As we approach the 10th anniversary of the death of Princess Diana, I wanted to feature a video by Madonna that was inspired by the August 1997 tragedy. In the summer of 1998, Madonna released the song Drowned World/Substitute for Love from her seventh studio album Ray of Light. The track was produced by Madonna and the extremely talented William Orbit. The song was originally called No Substitute For Love which had slightly different lyrics from the final version that was released. The demo of the song with the original lyrics and overall sound was leaked to internet prior to the song's official release. While the original song was quite good, the final version was far more beautiful. Listen to the original version HERE. The video for the track was directed by Walter Stern. Mr. Stern has directed videos for other big acts like Nine Inch Nails, David Bowie, Massive Attack and The Prodigy. The video was filmed in the summer of '98 in and around London's famous Savoy Hotel and the touristy Piccadilly Circus. The video features Madonna in several scenes being pursued and chased by the paparazzi. No matter where Madonna goes, she is never left alone. In the video, Madonna's public and private life blend 
in to one. The video and song both deal with fame and fortune and the sacrifices of being in the spotlight. The video caused quite a lot of controversy - nothing new to Mrs. Ritchie - when it was released. This video was shot the year after the death of Princess Diana and the imagery used in the video is obvious. On the night of Princess Diana's death, there is a shot of Diana, captured through surveillance camera footage, being whisked though a revolving door in to a waiting car. This car would crash in a tunnel just minutes later resulting in her untimely death. The shot of Madonna leaving her hotel in the video bears a striking resemblance to the shot of the late princess. Madonna is chased by a team of photographers who pursue the car in a mad chase. Madonna was deeply touched by Diana's death, as was the rest of the world, and the video is her own statement on those tragic events. At the end of the 
video, Madonna is seen running back to her apartment and in to the arms of her daughter who is waiting for her at home. The striking video ends with Madonna holding her daughter, looking deep in to the camera singling the line "And now, I find, I've changed my mind...this is my religion." The following videos are the original video shot by Walter Stern followed by a live performance of the song from her Confessions Tour in 2006. Enjoy. xoxox.
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