"La Isla Bonita" (Spanish for "The Beautiful Island") is a song by American singerMadonna from her third studio albumTrue Blue (1986).Patrick Leonard andBruce Gaitsch created it as an instrumentaldemo and offered it to singerMichael Jackson, who turned it down. When Leonard met Madonna to start working onTrue Blue, he played the demo for her. Madonna came up with the title, wrote the lyrics and produced the song with Leonard. It is her first song withLatin influences. Its instrumentation featuresflamenco guitar,Latin percussion,maracas, and includes four lines sung in Spanish. The lyrics talk of an island named San Pedro, whose location has been debated. Madonna said the song was her tribute toLatin Americans.
Upon its release as the fifth and final single fromTrue Blue on February 25, 1987, "La Isla Bonita" received generally positive reviews from music critics, who praised its Latin-inspired sound. Retrospective reviewers ranked the song as one of Madonna's best, and it features on her compilation albumsThe Immaculate Collection (1990) andCelebration (2009). Influence of the song has been noted in the work of contemporary artists. "La Isla Bonita" was commercially successful, becoming her eleventh top-five single on theBillboard Hot 100, and secondAdult Contemporary number one. It topped the charts in Canada and several countries in Europe, including the United Kingdom, France, West Germany, and Austria.
In the accompanyingmusic video, directed byMary Lambert, Madonna portrays two opposite characters: A young Catholic woman and aflamenco dancer. The clip received mixed reviews from authors and contemporary critics; some saw the use of Hispanic imagery as a successful marketing strategy, while others accused the singer ofcultural appropriation. Madonna has performed "La Isla Bonita" on eight of herconcert tours, the most recent beingthe Celebration Tour (2023–2024). Additionally, it has beencovered by multiple artists, includingRicky Martin,Alizée, andThe Bright Light Social Hour.
The instrumentaldemo of "La Isla Bonita" was first offered toMichael Jackson (pictured in 1988), who turned it down.
In the fall of 1985,Madonna began writing and recording songs for her third studio album,True Blue.[1] For the project, she brought backStephen Bray ―with whom she had worked on her previous albumLike a Virgin (1984)― andthe Virgin Tour's musical director, producerPatrick Leonard.[1][2][3] Prior to working with Madonna, Leonard had worked onthe Jacksons' 1984Victory Tour.[4][5] After the tour concluded, he kept in touch withMichael Jackson and his managerQuincy Jones, who contacted him and asked him to write "something sort ofSade-like" for Jackson.[6] "La Isla Bonita" was one of the instrumentaldemos Leonard created for Jackson's approval.[6] According to musicianBruce Gaitsch, who collaborated on the track, it started out as an instrumental without any lyrics or even a title, and it was Leonard's idea to incorporateLatin sounds.[7] When he presented the demo to Jackson and Jones, however, they did not like it and turned it down.[6][8] After meeting with Madonna to start working onTrue Blue, Leonard presented her the demo and she began working on it.[6]
She came up with the title "La Isla Bonita", which roughly translates to "The Beautiful Island", and wrote the lyrics while inHong Kong filmingShanghai Surprise (1986).[9][10] Gaitsch was not fond of the title, fearing it to be "uncommercial".[10] Madonna went on to describe the song as a tribute to the "beauty and mystery ofLatin American people", further adding: "I'm very influenced by Spanish music. When I lived in New York for so many years I was constantly listening tosalsa andmerengue. I mean, that stuff was constantly blaring out of everybody's radio on the street".[11][12] She also said: "[Patrick and I] both think that we were Latin in another life[...] [because] Latin rhythms often dominate our uptempo compositions".[11][13] They would go on to work together on other Latin-inspired songs, such as "Who's That Girl"―from thefilm of the same name―and "Spanish Eyes"―fromLike a Prayer (1989).[8] "La Isla Bonita" was released as the fifth and final single fromTrue Blue on February 25, 1987.[14] The sleeve cover of the single shows Madonna wearing a Spanish-styled embroideredbolero jacket.[15] "La Isla Bonita" was also included on thecompilation albumsThe Immaculate Collection (1990) andCelebration (2009).[16][17] It was further added asbonus track to the Japanese edition of 1995'sSomething to Remember.[18]
"La Isla Bonita" was written and produced by Madonna and Leonard, with additional lyrics by Gaitsch.[19] Personnel working on the song included Leonard on keyboard arrangement andprogramming, Gaitsch on guitars, andPaulinho da Costa aspercussionist. Background vocals were performed bySiedah Garrett and Edie Lehmann.[19] The song has been described as a "Latino-popdance ballad", while its sound has been compared toBossa nova.[20][21] Author Mary Cross pointed out that "La Isla Bonita" marked a departure in Madonna's sound, as it combinesflamenco guitar,Latin percussion,electronic sounds,maracas, and includes four lines sung in Spanish.[1][22][13] To get the correct translations, Leonard and Madonna talked over the phone with a Hispanic housekeeper.[23] According to the sheet music published byAlfred Publishing Inc. on Musicnotes.com, "La Isla Bonita" is set in the key ofC♯ minor (with the bridge inF♯ minor) and was set in the time signature ofcommon time with atempo of 100beats per minute. Madonna's voice spans betweenG♯3 toC♯5.[24]
20-second sample of "La Isla Bonita". It is a song that features Latin-inspired instrumentation fromflamenco guitar,Latin percussion, andmaracas. In one verse, Madonna specifically mentions the island San Pedro by name.
Lyrically, "La Isla Bonita" talks about a "humble observer, captured by the rhythm of an imagined island" named San Pedro, with mentions of "tropical breeze" and "nature wild and free".[8][21][25] Madonna is a tourist who "prays that the days would last/they went so fast", while the island's inhabitants are referred to as people with "beautiful faces" and "no cares in this world".[26] The song starts with anintroduction performed onbongos, before descending intocastanets.[27] Madonna then utters the phrase "¿Cómo puede ser verdad?" ("How can it be true?").[13] In one line, she specifically sings, "Last night, I dreamt of San Pedro/Just like I'd never gone, I knew the song".[21] The geographic location of said place has been debated, withCuba,Belize,Puerto Rico, and theDominican Republic being cited as possibilities.[28] Certain authors have speculated thatSan Pedro Town inAmbergris Caye, Belize, is the actual place mentioned on the song.[25][29][30] On its official website, the island's Victoria House Resort & Spa posted that the town has been nicknamed "La Isla Bonita" because of the song.[28]
During an interview withRolling Stone, Madonna admitted to not knowing where San Pedro was: "At that point, I wasn't a person who went on holidays to beautiful islands. I may have been on the way to the studio and seen an exit ramp forSan Pedro".[31] Authors Eduardo Viñuela, Igor Paskual and Lara González, noted that although the song features characteristic elements of Spanish music, such as flamenco guitar, its lyrics make mention of Brazilian music genresamba. The authors held that this "complicates" the location of the island, thereby making it a fictitious "utopic" place rather than an actual one.[32] Similarly, Daniel Garrán from Spanish radio stationLos 40 argued that the lyrics are a "tribute to theLatin community from New York [Madonna] has always been close to", and do not talk about a real place.[30]
In 2014, while working on her thirteenth studio albumRebel Heart (2015) with producerDiplo, Madonna recorded adubplate of "La Isla Bonita".[33] This version replaces the original's Latin beats with "vaguelydancehall" ones, and includes lyrics such as "Last night, I dreamed ofMajor Lazer, a sound I never thought I heard before/Sound Boy, your sound is so over, your sound is like yesterday, so far away".[34][35] It premiered in March 2015 onBBC Radio 1Xtra.[35]
"La Isla Bonita" is an effectively enigmatic Latin fantasy that recallsSteely Dan. Its melody is so sturdy [that] you could imagineRuben Blades covering it to satisy hiscrossover dreams. Yet there's also such a stream-lined elegance to [it] that you could hear adoo-wop group interpreting it as a street-corner symphony.
—Newsday's Wayne Robins commenting on the song.[36]
Critical reception towards "La Isla Bonita" has been generally positive. It has often been referred to as one of Madonna's best and most romantic songs.[a]John Leland fromSpin deemed it "spunky", while Jan DeKnock from theChicago Tribune said it was "charming".[42][43] ForCreem's Ken Barnes, "['La Isla Bonita'] is no 'Open Your Heart', but its lilting (yet reflective) quality transcends the south-of-the-border cliches".[44]William McKeen, author ofRock and Roll is Here to Stay, deemed the song "tranquil", and compared its lyrical theme of an "imaginary escape from the big city" to that ofthe Drifters' "Up on the Roof" (1962).[45] Similarly,Stephen Thomas Erlewine, writing forThe A.V. Club, applauded its "breezy charm" that "creates a fantasy of an extended tropical vacation".[38] Dawn Keetley inPublic Women, Public Words, said it was "smooth [and] transparent", as well as one of Madonna's "most perfect" songs.[46] ForEntertainment Weekly's Chuck Arnold, it's "one of the loveliest tunes [Madonna] has ever done".[47]
Daryl Easlea, author ofMadonna: Blond Ambition, wrote that "La Isla Bonita" and the other singles are "so strong that they overshadow the reminder of [True Blue]".[48]AllMusic's Stewart Mason named "La Isla Bonita"True Blue's "most prescient" track.[49][22] The song's production and Latin influence were singled out for praise.[b] Of the production, Paul Schrodt fromSlant Magazine said it "gave a dynanism to [Madonna's] music that finally perished the thoughts, based on her earliest hits, that she was simply aDanceteria pop tart".[53] By his part,David Browne fromEntertainment Weekly added that Leonard and Bray's input turned the song into a "perfectly conceived pop record".[52] Both Stuart Mason andBillboard's Bianca Gracie referred to Madonna's vocals as the best part of the song.[22][37] AuthorMatthew Rettenmund wrote: "Madonna's voice is always laced with immediacy and unimpeachable emotion. She imbues even her most pedestrian lyrics with a sense of purpose", citing "La Isla Bonita" as an example.[49]
In more mixed reviews,Stereogum's Tom Breihan deemed the single "pure risiblekitsch [...] [a] clumsy fetishization of [an] exoticized culture", but nonetheless felt it was "one of the swooniest jams in a career full of swoony jams".[54] From theObserver–Reporter, John Quayle felt the song was more suited for Sade rather than Madonna.[55] In his bookThe Complete Guide to the Music of Madonna, Rikky Rooksby wrote: "This is one of those songs where you just know the [music] video is going to be marginally more interesting".[27] TheHuffPost's Matthew Jacobs opined that, "you have to be in the right mood for ['La Isla Bonita'] – its middling tempo can feel like a slog".[56] Wendy Tuohy from Australian newspaperThe Age referred to "La Isla Bonita" as a "commercial sleeping pill [rather] than a 'Spanish lullaby'".[57] Eleni P. Austin writing forThe Desert Sun said it was cheesy.[58] More negative was David Bauder from theAssociated Press, who deemed the song forgettable and criticized its inclusion onThe Immaculate Collection.[59]
"La Isla Bonita" was noted by Chuck Arnold a song that explored Latin pop "long before it became trendy".[47] Influence has been perceived in later Latin-tinged songs, such as "Viva Forever" (1998) bySpice Girls,Geri Halliwell's "Mi Chico Latino" (1999),Lady Gaga's "Alejandro" (2010), and "Despacito" (2016) byLuis Fonsi andDaddy Yankee.[c] Judy Cantor-Navas, writing forBillboard, said that "La Isla Bonita" was a precursor to the "Ricky Martin-led 'Latin Pop Explosion'" of the late 1990s.[62] Echoes of "La Isla Bonita", "pop up more than once" onJ.Lo (2001), the second studio album by American singerJennifer Lopez, as noted by Natalie Nichols from theLos Angeles Times.[63] "La Isla Bonita" was included on Bruce Pollock'sRock Song Index: The 7500 Most Important Songs for the Rock & Roll Era (2005).[64]
On March 21, 1987, "La Isla Bonita" debuted at number 49 on theBillboard Hot 100, becoming Madonna's eleventh consecutive single to be named the week's top new entry –a streak that began with "Lucky Star" in 1984.[65][66] By April 25, "La Isla Bonita" became Madonna's twelfth consecutive top-ten single, a record shared with Michael Jackson.[67] "La Isla Bonita" was the fifth top-ten single fromTrue Blue, making it the second album by a female artist to score five top-tens, the other beingJanet Jackson'sControl (1986).[67] On May 2, the song reached its peak at number 4, becoming Madonna's eleventh single to reach the chart's first five spots, a feat surpassed at the time only bythe Beatles andElvis Presley.[68][69]
On theAdult Contemporary chart, the single debuted at number 31 on the week of April 4, peaking at number one more than a month later.[70][71] It was Madonna's second Adult Contemporary chart-topper after "Live to Tell" the previous year.[71] "La Isla Bonita" also reached number one on theHot Dance Singles Sales chart.[72]Billboard reported that 75,000copies of the12-inch single had been sold by July 1987.[73] "La Isla Bonita" came in at number 58 onBillboard's Hot 100 year-end chart for 1987, and at 34 of the Adult Contemporary year-end chart.[74][75] As of October 2024, it is Madonna's 23rd most successful song on the Hot 100.[76] In Canada, the single debuted in the 58th position ofRPM's Top Singles chart on the week of April 4.[77] After ten weeks on the chart, it reached the top position on June 6, 1987.[78] "La Isla Bonita" placed at number 22 on theRPM Year-end chart for 1987.[79] The song reached the fourth spot in Panama, and the first spot in Chile.[80][81]
In the United Kingdom, "La Isla Bonita" debuted at the fifth position of thesingles chart on April 4; it reached the first position three weeks later on April 25, spending two weeks at number one and eleven on the chart overall.[82] It was Madonna's fourth number one in the country.[83] TheHull Daily Mail reported that on the week the song reached number one, it had sold a mere 50,000copies, making it the country's lowest-selling number one in five years.[84] "La Isla Bonita" was certifiedgold by theBritish Phonographic Industry (BPI) for shipment of 400,000copies.[85] According toMusic Week magazine, 421,760copies had been sold in the United Kingdom as of 2008.[86] "La Isla Bonita" was Madonna's first number one song in France, where it spent three weeks at the top spot in July 1987, and was certified gold by theSyndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique (SNEP) for shipment of 500,000copies.[87][88] It remains one of Madonna's highest-selling singles in the country, with reported sales exceeding 620,000units.[89] The song was successful across Europe as well, topping the charts in Switzerland,West Germany, and Austria.[90][91][92] "La Isla Bonita" also topped theEuropean Hot 100 Singles chart the week of June 20, 1987.[93] It reached the top-eight in Spain,[94] and the top-five in Ireland,[95] Norway,[96] the Netherlands,[97][98] and Sweden.[99]
One of the two characters Madonna plays in the music video is that of a "flamboyant"flamenco dancer, as noted by author Mark Bego.[100]
Themusic video for "La Isla Bonita" was directed byMary Lambert, who had previously worked with Madonna in the videos for "Borderline" and "Like a Virgin" (1984).[101] Filming took place inLos Angeles and lasted over three days.[9][102] According toSharon Oreck, in her bookVideo Slut (2010), it was a very "simple" shooting.[102] Over 500extras of Hispanic descent participated in the visual. One of them was a then-unknownBenicio del Toro, who portrayed a teenager sitting on a car hood, and received a payment of $150.[9][102][103] Percussionist Paulinho da Costa appears in the video's opening sequence playing bongo drums.[104]
The clip shows Madonna in two different sequences, playing different characters: A short-haired Catholic woman and a "flamboyant"flamenco dancer.[9] In one scene, she is in a New York City apartment dressed in white, lighting candles at a living room altar, reminiscing about the song's titular island.[100][105] She cries as she watches a group oflatinos dance in the street, and reluctantly ignores the invitation to join them.[26] In the memory sequence, she is seen in an apartment filled with lit candles, donning the flamenco dress.[100] Still in the dress, she dances, writhes on the floor, and leaves the place to join the dancers.[26]
"La Isla Bonita" had its world premiere onMTV on March 6, 1987, and became the most requested video in the channel's history for a record-breaking 20 consecutive weeks.[106] In Europe, it was the year's most heavily rotated video on television.[107] It can be found on Madonna's video compilationsThe Immaculate Collection (1990) andCelebration: The Video Collection (2009).[108][17]
Both author Victoria Chow and Juan Sanguino, from the Spanish edition ofVanity Fair, pointed out that the video for "La Isla Bonita" marked the moment Madonna began borrowing elements from other cultures, but the latter also accused her ofcultural appropriation: "[She] looks more like a drunken tart at theFeria de Abril than a [flamenco] dancer [...] but at least she had the decency to grow her eyebrows", Sanguino wrote.[109][110] In his bookMedia Culture: Cultural Studies, Identity, and Politics Between the Modern and the Postmodern,Douglas Kellner noted that Madonna's use of "fantasy images of Hispanic fashion as an icon of beauty and romanticism", helped her successfully appeal to a larger, more varied audience.[111] Lucy O'Brien concluded that the image of Madonna in the red flamenco dress is, "as iconic as theboy toy or theblack corseted siren".[112] This opinion was shared byPeople's Cara Lynn Shultz and Aaron Parsley, who named the flamenco look one of the singer's "most unforgettable".[113] Santiago Fouz-Hernández and Freya Jarman-Ivens, authors ofMadonna's Drowned Worlds, noted a contrast between the singer's characters: The "austerity and the passivity" of the Catholic character, and the "passion and activity" of the flamenco dancer.[26]
The staff ofRolling Stone described it as one of the singer's most "theatrical" clips.[31] By contrast Ryan Murphy, writing for theMiami Herald, panned it for being "lame, overdone, [and] almost absurd". He went on to compare it negatively to the previousTrue Blue videos, further noticing a "pervading sense of humor [that is] not supposed to be there", specifically in the scene when Madonna dances out in the street.[114] On his review ofThe Immaculate Collection video compilation, Colin Jacobson from website DVD Movie Guide also reacted negatively towards "La Isla Bonita", referring to it as a "bland and uninteresting video, especially compared with the gems that preceded and followed it".[108] "La Isla Bonita" was named Madonna's 34th and 20th best music video byLouis Virtel fromTheBacklot, and Sal Cinquemani fromSlant Magazine, respectively.[115][116] As of 2018, it is one of her most viewed music videos onYouTube.[117]
On the Girlie Show, Madonna performed the song decked in horizontal stripes and a bandana, while the dancers were dressed as sailors.[124][125] The number also included a bit where the singer pretended to fall and had to be dragged from the stage.[124]The Baltimore Sun'sJ. D. Considine praised Madonna's "musical chemistry" with "her first-rate backing band" during the song.[126] The performance from one of theSydney concerts was recorded and included onThe Girlie Show: Live Down Underhome video release (1994).[127][128]
"La Isla Bonita" was one of only two of Madonna's 1980s singles performed on the Drowned World Tour.[129] Decked out in black slacks and backless dress, and surrounded by a "gaggle of percussionists and dancers", she played acoustic guitar in an "unplugged flamenco" version of the song.[130] Reviewing one of theLondon concerts,NME's Alex Needham pointed out that, "by the time 'La Isla Bonita' rolls around, the relief in the audience is palpable and Madonna also finally seems relaxed".[131] The performance on August 26, 2001, atDetroit'sPalace of Auburn Hills, was recorded and released on the live video albumDrowned World Tour 2001.[132]
Madonna sang a "disco-enhanced" version of "La Isla Bonita" on her Confessions Tour.[133] She wore a white leotard while the backdrop screen showed colored images of a tropical island that mirrored the "voluptuousness of [her] dancing", according toSlant Magazine's Ed Gonzalez.[134][135][136] The performance from the August 15–16 London concerts was included on the singer's secondlive album,The Confessions Tour (2007).[137]
On July 7, 2007, Madonna and gypsy punk bandGogol Bordello performed a "crazed hoedown" version of "La Isla Bonita" at theLondon Live Earth concert.[138] For the Sticky & Sweet Tour, it was given agypsy theme andmashed up with Gogol Bordello's "Lela Pala Tute".[139][140] It featured instrumentation fromfiddles andaccordions.[141] Madonna wore aGivenchy gypsy-inspired black dress embellished with colored ribbons, gripped a rose in her teeth and was joined by Romani musicians and dancers, including the Ukrainian groupKolpakov Trio.[142][143][139]The Denver Post's Ricardo Baca considered the number, "the show's brightest, boldest, most daring moment — a triumph of reinvention, like Madonna herself".[144] The performance was included on theSticky & Sweet Tour live album release (2010), recorded inBuenos Aires.[145]
On the Rebel Heart Tour, Madonna did a flamenco rendition of the song complete with "stomps, claps and shouts".[146] She wore matador-inspired pants made from blacktulle, with transparent beaded side paneling, and a black and fuchsia jacket covered inSwarovski crystals, adorned with the letter M.[147]Pitchfork's T. Cole Rachel noted that "La Isla Bonita" was one of the tour's numbers that, "resulted in nearly deafening arena-sized sing-alongs".[148] The song's performance at the March 19–20, 2016 shows in Sydney'sAllphones Arena was recorded and released on Madonna's fifth live album,Rebel Heart Tour (2017).[149][150] On July 27, 2017, Madonna sang "La Isla Bonita" atLeonardo DiCaprio's annual fundraising gala inSaint-Tropez, France.[151]
A guitarcha-cha-chá mashup of "La Isla Bonita" and a song titled "Welcome to My Fado Club" was performed on the singer's Madame X Tour.[152][153] The stage was set up as aLisbon nightclub, and Madonna —who portrayed a "beguiling hostess"— changed the lyrics to "my Portuguese lullaby".[153][154][155] At one point, she took off one of her gloves and said, "this is as X-rated as it's gonna get tonight".[152] For theLos Angeles Daily News, Kelli Skye Fadroski opined that Madonna "soared" through the number.[156] The performance was included on the film that chronicled the tour,Madame X (2021).[157]
On October 9, 2021, Madonna gave an "intimate performance" in the basement ofMarcus Samuelsson'sHarlem restaurant Red Rooster, and sanglounge renditions of "La Isla Bonita",Madame X album tracks "Dark Ballet" and "Crazy" (2019), andCape Verdeancoladeira song "Sodade".[158] She was dressed in a black cocktail dress with a "dramatic leg slit", lace gloves, and a long blonde wig.[158][159] "La Isla Bonita" was then included on Madonna's Celebration Tour, where it was mashed up with "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" (1996).[160] Her son David Banda played guitar as she sang.[161] Reviewing the opening night at London,Variety's Mark Sutherland highlighted the number's "sheer, irresistible pizazz".[162]
Ricky Martin (left,pictured in 2014) andAlizée (right,pictured in 2007) are among the artists who have covered "La Isla Bonita".
Between 1986 and 1987, Madonna signed a $3-million deal withMitsubishi Motors. As part of this deal, she made a TV commercial dancing to "La Isla Bonita".[163] In December 1986, before the song was officially released as a single, Italian singerMicaela released a cover, which peaked at number 25 in the Netherlands.[164][165]Music & Media magazine gave a positive review of the rendition: "Although the vocals are sometimes too hasty and the sophistication that Madonna puts into this stack is lost, the track is so commercial, one can hardly spoil it".[164] In July 1987, a cover by Mexican singer Byanka reached number 45 on theBillboardHot Latin Songs chart.[166] In 1989, when she was just 13 years old, Colombian singerShakira appeared on Colombian television showDe los Sueños... Hasta Hoy and sang the song.[167] Ten years later, "La Isla Bonita" wassampled by Chilean singerDeetah on "El Paraiso Rico", a track from her albumDeadly Cha Cha.[168] Also in 1999, salsa singer Corrine covered "La Isla Bonita" in both English and Spanish for her second studio albumUn Poco Más. This cover was produced byWyclef Jean.[169]
American rapperBlack Rob's song "Spanish Fly", included on his albumLife Story (2000), featuresJennifer Lopez singing a chorus based on "La Isla Bonita".[170] In 2004, American actorDavid Hasselhoff included a rendition of "La Isla Bonita" on his albumSings America, which was criticized for being "decidedlykaraoke" by theBBC's Jake Jakeman.[171][172] That same year, American rapperMase sampled the song's hook for his own "My Harlem Lullaby", found on the albumWelcome Back.[173] In early June 2008, French singerAlizée posted a cover of the song on her officialMySpace page.[174] The cover was then included on the Mexican Tour Edition of her third studio album,Psychédélices, and reached the first ten spots of the charts in Mexico.[175][176] On his review of a concert Alizée offered in Mexico City, Arturo Cruz Bárcenas fromLa Jornada was not impressed with the cover: "[She] dreams of being like Madonna [...] but [her rendition of 'La Isla Bonita'] only shows how far she is from that goal".[177]
In May 2010, AmericanbloggerPerez Hilton released "Gagalupe", a parody of "La Isla Bonita" with lyrics that mock Madonna's "New Age beliefs".[178] The next year, "Love 2 Love U", an unreleased song by American singerBritney Spears that heavily sampled "La Isla Bonita", leaked online. It was described as having a "Jamaican-dance rhythm" by the staff of Los 40, who also noted that the melody and structure is the same as "La Isla Bonita".[179] Aired on February 7, 2012, the twelfth episode of thethird season of American television seriesGlee, "The Spanish Teacher", had guest star Ricky Martin singing the song with actressNaya Rivera, who played the characterSantana Lopez.[180][181] FromDigital Spy, Catriona Wightman highlighted the "stonking" performance.[181] This cover peaked at number 99 on the USBillboard Hot 100 and number 93 on theCanadian Hot 100 chart.[182][183] American bandDeerhoof named theirtwelfth studio album (2014) after the song. Band memberGreg Saunier explained the album was a homage to Madonna and Janet Jackson, describing it as the band's "rawest, punkiest" work since their1997 debut.[184] "Mamacita", a 2020 song by American groupBlack Eyed Peas and Puerto Rican singerOzuna, samples "La Isla Bonita".[185] According to producerJohnny Goldstein, it waswill.i.am's idea to sample the song.[186] In 2022, Americanpsychedelic rock bandThe Bright Light Social Hour released a cover of the song, featuring backing vocals from American singerIsrael Nash, and "searing slide guitar,reggaeton percussion and pulsating synth bass", as noted by the staff ofOrcaSound.[187]
^"Discos más populares de América Latina" [Latin America's most popular records].La Opinión (in Spanish). United Press International. July 7, 1987. p. 6. RetrievedDecember 2, 2024 – via Google Books.
^abLa Isla Bonita (US 7-inch Single liner notes). Madonna. Sire Records. 1987. 9 28378-7.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^abLa Isla Bonita (US 12-inch Maxi Single liner notes). Madonna. Sire Records. 1987. 0-20633.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^La Isla Bonita (Australian CD Single liner notes). Madonna. Sire Records. 1987. 7599-25451-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^La Isla Bonita (Japanese CD Single liner notes). Madonna. Sire Records. 1987. WPCP-3440.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^ab"Top 3 in Europe"(PDF).Music & Media.4 (22): 12. June 6, 1987.Archived(PDF) from the original on October 22, 2021. RetrievedJuly 9, 2022 – via World Radio History.
^"Classifiche".Musica e Dischi (in Italian).Archived from the original on December 1, 2016. RetrievedJuly 9, 2022. Set "Tipo" on "Singoli". Then, in the "Artista" field, search "Madonna"
^"Top Sellers 1987"(PDF).Music & Media.5 (2): 25. March 12, 1988.Archived(PDF) from the original on January 25, 2022. RetrievedJuly 9, 2022 – via World Radio History.
.jpg)
.jpg)
_(1960526848).jpg)
.jpg)
_(cropped).jpg)
_(53270771398)_(cropped).jpg)
