"Bad Girl" is a song by American singer and songwriter Madonna, recorded for her fifth studio album, Erotica (1992). The song was written by Madonna, Shep Pettibone and Anthony Shimkin, and produced by Madonna and Pettibone. The song was released as the third single from the album on February 2, 1993 by Maverick Records. Lyrically, the song describes a woman that is unhappy with her life because she believes she is behaving badly, due to the sadness that has overwhelmed her since the end of a romantic relationship.
"Bad Girl" received positive reviews from music critics, who described it as riveting and tragic, while also applauding the sophistication and overall message of the song. The song was a modest success on the charts, reaching number 36 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number ten on the UK Singles Chart. The music video to accompany the single was directed by David Fincher, who had previously collaborated on Madonna's "Express Yourself", "Oh Father" and "Vogue" videos. The clip features Madonna playing a high-powered Manhattan executive who has many one-night stands with a variety of men—ultimately being murdered by one of these men at the end of the video. The video features the American actor Christopher Walken, who plays Madonna's guardian angel.
Madonna has performed the song live only once, during an appearance on Saturday Night Live in January 1993. At the end of the performance, she referenced Sinéad O'Connor's actions of ripping a photograph of Pope John Paul II and yelling "Fight the real enemy" during O'Connor's Saturday Night Live performance in October 1992. The photograph Madonna ripped was of Joey Buttafuoco.
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