Like a Prayer (song) in sound, rhythm and texture appealed to different target audiences. Australian rock music journalist Toby Creswell wrote in his book "1001 Songs" that "'Like a Prayer' is a beautifully crafted devotional song in the guise of perfect pop. God is the drum machine here." Scholar Georges Claude Guilbert, author of "Madonna as Postmodern Myth: How One Star's Self-Construction Rewrites Sex, Gender, Hollywood and the American Dream", noted that there is a polysemy in "Like a Prayer" since the singer addresses either God or her lover, and in doing so "Madonna achieves the gold-card of attaining her own divinity. Whenever someone
Like a Prayer (song) to ecstatic effect, the whole thing takes you there again and again". Sal Cinquemani from "Slant Magazine" was impressed with the production of the song, complimenting its "church-like" reverence and the religious sentiments. In the United States, "Like a Prayer" debuted at number 38 on the "Billboard" Hot 100, and reached the top of the chart on the issue dated April 22, 1989. It was number one for three weeks, before being replaced by Bon Jovi's "I'll Be There for You". The track topped the Dance Club Songs chart, while reaching number three on the Adult Contemporary chart and number