Antonio shows of the tour.[130] On the 2019–20Madame X Tour, Madonna performed "Frozen" as her daughterLourdes Leon appeared on screen projections. Chuck Arnold from theNew York Post called it the show's highlight.[131] The performance was included on the 2021 live albumMadame X: Music from the Theater Xperience.
On January 11, 2024, Madonna added the Sickick remix of the track to the setlist ofThe Celebration Tour (2023-2024), in replacement of "Rain" (1992); Tom Beedham ofExclaim! opined that the remix "gave Madonna's track more gravitational pull as she sang under the spotlight from the centre of the arena".[132][133]
Arock cover was recorded byJeff Scott Soto with theTalisman band for their 1998 albumTruth.[134] A reviewer from Melodic Rock was positive about the version and called it a "moody version with the backing vocals and accompanying keyboards intact."[135] Polishindustrial metal bandThy Disease used parts of the original strings and vocals in a cover on their 2001 album,Devilsh Act of Creation.[136] Doom Kounty Electric Chair gave the song a "dark rock" feel with their cover, released in 2004.[137]
Italian rock band Absinth Effect recorded a cover version of "Frozen" for their debut album in 2009.[138] In May 2013, contestantOlympe sang the song on thesecond season of the French version ofThe Voice: la plus belle voix, allowing him to reach the show's semi-final. His coach,Jenifer, welcomed the performance warmly.[139] Jérôme Vermelin from Metronews.fr said "Without piano, but in a spectacular setting, the young singer fromAmiens shows his pitched voice with disconcerting facility. And his look? The mixture of great and pure sincerity? Although the formula may seem repetitive, it is not difficult to be captivated".[139] Hanane Abdelouahed fromTF1 commented that with the rendition, he "has taken the track from the queen of pop".[140]
In November 2005, a Belgian judge inMons ruled that the opening four-bar theme to "Frozen" wasplagiarized from the song "Ma vie fout le camp" ("My Life's Getting Nowhere"), composed by Salvatore Acquaviva. Victor Vicent Dehin, Acquaviva's lawyer, said: "We tried to reach a friendly agreement... but they didn't want to negotiate so I sued for plagiarism. They have stolen a song, so they have to pay the value of the song." No award damages for the song were granted.[141] Acquaviva had explained to the court that the singer heard "Ma vie fout l'camp" during a trip toMouscron in the late 1970s. She had been recruited to be a dancer on a tour with French singerPatrick Hernandez, whose discs were produced in Mouscron.[142] Dehin also stated that the lawsuit was just the first step, and the next discussion would be about the copyright gains Madonna obtained with "Frozen".[142]
The judge subsequently ordered the withdrawal from sales of all remaining discs ofRay of Light, and forbade any further playing of the song on Belgian TV and radio.Warner Bros.,EMI andSony were also ordered to spread the decision within fifteen days to media outlets on pain of a penalty of €125,000 for non-compliance with the court order.[141] While the case was still going on, Madonna performed "Frozen" during the Sticky & Sweet Tour inWerchter on July 11, 2009. Bert Bieseman, marketing manager of Belgian branch of Warner Bros., stated that "Madonna is not afraid of a more or less riot".[143] Acquaviva responded to the performance: "The court's decision is subject to various interpretations. The song can't be played on the radio or be sold, but have we arguments enough for the concert to be over? We won't bring additional spectacle to the show."[143] The song was later omitted from the track listing on the Belgian pressings ofCelebration (2009).[144][145]
In February 2014, a Belgian court repealed the verdict on the case and proclaimed that Madonna did not plagiarize Acquaviva's work. The court spoke of a "new capital offense" in the file: composer Edouard Scotto Di Suoccio and societies Tabata Atoll Music and Music in Paris had also filed a complaint for plagiarism. According to them, both "Ma vie fout le camp" and "Frozen" originated in the song "Blood Night" which they composed in 1983.[146] After all three tracks in the case were compared, the final ruling was that the songs were "not sufficiently 'original' to claim" that any plagiarism had taken place.[147] This ruling ended the eight-year ban of the song in place in Belgium since 2005.[147]
US 7-inch and CD single; UK cassette single[148][149][150]
US 12-inch vinyl and CD maxi-single[151][152]
Digital single (2021)[153]
| Digital single – Sickick remix[154]
Digital single – Sickick &Fireboy DML remix[155]
Digital single – Sickick &070 Shake remix[156]
Digital single – "Frozen on Fire"[157]
|
Credits and personnel are adapted from theRay of Light album liner notes.[158]
Weekly charts[edit]
| Year-end charts[edit]
|
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Region | Date | Format(s) | Version | Label(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Europe | January 23, 1998 | Radioairplay | Original | [6] | |
| United States | February 19, 1998 | ||||
| February 20, 1998 | Hot adult contemporary radio | [238] | |||
| Japan | February 22, 1998 | CD | [239] | ||
| United Kingdom | February 23, 1998 |
| [8] | ||
| United States | February 24, 1998 | [240] | |||
| February 27, 1998 | Adult contemporary radio | [241] | |||
| March 3, 1998 |
| [9] | |||
| Canada | March 24, 1998 | CD | [242] | ||
| Various | March 12, 2021 | EP | Warner | [153] | |
| December 3, 2021 | Sickick remix |
| [154] | ||
| Italy | January 24, 2022 | Radio airplay | Warner | [86] | |
| Various | March 3, 2022 |
| Fireboy DML remix |
| [155] |
| March 31, 2022 | 070 Shake remix | [156] | |||
| May 19, 2022 | "Frozen on Fire" | [157] | |||
| Italy | May 20, 2022 | Radio airplay | Promotion & PR | [118] |
'Frozen' arrives at retail March 3...
da ieri nei negozi e gia in testa alle classifiche del singoli con 30mila copie prenotate
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