The song was released accompanied by eight different remixes by DJ Junior Vasquez, who re-used Madonna's vocals, but changed the composition of the track completely.

"Secret" received favorable reviews from music critics, who praised Madonna's vocal delivery and its mid-tempo R&B groove, deeming it seductive and soulful.

Internationally, it reached number one in Brazil, Canada, Finland, and Switzerland, and the top five in Australia, France, Italy, New Zealand, Spain, as well as the United Kingdom where it became her 35th consecutive top-ten single.

With the single's cover art and its accompanying music video, Madonna ushered in another image change, inspired by the look of Hollywood actress Jean Harlow.

[4][5] After searching, Madonna chose to work with Babyface, whose previous collaborations with artists like Whitney Houston, Boyz II Men, and Toni Braxton had resulted in successful smooth R&B songs.

[12] Shot by photographer Patrick Demarchelier in black-and-white, the image showed the singer slouched on a sofa with her dress down and revealing her translucent brassiere.

Jon Gass and Alvin Speights mixed the song and finally Jessie Leavey, Craig Armstrong and Suzie Katayama did the strings and conducting sessions.

As Madonna delivers a solid performance that emphasizes her increasingly strong lower vocal range, a meticulously woven arrangement of quasi-psychedelic colors and raw hip-hop elements percolates.

In his book Madonna: An Intimate Biography, author J. Randy Taraborrelli described the song as "clever", adding that no matter how many time one listens to it, "it never ceases to intrigue".

Rettenmund complimented the cover artwork, saying that "a dozen years into her career, it was one of her most arresting poses shot by Demarchelier, a testament to the durability of her star appeal".

[13] Author Lucy O'Brien described the song in her book, Madonna: Like an Icon: With its chunky backbeat, gentle strings and funky guitar motif, 'Secret' is both languid and tense at the same time.

[Austin's reworked demo] brought out a new warm, soulful tone in her voice, and making her swoony humming sound a central feature of the track.

[29] Billboard also said it is an "instantly memorable and creatively satisfying pop/hip-hop excursion," also adding that the "tune opens with a simple acoustic line, breaking into an easypaced funk beat that snugly fits into current top 40 trends.

[30] Steve Baltin from Cash Box said, "Featuring her trademark dance backbeat, the song is quieter than usual, creating a serene melody that makes for very easy listening.

[32] Cathi Unsworth from Melody Maker wrote, "The sheerest of silk stockings, slinky soul for the wee small hours and glasses of red wine.

[35] Charlotte Robinson, writer from PopMatters, wrote that the gentle grooves of "Secret", accompanied by acoustic guitar and delicate strings, make the song "seductive".

[36] Barbara O'Dair from Rolling Stone called the song "infectiously funky", adding that her delivery of the lyrics "Happiness lies in your own hand/It took me much too long to understand" shows a downbeat restraint in her vocals that proves the singer is "drawn to sadness".

[40] Scott Kearnan of The Boston Globe included the track at number 30 on his list of "Best Madonna Songs", stating "its slinky R&B groove made 'Secret' something special, even if it's not remembered for an accompanying scandal or bawdy 'moment'.

[43] Entertainment Weekly's Chuck Arnold listed "Secret" as the singer's 27th best single, writing that "[producer Dallas] Austin brought the hip-hop swagger, but it was [Madonna] who revealed her soul".

[44] In August 2018, Billboard picked it as the singer's 35th greatest single, calling it "accessible without giving the whole game away, building its chorus around haunting harmonies borrowed from Nirvana's "Something in the Way" [...] it showed that Madonna could rebound from the bad press of the Erotica era without reverting to playing it safe".

Madonna let the director live in her New York apartment to continue research and asked her to go through her book collections, including those by Helmut Newton and Richard Avedon.

Echols had gone to a low-rent mall called Crenshaw Swap Meet and bought a $180 gold necklace with the name "Madonna" in it, inside a jewelry box.

Madonna liked it and together they decided on the wardrobe, including skirts and tops, vintage clothes from costume houses, Smylon Nylon La Perla bra, and two designs from Marc Jacobs.

McDaniel and her team scouted out low-rent, speak-easy locations and they did street-casting, assembling off-beat characters, from transvestites to card tricksters and edgy Harlem teenagers.

Interspersed throughout the video are scenes of people living in Harlem, doing their daily chores, including a supporting cast of transvestite prostitutes, a pimp, and a black gang member who shows off the scars on his body.

Near the video's end, Madonna walks through the neighborhood and climbs a set of stairs to have a reunion with her family, a young Latin man and their supposed son.

In his book From Hegel to Madonna, author Robert Miklitsch states that the music video for "Secret" is a departure from the various themes—repression and loss, anger and aggression—explored so vividly on Bedtime Stories.

He concluded by saying that in lieu of the singer's 1994 interview with The Face magazine, where she expressed her desire to have a family, the video emphasized on Madonna's interest in a partner and a child.

[13] On February 18, 1995, Madonna arrived in Europe to promote Bedtime Stories; that same day, she appeared on German TV show Wetten, dass..?, where she was interviewed and performed "Secret" and "Take a Bow".

[90] Madonna then did an impromptu acoustic rendition of "Secret" on certain shows of her Rebel Heart Tour (2015−16), such as Vancouver, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Amsterdam and Atlanta.