Madonna's "Express Yourself" became a massive hit after it was released in 1989, and it's considered one of her most prominent songs to date. Recently, an actress claimed the track is about her breakup with her boyfriend after working with the singer in a movie.
According to Fox 40, Jennifer Grey's love life inspired the song.
Years before its release, the actress was dating Matthew Broderick. The pair met while working on the film "Ferris Bueller's Day Off."
They almost tied the knot, but their engagement was called off. They broke up after dating for four years.
In 1989, Grey worked with Madonna for "Bloodhounds of Broadway." Their friendship took off after meeting on set, and they became good pals.
The actress told People Magazine that the singer revealed the true meaning behind the track when they were riding a car one day.
"She told me she wrote 'Express Yourself' about me breaking up with Matthew," the 62-year-old star recalled.
They were riding in Madonna's Mercedes when the singer casually played the song and told her, "listen to this song I just did. It's about you."
At first, Grey was confused, but when she tackled the lyrics, everything made sense, and she realized that her character's name from "Dirty Dancing" might have been given a shoutout.
The actress moved on from Broderick shortly after as she started dating Johnny Depp.
Looking back at her previous relationships, Grey said she had no ill will and there were no hard feelings.
She will further tackle her exes in an upcoming memoir titled "Out of the Corner." The book will be available for purchase on May 3.
At this writing, Madonna has not publicly confirmed whether the information about her song is accurate or not.
The Success of Madonna's 'Express Yourself'
Released on May 9, 1989, the song was the second single off her fourth studio album, "Like a Prayer."
The track received positive feedback from critics, and "Madonna: An Intimate Biography" author J. Randy Taraborrelli labeled the song a "funky dance anthem."
The New York Times writer Stephen Holden wrote a review of the song at the time and shared his observation of the track, saying it has the same philosophy as "Material Girl."
He claims that the song is about "a 30-year-old's view of life unshadowed by rebellion and lingering lapsed Catholic pain."
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