Like a Prayer is the fourth studio album by American singer-songwriter Madonna, released on March 21, 1989, by Sire Records. It saw the singer reunited with Patrick Leonard and  Stephen Bray, with whom she had worked collaborated on her previous studio album True Blue (1986), and the soundtrack to the 1987 film Who's That Girl; artist Prince also collaborated on the record, co-writing and co-producing one of the tracks alongside Madonna. Her most introspective release at the time, Like a Prayer is a pop record with elements of rock and dance pop. Its lyrics deal with personal themes she had been too afraid to approach up at that point: her Catholic upbringing, her troubled marriage to actor Sean Penn, the death of her mother, and her relationship with her father.

Upon its release, Like a Prayer received universal acclaim from music critics, who praised its introspective tone, cohesiveness, and Madonna's increased artistic merit. It was also an international success, reaching the top of the charts in 20 countries, and was certified quadruple platinum in the United States by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Worldwide, it has sold over 15 million copies. Six singles were released from the album: the title track became Madonna's seventh number-one hit on the US Billboard Hot 100, while "Express Yourself" and "Cherish" both peaked at number two, and "Keep It Together" became a top-ten hit.

The album was promoted on Madonna's third concert tour, 1990's Blond Ambition World Tour, which visited cities in Asia, North America, and Europe. In retrospective reviews, Like a Prayer has been noted as a turning point in Madonna's career; she began to be seen as a serious artist rather than a mere pop star. Critics and authors also pointed out influence from the album on the work of modern female singers. Often referred to as one of the greatest albums of all time, Like a Prayer has been included in several musical reference books and best-of lists, including Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

Prince also worked on the album. He and Madonna met at the 1985 American Music Awards and quickly became friends. They talked about collaborating multiple times, and even considered writing a musical together. Madonna flew to Prince's Paisley Park studios where they created several songs, but none were ever completed. Sessions were messy, as the two artists had different personalities: Madonna was more organized while Prince liked things "mercurial and improvisational". Madonna then went back to Los Angeles to start rehearsals for Speed-the-Plow; some time later, Prince went to New York see a performance of the play and gave the singer a rough tape with the songs they had recorded over the phone. "Love Song" was one of the songs on the tape, as well as the only one Madonna liked. Despite wanting to get together to complete the track, Madonna and Prince ended up working long distance, sending each other tapes back and forth; "it was great. It was a completely different way to work", recalled Madonna. Prince also played guitar on "Like a Prayer", "Keep It Together", and "Act of Contrition", though he remained uncredited.