Sky Fits Heaven

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"Sky Fits Heaven"
YouTube

"Sky Fits Heaven" is a song recorded by American singer

Warner Bros.
on October 2, 1998.

When released, various

Idolator, the track was ranked at number nine and acclaimed by critic Sal Cinquemani who enjoyed its "heavenly hook".[2] The Sasha and Victor Calderone remix reached number 41 on Billboard's Dance Club Songs chart in November 1998, despite not being released as a commercial single. "Sky Fits Heaven" was performed on Madonna's Drowned World Tour
in 2001, accompanied by flying acrobats during a Japanese-inspired sequence.

Background

In 1992, poet Max Blagg's work What Fits? was used in commercials for Gap Inc., showcasing a new line of jeans worn by American actress Mädchen Amick. The poem was also used in the advertisements for Gap on NBC.[3] Upon viewing them, Madonna contacted Blagg for obtaining permission to use the poem in her new musical material. While composing her 1998 album Ray of Light, Madonna and Blagg reached a deal which would allow the singer to include excerpts of What Fits? within her song "Sky Fits Heaven"; in exchange, Blagg would receive no credit. The lines in particular: "Sky fits heaven so ride it / Child fits mother so hold your baby tight" would be used, with the exception of the first line which would be changed to "Sky fits heaven so fly it".[4]

Upon its initial release on Ray of Light, Daniel Frankel of

Philly.com summarized the report: "Madonna's muses have ranged from the Virgin Mary to porn purveyors, so it's no shock that her latest inspiration might come from... a Gap ad."[7]

Composition and lyrics

"Sky Fits Heaven" was written and produced by Madonna and

beats per minute. Madonna's vocals range from G3 to B♭4, leading an instrumentation of a piano and a guitar. The song follows a basic sequence of Dm–Am/D–Dm–Am/D as its chord progression.[8] According to Hrisztalina Hrisztova-Gotthardt and Melita Aleksa Varga in their book Introduction to Paremiology (2015), the singer and Leonard use pseudo proverbs to convey general messages often expressed by "real proverbs": "Hands fits giving, so do it / If the caps fits, wear it".[9]
Further discussing the track's religious themes, Madonna confessed about the inspiration surrounding both "Sky Fits Heaven" and "Shanti/Ashtangi":

I feel that talking about it trivializes it. I've been studying the Cabala [sic], which is the mystical interpretation of the Torah. I've studied Buddhism and Hinduism and I've been practising yoga and obviously I know a lot about Catholicism. There are indisputable truths that connect all of them, and I find that very comforting and kind. My spiritual journey is to be open to everything. Pay attention to what makes sense, be absorbed. For me, yoga is the closest thing to our real nature.[10]

The song itself sheds light on Eastern worship prayer through personal methodology,[11] and spiritual connections between herself and her then-newborn daughter Lourdes.[12] Paul Northup from Third Way noted the singer's claim that "all paths lead to God" within the lyrics: "Isn't everyone just / Traveling down their own road / Watching the signs as they go?".[13]

Remixes and chart performance

Disc jockeys

Sasha and Victor Calderone was exclusively commissioned to produce a partnered remix for "Sky Fits Heaven" in 1998. The Sasha Remix was created solely by the former while the more well known Sasha and Victor Calderone mix was composed as part of a collaboration. According to Calderone himself, he had to restructure the entire composition in order for the remix to work properly.[14] Neither of the two musicians were able to personally meet Madonna as part of the job, which Sasha found more pressuring.[15] Calderone would later include the finalized remix, in addition to remixes for both "Frozen" and "Ray of Light" on a demo CD released by Sony Music on October 2, 1998.[16]

Since it was not released as a commercial single or sent for radio airplay, "Sky Fits Heaven" could not appear on any Billboard

vinyl release of her 1998 single "Drowned World/Substitute for Love",[17][18] and the respective CD single released in the United Kingdom and Japan.[19][20] "Sky Fits Heaven" debuted on the chart for the week ending October 24, 1998, at number 45.[21][22] The track reached its peak position at number 41, and lasted an additional three weeks on the chart before departing in its sixth week total at the bottom position at number 50.[23][24]

Critical reception

Madonna in a red dress, flanked by her dancers wearing white dress
Madonna performing "Sky Fits Heaven" during the Drowned World Tour in 2001

Idolator positively stated that in addition to the album track "Skin", the two songs "sound earth-shaking on a large sound system".[2] In Slant Magazine's list of "15 Greatest Madonna Non-Singles", Sal Cinquemani and Eric Henderson listed "Sky Fits Heaven" at number nine. Cinquemani claimed the song a marvel due to its "heavenly hook" and Orbit's impeccable production.[27] In his book Kate Bush and Hounds of Love, Ron Moy disliked the singer's role of "guesting" on the recording, which he found "typical of the work of ...Orbit".[28] Author Matthew Rettenmund included the song at number 16 on his list of songs released by Madonna.[29] In August 2018, Billboard picked it as the singer's 52nd greatest song, calling it "one of the most musically ambitious tracks of 1990s Madonna, ["Sky Fits Heaven"] blends trance throb with drum n bass propulsion, ambient atmsopherics and even some light rock shredding for a strikingly buoyant soundscape. Madge's Max Blagg-inspired lyrical meditations occasionally border on the impenetrable, but the chorus lifts even higher than expected with an easily comprehended refrain that practically registers as career-defining".[30]

Live performances

While promoting Ray of Light on February 14, 1998, Madonna performed "Sky Fits Heaven", "Shanti/Ashtangi" and "

Drowned World Tour 2001.[34]

Track listing and formats
  1. "Ray of Light" – 9:29
  2. "Frozen" – 11:25
  3. "Sky Fits Heaven" – 10:28

Credits and personnel

Management

  • WB Music Corp./Webo Girl Publishing, Inc. (ASCAP)
  • WB Music Corp./No Tomato Music (ASCAP)

Personnel

  • Madonna – vocals, songwriter, producer
  • Mark Endert – engineer
  • Jon Englesby – engineer
  • Ted Jensen – mastering
  • Patrick Leonard – songwriter, producer
  • Pat McCarthy – engineer
  • William Orbit – producer
  • David Reitzas – engineer
  • Matt Silva – engineer

Credits and personnel adapted from the album's official liner notes.[35]

Charts

Chart (1998) Peak
position
US
Sasha and Victor Calderone
's Remix 		41

Release history

Region Date Format Label Ref.
United States October 2, 1998
  • 12"
  • Maverick
  • Warner Bros.
 [16]

Notes

  1. ^ "The 100 Greatest Madonna Songs: Critics' Picks". Billboard. July 8, 2021. Retrieved November 25, 2018.
  2. ^
    Idolator
    . Retrieved October 15, 2016.
  3. ^ Harris, Mark (October 23, 1992). "Gap jeans commercial". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved October 15, 2016.
  4. ^ "Madonna Gets Lyrical Help From Gap Ad, Freeze For 'Frozen'". MTV News. March 18, 1998. Retrieved October 15, 2016.
  5. ^ Frankel, David (March 12, 1998). "Madonna's Musical Inspiration: Gap Ads?". E! News. Retrieved October 15, 2016.
  6. Daily News
    . New York. Retrieved October 15, 2016.
  7. Philadelphia Daily News
    . Retrieved October 15, 2016.
  8. ^ Ciccone, Madonna; Leonard, Patrick (1998). "Madonna 'Sky Fits Heaven' Digital Sheet Music". Musicnotes. Retrieved October 15, 2016.
  9. ^ Hrisztova-Gotthardt & Varga 2015, p. 283
  10. ^ Walters, Barry (April 1998). "Madonna: The 'Ray of Light' Cover Story, 'Madonna Chooses Dare'". Spin. Retrieved October 15, 2016.
  11. ^ Bielen 2016, p. 209
  12. ^ Lark, Bryan (March 10, 1998). "Madonna Opens Heart and Soul on 'Light'". The Michigan Daily. Retrieved October 15, 2016.
  13. ^ Northup, Paul (April 1998). "Review: Ray of Light – Madonna". Third Way. Vol. 21, no. 3. Hymns Ancient & Modern Ltd. p. 28. Retrieved October 15, 2016.
  14. ISSN 0006-2510
    . Retrieved October 15, 2016.
  15. ^ Phillips 2009, p. 295
  16. ^ a b c Victor Calderone Remixes (CD liner notes). Victor Calderone. Sony Music. 1998.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  17. ^ "Drowned World/Substitute for Love" (Vinyl single liner notes). Madonna. Maverick. 1998. 3331 00003 7.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  18. ^ "Drowned World/Substitute for Love" (Vinyl single liner notes). Madonna. Maverick. 1998. 9362 44552 0.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  19. ^ "Drowned World (Substitute for Love)" (CD single liner notes). Madonna. Maverick. 1998. WO453CD2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  20. ^ "Drowned World (Substitute for Love)" (CD single liner notes). Madonna. Maverick. 1998. WPCR 1983.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  21. ISSN 0006-2510
    . Retrieved October 15, 2016.
  22. ^ "Sky Fits Heaven – Madonna". Billboard. Retrieved October 15, 2016.
  23. ^ a b "Madonna Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved October 15, 2016.
  24. ISSN 0006-2510
    . Retrieved October 15, 2016.
  25. ISSN 0006-2510
    . Retrieved October 15, 2016.
  26. ^ Sheffield, Rob (April 2, 1998). "Madonna: Ray of Light review". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on May 3, 2009. Retrieved December 8, 2012.
  27. ^ Cinquemani, Sal; Henderson, Eric (July 26, 2013). "15 Greatest Madonna Non-Singles (Page 2)". Slant Magazine. Retrieved October 15, 2016.
  28. ^ Moy 2013, pp. 82–83
  29. ^ Rettenmund, Matthew (February 23, 2013). "Immaculate Perception: Every Madonna Song, Best To Worst—My Personal List". BoyCulture.com. Archived from the original on June 27, 2015. Retrieved October 15, 2016.
  30. ^ "The 100 Greatest Madonna Songs: Critics' Picks". Billboard. August 15, 2018. Retrieved November 25, 2018.
  31. ^ Vineyard, Jennifer (February 16, 1998). "Madonna Lights Up New York's Roxy". MTV News. Retrieved February 9, 2014.
  32. ^ Young 2004, p. 107
  33. ^ Fouz-Hernández & Jarman-Ivens 2004, p. 136
  34. ^ Trust, Gary (October 9, 2001). "Madonna's 'Drowned' Comes To Home Video". Billboard. Retrieved June 30, 2013.
  35. Warner Bros. Records. 1998. 9362-46847-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link
    )

References

External links
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